Best Audiobooks of 2006
By Ann Burns -- Library Journal, 2/15/2007
Have you ever found yourself wondering who's listening to audiobooks? Look no further than the Audio Publishers Association (APA). According to APA statistics, it's nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population: those with higher incomes and more education and those living in slightly larger households, with children. No wonder there's continued growth in the industry. Our 2006 "best" list includes titles by Martha Grimes, Augusten Burroughs, Chris Gardner, and Frances Mayes. A round of applause for our dedicated reviewers who originally reviewed these titles and suggested them for the list.
Listen! to audio clips from the titles below, courtesy of their respective publishers.
Fiction
A Ahern, Cecelia. If You Could See Me Now. Hyperion Audiobks. 5 CDs. 6 hrs. ISBN 1-4013-8332-7. $29.98.
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Susan Lynch and Rupert Degas give "dimension" to the female and male voices in this modern folktale focusing on a lonely woman and her nephew living in a small town in Ireland. Ahern's characters and landscapes are "beautifully developed." (LJ 9/1/06)
U Baker, Kevin. Strivers Row. HarperAudio. 18 CDs. 20 hrs. ISBN 0-06-087671-9 [ISBN 978-0-06-087671-5]. $44.95.
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Baker's novel about World War II and racial tensions in New York City, a mix of fact and fiction, is filled with unforgettable characters and locales, including 1943 Harlem. Thomas Anthony Penny "masterfully" portrays all of them-from "fiery preachers to Irish politicos to street pimps." (LJ 5/15/06)
U Child, Lee. The Hard Way. Brilliance Audio. 10CDs. 12 hrs. ISBN 1-59600-329-4 [ISBN 978-1-59600-329-3]. $102.25.
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In this action-packed thriller, Jack Reacher is called upon to employ his bravery and intelligence to find a kidnapped woman and her daughter in New York City. Dick Hill's narration is like the characters-"real and multidimensional." (LJ 1/07)
U Deaver, Jeffery. The Cold Moon. S. & S. Audio. 13 CDs. 15 hrs. ISBN 0-7435-5268-7 [ISBN 978-0-7435-5268-4]. $49.95.
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Deaver's novel about quadriplegic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme and partner Amelia Sachs and their search for a serial killer has "fascinating plot twists and intense suspense." Joe Mantegna gives the novel a "great" reading. (LJ 10/15/06)
U Donohue, Keith. The Stolen Child. Recorded Bks. 10 CDs. 12 hrs. ISBN 1-4193-8924-6 [ISBN 978-1-4193-8924-5]. $119.75; 8 cassettes. ISBN 1-4193-8922-X. $79.75.
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A delightful trip through the looking glass into the world of fairies. Here, Donohue presents the story of little Henry Day and the changeling who replaces him in the real world. Andy Paris and Jeff Woodman do a "stellar" job. (LJ 10/1/06)
U Grimes, Martha. The Old Wine Shades. Penguin Audio. 9 CDs. 11 hrs. ISBN 0-14-305845-2. $39.95.
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According to our reviewer, John Lee "excels" at conveying class snobbery in this latest Richard Jury mystery. The detective and his amateur sleuth search for a missing physicist's wife, son, and dog. (LJ 5/1/06)
U Leon, Donna. Through a Glass, Darkly. Audio Partners. 7 CDs. 8¾ hrs. ISBN 1-57270-539-6 [ISBN 978-1-57270-539-5]. $31.95.
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David Colacci's narration is "rich with Italian ambiance and nuance" in Leon's latest mystery featuring Commissario Brunetti. Here, Brunetti investigates a murder, as well as threats made by an elderly Venetian glassmaker to his son-in-law. (LJ 10/15/06)
U Mitchell, David. Black Swan Green. Books on Tape. 11 CDs. 13 hrs. ISBN 1-4159-2850-9. $99; 9 cassettes. ISBN 1-4159-2849-5. $81.
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Jason Taylor, a 13-year-old English boy, struggles with bullies and his stammer in Mitchell's novel about superstition, misinformation, and the mystery of girls. Kirby Heyborne's reading is a "treat." The antique Brit slang "delights as often as it baffles." (LJ 9/15/06)
U Preston, Douglas & Lincoln Child. The Book of the Dead. Hachette Audio. 12 CDs. 15 hrs. ISBN 1-59483-228-5. $49.98.
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In this final thriller of the authors' Pendergast series, FBI special agent Aloysius spends time in a maximum-security prison, while his brother Diogenes plots to steal a massive diamond from New York's Museum of Natural History. Scott Brick voices just the right amount of "drama and excitement" to maintain a high level of suspense. (LJ 11/1/06)
U Robotham, Michael. Lost. Recorded Bks. 11 CDs. 12½ hrs. ISBN 1-4193-6897-4. $119.75; 9 cassettes. ISBN 1-4193-6895-8 [ISBN 978-1-4193-6895-0]. $89.75.
