And the Winners Are...

The 2017 Audie Award Winners have been announced! I've been anxiously awaiting the results of this years Audiofiles awards and they're finally here! If you love listening to audiobooks these are books that should be on your radar. These books blend terrific stories with amazing narrators which creates a fantastic listening experience. For your reading pleasure a few of the 2017 Audie Award winners. If you'd like a complete listing of the Audie Award winners they can be found here.

Audiobook of the Year 
Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. Narrated by Mariska Hargitay, with the authors, published by Hachette Audio
The audiobook does more than tell the surprising story of how a Broadway musical became a national phenomenon: It demonstrates that America has always been renewed by the brash upstarts and brilliant outsiders, the men and women who don't throw away their shots.

Best Male Narrator
Jesrusalem by Alan Moore Narrated by Simon Vance
Jerusalem's dizzyingly rich cast of characters includes the living, the dead, the celestial, and the infernal in an intricately woven tapestry that presents a vision of an absolute and timeless human reality in all of its exquisite, comical, and heartbreaking splendor.

Best Female Narrator
Be Frank With Me by Julia Clairborne Johnson
Reclusive literary legend M. M. "Mimi" Banning has been holed up in her Bel Air mansion for years. But after falling prey to a Bernie Madoff-style Ponzi scheme, she's flat broke. Now Mimi must write a new book for the first time in decades, and to ensure the timely delivery of her manuscript, her New York publisher sends an assistant to monitor her progress. The prickly Mimi reluctantly complies - with a few stipulations: no Ivy Leaguers or English majors. Must drive, cook, tidy. Computer whiz. Good with kids. Quiet, discreet, sane.

Fantasy
The Hike by Drew Magary Narrated by 
On a quest of epic, life-or-death proportions, Ben finds help comes in some of the most unexpected forms, including a profane crustacean and a variety of magical objects, tools, and potions. Desperate to return to his family, Ben is determined to track down the "Producer," the creator of the world in which he is being held hostage and the only one who can free him from the path.

Humor
I'm Judging You written and narrated by Luvvie Ajayi 
Luvvie Ajayi's debut book of humorous essays dissects our cultural obsessions and calls out bad behavior in our increasingly digital, connected lives - from the importance of the newest Shonda Rhimes television drama to serious discussions of race and media representation to what to do about your fool cousin sharing casket pictures from Grandma's wake on Facebook.

Inspirational/Faith Based Fiction
Risen: The Novelization of the Major Motion Picture by Angela Hunt Narrated by P.J. Ochlan and Alana Kerr Collins.
Roman Tribune Clavius is assigned by Pilate to keep the radical followers of the recently executed Yeshua from stealing the body and inciting revolution. When the body goes missing despite his precautions, Clavius must hunt it down. His investigation leads him from the halls of Herod Antipas to the Garden of Gethsemane and brings him in touch with believer and doubter alike. But as the body still remains missing, Clavius commits to a quest for the truth - and answers that will not only shake his life but echo throughout all of history.

Literary Fiction and Classics
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Narrated by Dominic Hoffman
Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, unknown to each other, are born into different villages in 18th-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and will live in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle, raising children who will be sent abroad to be educated before returning to the Gold Coast to serve as administrators of the empire. Esi, imprisoned beneath Effia in the castle's women's dungeon and then shipped off on a boat bound for America, will be sold into slavery.

Multi-Voiced Performance
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult Narrated by Audra McDonald, Cassandra Campbell and Ari Fliakos
Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than 20 years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders, or does she intervene?

Mystery
The Crossing by Michael Connelly Narrated by Titus Welliver
Detective Harry Bosch has retired from the LAPD, but his half brother, defense attorney Mickey Haller, needs his help. The murder rap against his client seems ironclad, but Mickey is sure it's a setup. Though it goes against all his instincts, Bosch takes the case. With the secret help of his former LAPD partner, Lucia Soto, he turns the investigation inside the police department. But as Bosch gets closer to discovering the truth, he makes himself a target.

Nonfiction
Hillbilly Elegy Written and narrated by J.D. Vance
The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J. D.'s grandparents were "dirt poor and in love" and moved north from Kentucky's Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually their grandchild (the author) would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of their success in achieving generational upward mobility.

Narration by the Author or Authors
A Life in Parts Written and Narrated by Bryan Cranston
In his riveting memoir, A Life in Parts, Cranston traces his zigzag journey from his chaotic childhood to his dramatic epiphany and beyond, to megastardom and a cultlike following, by vividly revisiting the many parts he's played on camera (astronaut, dentist, detective, candy bar spokesperson, president of the United States, etc.) and off (paperboy, farmhand, security guard, dating consultant, murder suspect, dock loader, son, brother, lover, husband, father).

Paranormal
Ghost Gifts by Laura Spinella Narrated by Nicol Zanzarella
All Aubrey Ellis wants is a normal life, one that doesn't include desperate pleas from the dead. Her remarkable gift may help others rest in peace, but it also made for an unsettling childhood and destroyed her marriage. Finally content as the real estate writer for a local newspaper, Aubrey keeps her extraordinary ability hidden - until she is unexpectedly assigned the story of a decades-old murder.

Romance
Dirty by Kylie Scott Narrated by Andi Arndt
The last thing Vaughan Hewson expects to find when he returns to his childhood home is a brokenhearted bride in his shower, let alone the drama and chaos that come with her.

Science Fiction
Star Wars the Force Awakens By Alan Dean Foster Narrated by Marc Thompson
Set years after Return of the Jedi, this stunning new action-packed adventure rockets us back into the world of Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Luke Skywalker, while introducing a host of exciting new characters.

Thriller/Suspense
Cross Justice by James Patterson Narrated by Ruben Santiago Hudson and Jefferson Mays
When his cousin is accused of a heinous crime, Alex Cross returns to his North Carolina hometown for the first time in over three decades. As he tries to prove his cousin's innocence in a town where everyone seems to be on the take, Cross unearths a family secret that forces him to question everything he's ever known.

Young Adult
Salt to the Sea by Ruth Sepetys Narrated by Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris and Michael Crouch.
In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.

Audiobook Plays: The Gods of Carnage & Art

Despite this being Audiobook promo month at the Library, I have a confession to make: I don't listen to audiobooks much at all.

I read almost entirely fiction, and there has always been something a little intrusive about having someone else narrating a novel for me. I feel like it gives characters voices that I would never give them, and gives me an internal narrator that I would never use. Regardless of whether it is a single narrator or a full-ensemble cast replete with sound effects, I still prefer physical books for the novels I read.

But...I have found an instance where audiobooks have made me appreciate the material in a way that I wouldn't by reading it myself: Plays (or Drama, if you do a subject search on Hoopla or Overdrive).

I can’t say I know many people who read plays. There are ongoing discussions over whether plays should be read as literature at all, and I'm sure we've all heard some variant of "plays are meant to be seen, not read." But what can you do if a play isn't available for viewing but it is difficult to read as well? Audiobooks are an accessible alternative to text or performance. 

Two plays that I listened to recently were Yasmina Reza's Gods of Carnage and Art. Gods of Carnage is a black comedy of manners about two sets of parents who meet to discuss a fight between their two children and what ends up happening when their civility starts to slip. In the same vein as Herman Koch's The Dinner and Christos Tsiolkas's The Slap , but much snarkier than both, Gods of Carnage is a short listen and an entertaining jump into contemporary drama. 

Art is a discussion of what "art" really is when three friends get into a sparring match after one of them buys a white-on-white canvas for a hefty sum. 

Neither of these plays would have been on my radar without our audiobook selection - so I recommend you check out the dramas yourself: from the ancient Greek plays to Shakespeare to Chekhov and Ibsen to modern works, you might find something new to enjoy. Or a new way to enjoy it. 

Ninth City Burning by J. Patrick Black

Ninth City Burning takes place around 500 years into the future where humanity is embroiled in a centuries long war with an alien race. When the aliens, or Romeos as they are called in the story, first came, they brought an unstoppable, reality altering power called thelemity. It seemed all was lost until humanity realized that some of their own could also wield this same power. Ever since their first onslaught was beat back, much of the technology has been related around thelemety and fighting the Romeos. However, after centuries of attrition, the Romeos have changed tactics and it could mean the end of Earth. 

