AudioFile Magazine

PRIMAL LAW by J.D. Tyler, read by Kirsten Potter

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:31:06 +0000

Kirsten Potter’s versatile narration strengthens this engaging paranormal series opener. Jaxon Law is a member of Alpha Pack, a group of ex-military wolf shifters who address magical crimes. Read the full AudioFile review.

WHO DONE IT by Jon Scieszka, read by Rebecca Gibel

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:24:05 +0000

Who killed editor Herman Q. Mildew? More than 80 noted authors and illustrators present their alibis and excuses in this anthology. Narrator Rebecca Gibel provides a welcome consistency. Read the full AudioFile review.

TENTH OF DECEMBER written and read by George Saunders

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:59:32 +0000

Saunders’s untrained voice is the perfect conveyance for the earnest vernacular of his offbeat characters—and a convincing case for the argument that an author can be the best interpreter of his own text. Read the full AudioFile review.

FRESH OFF THE BOAT written and read by Eddie Huang

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:06:46 +0000

American restaurateur Eddie Huang weaves a rich tapestry of Asian and American culture, food, and his bittersweet experiences with losing and finding his identity. Read the full AudioFile review.

Three Riffs on Gatsby

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:08:28 +0000

Listen to the three performances of the same passage from THE GREAT GATSBY read in turn by three different narrators: Anthony Heald, Tim Robbins, and Robertson Dean.

I'M FAST! by Kate and Jim McMullan, read by Stanley Tucci

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:33:04 +0000

When a zippy red race car challenges a Sacramento-based blue freight engine to a race, an adventure-packed escapade begins. Stanley Tucci’s narration is merry and whimsical. His voice is full of bravado. Read the full AudioFile review.

BENEDICTION by Kent Haruf, read by Mark Bramhall

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:01:56 +0000

Mark Bramhall gives an emotional performance of this melancholy slice of life in a small town. Haruf focuses on various characters who live in the town of Holt, Colorado. Read the full AudioFile review.

Gatsby Interview with Anthony Heald

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:00:04 +0000

Anthony Heald, narrator of The Great Gatsby, talks with AudioFile's Randy O'Brien about his approach to recording this classic of the Jazz Age. Listen to Heald's comments on the challenges of F. Scott's Fitzgerald's work and how he strikes a balance between emotional connection and performance. Heald selects a passage to share and discusses the why The Great Gatsby remains with us.

THE MAN WHO RODE MIDNIGHT by Elmer Kelton, read by Terence Aselford and a Full Cast

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:44:45 +0000

Terence Aselford and cast pour atmosphere and empathy into this warmly human story set in West Texas in the 1980s. The myriad sound effects and mellow music accompany the strong production. Read the full AudioFile review.

MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE by Diana Rowland, read by Allison McLemore

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:51:56 +0000

Angel Crawford survives a car crash—only to discover she now has a hankering for brains—eating them. McLemore’s delicate voice and Southern accent give the first-person narration a humorous kick and plays up the book’s “gross factor.” Read the full AudioFile review.

PARLOR GAMES by Maryka Biaggio, read by Leslie Carroll

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:43:26 +0000

It’s 1917, and May Dugas is on trial for extortion, but she’s confident that she’ll win the day. This story of Gilded Age schemes is delightfully fun, and Carroll’s narration is the perfect complement. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE GOOD HOUSE by Ann Leary , read by Mary Beth Hurt

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:44:46 +0000

Mary Beth Hurt deftly portrays Hildy--a grandmother, a descendant of one of the women hanged in the Salem witch trials, and a once incredibly successful real estate agent--and alcoholic. Read the full AudioFile review.

FIRELIGHT by Kristen Callihan, read by Moira Quirk

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:53:42 +0000

Miranda Ellis and Lord Benjamin Archer both have unique gifts, or curses, are drawn to each other in a romance story that is part paranormal, part historical, and and part mystery. Read the full AudioFile review.

