Founding Editor - Editor

Jean Palmer, a librarian, is the Editor of Sound Commentary. She worked in a medium sized public library and the largest private high school library in the U.S. until she discovered her love for audiobooks. Her book and audiobook reviews and other writings have been published in local and national magazines and newspapers. She is the editor of the KLIATT Audiobook Guide.

Editor/Tech Director

Reviewer Olivia Durant can't imagine driving anywhere without an audiobook to listen to, and has been known to stock the car with ten or more choices prior to long trips. She wistfully wishes for more time to knit and listen.

Founding Editor

Francine Levitov is a retired criminal defense lawyer who shares her New York City apartment with 3 adorable dogs and shelves filled with audiobooks. Along with Jean Palmer, she co-founded SoundCommentary.

Reviewer Susan Allison was a Maine high school librarian for 22 years, a children's librarian in a Maine public library, and a high school/middle school librarian at a private school in Thessaloniki, Greece. She wrote book and audiobook reviews for KLIATT Reviews of Selected Books, Educational Software and Audiobooks.

Marissa is a Children's Librarian at the Duxbury Free Library in Duxbury, MA and wide reader/listener of all genres. She has a bachelor's degree in English and Fine Art from Stonehill College and a Master's of Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University. Marissa has worked in libraries since 2007 and enjoys her commute if she has a good book to listen to. Other hobbies include knitting, making books, sewing, natural dyeing, and hanging out with her dog. She is the chair of the Massachusetts Library Association's Youth Services section for 2018-2020.

Reviewer Lisa Arnold spends her days teaching English to middle school students, her evenings working as a library clerk, and her nights reading under the covers.

Carlina Arsenault (she/her/hers) works in the Children's room at the Northborough Free Library in Massachusetts. She grew her passion for reading and children's literature into the best job in the world, where she helps children nurture their love of reading from an early age. She began working in libraries as an undergraduate student at Bowdoin College and earned an M.A. in Children's Literature and an M.F.A. in Writing for Children from Simmons College.

Jacqueline Bach is the Elena and Albert LeBlanc professor of English Education and Curriculum Theory at Louisiana State University and the author of Reel Education: Documentaries, Biopics, and Reality Television. She is an avid reader of young adult literature.

Lynn Blair works as a library director in Western Massachusetts. In her spare time, she loves researching genealogy, studying history, and spoiling her two dogs. Lynn enjoys reading and listening to all types of books, but her favorite genres are thriller and horror, with the occasional fluffy romance thrown in. Her favorite thing about working with books is finding awesome reads and sharing her favorites with others.

I live in Philadelphia with my husband, 4 turtles and 3 cats. I work full time, love to read, do jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and of course Words with Friends. Taking care of my plants is also a relaxing hobby as well.

Concord Free Public Library
Concord, MA

Stacey Charbonneau is a paraprofessional in the Circulation Department of the Concord Free Public Library. The best part about being a librarian is helping people find their next great read!

Concord Free Public Library
Concord, MA

Robin is the Circulation Supervisor at the Concord Free Public Library. With a one hour+ commute, she knows there is nothing like a good book to listen to to make the drive fly by.

Henrietta Public Library
Rochester, NY

Sarah is a librarian-in-training at the Henrietta Public Library in Rochester, NY. She spends much of her free time reading- she loves graphic novels, science fiction, fantasy, and a huge variety of nonfiction. Thanks to her 30-minute commute to work and her library cards, she has discovered she also enjoys listening to books – especially ones read by the author.

1980 MLS from
University of
North Carolina.

Written annotated bibliographies of children's books about religions and bibliotherapy, published by Libraries Unlimited, Garland, and Church and Synagogue Library Association. Reviewed for library journals.

Reviewer Hugh M. Flick, Jr. has always been a book nerd. He began listening to audio books on tape while exercising and on long car trips. He has a PhD in Sanskrit, a JD, and an MBA. He has taught at Harvard, at Yale, and on the University of Virginia's Semester at Sea. He especially loves good fantasy tales and science fiction.

Amy Hogue is the Youth Services Librarian at the Parma Public Library. She enjoys a variety of books and tries to get as much reading as one can with two toddlers running around at home. Thank goodness for audiobooks!

SoundCommentary reviewer Janet Julian taught English at Grafton High School in Grafton, MA from 1965 until her retirement in 2001. For about 30 years she was a reviewer for KLIATT, which published reviews of paperback books, hardcover fiction, educational software and audiobooks. KLIATT ceased publication in 2008 and Janet continued her love affair with audiobooks with SoundCommentary. Each book is like a gift from treasured friends, the author and the narrator. Hours of pleasure and she doesn't have to invent voices for the characters in paperbacks anymore.

Kenya is an avid reader of books across target age ranges in print and audio. She is especially interested in how storytelling (in its array of forms) helps people learn about and explore their own experiences with difficult topics. She is currently on the Board of Directors of Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival, Inc. She loves to chat books and theatre all over the social media interwebs @ReviewsMayVary and about destigmatizing mental illness @KMalcolmPhD.

Jessica Phillips has been a children's librarian for over a decade. She has 2 cats - Oscar Goo Goo Noodlewaffles and Malcolm Meow Meow First of His Name and Destroyer of Worlds that she and her husband spoil rotten. She has a tough time sitting still so audiobooks are perfect for an active lifestyle of running, biking, a long commute and even when cleaning the house or sigh..mowing the lawn. Her favorite audiobook narrator is Kirby Heyborne. The book Scowler by Daniel Krauss is what fostered her love of audiobooks.

Molly Riportella is the Head of Adult Services at the Westwood Public Library. She has spent the past 10 years working in libraries, in almost every department at one time or another. Her professional interests include adult programming, readers' advisory, and collection development, though she especially loves the hunt of a difficult reference question. Molly is also a mom, audiobook aficionado, and an animal lover.

Berkley Wendell Semple was born in Guyana. He has published three collections of poetry, Lamplight Teller, awarded a 2004 Guyana Prize for Poetry, The Solo Flyer and The Central Station and has edited a book of student poems. His poetry and fiction have appeared in Callaloo, The Hampden-Sydney Review, and The Caribbean Writer for which he was awarded a Daily News Prize for poetry, and in many other publications. Berkley Wendell Semple is a school administrator and YA librarian. He lives in New York City.

Morse Institute Library
Natick, MA

Kristen Sheridan is a reference and adult services librarian, and has enjoyed planning adult art and technology programs after spending the beginning of her career in academia and youth services. She loves to read, enjoy the great outdoors and spoil her Golden Retriever, Brandy. Although she has a reading list a mile long, she will always accept new recommendations!

Mercedes Smith is a retired Judicial Assistant whose passions are her family, reading, crafting, and the great outdoors.

Joanna Theiss is a writer, researcher and lawyer living in Washington, DC with her family, including a toddler and a wire fox terrier. She credits her love of audiobooks to her mom, who is also a reviewer.

Nola Theiss is a former English teacher, business owner, Mayor of Sanibel, FL and founder of Human Trafficking Awareness Partnerships. She is now enjoying the freedom of being retired and splitting her time between Fort Myers, FL and Dunedin, FL and travelling to other places. She has been a book reviewer for over 20 years. She continues to advocate for human trafficking prevention through writing and speaking opportunities.

I am the Young Adult Librarian at Duxbury Free Library. I enjoy reading or listening to YA fiction, children's fiction, graphic novels, and books about serial killers with or without the supernatural. I love sharing a great audiobook.