Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Debut fiction from the author of Between the World and Me that moves into the realm of magical realism. Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten talk about how this work fits into the canon along with the work of Colson Whitehead and Toni Morrison. Hiram Walker is a young man with remarkable gifts working on The Underground Railroad. Published by Random House Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at...

Compulsively entertaining and dazzlingly performed. AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith and Host Jo Reed discuss Stephen King’s latest horror audiobook. Santino Fontana does wonders with a diverse lineup of characters, including supernaturally gifted children trapped at The Institute, and the many voices of their menacing adult captors. If you’re looking for an unforgettable story of kids confronting evil,...

Perfect listening for book lovers. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith discuss the history of the book as told by Rutgers English professor Leah Price. Narrator Elisabeth Rodgers’s eloquent narration lets the wide-ranging content take center stage. Take a world tour of an iconic object — the book — and a deep dive into the history of reading. Published by Hachette Audio. Find more audioboo...

A wise guide through life’s challenges from a father to his sons. AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith and host Jo Reed talk about this collection of advice from the author of THE THINGS THEY CARRIED, Tim O’Brien. This memoir and tribute are made all the more meaningful with O’Brien’s gravelly delivery and tone of love and hope. The author’s father had always been a mystery to him, and this memoir provides...

How do our biases about others make us misread strangers? Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith discuss the latest audiobook from Malcolm Gladwell. In an Earphones Award-winning performance, Gladwell’s narration skills add sparkling energy to his writing. His examination of interactions with people we don’t know will intrigue. Woven into the listening experience is audio from many of those s...

NPR reporter Aarti Shahani shares her family’s American Dream — and American nightmare. In today’s episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith talk about Shahani’s moving memoir. Shahani reports on Silicon Valley for NPR and is the daughter of an immigrant who served time when caught up in a money laundering scheme. Shahani shifts seamlessly between the multiple languages her family speak...

Beautifully written and performed poetry from the first Native American to be poet laureate of the United States. Jo Reed and AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb talk about Harjo’s Earphones Award-winning poetry collection, filled with emotions and moments of song. The poems are even more moving thanks to the author’s vivid and emotional interpretations. Joy Harjo is in the front rank of poets—and po...

Nuclear proliferation takes center stage as AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb and host Jo Reed discuss what makes an audio play performance different from an audiobook. Notable actors Alfred Molina and Steven Weber perfectly portray the humor and the frustration of their jobs to negotiate between the United States and Russia while taking a series of walks. Published by L.A. Theatre Works. Find more...

Love against the odds. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb talk about the powerful emotions at play in this YA historical fiction audiobook about a romance during World War II. The dual narration allows listeners to hear perspectives from both of the characters, an interned Japanese American young man, and a young woman appalled by his treatment by the U.S. Government. Published by B...

January LaVoy makes this an A+ listen. AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb and Jo Reed discuss the ways in which January’s performance beautifully finds the sadness, desperation, and humor in the audiobook. These Colorado parents are willing to do anything to get their kids recognized as gifted, landing them a spot in the exclusive Crystal Academy. January creates distinct voices and personalities fo...

A highly anticipated adult fiction novel with a multivoice cast. Join Jo Reed and AudioFile publisher Michele Cobb discussing the emotionally connective reading by five narrators, including the author. Meet three generations of an African-American family. Bahni Turpin narrates as sixteen-year-old Melody, whose mother Iris is rarely around. She was a teen mother, and narrator Shayna Small fills in...

Join host Jo Reed as she talks with one of the greats in the world of audiobooks, George Guidall. Hear what drew him to the world of audiobooks, highlights from his impressive career, and what he's loved about narrating the series that listeners adore. He has won accolades including AudioFile Earphones Awards, Audie Awards, and the APA Special Achievement award. George has narrated more than 1,700...

The new “Downton Abbey” film inspired our choice of this contemporary story about three very different women who form a lasting friendship as they watch weekly screenings of the TV series. We chat about how much narrator Orlagh Cassidy’s marvelous accents add to the listening experience. Published by Penguin Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobo...

