While Vanessa O'Brien didn't take up serious mountain climbing until her 40s, she roared into the record books as the first woman to complete the Explorers' Grand Slam--climbing the tallest peak on every continent and skiing to the North and South Poles--in less than a year. In a multilayered performance, narrator Vivienne Leheny encapsulates O'Brien's drive, guts, spirit, and wicked sense of humor. Leheny's delivery captures the fear of avalanches, the misery of high-altitude ailments, the frustration of failure, the exhilaration of reaching the top of Everest, and loads of self-deprecatory moments. A particular high point is Leheny's rhythmic chanting of "99 bottles of beer on the wall" as O'Brien trudges to the peak of Everest in the dark after losing her headlamp.
Pub Date: March 30, 2021
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781797107868
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This wide-ranging collection of Bourdain's work is a mixed success.
Legendary chef and world traveler Bourdain was an aspiring creative long before his rise to fame. This collection spans his works from as early as high school to his later writings, with which listeners will be more familiar. Editor Kimberly Witherspoon sets the tone with her introduction. Dion Graham, David Colacci, Kaleo Griffith, and Chris Patton round out the cast, along with archival recordings of Bourdain himself. Reading his own work, Bourdain is indubitably the standout, bringing to life his trademark approach to food and travel. The rest of the collection is uneven both in content and in narration; some early pieces, both fiction and nonfiction, are unpolished in their writing and overemoted in their narration.
This wide-ranging collection of Bourdain's work is a mixed success.Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs, 26 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062863980
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
A splendid narration of an engrossing story of the search for, and discovery of, a lost treasure.
Vikas Adam’s strong baritone is a good match for this well-told account of one man’s obsession with finding a lost Spanish galleon filled with treasure. In 1708, the San José sank in combat with the British off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. Roger Dooley, whose own story is quite fascinating, sought the wreck of this ship over nearly four decades and then, in 2015, finally found it at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet. Lawsuits regarding who gets to keep the fortune are still ongoing. Adam narrates with great confidence and with excellent expression throughout. His pacing is perfect, and he ably reads Spanish.
A splendid narration of an engrossing story of the search for, and discovery of, a lost treasure.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217165810
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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