Need tips this gardening season? Look no further than these listens!
Performed by Stephen R. Thorne
In a friendly, straightforward style, professional horticulturist Steven A. Frowine distills fifty years of gardening experience to show you how to start growing your expertise—from planning out your own mini-Eden and planting your first annuals, bulbs, and perennials through to laying the perfect lawn, raising tasty crops, and even introducing fish to your landscape.
Performed by Tanya Enby
Whether your thumb is a fertile green or you’ve never put plant-to-pot before, this book will bring out your inner farmer: you’ll find everything required to transform your garden into a self-renewing larder—and complement every meal with a crisp, healthy, home-grown treat.
Performed by Chelsea Stephens
Melissa K. Norris, fifth generation homesteader and host of the popular Pioneering Today podcast, explains how to plant a garden that will yield healthy, wholesome food throughout the year.
Performed by April Doty
Make healthier life choices to heal yourself and the environment through self-sufficiency. Holistic Homesteading by Roxanne Ahern provides the tools for living slowly, intentionally, and better through permaculture, edible gardening, and organic farming.
Performed by Amanda Ronconi
In Getting Baked, sustainable living expert Barb Webb takes you on an in-depth journey through everything you ever wanted to know about CBD, including the science, side effects, dosages, and benefits. You’ll also take a deep dive into herbs and botanicals that complement CBD and complete your medicinal garden.
Although I have written, spoken, and produced audiobooks for years, I’m excited that Johnny Heller is reading my words for Tantor Media, Inc.’s release of the audiobook of Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface.
The print edition of my exhaustive history of both Howard Hawks’s 1932 Scarface and Brian DePalma’s brilliant 1983 remake is available in print from Kensington Publishers. This spoken counterpart from Tantor brings both films to life for fans who want to enjoy it on the go or just hanging in the crib remembering what it was like the first time they saw Tony Montana do his thing.
Scarface was a phenomenon. The saga of Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino) and his friend Manny Ribera (Steven Bauer) rising through the cocaine trade in South Florida in the 1980s was always a great movie, but it took years for it to find its most appreciative audience. When it did, it exploded: Scarface clothes, posters, do-dads, video games, and even a hip-hop artist who changed his name in homage.
Why does Scarface continue to resonate forty years after its release?
For starters, it’s not about drugs. Well, okay, it is about drugs, but it also isn’t; it’s really about American capitalism, supply and demand, enforcement, chicanery, and, especially, competition. Some people even say it’s really about Hollywood.
At its base, it’s the story of a smart man who does dumb things, a man whose exploits are a mixture of desperation and ambition. It just happens that what he does is illegal. Oliver Stone caught that irony in his script (which he wrote while waiting for Platoon to get financed), and everyone involved with the film shared a commitment to excellence.
I lost count of how many interviews I did about the book when it came out and am still doing. The one thing I constantly heard from everyone I spoke to is how much they loved Scarface because it was so over-the-top. And it’s true. Its characters are larger than life, the violence is beyond description, and the language—well, I’m looking forward to hearing how Johnny deals with it, since Tantor is producing it un-censored.
Going back nearly a hundred years to its source, the 1932 Scarface, which starred Paul Muni, was an original film, but not an original story. Based on the novel by Armitage Trail, it was more or less about the life and sordid career of Al Capone, the Chicago gang boss who ran the Windy City in the 1920s. King of the bootleg booze trade, Capone had his gangland rivals wiped out and bribed enough city officials to keep control of the illegal liquor trade. In the end, he was undone, not by a rival, but by failure to pay his income taxes.
In fictionalizing Capone’s seamy story, Trail added a family conflict, a backstory in World War I, and a brother who was on the right side of the law. When Ben Hecht wrote the script for Howard Hawks to direct for producer Howard Hughes, he stripped the story to its bare essentials, threw in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and created a sensation.
Al Pacino happened to see a revival of the 1932 film when he was in Hollywood in the early 1980s and decided he wanted to star in a remake. Pacino being Pacino, he called his manager/producer Martin Bregman, and Bregman called Universal Pictures (who happened to have just acquired the rights to the 1932 movie), and within hours they had a deal.