CROWDED GRAVE by Martin Walker, read by Robert Ian Mackenzie

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:06:52 +0000

This entertaining mystery set in the French countryside features Bruno, a gourmet cook who also serves as municipal police chief. Narrator Mackenzie ensures that the audio production is pure pleasure. Read the full AudioFile review.

MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR by Herman Wouk, read by Gabra Zackman

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:18:44 +0000

Wouk’s MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR --published in 1955, is the timeless story of a young Jewish woman, who dreams of becoming an actress, yet who must surrender to a life as a suburban housewife and mother. Read the full AudioFile review.

JOE GOLEM AND THE DROWNING CITY by Mike Mignola, and Christopher Golden, read by Robert Fass

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:16:21 +0000

In an alternate 1920s New York, the city is underwater, people scrape by as best they can, and a stage magician is abducted by seriously scary beings. If the book is a B-movie horror story, Robert Fass’s narration makes it an Oscar-worthy movie. Read the full AudioFile review.

UNUSUAL USES FOR OLIVE OIL by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Paul Hecht

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:41:06 +0000

Alexander McCall Smith has created a clever, believable, and very funny world at Germany's Regensburg Institute. Narrator Paul Hecht depicts each character to perfection. Read the full AudioFile review.

DEATH OF A COZY WRITER by G.M. Malliet, read by Davina Porter

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:02:08 +0000

This mystery is even more entertaining with the infusion of performer Davina Porter's witty interpretation, becoming delightfully hilarious with her myriad accents, expressive rejoinders, wide-ranging pitch, inebriated drawls, and spot-on portrayals of key characters. Read the full AudioFile review.

NAVIGATING EARLY by Clare Vanderpool, read by Robbie Daymond, Mark Bramhall, Cassandra Campbell

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:57:51 +0000

The triple narration of this novel by Newbery Medalist Vanderpool is stunning. When Kansas native Jack Baker finds himself at a Maine boarding school, everything is new yet full of connections to his former life. Read the full AudioFile review.

MIDNIGHT ROBBER by Nalo Hopkinson, read by Robin Miles

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:59:49 +0000

On the planet Toussaint, colonized by people from the Caribbean, the Robber Queen is simply a myth, a character to play during carnival. Robin Miles’s voice is deep, rich, and rolling. Read the full AudioFile review.

JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman, read by Kathleen McInerney

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:47:27 +0000

Take Paris as the background, add an endearing story of young love, and top it off with McInerney's superb narration. C’est magnifique! Allyson is on a “teen tours” trip through Europe when she meets Willem, a Dutch actor. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE END OF THE AFFAIR by Graham Greene, read by Colin Firth

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:52:57 +0000

The smooth and convincing intimacy of Colin Firth's narration brings listeners quickly into dreary, cold post-War London. Firth's full understanding of the text and ability to render the balance and meaning of each sentence allow listeners to admire Greene's elegant writing. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE LAST LION by William Manchester and Paul Reid, read by Clive Chafer

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:48:08 +0000

A masterful completion of William Manchester's exhaustive biography of Winston Churchill. Chafer's presentation is outstanding and his perfect tempo moves the text briskly along while allowing listeners to absorb the riveting detail. Read the full AudioFile review.

GRIMM TALES FOR YOUNG AND OLD by Philip Pullman, read by Samuel West

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:28:31 +0000

Too often we hear fairy tales told through the filter of satire or Saturday-morning cartoons, so it’s a pleasure to hear a writer of Philip Pullman’s talent, humor, and intelligence ever-so-slightly and cleverly re-imagine 50 of the original Brothers Grimm’s tales. Samuel West provides a superbly wry and cultured narrative tone plus wonderful voices. Read the full AudioFile review.

A MEMORY OF LIGHT by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, read by Michael Kramer, Kate Reading

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:17:05 +0000

Michael Kramer and Kate Reading have been the masters of Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series from the very first book to this fourteenth, and final, book. Read the full AudioFile review.

