by Carol Matthau ; Read by Carol Matthau ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
Carol Matthau epitomizes a glamour and lifestyle not associated with the 1990's. Here is a life of privilege, tragedy and worry about what friends would think of her new frock or lover. Matthau possesses a voice and delivery that simply could not be improved on. In her coy whisper, she tells compelling stories involving everyone from William Saroyan (husband #1) and Truman Capote to Carson McCullers, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Walter Matthau (husband #2). This excellent audio presentation will leave you wanting to read the entire book to discover what juicy tidbits were left out.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: The Publishing Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Gayle Feldman ; Read by Lisa Flanagan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 13, 2026
More than 35 hours long, this comprehensive biography of Random House founder Bennett Cerf is equal to a workweek for many listeners. Cerf nurtured a roster of the 20th century's most consequential authors and was nationally known as a television panelist. His story is a fascinating panorama of American arts and society over 50 years, scrupulously researched but overburdened and slow. Listeners who've never heard of William Styron or Dorothy Kilgallen or the Famous Writers School will be fully educated here. Narrator Lisa Flanagan keeps a steady, unfussy pace that carries her listeners over the longueurs. But hers is a channel swim rather than a leisurely stroll through Central Park. This paunchy biography needed a stronger editorial hand.
Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 35 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217346448
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Jacob Soboroff ; Read by Jacob Soboroff ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 6, 2026
It underscores his unique role as one of the voices of a devastated community and its grief and loss—and endurance.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
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LA journalist Soboroff poses a question central to this audiobook: What can you say when the community you were born and raised in is wiped off the map? Soboroff’s firsthand reporting of the 2025 Pacific Palisades Fire that leveled his neighborhood has a singular resonance. As narrator he possesses a natural, unaffected voice, engaging to the ear, and his delivery is steady and empathetic. However, in describing this “wildfire in an urban setting,” he and many of the residents and firefighters he speaks with rely on the same awestruck generalities. Soboroff’s dedication reads, “For my fellow Angelenos.”
It underscores his unique role as one of the voices of a devastated community and its grief and loss—and endurance.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063467934
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
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