Shows
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastAn Introduction to Goethe's Faust - Part 2Actor and director David Timson continues his reflections on Goethe's Faust.Find out more about the audiobook of Goethe's Faust here:https://naxosaudiobooks.com/faust-abridged/
2025-10-1002 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastA Introduction to Goethe's Faust - Part 1Actor and director David Timson discusses his production of Goethe's Faust featuring Toby Jones, Samuel West and a cast of other acclaimed actors.Find out more about the audiobook of Goethe's Faust here:https://naxosaudiobooks.com/faust-abridged/
2025-09-2604 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastProfessor Branestawm - An InterviewPopular actor and reader Martin Jarvis shares his thoughts on recording Norman's Hunter's classic The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm.Find more information on the audiobook of The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm here:https://naxosaudiobooks.com/incredible-adventures-of-professor-branestawm-the-unabridged/
2025-09-1206 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastSamuel Beckett - A Personal MemoirJohn Calder was Samuel Beckett's publisher for over 30 years. Here he records his memories of the writer, his writing and their long-standing relationship.Find more information on Samuel Beckett audiobooks here:https://naxosaudiobooks.com/samuel-beckett-a-personal-memoir/
2025-08-291h 11
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastThe Romance of the Forest - An InterviewProducer Neil Rosser talks to Sarah Lambie about her newly-released audiobook of Ann Radcliffe's 1791 Gothic novel The Romance of the Forest.More information about this audiobook can be found here: https://naxosaudiobooks.com/romance-of-the-forest-the-unabridged/
2025-08-2717 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastThe Sword in the Stone - An InterviewThe late Neville Jason discusses how he approached the recording of T.H.White’s classic book The Sword in the Stone.Find out more about the audiobook of The Sword in the Stone here:https://naxosaudiobooks.com/sword-in-the-stone-the-unabridged/
2025-08-1407 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastThucydides: The History of the Peloponnesian War - An IntroductionClassicist Ian Johnston, the translator of Ovid’s Metamorphoses for Naxos AudioBooks, introduces our new recording of Thucydides’ The History of the Peloponnesian War.
2025-03-0705 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastHenry Mayhew: London Labour and the London Poor - An IntroductionDavid Timson introduces London Labour and the London Poor and its author Henry Mayhew, who in 1841 founded the satirical magazine Punch before his social conscience moved him to expose in his remarkable book the terrible poverty in London – then the richest city in the world.
2025-02-2116 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastThe Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien - An IntroductionRoy McMillan discusses Flann O’Brien’s popular and surrealistic novel The Third Policeman.
2025-02-0706 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastGiacomo Casanova: The Story of My Life - An IntroductionPeter Wickham discusses the infamous libertine Giacomo Casanova, and his explosive autobiography, The Story of My Life. Perhaps best known for his serial womanising, Casanova led an extraordinary life with many wild and incredible adventures, many of which are contained in The Story of My Life.
2025-01-2714 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastLe Morte d'Arthur - an interview with Bill HomewoodBill Homewood talks to Raymond Bisha about the story of King Arthur, Thomas Malory’s much-loved reinterpretation, Le Morte d'Arthur, and his recording of the book.
2024-12-3013 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastDon Quixote - An InterviewRoy McMillan, reader of Miguel Cervantes' great novel Don Quixote, discusses aspects of this favourite book.
2024-12-2013 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastA Christmas Carol - an introduction by David TimsonDavid Timson delves into one of Dickens' favourite novels, A Christmas Carol.
2024-12-0829 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastAn Introduction to Boswell's The Life of Samuel JohnsonDavid Timson gives an introduction to James Boswell's iconic biography of his mentor, The Life of Samuel Johnson.
www.naxosaudiobooks.com/life-of-samuel-johnson-the-unabridged/
2024-11-2918 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastAn Introduction to Samuel Richardson's ClarissaCo-producers Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross discuss the ground-breaking recording of Samuel Richardson's epistolary novel Clarissa with Lucy Scott who performs the role of Clarissa.
