Kimberly Farr has had a long and distinguished career as an actor on stage and screen and as a celebrated audiobook narrator. A gifted performer with an impressive range, Kimberly has brought characters and stories to life, in fiction and nonfiction alike. Whether it’s Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge novels, Joan Didion’s essays, the biography of Julia Child, or the poetry of Mary Oliver, Kimberly captures their voices with rare clarity, nuance, and a deep understanding of language. So it’s no surprise that AudioFile named her a 2025 Golden Voice narrator. In this bonus episode, host Jo Reed and Kimberly Farr speak about Kimberly’s path to audiobook work and what it means to inhabit every voice on the page.

Read reviews of Kimberly Farr’s audiobooks on AudioFile’s website

Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing , publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Bob Goff, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and so many more! 

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Golden Voice Bahni Turpin's performance takes listeners to that time in the early 1990s when the world was changing and the latest alternative rock bands were everything. Jane meets burgeoning rock star Elijah in an Internet chat room, a connection that leads to a deep professional and personal bond. They form The Lightning Bottles and amass a devoted fan base, with Jane providing the backbone of their hits. Join AudioFile’s Stephen Cummings and host Jo Reed as they discuss Turpin’s narration, which provides listeners with a soundscape capturing the spirit of the time. Read our review of the audiobook at our website 

Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website . Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Bob Goff, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and so many more!

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Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Stephen Cummings agree that music enthusiasts will enjoy this debut audiobook, invitingly narrated by Jayme Mattler. The story is part slow-burn romance and part new adult fiction. In the early 2000s, Berkeley students Percy and Joe meet at a campus bar. Joe is fascinated by Percy's strong opinions on music and asks her to help him with his songwriting. After their collaboration, Joe's indie music career takes off, but he fails to give her songwriting credit. Mattler skillfully draws listeners into this story of romance, ambition, and identity. Read our review of the audiobook at our website.  Published by Random House Audio

Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website

Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Bob Goff, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and so many more!

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Profanity seems to be the only way to adequately describe the outrageous behavior of a classmate of Florence’s 10-year-old son, Dylan. Narrator Georgina Sadler’s resigned matter-of-fact delivery sets a hilariously irreverent tone in this addictive listen, says AudioFile’s Stephen Cummings and host Jo Reed. Just as it seems there might finally be an opening for Florence to revive the pop band career of her youth, Dylan’s classmate goes missing. When Dylan is identified as a suspect, Florence must juggle her dream of stardom with tackling the mystery. Listeners will savor every minute of this dynamic narration. Read our review of the audiobook at our website 

Published by Penguin Audio

Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website

Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Bob Goff, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and so many more!

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⁠Host Jo Reed is joined by AudioFile’s Stephen Cummings, who dives into this absorbing look at contemporary Namibian life. Loosely threaded together into "A" and "B" sides, like a mixtape, the material has a natural rhythm. Anthony Oseyemi portrays the brash writer-on-the-make voice of the "A-side," which recounts how his dreams of becoming a successful writer were confounded by his struggles with women. The "B-side" provides the compelling backbone to the audiobook's themes of growth and survival. 

Read our review of the audiobook at our website . Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.

Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website

Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Bob Goff, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and so many more!

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Vikas Adam is one of the most dynamic and skilled audiobook narrators working today, with a voice that brings dragons, detectives, and deeply human characters to life. His talent behind the mic has set him apart in the field and has earned him a place as one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices. As actor, director, and teacher, Vikas brings a deep well of theatrical experience and empathy to every performance. He effortlessly voices a host of accents and easily shifts between genders, whether he’s narrating a sprawling fantasy series, a poignant family story, or a complex historical narrative. In this bonus episode, host Jo Reed and Vikas Adam discuss his approach to narration, theatrical roots, and how he builds such distinctive and believable characters. Read reviews of Vikas Adam’s audiobooks on AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Bob Goff, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and so many more!

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Narrator Matt Godfrey evokes a dark mood in this Appalachian thriller set in Eastern Kentucky.  AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester and host Jo Reed discuss the way crime boss Burl Spoon’s world is turned upside down. Spoon built his business empire by becoming the top cannabis seller in Jackson County. He thinks he has everything under control, until his daughter relapses into drug addiction and goes missing. Godfrey delivers the perfect Kentucky accent and maintains the story’s tension throughout. Read our review of the audiobook at our website

  Published by Dreamscape

Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website

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Vera Wong is back, bringing with her characters from Sutanto’s previous audiobook, along with a host of new suspects and friends. Narrator Eunice Wong’s attention to pitch and pacing perfectly re-creates the voices of Vera’s original community while fashioning a new set of personalities, young and old. Join host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester as they discuss the second audiobook in the series, featuring the 60-year-old Chinese mother and self-styled super sleuth, which is just as entertaining and thought-provoking as the first.

Read our review of the audiobook at our website

Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website

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Traci Kato-Kiriyama’s delivery of this memoir about life and reading matches its deeply personal subject matter with an introspective tone. Kato-Kiriyama gives equal weight to the author’s reflections on her academic career; personal struggles, including breakdowns and identity issues; and literary encounters. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss how Kato-Kiriyama maximizes the author’s discussion of specific books. As Kato-Kiriyama’s delivery supports the emotional weightiness of these explorations, fans of memoirs will enjoy an engaging and layered listening experience. Read our review of the audiobook at our website 

Published by Random House Audio.

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Heidi Franklin narrates this queer romance with emotional depth and chemistry in every spicy scene. Newly single serial dater, Taylor Cameron, makes a bet with her best friend that she won’t sleep with anyone until the end of the summer. Enter Avery Jensen, an also newly single woman looking to venture into dating women for the first time. Taylor offers to tutor Avery in flirting lessons, and the rest is history. Join AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester and host Jo Reed as they kick off the week with this romance pick.

Read our review of the audiobook at our website: 

https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/270540/ 

Published by Penguin Audio.

Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/  

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