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A PLACE IN THE WORLD

FINDING THE MEANING OF HOME

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Cassandra Campbell's melodious tone and deliberate pace seem created for the figurative language and lyricism of this audiobook. Campbell's eloquent intonation syncs beautifully with Mayes's philosophical musings on place, home, and family. Mayes built her considerable reputation as a memoirist by sharing her wanderlust and love of all things Tuscan, especially in her memoir UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. In this new work, her memories sail from her Southern roots to her passion for restoration, which is expressed when she creates a home in North Carolina and then another in Cortona, the Italian hill town where her now famed villa sits. The work includes fine asides on Southern writers and cucina povera (poor cooking). Campbell shares Mayes's recipes and soul-enhancing stories, while capturing her warm heart.

Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022

Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins

DD ISBN: 9780593634974

Publisher: Random House Audio

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026

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    NEPTUNE'S FORTUNE

    THE BILLION-DOLLAR SHIPWRECK AND THE GHOSTS OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE

    A splendid narration of an engrossing story of the search for, and discovery of, a lost treasure.

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    Vikas Adam’s strong baritone is a good match for this well-told account of one man’s obsession with finding a lost Spanish galleon filled with treasure. In 1708, the San José sank in combat with the British off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. Roger Dooley, whose own story is quite fascinating, sought the wreck of this ship over nearly four decades and then, in 2015, finally found it at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet. Lawsuits regarding who gets to keep the fortune are still ongoing. Adam narrates with great confidence and with excellent expression throughout. His pacing is perfect, and he ably reads Spanish.

    A splendid narration of an engrossing story of the search for, and discovery of, a lost treasure.

    Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026

    Duration: 12 hrs

    DD ISBN: 9798217165810

    Publisher: Random House Audio

    Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026

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      THE NINE LIVES OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

      As an audiobook author, historian Matthew Restall is spirited, witty, highly informed, and full of insights and revelations. As a narrator, he's more subdued, even a bit flat. But no matter. Restall's steady, evenhanded narration reenforces the balance and objectivity of his history of the "nine lives of Christopher Columbus." Over five centuries, Columbus has been hailed and reviled, a discoverer and a destroyer, one century symbolized as Columbia and paired with Washington on statuary, the next denounced for perpetuating the Spanish devastation of the New World. Restall's restraint keeps the focus on the historical processes at work, and on his richly layered portrait of Columbus. History is fluid, it seems, and malleable--something this well-researched, well-told history demonstrates.

      Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025

      Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins

      DD ISBN: 9798318519789

      Publisher: Tantor Media

      Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026

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