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Science Fiction & FantasyAudioFantasy

The Witch’s Heart

Review by Mari Carlson

In Genevieve Gornichec’s fantasy novel, The Witch’s Heart (12 hours), Angrboda has been burned three times for performing witchcraft, but she remains alive at the edges of the mythical Ironwood, where she begins a lasting, tenuous relationship with the trickster god Loki, Odin’s half brother. But Ragnarok, the destruction of the known world, threatens their future—and the future of their unusual offspring.

Jayne Entwistle, best known for her narration of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley, brings Angrboda to life with a husky, sage voice and northern English lilt. Her comforting tone and gentle pacing reinforce the novel’s focus on Angrboda’s domestic challenges in the shadow of cosmic conflicts. Accents used to delineate characters create a lively cast of women and men who visit Angrboda in her forest hovel. As many listeners will want to continue this dive into Norse mythology, a helpful list of resources for further reading follows the narration.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Genevieve Gornichec on writing The Witch’s Heart when she should have been writing a term paper.

Jayne Entwistle, best known for her narration of the Flavia de Luce series, brings Angrboda to life with a husky, sage voice and northern English lilt.
AudioHistorical Fiction

Better Luck Next Time

Review by Tami Orendain

Julia Claiborne Johnson’s novel Better Luck Next Time (8.5 hours) is a story of love, marriage, money and heartbreak set on a “divorce ranch” during the 1930s. The tale unfolds through personal anecdotes and observations from Ward, now an elderly man but once a 24-year-old ranch hand who was strong, handsome and ready to get into trouble.

With a background in TV, film and Broadway, actor David Aaron Baker lends an easy, personable voice to Ward’s narration, capturing the character’s charisma with a slight Southern twang. Often thoughtful and sometimes mischievous, Baker’s voice brings the story to life with a sense of warmth and nostalgia, like a charming older man recounting his memories of when he was an equally charming younger man.

Listening to Better Luck Next Time feels like hearing someone reminisce about the best years of their life—with the occasional plot twist sprinkled in.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of the print version of Better Luck Next Time.

Listening to Better Luck Next Time feels like hearing someone reminisce about the best years of their life—with the occasional plot twist sprinkled in.
FictionAudioSatire

Black Buck

Review by Norah Piehl

Debut author Mateo Askaripour frames his novel, Black Buck (11 hours), as a “how-to” manual for fellow Black workers that reveals the secrets of the narrator’s success. This framing device is particularly well suited to the audiobook format, as its similarity to motivational tapes subtly adds to the novel’s rich satirization of the bizarre and toxic realm of white startup culture. 

Narrator Zeno Robinson strikes just the right balance in his performance of protagonist Darren Vender’s first-person narrative, hitting both his swaggering cockiness and subsequent regret with equal sensitivity. Robinson also exhibits commanding range with other characters, including Darren’s mom and girlfriend and his white colleagues at the startup. Fast-paced, funny and dark, Askaripour’s stellar debut doesn’t let up in its takedown of corporate racism.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: How Mateo Askaripour climbed the corporate ladder, then spun what he learned into fiction gold.

Mateo Askaripour’s novel is well suited to the audiobook format, as its similarity to motivational tapes adds to the novel’s satirization.
NonfictionAudioMemoir

Just as I Am

Review by Deborah Mason

The late Cicely Tyson was more than an actor; she was a titan who inspired, prodded and enthralled her audience. From her breakout role in the 1972 film Sounder to her Emmy-nominated turn in “How to Get Away With Murder,” Tyson played her characters with integrity, endowing each with humanity and dignity. But she was also a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife, an activist and an artist, and the story of her life is as complex as it is compelling. 

In her memoir, Just as I Am (16 hours), Tyson lays out the whole of her life—including her turbulent relationship with her mother and her fraught marriage to musician Miles Davis—with unflinching honesty and hard-earned wisdom. In the foreword, actor Viola Davis describes her first meeting with Tyson with humor and love, and the relationship between the two groundbreaking artists is a joy to imagine. Award-winning audiobook narrator Robin Miles performs the majority of the book, bringing the same warmth and depth of characterization that she brought to the audiobooks for Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste. But Tyson herself steals the show with her generous, funny and wise introduction, the many years apparent in her voice but the fire in her spirit still burning brightly. Listening to Just as I Am is a profound delight.

