Finding the Voice

Finding the Voice

From Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews by Kirkus Audiobook Reviews

June 11, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 1923

About this episode

Host Jo Reed discusses three diverse audiobooks with contributor Leslie Fine, highlighting the impact of narration on storytelling.

Host Jo Reed talks with contributor Leslie Fine about three audiobooks that range from memoir to thriller to literary biography. They begin with Unread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) To Read on TikTok by Oliver James, where narrator James Shippy brings warmth and enthusiasm to the author’s account of achieving literacy as an adult and discovering the enduring pleasures of books. Then, they turn to Tiffany Crum’s This Story Might Save Your Life. Driven by the energetic, emotionally layered narration of Julia Whelan and Sean Patrick Hopkins, its use of podcast clips, voicemail messages, and layered audio production heightens a suspenseful missing-person mystery. And they end with Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer; Molly Ringwald’s warm, quietly authoritative narration guides listeners through the career of an author whose books have shaped generations of readers. Together, these audiobooks prove that the right narrator can turn a good story into an irresistible listen. Audiobooks Discussed: Unread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) To Read on TikTok by Oliver James, read by James Shippy (Hachette Audio) This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum, read by Julia Whelan…

People in this episode

Host: Jo Reed

Guest: Leslie Fine

Topics covered

  • audiobooks
  • narration
  • memoir
  • thriller
  • literary biography
  • suspense
  • reading

Keywords

  • audiobooks
  • narration
  • memoir
  • thriller
  • literary biography
  • suspense
  • reading

Sponsors

HarperCollins Focus, HarperCollins Christian Publishing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hachette Audio, Macmillan Audio, Penguin Random House Audio

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