POLISH BOXER by Eduardo Halfon, read by Armando Duran

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:44:59 +0000

Guatemalan Halfon transcends the short story genre with a collection that maps the geography of his own identity. Duran sensitively balances Halfon's dual messages of melancholy and wonder. Read the full AudioFile review.

EXTREME EXPOSURE by Pamela Clare, read by Kaleo Griffith

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:16:57 +0000

When a steamy romance is crossed with an investigative thriller, the listener will be treated to a pulse-pounding story. Kaleo Griffith’s deep, gravelly voice delivers it with passion and enthusiasm. Read the full AudioFile review.

THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage, read by Michal Friedman

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:06:51 +0000

Michal Friedman’s soft Southern accent and enthusiastic tone bring authenticity to the most important facets of this award-winning book—its setting and main character. Read the full AudioFile review.

FAKE MUSTACHE by Tom Angleberger, read by Jonathan Todd Ross

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:33:35 +0000

An entertaining experience awaits the listener of this audiobook. Narrating with appropriate youthful exuberance and well-placed emphasis, Jonathan Ross makes the happenings in the town of Hair Sprinkle take flight. Read the full AudioFile review.

LOTHAIRE by Kresley Cole, read by Robert Petkoff

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:30:14 +0000

Robert Petkoff’s impressive narration makes Cole’s paranormal romance a must listen. He convincingly depicts the love affair of Lothaire, a blood-thirsty vampire, and Elizabeth, a young woman who is possessed by an evil goddess. Read the full AudioFile review.

SUSPECT by Robert Crais, read by MacLeod Andrews

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:44:17 +0000

There's no doubt that this is one of Crais's best mysteries. Teamed with MacLeod Andrews’s narration, you'll want to finish the book in one listen. Read the full AudioFile review.

MALCOLM X by Walter Dean Myers, read by JD Jackson

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:32:02 +0000

JD Jackson’s narration of this 1994 biography for young adults has the understated assuredness of a master and keeps the focus on Walter Dean Myers’s beautiful text. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE BIG IT by A.B. Guthrie, Jr., read by Adam Verner

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:47:42 +0000

This collection of short stories, originally published in a variety of magazines during the 1950s, is a listener’s delight. Every story stands out. Read the full AudioFile review.

COMING OF AGE IN MISSISSIPPI by Anne Moody, read by Lisa Renee Pitts

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:47:18 +0000

This 1968 memoir poses significant challenges for the narrator. She must capture the essence of the author from an unschooled 4-year-old to a polished adult writer. Lisa Renee Pitts carries it off well. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE MOZART QUESTION by Michael Morpurgo, read by Michael Morpurgo and Alison Reid

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:53:45 +0000

Whether it's a full orchestra, a single violin, or simply the rhythmic snipping of scissors, the music itself becomes a character in this moving story of Paulo. The listener hears young Paulo's first squeaky attempts at playing scales and feels his parents’ anguish as they are forced to play Mozart concertos for the SS during WWII. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE LAST RUNAWAY by Tracy Chevalier, read by Kate Reading

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:04:24 +0000

An emotionally wrenching tale of conflicting ethics, humanity, and early American pragmatism from Tracy Chevalier (GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING), superbly performed by Kate Reading. Read the full AudioFile review.

MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN by Robin Maxwell, read by Suzan Crowley

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:47:08 +0000

Anne Boleyn spent her formative years in France. Crowley's expressive reading creates an engaging personality for young Anne that flawlessly reflects author Maxwell's well-researched text. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE MAN ON THE THIRD FLOOR by Anne Bernays, read by Paul Michael

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:04:56 +0000

Narrator Paul Michael takes a conversational approach, which perfectly fits this affecting novel about the perils of being gay in 1950s America. He uses careful pacing and a just-right level of emotion. Read the full AudioFile review.

ANNA HIBISCUS by Atinuke, read by Mutiyat Ade-Salu

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:04:49 +0000

"Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa, amazing Africa,” along with her mother and father; twin baby brothers, Double and Trouble; aunties, uncles, and grandparents. Ade-Salu adds authenticity to both the modern and traditional aspects of life in the family compound. Read the full AudioFile review.