The story is told from the point of view of 7 characters and each of these is narrated by a different actor in the audio version. We follow each of these seven, all from different background and vastly different perspectives on the conflict as they start to come together and try to save humanity. 

Overall, the story can be a bit formulaic and there are segments where you know exactly what is going to happen next. But the the multiple narrators and characters do keep it interesting. I hope that in the next book, Black manages to keep plot points better concealed and less trope-ish. A good listen overall and recommended for fans of coming-of-age sf/f such as Ender's Game and Hunger Games. 

Great Audiobooks for the Whole Family

This month the library is highlighting its audiobook collection! Try a book on CD, Playaway, eaudiobook, and now MP3!  MP3 audiobooks are easier to handle and keep track of because the whole book is on just one or two discs.

I listen to audiobooks in my car--it's how I get an extra book in a week.  I really like a lot of different genres including mysteries, fantasy, history, and especially young adult titles.  The teen collection has tons of great choices including some of my favorites.

The following are some really fantastic choices that I would suggest for audio lovers:

Nevada Barr--Anna Pigeon Series--Track of the Cat--Mystery

Terry Brooks--Shannara Series--Sword of Shannara--Fantasy
Terry Brooks--Genesis of Shannara Series--Armageddon's Children--Fantasy
Daniel James Brown--The Boys in the Boat--Non-Fiction
*Jim Butcher--Cinder Spires Series--The Aeronaut's Windlass--Fantasy
Jim Butcher--Dresden Files--Storm Front--Mystery
Bill Bryson--A Walk In The Woods--Non-Fiction

Suzanne Collins--Hunger Games Trilogy--Hunger Games--Young Adult
*Diana Gabaldon--Outlander Series--Outlander--Historical, Fantasy
Laura Hillenbrand--Unbroken: WWII Story of Survival...--Non-Fiction
Sara Paretsky--V. I. Warshawski Series--Indemnity Only--Mystery
*Richard Peck--Grandma Dowdel Series--A Long Way from Chicago--Yng Adult
Kathy Reichs--Temperance Brennan Series--Deja Dead--Mystery
*J. K. Rowling--Harry Potter Series--H Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone--Juve
Rebecca Skloot--The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks--Non-Fiction
Jonathan Stroud--Bartimaeus Series--The Amulet of Samarkand--Juvenile
***Elizabeth Wein--Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire--Young Adult
*Westerfeld, Scott--Leviathan Series--Leviathan--Young Adult
Moira Young--Dustlands Series--Blood, Red Road--Young Adult

These are all wonderful but my absolute favorites are marked with a *.

The Son

If you like to read or listen to books then the library is the place to be. We offer several, different formats besides hardback books including cdbooks, ebooks and eaudiobooks. And now the library has audiobooks on MP3 discs! They are great because the entire book is on just one disc so they are great for vacation plus more cost effective. I am more of a hardcopy book kind of person but I do like to read books on my Kindle when I'm traveling.


One book I really enjoyed was The Son by Jo Nesbo. Nesbo is from Norway and is best known for his crime novels. The Son is about a young man with a drug addiction who is being haunted by his father's past. If you like fast-paced books with lots of twists and turns then this is the book for you. This book is very different from the author's Harry Hole series.

Now narrators are the ones that make or break an audiobook. I always try to have at least 2 or 3 different audios on hand just in case I don't like the narrator's voice, which has happened in the past. 

So take a chance on an audiobook. The library has something for everyone and you just might fall in love with listening. 

For Your Listening Pleasure: Best Audio Books

If you love listening to audio books you are going to love this post. Here are a few fantastic audiobooks that offer great narrators along with wonderful stories.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

This heart warming debut novel intended for middle school children will please readers/listeners of all ages. This action packed story raises thought-provoking questions about the environment, the role technology plays in our world and what it means to be alive. Beautifully narrated by Kate Atwater.

Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped inside His Own Body  by Martin Pistorius

This is the heart-wrenching story of one boy's return to life through the power of love and faith. Listeners hear of a parent's resilience, the consequences of a misdiagnosis, abuse at the hands of caretakers, and the unthinkable duration of Martin's mental alertness betrayed by his lifeless body. Narrated by Simon Bubb.

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson

Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history. The narration by Scott Brick makes this great story a true listening pleasure. 

You will find more great audiobooks in our Audiobooks  e-newsletter.

Awesome Audios!

To round out the month of July and our focus on everything audio, I present two of my favorite audiobooks. Personally, I am not an audiobook person. I appreciate the audiophiles who have such an intense love and knowledge of all things audiobook, but I seem to have a very fraught relationship with them. However, everyone once in a while, I come across one that grabs me.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

First of all, you have to read this book. Whatever format you prefer, just read this book. I highly recommend the audio version because you get the delight of a good story paired with the vocal stylings of Wil Wheaton. Actually, if you love audiobooks or Wil Wheaton, I recommend any book he narrates.

The story is set in 2044 when the Earth has been ravaged by famine, poverty, and disease. All the people who struggle with a day-to-day existence escape to the OASIS, a virtual world lacking all of the misery in the real world. The creator of the OASIS has hidden puzzles that will lead to a massive fortune, but no one has been able to unlock one until Wade comes along. From there, the story turns into a fantastic, action packed adventure into 80s nostalgia.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Authors are not necessarily the best choice as narrator for audiobooks. However, memoirs and other personal nonfiction seem to be the most logical books to be read by the author. Personal accounts of sensitive topics or life altering events can sometimes only best be read by those who lived them.  Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book, Between the World and Me, is one of these books.

Coates’s poignant memoir framed as a letter to his teenage son is a must read. It discusses the impact of American history and ideals on the safety and perception of black Americans. It is Coates’s personal history and his awakening to the truth about his place in the world, which is best told in the author’s voice rather than by a disconnected narrator. 

Naomi Novak’s Temeraire series

Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series

The historical ‘what if?’  has long been one of the more fascinating questions : Victor Milan look at what if dinosaurs were still around in the 14th century, Marie Brennan looks at what if dragons were a part of nature, Eric Flint looks at what if a 21^st century West Virginia mining town was dropped it into 1632 Germany. These types of fiction let the writer mix their imaginations with (hopefully) well researched fact.

Naomi Novik looks at the Napoleonic wars if dragons were not only used, but were intelligent, speaking creatures. We follow Captain William Laurence of the HMS Reliant as he is forced from the Navy due to circumstances. While capturing a French frigate, he finds himself bound for life to Temeraire, an exceptionally intelligent dragon, and thus committed to a lifetime service in the Aviator’s Corps. The story follows the intrepid duo through battles, politicking, storms, revolts, and plague all throughout the world as they try to thwart the forces of Napoleon.

Naturally, this is primarily an adventure series, but it is obvious that Novik's imagination is only equaled by her research into the time period. Little details really bring the world together and provide and excellent backdrop for the story. Also, while it would be easy to simply write a long string of battles with dragons, the Temeraire series also brings in politics, cultural differences, class differences, philosophy, and many other fascinating elements that serve to add depth to both the characters and the story. 

The audio versions of the Temeraire series are read by Simon Vance and are most excellent to listen to during the day. Vance does an admirable job giving life to so many characters from so many different countries.

I would highly recommend both the audio and the print version for anyone that is a fan of ‘what ifs’, dragons, Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander, and Horatio Hornblower.

The Best Audiobooks!

I have been converted. I admit I am now an audiobook lover. It was not always like that and usually, I still prefer a 'good old fashioned book' in my hands to an e-book or an audiobook, but lately I have found fantastic narrators who make listening an auditory pleasure. I especially enjoy listening to multi-voiced audiobooks.  

So if you love listening to a great narrator...you are sure to enjoy these books. If you have never listened to an audiobook give it a try.   For added incentive here are a few activities you can do while listening to a book: exercise, cook, bake, garden, write thank-you cards or even housework. Just think you can get work done while hearing a fantastic book! Life doesn't get much better than that, well if you were listening to a book, while sitting on the beach...that would be heaven. I can see it now.  The sun, the waves and a beautiful story.. pure unadulterated bliss.

Audie Award Winners That I LOVE! 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (multi-voiced edition) 
2015 Audie Award Winner: Multi-Voiced Performance and 
2015 Winner Distinguished Achievement in Production

I've listened to both the multi-voiced edition and the one read by Neil Gaiman himself. I enjoyed them both, but the multi-voiced version is fantastic! 
Nobody "Bod" Owens is an orphan and is adopted and raised by ghosts in the graveyard where he crawled to safety after his parents were murdered. This is an enchanting tale that you won't want to stop listening too. 

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
2016 Audie Award Winner: Multi-Voiced Performance

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents, including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews and more...Illuminae is the first book in a heart stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth and the courage of everyday heroes. Beautifully voiced.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle Read by Simon Vance
2014 Audie Award Winner: Classics

Classic Sherlock Holmes made exceptional by an amazing narrator.

Mandela: An Audio History available on Hoopla (translation this book is always available, there's no waiting to listen)
2015 Audie Award Winner: Audiobook of the Year 

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr  
2015 Audie Award Winner: Fiction

Nonfiction
The Boys In the Boat by Daniel James Brown
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Fiction
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
The Postmistress by Sara Blake
The Roundhouse by Louise Erdich

If you have an audiobook that you love.....PLEASE do not keep us in suspense. Please tell us (or at least me) what it is... I promise I'll give it a try.

Fantastic Audiobook Narrators!

I have truly begun to enjoy listening to books. This is especially true on long commutes. A great book and a great narrator make the trip fly by! Some of the best narrators can make anything they read sound exciting and intriguing.

When I find a narrator I love to listen too, I do a search for other materials they have narrated. It doesn't matter who wrote it or necessarily what the story is about, if I know the narrator is good I will listen to the story. I have chosen several audiobooks strictly based on who the narrator is and it may sound crazy, but I can honestly say I have not been disappointed yet. When the narrator understands the story and the characters, then listening to the story becomes a true delight.

One of the great narrators of all time is Jim Dale. He is the narrator for the Harry Potter Series. He did well over 140 different voices for the Harry Potter series. He made each character stand out and brought the book to life. His amazing narrations have made him a winner of The Golden Voice award from Audie Books and also won him a Grammy award and Grammy nominations for his narrative skill.  His list of narrations include: The Night Circus, Peter and Secret of Rundoon, Around the World in Eighty Days and many more.  

Simon Prebble's British voice is also among Audio Files Golden Voices. He is best known for his narration of British novels but his works include A Christmas Garland by Anne Perry, 1984 by George Orwell and Sherlock Holmes mystery novels. He won best voice award in 2010 for his narration of The Coral Thief. Anything Simon reads, I am willing to listen too. He takes care with his craft using his imagination to fully immerse the reader in the story.

George Guidall, another Golden Voice recipient has narrated such wonderful titles as American Assassin, Bone Deep, Cell and Burnt House. His favorite book to narrate in recent years is I Know This Much Is True because it touches readers on many different levels; love, relationships, wives and first impressions.

Neil Gaiman's British accent and vocalizations make the stories he has written leap to life. The Ocean At The End of The Lane is beautiful and magical. Neil's storytelling held me enthralled and made me want to hop into the car so I could listen to more of the story. In fact I enjoy his narrations so much I checked out all the books he has narrated including his children's book, Fortunately, the Milk...which was wonderfully funny and full of fantastical characters. He is truly a joy to listen too.

Lorelei King is another of my favorite narrators. She is an award winning narrator as well and narrates stories for Debbie Macomber, Janet Evanovich, Patricia Briggs and Darynda Jones. A few of her award winning narrations are: First Grave on the Right, The Cabinet of Wonders, Tallgrass and Fearless Fourteen.

Mark Deakins is also a narrating treasure. He is an actor, author and narrator. I first listened to him as the narrator for the Maze Runner series. He has also narrated the following books: Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie, Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult, and Look Me In the Eye by John Elder Robinson. The last book listed is the one that made one of my friends a believer in audiobooks. Look Me In the Eye is a nonfiction story that is funny, poignant and absolutely awe inspiring.  Perhaps anyone could read it and make it capture your attention,...but I really believe it takes special talent to read a story and bring it to life.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of excellent narrators--just a few of my favorites. If you have not listened to a good book find a book read by one of these narrators and get ready to hear an excellent story. Perhaps you'll find yourself enjoying your ride to work or even find that doing housework is not as bad as chore when you have a fantastic story to listen to. If you already listen to audiobooks and have a favorite narrator...tell me about him. I am always up for listening to another great story.