www.naxosaudiobooks.com/clarissa-or-the-history-of-a-young-lady-volume-1-unabridged/
2024-11-2215 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastElizabeth Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë - A DiscussionActor and producer, John Foley, discusses the newly-released audiobook of Mrs Gaskell's biography of Charlotte Brontë with actors Lucy Scott and Penelope Rawlins.
www.naxosaudiobooks.com/the-life-of-charlotte-bronte-unabridged/
2024-09-2726 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastJupiter's Travels - An Interview with Ted SimonTed Simon is best known for circumnavigating the world by motorcycle - not once, but twice. Here he speaks about his journey and the first of his two books describing his remarkable achievement, Jupiter's Travels.
www.naxosaudiobooks.com/jupiter-s-travels-unabridged/
2024-09-2007 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastFranz Kafka's The Castle - An Interview with Allan CordunerActor Allan Corduner discusses his reading of Franz Kafka's final novel The Castle.
https://naxosaudiobooks.com/castle-the-unabridged/
2024-09-1305 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastSketches by Boz - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Charles Dickens' collection of short tales and observations, Sketches by Boz.
www.naxosaudiobooks.com/sketches-by-boz-abridged/
2024-09-0628 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastThe Mystery of Edwin Drood - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Charles Dickens' final and uncompleted novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
www.naxosaudiobooks.com/mystery-of-edwin-drood-the-unabridged/
2024-09-0232 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastNicholas Nickleby - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby.
2024-08-3039 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastMartin Chuzzlewit - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Martin Chuzzlewit, the sixth novel of Charles Dickens.
2024-08-2624 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastBarnaby Rudge - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens.
2024-08-2329 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastLittle Dorrit - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.
2024-08-1931 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastDombey and Son - and introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens.
2024-08-1624 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastA Tale of Two Cities - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.
2024-08-1225 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastOur Mutual Friend - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens.
2024-08-0934 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastThe Old Curiosity Shop - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens.
2024-08-0520 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastThe Pickwick Papers - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Charles Dickens' first novel The Pickwick Papers.
2024-08-0228 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastBleak House - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
2024-07-2928 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastOliver Twist - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to one of Charles Dickens' most popular novels, Oliver Twist.
2024-07-2627 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastDavid Copperfield - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Dickens' popular and semi-autobiographical novel, David Copperfield.
2024-07-2228 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastHard Times - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to Hard Times by Charles Dickens.
2024-07-1925 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastGreat Expectations - an introduction by David TimsonActor David Timson offers an introduction to one of Charles Dickens' most popular novels, Great Expectations.
2024-07-1614 min
Behind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineCelebrating 30 Years of Naxos AudioBooksIn 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 sc...
2024-05-2244 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastFull Tilt – an Interview with Dervla MurphyWe speak to Dervla Murphy, the author of Full Tilt, about her own incredible story
2024-04-3012 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastFull Tilt – an Interview with Emma LoweEmma Lowe gives us the insider's perspective on recording the Full Tilt by Dervla Murphy, an account of her intrepid journey from Ireland to India on an Armstrong Cadet bicycle and the trials, landscapes and cultures she encountered along the way.
2024-04-3007 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastDiscussing the Author Albert Maltz with Dr Patrick Chura and Rupert DegasGenevieve Helsby interviews Dr Patrick Chura and Rupert Degas about two hugely powerful books written by Albert Maltz, and why we should be excited to discover his work.
2024-04-3031 min
Naxos AudioBooks PodcastOrlando – an Interview with Juliet StevensonIn this episode Juliet Stevenson, interviewed by John Foley, discusses Virginia Woolf and her biographical fantasy Orlando.More details of this audiobook can be found here:https://naxosaudiobooks.com/orlando-unabridged/
2024-04-3037 min
On the Road with Penguin ClassicsWilliam Blake's poetry with Philip PullmanWilliam Blake’s poetry and prose. We visit Sir Philip at home to discuss the poet who has ‘inspired and intoxicated’ him for the last sixty years. In Philip’s book-lined sitting room we discuss Blake’s most loved works: his Songs of Innocence and of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell and Auguries of Innocence. Pullman has written frequently about Blake and previously served as President of the William Blake Society. Blake’s Selected Poems (Penguin Classics edition)https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/33866/selected-poems-blake-by-william-blake-ed-professor-g-e-bentley-series-editor--christopher-ricks/9780140424461https://apple...