ONE LAST THING BEFORE I GO by Jonathan Tropper, read by John Shea

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:02:10 +0000

Tropper gives us Drew Silver, another delightfully dysfunctional hero. Narrator John Shea slips so naturally into Silver's persona that any sense of listening to a performance is immediately dispelled. Read the full AudioFile review.

AMONG THIEVES A TALE OF THE KIN by Douglas Hulick, read by Kirby Heyborne

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:45 +0000

Drothe is a “nose,” an information gatherer, for the criminal masterminds who run the city.Kirby Heyborne seems to have taken his inspiration from 1930s gangster movies. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE TWELVE TRIBES OF HATTIE by Ayana Mathis, read by A. Ojo, B. Turpin, and A. Lazarre-White

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:34:57 +0000

An amazing saga of one woman, her tortuous trials and seemingly endless tribulations, and the resiliency with which she faces life. The three narrators infuse every ounce of life possible into the enormous cast of characters. Read the full AudioFile review.

BIRDS OF A LESSER PARADISE by Megan Mayhew Bergman, read by Cassandra Campbell

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:30:40 +0000

This exquisite short story collection explores one beautiful, haunting revelation of the soul after another along with the marvels of nature. Bergman's heartrending tenderness can be heard in every syllable of Cassandra Campbell's sensitive performance. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE CHILDREN OF THE KING by Sonya Hartnett, read by Jennifer Vuletic

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:38:48 +0000

During the Blitz of WWII, the wealthy Lockwood family take in an evacuee. Twelve-year-old Cecily chooses May Bright to join them. Narrator Jennifer Vuletic is sublime; the two girls are vastly different, and hearing their voices adds tremendously to listener interest. Read the full AudioFile review.

SIR CHARLIE by Sid Fleischman, read by Fred Sullivan

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:37:42 +0000

Fred Sullivan instantly creates an emotionally engaging connection with the listener in this eye-opening and affectionate biography of Charlie Chaplin for children. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE CREATIVE DESTRUCTION OF MEDICINE by Eric Topol, read by Dick Hill

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:33:39 +0000

A riveting, well-written overview of where health care is going. Dick Hill creates an appealing performance that conveys wonder and curiosity about this cutting-edge summary of how digital technology will change health care. Read the full AudioFile review.

MY BELOVED WORLD by Sonia Sotomayor Read by Rita Moreno

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:31:46 +0000

When people talk about the United States being a land of opportunity where anyone with enough talent and gumption can achieve his or her goals, they are talking about someone exactly like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Read beautifully by the elegant, captivating Rita Moreno --this masterstroke of casting makes this book a towering listening experience. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE FUN STUFF by James Wood, read by Simon Vance

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:01:07 +0000

Wood, a regular contributor to THE NEW YORKER, offers a mixed collection of essays and reviews. Vance finds in Wood’s eclectic and associative style a natural flow of ideas, references, and fresh insights. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE PECULIAR by Stefan Bachmann, read by Peter Altschuler

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:35:06 +0000

The door between the human and faery worlds has been closed since the end of the Smiling War in Victorian England. A thrilling tale of mystery and suspense, captured by the deft narration of Peter Altschuler. Read the full AudioFile review.

UNNATURAL HABITS by Kerry Greenwood, read by Stephanie Daniel

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:01:14 +0000

Listeners are richly entertained and enlightened on whatever fascinating subject Greenwood chooses as the springboard for each of her Phryne Fisher mysteries. Narrator Stephanie Daniel is outstanding in delivering the story’s varied cast. Read the full AudioFile review.

SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS by Laura Amy Schlitz, read by Davina Porter

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:59:32 +0000

In a spellbinding drama despair, joy, and the rich plotlines of a Dickensian novel unfolds for young listeners. Porter, with her seasoned talent and gentle British accent brings alive a witch with a powerful orb and a magician with a penchant for puppetry and pickpocketing. Read the full AudioFile review.

