LJ Best Audiobooks 2010
By Raya Kuzyk Dec 2, 2010Among the past year's most memorable audiobooks, all recipients of starred LJ reviews, are four LJ Best Books, two postapocalyptic trilogy starters, two nonfiction tracts on marriage, a baseball novella, an adult/YA crossover novel, and an Obama bio. Thanks once again to our distinguished roster of audio reviewers for their nominations! (For the previous year's picks, see LJ Best Audiobooks of 2009.)
FICTION
U Blake, Sarah. The Postmistress. CD, MP3-CD (library ed., Blackstone Audio; retail ed., Penguin Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Actress/narrator Orlagh Cassidy (The Piano Teacher) superbly renders the characters in Blake's (Grange House) "quietly powerful" narrative set during the lead-up to America's entrance into World War II; the Putnam hc also received a starred review, LJ 12/09. (LJ 6/1/10)
U Coes, Ben. Power Down. CD (retail ed., Macmillan Audio). digital download.
With his adroit narration of former White House speechwriter Coes's "visceral, gut-wrenching" debut thriller, actor/narrator Peter Hermann (Private) remarkably manages to endear listeners to a hero who doesn't hesitate to kill and mistrusts nearly everyone who tries to help. (LJ 1/11)
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U/A Cronin, Justin. The Passage. CD (library ed., Books on Tape; retail ed., Random Audio). digital download.
Scott Brick's (see Behind the Mike, LJ 10/15/09) reading of PEN/Hemingway Award winner Cronin's postapocalyptic trilogy starter is "nothing short of masterly." (Edward Herrmann reads the abridged Random Audio version.) The Ballantine hc was an LJ Editors' Spring Pick and an LJ Best Book of 2010; expect a film adaptation from Ridley Scott. (LJ 10/1/10)
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U Fforde, Jasper. Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron. CD (library ed., Books on Tape; retail ed., Penguin Audio). digital download.
Multiple Audie Award winner John Lee perfectly renders Fforde's (www.jasperfforde.com) imagined future dystopia, in which people's social statuses are governed by their degrees of color perception. This brilliant satirical novel, whose Viking hc also received a starred review, is the first of a projected trilogy. (LJ 5/1/10)
U Francis, Dick & Felix Francis. Crossfire. CD (library ed., Books on Tape; retail ed., Penguin Audio). digital download.
This last novel from the late Edgar Award winner Dick Francis (www.dickfrancis.com) "is fast out of the starting gate and will keep listeners enthralled to the finish line." Actor/Audie Award winner Martin Jarvis gives a sterling performance as Capt. Thomas Forsyth; a fitting farewell to the Grand Master. (LJ 11/15/10)
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U Galloway, Steven. The Cellist of Sarajevo. CD (retail ed., Naxos AudioBooks). Playaway®. digital download.
Welsh actor/narrator Gareth Armstrong (The Defector) does a tremendous job of movingly conveying the perspectives of three Sarajevans struggling to retain their sanity and humanity in Canadian author Galloway's third novel, an international best seller inspired by actual events. (LJ 5/15/10)
U Gudenkauf, Heather. The Weight of Silence. CD (library ed., Recorded Bks.). Playaway®. digital download.
Narrators Eliza Foss, Therese Plummer, Tony Ward, Andy Paris, Jim Colby, and Cassandra Morris beautifully inhabit the multiple perspectives in Gudenkauf's highly compelling debut novel, giving each a unique voice, in this audiobook "that will be hard to forget." (LJ 5/1/10)
U Hall, Tarquin. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing. CD (library ed., AudioGO). Playaway®. digital download.
Hall's second novel to feature PI Vish "Chubby" Puri—following The Case of the Missing Servant (2009)—is an engaging mystery featuring fascinating characters and a rich presentation of the many complexities of modern Indian life. Bombay-born actor Sam Dastor's agile narration is "critical" to this title's success. (LJ 10/1/10)
U Hartnett, Sonya. The Midnight Zoo. CD (library/retail eds., Bolinda Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award–winning Australian writer Hartnett's fablelike work of crossover adult/YA historical fiction gets an ace reading from Audie Award winner Richard Aspel, who provides adeptly variations of the male and female, human and animal voices. (LJ 11/1/10)
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U King, Stephen. Blockade Billy. CD (library ed., Recorded Bks.; retail ed., S. & S. Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
King's highly entertaining baseball novella is infused with colorful details of the game. Actor Craig Wasson is "delightfully grumpy" as the Newark Titans' avuncular third-base coach, "comically raising his voice to convey displeasure with the post-1957 world." (LJ 9/15/10)
U Koryta, Michael. So Cold the River. CD (library ed., AudioGO; retail ed., Hachette Audio). digital download.