2024-02-0156 minOn the Road with Penguin ClassicsJohn Donne's poetry with Katherine RundellJohn Donne’s poetry and prose in London. The scholar and children’s author Katherine Rundell traces the life and paradoxical career of John Donne from the street where he was born, through the palaces and colleges where he worked to the cathedral where he preached and now lies buried. In 2022 Rundell won the Baillie-Gifford Prize for her biography of Donne, Super-Infinite.Donne's prose masterpiece Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions was published 400 years ago in January 1624. Donne’s Selected Poems (Penguin Classics edition)https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/3...
2024-01-181h 19On the Road with Penguin ClassicsThe Pilgrim’s Progress with Rachel JoyceJohn Bunyan in Bedfordshire. The novelist Rachel Joyce joins Henry as they follow in the footsteps of Bunyan’s pilgrim Christian, as he walks from Bedford, or the City of Destruction, to London, the Celestial City. Along the way they visit the Slough of Despond (Elstow), the Palace Beautiful (Houghton House) and Vanity Fair (Ampthill). They start at the Bunyan Meeting House, where they meet John Pestell, and finish at Bunyan’s resting place, Bunhill Fields. 2022 marks the 350th anniversary of the Bunyan Meeting House on its current site. The Pilgrim’s Progre...
2022-11-031h 07On the Road with Penguin ClassicsThe Book of Disquiet with Richard ZenithFernando Pessoa in Lisbon. The translator and biographer Richard Zenith meets Henry in Lisbon to sift the fragments of Fernando Pessoa’s extraordinary ‘non-book’, The Book of Disquiet. They visit the cafes where Pessoa liked to drink, they meet Clara Riso, director of the Casa Fernando Pessoa, and they walk from the hills of Lisbon to the edge of the River Tagus. 2022 is the 40th anniversary of the first, posthumous publication of The Book of Disquiet. The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa, trans. Richard Zenith (Penguin Modern Classics edition)https...
2022-10-201h 08On the Road with Penguin ClassicsThe Hearing Trumpet with Joanna MoorheadLeonora Carrington in the Ardèche. The journalist and biographer Joanna Moorhead joins Henry in the south of France to discuss her cousin, the surrealist artist and writer Leonora Carrington. They trace Carrington’s life story to Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche, where she lived with the artist Max Ernst, and discuss her spectacular feminist, eco-apocalypse novel The Hearing Trumpet. Penguin Modern Classics edition of The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carringtonhttps://www.penguin.co.uk/books/57481/the-hearing-trumpet-by-leonora-carrington-intro--ali-smith/9780141187990 Naxos audiobook of The Hearing Trumpet, read by Siân Phillipshttps://n...
2022-10-061h 14On the Road with Penguin ClassicsConfessions of an English Opium Eater with Will SelfThomas de Quincey & William S. Burroughs in Soho. The novelist Will Self joins Henry in London to explore the opium dreams and heroin nightmares of Thomas de Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium Eater and William S. Burrough’s Junky. They walk from Oxford Street to Covent Garden, and along the way they also discuss The Diary of a Drug Fiend by Aleister Crowley and Will’s own 2019 drugs memoir, Will. 2022 is the 200th anniversary of the book publication of Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Penguin Classics edition of Confessi...
2022-09-291h 15Behind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineThe Welcoming Library and AudioFile MagazineAudioFile’s Robin Whitten and host Jo Reed discuss a new initiative to help I’m Your Neighbor Books grow their signature project, The Welcoming Library. The Welcoming Library is a touring collection of 30 picture books that connects readers with stories of immigrant families. Robin and Jo discuss the need for incorporating authentically-voiced audiobooks into the collection, and how Playaway’s Wonderbook editions allow for seamless reading and listening experiences. AudioFile is proud to support this important community project, and we invite you to support it, too.Learn more about AudioFile’s collaboration with I’m Your Neighbor Books.Find more audio...
