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Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Audiobook Reviews
Audiobooks
Audiobook
New York City
Science Fiction
Audiobook Narration
Horror
Family Dynamics
Narration
Audiofile Magazine
True Crime
Mental Health
Big Chief
New York
Racism
Aging
A Study In Scarlet Women
Whoopi Goldberg
Dark Academia
Kimberly Farr
Mary Oliver

Kirkus Audiobook Reviews Find your next great audiobook on Behind the Mic with Kirkus Reviews. Every Thursday, host Jo Reed and her guests discuss what they’ve been listening to and recommend the very best audiobooks. It’s the perfect way to keep up with new releases and hear about the ones you may have missed. Launched by AudioFile magazine in 2018, Behind the Mic now has its home at Kirkus Revie... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes1923Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArtsPerforming Arts

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Latest Episodes

Jo Reed and Michele Cobb dig into three Earphones Award–winning police procedurals, each pairing a compelling investigator with a

narrator who knows how to build suspense. In Missing by E.A. Jackson,

Nicola Walker’s understated, magnetic performance ... more

Jo Reed talks with contributor Stephen Cummings about three

memoirs created with audio at their center, using performance, archival clips, live recordings, and the human voice to tell their stories. Billy Eichner looks back at his Queens childhood, h... more

YouTube

Host Jo Reed and contributor Leslie Fine explore three distinctive

novels and the narrators who shape the listening experience. In Sarah Damoff’s The Burning Side, Stacy Gonzalez, Timothy Andrés Pabon, and Jackie Sanders portray members of a family i... more

YouTube

Host Jo Reed talks with contributor Kendra Winchester about

three audiobooks that explore disability and offer distinct perspectives on

community, resilience, and belonging. They begin with Mother Tongue by

Sara Nović, narrated by Lisa Flanagan, a me... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Billy Eichner
Comedian and star of Billy on the Street; author of Billy on Billy
Self/author
Episode: Made for Listening
Billy West
Voice actor and narrator of Voice-A-Versa
Self/author
Episode: Made for Listening
Roz Hernandez
A transgender comedian and author of Peeing in an Empty Bottle
Self/author
Episode: Made for Listening
Alex Richey
Contributor on audiobooks for Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Episode: The Many Faces of Horror
Patricia Cornwell
Author of the Kay Scarpetta series, memoirist
Patricia Cornwell
Episode: Writing a Life, Reading It Aloud
Arsenio Hall
Actor, comedian, memoir author
Arsenio Hall
Episode: Writing a Life, Reading It Aloud
Lena Dunham
Creator of Girls, memoirist
Lena Dunham
Episode: Writing a Life, Reading It Aloud
Laura Simeon
Young Readers Editor from Kirkus and regular contributor to Behind the Mic
Kirkus Reviews
Episode: Kids Confront a Changing World
Robert Petkoff
Narrator of Ghost Town
Self/Voice Actor
Episode: Three Very Different Roads Through Fiction

Hosts

Jo Reed
Host of Behind the Mic with Kirkus Reviews; long-time interviewer and industry commentator.
Michele Cobb
Co-host of Behind the Mic with Kirkus Reviews; contributes across Kirkus Audiobook Reviews.

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 172 ratings
  • Make it part of your morning routine!

    Great show. It’s a part of my daily morning podcast routine along with NPR’s Book of the Day.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hachimitzu
    United Statesa year ago
  • The Ads???!

    Would have easily been a four star but for the AIPAC ads.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    duckpat
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great content but ads are far too long for the length of the podcast

    If you have a 5-minute podcast, please don’t add 2-3 minutes of ads onto it.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    janeycanuck
    Canada2 years ago
  • An excellent resource that’s fun to listen to

    I love listening to these reviews and the sheer joy that the host and guests share for this Format. I’ve been introduced to narrators I’ve never heard before and have discovered must listen audiobooks.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MayWJ
    United States2 years ago
  • Honest reviews

    I like that Jo adds a personal comment, occasionally negative, on the selections.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    PSDExpat
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Quality production and strong guest expertise are common positives, with occasional critiques about tone or accessibility.
Listeners praise concise, informative episodes with useful clips and strong insights from narrators and editors.
Ads are occasionally lengthy and a point of critique for some listeners.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Many Faces of Horror
Q: How does Natalie Naudus's narration influence the listening experience of The Girl with a Thousand Faces?
Jo and Alex discuss her emotional precision and ability to navigate the novel's unusual structure, making complex perspective shifts feel natural for listeners.
The Many Faces of Horror
Q: Tell me, what attracts you about horror?
Alex explains that horror allows a safe space to confront real-world issues by exaggeration, making it easier to examine troubling topics without direct-real-world harm.
Kids Confront a Changing World
Q: How does the narration style contribute to the book's emotional accessibility?
Emma Ladji's performance is calm and measured, with distinct yet cohesive voices that provide a sense of safety and intimacy, helping listeners process difficult topics without being overwhelmed.
Kids Confront a Changing World
Q: So tell us a little bit about Phoenix and why it resonates for both kids and adults?
The book balances tough themes like family separation and animal welfare with careful, off-page handling of violence and a narration that feels like a supportive, warm guide through the story, making it approachable for younger listeners while still meaningful for adults.
Lauren Groff: In Her Own Voice
Q: Have you ever considered narrating any of your novels?
She says novels require a different voice and that her first-person stories in Brawler align with autofiction, while her novels demand voices closer to the narrative and character register.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

What is Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A show focused on audiobook discovery and craft, featuring host-led conversations with narrators, editors, and authors about what makes a performance sing. Episodes explore narration choices, production insights, and the storytelling craft across memoirs, YA, middle grade, and thrillers, often including clips and behind-the-scenes notes. The format balances practical listening recommendations with candid discussions of voice, pacing, representation, and the realities of producing high-quality audiobooks, making it a valuable resource for listeners, industry professionals, and potential guests or sponsors.

What stands out is the sustained emphasis on narration as a storytelling instrument, with frequent guest experts from publishing, audiobo... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews:

1. Totally Booked with Zibby
2. The Book Review
3. NPR's Book of the Day
4. Adriana Trigiani's You Are What You Read
5. Books, Beach, & Beyond

How many episodes of Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews are there?

Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews launched 8 years ago and published 1923 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews?

Recent guests on Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews include:

1. Billy Eichner
2. Billy West
3. Roz Hernandez
4. Alex Richey
5. Patricia Cornwell
6. Arsenio Hall
7. Lena Dunham
8. Laura Simeon

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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