It turned out that that was the easy part. As I tell in my book, getting the film made after that was an adventure in Hollywood politics. The result, as we all know, was worth it.
Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface answers just about every question for people who already know a lot about the movie but want to hear more. It was a privilege to be able to write it and to speak to some of the people who worked on the film, and that’s what listeners will hear when they embark on the audio book of the story behind the story of Scarface.
Nat Segaloff is a writer, producer, journalist, and Hugo and Locus Award–nominated author of more than two dozen books about filmmakers and film history, including Hurricane Billy: The Stormy Life and Films of William Friedkin. He covered the film industry for the Boston Herald and worked on A&E’s flagship Biography series as well as programming for The Learning Channel, New World, Disney, Turner Classic Movies, and USA Network. As one of the original publicists on The Exorcist, he closes a haunting chapter in his life with The Exorcist Legacy. Segaloff lives in Los Angeles and can be found online at natsegaloff.com.
It’s February 9, are you celebrating National Pizza Day?
Why not add a little pizza knowledge (or fun) while you chow down on your favorite slice.
Fun facts:
In the US, we consume approximately 3 billion pizzas a year. That is the equivalent to 350 slices per second.
17% of all restaurants in the USA are pizza shops
The top 10 US states that eat the most pizza in order are: Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Iowa, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, West Virginia
And if you are craving more, here are a few pizza related titles for your dining pleasure.
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!
We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!
S. M. Boyce presents Book 2 in the Wraithblade series. Outlaw. Assassin. Aspiring warlord. Connor Magnuson’s been called many names, but which of them are true?
Note: The Wraithblade saga continues! Return to the story of Connor as he struggles with god-like powers, even as new adversaries loom. – Greg
A must-listen contemporary romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Natasha Preston.
Note: Natasha Preston is known as the queen of YA thrillers, however, her contemporary romances are just as good as her thrillers! And you don’t want to miss this new to audio new adult romance. In this story, Savannah and Kent meet for the first time and can’t stand each other. One hates liars and the other is holding nothing but secrets…- Jordan
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!
We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!
How to stay in charge in a world populated by algorithms that beat us in chess, find us romantic partners, and tell us to “turn right in 500 yards.”
Note: Is AI really coming after your job? After your way of life? In How to Stay Smart in a Smart World, Gerg Gigerenzer explores the areas that AI succeeds in and where it still falls short and will likely continue to. The author removes the panic and technology jargon from the conversation, leaving a level-headed book that all of us can look to for an idea of what the future holds for Human-AI interactions. – Jenn Eschrich
By Man Asian Literary Prize winner Kyung-Sook Shin, “a moving delve into a lonely psyche” that follows a neglected young woman’s search for human connection in contemporary Seoul (YZ Chin).
Note: An isolated young woman confronts her own loneliness and personal desires as she navigates a bustling city, a new job in a flower shop, and unwanted social pressures. Atmospheric in its prose, Kyung-Sook Shin’s Violets examines the perspective of a marginalized woman and the society that ignores her, in 1990s Seoul. – Sonia Brand-Fisher
Bruce Lee revolutionized martial arts by combining influences drawn from around the world. Uncommonly determined, physically gifted, and artistically brilliant, Lee rose to fame as part of a wave of transpacific globalization that bridged the nearly seven thousand miles between Hong Kong and California. Like Water unpacks Lee’s global impact, linking his legendary status as a martial artist, actor, and director to his continual traversals across the newly interconnected Asia and America.
Note: A detailed look at the cultural impact of Bruce Lee, both in Asia and throughout the rest of the world. A unique blend of cultural history and biography, Like Water, unearths the cultural strands that Lee intertwined in his rise to a new kind of global stardom. A wonderful retelling of the legacy of the first Asian-American superstar.- Scott Smith
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!
We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!
Logan Ryles presents Book 1 in the Wolfgang Pierce series.
