Column

Full Review

The whole listen, start to finish, with the writing and the narration scored apart.

In Full Review

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil Review: Two Different Books

V. E. Schwab, narrated by Julia Whelan, Katie Leung, Marisa Calin

Stunning sentences, not much momentum, and a three-narrator audiobook that is the better way in. Which of those two readers you are decides everything.

Writing: 3.5
Narration: 4.5

18 hr 26 min

Full ReviewNarrative Nonfiction

Emergency Review: The Best-Written of the Four

Neil Strauss

The highest writing score of his four, a 5. An audiobook exists and it is abridged, but I have only read this one, so there is no narration score here.

Writing: 5.0
Narration: not heard

432 pages

Full ReviewNarrative Nonfiction

Everyone Loves You When You're Dead Review: The One With No Audiobook

Neil Strauss

Five hundred pages of interview fragments from his years as a music journalist, scored 4.5. There is no audiobook of it at all, which is a strange absence for a book made of people talking.

Writing: 4.5
Narration: not heard

507 pages

Full ReviewLiterary & Contemporary

Great Big Beautiful Life Review: Margaret Is the Reason

Emily Henry, narrated by Julia Whelan

Two books stapled together, and the historical half is the better one. Whether that suits you decides everything.

Writing: 4.0
Narration: 4.5

12 hr 3 min

Full ReviewNarrative Nonfiction

The Truth Review: A Nine-Voice Memoir That Works

Neil Strauss, narrated by Neil Strauss, with Ione Skye, Jessica Sattelberger, Justin Gunn, Adele Jacques, Mem Kennedy, Carola Madis, Leah Cevoli and John Runnette

The only unabridged Strauss audiobook, read by a cast of nine rather than by him alone. A full cast on a memoir sounds like it should not work. Writing 4.5, narration 4.

Writing: 4.5
Narration: 4.0

16 hr 50 min

Full ReviewNarrative Nonfiction

The Game Neil Strauss Audiobook Review: What the Cut Costs

Neil Strauss, narrated by Neil Strauss

Writing 4.0, narration 3.5, and the gap between them is the edition. The only audiobook is abridged, it cuts the field reports, and it does not announce itself.

Writing: 4.0
Narration: 3.5

9 hr 27 min

Full ReviewBusiness & Money

The 4-Hour Work Week Review: What Still Holds Up, and What to Skip

Timothy Ferriss

Read it, and skip about a third. The first third is the reason to bother; AI has overtaken the rest.

Writing: 4.0
Narration: not heard

448 pages

Full ReviewFantasy & Sci-Fi

Project Hail Mary Audiobook Review: Why Ray Porter's Narration Is the Definitive Edition

Andy Weir, narrated by Ray Porter

Listen to this one. Ray Porter's narration is the definitive edition, and the film can only show you about two-thirds of why the book works.

Writing: 4.0
Narration: 5.0

16 hr 10 min