Dan Gets a Minivan: Life at the Intersection of Dude and Dad

Dan Zevin, whose humorous essays trace his evolution from urban hipster to suburban dad and husband and chronicle the mini-dramas of daily domestic life, delivers engaging narration in this audio edition. Among the highlights of Zevin’s performance is his irreverent and empathic rendition of his own colorful parents—long divorced from each other, but both still actively involved in the lives of their children and grandchildren. The narrator also effectively captures the disdainful tones of urbanites, as friends pronounce the word “suburb” with a hard-edged emphasis on the first syllable—as in “subpar” or “subtract.” Especially entertaining is Zevin’s performance of a scene in which his longtime Brooklyn neighbor rails against the domestic conformity of “adult swim” sessions at a suburban pool. The personal touches Zevin brings to his narration help keep the listening fresh even when the audiobook’s themes are rather familiar. A Scribner hardcover. (July)