June 2023 MBR The Audiobook Shelf

The Audiobook Shelf

Visionary: The Mysterious Origins of Human Consciousness
Graham Hancock, author/narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713631828, $29.99, MP3-CD (21 Hours 41 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/visionary-graham-hancock/1140141902

Synopsis: Less than 50,000 years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history" -- all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers. Humankind discovered the pathway to the gods.

In "Visionary:, Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious "before-and-after moment" and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to modern human mind. His quest takes him on a journey of adventure and detection from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain, and Italy to remote rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa, where he finds a treasure trove of extraordinary Stone Age art.

Hancock uncovers clues that lead him to travel to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful plant hallucinogen ayahuasca with Indian shamans, whose paintings contain images of "supernatural beings" identical to the animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves and rock shelters. Hallucinogens such as mescaline also produce visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other "dimensions."

Could the "supernaturals" first depicted in the painted caves and rock shelters be the ancient teachers of mankind? Could it be that human evolution is not just the "blind," "meaningless" process that Darwin identified, but something more purposive and intelligent, something that we have barely even begun to understand?

Critique: Previously published as "Supernatural" (2015), this new definitive edition of Visionary" includes a new Introduction by Graham Hancock as well as restored chapters that were omitted from the original paperback release. This complete and unabridged audio book from Brilliance Audio is deftly narrated by Hancock and will have a very special appeal to students and non-specialist general readers who are interest in anthropology, prehistory, and human evolution. It is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, college, and university library audio book collections.

Editorial Note: Graham Hancock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Hancock) is a British writer who promotes theories involving many ancient civilizations and lost lands. Hancock speculates that an advanced ice age civilization was destroyed in a cataclysm, but that its survivors passed on their knowledge to hunter-gatherers, giving rise to the earliest known civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica.

Scarlet Carnation
Laila Brahim, author
Bahni Turpin, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713651802, $14.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 56 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scarlet-carnation-laila-ibrahim/1140145941

Synopsis: It's 1915. May and Naomi are extended family, their grandmothers' lives inseparably entwined on a Virginia plantation in the volatile time leading up to the Civil War. For both women, the twentieth century promises social transformation and equal opportunity.

May, a young white woman, is on the brink of achieving the independent life she's dreamed of since childhood. Naomi, a nurse, mother, and leader of the NAACP, has fulfilled her own dearest desire: buying a home for her family. But they both are about to learn that dreams can be destroyed in an instant. May's future is upended, and she is forced to rely once again on her mother. Meanwhile, the white-majority neighborhood into which Naomi has moved is organizing against her while her sons are away fighting for their country.

In the tumult of a changing nation, these two women (whose grandmothers survived the Civil War) support each other's quest for liberation and dignity. Both find the strength to confront injustice and the faith to thrive on their chosen paths.

Critique: Set in an early twentieth-century America roiling with racial injustice, class divides, and WWI, two women fight for their dreams in author Laila Brahim's novel "Scarlet Carnation". Impressively performed by the truly exceptional and award-winning story telling skills of narrator Bahni Turpin, This complete and unabridged edition from Brilliance Audio is a perfect pick for personal and community library audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Laila Ibrahim (www.lailaibrahim.com) is also the author of Golden Poppies, Paper Wife, Mustard Seed, and Yellow Crocus. She spent much of her career as a preschool director, a birth doula, and a religious educator. That work, coupled with her education in developmental psychology and attachment theory, provided ample fodder for her novels.

Editorial Note #2: Bahni Turpin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahni_Turpin) is an American audiobook narrator and stage and screen actor based out of Los Angeles. She has won 9 Audie Awards, including Audiobook of the Year for Children of Blood and Bone; 14 Earphone Awards; and 2 Odyssey Awards. Turpin has also earned a place on AudioFile magazine's list of Golden Voice Narrators, and in 2016, she was named Audible's Narrator of the Year. In 2018, Audible inducted her into the Narrator Hall of Fame.

A Piece of Heaven
Barbara O'Neal, author
Raquel Beattie, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713645672, $14.99, MP3-CD (14 Hours 8 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-piece-of-heaven-barbara-oneal/1120664599

Synopsis: In the sun-baked hills of New Mexico, Luna McGraw has lived a lifetime of regrets, struggling to conquer the demons that destroyed her marriage and caused her to lose custody of her beloved daughter. But as Luna fights to rebuild a relationship with the troubled teenager, she remains haunted by images of her own childhood and the father she barely knew.

Strong and resilient as the houses he builds, Thomas Coyote comes into Luna's life one extraordinary night when his grandmother nearly dies while conjuring a fiery brew of spiritual enchantment. Luna does not need a man (especially one with a needy ex-wife) to complicate her fragile dreams of the future.

