Audio

At the center of Shteyngart's rollicking tale of the ridiculousness of life in post-Soviet Central Asia is Misha Vainberg, an obese, extremely wealthy young Russian man stuck in Absurdistan, an imaginary republic that mirrors the striving but backward real "stans" of the world. Unable to get a visa back to the U.S., where he went to college and has an ex-girlfriend from the Bronx ghetto, Misha instead must fend for his life as a civil war erupts in the tiny country, to the concern of almost no one else in the world. Arte Johnson gamely tackles multiple accents, but the brilliant free-for-all of Shteyngart's wordplay, which tumbles out with delightful ease on the page, sometimes trips him up. The stumbles disrupt the engrossing tale of the failures, frustrations and hilarity that result from Absurdistan's ardent pursuit of a Western-style modernity for which it is ill-prepared. Listeners will still be swept up in Misha's neurotic, self-centered but endearing narration and pleasantly startled by his spot-on observations of 21st century life in both Central Asia and America, but they will wish this production did better justice to Shteyngart's facility with language and the novel's crazy antics. Simultaneous release with the Random House hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 13, 2006). (Jan.)

Breakpoint
Richard A. Clarke, read by Robertson Dean. Penguin Audio, unabridged, seven CDs, 8 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-0-14-305912-7

In a techno-thriller as timely as today's exploding Internet, counterterrorism expert Clarke and veteran actor Dean team up for an exciting and truly frightening audio experience. There are no artful metaphors or other writer's flourishes in this story—just a major download of insider info, which obviously comes from the author's impressive sources. Set in 2012, Breakpoint tells about a computer program called Living Software, designed to surge across the Internet, invent new software and clean up past mistakes on its own, without any human help. There's also a group called the Transhumanist Movement, where children with extraordinary new chromosomes are being grown. But somebody (the Russians? A business rival of the Movement's sponsor?) is blowing up Internet connections, destroying labs and killing scientists in an apparent attempt to derail the project. Dean guides listeners calmly and logically through this murky tangle, finally reaching an ending that will surprise and enlighten as well as scare their socks off. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 9). (Jan.)

The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud
Julia Navarro, read by James Langton. Random House Audio, abridged, five CDs, 6 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-0-7393-4232-9

The Da Vinci Code, in all its many incarnations, has a lot to answer for. This latest entry in the religious suspense sweepstakes is by a bestselling Spanish novelist, who stirs up the pot by mixing fact and fiction to tell what happened to the legendary Shroud of Turin, supposedly Jesus' burial garment. Several centuries of sturm und drang—including perhaps one severed tongue too many—whiz by, lightened only by the odd liturgical chant, as reader Langton uses his best Masterpiece Theater British accent to hit the high points. Of course there's a modern detective who develops some new leads. But unless you positively can't live without your daily dose of anti-Vatican paranoia, this is probably one to skip. Simultaneous release with the Bantam hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 30). (Jan.)

Dust: A Richard Jury Mystery
Martha Grimes, read by John Lee. Penguin Audio, unabridged, eight CDs, 10 hrs., $39.95 ISBN 978-0-14-305903-5

The rarely ruffled urbanity of Richard Jury is given an oral enhancement by reader Lee, whose plummy narration turns a bit more appropriately droll when it comes to delineating the New Scotland Yard superintendent's amateur partner in crime fighting, snooty, aristocratic novelist Melrose Plant. Both gentlemen detectives are involved in a complex but surprisingly obvious mystery surrounding the murder of a young man in a hotel room. Lee handles a gallery of contemporary British characters in addition to the leads, including Jury's lady friend, cool and collected Yard pathologist Dr. Phyllis Nancy; the working class and mildly abrasive detective assigned to the case, Ron Chilton; and an eager 13-year-old Jury protégé. They and the novel's grand dames, flirts, crusty old codgers, smarmy young hoteliers and feisty housekeepers fit easily into Lee's repertoire. So does sultry DI Lu Agular, who, Grimes writes, is beautiful enough to suck "all the oxygen out of the room." Happily, Lee has more than enough to breathe needed warmth, humor and suspense into a tale that holds off its sole riveting surprise—and a good one it is—until the very end. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 27). (Jan.)

