Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

In six classic Greek myths retold, listeners encounter characters both famous (Odysseus, Icarus) and lesser known (Queen Lamia, Bellerophon). Derek Perkins deftly narrates these tales with a keen sense of storytelling—vivid and lively with a grand sense of drama and action. He’s equally adept at the “explained” parts—short essay after each tale with an overview of the myth. Listeners are reminded...

Fans of Kate Atkinson’s private detective Jackson Brodie will love his 5th outing with the audiobook narrated by Jason Isaacs, who plays Brodie in the BBC series “Case Histories.” Isaacs knows all the characters well and conveys a sense of easy familiarity in his narration. Brodie investigates the grim crimes of human trafficking and child abuse, but Atkinson’s keen plotting and wry humor keep lis...

Revisit the classic WWII novel by Joseph Heller. Jay O. Sanders brings a friendly, earnest tone to a production that features a large cast of characters presided over by a paranoid and put-upon bombardier, Captain Yossarian. It’s an absurdist romp through the machinations of governmental bureaucracy. Published by Harper Audio. Read the full review of CATCH-22 at audiofilemagazine.com. For more fre...

A nuanced and masterful performance of a harrowing audiobook. Winner of an AudioFile Earphones award, Jacques Roy narrates Higginbotham’s recounting of the 1986 Russian nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. A compelling listen that’s perfect for those fascinated by the HBO miniseries CHERNOBYL. Published by Simon & Schuster. Read the full review of MIDNIGHT IN CHERNOBYL at audiofilemagazine.com. For more...

Craig Wasson mans the mic like a jazz poet in this second installment of Ellroy’s L.A. WWII trilogy that began with PERFIDIA. The audiobook sizzles with the slang and accents of wartime Los Angeles in a story full of murder, missing gold, and fire set against a backdrop of war and racist paranoia. Wasson delivers Ellroy’s lyricism while also presenting the harsh language of humanity's underbelly....

Golden Voice narrator Bahni Turpin engages the listener with a complex biography of two luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. Explore the friendship and collaboration of writers Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes in the 1920s and 1930s. Turpin’s narrative skills stand out in passages in which she gives voice to the boisterous Hurston and mercurial Hughes. Learn more about their friendship, and...

Listen as the beautiful yet brutal powers of author Mark Haddon and narrator Tim McInnerny collide in awesome display. In a retelling of Shakespeare’s PERICLES, we meet Chloe, a young woman whose harsh entry into the world merely foreshadows an even more disturbing life to come. Once you begin on the voyage of this novel, you won’t be able to stop. Published by Random House Audio. Read the full re...

Essential listening for teens. In this well-researched audiobook, Ann Bausum lays out the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and Vikas Adam narrates with the urgency and sincerity required to convey the story. Young listeners can listen to be informed about this devastating history and the continuing crisis. Published by Listening Library. Read the full review of VIRAL at audiofilemagazine.com....

Kyla Garcia skillfully steers listeners through a story that leaps across decades. Nedda Papas is on a mission to save humanity by colonizing a distant planet when her ship’s life support system starts to go haywire. In flashback chapters we hear an 11-year-old Nedda breathlessly anticipating the Challenger launch, then devastated by its explosion. Then Nedda discovers that her father’s invention...

A lyrical exploration love, pain, survival, and redemption. Ocean Vuong narrates his autobiographical novel with a poetic rhythm and a devastating delivery. The novel is written as a compellingly honest letter from a young Vietnamese immigrant to his mother, despite the fact that she cannot read. Vuong will keep listeners hooked as the main character, Little Dog, discovers what it means to be youn...

Queer Eye’s resident fashion expert narrates his memoir with the perfect cheeky delivery. Tan France speaks openly about the difficulties of growing up South Asian in rural England, the importance of fashion to his self expression, falling in love with his husband in Salt Lake City, and getting cast for Queer Eye. Fans will love listening to his unique accent as they get to know more about his roa...

