Wigtown—Scotland's officially designated “Book Town”—comes to listeners through author and shopkeeper Shaun Bythell and narrator Peter Kenny. Interweaving his personal life, observations of Wigtown's residents and bookshop visitors, and daily sales figures, Bythell's diary forms an engaging composite of his and his community's life throughout 2015. Kenny communicates the social interactions, as well as Bythell's often ironic declarations, with judicious pacing, incorporating the few footnotes without distracting listeners. A few of the people Bythell observes—a shop clerk, potential customers, those he visits to buy book stock—are given unique voices. Anyone who has been to Wigtown will find this listen thoroughly accurate; anyone who likes books will find it a pleasing virtual visit.
Pub Date: July 7, 2020
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781094178769
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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