Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine

Natasha Trethewey’s Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of poems is staged by The Alliance Theatre of Atlanta. Two narrators, January Lavoy and Thomas Neal Antwon Ghant, bring deep understanding of the poems to create engaging listening.

Known for his leadership in the anti-slavery movement, Douglass emerges as a “Prophet of Freedom” in historian David Blight’s celebrated biography. Narrator Prentice Onayemi involves and engages listeners throughout the audiobook.

Sy Montgomery believes that animals have a lot to teach humans about humor, empathy, forgiveness, despair, and gratitude. Listen as the naturalist narrates her memoir in 13 animals that have helped shape her understanding of the world.

Get swept up in Trigiani’s tale of love, sacrifice, ambition, and independence in the Big Band era. Edoardo Ballerini is the perfect narrator for the author’s lively story of Chi Chi and Tony as they try to make it big in the music scene.

Settle in for this heartwarming follow-up to THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV. Lucille, Iris, Monica, and Abigail live in small-town Missouri, and each searches for love, validation, and new beginnings. Elizabeth Berg narrates with a hopeful tone.

Looking to make big changes in the new year? Author and podcaster Gregg Clunis has all the best advice for those looking to change their lives. Listeners will enjoy hearing his origin story and will discover practical ideas that resonate.

Pendergast has a new boss and a new younger partner at the FBI, and longtime narrator Rene Auberjonois has the perfect acerbic delivery. You know it’ll be a wild ride when an audiobook starts with a Pekingese running off with a human heart.

Business thinker Seth Godin continues to illuminate the marketing principles he has written about in POKE THE BOX, PERMISSION MARKETING, and other audiobooks. Godin brings his signature blend of insight, observation, and memorable examples.

A group of nine Australians arrives at a health spa called Tranquillum House, all looking to change their lives in some way. Moriarity, author of BIG LITTLE LIES, builds a diverse cast whose retreat takes some surprising turns.

Ted Simon took a motorbike trip around the world and wrote about it in JUPITER’S TRAVELS. He became famous for this epic ride; his return trip three decades later is a tribute to his pluck and tenacity. Adventures abound.

Polish author Olga Tokarczuk’s 2018 National Book Award Finalist and Booker International Prize winner explores concepts of travel in physical and metaphysical form. A smooth performance by a skilled narrator is a must.

Neil Gaiman brings inspiration, encouragement, and a rallying cry for free expression in four pieces: “Make Good Art,” “Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading, and Daydreaming,” “Credo,” and “Making A Chair.”

The craft of wax sculpture took Madam Tussaud, the petite Marie nicknamed “Little,” from the luxury of the French Court to the violence of the French Revolution. Narrator Jayne Entwistle is an excellent guide to a fantastical life.

Spend a few hours with actor Michael Caine as he tells the story of his professional life. In his recognizable English accent, he offers humorous, candid opinions on his career, including his films, plays, and costars.

Armand Gamache is named an executor of a stranger’s will along with two other residents of Three Pines. Narrator Robert Bathurst brings a world-weary quality to Gamache while still capturing the character’s steady, compassionate nature.