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Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell
Reader: Emma Galvin
Short Review: A stark, beautifully written and expertly read novel about an overburdened girl in dire straits. -
Wild Decembers by Edna O’Brien
Reader: Suzanne Bertish
Short Review: A beautiful book, poorly served by bad audio quality and frequent mispronunciations.
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Nice to Come Home To by Rebecca Flowers
Reader: Carrington MacDuffie
Short Review: A sweet first novel brought to life by an excellent reader. We meet Prudence Whistler as her life starts to fall apart – but it is easy to find joy in her self-discovery. Romantic and charming, a lovely ‘comfort’ book for a rainy day.
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The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Readers: Jill Tanner and Bianca Amato
Short Review: A gothic novel of intrigue about family history, fame, women, writing, truth, and secrets. It is read gorgeously by two readers who both have velvety, rich voices and lovely diction.
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The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Readers: Cassandra Morris and Barbara Rosenblat
Short Review: A good but flawed book with two narrators of differing skill. -
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Reader: Virginia Leishman
Short Review: An intricate, beautiful, arguably overlong book beautifully read by a very talented narrator. This isn’t a book for everyone, but it was definitely a book for me. -
3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares
Reader: Kimberly Farr
Short Review: The summer before high school, three old friends grow, change, and find their way back to themselves.
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A Mercy by Toni Morrison
Reader: Toni Morrison
Short Review: A beautiful book, but difficult to listen to at times. Dr. Morrison is a wonderful reader in small doses, but perhaps should have handed this book over to a pro to read in its entirety.
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The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
Readers: Bernadette Dunne, Katie MacNichol, and Mark Bramhall
Short Review: This is a great book, but the audio version has a flaw that really annoyed me. I want a re-cut, just for me, sans music. I doubt I’ll get it.
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The Joys of Love by Madeleine L’Engle
Reader: Maggi-Meg Reed
Short Review: This sweet story of romance and self-discovery is lovely. We join twenty-year-old Elizabeth’s for week of working in a summer theater in 1946. Beautifully read – a nice story for a dreamy afternoon.
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Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison
Reader: Orlagh Cassidy
Short Review: Shallow beach-read sort of book. Estranged best friends reunited by twenty-year high school reunion. You probably already know if you would hate it based on this description.
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The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
Reader: Jenna Lamia
Short Review: A good book about a controversial subject, improved by an excellent reading by Jenna Lamia.
