Audio Reviews

With a five-minute recap of Part 1, this audiobook forges ahead with the three dominant story lines of the series. Renee Montoya desperately attempts to save her dying friend, Vic, while Black Adam wrestles with his inner demons as he tries to become the hero his new wife wants him to be. Booster Gold has returned from the dead with full knowledge of the impending threat to Earth. While story lines previously jumped around from track to track, now much longer periods are devoted to particular story lines (Booster Gold's disappears for a large chunk of the story). This audio production has a great formula mix of sound effects, music and character voices. The sound effects and music are top-notch and smoothly integrated. Actors' voices genuinely reflect the characters, and Richard Rohan's deep and animated voice drives the narrative and works phenomenally for action adventures. An Ace paperback. (Mar.)

Neville Jason's approach, he says, is to be “humble to the material” he is working with and to let the “powers of absorption work.” It is apt that in this classic retelling of the King Arthur legend, the wizard Merlin often teaches the boy Arthur (aka Wart) by changing him into other creatures—a fish, a bird—to learn by absorption, by being, with empathy being the least of the lessons taught. It is a perfect fit of sensibilities. Jason, who was awarded the Diction Prize by Sir John Gielgud at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, delivers fully developed characters with such warmth and spark that listeners are instantly transported to Sir Ector's castle. Originally written in 1938, this audiobook is perfect for any J.K. Rowling fan, as its humor, intellect and playfulness feels as contemporary as a Harry Potter novel. In fact, Rowling has described White's Wart as “Harry's spiritual ancestor.” Combined with the brilliant performance by Jason, what more could a fantasy fan want? (Mar.)

Dion Graham brings Woodward's unorthodox tale to life in this inspired reading so realistic and enjoyable it makes listeners feel as if they're eavesdropping on the Toaks family of Johnsonville, Fla. Graham masters Southern dialect with a profound narrative tone and offers slight variations with each character, creating a variety of believable and original personalities. Each disc opens with a brief, banjo riff that helps create an atmosphere rife with conflict and emotion. Graham is brilliant: a stunning performance so simple yet incredibly detailed. Simultaneous release with the Free Press hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 19, 2007). (Feb.)

Ex-California rich girl Madeline Dare returns for a second mystery (after Field of Darkness), set in 1989 at a school for disturbed adolescents in the Berkshires, where the strictures and therapy requirements for the staff are only slightly less stringent than those for the students. After a pair of teenage lovers are poisoned, new teacher Madeline uncovers several dark (and fairly unsurprising) secrets about the school as she searches for the killer. The mystery's murderer and motives soon become obvious, as do the red herrings. It's the unflinching drama and sharply drawn characters that make this book, and both are ably realized by Hilary Huber, who is adept at both male and female voices and a variety of accents. She perfectly evokes Madeline with a mix of tart cynicism and warm compassion. Aside from the vaguely irritating musical strings inserted between chapters, this is fine and involving to listen to. Simultaneous release with the Grand Central hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 15, 2007). (Feb.)

In the preface, Lefcourt explains why he considered—but decided against—altering some of the dated pop culture and industry trappings of his 1991 Hollywood satire. This candor provides some valuable context for contemporary listeners as they are transported back to a world where mobile phones were a novel accessory in select luxury automobiles, and e-mail wasn't ubiquitous. Macy (who co-stars with Meg Ryan in the upcoming film adaptation) certainly does justice to the characters. He gives pitch-perfect voice to Charlie Berns, a down-on-his luck producer, whose rise from the ashes would qualify as inspirational were it not for the absurdity of his tactics. Macy also delivers especially memorable turns portraying Lefcourt's lovable eccentrics, including a hard-drinking, reclusive script doctor and Charlie's studio-assigned secretary who speaks with maddening pauses in between her words. A Washington Square Press paperback (Reviews, Feb. 22, 1991). (Feb.)

