1,546 episodes
Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine AudioFile Magazine
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- Arts
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4.6 • 123 Ratings
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Find your next great audiobook on our podcast, Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine. Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile Editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. All in 6 minutes or less. It’s short, sweet, and just what your ears need. Want more? Listen to our bonus episodes featuring conversations with the best voices in the audiobook industry.
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JAMES by Percival Everett, read by Dominic Hoffman
Dominic Hoffman narrates this reimagining of ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, but this time Jim tells his own story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this inventive story. When Jim learns he’s going to be sold to someone downriver, he flees, leaving behind his wife and daughter. Hoffman’s performance captures the varying tone of Jim’s dialogue, highlighting the shifts in his vocabulary and rhythm. With its subtlety and attention to detail, Hoffman’s narration reinforces Jim’s character and narrative arcs as Jim takes back his agency in life.
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.
Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio
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THE RED GROVE by Tessa Fontaine, read by Erin Moon
Erin Moon performs this debut novel set in the 1990s against the backdrop of the California redwoods. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this story of the Red Grove, a safe haven for women seeking refuge from patriarchal violence. Luce lives in the Red Grove with her mother, Gloria, and her little brother, Roo. When Gloria disappears, Luce is determined to find her and accidentally uncovers the Red Grove’s secret history. Moon maintains the tension in her voice throughout the audiobook, adding to the suspense of this twisty novel.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Brilliance Audio.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio
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EXHIBIT by R.O. Kwon, read by Ami Park, Sue Jean Kim
Ami Park, with additional narration from Sue Jean Kim, performs this engrossing novel from one of America’s rising literary stars. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this story of a photographer trying to make it as an artist in San Francisco. When she meets ballet dancer Lidija Jung, her entire world changes forever. Park’s performance keeps listeners on edge as we wonder what will become of this all-consuming affair.
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.
Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio
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A PLACE IN TIME by Wendell Berry, read by Lyle Blaker
Lyle Blaker evokes the Appalachia of mid–twentieth century America in this short story collection by national treasure Wendell Berry. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss these stories centered around the residents of the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky. Blaker makes the snapshots of the characters’ experiences feel alive in a new way. The way he performs the dialogue creates a unique voice for each character, and his performance of the descriptions of the landscape causes readers to feel like they are right there in the story.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by ChristianAudio.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio
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BITE BY BITE by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, read by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s voice is warm and inviting as she performs her essay collection celebrating all things food. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this intriguing follow-up to WORLD OF WONDERS. In each work, the author, who is Filipina and Malayali Indian, centers her thoughts on one of her favorite foods, giving listeners glimpses of her life. Nezhukumatathil’s narration is filled with such joyful enthusiasm for each food. Lychee, mango, jackfruit, rice, vanilla, waffles—all hold a special place in her heart.
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.
Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio
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WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan [Trans.], read by Rosa Escoda
Rosa Escoda’s narration of this slice-of-life audiobook is cozy, like being wrapped in a blanket still warm from the dryer. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Hwang Bo-reum’s story, translated by Shanna Tan, of a woman and her bookshop. Frustrated by her indifferent marriage and burned-out by her competitive career, Yeongju leaves both behind to open a bookstore that becomes a refuge to those seeking peace and renewal. Escoda’s brisk pace and gentle tone carry listeners along as Yeongju reconciles her childhood dream of owning a bookshop with the business of attracting and keeping customers. Escoda subtly calibrates her performance to make this story’s dreamlike mood irresistible.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.
Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Customer Reviews
Fantastic!
Great way to find new books I might not read otherwise.
Make it part of your morning routine!
I’ve been listening to his show since it’s started. While I continue to enjoy it, I’m beginning to detect an air of elitism, particularly with the host. She will often dismiss non-professional narrators (often the authors themselves) as “annoying” or some variation of that. I think it’s important to embrace the human qualities of the diverse voices we hear before the publishers decide the only “perfect” performance is AI-generated.
Sound meter issues
Love the show, but the volume of the speakers is irratic. Not only do the different speakers seem to be set at different sound levels; the same speaker can fade from quiet to loud, as though the speaker is moving her head away from and toward the microphone. Given the title of the podcast, I find the sound production especially annoying.