Listen to our conversation about the author of classic gothic and supernatural tales, master storyteller Arthur Conan Doyle. Think of the creator of Sherlock Holmes as the great-great-grandfather of pulp fiction and binge-worthy television and it all makes sense. Irish narrator Gary Furlong adds the right fresh approach to the tales and handles myriad accents. Perfect for Halloween. Published by T...

Enjoy the conversation about this charming story of two sisters, Edith and Helen, as podcast host Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten highlight what makes this a great listen. Narrator Judith Ivey delivers a tone of Midwestern pragmatism as the women bake pies, brew beer, nurture unlikely friendships, and find redemption. Published by Penguin Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemag...

Fans of spy stories—as podcast host Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten are—like nothing better than talking about the details of the classic tradecraft of spies. We can’t give the details away, but we share just enough to get you listening to the short and satisfying audiobook from British author Mick Herron and Golden Voice Gerard Doyle. A fortuitous pairing. Published by Recorded Books. Find more...

The newest literary drama from the author of ROOM takes listeners on a trip to the French Riviera. Host Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten chat about the appeal of listening to unlikely traveling companions Noah—a 79-year-old retired professor—and Michael, his 11-year-old grand nephew he barely knows. How does narrator Jason Culp nail the dialogue, bickering, and self-discovery? Our podcast discussi...

What happens to the “chosen one” after the big bad guy’s gone? Join host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly as they talk about this highly anticipated sequel to Rainbow Rowell’s CARRY ON, and the exceptional skills of narrator Euan Morton. Simon Snow defeated the Insidious Humdrum, and now he’s flunking out of university, has lost his magic, and feels very glum. His best friend Penelope hatche...

A smashing start to a new mystery series from Ann Cleeves. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly take listeners to charming North Devon, England, where DI Matthew Venn’s team has just found the body of a dead man on the beach. Ben Aldridge narrates with a cool and easy pace, mirroring Matthew’s calm demeanor as he leads his team on the investigation. The clues all point toward Matthew’s own...

January LaVoy’s breathtaking narration shines in this historical fantasy. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly marvel at LaVoy’s ability to bring dynamic and diverse characters to life. January Scaller is a daring young girl who feels trapped in the country home of her guardian, Mr. Locke, while her dad is off on adventures. When she finds a Door that leads to another world, and a book that...

Emotionally and culturally authentic teen listening. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly tells host Jo Reed all the many reasons she loved listening to David Yoon’s new YA bestseller. Franki Li is a sweet, nerdy high school junior falling in love with his classmate. Only trouble is, she’s white, and his Korean parents only want him dating Korean girls. Narrator Raymond J. Lee’s empathetic performance captu...

This impressive sequel is even more dramatic on audio. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly recommend Margaret Atwood’s sequel to her dystopian classic, THE HANDMAID’S TALE. Set fifteen years after Offred fled Gilead, the story focuses on the lives of Aunts, Wives, and children in that society. The imposing Aunt Lydia is a central player in Gilead, and her secretive diary entries are narrat...

A compelling tale of scientific discoveries at sea. AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith and host Jo Reed learn about H.M.S. Challenger, which made the first scientific explorations of the sea in the 1870s. Sean Runnette’s steady voice suits the spirit of the narrative written by an esteemed oceanographer. Hear of the biological riches dredged up from the ocean floor and the legacy the voyage left for our o...

Get up close and personal with one of humankind’s fiercest enemies. Join host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith to hear how mosquitoes have changed the course of human history and still impact us today. Mark Deakins’s skillfull narration holds listeners’ attention as we learn how mosquitoes could have been the downfall of King Tut and the reason the Magna Carta was signed. Published by Pengui...

Listen as Peter Berkrot captures all of ghostwriter Stewart Hoag’s wit, wisecracks, and warmth. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith discuss this latest mystery from David Handler. The down-on-his-luck Hoag is penning celebrity memoirs, but he might finally have a handle on his own second novel. Literary mischief and mayhem ensue when he’s called upon to investigate a missing manuscript, an...