Shamus-winner Estleman momentarily sidetracks his long-running Amos Walker series in favor of a rich, smartly detailed study of a Midwestern city that is serene and law-abiding on the surface but corrupt at its core. Its population includes depressed and bent police chief Francis X. Russell; cynical, alcoholic Catholic bishop Hugh Dungannon; Tony Z, the mob chief who controls Gas City's 10-square-block sin pit, the Circle; and Palmer, a hard-luck hotel dick and pimp who may be the novel's sole honorable man. Russell attempts to clean up the Circle after the natural death of his beloved wife and a slew of hatchet murders by a serial killer nicknamed Beaver Cleaver. The author's vivid and dynamic prose is given a surprisingly bland reading by Mel Foster, whose slow, singsong delivery undercuts the book's tension. On the plus side, his voice is resonant, his dialects good; the bishop and other Irish-Americans have a nicely underdone brogue, the mobsters are properly gruff and tough. But the novel, arguably one of the best of the year, deserves a much better interpretation. Simultaneous release with the Forge hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 5, 2007). (Feb.)

The battle for humanity continues in this latest addition to the bestselling franchise based on the mega-popular video games. Narration is split between Holter Graham and Jen Taylor, who each try their very best to make the material as urgent and important as possible. However, as good as Graham is, pushing the line between corny and downright brilliant in his delivery, Taylor jumps far over the believability line, overemphasizing every word as if the audience is incapable of understanding what she's trying to say. Her cheesy dialects and over-the-top accents detract from the tension and suspense that Graham offers. Simultaneous release with the Tor hardcover. (Feb.)

Peter Dabauer's determined search for an author and the ending of a book marks the starting point for his own literary journey, but his answers yield only more questions in Schlink's new novel. Dabauer's life symbolically resembles the book's exploits while he is further befuddled by increasing discoveries about his own path and its connection to the potential author. Like all quests, his is not particularly linear and he is often interrupted by his own present-day tribulations. Paul Michael keeps readers enthralled with a soft and mellow voice that connects words and sentences fluidly. He instills Dabauer's first-person tone with a light Germanic accent, which personalizes Dabauer to listeners. Simultaneous release with the Pantheon hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 15, 2007). (Feb.)

Maisie Dobbs travels to Kent to investigate, among other things, a series of fires, a family of Dutch bakers who were killed during WWI in a zeppelin attack and the theft of some silver. Hop-picking has brought everyone to the area, from Londoners to Gypsies. Orlagh Cassidy, who also read Messenger of Truth, not only captures a range of London and Kentish accents, but she also individualizes even the most minor characters. The lilt of a Danish luthier is perfect, and the dozen or so villagers interviewed by Dobbs have their own rhythms of speech and tone. Cassidy's rendition of Roma words comes across as authentic. This engrossing mystery will be hard to put down, and the listener will be sad when the final, lively strains of a fiddle are heard. Simultaneous release with the Holt hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 26). (Feb.)

Higgins pits series hero ex-IRA enforcer Sean Dillon, now British Intelligence's go-to guy on antiterrorism, against terrorists Hussein Rashid, better known as the Hammer of God. The Hammer's plan is to enter England, kill Dillon's boss and kidnap a 13-year-old who has been promised to him as a future bride. This is a familiar but engrossing cat-and-mouse game involving a vast assortment of British, Irish, American, Russian and Muslim players on both sides of the board. Christopher Lang's crisp rendition aids tremendously in following Higgins's constant shifts from the Hammer's progress to Dillon's attempts to halt it. Lang also possesses a talent for accents. It's fun listening to him handle the group chats, with lightning shifts from lilting brogue to clipped old Etonian, guttural grunts to staccato Middle Eastern twang. One can't ask for any more than that. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 5, 2007). (Feb.)

Parker is one of the best crime writer working in Southern California and this audio—his first mystery to be set outside his native Orange County—should win him many new enthusiasts. David Colacci's and Susan Ericksen's strong vocal talents bring his main characters to life with energy and wit. As Suzanne Jones, the sedate history teacher who by night becomes Allison Murietta, a direct descendant of the legendary bandit Joaquin Murietta, Ericksen makes listeners understand what drives this intriguing woman to dangerous acts of thievery and self-promotion. As rookie deputy Charlie Hood, Colacci catches all the edges of his not-so-simple character as he tries to solve a multiple murder and finds himself falling in love with Suzanne. Colacci also does a scary job creating the menacing drug lord who wants back the diamonds Suzanne has stolen. The two narrators and Parker's bristling tale makes a fast-paced and winning combination. Simultaneous release with the Dutton hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 19, 2007). (Feb.)