Note: For fans of the Jack Ryan series and Gray Man series, Wolfgang Pierce is a multi-city espionage series that will keep you on your toes. All 6 books will be releasing from Tantor in 2022, so get ready to binge! – Jenn Eschrich
Melinda Di Lorenzo presents Book 1 in the Trinity Calhoun Mystery series. Contains mature themes.
Written by: Melinda Di Lorenzo
Read by: Nikki Zakocs
Publishing Date: 7/19/22
Note: The first book in a new mystery series by Melinda Di Lorenzo and you do not want to miss this one! Trinity rushes back to her hometown when she finds out there was disappearance that is awfully similar to one from 20 years ago. Will Trinity be able to keep a clear head and figure it out or will she let her judgment get in the way? –Jordan Spellman
American Urbanist: How William H. Whyte’s Unconventional Wisdom Reshaped Public Life
This biography offers a rare glimpse into the mind of William H. Whyte, an iconoclast whose healthy skepticism of the status quo can help guide our efforts to create the kinds of places we want to live in today.
Note: Touted by The New York Times as “A marvelous new biography” American Urbanist tells the story of the work and genius of William Whyte, the urbanist and author who was an early leader in the environmental conservation and urban preservation movements. Author Richard Rein offers the listener a comprehensive biography that fully explains the influence Whyte’s ideas and writing had on American’s everyday life. From his advocacy against groupthink in corporate America to his push to preserve farmland to his ideas about public spaces in urban centers Whyte managed to shape the discourse of today’s economy, contemporary city management, and occupational innovation and creativity. This audiobook is a must-have for those seeking insight into urban planning, social issues, and the actual working order of the modern world. – Nick Pouliot
Exploring an insect whose sensory experiences rival those of humans, The Mind of a Bee reveals the singular abilities of some of the world’s most incredible creatures.
Note: A groundbreaking look into the intelligence of bees, leading biologist and bee expert Lars Chittka takes listeners on a journey into the world of bees, showing beyond any reasonable doubt that bees have awareness, memories, basic emotions, intelligence, and personalities. This book is a game-changer on how one perceives the actual intelligence of one of the most important insects in the animal world.- Scott Smith
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!
We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!
A groundbreaking work that offers deep insights and astrological techniques for bringing the future to light.
Note: The new edition of this groundbreaking guide is perfect for those curious about parsing the future and interpreting their destiny. Bernadette Brady draws on her decades of expertise to invite new and experienced practitioners alike into the world of predictive astrology. – Sonia Brand-Fisher
One hot summer night, best friends Lourdes, Fernanda, Ana, Perla, and Pauline hold a séance. It’s all fun and games at first, but their tipsy laughter turns to terror when the flames burn straight through their prayer candles. As Father Moreno’s obsession with Fernanda grows, Lourdes enlists the help of her “bruja Craft crew” and a professor, Dr. Camacho, to understand what is happening to her friend in this unholy tale of possession-gone-right. Contains mature themes.
Note: Castro delivers a gorgeously crafted horror story and a powerful coming-of-age tale that explores female sexuality, the bonds of friendship, and spiritual self-discovery. Fans of Mexican Gothic will love Goddess of Filth. – Kim Budnick
In this timely intervention, Ali Wyne offers the first detailed critique of great-power competition as a foreign policy framework, warning that it could render the United States defensive and reactive.
Note: Since 1945, America has exerted great power and influence across the world. But over the last two decades, China and Russia have increasingly challenged that influence. How should the United States respond? Ali Wyne argues that rather than seeing this as an insurmountable challenge, it is in fact an opportunity to revitalize the nation’s global power and stature. – Aaron Piccirillo
A sweeping, lavish one-volume history of the rise of American naval power during World War II.
Written by: Paul Kennedy
Read by: James Cameron Stewart
Publishing Date: 4/12/2022
Note: Perfect for World War II buffs as well as those interested in international relations. Kennedy looks at the rise (America) and falls (German, Japanese, French, Italian) of the navies involved in World War II. Through this lens, he shines a light on the power balance in the world coming out of the war and through the years following it.- Dan Totten
In Mobfather, George Anastasia exposes what it really means to be married to the mob—and fathered by it. Based on years of reporting, thousands of pages of court testimony, and extensive interviews, Mobfather takes the listener deep into the heart of corruption. Contains mature themes.
