Title: Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution

Author: Avi

Narrator: Angela Goethals

Genre: General Fiction

Length:  7.25 Hours

Publisher: Recorded Books

Review: “The first few moments of this historical fiction—as Sophia watches the hanging of Nathan Hale—immediately engage listeners, sweeping them into the dramatic plot. Goethals’ precise British accent accentuates the fact that the Revolutionaries remained close to their British roots in language and speech, if not their beliefs. Her earnest and passionate delivery captures Sophia’s burgeoning fervor for the rebel cause as she avenges her brother’s imprisonment. Sophia is also conflicted by her feelings for a charming British officer. “What comes first, fear or hatred?,” wonders Sophia as she struggles with the knowledge that she must lie to protect her family. Goethals’ pacing heightens both the intense plot and the exquisitely descriptive passages. A concluding note distinguishes fact from fiction in this title, which makes eighteenth-century vocabulary and diction accessible to listeners.”

Reviewer: Patricia Austin, Booklist

We welcome Sarah Dessen back to the Recorded Books family with The Moon and More (12 and up)!

In the summer before college, Emaline dreams of a bigger life and questions if her high school boyfriend is good enough. Emaline is attracted to the possibilities of a bright future, but can she leave behind her happy familiar world? Devoted Sarah Dessen fans will love this story of romance, yearning and empowerment.

Click here to watch Sarah Dessen talk about her new book: The Moon and More!

Visit Sarah-Land to learn more about this title!

Praise for The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen:

“Dessen is as skilled as ever at turning out steady, satisfying stories about teens that are easy to fall for.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

When facing a new week, you deserve a new book!
This week on ‘Discovery Monday‘ we introduce new author Katja Millay’s debut novel The Sea of Tranquility!

The Sea of Tranquility, Katja Millay’s debut novel, is sure to entice. In this book, you’ll read about a former pianist who begins high school hoping to conceal her past, while seeking revenge against a man who destroyed her life. Read this young adult romance novel for an exciting tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Click here to watch a fan-made book trailer!

Author Q&A

Title: Darius and Twig

Author: Walter Dean Myers

Narrator: Brandon Gill

Genre: General Fiction

Length: 4.25 Hours

Publisher: Recorded Books

Review: “Printz winner Myers (Monster) delivers another excellent character-driven novel, this time focusing on the strength and encouragement that come from a trusted friendship. Harlem teenager Darius, a writer, wants to get out of his neighborhood and make it to college, but his grades aren’t good enough. He’s hoping that if he can get a story published, he might nab a college scholarship. His best friend Twig is a track star, and sees athletics as his escape. Both are skeptical of the hype they are fed about how hard work pays off, and they face obstacles ranging from school bullies and unsupportive parents to indifferent educators and classmates who don’t want others “to get away from the crappy little universes they had created for themselves.” Myers homes in on the intimacy between Twig and Darius and their struggles at writing and racing, without letting the oppressiveness of their neighborhood or their home lives either fade to the background or into cliché. Ages 13–up.”

Reviewer: Publishers Weekly (5/13/13 issue), Starred Review

Review: “Gr 8 Up-In New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, two high school friends approach graduation with different dreams. Narrator Darius knows it takes more than a high school diploma to have the life he wants and, despite mediocre grades, develops his creative fiction for publication in the Delta Review, boosting his hopes for a college scholarship. His best friend Manuel Fernandez, or “Twig,” is a long-distance runner looking ahead only as far as the next race. Along with a high grade-point average, Twig has the athleticism to catch the attention of college scouts in the big race but is being pressured to quit the track team and work in his uncle’s bodega. Both boys face daily run-ins with Tall Boy and Midnight, two classmates with rap sheets and vengeful thug behavior. Ultimately, Darius and Twig learn of a shooting and are faced with the moral dilemma of coming to the aid of their tormentors. The portrayal of Harlem is realistic and nuanced, describing the sweetness of the neighborhood vibe and its friendly and supportive adults while also showing animosity among ethnic enclaves, and random violence.

Darius’s alter ego, Fury the peregrine falcon, appears at the beginning of some chapters as both guardian and predator above the city streets. An unfinished story about a boy testing his limits by swimming with dolphins comes to a poignant conclusion, as Darius similarly overcomes his own obstacles. Less gritty than many of Myers’s titles, this book will satisfy his legions of fans.”

