Sam Pagan - Audible Editor

AUDIBLE EDITOR

Mariana Pavía

A lifelong bookworm, Mariana first fell in love with audiobooks while listening to Rosamund Pike’s rendition of Pride and Prejudice, and then again while listening to Amor en los tiempos del cólera by Gabriel Garcia Márquez. Her listening widely consists of historical fiction interspersed by mysteries (the cozier the better), Latin American contemporary fiction (in Spanish—duh) , and the occasional social history book.

Mariana's recent listens

La luz que no puedes ver [All the Light We Cannot See] Audiobook By Anthony Doerr, Carmen M. Cáceres cover art
Reputations Audiobook By Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Anne McLean - translator cover art
Pale Rider Audiobook By Laura Spinney cover art
Los pilares de la Tierra [The Pillars of the Earth] Audiobook By Ken Follett, Rosalía Vásquez Tomás cove
El coronel no tiene quien le escriba [No One Writes to the Colonel] Audiobook By Gabriel García Márquez cover a
Dime quién soy [Tell Me Who I Am] Audiobook By Julia Navarro cover art

Mariana's recent reviews:

Product List
  • Mexican Gothic Audiobook By Silvia Moreno-Garcia cover art

    • Mexican Gothic

    • By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
    • Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
    • Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
    • Release date: 06-30-20
    • Language: English
    • 11,987 ratings
    • Plot twists you won’t see coming
    • Mexican Gothic left me reeling. I came in expecting a retelling of Wuthering Heights or Northanger Abbey set in 1950s Mexico, but this story stands on its own. Silvia Moreno-Garcia spools a tale that is at separate times scary, intriguing, and heartwarming. Mexican Gothic is peppered with traditional elements of the Gothic novel: an imposing but crumbling manor house, a budding romance, moody characters with dark secrets, and a seemingly inexplicable lack of electricity (candlelight in the 1950s?!). I spent half of this listen on the literal edge of my seat, and the other half trying to stop myself from screaming, lest my roommate think I had gone insane. Frankie Corzo is the perfect narrator for this world that blends English and Spanish, with a somber and melodic voice that only adds to the building suspense. I'm sure that Catherine Morland (Northanger Abbey’s Gothic-obsessed protagonist) would be a fan.
  • The Jane Austen Society Audiobook By Natalie Jenner cover art

    • The Jane Austen Society

    • A Novel
    • By: Natalie Jenner
    • Narrated by: Richard Armitage
    • Series: Jane Austen Society
    • Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
    • Release date: 05-26-20
    • Language: English
    • 1,483 ratings
    • A society I would love to join
    • A quaint British town in the 1940s, Jane Austen’s legacy, and a narration by Richard Armitage… I mean, how could this not be great? Natalie Jenner’s debut novel tells the story of an unlikely group of people who come together to preserve the legacy of their favorite author, all the while helping each other through the hardships of post-war life. While I must admit I have not yet had the chance to listen to Armitage narrate this particular historical fiction, based on his incredible repertoire of 5-star narrations, I have no doubt that it will anything but sensational. I don’t know about you, but for whatever reason historical fictions that remind me of the power of kindness and our shared humanity have recently emerged as my personal cure for quarantine-induced cabin fever, and I can’t wait to escape into this one.
  • Lady Fortescue Steps Out Audiobook By M. C. Beaton cover art

    • Lady Fortescue Steps Out

    • The Poor Relation, Book 1
    • By: M. C. Beaton
    • Narrated by: Davina Porter
    • Series: The Poor Relation, Book 1
    • Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins
    • Release date: 05-01-12
    • Language: English
    • 4,844 ratings
    • The Poor Relations series has brightened my days
    • As our reality became so uncertain and the news cycle grimmer by the minute, I realized that what I really needed was a sweet historical fiction I could escape into for a couple hours a day. Lady Fortescue Steps Out fell into my lap like a gift from heaven. M.C. Beaton’s Poor Relations series with its lovable characters, neat romantic story lines, and a rosy regency-era moral code is exactly what I needed. Each title is around 4 hours long, and Davina Porter’s interpretation feels like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold rainy day—needless to say, I can’t stop listening! The partners of the Poor Relations Hotel get up to predictable adventures where villains are not really all that evil, and our heroes tend to get the happy ending we all deserve. This is my type of #selfcare.
  • Pride Audiobook By Ibi Zoboi cover art