Written by: George Anastasia
Read by: Tom Beyer
Publishing Date: 7/12/2022
Note: Summer is truly the perfect time for a new true crimes audiobook to sink into. Oftentimes though, you don’t learn about the family behind the mafia man; here, George Anastasia shares the story of a doomed marriage and a family life that fell apart as Tommy Del rose in the mafia. – Lindsey Wood
Summer is officially here! We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!
We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!
In this book, Sergei Medvedev argues that this new wave of Russian nationalism is the result of mentalities that have long been embedded within the Russian psyche.
Note: The Return of the Russian Leviathan is for anyone looking to understand contemporary Russia and its relationship to both its neighbors and the West. But this is not simply a history of Russia, it is an exploration of the psyche and motivations of a political regime rooted in a nostalgia for empire.- Aaron Piccirillo
Caroline Carlson, author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series, returns with The World’s Greatest Detective, a story of crime, tricks, and hilarity for those who know that sometimes it takes a pair of junior sleuths to solve a slippery case.
Note: When a detective is found murdered before Hugh Abernathy’s crime-solving contest for all of Detective’s Row, two amateur sleuths step up to try to crack the case. The problem is, Toby is not a very good sleuth, and his friend Ivy isn’t allowed in the elite circle of high-ranking investigators. Will they be able to solve what comes to be known as the World’s Greatest Mystery? Young fans of Nancy Springer and Trenton Lee Stewart will enjoy the twists, turns, and surprises of The World’s Greatest Detective. – Sonia Brand-Fisher
Summer is officially here! We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!
We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you. Roadtrips, poolside, or beachside? We’ve got you covered!
K. K. Allen presents Book 1 in the Enchanted Gods series. Contains mature themes.
Note: Cursed is perfect for people who love a mix of romance, adventure, and fantasy in their books. Katrina is different and after tragedy hits, she is sent to live with her only family left, she learns a lot more than she bargained for. Powerful forces, mythological enchantments, and evil prophecies you do not want to miss this one!-Jordan
Kim Richardson presents Book 8 in the Witches of Hollow Cove series.
Note: Author Kim Richardson introduces the 8th installment of the hilarious and charming The Witches of Hollow Cove series: Mystic Madness. This binge-worthy fantasy series has everything: romance, adventure, and is delightfully lighthearted with its comedic heroine Tessa. Mystic Madness is the perfect book to pick up for avid fans of magical, witchy hijinks!- Desiree Lynch
Spring has sprung! We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to listen to all of the new audiobooks releasing this month!
We understand that at times it could be a challenge narrowing down your next listen, so we had our acquirers narrow down a few of their top picks for you.
The captivating story of how The Sheik captured the imagination of a generation, conquered the wrestling business, and lost it all in a blaze of flame and glory.
Note: Step into the ring with one of the most infamous and influential wrestlers of all time in this biography of The Sheik. Modern extreme and hardcore wrestling owes almost everything to the Sheik, who initiated the bloody and wild brawling style in the ’50s and trained two of its most iconic and enduring participants, Sabu (his real-life nephew) and Rob Van Dam, but there is much more to the man behind the gimmick. This book explores his life in ways never done before. Even the most knowledgeable fan is in for a treat and a bucketful of new knowledge with this one!- Dan Totten
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country, with 12.1 million recreational visits in 2020. Aside from crowds of hikers, campers, and general tourists, there’s a dark side to the Smokies, the town of Gatlinburg and the surrounding foothills. From strange disappearances, grisly murders and bone-chilling paranormal hauntings and ghost sightings; this pristine paradise has a lot more to offer than just serene hiking trails or camping.
Note: Steve Stockton investigates the mysterious dark side to one of the country’s most visited parks. – Kristen Hummel
Tantor Media 