behold the dreamers
by imbolo mbue random house audio. full, 12 1/4 hours
You are reading: Best books on tape 2016
Set in New York in the inauspicious years of 2007-2009, this heartwarming, often funny novel revolves around Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant who finds a job driving for a Lehmann Brothers hotshot. it’s a big step for jende, who wholeheartedly embraces america despite her difficulties and her precarious status as a resident. Prentice Onayemi reads the general narration in a standard American accent, easily switching to Cameroonian to capture the cadence and spirit of Jende, his wife, and his friends. She changes register completely to the wall street executive, giving us the sharp and peremptory voice of the toughest and most self-centered boss.
Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary
by joe jackson
black stone. full, 21 hours
No other biography of the black moose matches the depth, breadth, and color of Joe Jackson’s harrowing tale of the elder Sioux and his people. covers a large part of Native American history from the birth of the black elk to the little big horn through the wounded knee and into the 20th century, recounting the development of the black elk from a near-death vision to its gift for prophecy, healing. and Teaching Traber Burns reads the book superbly, with a practical pace and clarity, distinguishing between text, dialogue, and quotation with subtle modulation. he executes the many indigenous names and expressions gracefully, doing justice throughout a great book.
excellent women
by barbara pym
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black stone. full, 8¾ hours
oh, happy day! One of Barbara Pym’s subtly comedic novels has finally been produced in an audio version. pym has been called heiress to jane austen, her remarks have a similar undertone of perverse irony. “Excellent Women,” first published in 1952, finds its center in Mildred, a middle-aged daughter of a deceased clergyman, now reduced to living in rented rooms with shared bathrooms, a point of intermittent little drama. the rivalries in an Anglican parish and between a group of anthropologists feed the plot in which presumption, hypocrisy, masculine forgetfulness and feminine schadenfreude are generously distributed. Jayne Entwistle tells Mildred’s story in a proper, well-mannered English voice, reticent, accommodating, sometimes surprised, making this production a perfect joy.
world news
by paulette jiles audio brilliance. full, 6 hours
It’s 1870, and a girl, Johanna, who was captured by Kiowa Indians years before, is freed and must be transported across Texas to live with relatives. The task is taken over by Captain Kidd, an aging veteran of several wars, now a “newsreader” who gives public presentations by reading the big city newspapers. Grover Gardner gives a truly inspired performance reading this story of adventure, suspense and jokes, some parts so hilarious they make the listener laugh out loud. Gardner jumps back and forth between Johanna and Kidd, capturing the rhythm of the conversation, his growing command of English and his growing enthusiasm, and his occasional exasperation.
the tunnel of the pigeons: stories of my life
by john le carré
penguin audio. full, 11½ hours
john le carré offers a virtuoso reading of his own memoirs, a compilation of episodes from a varied life. le carré’s natural voice has a dark wooden timbre and his mood ranges from friendly to indignant and melancholic. though he avoids most of the details of his personal life, he treats us to tasty morsels of internal dope, as well as his father’s hair-raising adventures into bankruptcy and imposture. Le Carré shows himself to be a master of impersonation, giving wonderful versions of Margaret Thatcher, Yasser Arafat, Foreign Office Pooh-Bahs, miscellaneous Russians and other exotics. some readers expected more from the book, but more is precisely what this production offers, a wonderfully engaging voice dimension.
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Featured Fiction Books of 2016
Featured Nonfiction Books of 2016
best science fiction and fantasy books of 2016
best mysteries and thrillers of 2016
best poetry collections of 2016
best romance novels of 2016
best memories of 2016
best children’s and youth books of 2016
best graphic novels of 2016
the great literary novelties of 2016
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