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Nikki Giovanni’s slightly raspy, slightly sibilant voice draws listeners into this important collection of poetry and prose. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Giovanni’s skill at wringing out all the humor, anger, and sorrow in her poetry. Warm tones express themes of quilts and songs and love, and her poet’s sense guides her tempo as she explores her perspectives on being Black in America. Her palpable anger recalls the death of Michael Brown in “Ferguson: the Musical,” and her heart seems to be breaking as she describes “the brother” getting up in the dark to drive to the Million Man March. Her tributes to lost loved ones are heartfelt, and she reminds listeners that “All is transition and love is forever.” Published by Harper AudioFind more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking for something to entertain younger listeners -- or the whole family? Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Rena Barron’s middle-grade fantasy audiobook that shines thanks to Soneela Nankani’s animated performance. Maya has loving parents, good friends, and a welcoming community in Chicago. She also has just discovered that everyone’s been hiding a huge secret -- they have magic! Maya and her friends find dangerous magical creatures lurking in their neighborhood, and a sinister Lord of Shadows visits her in her dreams. When Maya’s father, an Orisha, is stolen away into the Dark world, she decides to use her newfound powers to rescue him. Nankani’s emotional connection will delight listeners of all ages, and sound effects amplify the tension and excitement. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Gansworth is poetic, intense, and defiant as he delivers his coming-of-age story in verse, telling of his life growing up in an Onondaga family in the Tuscarora Nation. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly and Host Jo Reed discuss this moving, hilarious, and heartfelt memoir for young adult listeners. Gansworth traces how the government boarding schools divided his family, the impact of the Vietnam war on his older siblings, and his struggles to fit in both on the reservation and off. He adopted pop culture icons like the Beatles, Batman, and Star Wars as his own, and those influences shape his narrative as he traces his personal history. Published by DreamscapeFind more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moira Quirk’s lively voice draws listeners into a magical Regency-inspired tale. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss C.L. Polk’s new fantasy audiobook that is sure to provide all the distractions you need right now. Beatrice Clayborn is a young ingénue entering her first “bargaining season” where eligible suitors vie for her hand. Once married, Beatrice will be forcibly cut off from any access to magic -- but she is desperate to become a sorceress. Quirk uses dramatic pacing and smooth transitions to balance the complex courtly politics and magical worldbuilding. Her voices for the mercurial spirits Beatrice summons are especially delightful. Published by Recorded Books.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An outstanding full cast of narrators captures the experiences of fourteen teenagers who grew up together in San Francisco -- and were forced into incarceration camps because of their Japanese ancestry during WWII. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Traci Chee’s National Book Award finalist for Young People’s Literature, one that truly is a must-listen. Interconnecting chapters trace the lives of teenagers from 1942-1945 as they are uprooted from their homes, separated from family members, and living in desperate situations. Listeners feel their initial shock and anger, their joy at forming close friendships, and their despair when they are forced apart. Each chapter follows a different character’s story, with the narrator’s voice closely mirroring the character’s distinct and vibrant personalities. This work is timely and powerful, especially on audio. Published by Houghton Mifflin HarcourtFind more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imogen Church’s lively narration pairs well with Anne Willan’s informative and playful survey of women cookbook writers who changed culinary history. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Church’s deliciously entertaining and painlessly educational performance that serves up fascinating insights about food and its preparation. Trace changes in kitchens from Hannah Wooley’s hearth fires in the mid-1600s to today’s stovetops presided over by Julia Child and Alice Waters. Church’s amiable British voice exudes enthusiasm; her beautiful pacing helps listeners digest many historical insights. Listen as you prepare your favorite dishes over the stove. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Adamson presents naturalist and adventurer Craig Childs’s essays about the deserts of the American Southwest in a fitting gruff, masculine voice. AudioFile’s Robin Whitten tells host Jo Reed about this audiobook for those who love deserts -- and those who long to visit them. During a pandemic, this might be exactly the listening experience many are after. Adamson narrates the journeys to deserts in Arizona, Utah, and the Monument Valley with a balance of restraint and enthusiasm, and the author’s deep love for and knowledge of the desert shine through. Published by Tantor Media.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actress Olivia Colman is a new voice to the His Dark Materials series, and she slips easily into Lyra’s boots. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this puzzle piece of an audiobook that helps to complete the full picture of Pullman’s fantastic world. Set after the events of THE AMBER SPYGLASS, this short story serves as an effective bridge between that book and the second in Pullman’s new Book of Dust trilogy, THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH. Colman captures Lyra and Pan’s rapid-fire, affectionate bickering flawlessly. Published by Listening Library.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten share their thoughts on Robert Harris’s latest audiobook V2, narrated with a detached air by David Rintoul. Wernher von Braun and his team of rocket scientists are on the verge of defection to the U.S. The story, told from the opposing perspectives of two fictional characters, von Braun’s colleague Dr. Rudi Graf and WAAF officer Kay Caton-Walsh, traces the impact of Hitler’s decision to unleash powerful V2 rockets on London and Antwerp. This audiobook is for those who love WWII history as much as they love taut fiction. Published by Penguin Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Entrepreneur, bestselling author, and speaker Seth Godin is back to narrate his newest audiobook on engaging our creativity. AudioFile’s Robin Whitten shares with host Jo Reed all that she loves about listening to Godin’s audiobooks. In this latest, Godin turns his attention to individual creativity with high-impact advice on how to share your art with the world. His narration is quiet but intense, assertive but not pushy, a combination that really holds your attention. Published by Penguin Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Je Nie Fleming’s soft voice is a good match for this mystery audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss a story about Grayson Sykes, a new private eye excited for her first serious case finding a doctor’s missing ex-girlfriend. Fleming highlights Gray’s frustrations at making rookie mistakes, her growing suspicion of foul play, and her conflicted feelings for her male boss. Fleming adds intensity to the dialogue as Gray gets closer to the truth. The story deals with tough themes, which are thoughtfully woven into the fast-paced mystery, making the experience of listening to the audiobook even stronger. Published by Macmillan Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A group of people is meeting in New York for Super Bowl 2022 when the world’s electronics go down. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss a multicast audiobook that chronicles a return to a world without modern technology. Listen as survivors of a plane crash are treated in a clinic also impacted by the blackout. Neighbors are forced to interact, and DeLillo reflects on the nature of humanity and who we’ve become. Marin Ireland’s centering narrative anchors the stellar performances, including Jay O. Sanders’s gruff sports gambler, reduced to watching a blank screen, and Jeremy Bobb and Robin Miles, a couple who survived the plane crash. The collective performances make the story resonate more deeply. Published by Simon & Schuster.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

English actress Carey Mulligan narrates a wondrous audiobook about a woman’s existential journey between life and death. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this moving audiobook about what it means to have a good life. Nora Seed’s life has taken a dark turn—no job, many losses, and a relationship not worth continuing. When she attempts suicide, she wakes up in the Midnight Library which, much like a real library, contains many stories—all of which are hers. Carey Mulligan is a nimble narrator, and she maintains a strong narrative cohesion with her vibrant and humane portrayals of Nora and the recurring characters who appear in the various lives she explores. Published by Penguin Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam and Annie are a young couple moving to upstate New York for a quieter life, and to support Sam’s mother—and then Sam disappears. Don’t read too much about this audiobook before you start listening, AudioFile’s Michele Cobb advises host Jo Reed—just jump right in. The multicast aspect of this audiobook is perfect for all the plot twists you experience, and the casting makes for an engaging listen. Published by HarperAudio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vivienne Leheny’s narration captures each character’s outward persona and true self in this captivating thriller. In today’s episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb confess their love for a good thriller. Seatmates Selena and Martha swap confessions on a stalled train ride. Selena believes her husband is having an affair with the nanny, and Martha is having an affair with her boss. When the nanny disappears, Selena remembers that conversation, which leads to a shocking unraveling of lies. Leheny highlights vivid descriptions with her nuanced performance. Hang on to your earbuds—you’re in for a twisty ride. Published by Harlequin AudioFind more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator John Lee does a masterful job bringing a devilish mystery to life. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this historical mystery set in rural Ireland in 1957. Listeners hear Lee’s pitch-perfect renditions of the locals and the Protestant gentry’s upper crust speech. He smoothly voices detective inspector Strafford, who like the people he is investigating, comes from the gentry. But Lee’s most memorable and affecting imitations are the local police and the innkeeper, his wife, and their endearing housemaid, all performed with authentic brogues. John Banville has written a nuanced whodunit; the clues are revealed like a complex pattern in a tapestry. Published by Harper Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Attenborough is best known for his BBC nature documentaries, with their stunning scenes of wild animals and their habitats around the globe. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff share thoughts on how Attenborough’s many skills at documentary filmmaking translate to the audiobook. His elegant prose and rounded tones serve his purpose to make a witness statement to his long broadcast career sharing the mysteries of the planet -- but much of the audiobook is a warning and prescription as well. Part autobiography and part ecology lesson, Attenborough proves a grand guide and perceptive interpreter of the world’s challenges. Published by Hachette Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor Laurence Fishburne expertly modulates his tone and suits his cadence to the scenes and dialogue in this audiobook following the life of Malcolm X. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff share their thoughts on this new narration of an outstanding life. The Black rights champion and faithful believer could not have a more compelling narrator. Fishburne’s extraordinary vocal talents elevate this classic critique of white privilege. He captures Malcolm X’s anger and commitment as the firebrand charts his evolution from street hustler to the charismatic voice of Black Muslims. Published by Audible, Inc.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This stirring audiobook offers a memorable merging of author, subject, and narrator. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how JD Jackson voices John Lewis with an authenticity and nuanced nod to the Congressman’s rural Alabama roots. His powerful retelling of John Lewis’s life’s work fighting to bring civil and voting rights to Black Americans stays with the listener. Famed for overcoming the beatings he received and his many arrests for sit-ins, Lewis comes across in Meacham’s crystalline prose as a man who prevailed through nonviolence and an abiding religious faith. Published by Random House Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff and host Jo Reed discuss an eye-opening collection of climate change nonfiction from THE NEW YORKER magazine. Kaleo Griffith, Gabra Zackman, and Cat Gould narrate with engagement, clarity, and an admirable mix of insistence and calm. Written by many of the magazine’s most well-known authors, including Elizabeht Kolbert, Bill McKibben, Burkhard Bilger, Kathryn Schulz, and Ian Frazer, the pieces focus on “how we got here, where we are, and what we can do now.” The narrators’ articulate, unruffled readings are essential; they keep us listening to news that must no longer be avoided. Published by Harper Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices