Episodes

  • WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan [Trans.], read by Rosa Escoda

    WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan [Trans.], read by Rosa Escoda
    May 24 2024
    Rosa Escoda’s narration of this slice-of-life audiobook is cozy, like being wrapped in a blanket still warm from the dryer. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Hwang Bo-reum’s story, translated by Shanna Tan, of a woman and her bookshop. Frustrated by her indifferent marriage and burned-out by her competitive career, Yeongju leaves both behind to open a bookstore that becomes a refuge to those seeking peace and renewal. Escoda’s brisk pace and gentle tone carry listeners along as Yeongju reconciles her childhood dream of owning a bookshop with the business of attracting and keeping customers. Escoda subtly calibrates her performance to make this story’s dreamlike mood irresistible. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Bloomsbury Publishing. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    7 mins
  • SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN by John Wiswell, read by Carmen Rose

    SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN by John Wiswell, read by Carmen Rose
    May 23 2024
    Carmen Rose narrates John Wiswell’s sapphic horror/romance with a sardonic wit that makes for an immersive listening experience. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this delightfully weird fantasy audiobook and Rose’s skilled narration. Shesheshen is a shape-shifting monster who, weary of devouring an endless line of hunters seeking to eradicate her kind, constructs a makeshift human body and infiltrates the human world. What she doesn't expect is to fall for Homily, a kindly human woman who is haunted by a family curse. Rose brings each character's traits to life—from Shesheshen's deadpan humor to Homily's earnest compassion—and performs fight scenes with a liveliness that transports listeners into the battles. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    7 mins
  • Celebrating 30 Years of Naxos AudioBooks

    Celebrating 30 Years of Naxos AudioBooks
    May 22 2024
    In today’s bonus edition of Behind the Mic, host Jo Reed is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Naxos AudioBooks with narrators David Timson and Rupert Degas. Naxos has been publishing their audiobooks with a focus on classic literature and classical music since 1994. Hear more about the extraordinary history of Naxos from narrators who have been with the publisher for decades. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the start of the publisher, favorite productions Timson and Degas have worked on, and their thoughts on some of the many talented actors recording audiobooks for Naxos, and the many people behind the scenes directing and producing them. Read more about Naxos AudioBooks and their 30th anniversary in our article. Today’s bonus episode is sponsored by Naxos AudioBooks. For more information on Naxos and their audiobook productions, visit their website: naxosaudiobooks.com/ Discover thousands of audiobook reviews at AudioFile’s website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • LAKE OF SOULS by Ann Leckie, read by Adjoa Andoh

    LAKE OF SOULS by Ann Leckie, read by Adjoa Andoh
    May 22 2024
    Adjoa Andoh narrates a short story collection of speculative fiction by Ann Leckie. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this collection that includes works in the worlds of the Imperial Radch and the Raven Tower, as well as stand-alone pieces. Andoh’s stellar skills are on display in every piece, making the stories of gods, humans, and other assorted beings incredibly compelling. A stunning performance by a master narrator. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    7 mins
  • MAYBE THIS TIME by Cara Bastone, read by Zoë Chao, Noah Reid, Josh Hurley, and a Full Cast

    MAYBE THIS TIME by Cara Bastone, read by Zoë Chao, Noah Reid, Josh Hurley, and a Full Cast
    May 21 2024
    Zoë Chao and Noah Reid bring a delightful goofiness to this time-travel romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the fun and talent that goes into Cara Bastone’s latest full-cast romance. Five years ago, June stumbled into a wormhole, falling decades into the future. When her ancient phone turns on and lets her make a call, she finds Mikey, her bewildered colleague from the past, on the other end. Chao sounds thrilled—and desperate—as June urges Mikey to keep past-June out of that wormhole. Reid gives Mikey warmth and openness as he connects with June in both timelines. As the stakes rise, listeners hear the pair’s growing urgency. You won’t want to put this one down. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    8 mins
  • CANTO CONTIGO by Jonny Garza Villa, read by Alejandro Antonio Ruiz

    CANTO CONTIGO by Jonny Garza Villa, read by Alejandro Antonio Ruiz
    May 20 2024
    Alejandro Antonio Ruiz embodies all of the roiling emotions in this compelling queer teen love story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Jonny Garza Villa’s dynamic audiobook and Ruiz’s skilled narration. Rafie learned his love of mariachi from his abuelo. He’s devastated when his abuelo dies yet is determined to bring home another first-place trophy from the Mariachi Extravaganza. But now he’s at a new school in San Antonio, and his new school already has a lead singer—Rey, the cute boy he met last year. Rafie’s intensity comes through clearly in Ruiz’s passionate narration. Ruiz yells, cries, whispers, laughs, and sings, revealing all the many layers to Rafie and Rey’s story. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    8 mins
  • LESSONS FOR SURVIVAL by Emily Raboteau, read by Emily Raboteau

    LESSONS FOR SURVIVAL by Emily Raboteau, read by Emily Raboteau
    May 17 2024
    Emily Raboteau reads with purpose, a clear voice, and a conversational tone that works well for the personal essays on “Mothering Against ‘the Apocalypse’” in this satisfying audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Raboteau moves her prose and delivery between her varied subjects; a sense of wonder at identifying birds, exasperation at dealing with New York City real estate, and empathy for a water-starved Palestinian family. The lessons in this text are hard earned and elegantly expressed. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    7 mins
  • VICTIM by Andrew Boryga, read by Anthony Rey Perez

    VICTIM by Andrew Boryga, read by Anthony Rey Perez
    May 16 2024
    Anthony Rey Perez has just the right tone for this satirical debut novel, especially as he aptly mimics the protagonist’s self-justifying voice and truth twisting. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Perez’s pace moves the story forward—no matter the circumstance. Javi Perez succeeds until he doesn’t by playing the victim “trifecta”: tragic circumstance (his drug-dealer father is gunned down); struggling economics; and being a person of color. This first-person novel about his rise and fall is compelling, and Anthony Rey Perez’s excellent narration makes it a memorable audiobook. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    6 mins