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AMERICAN BUFFALO

IN SEARCH OF A LOST ICON

Buffalo nickel collectors, big-game hunters, and those who prefer their history doused in hegemonic romanticism will adore AMERICAN BUFFALO. If you believe the best way to learn about something is to shoot it, you won't be disappointed. Patrick Lawlor's nasal, excitable voice is an odd choice for a sport-hunting narrative, although his perky salesmanship makes the genocide of Native Americans and the annihilation of the Western ecosystem sound downright fun! So much so that the author shoots his own "buffalo" in remote Alaska. Not even Lawlor's undulating, infomercial-like inflections can animate the author's banal listing of obscure "buffalo" factoids or his stereotypical Alaskan experience. Lawlor flubs on some Alaskan geographical pronunciations, which is hardly noteworthy in comparison to Rinella's insistence on referring to bison as buffalo.

Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2008

Duration: 9 hrs

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026

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    THE FOREST YEAR

    FINDING HOPE IN A WORLD WORTH SAVING

    While Tapper is a hortatory narrator of his own work, his audiobook deserves to be heard.

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    Tapper’s hopeful tone separates this audiobook from gloomier environmental writing. According to Tapper, forests can be managed, species can be saved, and we can embrace the wonders that remain. While recognizing the loss of species and habitats and threats to the environment due to climate change and other factors, he points out how resilient trees and animals are. And he knows what he’s talking about. A longtime professional forester, Tapper is also a dedicated birder who restored 175 desolate acres in Vermont. He dubbed it Bear Island, and it’s now a thriving forest with an emerging orchard.

    While Tapper is a hortatory narrator of his own work, his audiobook deserves to be heard.

    Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026

    Duration: 8 hrs, 22 mins

    DD ISBN: 9781668660348

    Publisher: Hachette Audio

    Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026

    Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026

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      THE BUTTERFLY SEASON

      WHAT 64 BUTTERFLIES TAUGHT ME ABOUT NATURE'S GREAT MYSTERIES AND THE MEANING OF LIFE

      This gentle work celebrates the butterflies of Denmark and the beauty that is the natural world.

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      Like the subjects themselves, this catalog of Danish butterflies is a delicate and vocally colorful experience. Listeners expecting a kind of field guide to butterflies need to be prepared for much more. The author writes about the 64 species native to her home country of Denmark and her quest to see them all in one year, but the real focus is almost a love song to the beauty and wonder of the natural world. Ela Lee’s narration exactly suits the material. She keeps her voice soft but not somnolent. Her pace and tone allow the author’s words and emotions to sink in. A welcome addition to this audiobook would have been a PDF of the 64 hand-drawn illustrations of the butterflies themselves.

      This gentle work celebrates the butterflies of Denmark and the beauty that is the natural world.

      Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026

      Duration: 8 hrs, 41 mins

      DD ISBN: 9798217406722

      Publisher: Random House Audio

      Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2026

      Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2026

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