READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN is a literary and audio masterpiece. The book is Azar Nafisi’s brilliant, evocative, chilling, and highly literary memoir of life as a woman in Iran under the current repressive government. Although Nafisi focuses on the secret meetings at her home with several female former students, during which they read and discuss banned works of Western literature, the book is also a portrait of a life of fear and optimism at a time when hope is elusive. Lisette Lecat’s reading is magnificent. She reads with an elegance and authenticity that permit listeners to feel as though they are also in Nafisi’s home. In addition, Lecat handles with ease and authority the passages in which Nafisi explains the intricacies of many works of literature. Nafisi’s memoir is destined to become a classic.
Pub Date: 2004
Duration: 18 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Nashville actor, comedian, and activist Tyler Merritt performs this rollicking account of his treatment for cancer and the life lessons it provoked. Full of spontaneous asides and unscripted conversations with his producer, co-writer, and others, the soundscape is enormously entertaining. Merritt's vocal theatrics are outrageous and often funny but, for most listeners, will not upstage his humanity and wisdom. His message, a rich combination of insights about himself and the world around him, will be deeply satisfying for a wide range of listeners. The lessons he learned from confronting a life-threatening illness will remind listeners that time is precious and that we can enjoy life's richness best when we confront threats in our lives and are honest about the emotions that arise from such challenges.
Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668647011
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
As eminent physicists born in the 1940s, authors Lightman and Rees must be troubled by the erosion of public confidence in science. This audiobook examines the nature of scientific thinking. Christopher Grove's narration is well suited to the authors' message that scientists are real human beings with diverse backgrounds, personalities, motivations, and goals. The production also features profiles of individual scientists that seem to be aimed at young listeners who are considering careers in science. These are presented as sidebars featuring giants such as physicist Werner Heisenberg and cytogeneticist Barbara McClintock. Grove handles all aspects of the production with a voice that is welcoming and conversational.
Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217165384
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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