OPEN HEART by Elie Wiesel, Marion Wiesel, read by Mark Bramhall

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:43:31 +0000

In this beautiful, heart-wrenching memoir, narrated with sensitivity and tenderness by Mark Bramhall, Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and much-honored author, wonders whether he’s lived up to his covenant with God, whether he’s done enough with the precious gift of life. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE BOY IN THE SNOW by M.J. McGrath, read by Kate Reading

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:43:48 +0000

Edie Kiglatuk, a half-Inuit and half-Caucasian guide, finds the body of a baby in the forest. Kate Reading treats the numerous colorful characters in this story with smooth perfection and moves easily between genders, ages, ethnicities, and idiosyncrasies. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood, read by Claire Danes

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:25:01 +0000

At once timeless and timely, this dystopian novel studies, among other things, the role of women in a society that has stripped them of their rights. Claire Danes sparkles in this performance. Read the full AudioFile review.

GOBLIN SECRETS written and read by William Alexander

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:38:24 +0000

This National Book Award winner is a treat. In acts and scenes set in the steampunk city of Zombay, young Rownie runs away and teams up with a troupe of outlawed goblin actors. Read the full AudioFile review.

OCTOBER MOURNING by Lesléa Newman, read by full cast

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:32:19 +0000

On October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was viciously beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die. Author Newman’s intimate reaction to this tragedy, a heartrending collection of 68 poems, is narrated by an outstanding cast. Read the full AudioFile review.

ANCIENT LIGHT by John Banville, read by Robin Sachs

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:00:08 +0000

Narrator Robin Sachs's deep, gravelly voice perfectly complements the internal thoughts of the protagonist of this introspective novel, aging stage actor Alex Cleave. The story takes place entirely in Alex's mind as he attempts to write his memoirs. Read the full AudioFile review.

SAFEKEEPING by Karen Hesse, read by Jenna Lamia

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:46:16 +0000

Karen Hesse, a Newbery Medal winner, once again spotlights the poetry inherent in everyday people and ordinary things. Lamia holds on to listeners' sympathy for 17-year-old Radle, the dumpster-diving heroine. Read the full AudioFile review.

FREEMAN by Leonard Pitts, read by Sean Crisden

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:43:24 +0000

The lives of freed slaves, particularly that of Sam Freeman, are presented in unsparing brutality, with snippets of kindness and humanity by an occasional white person. Crisden expertly depicts Sam’s journey on foot in search of his wife. Read the full AudioFile review.

TALES FOR VERY PICKY EATERS by Josh Schneider, read by Peter Jay Fernandez

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:07:43 +0000

James and his dad engage in discussions about various meals, none of which James cares to eat. Then Dad proposed alternatives like smelly socks or dirt. Peter Jay Fernandez’s tongue-in-cheek narration is spot-on. Read the full AudioFile review.

FINAL PRICE by J. Gregory Smith, read by Todd Haberkorn

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:00:52 +0000

This first installment in the Paul Chang series is a chilling mystery told from the viewpoints of killer and cop. Haberkorn’s skilled narration captures the tension and excitement as the partners hunt down the psychopathic car salesman. Read the full AudioFile review.

MRS. QUEEN TAKES THE TRAIN by William Kuhn, read by Simon Prebble

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:22:53 +0000

Queen Elizabeth’s spontaneous and unescorted journey on a train throws the staff of the Royal Household into chaos as they hurry to locate Her Majesty before harm befalls her.A sweet treat for Anglophiles. Read the full AudioFile review.

JEPP, WHO DEFIED THE STARS by Katherine Marsh, read by Paul Michael Garcia

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:28:56 +0000

In the sixteenth century, Jepp, a dwarf, was taken from his home and became an amusement for the Spanish Infanta. Is this humiliating fate written in the stars, or can he shape his own destiny? Paul Michael Garcia is superb as he uses subtle touches to give each character a unique flavor. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE OLD WAYS by Robert Macfarlane, read by Robin Sachs

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:38:43 +0000

Part travelogue, part history lesson detailing the author’s experiences while walking the old ways—paths, roads, and trails—of his native Great Britain and other parts of the world. Narrator Robin Sachs sets an entrancing tone for the essays, luxuriating in the scenic descriptions and poetic language. Read the full AudioFile review.

