Airtight
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David Rosenfelt, read by Jeff Steitzer. Listen & Live Audio, unabridged, six CDs, 7.25 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-1-59316-640-3
New Jersey cop Luke Somers, the first-person narrator of Rosenfelt’s new stand-alone, is thoroughly professional on the job, but hapless and a little goofy when it comes to personal matters. As Luke describes his workday, explaining that he’s been placed in charge of the investigation of the murder of a local judge, narrator Jeff Steitzer’s mellifluous voice registers slight sarcasm and cool efficiency. But as the novel progresses—with Luke fatally shooting the main suspect, an addled-but-armed drug addict named Steven Gallagher, and Luke incurring the wrath of Gallagher’s brother Chris, whose military experience has turned him into a one-man killing machine—Steitzer follows the author’s lead and ratchets up the intensity. Along the way, he provides appropriate voices for a relatively small cast of characters, the most notable being Chris Gallagher. It’s a dispassionate but chilling whisper that leaves no doubt that the man means business. A Minotaur hardcover. (Feb.)
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
Robin Sloan, read by Ari Fliakos. Macmillan Audio, unabridged, seven CDs, 7.75 hrs., $34.99 ISBN 978-1-4272-3374-5
Unable to find work as a digital marketer or Web designer, Clay Jannon lands a gig on the night shift at the eponymous bookstore, where customers shuffle in to borrow strange books—but not to buy anything. Suspicious, Clay and his friends begin to investigate, uncovering an international secret society communicating through codes hidden within the books. Ari Fliakos nails the young, tech-savvy, cynical Clay. However, Fliakos really shines when rendering the book’s supporting cast. His take on Mr. Penumbra is so different from his portrayal of Clay that listeners might think a different actor performed it. Such is the case with nearly every character in this audio edition, all of whom Fliakos provides with distinct inflections, tones, and rhythms. An FSG hardcover. (Feb.)
Vampires in the Lemon Grove
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Karen Russell, read by multiple narrators. Random House Audio, unabridged, library edition, eight CDs, 9.25 hours, $40 ISBN 978-0-449-01371-7
In this collection of stories from Russell (Swamplandia!), multiple threads are tied together by pervasive magical realism, with the author’s macabre imagination conjuring malevolent seagulls, karmic scarecrows, and melancholy vampires who sate their thirst by biting into succulent Italian lemons instead of human necks. Among the standouts in the audio edition is Joy Osmanski’s reading of “Reeling for the Empire,” in which young Japanese factory workers take quiet revenge on their employer, who has enslaved them as human silkworms. Osmanski’s soft voice and unhurried manner are perfectly suited to this story; she uses long pauses as she tells of the workers’ struggle to retain their humanity. Equally charming is Robbie Daymond’s narration of “The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis,” about adolescent bullies who come across an oddly familiar scarecrow. Daymond gives each of the four bullies—and their gentle victim—unique voices that are easy to differentiate. A Knopf hardcover. (Feb.)
Parlor Games
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Maryka Biaggio, read by Leslie Carroll. Random House Audio, unabridged, digital download, 13.5 hrs., $22.50 ISBN 978-0-449-80669-2
The year is 1917 and our hero (or antihero perhaps), May Dugas, explains how she came to be on trial for extortion in Menominee, Mich. Before her capture, life in Chicago was a wild ride: May wormed her way into the upper echelon of society, conning men out of their money with her good looks and killer instinct. Narrator Leslie Carroll gives a stellar reading, deftly assuming the role of May. Carroll’s narration is flawless, and her character interpretations are endlessly original yet subtle. Rather than deliver an over-the-top performance, Carol offers up a restrained yet entirely appropriate reading that will entertain listeners to the very end. A Doubleday hardcover. (Jan.)
The One and Only Ivan
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Katherine Applegate, read by Adam Grupper. HarperAudio, unabridged, three CDs, 3 hrs., $13.99 ISBN 978-0-06-228530-0
“Hello, I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It’s not as easy as it looks.” This is the introduction that readers receive to Ivan, who lives in confinement at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. But Ivan doesn’t mind living there. In fact, he doesn’t miss his previous life in the wild—until a young elephant named Ruby arrives and changes his outlook. Narrator Adam Grupper is gruff in his portrayal of Ivan, capturing the ape’s voice and unique perspective. Although there is no measurable shift in Grupper’s delivery to match the transformation of the book’s protagonist, his approach will delight young listeners. Ages 8–12. A HarperCollins hardcover. (Apr.)
