Hanako Footman performs this feel-good novel about Chef Negare and his daughter, Kioshi, who run the Kamogawa Diner in Kyoto. Together, they are the Kamogawa Food Detectives, who track down lost recipes from their clients' pasts. In each chapter, they handle a new case in which a client comes to them looking for a unique dish made with exact ingredients. Footman's narration captures the cozy atmosphere and heartwarming tone of the novel as the father-daughter duo go to great lengths to re-create the lost dishes. Footman excels at performing the descriptions of the delicious food featured in the novel as she highlights every mouthwatering morsel, including dishes like ramen, nori ben, and ten don.
Pub Date: 2024
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593863879
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrated by an ensemble cast, this audiobook explores the lives, successes, failures, and frailties of a half-dozen friends from the early 2000s to 2024. The novel's narrators are all talented and capture the millennial characters' struggles well. Jill Paice performs Mia, a writer who is the only single person in the group, with fine tempo and pacing while conveying her angsty tone. Santino Fontana is equally impressive as the brilliant Marco, and Christian Barillas nails the complex alcoholic Richie. The stories unfold during a series of parties, events, and celebrations (New Year's, wedding, birthday, Halloween, funeral) that reveal the characters' issues and relationships over their two decades since graduating from Penn. A meaningful look at millennial lifestyles and a worthwhile listen.
Pub Date: 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797194356
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Deepa Samuel's narration brings steadiness and emotional clarity to this story of the longstanding friendship between Ruchi and Deepa, who are shaped by class, migration, and unspoken longing. Samuel softly portrays the girls' intimate friendship during their Indian school days. Samuel's voice gradually deepens as the narrative moves into adulthood and the pressures of marriage, motherhood, and resettlement in suburban Connecticut. Samuel's pacing allows the evolving tension between the women to surface naturally, especially as jealousy, obligation, and affection collide across decades. Subtle tonal adjustments distinguish private interior moments from scenes of family and community life. Samuel's attentive performance supports the novel's exploration of devotion, distance, consequence, and friendship.
Pub Date: 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781639737871
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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