Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss an immersive audiobook about a pandemic and civil unrest — in 1918. Nurse Julia Power grapples with a web of concurrent social issues as she cares for patients in a Dublin maternity ward. Emma Lowe’s beautiful Irish lilt brings the story to life. Julia is united with two other seemingly dissimilar women, a physician with ties to the Irish independ...

A. Kendra Greene’s enthusiasm and curiosity are contagious, and her love for Iceland is apparent in her delightful narration of an unusual travel book. Greene’s voice is rich and expressive, and she rolls through the Icelandic words with authenticity. There are 265 private museums in Iceland, a country with a population of 330,000, and Greene is a friendly and excited guide through them — includin...

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Brian Price discuss what many believe to be the first example of great travel writing. Robert Byron’s account, published in 1937, details his travels across the Middle East to explore the farthest reaches of Persia and Afghanistan. British narrator Barnaby Edwards captures Byron’s historical commentary, humor, and bon vivant sensibility. Along with Byron and...

Emma Lowe captures the author’s adventurous spirit, courage, and determination to ride a bicycle the 5,000 miles from London to New Delhi. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Brian Price discuss Dervla Murphy’s epic adventure in 1963 that included taking on wolves, gun-toting bandits, and extreme temperatures, all by bike. Emma Lowe’s comfortable Irish lilt reflects the author’s amazing calmnes...

There’s never been a better time to indulge in John Muir’s inspiring observations of California’s iconic wilderness. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Brian Price discuss Muir’s observations that were crafted over the two years he lived in a tiny cabin alongside Yosemite Creek. Narrator Nick McArdle is a Scotsman, like Muir, and the author’s words wash over listeners like a walk in the woods....

Travel to every national park in the U.S. without leaving the comfort of your home. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Brian Price discuss Conor Knighton’s fascinating audiobook documenting his year-long exploration of America’s national parks. The “CBS Sunday Morning” contributor has a natural talent for narration, with a style that is informed but informal. He weaves together national park h...

Shabazz Larkin and his family voice a lively audiobook all about appreciating bees. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly and host Jo Reed discuss this charming picture book read-along all about the role bees play in making food grow that’s also a loving story dedicated to Larkin’s sons. Buzzing bees, light piano music, and bongo drums add to the fun as Larkin explains how his kids share some sneaking and st...

Jordan Cobb and A.J. Beckles guide listeners through this vibrant new YA fantasy inspired by West African folklore. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the complex fantasy centered around Crown Princess Karina and Malik, who comes to her desert city seeking refuge and is swept up in a deadly competition. Cobb’s strong voice captures the ferocity of Karina’s actions as she attempts...

identical Black twins who run away from home, and whose lives divert when they choose very different paths. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss an audiobook that would be ideal for your next book group or for any listener seeking out a rich listen. Shayna Small’s narration brings the twins Stella and Desiree Vignes to life, and she creates lively and distinct voices for the entire...

Poet Dean Atta draws on his skills as a spoken-word performer to deliver his novel in verse, which features an intimate, empowering portrayal of a Black gay teenageer coming of age in Britain. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the power of hearing Atta’s poetry read by the author, whose casual and conversational delivery also highlights all of the emotions and rhythms of the poet...

Frankie Corzo’s velvety voice will bring you under her spell as she narrates this Gothic horror audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s new novel set in the 1950s in Mexico, starring Noemí Taboada, a clever 22-year-old socialite sent into the countryside to check on her recently married cousin. What she finds is, at first, merely odd — but is slowly re...

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb revisit the Hunger Games, this time through the eyes of Coriolanus Snow. Narrator Santino Fontana captures fans’ attention and hearts with his impactful performance of the prequel to the popular YA trilogy. Listeners discover how Snow morphed from an impoverished, sentimental teenager into a man who became the merciless leader of Panem. Fontana’s consisten...

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss an alternate history from author Curtis Sittenfeld. In this topsy-turvy world, listeners get to explore the question: What would have happened had Hillary and Bill not married? Carrington MacDuffie offers a savory performance, morphing from a delectable sensuality to a refined maturity and crisp delivery. Listeners follow Hillary’s civic journey fr...