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World
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Tracy Kidder, adapted for young people by Michael French, read by Lincoln Hoppe. Listening Library, unabridged, six CDs, 7.5 hrs., $35 ISBN 978-0-8041-2167-5
Pulitzer Prize winner Kidder delivers this remarkable account of the life and times of Paul Farmer—a doctor and Harvard professor—who has made it his life’s work to cure highly infectious diseases and help people in the poorest areas of the world. Narrator Lincoln Hoppe offers a steady reading that is slow and subdued. While the source material can be intense at times, Hoppe reads as if listeners won’t fully understand the gravity of the story. The result is a somewhat underwhelming performance of an inspiring tale. Ages 12–up. A Delacorte hardcover. (Apr.)
The Program
Suzanne Young, read by Joy Osmanski. Simon and Schuster Audio, unabridged, digital download, 11 hrs., $23.95 ISBN 978-1-4423-5793-8
In Young’s chilling Orwellian tale, planet Earth is hit with a suicide epidemic and the only way to prevent additional fatalities is something called “the Program”: a cure that eliminates depression, but also wipes clean the memories of those who are treated with it. Joy Osmanski’s narration in this audio edition has a cold, sterile feel that perfectly reflects the author’s prose. Her well-paced delivery will captivate listeners, and her portrayal of central character Sloane—a 17-year-old girl who is afraid to let her true feelings show for fear of ending up in the Program—is layered with raw emotion. Ages 14–up. A Simon Pulse hardcover. (Apr.)
Mom & Me & Mom
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Maya Angelou, read by the author. Random House Audio, unabridged, four CDs, 4 hrs., $30 ISBN 978-0-449-80822-1
Maya Angelou reads this brief but piercing memoir of her relationship with her mother, a woman who loved and hated with equal passion and taught her children to fear no one. As a narrator, Angelou turns in an intimate performance. The sonorous, deep voice she says she was teased about in her youth is in rich supply here, as is her sense of humor. At a few points throughout the audiobook, Angelou’s voice seems to crack with emotion, which adds to the story’s power and immediacy. Whether she is narrating her mother’s fierce protectiveness or her own gradual empowerment when she became a mother herself, Angelou never fails to captivate. A Random House hardcover. (Apr.)
Why Men Fake It: The Totally Unexpected Truth About Men and Sex
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Abraham Morgentaler, read by Stephen Hoye. Tantor Media, unabridged, eight CDs, 10 hrs., $39.99 ISBN 978-1-4526-1188-4
Medical doctor and Harvard professor Morgentaler uses real-life stories from his patients to take an insightful look at the state of male sexuality through the lenses of science, medicine, popular culture, and relationships, touching on a wide variety of topics, including premature ejaculation and the reasons men sometimes fake their orgasms. Narrator Stephen Hoye delivers a straightforward but subtle and entertaining performance. His narration is lively, his pacing steady, his enunciation clear. And Hoye relates the book’s complex, often scientific, subject matter with a personal but authoritative tone. The result is an intimate performance that is both forceful and informative—and one that will appeal to male and female listeners. A Henry Holt hardcover. (Apr.)
Pete Seeger: The Storm King: Stories, Narratives, Poems: Spoken Word Set to a World of Music
Pete Seeger, edited by Jeff Haynes, read by Pete Seeger. Hachette Audio, unabridged, one CD, 2.25 hrs., $19.98 ISBN 978-1-61969-830-7
Pete Seeger and percussionist/producer Haynes present one of the most original and inspired audiobooks of the last decade with this collection of stories, songs, music, and musings, straight from the mouth and mind of the legendary folk musician himself. Seeger’s words are blended with a variety of world music in what amounts to an unforgettable and groundbreaking listen. As a narrator, Seeger’s tone is raw, edgy, and, at times, visceral, as he recounts his life and times. Seeger captures listener attention from the very beginning and never lets go. A must-listen for fans. (Apr.)
