We are halfway through Audiobook Week 2011, and our lovely host Jen at Devourer of Books has compiled a list of thoughtful questions about all things audio. (Jen was kind enough to send me these questions in advance of my trip so I could pre-post. Thanks Jen, you rock!)
Current/most recent audiobook: I'm currently listening to "Anansi Boys" by Neil Gaiman, read by Lenny Henry. I've had this baby on my iPod for over a year, originally recommended to me by Carrie at Books and Movies.
Impressions: That I am an idiot for waiting this long to listen to this book. I mean, you know Gaiman right? He is just a few steps off the path of normal, and his uniqueness tickles my fancy. I've never listened to Lenny Henry before, but he is nailing the most wonderful Caribbean and British accents. My ears and heart are happy.
Current favorite audiobook: That is really not a fair question. Like asking which child is my favorite. My brain threatens to explode if I even try to think about it. So I will narrow down the field and tell you my favorite audio from 2011, which is still not an easy task. In choosing a favorite audio, it has to be a combination of a great story and a great narrator. If one of these aspects doesn't deliver, it becomes a mediocre experience. That being said, I'd have to say that my favorite this year would be "A Visit From the Good Squad" by Jennifer Egan, narrated by Roxana Ortega. Runner up? "Revolution" by Jennifer Donnelly, narrated by Emily Janice Card, which will be reviewed tomorrow.
One narrator who always makes you choose audio over print: Sorry Jen, I'm not going to be able to stick to one narrator, because there are a few that must be mentioned. It's that favorite kid thing again.
Simon Vance will always have my audio heart. Not only would I refuse a printed copy of anything he narrated, I will even seek him out just to get more of him. Known as the voice of the Stieg Larsson trilogy, he's got so much more going on than that, and is regularly awarded for his excellence every year in the Audies.
Emily Janice Card is a new find for me. She narrated "Revolution" by Jennifer Donnelly. I was so taken with her, I grabbed "The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott", which is a book I never would have read otherwise. (I never even read "Little Women"!) She is a delight to listen to.
Cassandra Campbell keeps finding her way into my ears, and she is always a highlight. Some of my most treasured audios..."The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", "The School of Essential Ingredients", "You Know When the Men Are Gone"...all of them brought to me through her capable voice.
Genre you most often choose to listen to: I am an equal opportunity audio listener, so my audio lineup reflects my overall interests. I've listened to non-fiction, memoirs, literary fiction, social commentary, comedy, crime thrillers, horror, you name it. I have found, though, that short stories do not translate well on audio for some reason.
If given the choice, you will always choose audio when: there is an audio available. Audios are much easier for me to crank through than print, because I don't sit down during the day, and at night when I do, I fall asleep. I will also always choose audio for longer books.
There are also a few authors that must be experienced in audio only. David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, and Joshilyn Jackson all self-narrate, and deliver their books in the spirit in which they are intended. Seriously, if I were offered any of their books in print, I would refuse them.
If given the choice, you will always choose print when: the book is a collectible or the cover is so gorgeous it must me kept and admired. I don't find myself in this position often though. I would also refuse an audio if I knew I didn't like the narrator. I won't mention names, because I don't want to be mean, but there are some that make the hair on my neck stand up, and I swear I will never listen to them again.
What are some of your audio highs and lows? Current listens? Please share!
Today I'm going to reminisce about the past year (since Audiobook Week 2010) with regards to my audio life. Here are my highlights:
* I won the BBAW Best Audio Book Blog. Granted, I had no competition, and that took a little bit of the wind out of my sails, but I still proudly display my badge right at the top of my blog.
* After a year-long endeavor, my kids and I finished the entire Harry Potter series on audio. At the helm is one of the best narrators EVER, Jim Dale.
* After the Harry Potter audio "project", the kids and I decided we would try The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We enjoyed "The Hobbit" but crashed and burned with LOTR. This is the perfect example of how a narrator can kill a good time.
Audios that tested my endurance (and in some cases my patience):
1. Under the Dome - Stephen King (30 discs)
2. The Passage - Justin Cronin (29 discs)
3. Last Night in Twisted River - John Irving (20 discs)
4. Freedom - Jonathan Franzen (18 discs)
5. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides (17 discs)
Audios that tested my listening skillz and brain cells:
1. The City and the City - China Mieville
2. The Third Rail - Michael Harvey (review coming next week)
3. A Visit From the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan
Audios that won my heart:
1. Joshilyn Jackson:
* Gods in Alabama
* Backseat Saints
* Between, Georgia
* The Girl Who Stopped Swimming (review coming in two weeks)
2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
3. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
4. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter - Tom Franklin
5. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
6. Revolution - Jennifer Donnelly (review coming this Thursday)
7. A Visit From the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan
So there is my year in a nutshell! Stay tuned throughout the week for more engaging audiobook topics, and be sure to check out Jen at Devourer of Books who is hosting our week of fun!
Earlier today, I posted a first-come, first served giveaway on some audios I had sitting on my shelves. As of 7:00pm this evening, no one has spoken for the following audio:
Got the Look - James Grippando: One of a series of murder mysteries that take place in Florida. In this installment, the bad guy kidnaps a female, then sends a ransom note to the loved one asking for "what she is worth". Narrated by Jonathan Davis. Here is my review.
I will mention that the narrator is excellent (he narrated Shadow of the Wind). While the story is fairly predictable, he is fun to listen to. Any takers?
Also, Gayle spoke for Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Gayle, I need your e-mail in order to get in touch with you and get your address!
Audio Book Week fun continues! Today, Jen has made it easy for us...a few quick questions:
Audiobook are you currently reading/you read most recently: The Girl That Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson (narrated by the lovely Simon Vance)
Impressions?: Can't listen fast enough! Of course, I may go into a funk when it is over because that is all there is.
How long you’ve been listening to audiobooks: Well, technically my husband and I listened to a Tony Hillerman mystery on a road trip that we took about 15 years ago, but that was an anomaly. If we want to mark the moment I dove in and never came back up for air? This is where my reading history at the library comes in handy and helps out a poor, forgetful girl. According to the records, it was January 2008.
I will also add that this adventure began because of my BFF Michele. Audios were the ONLY way she read books, because of her busy life. I'd been hearing her talk about the joys of audios for years, and I finally caved...and never looked back.
First audiobook you ever listened to: If we don't want to count the Tony Hillerman novel I mentioned above, then the answer would be "Bones to Ashes" by Kathy Reichs (Temperance Brennan series).
Favorite audiobook title: Next you will be asking me my favorite child! Overall, though, it must be the Harry Potter Series. It is magical.
Favorite narrator: Oh, now this is a really toughie (NOT). Of course it is Simon Vance. He brings his audios to life, but in addition to that, his voice is oh so silky smooth and puts me into a sort of trance. Not to take anything away from the dozens of other narrators that I would actively seek out in an audio...Barbara Rosenblatt, Jonathan Davis, Julia Gibson, Jim Dale, Dick Hill or Tom Stechschulte.
How do you choose what to listen to versus read? It is very easy. I listen to everything I can, limited only by what isn't carried by my library. I generally listen faster than I read, so if I am even mildly interested and there is an audio for it, I order it from the library and it gets uploaded!
Tomorrow, I will talk about all times I listen to my audio books (hint: just about all the time except sleeping, but I will go into a little bit more depth...).
Continuing with Day 2 of Audio Book Week, Jen proposes the following discussion starters on the topic of writing audio reviews:
What do you include? How do you rate an audio if the narrator is good but the story isn’t (or the other way around). Do you let people know the book was an audio off the bat, or do you surprise them with it at the end, ‘trick’ them into reading the review?
I find that I retain information much differently when listening to a book than reading it. I remember more about the plot, and I am left with a more tangible mood. When I read something in print, I have little magnetic markers that I use to mark important scenes, quotes, etc. With audios, I make no notes whatsoever. And when I sit down to write an audio review, I use the tangible mood I'm left with, and write from the heart. This can be tricky with a 30, 40 or 50 disc audio, but there you go. Nobody REALLY wants to hear a 50 disc plot, so my memory is the best editor in this case, and you lucky people get the boiled down version.
Quotes can be very problematic with audios, and I rarely use them in my reviews. Once in a great while, a quote will stick in my head and MUST be included though. Sometimes I will write down the location of a quote and later transcribe it (which is a pain). Chances are, however, if the quote made that much of an impact on me, then it probably impacted others as well, and I can easily Google it and find it online.
There are other smaller issues as well. Names, for example. I don't remember them, and obviously I don't know how to spell them. That is an easy fix - a quick trip to Amazon will provide everything you need.
Now, let's discuss the impact of narrators, which is really the million dollar question, isn't it? Good books have been ruined for me by narrators (Olive Kitteredge is a great example). It is nearly impossible for me to separate a bad narrator from the prose, unfortunately, which might not be fair, but life isn't fair. I have a pretty strong opinion on this. If a printed book is going to be adapted to an audio book, it is the job of someone (publisher?) to not simply find someone to read the words and record it, but to create an experience. It is like making a movie, is it not? You must find the right narrator or cast of narrators, and ensure the essence is captured. If not, why bother? So when I am reviewing an audio, I am reviewing the entire package. I'd love to say that I would revert to the printed book and read it, if an audio goes sour, but I don't. Not enough time and too many other great books to read!
Jen's question about "tricking" readers by not revealing an audio review until the end is interesting. It never occurred to me! (You mean somebody might not read the review if they know it was an audio??? Really???) In my post title, I always state that the review is for an audio, and I also tag it as an audio as well. I will generally not only review the plot, the characters, the atmosphere, etc. but will also comment on the narrator. Like I said, the whole package.
Stay tuned through out the week for more dicussion. Also, on Friday, I will be hosting a giveaway on some audios as well! Happy listening!
Wasn't it nice that the Audiobook authorities declared the beginning of Audiobook Week on my birthday? They must have recognized that I am audio-obsessed (a "tapeworm" according to David Sedaris), and I appreciate them throwing a little love my way!
So to celebrate both, I decided it would be fun to host my own Audie awards. I have listened to well over a hundred audios since I started blogging late in '08, and even more before that, so to narrow down the field, I forced myself to pick my favorites from June '09 to June '10.
There are so many great books, a number of them offered on audio. But for anyone that listens to audiobooks, you know that because of audios and their narrators, books can be elevated to a whole different experience - almost three-dimensional in fact. In the hands of a great narrator, I LIVE the story, I am IN the story, I am transported to another world. Few printed books have been able to accomplish this. Audiobooks make walking, cleaning my house, running errands, doing yardwork and cooking an immense pleasure ...the ultimate multi-task.
Of course, the downside is that bad narrators can destroy a decent book, but that is not why we are here today, is it? Let's talk about a few that deserve distinctive honors:
Best Belly Laugh - Anything written and narrated by David Sedaris. His work should only be experienced through the audiobook medium. The printed word could never come close to delivering his dry wit in the manner in which it was intended. Reviews: When You Are Engulfed Flames, Me Talk Pretty One Day
Best Atmosphere - Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Post WWII Barcelona, the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a young boy, a mysterious author, and an evil antagonist...this story sucks you into its world. But spoken from the lips of narrator Jonathan Davis, in his flawless Spanish accent, you just may find yourself in a swoon.
Best Ability to Remind You of the Magic of Literature - Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. Multiple narrators + brilliant and insightful writing = audio masterpiece. More than once, the spoken prose made me stop and stand where I was, overwhelmed with the emotion of the moment. When I finished, I said to myself "now THAT is what it is all about". A number of great bloggers had issues with this book. I suspect the audio may have made the difference.
Best Series to Spend a Year With - Harry Potter Books 1 through 7 by J.K. Rowling. In the case of Harry Potter, I have read the books several times, seen the movies, and listened to the audiobooks. Without a doubt, the audios are the best experience of the three. Jim Dale embodies the characters effortlessly. It was almost like watching the movies only nothing was boogered up or left out of the plot. An entire year of our lives was spent frolicking in the Wizarding World of Witchcraft with childlike glee. Reviews: The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, The Deathly Hallows (review coming soon).
Most Like a Warm, Comfortable Blanket on a Cold, Rainy Day - Love Walked In and Belong To Me (review coming soon) by Marisa de los Santos. Snuggle down, friends. You will never want these audios to end. Granted, the writing is half the charm, but Julia Gibson brings these enchanting characters to life.
Best Ability to Inspire Homicidal Rage - The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. I suspect I would have liked this book in print, but the audio version, narrated by Julia Gibson (the narrator of the beloved Marisa de los Santos audios), perfectly captured Walls' unfailing love and trust in her parents. Gibson also conveys the maddening selfishness of Rex and Rose Mary Walls, to the point where I was near a homicidal rage. That's some powerful narration.
Best Ability to Knock You Off the Elliptical Trainer - Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. So call me dense, but as I was listening to this audio, I did not see any of it coming. And when it came, my legs turned to jelly and I promptly disembarked the elliptical trainer so I could sit on the floor and put my head in my hands. All of this drama was delivered in the raw, course, haunted and even guttural narration of Tom Stechschulte, which added to my grief and the ultimate impact.
And saving the best for last...
Best Ability to Enthrall, Enchant, Entertain and Cause Your Heart to Palpitate (also known as the "Ear Candy" award) - anything narrated by Simon Vance. I melt like butter, I do, when Simon speaks. He's smooth, he makes his characters appear before your mind's eye, and his voice echoes in your head long after you have turned off your iPod. I would listen to him read the phonebook. Reviews: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (currently reading!), The Little Stranger
Stay tuned throughout the week, for in honor of Audiobook Week, all of my reviews will be on...you guessed it! 
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