FICTION

Akbar, Kaveh. Martyr! Books on Tape. ISBN 9780593824573. LITERARY

Iranian American actor Arian Moayed presents a multifaceted performance of poet Akbar’s lyrical debut novel. The book follows young Iranian American poet Cyrus Shams, who seeks meaning by immersing himself in the study of martyrs. Moayed seamlessly embodies the ebb and flow of Cyrus’s moods—questioning, sorrowful, earnest, and gently humorous—as he grapples with mental illness, addiction, identity, and the legacy of the past.

Everett, Percival. James. Books on Tape. ISBN 9780593821268. LITERARY

Everett reimagines Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, offering a resonant portrait of James—whom listeners will recognize as Twain’s “Jim”—and revealing the harrowing reality of enslavement. Narrator Dominic Hoffman embodies James with exquisite skill, piercingly communicating the depths of his integrity and solemn insight. Hoffman nimbly articulates James’s facility at code-switching, underlaid with the ever-present fear of attracting notice from his unpredictable and casually cruel enslavers.

Fletcher, Susan. The Night in Question. Dreamscape Media. ISBN 9781666664942. MYSTERY

When Renata, the manager of a retirement home in Oxfordshire, England, falls from the home’s third-story window, 87-year-old resident Florrie jumps into action, sure that Renata was not trying to die by suicide but was the victim of attempted murder. Narrator Jenny Funnell provides a tender portrayal of Florrie, whose cheerful demeanor hides past hurt and trauma. Combining the tension of the unfolding mystery with a thoughtful consideration of aging, forgiveness, and loss, this production enthralls.

Hannah, Kristin. The Women. Macmillan Audio. ISBN 9781250317957. HISTORICAL FICTION

Julia Whelan shines in her sensitive narration of Hannah’s latest, a compelling historical novel centered on 20-year-old Frankie McGrath who, in 1965, joins the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and follows her brother to Vietnam. Whelan’s meticulous characterizations intimately convey the characters’ full range of emotions—grief, fear, desire, resolve—as they find their footing amid the tumult of war and its aftermath.

Hazzard, Shirley. The Transit of Venus. Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks. ISBN 9798368975542. HISTORICAL FICTION

Narrator Juliet Stevenson’s mastery of aural subtext, side-eyed glances, and deliciously elegant language is on full display throughout her deft performance of Hazzard’s debut, first published in 1980. Stevenson guides listeners through the sprawling story, following sisters Caroline and Grace Bell and the men—some self-absorbed, some sweet—who come into their orbit. Balancing the poignant with the philosophical, Stevenson’s expert voicings and spot-on pacing make this an audio not to miss.

Klune, TJ. Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Macmillan Audio. ISBN 9781250331601. FANTASY

The sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea, vivaciously narrated by Daniel Henning, takes listeners back to Marsyas Island, where Arthur and Linus square off against the Department in Charge of Magical Youth as they try to protect the magical children under their care. Henning’s boisterous voices, including an adorably growly one for yeti child David, sparkle with whimsy and warmth while still conveying the pain of those seeking acceptance and love in an often-intolerant world.

McGregor, Tim. Eynhallow. Raw Dog Screaming. ISBN 9798868770326. HORROR

McGregor’s reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein transports listeners to 1797, as Agnes, one of only 20 residents of the tiny, windblown island of Eynhallow, reckons with the arrival of wealthy and mysterious Victor Frankenstein and the creature he has brought in his wake. Narrator Angela Ness offers an atmospheric listening experience as she viscerally communicates the pall enveloping the remote island. Ness’s characterizations are outstanding, adeptly capturing the islanders’ plainspoken manner and Agnes’s sharp intelligence and protective spirit.

Orange, Tommy. Wandering Stars. Books on Tape. ISBN 9780593824559. INDIGENOUS

An ensemble of nine talented narrators join their voices in a stunning chorus, tracing the lives of Orvil Red Feather’s descendants as they contend with the devastating legacy of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and the weight of substance-use disorder and grief. In their performance of Orange’s second novel, the narrators provide a kaleidoscopic view of contemporary Indigenous people navigating intergenerational trauma, forced assimilation, and the fraught search for cultural identity.

Talty, Morgan. Fire Exit. Recorded Books. ISBN 9798891783270. INDIGENOUS

Raised by his Indigenous stepfather and white mother on Maine’s Penobscot Reservation, Charles Lamosway was eventually sent away due to his lack of blood ties. As he disconsolately observes his community from afar, he yearns to know his daughter, who is unaware of her true parentage. Indigenous Canadian actor Darrell Dennis narrates, imbuing Talty’s affecting novel with grace, humor, and empathy. Dennis’s nuanced portrait of Charles is inviting and heartbreaking, laying bare Charles’s damaged self and desperate search for connection.

Tremblay, Paul. Horror Movie. HarperAudio. ISBN 9780063070042. HORROR

Ari Fliakos leads a cast of 11 other supporting narrators, providing a stellar narration of Tremblay’s story about a cursed, never-released 1993 indie horror film. Fliakos plays “the Thin Kid,” the only surviving cast member, who reprises his role in the remake 30 years later. Listeners are treated to script readings, movie tracks, and director’s notes, read with verve by the full cast. Outstanding sound effects and a twisty climax make for an unforgettable listen.

