Deb enjoyed The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (the audiobook)

Jefferson Mays narration of Simon Mawer's family epic begins in pre-WWII Czechoslovakia. As the Landauer's build their dream house, political events unfold which threaten their home and their lives.  Mays' voice reflects the tension of people whose homeland is about to be torn apart, whose fears include impending pogroms, work camps and Nazi occupation.  The house, built as a "modern house adapted to the future rather than the past, to the openness of modern living" remains standing in stark contrast to unfolding world events.

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Deb suggests listening to Elizabeth and Hazel : Two Women of Little Rock by David Margolick

When Elizabeth Eckford tried to enter the newly desegregated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957 as part of the Little Rock Nine, she was unaware that photographers would capture her image along with Hazel Bryan, her white tormentor. The photos of the 15 year old girls would come to symbolize the highly charged Civil Rights struggle for school integration. Award-winning narrator Carrington MacDuffie's stellar performance combines perfect timing with her subtle southern softening of the language. Margolick chronicles the girls' tumultous lives into adulthood including their reunion and reconciliation many years later.

Sue Recommends The Litigators by John Grisham

Grisham returns to the world of tort cases (King of Torts, 2003) and street lawyers (The Street Lawyer, 1998) with his new legal thriller entitled The Litigators. He follows David Zinc, a Harvard Law School graduate, from the elite world of corporate law to the life of a lowly street lawyer. David thought anything had to be better than his job with a large high power law firm until he offers his services to the partners of Finley & Figg, who are basically ambulance chasers.

Figg decides that big money can be found by joining the assault on the much hated and maligned drug industry in a tort case regarding a drug name Krayoxx, a popular cholesterol-reducing drug. That's when David becomes a quick study on being a trial lawyer (when his new bosses begin to drop out of the picture) and decides what he wants to be when he grows up. The ending is a bit unbelievable but this is fiction, right?

The audiobook is read by Dennis Boutsikaris and his narration does not add much to the story. I enjoyed the story in spite of him. SH

Jim Dale narrates the Night Circus

Jim Dale, who narrates The Night Circus, is best known for his outstanding narration of the Harry Potter series, which made him a Guinness World Record holder for creating 146 voices. Dale has won a record 10 "Audie Awards", the 'Oscars' of the audiobook world, including 4 "Narrator of the Year Awards" and 13 "Earphones Awards". With such stellar credentials, you may enjoy listening to his reading of Erin Morgenstern's debut novel, a critically acclaimed magical circus tale of imagination, greed and intrigue set in early 20th century America and Europe.
If you enjoy audiobooks, who are your favorite narrators? We'd love to hear from you!

Listen to Learning to Die in Miami

Carlos Eire, the National Book Award winner of Waiting for Snow in Havana, continues his memoir of exile from Cuba and arduous assimilation into American society in 1960's Miami in Learning to Die in Miami. Eire is sent To Florida with his older brother, Tony and
14,000 other Cuban children as part of Operation Pedro Pan. His parents' plan to join him in his relocation away from Castro eventually fails when the Cuban missile crisis intercedes and closes Cuba's borders permanently. His life in foster homes is painfully but humorously detailed. The challenges he faces living as an 11 year old 'orphan' in a strange country trying to learn a new language may be familiar to all immigrants thrust into unknown worlds, desperately wishing to fit in and belong. With excellent narration by Robert Fass, Learning to Die in Miami may give you a peek into the immigrant experience of a child struggling to survive in a foreign culture. Do you have your own story of assimilation to share? We welcome your comments!

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Sue Recommends Sixth Man by David Balcacci

Baldacci pens a must read with his new suspense novel, Sixth Man. Although the characters, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, have appeared in four of his earlier thrillers, you may pick this up without reading the others. King and Maxwell have left the Secret Service behind and are embarking on a new career as private investigators. Even so, they cannot escape the political conspiracies that were a part of their former lives. I was delighted at the author's ability to keep me guessing on how the story would end. I thought the plotting in this story by Baldacci was extraordinary and this is my favorite King and Maxwell thriller yet.

The title mystified me and I was anxious to find out the connection with the story. It is not revealed until later in the novel.

