Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Author and playwright Lillian Hellman wrote this biting and darkly humorous story that never gets old. In this full-cast reading before a live audience, the narrators sport dead-on Southern accents. A piercing examination of the Old South that proves a woman can be just as devilish and greedy as any man. Published by L.A. Theatre Works. Read the full review of THE LITTLE FOXES at audiofilemagazine...

Seasoned thriller master Harlan Coben and narrator Steven Weber know how to grab the listener and not let go. Simon and Ingrid Greene are searching for their daughter—a search that takes them to drug dens in the Bronx, adoption agencies, and more unexpected places. Great suspense with unexpected twists and a perfect performance. Published by Brilliance Audio. Read the full review of RUN AWAY at au...

Humorist and columnist Dave Barry treats us to good listening with his trademark humor and ruminations on old dogs and aging. Taking ideas from Lucy, his old dog and faithful friend, Barry shares chapters like “Make New Friends,” “Don’t Stop Having Fun,” and “Pay Attention to the People You Love.” Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Read the full review of LESSONS FROM LUCY at audiofilemagazine.c...

No one writes a teen love story quite like Nicola Yoon. Before being swept away by Natasha and Daniel on the big screen in THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR, listen as Bahni Turpin, Raymond Lee, and Dominic Hoffman narrate this story of a whirlwind one-day romance set in New York City. Natasha is desperate to keep her family from being deported back to Jamaica when she meets Daniel on his way for a college i...

Travel from the Arctic to Antarctica and everywhere in between with Barry Lopez, author of ARCTIC DREAMS, as he takes listeners along on his autobiographical reflections. James Naughton narrates with the appropriate gravitas as Lopez brings listeners to the Galapagos and the Kenyan desert, often focusing his stories on his concerns for the health of the planet and humanity’s future. Explore the wo...

Queenie is 25, a Jamaican Brit, and absolutely hilarious. Listeners follow Queenie through group texts, disastrous relationships, and problems with family as she searches for meaning and acceptance. Narrator Shvorne Marks gives a powerful performance of Queenie and excels with the diverse accents from the UK, Jamaica, Pakistan, and Uganda. Squeamish situations are hilarious, and Queenie’s low poin...

Sal has just moved to Miami and is going to a magnet middle school to study magic. Listeners soon find out that Sal not only excels at sleight-of-hand but can also tear holes into alternate universes and bring things (and people!) into his own universe. Narrator Anthony Rey Perez skillfully interprets this delightful mix of realistic and fantastical events and nimbly switches between English and S...

Nora’s father Driss Guerraoui is killed in a hit-and-run, and she’s determined to find out why. A cast of narrators gives voice to the perspectives of the people impacted by his death. Mozhan Marno stands out for her ability to capture daughter Nora’s raw emotion. There’s a mystery at the heart of this audiobook, but it’s also an examination of what it means to be an American and an immigrant in A...

Take a trip to the ’70s with this story of a fake rock band—sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. A star-studded cast—Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer, and Pablo Schreiber lead the ensemble of narrators as they recount the band’s meteoric rise to fame and mysterious fall from grace as an oral history. A tapestry of memorable characters with electric chemistry and authentic-sounding relationship...

SYNC kicks off today—it’s an exciting free summer program that lasts 14 weeks. The program is focused on young adults, but anyone can participate. AudioFile offers 2 audiobook downloads a week, thematically paired. Every Thursday, two new titles are available. This season we have everything from Shakespeare’s OTHELLO to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s BECOMING KAREEM. We have classics, plays, nonfiction, an...

Detective Amos Decker discovers that a mistake he made as a rookie may have led to deadly consequences in this latest Memory Man thriller. Earphones Award performances by Kyf Brewer and Orlagh Cassidy should push this audiobook to the top of every thriller fan’s must list. Published by Hachette Audio. Read the full review of REDEMPTION at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendati...

Formerly an observant Orthodox Jew, Larry refuses to say Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer, for his recently deceased father. Instead he uses an Internet-based alternative to avoid his obligation, and his life is profoundly changed. Poignant and yet funny writing and Rob Shapiro’s nuanced narration make this a must-listen. An Earphones Award winner. Published by Random House Audio. Read the full revie...