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss dispatches from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. Emily Woo Zeller’s melodious voice, clear diction, and thoughtful pacing are notable, and she expresses Fang Fang’s tone as she discusses daily life and the challenges of living through the pandemic in Wuhan. Emily Woo Zeller makes you feel as if you are listening to the author h...

Golden Voice narrator Gerard Doyle’s Irish heritage and English drama training make him a natural for Scottish, English, and Irish accents, but his relaxed pace and mastery of story are what make his performances shine. His character voices can convince listeners they are hearing a full-cast narration. He has won numerous AudioFile Earphone Awards and an Audie Award for his narrations. On today’s...

Actor and narrator Emily Woo Zeller was inducted as an AudioFile Golden Voice this June. She is a marvel of a narrator with the ability to bring listeners into the story and capture the heart of a book. She narrates across many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, nonfiction, and stories of immigrants. She uses language and accents to voice audiobooks authentically, including many moving na...

Suzanne Toren has been narrating audiobooks for more than 30 years, and she has more than 1,000 audiobooks to her credit. She has numerous AudioFile Earphone Awards, and is known for narrating history, biography, fiction, mystery, and current events titles. Her attention to detail with her narration serves her well in the variety of genres she narrates. On today’s episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFi...

Simon Prebble was among the first narrators honored as Golden Voices in 1995. He is much loved for his narrations of historical mysteries, literary fiction such as THE REMAINS OF THE DAY by Kazuo Ishiguro, and romance titles, such as Stephanie Laurens’s Cynster series. He won an Audie Award in Romance for his narration of Laurens’s UNTAMED BRIDE. AudioFile has honored 39 of his titles with Earphon...

Golden Voice narrator Jim Dale has probably brought more people to audiobooks than any other narrator. A generation grew up listening to his performances of the Harry Potter series. Jim was originally a musical comedy and dance man who performed in “Barnum” on Broadway. He brings his acting talents to his audiobook narrations, where he creates immensely imaginative and memorable character voices....

Golden Voice narrator John Lee is no stranger to British history, and he is skilled with all of the accents and speech patterns to make both historical and contemporary characters sound vibrant. John’s rich, smooth voice keeps momentum through long historical audiobooks, including DARKEST HOUR by Anthony McCarten, a 2019 Audie Award-winning History/Biography audiobook. He has a gift with many Brit...

Barbara Rosenblat is one of AudioFile’s original Golden Voice narrators, and she is a wonderful chameleon who makes listeners believe in every character she voices. To listeners’ great delight, many of those characters are outrageous! She delights in Sue Townsend’s hilarious send-up of the royal family, THE QUEEN & I, and in Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones, or the iconic Amelia Peabody from Elizabe...

Host Robin Whitten speaks with narrator Arthur Morey, one of AudioFile’s 2020 Golden Voices, as we celebrate his excellent audiobook narrations. Arthur Morey has delighted listeners across genres, and especially in histories, biographies, and memoirs. He is a frequent name on AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of the Year list, most recently for E.B. White’s ON DEMOCRACY and REPORTER by Seymour M. Hersh....

George Guidall is one of AudioFile’s original Golden Voice narrators, and he was honored with the accolade two decades ago. He continues to prove his talents with more than 100 AudioFile Earphones Award-winning audiobook performances ranging from science fiction to histories to spy thrillers. George is excellent at pacing his narrations, getting every emphasis of the author’s intent just right in...

Edoardo Ballerini is a highly acclaimed narrator who was honored as an AudioFile’s Golden Voice last year. He won the Best Male Narrator Audie Award in the same year for his narration of WATCHERS by Dean Koontz, and in 2013 he won his first Best Male Narrator Audie Award for BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter. Audiobook listeners love his smooth voice and easy delivery and his skill with a range of ac...

Golden Voice narrator Stefan Rudnicki is an Audie Award winner and nominee for many Science Fiction and Fantasy audiobooks, and he is much loved by listeners in these genres. His distinct deep pitch and steady pace also make him a popular narrator for historical audiobooks and biographies. He has landed on AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of the Year list and has won numerous Earphones Awards over the...