Literary puns, clever wordplay, silly jokes, and a liberal scattering of references to all genres of fiction are tangled together in the sixth title in the Thursday Next series. Narrator Emily Gray faces the unusual challenge of bringing alive the written Thursday Next who is investigating the disappearance of the real Thursday Next. The written Thursday Next has a different nature than her namesake, which is evident by the author’s characterization and supported by a subtle change in Gray’s narration style. The combination of romp through a fantasy world and top-notch delivery ensures an entertaining listen with laugh-out-loud moments as an utterly absurd world is presented as if it were totally logical.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2011
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 1449846750
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A heartfelt story about the importance of libraries in everyone's life.
Anyone who has ever had a beloved local library will love this fantastical story about saving one. When the Foxhollow Bay town council questions the library's relevance, head librarian Claire must find a way to prove its worth. She discovers a hidden door, behind which are books made up of patrons' memories. One contains the memories of an artist sketching various images of a bridge. Will this room help Claire save the library? Charithra Chandran’s performance adds emotion and depth. Villains sound squeaky or rough, while friends sound rich and rounded. Chandran brings extra texture to her narration with derisive snorts and incredulous chuckles.
A heartfelt story about the importance of libraries in everyone's life.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 44 mins
DD ISBN: 9781464297250
Publisher: Sourcebooks Audio
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2027
Intricate, textured weirdness rewards listeners throughout this sprawling, gloriously strange epic.
Colin Mace and Emma Spurgin Hussey narrate a generations-spanning tale of grief, conspiracy, and horror that takes its haunting premise deadly seriously. Hussey voices Maur, desolate after her son's mysterious death and desperate for answers, with a restrained intimacy, tracking her slide from mourning into obsession through shifts in pace and breath. Mace brings weathered gravel to Allerdyce, a veteran undeterred by the grim, often gross underbelly of those answers, letting long silences land before revelations. The author's interjections add an eerie texture. Both narrators keep the dense, allusive prose clear across a century of violence, building dread without tipping into melodrama.
Intricate, textured weirdness rewards listeners throughout this sprawling, gloriously strange epic.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 40 hrs, 43 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217020959
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