It's Superman!
Tom DeHaven, read by Scott Brick. Blackstone Audio, unabridged, 14 CDs, 16.5 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-0-7861-6547-6

Scott Brick gives a super performance in his reading of this revisionist telling of the Superman legend. Set in the 1930s, De Haven's Superman is not the stalwart do-gooder of the comics. He's just a simple, decent guy, with all the faults and doubts of any young man coming of age during the Great Depression. It just so happens he can leap buildings in a single bound, bend steel with his bare hands..., etc. His journey from Smallville to Hollywood then New York City, where he meets Lois Lane, and his arch nemesis Lex Luthor makes for a rich, multilayered novel. From Brick's enthusiastic reading of the book's title, which is reminiscent of the old Saturday morning serials, it is clear that he fully embraces this material. Brick smoothly handles the novel's descriptive passages, loaded with historical and pop culture references to create an authentic sense of time and place. His characterizations are spot on, whether it's the arrogant smugness of Luthor, the shy, polite stammering of farm boy Kent or the plucky assertiveness of Lois Lane, Brick shines throughout. This is an audiobook not to be missed. Ballantine paperback (Reviews, Sept. 26, 2005). (Jan.)

Next
Michael Crichton, read by Dylan Baker. Harper Audio, unabridged, 11 CDs, 12 hrs., $49.95 ISBN 978-0-06-087309-7

Do you own your body's cells? If a doctor develops a cure for a disease using your cells in the process, are you entitled to a share of the profits? These are some of the questions Crichton explores in his latest science-as-boogeyman polemic. Baker does all he can to give life to the characters, but they are little more than tools to convey the plot, so the author leaves him little to work with. Baker subtly shifts the tone of his voice to distinguish between characters and deftly alters the cadence of his speech to keep the narrative flowing. Despite his best efforts, though, Baker cannot turn the nonfiction interludes between chapters into anything remotely interesting. As if these weren't distracting enough, the multiple subplots make it quite difficult to keep track of what's going on, or how one plot line relates to another. Reading a book that goes in this many directions would be difficult enough, but on audio it's almost impossible to follow. Baker's performance is excellent all around, but listeners hoping Crichton would return to Jurassic Park form will be left wanting. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover (reviewed online). (Jan.)

Off Armageddon Reef
David Weber, read by Oliver Wyman. Audio Renaissance, unabridged, 25 CDs, 30 hrs., $59.95 ISBN 978-1-427-20065-5

Weber's latest opus is a complex tale of action and intrigue set early in the 25th century, hundreds of years after the near total annihilation of humanity by the Gbaba, an alien race hell-bent on eradicating humans from the universe. After decades of war and facing certain defeat, the last remnants of the human race escape and settle on a distant planet, appropriately named Safehold. To ensure they remain undetected by their enemies, the leaders of the survivors ban technology, and genetically adjust the populace to remain in a perpetual pre-industrial state. However, 800 years later, an android of the old world awakens, charged with the task of guiding humanity back onto the path of science, technology and, eventually, the stars. Wyman rises nicely to the near Herculean challenge of performing this 30-hour epic. His clear, expressive reading never falters while he skillfully navigates his way through a labyrinth of plot twists and multiple characters. Whether describing high-tech space battles or the covert activities of courtiers and spies, Wyman brings Weber's intricate world of Safehold to life. Simultaneous release with the Tor hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 27). (Jan.)

