Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Audiobook Reviews
Find your next great audiobook on Behind the Mic with Kirkus Reviews. Every Thursday, host Jo Reed and her guests discuss what they’ve been listening to and recommend the very best audiobooks. It’s the perfect way to keep up with new releases and hear about the ones you may have missed. Launched by AudioFile magazine in 2018, Behind the Mic now has its home at Kirkus Reviews, the most trusted voice in book discovery for more than 90 years. Visit us at kirkusreviews.com.
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1701
JANUARY LAVOY: Golden Voice Narrator Interview
In June 2019, January LaVoy was honored as a Golden Voice, AudioFile's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. Listen in as January talks with Robin Whitten about some highlights and behind the scenes moments in her audiobook career.
10 min
1702
FROM SCRATCH by Tembi Locke, read by Tembi Locke
Tembi and Saro shared a brilliant love, even though their romance wasn’t easy. Tembi’s smooth, warm voice transports listeners as she narrates her memoir about creating a family, losing her husband to cancer, and finding hope in the Sicilian countryside.
4 min
1703
PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND OTHER FLAVORS by Sonali D...
A fresh, modern take on the Jane Austen classic. When Dr. Trisha Raje and Chef DJ Caine meet, sparks fly—but for all the wrong reasons. Soneela Nankani makes the intricate relationships (and DJ’s drool-worthy creations) real for the listener.
4 min
1704
RED WHITE & ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston, read...
Imagine a whirlwind romance between England’s Prince Henry and Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the first female U.S. President. Ramón de Ocampo brings out all the emotion in a story full of political intrigue, royal secrets, and ridiculous late-night texting.
4 min
1705
WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH by Elizabeth Acevedo, rea...
For every listener who loved THE POET X! Elizabeth Acevedo warmly narrates her feel-good YA novel about aspiring chef Emoni, who navigates life as both a high school senior and a single mom and discovers how to harness her magic in the kitchen.
4 min
1706
THE BRIDE TEST by Helen Hoang, read by Emily Wo...
In a moving and unconventional love story, Khai Diep is convinced he is incapable of feeling love, and Esme Tran jumps at the chance to show him he is wrong. A delightful romance by the author of THE KISS QUOTIENT, skillfully read by Emily Woo Zeller.
4 min
1707
KARAMO by Karamo Brown, read by Karamo Brown
“Queer Eye” fans will want to hear social worker and cultural commentator Karamo Brown narrate his debut audiobook. Brown’s fascinating memoir is a blend of his background and life lessons and what shaped his worldview and empowered him to help others.
3 min
1708
MY LOVELY WIFE by Samantha Downing, read by Dav...
This debut thriller has an astonishing premise: a happily married couple whose hobby is killing innocent women. Narrator David Pittu gives a subtle, seemingly effortless performance that draws listeners completely into the charade.
4 min
1709
MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE by Lori Gottli...
Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb describes her experiences helping clients and shares a few of her own issues—like how to help others when you find your own life in disarray. Narrator Brittany Pressley stays true to the author’s intent.
4 min
1710
LIGHTS ALL NIGHT LONG by Lydia Fitzpatrick, rea...
Ilya is an exchange student from Russia who comes to Louisiana and leaves behind a brother. Narrator Michael Crouch takes this fascinating novel and makes it downright riveting as an audiobook.
4 min
1711
NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney, read by Aoife Mc...
Set in Ireland, Sally Rooney’s subtle writing and engrossing plot work with narrator Aoife McMahon’s nimble, witty performance and gorgeous Irish accent in this story of Connell and Marianne’s special relationship.
4 min
1712
LATE BLOOMERS by Rich Karlgaard, read by Fred S...
Early achievers get all the attention—the prodigy, the phenom, the superstar. The author explores alternative narratives with this look at “The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement,” and narrator Fred Sanders makes it accessible to listeners.
5 min
1713
STONY THE ROAD by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., read ...
Historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr., creates a complex meditation on black identity in a racist America from Reconstruction to the Harlem Renaissance. Narrator Dominic Hoffman draws in listeners with his deep voice and smooth delivery.
4 min
1714
AMERICAN MOONSHOT by Douglas Brinkley, read by ...
As the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing approaches, American historian Douglas Brinkley celebrates the Kennedy administration’s role in the nascent aerospace industry. An excellent listening introduction to space history.
4 min
1715
THE PIONEERS by David McCullough, read by John ...
This history of the settlement of the Northwest Territory is a worthy companion to David McCullough’s other histories of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal. Narrator John Bedford Lloyd gives an engaged narration of this unique saga of the making of America.
4 min
1716
CEMETERY ROAD by Greg Iles, read by Scott Brick
Two murders, one town, a lifetime of secrets—Bienville, Mississippi. Greg Iles’s thriller is both an absorbing crime story and an in-depth exploration of grief, betrayal, and corruption. Scott Brick masters this narration.
4 min
1717
PASTA, PANE, VINO by Matt Goulding, read by Wil...
Does the world need another book about Italian food? Food writer Matt Goulding asked Anthony Bourdain this question before starting the book. Listeners will say “yes” and “thank you” to Goulding and narrator Will Damron.
4 min
1718
WOMEN ROWING NORTH by Mary Pipher, read by Suza...
Mary Pipher, author of REVIVING OPHELIA, offers a memoir-like study of the various ways women transition into their later years. Suzanne Toren captures her highly personal style of writing.
3 min
1719
THE LITTLE FOXES by Lillian Hellman, read by Wi...
This classic American drama about gender politics and greed in a Southern family at the turn of the 20th century has had multiple film and stage adaptations. It’s just as powerful as an audiobook performance.
4 min
1720
RUN AWAY by Harlan Coben, read by Steven Weber
Great suspense with unexpected twists from thriller master Harlan Coben and a perfect performance by narrator Steven Weber. A couple’s search for their missing daughter takes unexpected turns.
3 min
1721
LESSONS FROM LUCY by Dave Barry, read by Dave B...
Lucy—Barry’s old dog and best friend—inspires his trademark humor. The author’s natural wry, understated presentation style is totally in sync with his writing. Barry treats us to good listening as he ruminates on old dogs and aging.
4 min
1722
THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon, read by ...
Natasha is doing everything she can to keep her family from being deported to Jamaica. Daniel’s desperate for his Korean-American parents to take his dreams seriously. Three narrators tell their story. Listen before you see the movie.
4 min
1723
HORIZON by Barry Lopez, read by James Naughton
Barry Lopez’s autobiographical reflections cross broad swaths of time and boldy travel the world, and narrator James Naughton proves a worthy guide. The author of ARCTIC DREAMS tells of his concerns for our planet’s future, based on his own explorations.
3 min
1724
QUEENIE by Candice Carty-Williams, read by Shvo...
Laugh and cry through this hilariously honest novel about Queenie, a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman who just broke up with her long-term boyfriend and tumbles from one bad decision to another. Shvorne Marks’s narration will leave you in stitches.
4 min
1725
SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE by Carlos Herna...
When faced with a bully, Sal doesn’t take the usual tactics—he pulls a dead chicken from another universe and stuffs it in the bully’s locker. Listeners will love following Sal’s story as he meets friends in his new school, including the delightful Gabi.
4 min