    • Pride

    • A Pride & Prejudice Remix
    • By: Ibi Zoboi
    • Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
    • Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
    • Release date: 09-18-18
    • Language: English
    • 1,142 ratings
    • Pride and Prejudice... but in Brooklyn
    • Let me start with the fact that I am a HUGE Austen fan, and I will listen to just about any modern day adaptation of her novels (albeit with varying degrees of delight). Pride is a particularly successful retelling of Pride and Prejudice precisely because it is not an exact scene-by-scene adaptation and because the characters, whose names give a nod to the original character’s names, bring their own vibrant energy to the story (a sort of sazón one might say). Acevedo’s narration is as smooth and melodic as ever, making this title even more of must-listen.
  • Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun Audiobook By Guillermo del Toro, Cornelia Funke cover art

    • Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun

    • By: Guillermo del Toro, Cornelia Funke
    • Narrated by: Thom Rivera
    • Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
    • Release date: 07-02-19
    • Language: English
    • 803 ratings
    • del Toro and Funke are a match made in heaven
    • The first time I watched Pan’s Labyrinth, I was terrified by Guillermo del Toro’s Spanish Civil War-era fable, with its complex commentary on the death of innocence in times of war. This listen was everything I hoped it would be, and somehow even darker than the film (this is not a children’s story). Ofelia’s narrative is interspersed with fairy tales, à la pre-Disney Brothers Grimm, along with del Toro’s tell-tale use of symbolism—shedding light on its eclectic cast of characters.
  • With the Fire on High Audiobook By Elizabeth Acevedo cover art

    • With the Fire on High

    • By: Elizabeth Acevedo
    • Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
    • Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
    • Release date: 05-07-19
    • Language: English
    • 3,036 ratings
    • Coming of age with a kick
    • I picked up this listen after a stint of binge watching Chef’s Table, and thought I would find one more inspiring chef’s story, but With the Fire on High is much more. Elizabeth Acevedo’s sophomore novel brings flavor and sazon with its musical verses and fast-talking Spanglish. Acevedo, who narrates (yay!), has a way of infusing magic into the swept-under-the-rug vernacular, as she explores the unique challenges of being bicultural, a woman, a minority, and the universal challenges of being a lost 18 year old with no idea what path to take—or even if there is a path to take. You’ll find grit, recipes, strong female friendships, and even a dash of romance. But be warned, it will leave you with a strong craving for mofongo and tostones.
  • La forma de las ruinas [The shape of the ruins] Audiobook By Juan Gabriel Vásquez cover art

    • La forma de las ruinas [The shape of the ruins]

    • By: Juan Gabriel Vásquez
    • Narrated by: Juan Sebastián Aragón
    • Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
    • Release date: 01-16-18
    • Language: Spanish
    • 70 ratings
    • Como la historia y la política pueden marcar la vida de un individuo
    • La primera vez que leí La Forma de las Ruinas de Juan Gabriel Vásquez fue cuando estaba en el proceso de escribir mi tesis de grado, investigando las reacciones socio-políticas del asesinato del líder Jorge Eliecer Gaitán el 9 de Abril, 1948 ; fecha mejor conocida como “El Bogotazo.” Este libro llego a mis manos, como prueba de la cicatriz que dejo el 9 de abril en la conciencia colombiana. Fue el primer libro de JGV que leí y que despertó en mi una necesidad desaforada de leer toda su obra (desde entonces pido a mis amigos colombianos que me traigan los libros de el que aún no han sido publicados en Estados Unidos.)

      El formato de audiolibro favorece a las palabras de Vázquez, cuyas frases en la voz de Juan Sebastián Aragón toman vida propia. Aragón cuenta esta historia con paciencia, deshaciendo la barrera entro los mundos privados y públicos al demostrar cómo todos somos herederos de nuestras historias nacionales. Aunque me he leído muchas de sus obras, siempre vuelvo a La Forma de las Ruinas, como una tortuga volviendo a donde nació. En parte es por mi gran interés en el 9 de Abril, y mi propia experiencia investigando este periodo de historia en Colombia que significa tanto para muchos colombianos por tan diversas razones. Pero también es porque, sin ser historiador, Vásquez logra capturar la esencia de lo que es la historia en Colombia—como es inventada, reescrita, repetida, y con personajes que son inevitablemente condenados al olvido.

