by Elaine Sciolino ; read by Lynn Bradford ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 8, 2025
Narrator Lynn Bradford's steady pace and clear voice allow this detailed analysis of the most popular and most misunderstood museum in the world to shine. Paris' Louvre houses iconic works such as the MONA LISA and the WINGED VICTORY OF SAMOTHRACE--yet its name's origin remains a mystery. Once a fortress and then a royal palace, the Louvre became a public museum after the French Revolution. Bradford's moderation reflects this work's conversational tone and relatable descriptions of navigating the Louvre's vast space and many works. Integrating art historians' insights with pop culture references, the audiobook captures the feeling of awe one experiences while visiting, which is punctuated by Bradford's well-timed pauses and emphatic tones. Bradford's narration is perfect for this blend of investigative journalism, history, and memoir.
Pub Date: April 8, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781696619172
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Olivia Laing ; read by Tilda Swinton & Olivia Laing ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2026
Swinton’s magnetic performance of this 10th anniversary edition adds meaningfully to the legacy of Laing’s...
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Tilda Swinton is a joy to listen to in this homage to loneliness and paean for intimacy. Laing’s landmark work of unconventional art history proves to be as relevant as it was in 2016, if not more so, in an increasingly atomized, post-pandemic world where many, if not most, social interactions happen through our phones. Loneliness, in Laing’s eyes, is not a singular experience, and certainly not a moral failing, but a fact of human nature. Swinton’s clean, polished tone is subtly compassionate to the very real, relatable sufferings of the profiled urbanite artists. This account of our saddest human state is full of rich, hopeful detail.
Swinton’s magnetic performance of this 10th anniversary edition adds meaningfully to the legacy of Laing’s magnum opus.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 37 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250442710
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
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by Serena Kutchinsky ; read by Serena Kutchinsky ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026
Kutchinsky shares an honest exploration of the highs and lows of her family’s story.
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British journalist Kutchinsky narrates her family’s history—from the late-19th-century arrival of her Russian Jewish great-great-grandparents to East London’s slums up through the early 21st century, when their successful jewelry dynasty, under her father’s leadership, collapsed. Her extensive journalistic skills took her on a 13-year odyssey as she researched the family’s story and carefully separated myth from reality to understand her father’s obsession with creating and marketing a gold- and diamond-studded egg and how it destroyed a business and shattered a family. Her British accent gives a unique sound to her story.
Kutchinsky shares an honest exploration of the highs and lows of her family’s story.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668120897
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
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