Robin Miles discusses the humbling and thrilling experience of narrating Just as I Am.

Narrator Robin Miles bringing the same warmth and depth of characterization to Cicely Tyson’s memoir as she did to Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste.
FictionAudioLiterary Fiction

The Liar’s Dictionary

Review by Anna Zeitlin

Eley Williams’ debut novel, The Liar’s Dictionary (8 hours), is a word lover’s dream. The story jumps between two British lexicographers’ storylines. Over a century ago, Peter Winceworth (narrated by Jon Glover) fakes a lisp, bemoans his employment at dictionary publisher Swansby’s and falls in love with a co-worker’s fiancée. In modern-day London, Mallory (portrayed by Kristin Atherton) is an intern who’s updating Swansby’s dictionary entries for digitization. She’s also been tasked with routing out the dictionary’s false entries, known as mountweazels. Both narrators have theatrical backgrounds and give lively performances. Glover turns Peter’s false lisp on and off as required, and his proper British narration feels both timeless and appropriate to the period. Neither Glover nor Atherton is weighed down by the prose’s unusual, rare and sometimes made-up words; rather, their delight in the wordplay is infectious.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Eley Williams shares how her relationship to language has changed, plus a deeper look at her charming debut novel.

Eley Williams’ debut novel, The Liar’s Dictionary (8 hours), is a word lover’s dream.
Children's & YAAudio

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Review by Mari Carlson

Alvin Schwartz’s iconic tales from the 1980s and ’90s have an eventful history. They’ve been illustrated and re-illustrated and even adapted to film, and now they’re available as an audiobook for all ages. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Three Books to Chill Your Bones (4 hours) combines all three of Schwartz’s spooky collections (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Scary Stories 3), mixing European folk legends with mysteries, “jump” tales and ghost stories in contemporary settings. Memorable moments include a big toe floating in soup, a pimple infested with spiders and anything in a haunted house. 

Each of the three volumes is read by a comedy or horror actor: Patton Oswalt, Melissa McBride and Alex Brightman. The production is clean and pared down, with no extra sound effects—and we don’t need them, as these stories are still creepy after all these years. All three actors follow Mark Twain’s suggestion for telling scary stories—to speak slowly and in a low voice to draw listeners in—though the actors’ accents and screams add to the entertainment. Tracks run from 30 seconds to 15 minutes, so no fright is too prolonged, and each volume ends with detailed notes and references, perfect for listeners interested in the history of these classic tales.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Three Books to Chill Your Bones (4 hours) combines all three of Schwartz’s spooky collections (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Scary Stories 3), mixing European folk legends with mysteries, “jump” tales and ghost stories in contemporary settings.
NonfictionAudioSelf-Help

Beginners

Review by Jill Ratzan

Acquiring a new skill is often daunting, and as an adult it can be downright embarrassing to struggle with an unfamiliar process. In Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning (7.5 hours), author Tom Vanderbilt invites us to work through our fears and embrace the joy of learning something new.

Vanderbilt, who reads his own book, acknowledges that adults are rarely comfortable learning new skills. He takes listeners on an exploratory tour through infant psychology, educational theory and cognitive science. As he chronicles his own experiences of studying how to sing, surf, draw, weld and juggle, he encourages listeners to embrace a “beginner’s mind” that facilitates lifelong learning. He’s also subtly radical in his unabashed rejection of futurism. There may be instructional videos galore on YouTube, he argues, but it’s still better to learn with a class and a teacher.

Whether inspiring parents to join their children in trying new activities, encouraging group learning experiences or explaining how a neurobiologist might benefit from studying the tango, Vanderbilt maintains an upbeat and optimistic tone, like an encouraging friend.

 

To guide you on the path of positivity in the new year, four books provide support, affirmation and inspiration.

In Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning (7.5 hours), author Tom Vanderbilt invites us to work through our fears and embrace the joy of learning something new.
FictionAudioYA

Audio: January 2021

Feature by Anna Zeitlin

Try one of these audiobooks, and your ears—and heart and mind—will thank you.

