Recently, at the suggestion of a friend/librarian, I “read” or listened to an audio book when I had to drive a ways, albeit in a particularly straight line. She suggested to try out an audio book since I really didn’t have to do a great deal of thinking while driving around bends, turns and twists as I was headed straight up a straight, straight highway. Interesting. I have never tried this medium before, but have known many that have either while running, working ( a postie friend!), etc. I decided to give this a whirl.
My first audio book was Minette Walter’s The Ice House, and after adjusting to the ebb and flow of someone reading to me, (and adapting to the narrator’s slightly annoying attempts of creating gruff male voices) I found that I really, really did enjoy a book in this manner. I think it’s also all in whom the narrator is as well. I have now moved on to my 4th audio book (currently, it’s The Abstinence Teacher, read by Campbell Scott. I do have to say I’m not that fond of his reading style, but I’ll adapt) and today came across The 2011 Audies, awards created for the best audio books of the year. I scanned through the lists and saw that The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins won in the Classics division. Our fellow Hoader, Jackie has listened to it and I will chime in that I think listening to a good old, classic mystery in this way is my favourite way to appreciate an audio book. Seeing as Woman in White is the award winner, I may just have to listen to it!
In the Literary Fiction category, amongst titles such as, “Freedom” and “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet” is the Winner:
Hmmm…not sure if it would be something that I would pick up, but if it’s award winning? Maybe I’ll have to take a listen…..
By the way, The Audiobook of the Year went to Life, by Keith Richards – I am going to go out on a limb here and assume this is owing to the fact that Johnny Depp read it. Johnny Depp reading the back of a cereal box would be award winning, so I think this had nothing on the content of Keith Richards’ life. :-) (in my opinion)
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