At first the story appears to be about helping an old friend with the defense of a former IRS employee who has been accused of multiple murders, 6 to be precise. When the pair find their friend murdered, they become highly motivated to find out who is trying to prevent the accused, Edgar Roy, from being having a fair trial. Finding what Roy was actually doing for the government and national security will set them on a treacherous journey that may cost them their lives as well.

For those who prefer the audio version of the book, I did not enjoy Orlagh Cassidy's reading of the female characters but thought Ron McLarty did a good job. However, neither one showed a great passion for the story. See what you think, but don't let the readers keep you from enjoying this suspenseful read. Request it today!

She Walks in Beauty : A Woman's Journey Through Poems

Caroline Kennedy's collection of contemporary and classic poetry represent the passages in a woman's life. A personal tribute to the human experience, Kennedy is inspired by her own life as she offers poetry to express the joys and challenges of being a woman. Read by Jane Alexander, Hope Davis and others, She Walks in Beauty is a winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award, 2011.

Deb recommends listening to Restless by William Boyd

Rosamund Pike, who you may remember from the films Die Another Day, An Education and Pride and Prejudice, is a delight to the ears as she narrates William Boyd's ninth novel. An espionage thriller, Restless moves back and forth from the British countryside and romantic Edinburgh to prewar Paris.While the book spans pre World War II to the present day, Restless focuses on a mother/daughter relationship in which secret propaganda, spydom and hidden identities are shockingly revealed.

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Listen to Faithful Place

Tim Gerard Reynolds' narration of Faithful Place by Tana French is captivating. The subtleties of each character's voice are perfectly timed and cadenced. Frank Mackey, a Dublin undercover cop, comes home to his hard-scrabble neighborhood of violence, alcoholism and ignorance after a hiatus of 20+ years to deal with the deaths of both his former girlfriend and his brother. He gets sucked back into a life he desperately tried to put behind him. French's writing is brilliant and the dialogue is often searing and brutally funny. Try this audiobook and you won't want to put it down.

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Sue Recommends Secret Soldier by Alex Berenson

Berenson's newest John Wells novel, Secret Soldier, is published as the real time political unrest in the Middle East and Africa is taking place.

This fifth title in the series has John Wells working and utilizing his CIA skills as a freelancer for King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Abdullah suspects his brother is plotting against him to bring about his overthrow with the use of terrorists so he can take the throne in his stead. Wells, with the help of a partner and his former CIA contacts, moves undercover throughout the region , tapping his background as an Islamist and undercover Osama Bin Laden follower. His mission is to break apart the puzzle of the plot that involves kidnapping, torture, and gunfire to turn the entire Middle East against the King and the United States.

George Guidall is the narrator of the audiobook. He is a well regarded actor and has narrated books by Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Wally Lamb, Elie Wiesel, and John Connolly. The audio recording will keep you in suspense waiting for what will happen next.


SH

Mike wonders why you don't like Dylan

Bob Dylan in America by Sean Wilentz

I picked this one up because I'm a rabid Dylan fan, have appreciated Sean Wilentz's writings in the Bootleg Series books & on bobdylan.com, and had run out of audiobooks to listen to on my daily 2 1/2 hour commute to and from work. For casual listeners of Dylan, or of music in general, the book will probably frustrate you if it doesn't bore you. For those of us who would rather take five essential albums rather than books to a deserted island, this work will thrill you. Not only does the author make masterly demonstrations of how Dylan weaves an intricate tapestry with and within American music, but only Sean Wilentz has the ability to make you believe "Masked & Anonymous" wasn't only a decent movie, but one that demonstrates a key point in Dylan's canon. Most highly suggested as an audiobook, with its inclusion of snippets of tunes that demonstrates Wilentz's points.

Listen to an outstanding audiobook

Little Bee by Chris Cleave and narrated by Anne Flosnik is an astonishing novel about lives thrown into terrifying chaos in war-torm Nigeria and middle-class London. Cleave deals with the timely topic of immigration, the daily struggle to survive terror in much of the world, and the undeniable human right of access to clean water and food. Flosnik's narration is unparalleled as she navigates a variety of accents with incredible skill.

Who are your favorite narrators? Feel free to share your listening experiences with us by responding to our blog. We welcome your feedback!

We offer Little Bee in two audio formats : compact disc and MP3. You may also access the audio version from the Overdrive website on our homepage. Enjoy!

-DB