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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1
Still Here: Three Memoirs That Don’t Look Away
24 min
2
Working Lives in Three Audiobooks
27 min
3
Exploring Kathryn Stockett’s The Calamity Club
11 min
4
Horror, Held Close
22 min
5
New Earphones Award Winners
Legal suspense, ancient intrigue, and an alchemical mystery make for three standout listens.
21 min
6
Toni Morrison in Three Dimensions
Three standout audiobooks explore Morrison as teacher, editor, and novelist.
25 min
7
Mothers, Memory, and the Search for Self
These audiobooks trace identity across generations, places, and voices.
23 min
8
Three Stories, Many Points of View
In these multinarrator audiobooks, perspective is everything.
22 min
9
Hockey, Heat, and Two Very Different Voices
Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series—where romance, hockey, and narration collide
22 min
10
Lauren Groff: In Her Own Voice
Lauren Groff talks about writing—and narrating—her new story collection, Brawler.
32 min
11
Middle-Grade Books in Three Voices
A trio of audiobooks for young listeners where narration shapes story, character, and connection
25 min
12
Writers at the Top of Their Game
Three standout works of American fiction in audio.
20 min
13
Three Narratives, No Easy Answers
Exploring audiobooks that that uncover reality TV pressures, true crime tension, and Pasadena’s past.
24 min
14
Narration in Three Keys
Jo Reed and Alex Ritchie break down how three very different performances—minimalist, melodic, and mesmerizing—influence the listener’s journey.
18 min
15
Thrillers With Teeth
A spotlight on three sharply performed audiobooks that push the genre in unexpected directions.
22 min
16
Native Voices
A discussion of three audiobooks that explore Native history, identity, and storytelling through powerful narration
19 min
17
Earphones Award Spotlight
Contributor Laura Rossi joins Jo Reed to share what she’s heard, what she’s hearing, and what she’s listening to next.
19 min
18
Three Literary Heavyweights: Smith, Banville, a...
A conversation about bold ideas and atmospheric storytelling, plus authors and narrators at the top of their game.
18 min
19
Backstories That Matter
From expert testimony to mockumentary mythmaking to a life in acting, three audiobooks that reveal how stories—and voices—are shaped.
21 min
20
Biography, Fiction, and Memoir
Contributor Stephen Cummings discusses three distinct listens.
21 min
21
From Short Stories to Family Sagas
Contributor Alex Richey discusses fiction audiobooks with ensemble casts, intimate narration, and stories that span generations.
22 min
22
Robin Whitten: Transitions and Continuity
The founder of AudioFile Magazine Robin Whitten discusses audiobooks and the magazine’s new home at Kirkus Reviews.
21 min
23
Interview with Karen Murray: Best Children & Fa...
On narrating HOW SWEET THE SOUND
8 min
24
Interview with Greta Jung: Best Young Adult Aud...
On narrating to ALL THE TOMORROWS AFTER
11 min
25
Interview with Christine Lakin: Best Romance Au...
On narrating SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME
11 min