Disney Actor’s ‘Dragon’ Takes Wing
Actor David Henrie, known for his roles in Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place and such films as Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and Little Boy, narrates the children’s title Felicity the Dragon (Taylor Trade), the debut work of author-illustrator Ruthie Briggs-Greenberg. The story of a tiny, shy dragon who rescues a boy who falls into a castle moat hit retail outlets in audio in October, a month after the print edition was released.
Pike Takes on ‘Pride and Prejudice’
Rosamund Pike, nominated for an Academy Award for her turn as Amy Dunne in the 2014 film Gone Girl, was in the booth in October to record Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for Audible Studios, due for a December 8 release. Pike knows the material well; she played the role of Jane in the 2005 film adaptation of the classic book, which also starred Keira Knightly.
King Collection Lands Stellar Cast
Bestselling author Stephen King recently got behind the microphone to narrate introductions to the 20 stories—many brand-new to audio—on his latest collection, Bazaar of Bad Dreams (Simon & Schuster Audio, Nov. 3). Among the newly recorded tales are “The Little Green God of Agony,” read by Hope Davis (God of Carnage); “Batman and Robin Have an Altercation,” read by Santino Fontana (Frozen); “Premium Harmony” and “Summer Thunder,” read by Will Patton (Falling Skies); and “Bad Little Kid” and “Afterlife,” read by Dylan Baker (The Good Wife). Previously recorded fan favorites in the collection include “Morality,” read by actress Mare Winningham (Amber Waves), and “The Dune,” read by Edward Herrmann (Gilmore Girls). King expressed his enthusiasm for the recording in a statement: “This is the coolest audiobook ever, with a brilliant cast. I was amazed and delighted.” And he issued this bit of information about the stories to listeners: “I made them especially for you. Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.”
Lahiri Says “Ciao” to Audiobook
The Italian language has worked some magic on Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. After falling in love with the language, she was inspired to write a book—in Italian—about her experiences learning to master it. Lahiri became so skilled along the way that she will narrate her new dual-language title, In Other Words (Penguin Audio, February 2016), in both English and Italian. In the print version of the book, the original Italian text and the English translation appear side-by-side on opposing pages. For the audio recording, Lahiri narrates the English text in its entirety, followed by the complete Italian text.
High-Profile Voices Flock to Hachette
Hachette Audio’s New York City recording studio has been abuzz of late, with recording sessions featuring a full slate of notable narrators for November releases. Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Castle) was joined by Jefferson Mays (star of 2014’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, which won the Tony for Best Musical) for Cross Justice, the newest installment in James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, out November 23. Titus Welliver (Amazon Studio’s Bosch) was back as Det. Harry Bosch in The Crossing by Michael Connelly, a November 3 release. René Auberjonois (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Benson) also returned, continuing his long-standing gig as Pendergast in Preston and Child’s most recent thriller, Crimson Shore, hitting retail outlets November 10. And for her November 10 title, Timeless Beauty, a collection of tips for staying youthful and gorgeous, supermodel and actress Christie Brinkley (Parks & Rec) came in to record.
The legendary (and deceased) front man of the Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia was obviously not in Hachette’s studio this fall, but listeners of November 24’s title Jerry on Jerry may feel like he was. The collection of never-before-heard candid interviews was selected by Dennis McNally, former Grateful Dead publicist and the authorized biographer of the band. The audio package includes a PDF file of rare family photos and other ephemera, an introduction written and read by McNally, and a foreword written and read by Trixie Garcia, Garcia’s daughter.