Narrator January Lavoy was recently honored as a Golden Voice by AudioFile. January is a skilled narrator who draws listeners into whatever she's performing, whether it's a thrilling mystery or a compelling historical audiobook. We wanted to know more about January's journey to becoming an audiobook narrator, the differences between narrating in the booth and acting on stage, and all of the work t...

Dive into a perfect summer audiobook from bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert. Vivian is a 95-year-old seamstress who came of age during WWII. Blair Brown narrates with a remarkably friendly demeanor as she recounts Vivian’s youthful escapades in New York City during the summer of 1940. The conversational storyline works well on audio, and the many dynamic characters come to life with Brown’s liv...

Stefan Rudnicki is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Stefan’s deep baritone voice is distinctive and engaging. His many performances of literary work have a classic feel informed by his scholarship, yet are still approachable for listeners. His confident world-building in many fantasy and sci-fi audiobooks—from Ben Bova to BATTLEFIELD EARTH—...

Simon Vance is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Simon brings a sense of adventure and wonder to his work—he’s on the journey with us to discover new worlds, characters, ideas. His charming British voice fits naturally with so many different characters, and his pronunciation of names and places seems effortless. After many years of recording...

Jim Dale is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Jim, as the narrator of all the Harry Potter audiobooks, may be responsible for introducing audiobooks to generations of listeners. Jim’s ability to create whimsical, imaginative character voices brings out all the fun and entertainment of the audiobooks he performs. Browse his full audiography,...

Davina Porter is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Davina’s love of historical detail and her Scots heritage make her a perfect choice to narrate Diana Gabaldon’s multi-volume OUTLANDER series. Davina’s elegant, articulate narrations seem effortless. Her performances on many classics like ANNA KARENINA set the gold standard. Browse her full...

Grover Gardner is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Grover’s voice of “sandpaper and velvet” brings alive nonfiction, especially history and philosophy, to fully engage listeners. He’s also adept at mysteries. Grover’s long career in the production and direction of audiobooks as well as in narration informs his performances from both sides o...

John Lee is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. John has a great gift with vocal portraits of characters. In his many English and international mysteries, even the most minor characters can be memorable. His distinctive British voice and cadence help listeners remember important elements of a story. Browse his full audiography, and explore his...

Robin Miles is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Robin is a student of dialects and accents, including African, Haitian, Creole, or simply brilliant regional American accents. Her performances of history and biography illustrate how Robin is successful at keeping listeners in the story. Her timing and pace within each work are finely tuned....

Gerard Doyle is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Gerard is like the Pied Piper—a voice that you want to follow wherever the story leads. Whether it’s Irish noir thrills or fantasy world-building—just follow the voice. Browse his full audiography, and explore his AudioFile profile page. Essential Listens: DEAD I WELL MAY BE MOTHERS AND SONS...

Alyssa Bresnahan is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Alyssa brings a clear confidence to her storytelling and is able to match the emotions of the characters. She’s attuned to small changes in tone and elevates the story for listeners. Alyssa is active on Broadway but makes time for audiobooks as often as she can. Browse her full audiograph...

George Guidall is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. George was one of the first narrators to be named a Golden Voice, and his audiobook work has elevated the art form for more than 30 years. George is a consummate storyteller. He astutely understands an author’s approach and delivers the essence of the written work. At the same time, his war...

Simon Jones is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Simon was in the original BBC Radio cast of THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, and has appeared in most of the subsequent re-imaginings. The “Guide” has put Simon onto stage and screen and into audiobook roles that capitalize on his keen sense of wit and humor. Browse his full audiography,...

Dion Graham is honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Dion is a storyteller for any age group. He can swing from Miles Davis to Trombone Shorty, from mysteries to history to complex astrophysics to audiobooks for children, Dion has legendary empathy for the characters he portrays and impressively connects with listeners. Browse his full audiograp...