Onwauchi is in the running for the 2019 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year. He narrates his own memoir that dishes on the restaurant industry as it weaves the tale of a his upbringing, his rise— including a stint on Top Chef—and the rapid fall of his restaurant Shaw Bijou. Now at New York’s Kith and Kin, Onwauchi delivers a compelling sense of emotion and passion with his performance. Publis...

In Mark Synnott’s unique window on the ethos of climbing, his friend Alex Honnold’s astonishing “free solo” ascent of El Capitan’s 3,000 feet of sheer granite is the central act. Mark Deakins paints an authentic, wry portrait of climbing history and profiles Yosemite heroes and the international climbers who explore the limits of human potential. Published by Penguin Audio. Read the full review of...

Historian Wilson-Lee’s biography of Christopher Columbus’s son, Hernando Colón, offers a fresh perspective on the age of European exploration, the emergence of modern printing and libraries, and the concept of a global world. Richard Trinder narrates here with enormous grace, skill, and understanding. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Read the full review of THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS a...

A detailed recollection of Bob Dylan’s groundbreaking “Blonde on Blonde.” Cue up the soundtrack and get the inside story on the musicians, engineers, and producers who had a role in the creation of Dylan's trailblazing album. Narrator Graham Halstead is a great guide for listeners. Published by Tantor Media. Read the full review of THAT THIN, WILD MERCURY SOUND at audiofilemagazine.com. For more f...

This legal and psychological thriller involves a righteous female judge and the one personal misstep that puts her personal and professional life in jeopardy. Narrator January LaVoy demonstrates her masterful talents in portraying a confident female judge, her sullen teenage son, the criminals who pursue her, and many additional supporting characters. Published by Penguin Audio. Read the full revi...

What was life was like under the spell of the real-life cult-like figure Timothy Leary, who extolled the virtues of psychedelic drugs, free love, and the search for enlightenment? Boyle takes listeners back to the 1960s to explore the first scientific and recreational forays into LSD and its mind-altering possibilities—the effects of which have reverberated widely throughout our culture. Narrator...

A high-school yearbook from 1968 sets off a series of unlikely consequences. When Daphne decides to de-clutter, she pitches a yearbook inherited from her mother. It’s picked up by a neighbor who decodes its cryptic annotations, and as Daphne discovers unexpected details of her mother’s life, it begins to disrupt her own. Published by Dreamscape Audio. Read the full review of GOOD RIDDANCE at audio...

This full-length biography of Mary Queen of Scots has similarities to an epic poem as opposed to a history of this tumultuous period of English and Scottish history. Covering her life in the middle of the 16th century—from her birth through her marriages, reigns in France and Scotland, and imprisonment in the Tower of London. Published by Tantor Media. Read the full review of MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS a...

Congressman John Lewis draws on his experiences as a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement to offer his recollections and wisdom. Looking to the future, Lewis outlines his principles and his advocacy of nonviolent protest, and he crafts a call to action to engage in the voting process. Published by Hachette Audio. Read the full review of ACROSS THAT BRIDGE at audiofilemagazine.com. For mor...

The Renaissance of 16th-century Italy is the setting for this luscious tale of a famous chef. After Bartolomeo Scappi’s sudden death, more than the secrets of his recipes are left to his nephew and protégé. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Read the full review of THE CHEF'S SECRET at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On...

Kya Clark is a wild child who lives in isolation in the marshes off the Carolina coast. She lives and learns from the natural world around her. “The Marsh Girl” is almost a myth, but when a local boy is found murdered, Kya is suspected and pursued. The swamp reveals the secrets and prejudices of a southern small town in the 1960s. Published by Penguin Audio. Read the full review of WHERE THE CRAWD...

Discover a magical world where witches, vampires, and daemons exist. Diana Bishop is a witch who has always denied her power, until one day her alchemical research turns up a magical manuscript. Whether you already know and love this story of Diana and her romance with vampire Matthew or you’re just hearing about it for the first time, this audiobook makes for wonderful listening. There’s a new bi...

Dive into a new African-inspired fantasy trilogy by Man Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James. Narrator Dion Graham makes this an immersive listen, and his deep voiced narration will have listeners feeling as if they’re walking in the protagonist’s shoes. Tracker’s journey in pursuit of a child he was hired to find is especially powerful on audio, with rich character voices and accents and even...