A powerful portrayal of queer Black history elevated by an immersive and emotionally captivating performance.
Narrator Jelani Alladin transports listeners to 1950s Hollywood in this character-driven historical drama. The story unfolds through the perspective of Aaron Toussaint, a fixer tasked with keeping scandal away from the stars of Skyline Studio. Aaron and one of the studio’s biggest stars, Xavier C. Barlow, must carefully navigate the industry as queer Black men in a deeply restrictive era. Alladin vividly captures the complexities of their relationships, marked by secrecy, vulnerability, and heartbreak as they struggle to live authentically. Years later, following Xavier’s death at the height of his fame, Aaron sets out to uncover the truth behind Xavier’s untimely death.
A powerful portrayal of queer Black history elevated by an immersive and emotionally captivating performance.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 23 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250445643
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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