Plum Lovin'
Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King. Audio Renaissance, unabridged, three CDs, 3.5 hrs., $19.95 ISBN 978-1-427-20053-2

Evanovich turns out novels faster than her bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, downs doughnuts, and that's pretty quick. Though Plum is at the center of this novella, the elusive quarry is love, not for herself but for the lonely hearts she must fix up by Valentine's Day. Her sidekick for this adventure is Diesel, who appeared briefly in previous "Between-the-Numbers" novellas. Lorelei King, who has brought out the best in this series, plays Diesel with aplomb. He sounds more like the tranny Sally on testosterone than like Morelli and Ranger, the curiously absent macho men in Stephanie's life. Other reappearing characters, like Lula and Plum's family, make cameo appearances, leaving room for some newbies, including a lovelorn vet, who sounds a bit too dumb to have ever gotten though school. King does better with an overcaffeinated butcher, who comes to life only on the topic of sirloin. King has fun with his stuttering attempts to make conversation in front of Jet, whom he adores from across the street. Evanovich fans will find this audio funny and festive, down to the plum-colored CDs. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 18). (Jan.)

Red River
Lalita Tademy, read by Tim Cain with Gammy Singer. Hachette Audio, abridged, five CDs, 6 hrs., $29.98 ISBN 978-1-59483-546-9

Blending historical fact and fictional narrative, Tademy portrays an endearing generational family saga of her ancestors as they embraced the potential freedoms afforded by Reconstruction and struggled through the backlash of white supremacy in Colfax, La. Despite losing their rights, property and lives, the Tademy family perseveres, carrying a legacy of strength, determination and prosperity to each new generation. Gammy Singer introduces listeners to the story in the brittle yet wise and aged voice of the oldest surviving matriarch, Polly, who witnessed four generations of Tademys from 1873 to 1937. Tim Cain provides the crux of the performance embodying the dynamic members of this family and delivering the narrative in a solemn and deep tone that grips its audience. He remains consistent and distinct with his vocal characterizations while also allowing for some similarity among family members. Inspiring musical interludes announce the end of a CD or the transition of time within the story. Though the abridgment feels evident, listeners don't necessarily feel shortchanged by the production. The author's note read by Tademy at the end also resolves certain questions listeners might have about the story's validity. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 18). (Jan.)

The Saffron Kitchen
Yasmin Crowther, read by Ariana Fraval and Mehr Mansuri. Penguin Audio, unabridged, seven CDs, 8.5 hrs., $34.95 ISBN 978-0-14-314182-2

Crowther's debut novel paints a vivid double portrait of a spirited mother-daughter pair, first- and second-generation immigrants to England from Iran whose relationship grows turbulent when shadows from the mother's past begin to overwhelm her. This beautifully produced reading starts with the bright voice of Ariana Fraval as Sara, the daughter, but it is soon overtaken by the darker, melodically accented tones of Mehr Mansuri as Maryam, Sara's mother. Maryam returns to the tiny village where she grew up to come to terms with her past, especially with the ghost of her father and with her first love, Ali, who has been waiting for her return. As Maryam journeys through Iran and back into her memories, and then induces Sara to come too, Mansuri's voice takes on myriad emotional shades, from wonder and delight to sharp regret and painful uncertainty. Intervals of Persian-inflected music helps set an exotic yet contemplative mood. Fraval and Mansuri's authentic pronunciation of the occasional foreign words allows listeners to be swept up by Crowther's lovely, haunting story even more easily than when reading it for themselves. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover. (Reviews, Oct. 2). (Jan.)

Sliver of Truth
Lisa Unger, read by Jenna Lamia. Random House Audio, abridged, five CDs, 6 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-0-739-34183-4

Ridley Jones thought her faux uncle Max (who was actually her father) was long dead. But apparently, no one else did; not the FBI, the Armenian mob, the woman who identified Max's corpse, or Jones's boyfriend, Jake. Each want Max for different reasons, and Jones becomes the tool with which they hope to bring him out into the open. In an effort to figure everything out, Jones recruits contacts, but it seems every time she does, they end up dead. Unger's second novel featuring Jones packs a lot of action, humor and drama. Jenna Lamia improves these elements in this first-person novel with a light, smooth voice that fits with Jones personality. Within the first hour, Lamia's soft tone reverberates with attitude or sincerity depending on the context, while her ability to inject personality into the narrative aspects of the story makes it all the more enjoyable. She tackles accents, gender differentials and sarcasm with great ease, leaving listeners to lose themselves in Unger's tale of intrigue. Simultaneous release with the Crown hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 23). (Jan.)