NEVERSINK by Barry Wolverton, read by Emrhys Cooper

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:02:57 +0000

The inhabitants of Neversink find themselves in an epic struggle against their oppressors, the owls. Cooper’s narration is at once relaxed and suspenseful as Lockley, a puffin, and the exiled Egbert, the walrus, end up on a journey to rescue the home they love. Read the full AudioFile review.

UNCOMMON APPEAL OF CLOUDS by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Davina Porter

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:01:40 +0000

The ninth book featuring Scottish philosopher and inadvertent detective Isabel Dalhousie is a delight for fans of the series. The leisurely paced plot combined with well-loved characters is like a retreat for the mind. Narrator Davina Porter adds even more charm. Read the full AudioFile review.

DEAR LIFE by Alice Munro, read by Kimberly Farr and Arthur Morey

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:24:49 +0000

Alice Munro has written another extraordinary collection of short stories. Both Kimberly Farr and Arthur Morey lend intuitive pacing to their nuanced performances of these works. Read the full AudioFile review.

THE KING YEARS Historic Moments in the Civil Rights Movement by Taylor Branch, read by L. Odom, Jr

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:44:37 +0000

Branch, the author of the most comprehensive history of the Civil Rights movement has produced a short but powerful book that highlights the major events of the era, and puts those proceedings in chronological and documentary perspective. Read the full AudioFile review.

GARMENT OF SHADOWS by Laurie R. King, read by Jenny Sterlin and Robert Ian Mack

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:13:57 +0000

Mary Russell, Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, is a feisty little thing. Fearless, inventive, speaks about eight languages, some quite obscure, and is handy with guns and knives. Jenny Sterlin performs Russell’s parts of the story with as dazzling an array of skills as Russell’s. Read the full review.

THE TWELVE CLUES OF CHRISTMAS by Rhys Bowen, read by Katherine Kellgren

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:37:52 +0000

In Tiddleton-Under-Lovey, Lady Georgiana lands a job as a social hostess. The idyllic Dickensian village seems to be the victim of a vile curse. Due to the author's light touch and Kellgren's humorous delivery, the many Yuletide deaths in this cozy do not become macabre. Read the full AudioFile review.

TOOTHIANA by William Joyce, read by Gerard Doyle

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:10:11 +0000

Not since THE POLAR EXPRESS have we had such an opportunity to believe in the mythological characters of childhood—the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Santa. With Gerard Doyle’s captivating telling, we do envision Queen Toothiana and friends through Joyce’s glorious imagination. Read the AudioFile review.

THOMAS JEFFERSON THE ART OF POWER by Jon Meacham, read by Edward Herrmann

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:00:34 +0000

Thomas Jefferson was a contradictory figure, to say the least, and Meacham’s point-counterpoint narrative is brisk, enlightening, never dull. Narrator Herrmann's skilled reading is a perfect match. Read the AudioFile review.

A POSSIBLE LIFE by Sebastian Faulks, read by S. West, C. Rodska, L. Briers, S. Thomas, and R. Dega

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:22:41 +0000

Each part of this novel about success, spiritualism, mental health, and the soul is expertly delivered by a different narrator who perfectly projects the story's tone and energy. Read the full AudioFile review.

INVISIBLE MURDER by Lene Kaaberbøl, Agnete Friis, read by Katherine Kellgren

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:42:35 +0000

Danish Red Cross nurse Nina Borg puts herself and her daughter in peril in a second novel from the authors of THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE.Kellgren’s narration is outstanding, with bright energy, sharp intonation, and the ability to move easily between a variety of ethnic accents. Read the full AudioFile review.