2022-04-2909 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineBRINGING UP BOOKMONSTERS by Amber Ankowski, Andy Ankowski, read by Khristine HvamKhristine Hvam brings energy to her narration of Amber and Andy Ankowski’s audiobook of tips and tricks for parents hoping to raise children with an appetite for reading. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the playful and practical advice that will resonate with young parents—and possibly grandparents. Hvam’s bright and encouraging performance makes the activities she describes sound accessible and entertaining.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comToday’s episode is sponsored by Naxos AudioBooks. Peter Wickham reads Quo Vadis by Hen...
2022-04-2806 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineCelebrating 1,000 Episodes of Behind the MicTune in as host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten celebrate 1,000 episodes of Behind the Mic! Listen to hear why we decided to create a podcast to recommend the best audiobooks to listeners. Jo and Robin also share thoughts and highlights from favorite author and narrator interviews from over the years.Find thousands of audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comToday’s episode is sponsored by Naxos AudioBooks. Listen to Leon Nixon’s AudioFile Earphones Award-winning performance of My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass. In My Bondage and My Freedom (1855) Douglass lays bare his story, illuminating the plight of slaves...
2022-04-2709 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineIMAGINE IF . . . by Ken Robinson, Kate Robinson, read by Kate RobinsonKate Robinson, daughter of the late Sir Ken Robinson, narrates this concise version of their strategy to revolutionize education. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Robinson’s vision to unlock creative energy and human potential. Kate speaks precisely in a standard English accent, but despite the academic nature of the topic, her admiration for her father and her confidence in their educational philosophy ring through. Father and daughter enthusiastically urge academia to cultivate individuality and adopt new educational paradigms designed to empower students to create a sustainable future.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s webs...
2022-04-2607 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineEMILE AND THE FIELD by Kevin Young, read by Kevin YoungIn a warm voice filled with wonder, poet Kevin Young reads his ode to finding peace and belonging in nature. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the special gift of sharing an audiobook with children. Kevin Young is a celebrated poet, the New Yorker’s poetry editor, and now director of the National Museum of African American Culture in Washington, DC. In this story, Emile is a young boy who falls in love with a field and chronicles its changing seasons as he spends time there. Young listeners should follow along with the picture book to appreciate the...
2022-04-2506 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineANIMAL FARM by George Orwell, read by Rupert DegasA gifted mimic and clever narrator, Rupert Degas brings Orwell’s classic satire vividly to life. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff discuss Degas’s marvelous narration. What stays with the listener is his ability to endow Orwell’s animal characters with their own distinct sounds and accents — their individuality elevates the narration. This witty and engaging send-up of authoritarianism’s perils comes at an opportune time. These days Orwell’s anti-Stalinist fable rings true, and the audiobook satisfies on every level.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Dreamscape.Find more audiobook reco...
2022-04-2205 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineTHANK YOU, MR. NIXON by Gish Jen, read by Justin Chien, Catherine Ho, Annie Q, Eunice WongA quartet of narrators excels in delivering Gish Jen’s linked stories, which chronicle the years since Nixon’s 1972 visit to China. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff discuss how each narrator inhabits their characters well, bringing the interwoven stories to life for listeners. Their deliveries of these immersive and clever works match just the right voices, cadences, and tones to their stories. It makes for a rewarding listening experience.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comToday’s episode is sponsored by Naxos Au...
2022-04-2106 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineSAVING YELLOWSTONE by Megan Kate Nelson, read by Cynthia FarrellCynthia Farrell’s crisp voice suits Megan Kate Nelson’s fascinating history of Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Farrell’s intelligent narration of this history of the Reconstruction era. It is told through three central figures: the financier Jay Cooke, the geologist Ferdinand Hayes, and the courageous Sitting Bull, who led his Lakota people in resisting the incursions on their lands. Farrell narrates with intelligence, a careful cadence, and an actor’s dramatic style.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.Find mor...
2022-04-2005 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineLESSONS FROM THE EDGE by Marie Yovanovitch, read by Marie YovanovitchFormer ambassador and long-term Foreign Service officer Marie Yovanovitch narrates with a clear purpose and a sure sense of pacing and timing. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff discuss Yovanovitch’s narration of her memoir on her 33 year career in the foreign service. He explains that it acts as a kind of primer for recent history, with a focus on Russia and Ukraine. Both authoritative and prescient, she supplies the backstory on how the invasion came to be. It’s a compelling listen.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.Find m...