Yet their attraction pushes them both beyond reason into a place where there is only possibility. It will take more than passion to recover the tattered pieces of Luna's soul, more than time to forgive the sins of an offending husband, and more than promises to mend the broken heart of a child.

Critique: An original and deftly crafted story by Barbara O'Neal, "Piece of Heaven" is an irresistible novel full of colorful characters and lush settings of the American Southwest laid out in a brilliant tapestry of romance and magical realism. A complete and unabridged audio book edition from Brilliance Audio, "Piece of Heaven" is brilliantly narrated by Rawuel Beattle and is recommended as a favorite pick for both personal and community library audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Barbara O'Neal (www.barbaraoneal.com) is the author of more than a dozen award-winning, bestselling novels, including "When We Believed in Mermaids".

Editorial Note #2: Raquel Beattie (https://raquelbeattie.com), who also narrates as Allie Lake. speaks conversational Spanish and French. She can do a range of voices and select accents, including American Southern and Mexican. She has narrated over 85 books from her home studio..

No Rings Attached
Rachel Lacey, author
Zara Hampton-Brown, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713652014, $14.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 51 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-rings-attached-rachel-lacey/1140146883

Synopsis: Lia Harris is tired of being the odd one out. She's never quite fit in with her uptight family, and now that her roommates have all found love, she's starting to feel like a third wheel in her own apartment. Fed up with her mother's constant meddling in her love life, Lia drops hints about a girlfriend she doesn't have. But with her brother's London nuptials approaching, she needs to find a date to save face. Lia turns to her best friend, Rosie, for help, and Rosie delivers -- with the fun, gorgeous Grace Poston.

Grace loves to have a good time, hiding her insecurities behind a sunny smile. Her recent move to London has provided her with a much-needed fresh start. Grace isn't looking for love, and she hates weddings, having weathered more than her fair share of heartache. Friendships are different, though, so for Rosie's sake, she reluctantly agrees to pose as Lia's adoring girlfriend for the wedding festivities.

Both Grace and Lia are prepared for an awkward weekend, complete with prying family members and a guest room with only one bed. As it turns out, they get along well -- spectacularly, in fact. Before they know it, the chemistry they're faking feels all too real. But is their wedding weekend a fleeting performance or the rehearsal for a love that's meant to last?

Critique: "No Rings Attached" by author Rachel Lacey comes the second installment in her Ms. Right series. An original lesbian romance about a reluctant bookseller finding love in unexpected places, Deftly narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown, "No Rings Attached" will have a special attraction for those in the LGBTQ community and this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Brilliance Audio is especially commended for personal and community library collections.

Editorial Note: Rachel Lacey (www.RachelLacey.com) is an award-winning contemporary romance author who can be followed on Twitter @rachelslacey; and on FaceBook at Facebook.com/RachelLaceyAuthor. She has a newsletter for news and giveaways at: http://www.subscribepage.com/rachellaceyauthor

Editorial Note #2: Zara Hampton-Brown is a London based narrator who lives and breathes all things romance. She is consistently in the Bestseller lists on Audible, and enjoys nothing more than breathing life into a love story. https://podiumaudio.com/performer/zara-hampton-brown

Everything Must Go
Camille Pagan, author
Ready by Amy McFadden and Laural Merlington
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713656005, $24.99, MP3-CD (9 Hours 4 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everything-must-go-camille-pag-n/1140198884

Synopsis: Laine Francis believes there's a place for everything -- and New York (where her family lives), isn't her place. But no sooner does the professional organizer's marriage begin to unravel than her sisters drop another bomb on her -- their mother, Sally, may have dementia, and they need Laine to come home.

Laine agrees to briefly return to Brooklyn. After all, bringing order to chaos is what she does best. To Laine's relief, Sally seems no more absentminded than usual. So Laine vows to help her mother maintain her independence, then hightail it back to Michigan.

Except Laine's plans go awry when she runs into her former best friend, Ben, and realizes she finally has a chance to repair their fractured relationship. Then she discovers that memory loss isn't the only thing Sally's been hiding, forcing Laine to decide whether to reveal a devastating truth to her sisters -- and whether to follow her heart when it means breaking her mother's.

Critique: Brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience by the narrative talents of Amy McFadden and Laural Merlington, "Everything Must Go" is author Camille Pagan's warm, wry, and original novel about secrets, second chances, and the unbreakable bonds between mothers, daughters, and sisters. Highly recommended for both personal and community library audio book collections "Everything Muse Go" is a flawlessly produce, complete and unabridged audio book from Brilliance Audio.