Edgar Award nominee Koryta's captivating work of supernatural horror is masterfully read by actor Robert Petkoff (robertpetkoff.com), who renders the characters with "veridical insight." (LJ 10/15/10)
U Lynds, Gayle. The Book of Spies. CD, MP3-CD. (library/retail eds., Blackstone Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Lynds's (www.gaylelynds.com) sixth stand-alone novel is a thrilling tale of intrigue featuring at its center a legendary collection of rare, priceless books. Actress/narrator Kate Reading (The Agency) "brilliantly captures" Lynds's colorful descriptions. The St. Martin's hc was an LJ Best Book of 2010. (LJ 7/10)
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U Min, Anchee. Pearl of China. CD, MP3-CD (library ed., Recorded Bks.). Playaway®. digital download.
A gorgeous fictionalized biography of Pulitzer and Nobel prize winner Pearl S. Buck in which author Min (www.ancheemin.com) and narrator Angela Lin together give the character of Pearl "the warmth and humanity Buck always gave her own characters." (LJ 9/15/10)
U Rahimi, Atiq. The Patience Stone. tr. from French by Polly McLean. CD, MP3-CD. (library ed., Blackstone Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Filmmaker/novelist Rahimi's 2008 Prix Goncourt–winning tale gets a heart-wrenching performance from narrator Carolyn Seymour (An Education), who expresses the full range of human emotion in conveying everyday reality for women living under the Taliban regime in present-day Afghanistan. The Other hc also received a starred review, LJ 11/15/09. (LJ 11/1/10)
U/A Slaughter, Karin. Broken. CD, MP3-CD (library/retail eds., Brilliance Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Slaughter's (www.karinslaughter.com) second novel to combine the "Grant County" and "Atlanta" series, following Undone (2009), is "absolutely riveting"; Natalie Ross's "phenomenal" facility with the male and female voices, young and old, further makes this an exceptional listening experience. The Delacorte hc also received a starred review, LJ 6/1/10. (LJ 9/15/10)
Listen to an audio clip.
U Quartey, Kwei. Wife of the Gods. CD, MP3-CD (library/retail eds., Tantor Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Ghana-born Quartey's debut novel is a "mature, richly plotted mystery with a fully rounded protagonist who compares favorably with the best in modern detective fiction." Eleven-time Audie Award nominee Simon Prebble's consistently strong narration of this masterpiece, whose Random hc also received a starred review, LJ 5/15/09, is "a joy to hear." (LJ 6/1/10)
NONFICTION
U Alexander, Larry. In the Footsteps of the Band of Brothers. CD, MP3-CD (library/retail eds., Tantor Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Alexander (Biggest Brother) embeds listeners with the legendary Easy Company, 101st Airborne in this fascinating work that is part historical memoir and part travelog. Narrator Norman Dietz's (Power, Faith, and Fantasy) impressive, respectful performance "will recall for today's generation the heroic contribution of U.S. soldiers in World War II." (LJ 8/10)
U Bartlett, Allison Hoover. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession. CD, MP3-CD (library/retail eds., Tantor Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Bartlett's fascinating first book is the true story of rare-books thief and his pursuit by a rare-books dealer–turned–amateur detective. Veteran voice artist Judith Brackley brings essential calm and gravitas to this engaging, fast-paced work, whose Riverhead hc was an LJ Best Book of 2009. (LJ 4/15/10)
Listen to an audio clip.
U Braestrup, Kate. Marriage, and Other Acts of Charity: A Memoir. CD (retail ed., Hachette Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
The memoirist's own lively narration in this "touching, entertaining, and poignant" follow-up to Here If You Need Me (2007) "mak[es] for the best kind of storytelling." (LJ 5/1/10)
U Conover, Ted. The Routes of Man. CD, MP3-CD (library/retail eds., Brilliance Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
National Book Critics Circle Award winner Conover's exceptionally well-written and perceptive observations about the role of roads in civilization throughout the centuries receive a rich and vivid narration by three-time Audie Award winner Dick Hill (www.dickhill.com). (LJ 9/1/10)
Listen to an audio clip.
U Fox, Michael, J. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future...Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned. CD (library ed., Recorded Bks.; retail ed., Hyperion Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Fox's third memoir, following the LJ Best Seller/Grammy Award winner Always Looking Up (2009), is "comical, genial, and trademark Fox." The author himself reads, "bringing warmth to our hearts with his familiar voice." (LJ 7/10)
U Hunt, Mame. Unquestioned Integrity: The Hill-Thomas Hearings. CD (library/retail eds., L.A. Theatre Works). Playaway®. digital download.