Award-winning narrator Simon Jones does not rest on his hind legs, as Prince, the black Lab who narrates this novel, might put it. Prince has a lot to say, and though Jones is generally even-toned and thoughtful, he can make Prince sound confused, excited, panicky, sad and remorseful. In addition to Prince, Jones takes on a large cast of humans, canines and one feline. Falstaff, a springer mix, is so hyper that Jones makes listeners imagine the mutt bouncing up and down. Prince's master, Adam, comes across as a shaky voice of reason who attempts to cover up his insecurities and desires. Emily, an aroma therapist and Adam's illicit love interest, sounds girlish and a bit dizzy. The novel is more kibble than meat; however, Jones's brilliant performance will have listeners howling with glee and begging for more. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 19, 2007). (Feb.)

Scottoline's latest thriller presents a successful businesswoman's journey to confront her past, and Rosenblat draws upon her theatrical experience to create a fun listening experience. With a variety of tones and dialects on her palette, Rosenblat creates a colorful cast of characters (with even a little singing thrown in). While her omnipresent narrator is somewhat overbearing at times, this is downplayed by her wonderful character creations. While not exactly the most thrilling or believable story, the brilliant Rosenblat grabs the spotlight and owns it from start to finish. The final disc offers a noteworthy interview with Scottoline. Simultaneous release with the Harper hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 3, 2007). (Feb.)

In 1912, Doyle took his Victorian readers deep into the South American jungles where, high atop a treacherous plateau, a small band of British explorers encountered a terrifying world of prehistoric creatures long thought lost to the sands of time. The adventurers included a young newspaper reporter, Ed Malone; the swashbuckling aristocrat, Lord Roxton; the skeptical scientist, Professor Summerlee; and the brilliant and bombastic Professor Challenger, who leads the party. Doyle unfolds high adventure at its best with fantastic encounters with pterodactyls, stegosaurs and cunning ape -men. Glen McCready's performance captures the time and tone of Doyle's material perfectly without straying into melodrama. He nicely balances Malone's sense of youthful wonder with the professors' scientific pragmatism, while fully exploiting the humor spread strategically throughout, planting numerous chuckles among the thrills. McCready's entertaining reading more than fulfills the author's introductory wish to “give one hour of joy to the boy who's half a man, or the man who's half a boy.” (Feb.)

Groff's tale of a young woman searching for her true identity through old letters, journals and articles is a vivid portrait of the past and present, but Nicole Roberts's delivery is far too stolid and contrived to bring the material to life. As if reading a teleprompter, Roberts sounds more like a news anchor, slightly disconnected from the material and doing her best to make it sound important. At times she races through the story at breakneck pace, at others she reads painfully slow as if reading to a group of uninterested first graders. While her pitch is clear, her tone is almost plastic and fake, making the story so dreary and unimaginative that most listeners will be immediately turned off. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 26, 2007). (Feb.)

Ariadne Meyers gives a masterful performance of this realistic novel about Emily, a young woman whose life is unraveling: she breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, hates her job, and her beloved grandfather is dying. Meyers inhabits the role perfectly, conveying all the nuances of Emily's character: her doubt and confusion, anger, love and vulnerability. Meyers especially shines in Emily's monologue to her late mother's tombstone that starts out joking as a defense mechanism, then gets serious and then gradually starts to break down, her voice trembling and full of tears. Meyers also creates distinctive, authentic character voices—the elderly, New York–accented tones of Emily's grandfather and his female friend Ruth; Emily's two closest female friends, including a scene in which one friend is drunk and sobbing; her smug, lecherous boss; a backstabbing co-worker; a Russian diner owner; and a soothing psychologist. She switches seamlessly between the voices during conversations without missing a beat. The abridgment is likewise seamless. This excellent production is a must for chick lit fans. Simultaneous release with the Dial Press hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 5, 2007). (Feb.)

