Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine
Find your next great audiobook on our podcast, Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine. Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile Editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. All in 6 minutes or less. It’s short, sweet, and just what your ears need. Want more? Listen to our bonus episodes featuring conversations with the best voices in the audiobook industry.
1501
THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH by Philip Pullman, read...
Michael Sheen throws himself wholeheartedly into narrating this sequel to LA BELLE SAUVAGE. Lyra is now 20, and she and her daemon Pantalaimon can barely stand one another. Their conflict is a catalyst for journeys around the world.
5 min
1502
Horror Out Loud: Joe Hill and Dennis Boutsikari...
What makes your favorite horror audiobooks so good? Author Joe Hill and narrator Dennis Boutsikaris join host Jo Reed for a conversation about collaborating on the STRANGE WEATHER audiobook. Fans will love these insights into the creative process.
25 min
1503
THE NIGHT FIRE by Michael Connelly, read by Ti...
Another cold-case intrigues LAPD's Harry Bosch and pulls him out of his "retirement." He teams up with the young detective of THE LATE SHOW, Renee Ballard. The dual narrators take on cops, crime, secrets, and great detective work.
4 min
1504
FULL THROTTLE by Joe Hill, read by Zachary Quin...
Thirteen short stories—a calculated number of creepy, dark tales that run the gamut from mildly supernatural to raging demons and bloody outcomes. A cast of narrators takes on these fantastic tales. It’s a seasonal treat.
5 min
1505
HEART OF BARKNESS by Spencer Quinn, read by Jim...
The latest Chet & Bernie mystery has Chet, the book’s canine narrator, helping partner PI Bernie Little recover from a near-fatal adventure as they get involved with the world of country music and singer Lotty Pilgrim.
5 min
1506
CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E.B. White, read by Meryl St...
You may be familiar with E.B. White’s classic—here the Maine barnyard gets a makeover in a delightful full-cast performance. With a warm, low voice, Meryl Streep takes listeners through the story as many favorite narrators take on the animals.
5 min
1507
THE WATER DANCER by Ta-Nehisi Coates, read by J...
Coates, the author of Between the World and Me, takes his first novel into the realm of magical realism. Joe Morton’s mesmerizing voice introduces listeners to Hiram Walker, a young man with remarkable gifts working on The Underground Railroad.
5 min
1508
THE INSTITUTE by Stephen King, read by Santino ...
Stephen King’s latest audiobook is compulsively entertaining. Hear “The Institute’s” supernaturally gifted kids and their captors come to life through Santiago Fontana’s dazzling narration. Fontana and King together show that evil has many voices.
5 min
1509
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BOOKS by...
This audiobook overflows with insights for book lovers. Professor Leah Price shares entertaining anecdotes that shed light on our complicated relationship with books. Elisabeth Rogers’s eloquent narration suits this revelatory audiobook.
4 min
1510
DAD'S MAYBE BOOK by Tim O'Brien, read by Tim O'...
A memoir, tribute, and collection of advice from author Tim O’Brien to his sons. His gravelly delivery and tone of love shine through in this audiobook. We are all the better for getting to know the thoughts and experiences of this eclectic author.
4 min
1511
TALKING TO STRANGERS by Malcolm Gladwell, read ...
How can we bridge social divides? Malcolm Gladwell is a fabulous narrator of his latest audiobook exploring factors that impact our interactions with strangers. Listen to hear Gladwell and the voices of his interview subjects, police audio, and more.
4 min
1512
HERE WE ARE by Aarti Namdev Shahani, read by Aa...
A beautifully narrated memoir about family from NPR’s Aarti Shahani. Shahani’s family moved from Casablanca to the U.S. when she was a baby, and after initial struggles, her family finds success. That all comes crashing down when her father is imprisoned.
5 min
1513
AN AMERICAN SUNRISE by Joy Harjo, read by Joy H...
Poet Laureate of the United States Joy Harjo performs her work with passion and music. The poetry collection centers on the many trails of tears, from those of her Cherokee and Muscogee ancestors to those of Central American natives today.
5 min
1514
A WALK IN THE WOODS by Lee Blessing, performed ...
What makes an audio play different from an audiobook? Nuclear proliferation takes center stage as Alfred Molina and Steven Weber portray the humor and frustration of their jobs to negotiate between the United States and Russia in this timely production.
5 min
1515
WITHIN THESE LINES by Stephanie Morrill, read b...
Dual narration highlights all the emotions in this YA historical fiction audiobook. Taichi and Evalina love each other despite all that stands against them—California’s laws against interracial marriage and anti-Japanese sentiments leading to internment.
4 min
1516
THE GIFTED SCHOOL by Bruce Holsinger, read by J...
Four Colorado parents are willing to do anything to get their children into the prestigious Crystal Academy. How far is too far? January LaVoy excels at creating distinct voices and personalities for each character in this laugh-out-loud audiobook.
5 min
1517
RED AT THE BONE by Jacqueline Woodson, read by ...
A highly anticipated adult fiction novel about three generations of an African-American family gets an emotionally connective reading by five narrators, including the author. Jacqueline Woodson’s spare text leaves room for powerful interpretations.
5 min
1518
Talking with George Guidall Golden Voice Narrator
Dive into Golden Voice narrator George Guidall’s impressive career. He has won many accolades for narrating the audiobooks that so many listeners love, including classics and long-running mystery series.
33 min
1519
WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY by Wendy W...
Are you a “Downton Abbey” fan? Hear us discuss what we most enjoyed about narrator Orlagh Cassidy's interpretation of this charming contemporary story about friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery—and watching “Downton Abbey.”
5 min
1520
GOTHIC TALES by Arthur Conan Doyle, Darryl Jone...
Perfect for Halloween. We talk about master storyteller Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of classic gothic and supernatural tales. Mummies, ancient rites, forgotten ghosts, spurned promises, lost treasures—tales of dark fantasy!
5 min
1521
THE LAGER QUEEN OF MINNESOTA by J. Ryan Stradal...
This family saga and story of a family business (beer) has a lot of appeal. We credit Judith Ivey’s narration for delivering all of the Midwestern pragmatism as the women bake pies, brew beer, nurture unlikely friendships, and find redemption.
4 min
1522
THE MARYLEBONE DROP by Mick Herron, read by Ger...
The tradecraft of espionage is the focus of the short and satisfying audiobook from a classic pair—British author Mick Herron and Golden Voice Gerard Doyle. Our conversation reveals just enough to get you listening.
4 min
1523
AKIN by Emma Donoghue, read by Jason Culp
Unlikely traveling companions Noah—a 79-year-old retired professor—and Michael—his 11-year-old grand nephew—embark on a trip of emotional intensity. Our conversation focuses on how narrator Jason Culp’s nails the dialogue. From the author of ROOM.
5 min
1524
WAYWARD SON by Rainbow Rowell, read by Euan Morton
Listeners will be hard-pressed to believe they aren’t listening to a full-cast production. Narrator Euan Morton of Broadway fame brings this highly anticipated sequel to life. Simon Snow defeated the Insidious Humdrum in CARRY ON. What comes next?
6 min
1525
THE LONG CALL by Ann Cleeves, read by Ben Aldridge
Journey to North Devon in a new mystery series from Ann Cleeves. DI Matthew Venn’s team finds a man stabbed on the beach, and clues are connecting the murdered man to Matthew’s past, and to his sweet husband. Ben Aldridge captures Matthew’s cool exterior.
6 min