Listeners will be struck by Ella Joyce, Paul Winfield, and Edward Asner's "nuanced and powerful" performances in reenacting the circuslike atmosphere of the historic 1991 Senate Confirmation hearings in this invaluable recording of Hunt's 1993 play that stays loyal to the transcripts. (LJ 5/15/10)
U James, P.D. Talking About Detective Fiction. CD (library ed., AudioGO). digital download.
Actress/writer Diana Bishop does an extraordinary job of narrating nanogenarian James's immensely enjoyable Edgar Award–winning book on the history, development, and craft of detective fiction; her British accent is "crisp and lucid," and her pacing "is perfect for optimal understanding by American audiences. (LJ 7/10)
Listen to an audio clip.
U Johnson, Marilyn. This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. CD, MP3-CD (library/retail eds., Tantor Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Audie Award nominee Hillary Huber (A Field of Darkness) gracefully slips into Johnson's (marilynjohnson.net) persona as she discusses the technological, political, social, and practical obstacles librarians face daily in their mission to serve the public; a "lively and immensely enjoyable" performance. (LJ 5/15/10)
U Kean, Sam. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements. CD, MP3-CD (library/retail eds., Tantor Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Science magazine writer Kean's love of invention, investigation, and discovery are brightly apparent in his authoritative first book, to which Audie Award winner Sean Runnette provides an aptly "lucid, energetic" narration. (LJ 11/1/10)
U Kirkpatrick, Sidney. Hitler's Holy Relics: A True Story of Nazi Plunder and the Race To Recover the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. CD (retail ed., HighBridge Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Kirkpatrick's (sidneykirkpatrick.blogspot.com) incredible-but-true account follows the 1945 search for the pillaged symbols of Germanic glory. Narrator Charles Stransky's (Red Moon Rising) "tension-filled performance is spectacular." (LJ 7/10)
Listen to an audio clip.
U Lapierre, Dominique. A Rainbow in the Night: The Tumultuous Birth of South Africa. tr. by Kathryn Spink. CD, MP3-CD (library/retail eds., Blackstone Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
Internationally best-selling writer Lapierre's (A Thousand Suns) account of South Africa's history of apartheid is greatly enhanced by Stefan Rudnicki's narration in this work that "beautifully translates" to audio. (LJ 4/1/10)
U Macintyre, Ben. Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory. CD (library ed., Books on Tape; retail ed., Random Audio). digital download.
Multiple Audie Award winner John Lee delivers an exceptional performance of historian Macintyre's fascinating account of the origins, planning, implementation, outcome, and aftermath of Operation Mincemeat, "clearly and masterfully" voicing this complex work. (LJ 9/1/10)
Listen to an audio clip:
U Parker-Pope, Tara. For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage. CD (retail ed., HighBridge Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
New York Times blogger Parker-Pope (The Hormone Decision) deftly translates scientific findings into practical advice on such hot-button topics as sex, parenting, and financial problems, while actress/Audie Award winner Cassandra Campbell's "easy, conversational tone" makes the narration of this thoughtful, valuable work feel "like the guidance of a trusted friend." (LJ 9/1/10)
U Remnick, David. The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama. CD (library ed., Books on Tape; retail ed., Random Audio). Playaway®. digital download.
The audio edition of Pulitzer Prize winner/The New Yorker editor Remnick's biography is superior even to the essential print version; from his timing to his timbre, narrator Mark Deakins (The Hunted) is "superb," sounding "just like" the President. The Knopf hc also received a starred review, LJ Xpress Reviews, 4/2/10. (LJ 8/10)
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U Shelden, Michael. Mark Twain: Man in White. CD (library ed., Recorded Bks.). Playaway®. digital download.
Pulitzer Prize nominee Shelden's (michaelshelden.com) biography of the most eventful period of Twain's life is "ideal" for the audio format, especially as read by Andrew Garman. The Random hc is an LJ Best Book of 2010. (LJ 10/15/10)
U Wilde, Oscar. The Oscar Wilde Collection. CD (library/retail eds., L.A. Theatre Works). digital download.
This L.A. Theater Works audio recording of full-cast staged productions of four of Wilde's lighthearted social satires and his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, will keep audiences "laughing and engaged through multiple listens"; the well-executed musical scores are a boon to the production. (LJ 11/1/10)
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