2022-04-1905 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineTHE CANDY HOUSE by Jennifer Egan, read by a Full CastThe performance of Jennifer Egan’s new novel is exceptional. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff discuss this unusual and absorbing audiobook full of interwoven stories. Michael Boatman narrates the opening chapter, capturing the interior life of the enigmatic Bix Boughton who invents a world-altering technology central to the plot. The time-traveling chapters reprise some of the characters from Egan’s award-winning A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD, but this novel has a wider timeframe, a greater trajectory, and a more complex plot.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio...
2022-04-1806 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineLOVE & SAFFRON by Kim Fay, read by Kimberly Farr, Cassandra Campbell, Mark Bramhall, Maggi-Meg Reed, Kim Fay [Note]Narrators Kimberly Farr and Cassandra Campbell perform most of Kim Fay’s epistolary novel, and they couldn’t be better. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Sandi Henschel discuss this story filled with friendship, love, and deep emotions. Imogen’s column in Seattle’s NORTHWEST HOME & LIFE inspires Joan in L.A. to send a fan letter and a packet of saffron from her travels. Their correspondence grows into a close friendship. Farr gives Imogen a genial voice, and we hear a cheerful smile behind her words. Campbell captures Joan’s youth and enthusiasm. This audiobook is comfort food for difficult...
2022-04-1506 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineTHE LAST CONFESSIONS OF SYLVIA P. by Lee Kravetz, read by Maggi-Meg Reed, Karissa Vacker, Teri Clark LindenLee Kravetz’s fictional account of Sylvia Plath and her circle of confessional poets is wonderfully performed. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Sandi Henschel discuss a story of three notebooks containing handwritten notes of Plath’s THE BELL JAR. Points of view shift between Estee, curator of a contemporary auction house; Boston Rhodes, Slyvia’s literary rival; and Ruth Barnhouse, Plath’s psychiatrist. Reed’s cultured tones provide Estee with intelligence and dignity, while Linden’s voice drips poisonously as Rhodes reveals her venomous side. Vacker’s Dr. Barnhouse is forward-thinking, determined, and sympathetic. Well-written and well-read, this is choice listeni...
2022-04-1406 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineMISS PEARLY'S GIRLS by ReShonda Tate Billingsley, read by Patricia R. FloydNarrator Patricia R. Floyd’s honeyed voice offers exactly the right warmth for this family saga about siblings with secrets and the powerful woman who raised them. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Sandi Henschel discuss ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s novel of a family’s estrangement. Something more sinister than the usual family resentments are at play, and Mama Pearly’s sudden illness forces Maxine to contact her sisters to call them home. As deeply hidden secrets make their way to the surface, Floyd’s mellifluous voice and honest performance will captivate listeners. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFi...
2022-04-1305 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineTHE CARTOGRAPHERS by Peng Shepherd, read by Emily Woo Zeller, Nancy Wu, Karen Chilton, Ron Butler, Neil Hellegers, Jason Culp, Brittany PressleyA superb cast of narrators animates Peng Shepherd’s exciting tale of friendships and betrayals, a cartographer’s cabal, maps, murder, and towns that may not be there. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Sandi Henschel discuss this thrilling literary and cartographic mystery. Emily Woo Zeller narrates as the main character, Nell, a cartographer who discovers what appears to be a worthless map among her late father’s effects. However, the map hides secrets as well as a “phantom settlement” known only to The Cartographers. The additional cast members provide perceptive interpretations of other fascinating, believable characters. Read the full review of...
2022-04-1206 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineI WAS BETTER LAST NIGHT by Harvey Fierstein, read by Harvey FiersteinThis wonderful audiobook is a special treat for those who know and love actor, writer, and director Harvey Fierstein. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Sandi Henschel discuss his narration, his distinctive voice, and his singular perspective. Fierstein’s writing is frequently poetic, always awake and aware, smoothly blending with the coarser street speech of his childhood. His wit is without peer. Fierstein recounts his larger-than-life personal and artistic triumphs and failures, telling wildly funny anecdotes throughout. This is a must-listen.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.Find more audiobook reco...
