Top audiobook picks from AudioFile. Each title gives an exceptional audio experience--a synergy of author and narrator for great listening. Hear excerpts from each title and listen to a candid AudioFile review. AudioFile is an independent source of audiobook views and news. All audiobooks, all the time!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
AMONG THE MAD by Jacqueline Winspear, read by Orlagh Cassidy
Maisie Dobbs, the spunky young investigator in 1930s London, is one of the most appealing heroines in recent mystery series. Narrator Cassidy is well paired with the material, and Maisie's latest case will keep listeners guessing.
SUGAR POP THOUGHTS by Shayna Lance, read by the author
Shayna Lance passes on her life views with sharp, sensitive, and sometimes-sarcastic insights for her daughter. This energetic 'pop' program was a 2009 Audie Finalist in the Original Work category.
Coben's ninth Myron Bolitar adventure is a genuine edge-of-your-seat thriller. Myron answers a call for help from his ex-ladylove, Terese, and becomes entangled with terrorists, Interpol, Mossad, and Homeland Security. Narrator Weber keeps things intense.
LETHAL LEGACY by Linda Fairstein, read by Barbara Rosenblat
In this eleventh mystery featuring Alex Cooper, the assistant district attorney who prosecutes sex crimes in New York City is called in when a librarian is assaulted. Barbara Rosenblat's performance outshines the plot.
LAST LION: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy edited by Peter S. Canellos, read by Skipp Sudduth
The subtitle of this book, "The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy," clearly explains the focus of this solid one-volume biography. Sudduth's narrative style exactly matches the book's tone, varying inflection, and pace with the gravity of the material.
In this gentle, poignant tale, an organ-grinder and his monkey play music outside little Frances's window just before Christmas. Frances stays up one night and discovers that the two sleep on the street. Jane Curtin's insightful narration is expressive yet elegant.
CUTTING FOR STONE by Abraham Verghese, read by Sunil Malhotra
In a moving story about twin brothers born of an Indian Catholic nun and an expatriate English doctor, we meet Dr. Marion Stone, the Ethiopian-born, half-Indian protagonist and narrator. Sunil Malhotra delivers an expert performance that is fluid and skilled.
IN A NUTSHELL: DARWIN by Peter Whitfield, read by Peter Whitfield
In a little over an hour, Whitfield presents a biography of Charles Darwin and an overview of his life's work. Whitfield has a pleasant voice, and the prose is smooth and interesting. The audio is a leisurely experience that can be likened to taking a walk while discussing Darwin and his theory of evolution.
THE ROAD HOME by Rose Tremain, read by Juliet Stevenson
Juliet Stevenson's performance of THE ROAD HOME is nothing short of astonishing. Tremain's protagonist, Lev, emigrating from an Eastern Bloc country to work in the UK, encounters many characters. Their great variety of accents and origins are rendered impeccably. Stevenson makes them so distinct in timbre and personality, that you utterly lose track of the fact that it's all created by one actor.
CHE GUEVARA: A Revolutionary Life by Jon Lee Anderson, read by Armando Duran
Fighting for Castro's Cuban revolution and dying while aiding Bolivian guerillas, Che led a colorful and complex life. The gifted bilingual narrator Armando Duran speaks both American English and the book's abundant Latin-American Spanish. His fluency with both languages synchronizes the messenger with the message.
A COLLECTION OF RUDYARD KIPLING'S JUST SO STORIES by Rudyard Kipling, performed by Jim Weiss
Would you like to know how the whale got his throat or the camel his hump? Well, best beloved, this production's for you. Weiss's playful narration gives ample opportunities to present different animal personas. He fills these classics with the fresh approach of a dynamic storyteller.
DEATH'S HALF ACRE by Margaret Maron, read by C.J. Critt
In this addition to Maron's mystery series, developers are buying up prime land from unsuspecting North Carolina families, and the apparent suicide of the county’s greedy commissioner brings in Deputy Dwight Bryant. Critt more than does justice to Maron's well-written text and sublime dialogue.
GHOST AT WORK by Carolyn Hart, read by Ann Marie Lee
In a new series, Hart presents Bailey Ruth, a ghost turned sleuth, who works out of Heaven's Department of Good Intentions. Ann Marie Lee's voice wraps us in the charms of a small town, a charming ghost, and aid sent from heaven.