Editorial Note #1: Camille Pagan (www.camillepagan.com) is the author of eight novels, including Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around, This Won't End Well, I'm Fine and Neither Are You, Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties, and Life and Other Near-Death Experiences, which has been optioned for film. Her work has also been published in the New York Times; O, The Oprah Magazine; Real Simple; Time; and many others.

Editorial Note #2: Amy McFadden (https://www.amymcfadden.com) Has been doing voice-over work for the last 10 years for commercials and industrial films ranging from FORD (Fusion), to The Great American Cookie Company.

Editorial Note #3: Laural Merlington (https://tantor.com/narrator/laural-merlington.html) has recorded well over one hundred audiobooks, and is the recipient of several AudioFile Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, and has also directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, Laural teaches college in her home state of Michigan.

Cleopatra's Dagger
Carole Lawrence, author
Kate Rudd, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713646778, $14.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 12 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cleopatras-dagger-carole-lawrence/1139960818

Synopsis: New York, 1880. Elizabeth van den Broek is the only female reporter at the Herald, the city's most popular newspaper. Then she and her bohemian friend Carlotta Ackerman find a woman's body wrapped like a mummy in a freshly dug hole in Central Park -- the intended site of an obelisk called Cleopatra's Needle. The macabre discovery takes Elizabeth away from the society pages to follow an investigation into New York City's darkest shadows.

When more bodies turn up, each tied to Egyptian lore, Elizabeth is onto a headline-making scoop more sinister than she could have imagined. Her reporting has readers spellbound, and each new clue implicates New York's richest and most powerful citizens. And a serial killer is watching every headline.

Now a madman with an indecipherable motive is coming after Elizabeth and everyone she loves. She wants a good story? She may have to die to get it.

Critique: The riveting story of a female journalist in nineteenth-century New York who must match wits with a serial killer, "Cleopatra's Dagger" by Carole Lawrence is a vivid murder mystery thriller that is superbly performed by the narrative skills of vocal actor and storyteller Kate Rudd. This complete and unabridged audio book from Brilliance Audio is a fine and recommended pick for community library audio book collections and the personal lists of fans historical mysteries featuring a female sleuth trying to catch a killer in spite of the misogyny that surrounds her in latter decades of the 19th Century.

Editorial Note #1: Carole Lawrence (http://www.celawrence.com) is an award-winning novelist, poet, composer, and playwright. Among her published works are eleven novels, six novellas, and dozens of short stories, articles, and poems, many of which appear in translation internationally. She is a two-time Pushcart Poetry Prize nominee and winner of the Euphoria Poetry Prize, the Eve of St. Agnes Poetry Award, the Maxim Mazumdar playwriting prize, the Jerry Jazz Musician award for short fiction, and the Chronogram Literary Fiction Award. She also writes under the names C. E. Lawrence and Carole Bugge

Editorial Note #2: Kate Rudd (https://www.kateruddreads.com) is the winner of 2013 Audie and Odyssey Awards for narration of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, and has been performing audiobooks for nearly a decade. A ten time Audiofile Magazine Earphones Award recipient, Kate's performances have garnered inclusion in Audiofile's Best Audiobooks of the Year 2012/2017/2018 and Best Voices of the Year 2012. She has narrated more than 450 titles across a variety of genres. She Kate here can be followed on: Twitter @katerudd

Murder in Florence
T. A. Williams
Boldwood Books
Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
BN ID: 2940178038390, $20.99, MP3-CD (6 Hours 42 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-florence-t-a-williams/1143244724

Synopsis: Life as a private investigator in the suburbs of Florence isn't always as glamorous as Dan Armstrong imagined it to be, until he is asked to investigate a recent spate of violent attacks on a Hollywood movie set in Florence. The star of the show, movie-star royalty Selena Gardner, fears her life is in imminent danger.

As Dan investigates, he discovers secrets and scandals are rife within the cast and crew. But with no actual murder, Dan believes these attacks could simply be warnings to someone -- until the first body is found.

Now Dan and his trusty sidekick Oscar are in a race against time to catch the murderer. But the more Dan uncovers, the more the killer strikes and Dan finds himself caught in the line of fire too! Is this one case Dan and Oscar will regret?

Critique: A fun cozy mystery set in Tuscany, "Murder In Florence" by T. A. Williams is a mystery buffs delight. Memorable characters, a plot with more twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster, and ably brought to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' listening experience with the storytelling talents of professional narrator Simon Mattachs, "Murder In Florence" is an openly and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: There is a website dedicated to listing all the published works of T. A. Williams at https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/t-a-williams

Editorial Note #2: Simon Mattacks (https://www.simonmattacks.com) has been a prominent voice over narrator for over 30 years working in adverts, cartoons, corporate videos, and video games.

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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review