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Ray Lonnen's "terrific" reading underscores the fast-paced suspense in Robotham's sophomore effort. A wounded detective with amnesia searches for the missing daughter of a gangster. One of the best hard-boiled mysteries, with "surprises leading to even more unexpected twists." (LJ 5/15/06)
Nonfiction
U Burroughs, Augusten. Possible Side Effects. Sound Library: BBC Audiobooks America. 8 CDs. 10 hrs. ISBN 0-7927-4015-7. $79.95.
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In his latest collection of memoir-essays, Burroughs offers tales of his troubled childhood, his love life, his great love of animals, and other life-altering events. A "gifted" narrator, he easily attracts listeners with his descriptions of the everyday. (LJ 10/15/06)
U Chang, Jung & Jon Halliday. Mao: The Unknown Story. Books on Tape. 19 cassettes. 30 hrs. ISBN 1-4159-3005-8. $129; 25 CDs. ISBN 1-4159-3006-6. $149.
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Robertson Dean "clearly and skillfully" narrates this thorough examination of the life of Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tung. A "stunning" and important title. (LJ 8/06)
U Fainaru-Wada, Mark & Lance Williams. Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports. Books on Tape. 9 CDs. 10½ hrs. ISBN 1-4159-2906-8. $99; 9 cassettes. ISBN 1-4159-2905-X. $81.
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In this exposé, San Francisco Chronicle reporters Fainaru-Wada and Williams present the complete story surrounding doping and the use of steroids among professional U.S. athletes. This book is about "big ambitions, big egos, big bucks, and big sleaze." (LJ 1/07)
A Gardner, Chris with Quincy Troupe. The Pursuit of Happyness. HarperAudio. 5 CDs. 6 hrs. ISBN 0-06-089788-0 [ISBN 978-0-06-089788-8]. $29.95.
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In this inspiring story (now captured in the film starring Will Smith), Gardner takes us along as he rises from homelessness, with toddler in tow, to become a successful stockbroker and finally chief executive of his own multimillion-dollar brokerage firm. Andre Blake does a solid job conveying the author's "emotional highs and lows." (LJ 10/1/06)
U Greene, Melissa Fay. There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey To Rescue Africa's Children. Highbridge Audio. 12 CDs. 14¾ hrs. ISBN 1-59887-074-2 [ISBN 978-1-59887-074-9]. $39.95.
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The adoptive parent of two children from Ethiopia, Greene portrays AIDS-stricken families in that country, the kids who become orphans as a result of the disease, and the woman who runs an orphanage for them out of her home. Julie Fain Lawrence's narration is "smooth and satisfying." (LJ 2/1/07)
U King, Ross. The Judgment of Paris. Audio Renaissance. 13 CDs. 16½ hrs. ISBN 1-59397-877-4. $49.95.
This book covers the years 1863-74, describing Parisian culture when the Impressionists were beginning to exhibit their work. King combines stories of prominent artists with a history of the time, showing the events that helped spur these changes in the art world. Tristan Layton's narration is "superb." (LJ 9/15/06)
U Long, Robert. De Kooning's Bicycle: Artists and Writers in the Hamptons. Blackstone Audio. 5 CDs. 5½ hrs. ISBN 0-7861-7232-0. $63.
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Art critic Long depicts writers and artists living in the Hamptons in this account of life on Long Island, NY, from 1945 to the mid-1980s. Grover Gardner makes his portraits of Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, and Saul Steinberg "come alive." (LJ 10/1/06)
U Mayes, Frances. A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveller. Books on Tape. 14 CDs. 17 hrs. ISBN 1-4159-2704-9. $112; 11 cassettes. ISBN 1-4159-2703-0. $96.
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Cassandra Campbell's "mellifluous" voice provides a "soothing" delivery for Mayes's commentary on her travels to Spain and other countries, as she shares her observations about the history, architecture, and art of each location. The author's narrative style is "melodious and enchanting." (LJ 9/15/06)
U Philbrick, Nathaniel. Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War. Penguin Audio. 11 CDs. 12½ hrs. ISBN 0-14-305875-4. $44.95.
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National Book Award winner Philbrick presents a "fantastic" tale of the Plymouth Colony, the Thanksgiving myth, and the surrounding Native American tribes. George Guidall's narration of this epic narrative is "masterful." (LJ 9/15/06)
U Tobin, Greg. Holy Father: Pope Benedict XVI; Pontiff for a New Era. Recorded Bks. 4 cassettes. 5¼ hrs. ISBN 1-4193-8288-8. $39.75.
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In this work, Tobin examines the Pope and the papacy, beginning with a brief history and ending with a profile of Benedict, pointing out that he has inherited a tremendous legacy, as well as an enormous responsibility. (LJ 11/15/06)
| Author Information |
| Ann Burns is Associate Editor, LJ Book Review |