Pérez-Reverte delivers a wonderfully suspenseful wartime thriller about a painter and photographer who receives a visit from his troubled past in the form of a man who was the subject of one of his photographs. Simon Vance's classical British accent brings added life to the story, offering a vivid reading that will transport listeners to another time and place. His delivery is clear and often unnerving, knowing exactly when and where to capture the profound sense of foreboding and tension that abounds. Vance's performance is remarkable. He brings central character Andres Faulques into existence through a tremendous attention to detail and dialect and a firm understanding of Pérez-Reverte's gripping tale. Simultaneous release with the Random House hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 26, 2007). (Feb.)

When Dr. Deborah Monroe's teenage daughter Grace hits her high school history teacher while driving, Deborah allows the police to think she was at the wheel. Dealing with the aftermath of the accident is just one more unwelcome burden for Deborah, already stressed by work and family problems. Meanwhile, Grace is devastated by the pressure of the lie and the guilt she feels, particularly after her teacher dies. Orlagh Cassidy makes a serviceable if not particularly distinctive attempt to distinguish between character voices, but her overall performance is warm and compassionate. Together, the smoothly abridged text and the narration create an emotionally affecting and realistic portrait of a family in crisis. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 15, 2007). (Feb.)

Even if Parker's series about smalltown Massachusetts police chief Jesse Stone doesn't rank as most fans' favorite dish in the bestselling author's deli, listeners should enjoy James Naughton's clean and crisp way of bringing fictional characters to life. His performance alone is worth the price of admission. He makes Stone's wisecracks understandable and pungent. By lowering his voice just a bit and giving it some rougher edges, Naughton plays ex-con/hit man Wilson “Crow” Cromartie. A mobster has hired Crow to kill his wife and kidnap his daughter, but Crow has other ideas and needs Stone to stay out of his way. Will Stone step aside or will he join up with his former foe to save the women? There's no prize for guessing correctly, but the exciting story provides a fun way to pass a few idle hours. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 3, 2007). (Feb.)

Nothing could be more challenging for an audiobook reader than to take on the character of a voice-over artist. Fran Clark, a well-to-do Londoner burnt out thanks to two small children, an unfaithful husband and two unexpectedly pregnant friends, is in the grip of early onset midlife crisis and a career-ruining case of stage fright. Kate Reading's bravura performance nails down every character, including the mothers in a posh London district, a Germanic school administrator, many small children and Fran's charming but wayward husband, who is given a suave, sexy voice that ignites his thousand-watt smile. The grand finale finds Fran attempting to impress her children's friends and their parents by imitating the cast of The Simpsons, Bette Davis and a few politicians, all in a few moments' time, during which she switches back and forth to the reactions of her audience. Reading turns this amiable novel into a tour de force performance that is funny, fast-moving and fearless. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 22, 2007). (Jan.)

Bock's debut novel is among the most acclaimed of 2008, which makes it surprising that its audio version would appear in a truncated, abridged version. Even in the shortened version, Mark Deakins's reading is mostly solid. Deakins's subdued baritone is deeply soothing, which makes the book perhaps more relaxing than Bock might have intended his jarring portrait of Las Vegas's shattered youth to be. The only real miscalculation in Deakins's reading is when he attempts the voices of Bock's hip-hop–wannabe teenagers. The effect is more ludicrous than accurate and makes for a harsh interruption to his otherwise fluid reading. On second thought, perhaps that does fulfill the book's intent to occasionally shock. Simultaneous release with the Random House hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 27, 2007). (Jan.)

Unlike the protagonist of Walters's novel, Vance may not be suffering from a split personality. Still Vance's cabinet of voices—each with its own timbre, character, accent and persona—accurately reflects the multifaceted aspect of Walters's book. Her hero, a wounded British veteran of the war in Iraq who returns home with no recollection of his service, is carefully documented through doctors' accounts and conversations with family members and others. Vance is a gifted enough mimic that one occasionally forgets that all these voices are emerging from the same throat. Some of the nuance—of British class and education, or lack thereof, as coded in the relative width or narrowness of vowels and consonants—may be lost on some American listeners, but it demonstrates Vance's expertise. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 26, 2007). (Jan.)