★ Make Me Rain

I’m 30 years late to the Nikki Giovanni party, and this collection of poetry is a revelation. Performed by the celebrated and award-winning poet herself, Make Me Rain dives into subjects both light and heavy as she uses her unique perspective to provide insight into even the most upsetting issues. Giovanni is in her late 70s, and her voice has a sage quality that softens the blow of difficult topics, including slavery, rape, abuse and police brutality. When she’s reading her more cheerful poems, it sounds like she’s got a smile on her face, knowing she’s got the goods. The brash way she declares, “I don’t like pancakes” in the poem “No Pancakes Please” shows how she can bring her strong point of view to the most mundane topics. Poetry is best read aloud, so this audiobook is the ideal format for this collection. It’ll take you from laughter to outrage to hope.

Memorial

Bryan Washington navigates death, grief, family and relationships in his fresh novel, Memorial, which makes for a captivating audiobook. Benson and Mike are in a rocky place in their relationship. When Mike gets word that his father is dying, he leaves Houston, Texas, for Japan to be with him, leaving Benson alone with Mike’s newly arrived mother as a house guest for an indeterminate amount of time. Washington does a stellar job narrating as Benson, capturing a young man on the precipice of the rest of his life, with all his frustrations and uncertainty, and holding his own with experienced actor Akie Kotabe, who voices Mike’s sections. Kotabe is a Japanese American actor who grew up in Texas, and he truly brings Mike and his elderly father to life.

We Are Not Free

Written by Traci Chee, We Are Not Free tells the stories of 14 second-generation Japanese American teenagers whose lives are upended during World War II. For the crime of having Japanese parents, they are taken away from everything they know and placed in incarceration camps. A cast of 12 narrators brings these stories to life. Among them is Ryan Potter, known for playing Hiro in the movie Big Hero 6; Grace Rolek, who has played Connie on “Steven Universe” since 2013; and Brittany Ishibashi, who plays Tina on Marvel’s “Runaways.” The performances make this not-so-distant history feel modern and relevant, as though you could find these characters at any high school across America. This is an important reminder to learn from the past or be doomed to repeat it.

Try one of these audiobooks, and your ears—and heart and mind—will thank you.
Science Fiction & FantasyFictionAudioMemoirHumor

Audio: December 2020

Feature by Anna Zeitlin

Some are short, and some are long, but the stories in these three audiobooks will sweep you away for hours.

★ The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a rare, original fable that feels timeless. As a young woman in the 17th century, Addie makes a deal with the darkness, embodied by Luc, a trickster god. He grants her immortality with the caveat that everyone she ever meets will fail to remember her. Addie lives in the shadows for hundreds of years, roaming Europe and the United States, finding ways to get by and doomed to solitude, until one day, she meets a man who can remember her. This epic story, spanning three centuries and two continents, is expertly narrated by Julia Whelan. Her performance grows and changes with Addie, capturing her early French accent and her later American one, which still carries a slight French tinge. This is a transporting listen, and these characters will stick with you for a long time.

Black Bottom Saints

Co-narrated by Prentice Onayemi and Imani Parks, Alice Randall’s novel Black Bottom Saints captures the memories of Joseph “Ziggy” Johnson, a gossip columnist who founded a famed dance school in Detroit. As Ziggy recalls the men and women who touched his life from the 1930s to the ’60s, he pays tribute to these heroes and toasts each one with a custom cocktail (recipes included). From local legends to household names like Count Basie and Martin Luther King Jr., each story shines a spotlight on Black excellence. Onayemi does a beautiful job narrating the book from Ziggy’s perspective, bringing gravity and a warm nostalgia to the telling. Parks plays Ziggy’s goddaughter, who is piecing together his story, and her modern sensibility provides a welcome contrast. Both narrators hail from Broadway, and they bring notable vitality to the narration.

The Best of Me

Arguably the king of audiobooks, David Sedaris returns with his greatest hits, The Best of Me, all selected by the author from his more than 25-year career. From imagined letters to the editor to quirky stories about his large family, this collection gathers all the favorites in one place. Sedaris narrates the audiobook as only he can, his distinct voice emphasizing the odd observations that make his perspective so unique. This is a perfect point of introduction to an expansive and celebrated opus.

Some are short, and some are long, but the stories in these three audiobooks will sweep you away for hours.

FictionAudioThriller

Whisper Network

Review by Anna Zeitlin

A North Texas-based athletic wear company gets shaken up when the “bad man list” is passed around in Chandler Baker’s Whisper Network. When one of those bad men is up for a promotion to CEO of the company, enough is enough. Four very different women—from high-powered lawyers to a member of the custodial staff—come together to stand up to him and to the company willing to overlook his history of sexual harassment. This #MeToo revenge fantasy makes for a fun listen with a bit of mystery, exploring women’s lives, their relationships to work and how they deal with the bad men they are forced to answer to. Narrator Almarie Guerra does a nimble job portraying the different women with honesty and sympathy.

A North Texas-based athletic wear company gets shaken up when the “bad man list” is passed around in Chandler Baker’s Whisper Network. When one of those bad men is up for a promotion to CEO of the company, enough is enough. Four very different women—from high-powered lawyers to a member of the custodial staff—come together […]
FictionAudioLiterary Fiction

Fleishman Is in Trouble

Review by Anna Zeitlin

Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s stunning debut novel explores middle age, parenthood, divorce and the subjective nature of how we perceive other people, even those closest to us. Toby Fleishman is going through a divorce and discovers he’s a hot commodity on all the new dating apps. But when his ex-wife, Rachel, doesn’t pick up the kids when it’s her turn, he’s forced to navigate parenthood and dating while wondering what happened to his marriage—and to Rachel. He paints her as a neglectful mother and ruthless social climber with little care for his input. She makes more money, and he feels like he put his career on the back burner for her. But wait till you see her point of view. Read by Allyson Ryan with humor and attitude, Fleishman Is in Trouble is a ruthless look at class and relationships in modern-day Manhattan.

Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s stunning debut novel explores middle age, parenthood, divorce and the subjective nature of how we perceive other people, even those closest to us. Toby Fleishman is going through a divorce and discovers he’s a hot commodity on all the new dating apps. But when his ex-wife, Rachel, doesn’t pick up the kids when […]
FictionAudio

Going Dutch

Review by Anna Zeitlin

All the characters in James Gregor’s debut novel are horrible people, but I couldn’t help but root for them. Richard is a Ph.D. candidate struggling with writer’s block. His classmate Anne helps him by doing his work for him, buying him fancy meals and paying for taxis. In return, she expects a romantic relationship, and he is happy to oblige—despite being gay. It all comes to a head when things get serious between Richard and a former online fling. He is forced to choose between the handsome lawyer, who’s definitely husband material (even if he’s a little too into Ayn Rand), and the woman who holds the key to his academic success. Going Dutch pokes fun at online dating, New York intellectuals, money and manners. Narrator Michael David Axtell infuses Richard’s inner monologues with wry humor, making his observations even more biting.

All the characters in James Gregor’s debut novel are horrible people, but I couldn’t help but root for them. Richard is a Ph.D. candidate struggling with writer’s block. His classmate Anne helps him by doing his work for him, buying him fancy meals and paying for taxis. In return, she expects a romantic relationship, and […]
FictionAudio

Never Have I Ever

Review by Anna Zeitlin

In Never Have I Ever, Amy’s blissful, suburban Florida life is turned upside down when new neighbor Roux shows up at her book club and turns the discussion toward everyone’s deepest, darkest secrets. Roux earns a living through blackmail, and Amy gets tangled up in something far beyond a party game. This is a fun thriller grounded in textured relationships that include a controlling best friend and a quirky teenage stepdaughter. I kept thinking I knew where the story was going, but there were twists upon twists I truly could not see coming. Author Joshilyn Jackson does a pitch-perfect job narrating her own novel. The Alabama-born writer gets the pretend-nice, passive-aggressive, classically Southern voice just right.

In Never Have I Ever, Amy’s blissful, suburban Florida life is turned upside down when new neighbor Roux shows up at her book club and turns the discussion toward everyone’s deepest, darkest secrets. Roux earns a living through blackmail, and Amy gets tangled up in something far beyond a party game. This is a fun […]

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