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.

Arts
Books
Performing Arts
1526
THE CHESTNUT MAN by Søren Sveistrup, read by Pe...
A superlatively good audio thriller from the writer of the Danish TV show The Killing and narrator Peter Noble. Mismatched detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess track a serial killer whose signature is leaving small dolls made of chestnuts at the scenes.
5 min
1527
GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN by Talia Hibbert, read ...
Perfect weekend listening. Chloe Brown wants to change her life, and she enlists her tattooed super, Redford Morgan, to help her check items off her “get a life” list. Adjoa Andoh’s lively narration enhances this steamy British contemporary romance.
6 min
1528
HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES by Saeed Jones, read...
Listeners gain an intimate sense of Saeed Jones’s life through vignettes read with grace, compassion, and ferocity. Jo Reed and Emily Connelly discuss the emotional impact of this Kirkus Prize-winning memoir narrated by the author.
4 min
1529
TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY by Kwa...
When Tristan falls through a hole into another world where the sea is on fire, chasing down his friend’s stolen journal—you know you’re in for a wild ride. Journey to Alke as Tristan joins a fight for freedom with African-American and West African gods.
5 min
1530
LOOK BOTH WAYS by Jason Reynolds, read by Heath...
“How you gon’ change the world?” Jason Reynolds has created a perfect middle-grade novel, and ten African-American narrators bring the interconnected stories to life. He captures those after-school moments where kids have a chance to be themselves.
5 min
1531
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
1532
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
1533
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
1534
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
1535
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
1536
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
1537
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
1538
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
1539
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
1540
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
1541
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
1542
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
1543
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
1544
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
1545
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
1546
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
1547
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
1548
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
1549
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
1550
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