SOLD by Patricia McCormick, read by Justine Eyre

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:04:07 +0000

This stunning novel by the gifted McCormick centers on 13-year-old Lakshmi, who lives with her family in the mountains of Nepal and is tricked into a life of prostitution. Raw, bitter, honest, and unnerving, the story comes to life in a vivid and personal performance by Justine Eyre.

LIFE AMONG GIANTS by Bill Roorbach, read by Pete Larkin

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:27:38 +0000

After their parents’ mysterious murder while they’re still in high school, David Hockmeyer and his older sister, Kate, spend decades attempting to untangle the web of their teenage years to discover the truth in the lies. Pete Larkin narrates in a deep, even voice that conveys the darkness and mystery. Read the full AudioFile review.

WON TON by Lee Wardlaw, read by James Yaegashi

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:26:34 +0000

Children will enjoy the adventures of a cat named Won Ton as he makes the journey from animal shelter to his new home and from aloofness to caring. James Yaegashi is outstanding in delivering the haiku and in making this audio flow from poem to poem as a story. Read the full AudioFile review.

JACK OF DIAMONDS by Bryce Courtenay, read by Humphrey Bower

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:38:28 +0000

Jack Spayd is pulled by his passion for jazz from Toronto's Depression slums, crosses continents, and mixes Las Vegas gambling and African diamonds in a splendid saga that spans half a century. Humphrey Bower, the narrator of all of Courtenay's books, is joined at the hip with the author's storytelling. His mastery should put this and other works on listeners' “must' lists. Read the full AudioFile review.

MAGNIFICENCE by Lydia Millet, read by Xe Sands

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:18:30 +0000

Susan, a new widow, whose husband discovered her infidelity shortly before he was murdered, finds her life changes dramatically when she inherits a mansion from her uncle. Narrator Sands presents a complex character whose complaints are balanced by a quirky sense of humor and musings on the meaning of life. Read the full AudioFile review.

VIVA JACQUELINA! by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:36:00 +0000

Jacky Faber is a spy, romantic, adventurer, and tomboy who’s also tough and tenderhearted. In book 10 of the series, as in all the others Narrator Katherine Kellgren captures each of Jacky’s personas to perfection.

THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE by Joan Aiken, read by Lizza Aiken

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 20:58:29 +0000

Joan Aiken’s beloved children’s novel (50th year!) by her own explicit design contains all the elements of Victorian melodrama—parents presumed lost at sea, the two plucky cousins Bonnie and Sylvia, a scheming instructress, a loyal nursemaid and resourceful goose boy, and cross-England treks.

WILL SPARROW'S ROAD by Karen Cushman, read by Katherine Kellgren

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 20:55:57 +0000

When twelve year old Will Sparrow runs away from his first master, he finds adventure and companionship amongst the “oddities and prodigies‚" of the traveling shows headed to Elizabethan market fairs. Read the AudioFile review.

THE TROUBLE WITH MAY AMELIA by Jennifer L. Holm, read by Maria Dalbotten

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 20:52:47 +0000

The only trouble this 12-year-old heroine has is her struggle to create a new role for a girl in a farming family of seven brothers. Maria Dalbotten delivers Holm’s historical novel in a no-nonsense manner fitting for a traditional Finnish family and the life they lead in 1900 in Washington State. Ages 10+

THE LITTLE BOOK OF TALENT by Daniel Coyle, read by Grover Gardner

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:31:27 +0000

Coyle’s research on top athletic, arts, and business-training facilities around the world, informs this compact program on how to get maximum results from the effort we put into improving any skill or performance.

TWO GRAVES by Lincoln Child, Douglas Preston, read by René Auberjonois

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:29:48 +0000

The dark and unpredictable adventures of eccentric FBI Special Agent Pendergast continue--here through the unmapped forests of South America. Auberjonois dramatically narrates this thriller with distinctive voices for its many characters and keeping all the nationalities straight.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

podcast@audiofilemagazine.com (AudioFilemagazine.com) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:59:05 +0000

Campbell Scott reads Hemingway's FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS.