Audiobooks narrated by Ramiz Monsef

Radio Free Afghanistan: A Twenty-Year Odyssey for an Independent Voice in Kabul

'Saad Mohseni is one of the most remarkable figures in modern Afghanistan – brave, entrepreneurial, with a knack for imagining the impossible – he transformed the Afghan media landscape and brought serious news, and exceptional entertainment to millions in the most testing circumstances imaginable' Rory Stewart The deeply moving and surprising story of the attempt to build a truly independent media company in contemporary Afghanistan. Saad Mohseni, chairman and CEO of Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company, charts a twenty-year effort to bring a free press to his country after years of Taliban rule, and how that effort persists even after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. In the heady early days of the American occupation, Mohseni returns to Kabul which he had last seen as a child before the Soviet invasion. Casting about for ways to be involved in the dawn of a new Afghanistan, Mohseni makes what seems like a quixotic decision to leave the comforts of a career in international banking to start a Kabul radio station with his three siblings. This unlikely venture quickly blossoms into a burgeoning television empire, bringing Mohseni and his family and employees into sometimes uncomfortable contact with everyone who has a stake in the country – from the government of Hamid Karzai to White House officials. Moreover, their radio and television networks soon become a necessary beacon for millions of Afghans, who rely on them not just for independent news but for joyful pleasures like soap operas and Afghan Star, a beloved national singing competition in a country whose previous rulers had banned (and would again ban) music. Mohseni’s position at Moby affords him unique insights into this extraordinary yet troubled country, the youngest in the world outside of Sub-Saharan Africa, and his powerful account captures the spirit and resilience of the Afghan people – notably the hundreds of men and women still working in Moby's Kabul office today, who, once again under Taliban rule, create programs, report the news, and educate the public. Radio Free Afghanistan is a stunning, vibrant portrait of a nation in turmoil, poised between despair and hope.

Jenna Krajeski, Saad Mohseni (Author), Ramiz Monsef (Narrator)

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Portrait of a Shadow

A missing sister. A mysterious boy. And a painting that holds the truth beneath its peeling edge... Inez is missing, but missing things can always be found. Mae knows this as a fact, even though the police investigation has come to a standstill, even though her parents are moving on. But when she goes to clear out her older sister’s studio, she finds a mess of research and a white canvas that seems even older than the ornate frame it is set in. The closer Mae gets to the canvas, the more difficult it is to pull her eyes away from its mottled surface, its heavy layers of white paint, its peeling top corner she is tempted to pull to see what’s beneath. But she doesn’t. Not yet. Mae decides to trace her sister’s last steps in the hopes of finding answers, certain that Inez’s disappearance is related to the painting. And she knows she is desperate enough to let the strange boy who claims to have been Inez’s neighbor tag along. Even if his good looks don't help distract from his avoidance of her questions. So begins a scavenger hunt piecing together what they can find from what Inez left behind. One that leads to centuries-old questions best left unasked and secrets best kept in the dark. From the author of A Guide to the Dark comes another romantic and eerie mystery about the lengths we are willing to go for the truth and the ones we love.

Meriam Metoui (Author), Ramiz Monsef (Narrator)

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Dangerous Visions

Dubbed “the most significant and controversial SF book” of its generation, Harlan Ellison’s groundbreaking collection launched an entire sub-genre: New Wave science fiction. With contributions from legendary authors and multiple Hugo and Nebula awards, Dangerous Visions returns to print in a stunning new edition perfect for new and returning fans alike. A landmark short story collection that put New Wave Science Fiction on the literary map, Dangerous Visions won several prestigious awards and was nominated for many others. This now-classic anthology includes thirty-three stories by thirty-two award-winning authors, over half of whom have won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards. Contributing authors include: Robert Silverberg, Frederik Pohl, Brian W. Aldiss, Philip K. Dick, Larry Niven, Fritz Leiber, Poul Anderson, Theodore Sturgeon, J.G. Ballard, Samuel R. Delany, and Ellison himself. As relevant now as it was when first published, Dangerous Visions is a phenomenal collection that deserves a place on every bookshelf.

Harlan Ellison (Author), Bradford Hastings, Bronson Pinchot, Dion Graham, Edoardo Ballerini, Feodor Chin, Grover Gardner, Heath Miller, James Patrick Cronin, Jd Jackson, Jim Meskimen, Joe Hempel, Joel Froomkin, John Pirhalla, Johnny Heller, Mara Wilson, Mark Sanderlin, Natalie Naudus, Neil Hellegers, Neil Shah, P. J. Ochlan, Ramiz Monsef, Robert Fass, Scott Aiello, Scott Brick, Shiromi Arserio, Simon Vance, Stefan Rudnicki, Steve West, Steven Jay Cohen, Suzanne Toren, TBD, Thom Rivera, Tim Campbell, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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Twilight Wars: Empire Falling: A Twilight Imperium Novel

An impending war will annihilate an empire and plunge the galaxy into millennia of darkness, in the first volume of an epic new space opera trilogy from Twilight Imperium Millennia ago, the great empire of the Lazax brought the galaxy to heel, but now their ancient doctrine of strength and peace is failing. In the shadows, other factions begin to move against each other and their authoritarian masters. To rule themselves they must first tear down the crumbling regime they are forced to serve. When the Barony of Letnev, supplier of the Lazax's grand fleet, blockades a crucial wormhole to force the empire to listen to its demands, the spark of war is ignited and Zara Hail, an official for the Federation of Sol, is caught in the middle. As the threat of conflict continues to escalate, every faction must choose: Bend beneath the yoke of despots or break the chains that bind them.

Robbie Macniven (Author), Ramiz Monsef (Narrator)

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Goodbye, Columbus

Brought to you by Penguin. Philip Roth's debut novella and Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction Goodbye, Columbus is the story of Neil Klugman and pretty, spirited Brenda Patimkin, he of poor Newark, she of suburban Short Hills, who meet one summer and fall into an affair that is as much about social class and suspicion as it is about love. The novella is accompanied by five short stories - sometimes iconoclastic, sometimes elegiac - that crackle with irreverent originality and display Roth's blazing early talent. Philip Roth's prize-winning first book instantly established its author's reputation as a writer of explosive wit, merciless insight and humane compassion for even the most self-deluding of his characters. 'Opening the first page of any Philip Roth is like hearing the ignition on a boiler roar into life. Passion is what we're going to get, and plenty of it' Guardian © 1964 Philip Roth (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Philip Roth (Author), Jonathan Davis, Ramiz Monsef, Robert Fass (Narrator)

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Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first issues of Weird Tales Magazine, 100 Years of Weird is a masterful compendium of new and classic stories, flash fiction, essays, and poems from the giants of speculative fiction, including R. L. Stine, Laurell K. Hamilton, Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft, Tennessee Williams, and Isaac Asimov. Marking a century of uniquely peculiar storytelling, each part of this anthology features a different genre, from Cosmic Horror, Sword and Sorcery, Space Opera, to the Truly Weird—things too strange to publish elsewhere, and the magazine’s raison d’etre. Landmark stories such as “The Call of Cthulhu,” “Worms of the Earth,” and “Legal Rites” stand beside original stories and insightful essays from today’s masters of speculative fiction. This visually stunning hardcover edition is a collector’s dream, illustrated throughout with classic full-color and black & white art from past issues of Weird Tales Magazine.

Jonathan Maberry (Author), Bronson Pinchot, Dion Graham, Edoardo Ballerini, Eric G. Dove, Gabrielle De Cuir, Grover Gardner, Hillary Huber, James Anderson Foster, James Patrick Cronin, Joe Hempel, Kimberly Alexis, Kirsten Potter, Natalie Naudus, Neil Hellegers, Peter Berkrot, Ramiz Monsef, Robin Miles, Scott Brick, Simon Vance, Stefan Rudnicki, Vikas Adam, Zura Johnson (Narrator)

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Jewel Box: Stories

The strange, the sublime, and the monstrous confront one another with astonishing consequences in this collection of twenty-two stories from awardwinning writer E. Lily Yu. In the village of Yiwei, a fallen wasp nest unfurls into a beautifully accurate map. In a field in Louisiana, birdwatchers forge an indelible connection over a shared glimpse of a Vermilion Flycatcher. In Nineveh, a judge who prides himself on impartiality finds himself questioned by a mysterious god. On a nameless shore, a small monster searches for refuge and finds unexpected courage. At turns bittersweet and boundary-breaking, poignant and profound, these stories sing, as the oldest fables do, of what it means to be alive in this strange, terrible, beautiful world. For readers who loved the intelligence and compassion in Kim Fu’s Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century and the dreamlike prose of Kelly Link’s Magic for Beginners, Jewel Box: Stories collects the acclaimed short fiction of E. Lily Yu, whose work has been praised in the New York Times as “devastating and perfect.”

E. Lily Yu (Author), Cindy Kay, Ramiz Monsef, Soneela Nankani (Narrator)

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Just a Hat

Action-packed, humorous, and bittersweet, this 1970s-era coming-of-age novel is more relevant than ever—exploring how a second-generation immigrant kid in a new hometown must navigate bullying, unexpected friendships, and the struggle of keeping both feet firmly planted in two very different cultures. It’s 1979, and thirteen-year-old Joseph Nissan can’t help but notice that small-town Texas has something in common with Revolution-era Iran: an absence of fellow Jews. And in such a small town it seems obvious that a brown kid like him was bound to make friends with Latinos—which is a plus, since his new buds, the Ybarra twins, have his back. But when the Iran hostage crisis, two neighborhood bullies, and the local reverend’s beautiful daughter put him in all sorts of danger, Joseph must find new ways to cope at home and at school. As he struggles to trust others and stay true to himself, a fiercely guarded family secret keeps his father at a distance, and even his piano teacher, Miss Eleanor—who is like a grandmother to him—can’t always protect him. But Joseph is not alone, and with a little help from his friends, he finds the courage to confront his fears and discovers he can inspire others to find their courage, too. Just a Hat is an authentically one-of-a-kind YA debut that fuses the humor of Firoozeh Dumas’s Funny in Farsi with the poignancy of Daniel Nayeri’s Everything Sad Is Untrue.

S. Khubiar (Author), Ramiz Monsef (Narrator)

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A Guide to the Dark

Something is building, simmering just out of reach. THE ROOM IS WATCHING. But Mira and Layla don’t know this yet. When they are stranded on their College Tour Spring Break Best Friend Road Trip, they find themselves at the Wildwood Motel, located in the Middle of Nowhere, Indiana. Mira can’t shake the feeling that there is something wrong and rotten about their room. Inside, she’s haunted by nightmares of her dead brother. When she wakes up, he’s still there. Layla doesn’t see him. Or notice anything suspicious about Room 9. The place may be a little run-down, but it has a certain charm she can’t wait to capture on camera. If Layla is being honest, she’s too preoccupied with her confusing feelings for Mira to see much else. But when they learn eight people died in that same room, they realize there must be a connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside it. They just have to figure it out before Mira becomes the ninth.

Meriam Metoui (Author), Ariana Delawari, Ramiz Monsef, Vaneh Assadourian (Narrator)

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The Golden City

A young emperor’s life hangs in the balance and only the Brotherhood can save him … Constantinople, 867—A murderous plot is afoot. Assisted by the Order of the Ancients, the emperor schemes to assassinate his son and throw the city into chaos. In response, the Hidden Ones have dispatched Assassin acolyte Hytham to join his mentor, Basim Ibn Ishaq, to infiltrate the palace and foil the emperor’s plan. But that is not his only mission … Hytham’s brotherhood have entrusted him with uncovering where Basim’s true loyalties lie and whether the master Assassin’s personal obsessions outweigh his sense of duty. For Hytham to succeed, he must tread carefully, for Constantinople is a city of shadows, and danger hides in them all.

Jaleigh Johnson (Author), Ramiz Monsef (Narrator)

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Escape to the Tatras: A Boy, a War, and Life Interrupted

A coming-of-age story set against the rise of fascism, the collapse of democracy in Slovakia and Hungary, the attempted genocide of the Jewish people, and the eventual conquest of the Allied Forces over Nazi Germany, ESCAPE TO THE TATRAS tells the story of one child’s remarkable journey encompassing the essence of life before and throughout World War II. During the terrifying years of deprivation, deportation, and imprisonment of Jews, many of whom were sent off to Nazi labor and extermination camps, the Štaub family (mother Irene, father Frici, and their young son Oskar), citizens of Prešov, Slovakia, fled for their lives in order to hide from the brutal Slovakian forces and their German operatives. Young Osi, who witnessed it all, found the courage and resiliency to cope with challenges far beyond his years. Written seven decades later with the precision of unfailing memory and the pain of personal experience, Oscar (Osi) (Staub) Sladek tells an unforgettable story of resilience and personal triumph.

Oscar Sladek (Author), Ramiz Monsef (Narrator)

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Never Say Invisible: A Memoir of Living and Being Seen with ALS

Jeremy Schreiber was on top of the world—athletic, newly married, successful. And then something went terribly wrong. In this moving memoir, he shares his journey after he received a terrifying diagnosis: ALS. As the devastating disease robbed him of movement and speech, he was abandoned by his wife and betrayed by a society that shuns people with disabilities. But it’s not all doom and gloom. He found love, support, and a powerful purpose. While fighting for his independence and then for his life, Jeremy gave his all to the ALS and disability communities. Never Say Invisible is his legacy gift. Smart, clever, and humorous, his story is a testament to what can be learned and achieved despite a terminal illness. Jeremy died on October 29, 2021, before he could finish this memoir. Sandra Jonas Publishing is proud to collaborate with his parents, Fred and Ronnye Schreiber, to carry on his work.

Jeremy Schreiber (Author), Ramiz Monsef (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Ramiz Monsef