The warm embrace of Jot Davies's resonant baritone and his vivid characterizations make Natasha Pulley's masterful historical novel an addictive and memorable listening experience. Inspired by an actual nuclear explosion and subsequent cover-up in 1950s Soviet Russia, the story follows nuclear radiation expert Valery Kolkhanov, who is transferred from imprisonment in a gulag to study radiation poisoning in an isolated city. As Valery works to uncover the truth in a world built on lies and fear, Davies's cashmere voice comforts even as it lures listeners deep into the tense plot. The characters are complex, and Davies effectively explores them with believable accents and tonal shifts. And when love blooms along with terror, he gentles his voice to an ache that will make you long for more.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2022
Duration: 12 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this fascinating coming-of-age portrait, Thomas Black Bull's journey from the child, Bear's Brother, to the fearsome rodeo rider, Killer Tom Black, is painted with compassion and insight. Forced to learn the White Man's ways, Tom reaches adulthood consumed by rage. Read with great vigor by Norman Dietz, the recording bursts with the energy of rodeo circuit and transports the listener to the southwest. The accurate portrayal of Tom's Ute ancestry and way of life, the sorrow and frustration of losing his heritage, and his angry retaliation at the world make this an excellent listening choice for adults and teenagers. It would also be a wonderful addition to high school units on the Native American experience.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George S. Irving adopts Patrick McManus's characters with gusto. Sit back and listen to yarn after yarn. Irving relishes each story, whether it's fishing stories, such as "Claw of the Sea-Puss" or "To Filet or Not to Filet," or the escapades with McManus's wary but vulnerable neighbors. Irving has the jocular chuckle down pat, and the low comedy satire comes off without a hitch. Listeners can imagine Irving tipping back a chair at the country store swapping lies with cronies and entertaining any comers with these hilarious tales. His repertoire of more than eight collections of McManus stories encourages this kind of ownership!
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: DH Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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