Reviewer: Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School (NY), School Library Journal (June issue)

Title: Fitz: A Father, a Son, and a Gun (Grade 7 Up)

Author: Mick Cochrane

Narrator: Christopher Evan Welch

Genre: General Fiction

Length:  4.25 Hours

Publisher: Recorded Books

Review: “Fitz is a 15-year-old with a plan to spend some time with his father, who he has never known but who has always financially supported him. His mother gives him very little information, but Fitz manages to discover who his father is and where to find him. He stalks the man for weeks and studies him. But he needs more. The only problem is how to get his father to go along with the plan. And that’s where the gun comes in. On an ordinary spring morning, he forces his father to come with him, at gunpoint. What transpires is remarkable. The father and son learn about each other, secrets are revealed, and they both learn more about Fitz’s mother. Christopher Evan Welch’s reading supplies much of the tension, humor, and atmosphere of hope to Cochrane’s story (Knopf, 2012). There may be concerns about the use of the gun as Fitz’s father’s persuader, so the audiobook should be thoughtfully shared with listeners. It is, however, ultimately a tale of redemption and forgiveness.”

Reviewer: Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasures from the Nazis
by Robert M. Edsel,

When Hitler’s armies occupied Italy in 1943, they also seized control of mankind’s greatest cultural treasures—masterpieces of the Renaissance, the treasures of the Vatican, and the antiquities of the Roman Empire. In May 1944, two unlikely American heroes embarked from Naples on the treasure hunt of a lifetime, tracking billions of dollars of missing art. The German army attempted to transport truckloads of art north across the border into the Reich, but General Wolff commandeered the great collections of the Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace.

An unforgettable story of epic thievery and political intrigue, Saving Italy is a testament to heroism on behalf of art, culture and history.

Click here to watch the book trailer!

Praise for Saving Italy

“Saving Italy is an astonishing account of a little known American effort to save Italy’s vast store of priceless monuments and art during World War II. While American warriors were fighting the length of the country, other Americans were courageously working alongside to preserve the irreplaceable best of Italy’s culture. Read it and be proud of those who were on their own front lines of a cruel war.”—Tom Brokaw

“Robert Edsel has written a captivating, and at times hair-raising, book on the audacious Allied effort during World War II to save the priceless art treasurers in Italy. It is impossible to imagine what Western civilization would be today without these cultural masterpieces. Edsel has written a gripping, heroic story of the Monuments Men who saved them from certain destruction.”—Susan Eisenhower

“A poignant, fascinating story, bringing to life the soldier-scholars who saved Italy’s treasures.”—Evan Thomas, bestselling author of Ike’s Bluff and Sea of Thunder

“Edsel’s knowledge and appreciation of art amplifies this celebration of the unheralded group of men who ensured the safety of Italy’s greatest treasures.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Edsel has compiled an astonishing amount of primary research from European and American sources to tell this fascinating, fast-paced story, and military and art historians, as well as fans of adventurous nonfiction, will appreciate this well-written and informative reminder that war threatens not only the generations who fight it, but also the artistic triumphs of those who came before.”—Publishers Weekly

Recorded Books is pleased to announce the start of ‘Discovery Monday’! Each Monday you can look forward to posts introducing debut novels from talented new authors. We use recommendations from established editors and review advance reader’s copies seeking to identify the best new voices. This week’s Discovery Monday brings you Jason Matthews’ debut novel Red Sparrow!

Red Sparrow is the shocking debut thriller written by former CIA agent Jason Matthews. This tale of espionage explores the icy relationship between the U.S. and Russia with insider detail known only to a veteran CIA agent.

In present-day Russia, ruled by blue-eyed, unblinking President Vladimir Putin, Russian intelligence officer Dominika Egorova struggles to survive in the post-Soviet intelligence jungle. Ordered against her will to become a “Sparrow,” a trained seductress, Dominika is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash, a young CIA officer who handles the Agency’s most important Russian mole.

Spies have long relied on the “honey trap,” whereby vulnerable men and women are intimately compromised. Dominika learns these techniques of “sexpionage” in Russia’s secret “Sparrow School,” hidden outside of Moscow. As the action careens between Russia, Finland, Greece, Italy, and the United States, Dominika and Nate soon collide in a duel of wills, tradecraft, and—inevitably—forbidden passion that threatens not just their lives but those of others as well. As secret allegiances are made and broken, Dominika and Nate’s game reaches a deadly crossroads. Soon one of them begins a dangerous double existence in a life-and-death operation that consumes intelligence agencies from Moscow to Washington, DC.

Page by page, veteran CIA officer Jason Matthews’s Red Sparrow delights and terrifies and fascinates, all while delivering an unforgettable cast, from a sadistic Spetsnaz “mechanic” who carries out Putin’s murderous schemes to the weary CIA Station Chief who resists Washington “cake-eaters” to MARBLE, the priceless Russian mole. Packed with insider detail and written with brio, this tour-de-force novel brims with Matthews’s life experience, including his knowledge of espionage, counterintelligence, surveillance tradecraft, spy recruitment, cyber-warfare, the Russian use of “spy dust,” and covert communications. Brilliantly composed and elegantly constructed, Red Sparrow is a masterful spy tale lifted from the dossiers of intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. Authentic, tense, and entertaining, this novel introduces Jason Matthews as a major new American talent.