Skylight Confessions
Alice Hoffman, read by Mare Winningham. Hachette Audio, unabridged, six CDs, 7.5 hrs., $29.98 ISBN 978-1-59483-613-8

Winningham's narration is just right. Her pronunciation is clear but not exaggerated, and nicely combined with the rhythmic, conversational speed of a good storyteller. She has a rich voice with a good vocal range. This book is another of the wildly popular "ghost" romances that come under the rubric "woman's fiction," and another of Hoffman's dark fairy tales. Orphaned at 17, Arlie determines to love and marry the first man who comes down the street. This is John Moody, a "distant, quiet man" who ignores her and her children throughout their marriage, but is plagued by her ghost after her early death. Arlie's ghost is visible only to Moody and to the narrator, Meredith, who follows the ghost home to the glass house where Arlie lived out her miserable marriage and died. The book is loaded with telltale names and laborious symbols—ashes, dishes, stones, bones, birds, glass and all things red or white—but the characters are as human as fairy tale permits, and Hoffman's prose is lively and absorbing. This book will be a favorite of women's fiction and Hoffman fans. Simultaneous release with the Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 6). (Jan.)

Traveler
Ron McLarty, read by the author. Penguin Audio, unabridged, seven CDs, 8 hrs., $39.95 ISBN 978-0-14-305848-9

When Jono Riley receives a letter that a childhood friend, Marie, has died, the 50-something third-rate actor and bartender leaves New York to visit his hometown of Providence, R.I. His search for answers surrounding her death leads Riley on a long and winding trip through old memories to discover the person responsible. Narrator-turned-author McLarty delivers a sophomore novel that is more than just a simple mystery. The suspense doesn't drive the story but rather Riley's recounting of his adolescent years from the death of his father to his return from Vietnam. These nostalgic flashbacks of street life in Providence in the 1960s capture certain universal aspects that all listeners can appreciate. McLarty voices this first-person story with all the adeptness one would expect from an experienced narrator and author. His vocal characterizations provide added presence to many of his colorful characters and he delivers exposition with great attention to detail. He shines best with emotional displays from Jono and the other characters. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 9). (Jan.)

Inés of My Soul
Isabel Allende, read by Blair Brown. Harper Audio, unabridged, 10 CDs, 12 hrs., $39.95 ISBN 978-0-06-118545-8

Brown has created something of a cottage industry in performing Isabel Allende's novels. And it's no wonder that she's chosen for these meaty roles: the Emmy-winning actress brings a pitch-perfect sensibility to Allende's lyrical prose and wild, almost charmed, settings. In this case, Allende turns from magical realism to historical reality in embroidering the story of Inés Suarez (1507–1580), the spirited conquistadora who helped found the nation of Chile. Brown not only captures Inés's fortitude and determination but also her humor. She keeps the pacing relatively quick despite the novel's length and does justice to the impressive array of characters, although some of the soldiers' voices are less distinctive than those of the comparatively few female characters. Brown's intonation, with its softened consonants and beautiful, rounded accent, can transport listeners to a different time and place, and her pronunciation of Spanish words is dead-on. Each disc sets the mood with the music of—what else?—Spanish guitar. This audiobook is a meaty empanada filled with delights. Simultaneous release with the HarperCollins hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 21). (Dec.)