Schwartz's novel of the young woman, not of royal heritage, chosen to marry Japan's crown prince after WWII, is a delicate portrait of a simultaneously blessed and circumscribed existence. The book is written in the first person, making a female reader the obvious choice, and Janet Song rises to the occasion. Song's voice—hushed, placid, deeply gentle—lends a minimalist beauty to Schwartz's novel. Song thankfully skips the accents and stylized voices, choosing to emphasize a careful, vigorous reading that conveys a (perhaps stereotypically Western) sense of Japanese calm. The result is a deeply soothing reading. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday/Talese hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 22, 2007). (Jan.)

In the lovely, low tones of a fine storyteller, Oliver Fox Davies guides us through the stages of Tolstoy's mini masterpiece. Davies's skill with inflection, even within words, heightens the social satire of the early section and shifts with Ilyich's slide into ever increasing pain and irritability. With the terror and anguish of approaching death, his voice grows convincingly hoarse. Until his illness, Ivan Ilyich had never reflected on his life. But he slowly comes to see his life as “a terrible, huge deception which had hidden life and death.” As he lays dying, his lifelong friends think of the promotions that may come their way, and his wife “began to wish he would die, but she didn't want him to die because then his salary would cease.” He has always avoided human connection, but through the tender ministrations of a peasant he comes to recognize the “mesh of falsity” in which he's lived. Written more than a century ago, Tolstoy's work still retains the power of a contemporary novel. (Jan.)

Busch's 2000 play transfers perfectly from the stage to audio, largely because the small casts is so larger than life (bordering on caricatures) that the characters don't need to be seen to be understood. As the title character, Amy Aquino's slightly nasal, tortured voice embodies this Jewish housewife's angst, and Richard Kind does an excellent job of conveying her husband's artless but endearing self-importance with his carefully chosen words and deliberately sonorous tone. Seinfeld's Estelle Harris, as Aquino's mother, steals many scenes with her screeching voice and rants about bowel movements. The appreciative audience clapping and laughing enhances the comedy. On the final track, a surprisingly mild-mannered Busch discusses the real-life model for the allergist and how the wife developed from a character he created when he was starting out as an actor. (Jan.)

In the late 1980s and 1990s, “rogue sociologist” Venkatesh infiltrated the world of tenant and gang life in Chicago's Robert Taylor Home projects. He found a complex system of compromises and subsistence that makes life (barely) manageable. Venkatesh excellently illustrates the resourcefulness of impoverished communities in contrast to a society that has virtually abandoned them. He also reveals the symbiotic relationship between the community and the gangs that helps sustain each. Reg Rogers reads with great emphasis and rhythm. His lilting, cadence and vocal characterization of tenants is enjoyable. Rogers's first-person narrative establishes a deep intimacy with the reader. Venkatesh reads the final chapter, but he lacks the subtly and nuance that Rogers projects throughout his reading. The insubstantial author interview on the last disc mostly covers material already discussed in the book. Simultaneous release with the Penguin Press hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 5, 2007). (Feb.)

Throaty New York dialogue is wonderfully realized by Richard M. Davidson, who leads the way for a small cast of narrators who assume various roles in this powerful Mafia tale. Davidson is so firm and solid in his delivery, he actually becomes the hard-nosed characters in question: Sammy “The Bull” Gravano and Gaspipe Casso. Kaipo Schwab offers a fantastic supporting performance as U.S. Attorney Robert Henoch, while Richard Mover takes on the role of turncoat mob associate Burton Kaplan. Each character is so well developed and believable that listeners will suspect they're listening to actual recordings rather than outstanding performances. Breslin's words are perfectly suited to these fine readers, who make them their own in three stunning performances. Simultaneous release with the Ecco hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 12, 2007). (Feb.)

Recognizing that America's faithful have subverted their evangelical Christian ideology into a conservative political ideology, Wallis reminds readers that to follow the spirit of Christianity truly does mean to go beyond the simple two-party system and understand the greater principles of the faith. Wallis assesses the wide range of movements and new ideas emerging from Christians and what this new reckoning within their hearts and minds means for the political realm. With tools and goals that help listeners achieve spirituality over ideology, Wallis reveals the “common ground” upon which faith in America can be rebuilt and opened to a larger group of discontented believers. At a slow, deliberate pace, Wallis narrates with an elderly but genuinely sincere voice. A few voice shifts hint at poor sound editing, but the clarity and crisp voice of Wallis still shines through. However, his tone can be a bit droll, and it seems to move forward with almost languid reluctance. He performs a few vocal impersonations quite well, but often in doing so, only reinforces his overall weak performance in the straight narration. Simultaneous release with the HarperOne hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 10, 2007). (Feb.)

Bridge's memoir of surviving his childhood in a broken child-care system where the state acts as parents for the young certainly illustrates the complexity of such government institutions. After being removed from his mother by the state, Bridge spent a brief stint in a residential program before being put into foster care. His decade-long stay with an emotionally abusive and unsupportive family left its share of marks, and the book feels like Bridge's attempt to cleanse the taint of the experience. While it does highlight problems of the system, it fails to be anything more than just another story of an unfortunate upbringing. As the story is told through the eyes of a young boy, David Drummond's soft elocution ably puts readers back into that frame. But this doesn't keep Drummond from juggling the range of ages, genders, accents and personalities of the different characters effectively. Although the story isn't extraordinary, Drummond remains consistent and engaging throughout. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 29, 2007). (Feb.)

Author and narrator Chödrön delivers an interesting spoken-word course recorded at a series of live sessions before a class. Listening to this audiobook is exactly like sitting in a university classroom or actually being in a meditation class. Every so often you can even hear the other class members cough or sneeze, as Chödrön delivers her material in a firm, unwavering manner, offering valuable insights into and techniques in the process of meditation. Listeners will find these recordings easy to follow and listener-friendly. The directions and instructions at each stage of the process are clear and well crafted; however, the lack of visuals may leave many somewhat unsure of exactly how they are supposed to be positioning themselves. However, Chödrön relates her message perfectly, by giving time for the listener to get into position and follow her instructions. (Feb.)

The late Cousteau (1910–1997) is still offering remarkable tales of nature and the sea alongside coauthor Schiefelbein. Stephen Hoye delivers a solid reading complete with an astounding Cousteau impersonation that will have listeners questioning just who they are listening to during the introduction. Hoye transports the audience around the globe and under the sea, capturing the tense incidents throughout the tale in a believable manner. Though most of the tale is told from Schiefelbein's perspective, Hoye manages to capture the spirit of Cousteau without always resorting to the impersonation. His reading is underplayed and all the more realistic because of it. As Cousteau would have demanded, the conservation information included becomes the star of the show, and the story is a medium to spread the word about Mother Earth. A Bloomsbury hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 6, 2007). (Feb.)

This informative tale claims that listeners will easily learn the craft of reading body language upon completing this recorded course. Authors and narrators Hartley and Karinch try to convey the lessons in a straightforward seminar, but they almost seem to be outdoing each other. They take turns speaking, sometimes only one word at a time, while at other times Hartley assumes the role of the main speaker as Karinch spouts off chapter titles and section headlines every so often. She acts more like an all-knowing dictionary and encyclopedia, making this audiobook sound more like a textbook. The lessons may work for many listeners, given Hartley's background in the subject, but he races through them so fast that his point is muddled away. There is no time for the audience to take it all in and practice for themselves. A Career Press paperback. (Feb.)

Dooley, already a well-established speaker in his own right, broadened his profile as one of the teachers in the DVD and book phenomenon The Secret. Dooley's audios, first created by his motivational company, Totally Unique Thoughts, have begun to make their way into the mainstream trade publishing arena. In this particular seminar—recorded at a Unity church in Raleigh, N.C.—Dooley challenges listeners to harness the world around them as a force for positive change. Dooley emphasizes the importance of mastering thoughts and beliefs, though he also warns against fixating on self-analysis at the expense of old-fashioned determination. “The only place the ship of your dreams will never find you is sitting at home waiting for it,” he exhorts his audience. Dooley embraces spiritual concepts that fall into New Age categories, but he manages to eschew the ethereal trappings of a guru. Instead, he projects the easygoing stance of a pleasant and engaging 40ish businessman with whom one can easily imagine enjoying a beer or two. (Feb.)

