Narrator Julia Whelan infuses divorced, formerly successful artist Bennett Driscoll with all the bathos of a deeply depressed 50-something man in a midlife crisis. Bennett rents out his large home through AirBed and is an AirBed "Super Host." His renters--and his affair with a much younger bartender, Claire--become the catalysts for his recovery. Whelan fully develops New Yorker Alicia, alone and lonely in England; American artist Emma, whose OCD and absent husband leave her paranoid; Kirstie from Devon, whose sexy, friendly manner soothes Bennett; and no-nonsense Claire, who dreams of owning a bookstore. Whelan's unsentimental renderings highlight Bennett's attempts to understand the women in his life: his 20-something daughter, the ex- who left him, Claire, and the women renters. Whelan's performance offers hours of enjoyment.
Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593211694
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Despite Powers' strong performance, Diaz’s fans may be disappointed.
Narrator Imani Jade Powers puts her all into Diaz's first novel since his Pulitzer Prize, but the story’s emphasis on philosophy, physics, and politics over personality works against her. Powers maintains momentum through the driest sections, though it may be nearly impossible to put a great deal of passion into a speech about Heraclitean philosophy. The story is about a pincher (electricity thief) who gets involved with an orphan and a scientist possibly suffering from dementia. Nearly all the characters come from the same unnamed city, so accents are not an issue, but Powers clearly distinguishes characters and does what she can with the often restricted emotional ranges.
Despite Powers' strong performance, Diaz’s fans may be disappointed.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 48 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217406203
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2026
Aleman relates Rey’s story with humor, compassion, grumpiness, and authentic accents.
In a month, 75-year-old widower Reyes Miguel Calderón must leave his apartment for the retirement village he and his wife chose a decade earlier. However, Rey is still grieving her eight years after her death, and he doesn’t want to leave the neighborhood that’s been home for so long. Narrator Zac Aleman lets us hear Rey’s grief, isolation, and frustration with an uncaring bureaucracy. The friendship that slowly develops between Rey and Q, a troubled teenager he’s known all her life, sounds real as attitudes of impatience, snark, and disrespect slowly evolve into empathy, respect, and a new lease on life.
Aleman relates Rey’s story with humor, compassion, grumpiness, and authentic accents.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668659526
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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