Sellevision
Augusten Burroughs, read by Robin Miles. Audio Renaissance, unabridged, six CDs, 7 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 1-59397-852-9

This gleeful satire of America's 24-hour, shop-till-you-drop culture lacks the depth and razor-sharp wit of Burrough's more established works (Running with Scissors, Magical Thinking, etc.), but the audio's colorful characters, brought skillfully to life by Miles, ensure that it's an entertaining ride. Initially, the choice of a female narrator surprises—since the story opens with Sellevision host Max Andrews getting booted from his position after accidentally exposing his penis during a "Toys for Tots" shopping segment. But as the audio meanders through the lives of hosts Peggy Jean Smythe, Trish Mission, Leigh Bushmore and Bebe Friedman, it becomes clear that Miles is well suited to the task. She adopts an appropriately prissy tone for the devout Peggy Jean while at the same time playing up the sleaziness of Peggy's husband, who's on a mission to seduce the nubile teen next door. Miles also does a fine job capturing Bebe's New York twang, mile-a-minute chatter and spontaneous laughter. Although Burroughs's characters often seem as disposable as the RemoteControLotion and Moisture-Whik Panties sold on Sellevision, this audio, like a good soap opera, still manages to hook listeners. A Picador paperback (Reviews, July 31, 2000). (Dec.)

Tulia: Race, Cocaine and Corruption in a Small Texas Town
Nate Blakeslee, read by James Boles. Audio Evolution/Gildan Media, unabridged, 12 CDs, 13 hrs., $49.98 ISBN 978-1-59659-095-3

Winner of the 2005 J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize for excellence in nonfiction and a finalist for the PEN/Martha Albrand Award, this 2007 audiobook recounts a racially charged undercover narcotics investigation in the small Texas panhandle town of Tulia. The fallout holds far-reaching implications for strategy and tactics in America's war against illegal drugs. Boles gives the proceedings a down-home flavor in his vocal renderings of Tulia locals without descending into a mocking or patronizing caricature of rural life. Boles's unflinching performance of the trial deliberations—especially the heated exchanges between the defense lawyers and rogue police officer Tom Coleman—creates a palpable air of courtroom drama. The sheer magnitude of the characters—including the three dozen defendants, scores of attorneys, law enforcement officials and community leaders—may at times leave listeners somewhat confounded. Yet the essential threads of the narrative weave a compelling account of the epic struggle for justice and fairness in the day-to-day trenches of an imperfect judicial system. Now a Public Affairs paperback (Reviews, Aug. 8, 2005). (June)

About Alice
Calvin Trillin, read by the author. Random Audio, unabridged, one CD, 75 mins., $19.95 ISBN 978-0-7393-4216-9

Trillin's narration of his loving reminiscences of his late wife Alice might best be described as an "unobtrusive" narration: he steps back and lets the words speak for themselves. Unlike many other autobiographical narrators, he does not try to create the illusion of spontaneity or intimacy, as though speaking directly to the listener. He reads clearly and with expression, but it is always obvious that he is reading from a printed text. As a result, this audio offers the same experience as reading the printed version: the listener is deeply moved by the words and gets a vivid picture of this complex and admirable woman, but the narration itself does not add additional emotional nuance or insight beyond what is in the words themselves. But the words are so powerful that Trillin's love and admiration for Alice still shine through. Simultaneous release with the Random House hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 30). (Jan.)

The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia
Guy Lawson and William Oldham, read by Dick Hill. Tantor Audio, unabridged, 20 CDs, 25.5 hrs., $49.95 ISBN 978-1-4001-0352-2

Hearing award-winning audio veteran Hill deadpan his way through a no-nonsense New York street accent through the cast of characters (Charlie "Flounderhead" Visconti is one of them), you might think you're listening to a Woody Allen routine or a Sopranos takeoff. But this is serious stuff—a solid and exciting audio version of journalist Lawson's and top anticrime detective Oldham's book on the headline-making trial of Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two retired cops who were convicted of assisting the Mafia during their long careers with the NYPD. They were charged with providing information to mobsters and even killing for cash. The trial became even more sensational when an honest judge threw the case out of court because the evidence hadn't been collected correctly. Fiction writers couldn't make this stuff believable, but Lawson and Oldham pull it off in style. Simultaneous release with the Scribner hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 27). (Jan.)