NONFICTION

Bell, Darrin. The Talk. Macmillan Audio. ISBN 9781250381248. GRAPHIC MEMOIR

Supported by his son Emryee Zazu Bell and actors Brittany Bradford and William DeMerrit, cartoonist Bell takes center stage as he narrates this phenomenal version of his 2023 graphic memoir. Archival recordings and pitch-perfect sound effects evoke the book’s illustrations as, with a somber and measured tone, Bell reflects on his childhood, his responsibilities as a Black father of a Black son, and the bitter realities of racialized violence in the U.S.

Gladwell, Malcolm. Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering. Hachette Audio. ISBN 9781668643334. SOCIAL SCIENCE

The engaging self-narrated follow-up to Gladwell’s perceptive debut revisits the notion of viral phenomena and social epidemics, from bank robberies to COVID to the opioid crisis. Gladwell’s podcasting skill is on full display as, with conversational pacing and precisely timed reveals, he interweaves excerpts from court transcripts, interviews, and even a TV movie into his intriguing take on contemporary epidemics.

Haddish, Tiffany. I Curse You with Joy. Dreamscape Media. ISBN 9781666655735. MEMOIR

Actor and comedian Haddish’s audacious, self-narrated second memoir bubbles over with infectious humor, raunchy sex-ed lessons, and poignant but loving memories of her deeply flawed parents. Listeners seeking a laugh-aloud audio memoir will find that in spades, but so too will they encounter Haddish’s sincere and compassionate take on forgiveness and loving oneself. Complete with a blooper reel at the end, this truly funny and candid memoir is fully realized in audio.

Hartigan, Patti. August Wilson: A Life. S. & S. Audio. ISBN 9781797178691. BIOGRAPHY

Listeners unfamiliar with the groundbreaking work of playwright August Wilson (1945 –2005) will want to dive into his works after hearing theater critic Hartigan’s remarkable biography, presented with consummate skill by narrator Dion Graham. With an inviting tone, Graham deftly guides listeners through Wilson’s early life and his evolution as a playwright, seamlessly interspersing evocative scenes from Wilson’s plays. It is a tour-de-force performance and a fitting tribute to a great creative mind.

How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music. ed. by Alison Fensterstock. HarperAudio. ISBN 9780063270350. PERFORMING ARTS

Drawing upon NPR’s acclaimed program Turning the Tables, editor Fensterstock and music critic Ann Powers, together with five additional narrators, present an epic history of the women who shaped popular music. The narrators offer animated readings of biographical sketches of the featured artists, from Bessie Smith to Taylor Swift. The vibrant production is further enhanced with 55 audio excerpts from luminaries such as Joan Baez and Alicia Keys, who describe their creative process, key works, and musical journey.

Nenquimo, Nemonte & Mitch Anderson. We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People. Recorded Books. ISBN 9798891788695. MEMOIR

Waorani activist Nenquimo and her husband, Anderson, pen an exquisite memoir describing Nenquimo’s childhood in the Amazon rainforest and her work as an influential environmentalist. Christine Ann-Roche offers an impassioned narration of this memoir, tenderly depicting Nenquimo as a young woman and expressing her fierce determination to protect her people and the land from rapacious oil companies. Ann-Roche delivers the Waorani words and phrases running throughout the narrative with a lyricism that lingers after the book’s close.

Pardlo, Gregory. Spectral Evidence: Poems. Books on Tape. ISBN 9780593590119. POETRY

In this self-narrated collection, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Pardlo examines institutionalized practices that rationalize hate and violence toward people on the margins of the U.S., particularly women and Black people. As he considers memory (and misremembering), dreams, intuition, social justice, and culture, Pardlo offers an artifice-free delivery that takes listeners to the heart of his intricate, layered words. A luminous work, both intimate and interrogatory, that connects the personal to the political and the historical to the present.

Perelman, Deb. Smitten Kitchen Keepers: A Kitchen Counter Conversation. Books on Tape. ISBN 9798217067039. COOKING

Listeners will be enchanted by blogger and podcaster Perelman and the fantastic tips, tricks, advice, and commentary that she shares in this audio original, a companion to the best-selling Smitten Kitchen Keepers. With an utterly approachable manner, Perelman invites listeners to consider how they too might make scrumptious breakfasts in no time or revive limp snow peas from the corner market. A captivating, inspiring, and thoroughly fun treat for the ears.

Ralph, Laurence. Sito: An American Teenager and the City That Failed Him. Hachette Audio. ISBN 9781668635179. SOCIAL SCIENCES

Filmmaker Ralph proffers a vital account of the 2019 murder of his stepson’s half-brother, Luis Alberto Quiñonez, known as Sito. Ralph contends that Sito’s tragic death is part of a larger pattern fueled by the media and the juvenile justice system’s insistence on treating young people who have been convicted of crimes as irredeemable “super-predators.” André Santana narrates, capturing Ralph’s compassion and determination to examine the demoralizing cycle of violence, punishment, and politics while honoring the experiences of those caught in the middle.

Tankian, Serj. Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts). Hachette Audio. ISBN 9781668641965. MEMOIR

Tankian, the front man and lyricist of the Armenian American heavy metal band System of a Down, pens a thought-provoking memoir that is as much about global politics, activism, and his Armenian heritage as it is about the band’s evolution. Tankian offers a lively and thoroughly engaging audio narration of the book, allowing his deep-seated passion to shine as he describes his commitment to speaking out against injustices, war, and failures of U.S. foreign policy.