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NonfictionAudioSocial Science

The Sum of Us

Review by Norah Piehl

A wide-ranging examination of racial inequity in America, written by the former head of a progressive think tank, might not be the most obvious audiobook choice for your next road trip. But to write The Sum of Us (11 hours), Heather McGhee traveled across the country—from coastal Washington and rural Kentucky to an evangelical church in Chicago and a Nissan plant in Mississippi—to understand the roots of white America’s zero-sum attitude toward racial equity and how this mistaken belief system damages everyone.

McGhee, who narrates the audiobook, brings the same thoughtfulness to her reading as to her writing. Listeners can hear the despair in her voice as she describes the atrocities of white plantation owners and the devastation caused by predatory housing lenders, as well as her hopefulness when she introduces listeners to coalitions succeeding in confronting voter suppression. From health care policy and environmental justice to the ongoing legacy of segregation, McGhee places urgent topics in a new framework, supported by research and illustrated by stories of Black and white Americans from across the country.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of the print version of The Sum of Us.

Heather McGhee, who narrates the audiobook for The Sum of Us, brings the same thoughtfulness to her reading as to her writing
AudioYA FictionYA

Firekeeper’s Daughter

Review by Autumn Allen

If Angeline Boulley’s debut YA novel mesmerizes, then the audio production does so even more. In Firekeeper’s Daughter (14 hours), 18-year-old Daunis shoulders the burden of exposing the corruption in the nearby Ojibwe community. She feels like an outsider, and the tasks before her are daunting to say the least.

With a low voice and even tone, Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota actor Isabella Star LaBlanc grabs the listener and reels them right in. Her serious intonation imbues small acts and observations with a meaningful, nearly ominous feeling, ensuring listeners will pay attention to every detail as they instinctively sense that danger is near.

Building on the novel’s strengths as a thriller set within a unique cultural milieu, LaBlanc’s performance offers a heart-thumping, fully believable ride that will have listeners guessing, anticipating and enjoying every moment.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Firekeeper’s Daughter author Angeline Boulley shares her favorite part of writing mystery books.

Angeline Boulley’s debut YA novel mesmerizes, and the audio production does so even more.
NonfictionAudioMemoir

AMORALMAN

Review by Anna Zeitlin

A magician never reveals their tricks, but fortunately for us, Derek DelGaudio doesn’t consider himself a magician. A sleight-of-hand master whose hit one-man Broadway show, In & of Itself, is now a movie (streaming on Hulu), DelGaudio offers a memoir like no other in AMORALMAN: A True Story and Other Lies (5.5 hours), because no one has lived a life quite like his.

DelGaudio traces his interest in deception back to childhood, when he concealed his true self to avoid being bullied at school. As a teenager he wowed legendary magicians, winning their trust and gleaning what he could from their knowledge. DelGaudio eventually mastered card moves that even his mentor couldn’t pull off, and he began using his extraordinary skills to control a weekly high-stakes poker game.

As both author and narrator, DelGaudio is a captivating storyteller who brings the weight of his experiences to every moment as he grapples with morality and makes questionable decisions amid the dubious world of con artists. 

A magician never reveals their tricks, but fortunately for us, Derek DelGaudio doesn’t consider himself a magician.
NonfictionAudio

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

Review by Autumn Allen

Critically acclaimed writer and longtime creative writing professor George Saunders offers a master class in writing based on a study of seven short stories by classic Russian writers. Saunders narrates A Swim in a Pond in the Rain (14.5 hours) in an easy, conversational tone that makes the listener feel as if they are in a relaxed classroom—or perhaps sitting in a lounge for a one-on-one lesson from this thoughtful teacher. 

Well-chosen, exceptionally talented actors, including Phylicia Rashad, Glenn Close and Nick Offerman, narrate stories from Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy and others, and their dramatized performances provide a refreshing contrast to Saunders’ more familiar style. Saunders’ love of literature and his enthusiasm for its interaction with the mind combine with his humor and dry wit to make for an engaging listening experience. More than a writing course, this audiobook is a unique exercise in paying attention and thinking critically.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our starred review of A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.

Talented actors narrate stories from Chekhov, Tolstoy and others, and their performances provide a refreshing contrast to George Saunders’ more familiar style.
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.

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