Catching the Big Fish
David Lynch, read by the author. Penguin Audio, unabridged, two CDs, 2.5 hrs., $19.95 ISBN 978-0-14-314207-2

Lynch blends biography, filmography, spiritual quotes and his philosophical perspective on the life-changing capabilities of transcendental meditation, all within two and a half hours. Having practiced meditation for three decades, director Lynch discusses how it has influenced his life and helped him to concentrate his energy. Listeners may catch glimpses of creativity and consciousness, but Lynch's rants lack cohesion and substance. Within the audiobook's short chapters, Lynch barely broaches a topic before moving onto the next, leaving listeners to question his emphasis to go "deep." The most interesting aspects arise out of his anecdotes and comments about his films, like Eraserhead and Blue Velvet. His dry rattling voice hints at the passion behind his statements, but more often comes across as insistent and almost whiny. He reminds listeners that authors do not always make the best voices for their books. However, on the sound production end, the lightly blowing wind for the quotes from the Upanishads and Sutras adds mystical air to their reading. It's unfortunate that neither his words nor his voice live up to that standard. Simultaneous release with the Penguin/Tarcher hardcover (Jan.)

First into Nagasaki
George Weller, read by Stefan Rudnicki. Blackstone Audio, unabridged, 10 CDs, 11.5 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-0-7861-6581-0

Rudnicki reads Weller's reports of life in the ravaged city of Nagasaki in the final moments of World War II with a quiet authority—one perfectly suitable for the veteran journalist's forceful, never-before-published testimony of the atomic bomb and its terrible destruction. Traveling through a defeated, battered Japan, Weller's dispatches—originally censored by Gen. Douglas MacArthur—reveal the results of a war of ceaseless brutality and its seemingly inevitable atomic finale. Weller meets ordinary Japanese brutalized by the war and explores a country only just emerging from its worst moments. Rudnicki carefully assesses each of Weller's words (collected by his son), preserving their gravity and their well-measured, colorful authority. His reading gives a punch and immediacy to Weller's solidly constructed first-person reports on the horrors of war. The result forcefully documents a superb war correspondent's eyewitness testimony. Simultaneous release with the Crown hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 9). (Jan.)

The Ghost Map
Steven Johnson, read by Alan Sklar. Tantor Audio, unabridged, seven CDs, 8.5 hrs., $34.95 ISBN 978-1-4001-0298-3

The idiosyncratic thinker and cultural historian Johnson leaps from trumpeting video games (in his previous book Everything Bad Is Good for You) to uncovering the history of murderous cholera infestations in London and the scientific research that revealed the microbial origins of the outbreaks. Sklar reads Johnson's engaging book with a deep, measured baritone that is the embodiment of solidly backed reasonability. Sklar makes each word sound as if it has been chipped into a block of marble, there to rest for all eternity. This is not always conducive to following the flow of Johnson's narrative, but Sklar does well with his voice what Johnson seeks to do with his book: insert a slip into the history book, adding the mundane deaths of working souls and the audacious efforts of scientists into the story of the European march of progress. Simultaneous release with the Riverhead hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 21). (Jan.)

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid
Jimmy Carter, read by the author. S&S Audio, unabridged, five CDs, 5 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-0-7435-5593-7

It's hard to use standard criteria to assess this book. Former President Carter is not a very good reader; his tone is flat, and his pronunciation sometimes difficult. Nor is he a literary stylist; there is neither music nor imagery in his down-to-earth sentences. But Carter feels strongly that what he has to say is absent from public discourse and policy decisions, and he knows that his status and voice provide authority to what might otherwise be rejected out of hand as anti-Israeli propaganda. He explains that Israel has never complied with U.N. Resolution 242 and others; has never lived up to its agreements made over the years in Washington, Oslo and elsewhere; continues to grab land through settlements and placement of a wall well within Palestinian territory; and still imprisons thousands of Palestinian men, women and children. While pointing out many murderous and counterproductive moves of Arafat and various Palestinian groups, he pointedly lays the blame for the current situation at the door of the Israelis and their Washington backers, with special venom for Bush and Rice, who have been mute on the subject for six years—even during the invasion of Lebanon. Many will dispute his facts and counter his views, but Carter maintains that if we really want to understand and promote change in this region, we must know both sides of the story. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 27). (Jan.)