      La Forma de las Ruinas es una combinación hipnótica entre autobiografía (como recurso literario), intriga de investigadores, e historia novelada. El protagonista—quien comparte nombre y biografía con el autor—se encuentra enredado en la telaraña de teorías de conspiración de Carlos Carballo, un hombre obsesionado con el asesinato de Jorge Eliecer Gaitán. Aunque por momentos largo y confuso, este libro es una obra maestra, que demuestra el alcance del poder literario de uno de los mejores autores Latino Americanos de nuestra época.
  • La hija del relojero [The Watchmaker's Daughter] Audiobook By Kate Morton, Máximo Sáez Escribano cover art

    • La hija del relojero [The Watchmaker's Daughter]

    • By: Kate Morton, Máximo Sáez Escribano
    • Narrated by: Irene Miras
    • Length: 19 hrs and 30 mins
    • Release date: 12-05-18
    • Language: Spanish
    • 74 ratings
    • Fantasmas, Amor, Misterio—que más quieres?
    • A mi nunca me han gustado las historias de fantasmas, ni en películas, ni libros, y mucho menos contadas alrededor de una fogata. Pero La Hija del Relojero, que puede fácilmente ser categorizada como una historia de fantasmas, me cautivo desde el primer momento. Y cómo no? Se trata de una casa grande y antigua, embrujada por un fantasma de la época Victoriana, cuyo amor por el artista que una vez vivió allí y un misterioso asesinato no la dejan partir. Kate Morton, teje una historia a través del tiempo, sin orden cronológico, y con un elenco de personajes tan diversos que sus conexiones inesperadas sorprenden y encantan. La Hija del Relojero es un libro que te deja el corazón lleno, anhelando épocas que nunca viviste, y gente que jamás conociste.
  • The Shadow of the Wind Audiobook By Carlos Ruiz Zafon cover art

    • The Shadow of the Wind

    • By: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
    • Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
    • Series: Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Book 1
    • Length: 18 hrs and 5 mins
    • Release date: 05-06-05
    • Language: English
    • 7,037 ratings
    • Magical realism, meets mystery, meets love story?
    • This first installment of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books trilogy keeps you on your toes until the very end. The story is set in Barcelona, crippled under Franco’s oppressive totalitarian grip, where Daniel Sempere’s father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books hidden in Barcelona’s gothic quarter so that he can choose one book and vow to protect it for life. This audiobook caught me from the very beginning—a magical secret library filled with forgotten out-of -print books? I must find this place. The plot thickens quickly however; as Daniel finds that the book he has vowed to protect along with its author have an enemy—a masked arsonists that goes by the name of the book’s villain. This story has twists and lurches and sudden drops; villains, heroes, and real three-dimensional, feeling characters. What can I say? It’s a real treat.
  • Tin Man Audiobook By Sarah Winman cover art

    • Tin Man

    • A Novel
    • By: Sarah Winman
    • Narrated by: Sarah Winman
    • Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
    • Release date: 05-15-18
    • Language: English
    • 300 ratings
    • Almost a love story, but not quite.
    • This is an absolutely beautiful book. A quick listen which will make you cry (read: sob), laugh, and smile. Tin Man is the story of a love that was and could have been, of missed opportunities, and the inevitable steamroll of time. Set in between the 1970s and 80s in the UK, it recounts the story of Ellis and Michael, two childhood friends whose friendship seems headed towards something more; until Ellis marries Annie, and the three form a sort of love triangle, which mysteriously ends from one day to the next. Winmann captures human loss, love, loneliness, and the power of art with spectacular prose and emotional insight that makes you want to rewind and hear her phrases read again (which I did more than once). Winmann narrates her own words, which although rare, works in this book. Her deep knowledge of the characters seeps into her intonation and the voices she gives them (Dora’s low and strong, Ellis’s meek rumble, Michael’s husky tone, and Annie’s silvery singsong voice). I loved every bit of this book, and have no doubt that I will re-listen to it several times in the years to come.