Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine AudioFile Magazine

Shaun Taylor-Corbett seamlessly narrates the majority of this haunted novel with a masterful assist by Charley Flyte. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss a magical addition to Cynthia Leitich Smith’s young adult novels. Hughie Wolfe, an avid actor, is asked to volunteer at a Halloween haunted house near the crossroads of his small Kansas town. Hughie and a group of friends have begun to learn of odd happenings and intimidating ghostly presences at the crossroads, and they start investigating to find the truth. On Halloween the haunted house and the spirits of the past collide. Hughie’s thoughtful nature shines through in Taylor-Corbett’s narration, and Flyte’s ethereal voice shines at the story’s dramatic climax.
Be sure to listen to Jo Reed’s conversation with Cynthia Leitich Smith and Shaun Taylor-Corbett on our bonus edition of Behind the Mic.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self.
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Maya Saroya gives an expressive performance in Hafsah Faizal’s thrilling YA historical fantasy filled with vampires, action, romance, and tea. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this compelling story set in a richly built world packed with secrets—performed beautifully. Saroya portrays Arthie Casimir in a smooth, deadly tone that highlights her fierce determination to protect those she loves. Arthie’s an outsider in Etenia, but she’s created a safe haven in her tearoom, Spindrift, where her crew serves tea by day and blood to vampires under the cover of night. Saroya moves easily into the points of view of Jin, Arthie’s charming yet deadly brother, and Flick, a forger whose voice reveals her upper-crust background.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hanif Abdurraqib’s latest book is a transcendent feat of poetry, memoir, and—well, magic. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Abdurraqib’s mesmerizing narration and rich writing. His narration is as breathless and beautiful as his prose, and you can hear the love in his voice as he performs it. It’s an ode to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio; a love letter to basketball; a meditation on home and belonging; and an exploration of faith, Blackness, music, and place. He delivers every word as if it is a matter of life and death. A masterpiece from one of America’s most creative, generous, and rigorous living writers. Don’t miss it.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Whelan performs Emily Henry’s funny story, much like a Shakespearean comedy is a funny story, of a woman who falls in love with her ex-fiancé’s new girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the joy of getting to hear another excellent Emily Henry and Julia Whelan audiobook pairing. When Daphne’s fiance, Peter, realizes he’s in love with his formerly platonic best friend, Petra, just days before their wedding, Daphne’s world falls apart. Desperate for a place to live, she moves in with Petra’s also devastated ex, Miles. The two start a tentative friendship and Daphne finds that there is much to love in this small town—including Miles.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrators Natalie Beran and Jackson Bliss portray queer Russian-Maori siblings Greta and Valdin in this wise, hilarious novel about a loving and chaotic New Zealand family. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Rebecca K. Reilly’s novel, now released in the U.S. Beran depicts Greta, a 20-something PhD student in a perky, wry tone that is dripping with millennial angst. Bliss narrates Valdin’s sections with a mix of earnestness and detachment. A year after being dumped by his boyfriend, he’s just (maybe) starting to get his life back on track. The narrators’ varied New Zealand accents and ease with snappy dialogue make every moment of this joyful audiobook a pleasure.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss a celebrated YA novel that is featured in AudioFile’s new Audiobook Club. Narrator Jesse Nobess establishes a determined voice for high school sophomore Tre Brun. After losing his older brother who was a star on their high school basketball team, he finds his own passion for the game. Nobess captures Tre’s emotions as he pushes himself to reach his maximum potential on the court, where he feels pressure to succeed not only for himself, but also for his family and his Ojibwe community. Stay tuned for more information about AudioFile’s new audiobook club this summer. Listeners, especially sports enthusiasts, will cheer Tre on through the tumultuous and unforgettable basketball season.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices