This month, a host of A-list stars take to the recording studio, as well as some veteran narrators and authors reading their own work. To submit news, e-mail Adam Boretz at aboretz@publishersweekly.com.
No Foolin’: Macmillan Brings Crystal to Audio
Comedian Billy Crystal will read the audio edition of his memoir Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? for Macmillan Audio. The book, which marks the actor’s 65th birthday, offers up observations about aging and looks back at Crystal’s storied career.
Griffith in the Studio for Hachette
Hollywood heavyweight Melanie Griffith will read Anita Shreve’s The Pilot’s Wife for Hachette Audio. This release will be the first unabridged audio edition of the title.
Offerman Mans Up for Penguin
Penguin Audio has tapped mustachioed actor and woodworker Nick Offerman to read the audio edition of his first book, Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living, which offers the manly Parks & Recreation star’s tips for grilling meat, wooing women, and a whole lot more.
Lovett Heads to the Recording Booth for Simon & Schuster
Grammy Award–winning musician and actor Lyle Lovett will narrate The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp from Newbery Honor recipient Kathi Appelt—a book about Bingo and J’miah, raccoon brothers working to save the eponymous swamp—for Simon & Schuster Audio.
Tantor Pits Vance against Jack the Ripper
Thomas Emson’s Pariah will be narrated by audiobook superstar Simon Vance for Tantor Media. The novel follows Charlie Faultless, who returns to London after a 15-year absence to discover that legendary serial killer Jack the Ripper has returned to the city’s foggy streets as well.
Recorded Books Sticks with Porter
Davina Porter will narrate the eighth installment in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, for Recorded Books. When the project is complete, Audie Award–winner Porter will have read the entire series—about Claire Randall, a nurse living in the 20th century who travels back to 18th-century Scotland and on to Revolutionary-era North America.
Brilliance Pairs Morey and Steel
AudioFile Earphones Award–winner and Voice of the Year–recipient Arthur Morey will narrate Danielle Steel’s latest novel, First Sight—about a friendship that turns romantic, set in Paris, the city of love—for Brilliance Audio.
AudioGO and Monroe Head to Lowcountry
Bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe narrated The Summer Girls, the first book in her Lowcountry Summer Trilogy, for AudioGO. The audiobook—out now—is set in South Carolina and chronicles the lives of three half-sisters and a grandmother who longs to bring her family together again.
Naxos Picks Pickup for John Masefield Collection
The latest installment in Naxos’s Great Poets series will feature the work of John Masefield and will be narrated by actor Ronald Pickup. The Great Poets: John Masefield contains many of the poet’s most famous works—and Pickup will read a selection from the audiobook at this year’s Ledbury Poetry Festival, which takes place in the author’s city of birth in the U.K.
Foss to Read for Random House
Ben Foss, author of The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: A Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of Learning, will narrate the audio edition of his title for Random House Audio. A disability activist who has dyslexia himself, Foss is the inventor of the Intel Reader, a mobile device that can take photos of text and read it aloud. He used his own invention during the recording process.
HighBridge Taps Suarez for ‘Latino Americans’
PBS NewsHour senior correspondent Ray Suarez will read for the audio edition of his book Latino Americans, a companion to the three-part documentary series of the same name that will air on PBS this fall. Actor Benjamin Bratt will narrate the documentary.
