Tavia Gilbert demonstrates the value of a skilled professional as she narrates what might easily have been a wandering and disconnected work. In a series of brief chapters, NEW YORK TIMES book critic Michiko Kakutani picks her 100+ favorite books "to read and reread," a solid and eclectic list with a number of surprises. The listings are alphabetical by author, and the sequences often wildly mismatched. But Gilbert's expert timing and vocal shading bring purpose and direction, highlighting the author's sharp insights and abiding enthusiasm for good books of every kind. Kakutani effectively sums up each book's unique character and appeal, and listeners will be sure to add a half dozen or more fresh titles to their listening lists before they've finished.
Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593394960
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Inspiring collections of Angelou reading her poetry. These selections showcase Angelou's smooth, lyrical voice and her warm vitality. Her innate rhythm celebrates her verse and offers the poems to listeners as they should be remembered. Occasionally Angelou comments between the selections, and occasionally she interjects a resonant laugh.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Told from a modern perspective by an accomplished narrator, this well-researched history is insightful and provocative.
Thom Rivera’s steady, fluent narration illuminates this epic tale of folly and delusion. Like all of history's most iconic tales, the Spanish conquistadores’ quest for the fabled seven cities of gold proves less tidy and more interesting when told in detail. For the listener, even with an accompanying PDF, that richness comes with a daunting accumulation of proper names and a far more complicated narrative. Rivera handles these challenges with ease and subtle impact. His narration is steady and pleasing to the ear. Foreknowledge shadows this evocation of an unspoiled continent and its thriving Indigenous communities—soon to be plundered and enslaved.
Told from a modern perspective by an accomplished narrator, this well-researched history is insightful and provocative.Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 33 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063383913
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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