Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes

By Janna Stam

The Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes podcast has already explored some of the best popular nonfiction in over 100 episodes. Hosted by Janna, we review writing style, narration, production, and the ov... more

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FAQs about Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes:

How many episodes does Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes have?

The podcast currently has 107 episodes available.

Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes episodes:

September 29, 2020 Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. Sapolsky, read by Michael Goldstrom
“You don’t have to choose between being scientific and being compassionate.” -- Robert M. Sapolsky
Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky is a Professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University and Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Stanford's School of Medicine. He is also a research associate at the Institute of Primate Research operated by the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi and a recipient of a MacArthur genius fellowship. His teaching awards include Stanford University's Bing Award for Teaching Excellence and an award for outstanding teaching from the Associated Students of Stanford University.
Overall, I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to better understand the neuroscience and biology behind behavioural and social psychology and put it into both contemporary and historic context. If you’re like me, you might want to consider having a hard copy to highlight and stick notes in, because Sapolsky covers so much ground.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35428942-behave (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35428942-behave)
YouTube: https://youtu.be/A0HvUGCucic (https://youtu.be/A0HvUGCucic)
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by https://www.sessions.blue/ (Blue Dot Sessions)
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Spotify
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7min
September 15, 2020 Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, read by Robin Miles
Has public conversation about racism stalled because we’re limited by the language we use? In Caste, Isabel Wilkerson sets out to reframe how we think about and discuss systemic and structural racism.
“Of all the books I’ve chosen for book club over the decades, there isn’t another that is more essential a read than this one." – Oprah Winfrey, Oprah's Book Club pick
Isabel Wilkerson is an American writer and the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer prize. She was also presented with the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama, and she is considered a leading figure in narrative nonfiction. She’s also the author of The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, published in 2010
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54918685-caste (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54918685-caste)
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by https://www.sessions.blue/ (Blue Dot Sessions)
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Spotify
...more
8min
September 08, 2020 What Does it Take to Record & Produce an Audiobook? A Conversation with Narrator Michael Bafuma
Healthcare professional, musician, and actor Michael Bafuma sought new creative outlets during the Covid-19 shutdown, so he decided to try his hand at audiobook recording through ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange platform). In this extended interview episode, Mike reveals how he got started, his favourite performance aspects of narration, audiobook titles he recommends, and how recording an audiobook is akin to a marathon (not a sprint)!
Contact Michael Bafuma on Twitter @michaelbafuma
Michael Bafuma ACX profile (Audiobook Creation Exchange platform)
Audio sample from Audible.ca: Mad Wanderings of a Lost Mind: COVID-19 Quarantine and Its Effects on Sanity by Patrick Meservier, narrated by Michael Bafuma
Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes website
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions
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49min
September 01, 2020 Favourite Fiction Highlights: Tana French, genre-busting master of psychological suspense
This episode goes out to all the listeners who asked me to review fiction on the Audiobook Reviews in 5 Podcast! Tana French is one of my favourite living fiction writers; her mastery of psychological suspense has me hooked (in this episode I reveal the only fiction audiobook title I’ve listened to THREE times, because it’s THAT good). The voice actors who narrate Tana French audiobook titles make the characters come alive – you may find yourself starting to speak in an Irish accent after listening to these (consider yourself warned, "old son").
If you're already a Tana French fan, you're probably counting down the days until her next novel, The Searcher, is published October 6, 2020.
Tana French Goodreads author page.
Audio samples from Audible.ca
The Likeness by Tana French: Narrated by Grainne Gillis
The Witch Elm: A Novel by Tana French: Narrated by Paul Nugent
Broken Harbour by Tana French: Narrated by Hugh Lee
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue).
...more
13min
August 25, 2020 The Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self and Relationship, written and read by David Whyte
Have the events of 2020 made you redefine or question the concept of work-life balance? According to David Whyte, the concept of striving to find balance between our personal and work lives is a case of misapplying and misunderstanding how we relate to the world and to ourselves. David Whyte is an English poet known for his work and speaking engagements in the business world focused on exploring the conversational nature of reality.
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions (http://www.sessions.blue/ (www.sessions.blue)).
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7min
August 24, 2020 Bonus Episode: Ask Me Anything (AMA) #1
In this bonus podcast episode, I answer listener questions about why I don’t include ratings with my reviews, how I identify great listens for future reviews, and the challenges of reviewing fiction.
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Peacetime by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue).
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7min
August 17, 2020 Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War by Max Hastings and read by Simon Vance
Sir Max Hastings is an author, journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in every British national newspaper. He has published twenty-six books, and rumour has it that he rises at 5 a.m. and writes 2,000 words before breakfast – every day.
Catastrophe 1914 amounts to about 25 hours of listening, and bear in mind that it only covers the lead-up to the war, and the war’s first few months. Knowing that, you might expect this audiobook to plod along, but Hastings is a master storyteller (as is legendary audiobook narrator Simon Vance). Even if you only have a passing interest in military history and trivia, there’s a chance you’ll enjoy this immensely, and if you’re like me and read about the world wars as a hobby, you’re in for a real treat. As a special note, I’d like to thank John, an Audiobook fan from Reddit (DeadParrot78), for recommending this title!
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions (http://www.sessions.blue/ (www.sessions.blue)).
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7min
August 10, 2020 Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City by Fang Fang, read by Emily Woo Zeller
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the epicenter of the COVID pandemic? Fang Fang is the pen name of a 64-year-old Wuhan novelist and poet who wrote 60 posts in 60 days between Jan. 23 and April 7 on WeChat, described as China's "app for everything" and Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Her posts attracted more than 380 million views while she was quarantined in Wuhan, along with the rest of the city. I recommend you listen to the afterward by translator Michael Berry before you listen to or read the rest of Fang’s book.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54271827-wuhan-diary
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue).
...more
7min
August 03, 2020 Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper
Dr. Brittney Cooper is an associate professor of women's and gender studies and Africana studies at Rutgers University in the United States. She is a co-founder of the Crunk Feminist Collective and co-editor of the collection of essays of the same title, which explore intersectionality, African-American culture, and hip-hop feminism. This audiobook highlights the bigotry of American feminist movements that center on whiteness, as well as the anti-racism movements that perpetuate problematic systems of patriarchy and male aggression.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39988558-eloquent-rage (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39988558-eloquent-rage)
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions (http://www.sessions.blue/ (www.sessions.blue)).
...more
7min
July 27, 2020 Life's Work: A Moral Argument for Choice by Dr. Willie Parker, with Lisa Miller and read by Caz Harleaux
This title intrigued me because Dr. Willie Parker seems like an unlikely champion of reproductive justice, yet in many ways, his lived experience is what makes his perspective uniquely insightful – and his words all the more persuasive. What impressed me the most about this audiobook was how succinctly Parker captures distinct and seemingly unrelated experiences and aligns them for meaningful and poignant impact to listeners and readers. As Parker himself says, “The best advocacy is always storytelling: the truth of people’s lives is what moves hearts.”
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33506542-life-s-work (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33506542-life-s-work)
Audio production by Graham Stephenson
Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions (http://www.sessions.blue/ (www.sessions.blue)).
...more
7min

FAQs about Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes:

How many episodes does Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes have?

The podcast currently has 107 episodes available.