2022-04-1106 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineHELLO, MOLLY! by Molly Shannon, Sean Wilsey, read by Molly ShannonWhen she was only four, actor and comedian Molly Shannon lost her mother and baby sister in a tragic auto accident that would change her life forever. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the powerful, natural narration Shannon brings to her memoir right from the start. Shannon describes her father’s unique approach to parenting, her career path in acting and comedy, and the creation of some of her most famous characters. Her wholehearted performance in this memoir will inspire listeners with her comedic talents and great success despite the devastating tragedy in her life.Read the full...
2022-04-0807 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineDO YOU FOLLOW? by J.C. Bidonde, read by Marnye YoungNarrator Marnye Young inhabits J.C. Bidone’s twisted thriller with flawless pacing and a compassionate tone. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this tense coming-of-age listen. Alexa leaves the claustrophobic care of her parents to take a job and move to New York City. But something’s wrong, and there’s an ominous feeling suggested by Young’s performance that deepens when Alexa is reunited with her estranged sister, Beth. Young adds palpable tension as the story reveals a dark incident linking the siblings.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Greenleaf...
2022-04-0706 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineENOUGH ALREADY by Valerie Bertinelli, read by Valerie BertinelliActor Valerie Bertinelli gives an affecting narration of her heartfelt memoir about love, family, grief, and food. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the impact of hearing Bertinelli sharing her story on audio. Bertinelli reveals her relationships to food, to her son, and to her late ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen. She is a delightful storyteller as she shares anecdotes about her television work and remembrances of cooking with her family. A rewarding listen. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Mariner Books.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comToday’s episode is spo...
2022-04-0607 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineHEARTBREAK by Florence Williams, read by Florence WilliamsJournalist Florence Williams intertwines journal entries, conversations with experts and friends, therapy sessions, and nature sounds to provide an honest and intriguing description of the phenomenon of heartbreak. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the many approaches Williams took to heal from the physical and psychological impacts of her marriage ending after 25 years. Williams explains with honesty and courage the wisdom that can be learned from love lost and loneliness.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Pushkin Industries.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for Behind the Mic comes from...
2022-04-0506 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineTHE GOLDEN COUPLE by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen, read by Marin Ireland, Karissa VackerNarrators Marin Ireland and Karissa Vacker dazzle as they deliver this twisted domestic thriller from literary duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb talk about the fantastic narrations that make the thriller even better on audio. Ireland expertly embodies Avery, a razor-sharp therapist who has lost her license for her unconventional methods. Vacker’s layered, emotionally driven portrayal of Marissa, the mysterious other half of the “Golden Couple,” keeps listeners on the edge of their seats.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.Find more audiobook...
2022-04-0406 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineIn conversation with Morris Gleitzman, author and narratorCelebrated Australian author and narrator Morris Gleitzman spoke with host Jo Reed for today’s bonus episode of Behind the Mic. The Australian Children’s Laureate from 2018-2019 is perhaps best known for his series of books that begins with ONCE, which concluded last year with the heartfelt ALWAYS. Listen to the conversation to gain insights into his moving, humorous, and hopeful books for young listeners, and on narrating his own audiobooks.Discover reviews of Morris’s audiobooks at AudioFile’s website.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comToday’s episode is sponsored by Naxos AudioBooks. April is National Poetry Month. Cel...
2022-04-0238 minBehind the Mic with AudioFile MagazineIT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AND I'M IN MY BATHING SUIT by Justin A. Reynolds, read by Nile BullockNile Bullock captures the goofy energy of Justin A. Reynolds’s hilarious middle-grade audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the charming Eddie, a 12-year-old who tells listeners all about his perfect plan to escape his chores this summer—and how it goes horribly wrong. Listeners will be laughing as he describes the horrors of laundry (and basements), the sadness of being left behind as everyone else goes to the big Beach Bash (or so he thinks), and the alarm he feels at the power going out (leaving him with nothing to wear but swim trunks). Eddie speaks...
2022-04-0107 min