Praise for Red Sparrow

Q & A with Jason Matthews

Former CIA agents, Red Sparrow author Jason Matthews and his wife Suzanne, talk about their life as spies, their family and his first book in this CBS video interview.

Watch these video interviews of Red Sparrow author Jason Matthews talk about the life of espionage:

The Art of Elicitation
Sparrow School
M.I.C.E.
Enemies
Surveillance

Red Sparrow fans will be thrilled to know that this debut novel has been optioned for a movie!

Title: Never Forgotten (Grade 4-7)

Author: Patricia McKissack

Narrator: Lizan Mitchell

Genre: General Fiction

Length:  0.50 Hours

Publisher: Recorded Books

Review: “In a tribute to those who were stolen from homes in Africa to become slaves in the New World, McKissack weaves a tale (Schwartz & Wade, 2011) about a loving father and the young son who is taken from him. Dinga, a seventh-generation Mende blacksmith, is a talented and respected man. After his wife dies in childbirth, Dinga defies tradition, raising his son Musafa with the help of the Mother Elements—Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind. Musafa grows strong and wise. He becomes Dinga’s apprentice, creating pretty, but useless objects. One day, while gathering wood, Musafa is captured. Dinga searches in vain for his son, then appeals to the Elements for help. They take turns following Musafa, reporting to Dinga of his son’s passage, his courage, and finally, of his new life as a blacksmith in South Carolina. Dinga rejoices that Musafa is alive and that his talent for creating lovely objects could earn his freedom. Lizan Mitchell performs the passages of McKissack’s 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor book melodiously and with fervor. The author’s note was not recorded. Leo and Diane Dillon’s acrylic and watercolor illustrations resemble woodcuts, superimposing bold figures on fainter ones, creating impressions of lingering spirits, evil, and sadness. Combining history, folk tales, and legend into a moving remembrance of families torn apart, this haunting story with its rich illustrations is strengthened by this wonderful audio interpretation.”

Reviewer: MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, New York (Starred Review)

Today is the 260th anniversary of the British Museum! In honor of this momentous occasion, here are a few titles available from Recorded Books that actually take place in the British Museum!

The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters is Book 5 in The Amelia Peabody Series and is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner! Amelia Peabody is on the case again to solve the mystery of what—or who—caused the death of a night watchman in the British Museum.

The First Apostle is the explosive debut thriller by James Becker and Book 1 of The Chris Bronson Series. Chris Bronson and his ex-wife embark on a treacherous path of clues across Europe to decipher a strange Latin inscription and mysterious break-in.

A History of the World in 100 Objects (AudioGo) by Neil MacGregor is a kaleidoscopic history of humanity told through things we have made from the renowned director of the British Museum.

Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris (Brilliance) by R.L. LaFevers is the 2nd installment to the YA Theodosia series. Theodosia had not seen Mr. Tetley of the British Museum since a showdown in an ancient Egyptian tomb, meaning one thing—the Serpents of Chaos are back!

Title: Paiute Princess: The Story of Sarah Winnemucca (Grade 3-6)

Author: Deborah Kogan Ray

Narrator: Christina Moore, Angela Lin

Genre: Biography

Length:  1 Hour

Publisher: Recorded Books

Review: “Ray’s biography (Farrar, Straus, 2012) provides a compelling look at a lesser-known historical figure. Sarah Winnemucca of the Paiute tribe was a determined advocate for her Native American people in the mid- to late-1800s. With gripping detail, the atrocities and injustices committed by military leaders and tribal agents are presented. In stark contrast, characters sympathetic to Sarah’s cause are also introduced. Set against the backdrop of the forty-niners and the silver mining stampede, the story is presented with rich detail and direct quotes. The use of two narrators—Christina Moore and Angela Lin—effectively emphasizes when Sarah’s actual words are used. Sarah’s aptitude for languages and learning at a young age enabled her to straddle the white man’s world and her Native American world. Motivated by her grandfather’s efforts to connect peaceably with “the newcomers,” Sarah wrote persuasive letters and made powerful speeches on behalf of her people. Ray’s beautiful chalk drawings bring listeners into a time often overlooked in history. The book includes archival photographs, a timeline, maps, and author’s notes. This inspiring story of a woman of conviction deserves a space on every library’s shelf.”

Reviewer: Terri Perper, Middletown Public Library, MD