Scheuer—an author, narrator, former CIA agent and chief, and Georgetown University professor—has a hand in every aspect of this book. Detailing the ways in which U.S. foreign policy has actually been working against the country since the Cold War, Scheuer's material is detailed, fascinating and well researched. His role as narrator, however, fails to live up to the high standards he has set for himself. While his delivery is firm and clear, he tries much to hard to impress the listener and convey his material in a straightforward manner, so as not to lose anyone along the way. His voice becomes machine-like and drones on, losing the audience he is trying so hard to retain. The material might be enough to keep many involved, but casual listeners will be disappointed. Simultaneous release with the Free Press hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 24, 2007). (Feb.)

Former secretary of state Albright's professionalism shines through as she does double duty as author and narrator. As simple and straightforward as her reading is, Albright creates a personal atmosphere, given the book's insider material and anecdotes. Addressing everything from the current war in Iraq to stories of her origin in politics, Albright reaches out to her listeners in her charismatic and clear-sighted manner. While there is little shift in her tone and voice, the reading is clear and well pronounced, allowing the material the respect it deserves. Audiences will find themselves intrigued and entertained by Albright's tales and her narration. Simultaneous release with the Harper hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 26, 2007). (Feb.)

According to Tolle, who assumes the role of narrator as well, humans are on the verge of creating a new world by a personal transformation that shifts our attention away from our ever-expanding egos. This idea is well realized through Tolle's remarkably well-paced narration. Naturally, the author understands his material so thoroughly that he is able to convey it in an enjoyable manner, but Tolle's gentle tone and dialect begs his audience's attention simply through its straightforward approach. Something about this reading just seems profoundly important, whether one agrees with the material or not, and listeners' attention is sure to be captured within seconds of listening to Tolle's take on the universe in which we live. Originally released in 2005, both book and audiobook were reissued when Oprah Winfrey chose the title for her book club this year. A Penguin paperback. (Feb.)

Leave it to Keillor to satirize “Guy Noir: Private Eye,” by exposing the M.F.A. degree as a tool of organized crime. The parodies of American literature, however, including Dickinson, Frost and Hawthorne, are generally sophomoric. You know whose woods these are. The collection of vintage performances improves in a 10-minute rendition of Macbeth, with the lead character as Mr. Rogers and Lady Macbeth as Julia Child. There are two versions of Hamlet, both of which reduce Ophelia's madness to “La, la, la.” Yes, that's a quote. The Prairie Home Companion cast members fare better when they move away from parody. One of the best bits involves an English major (Keillor) working at a fast food job and correcting customers' misuse of “who” or “whom.” Billy Collins's satirical ode to “The Lanyard” is both hilarious and astute. There are some nice fillers, including Meryl Streep reading Mary Oliver and Allen Ginsberg's overblown recital of Whitman's “Song of Myself.” In the end, listeners will feel that these two so-so CDs could have been reduced to one good one. (Feb.)

Like life itself, these stories are more about the journey than the destination. Trains, planes and automobiles form the loose thematic center. Gellhorn's “Miami–New York,” read by Joanna Gleason, is a 50-minute tale of two strangers who find temporary intimacy on a long flight. Gleason brings out all the subtle interchanges between an army captain and a lonely wife. David Rakoff also does an admirable job with Thurber's “A Ride with Olympy,” which pairs two motorists with dubious driving and linguistic skills. But like an old car, the story is slow to reach full speed, and Rakoff's mouth-smacking noises are distracting. Sonia Manzano shows a wonderful talent for dialogue as she performs Edward P. Jones's touching story about a lonely single mother seeking companionship on “An Orange Line Train to Ballston.” In Dorothy Thomas's “The Getaway,” Mia Dillon captures the Midwestern accents of a woman and her ornery son. While the stories are a mixed bag, enough of them are good enough to be worth the ride. (Feb.)