The Armchair Audies

I know Pratchett to be a clever, quick teller of tales, and go into his novels expecting a romp both silly and smart. And Dodger is a superb character. I want to live in a world where I can encounter Dodgers at the most unexpected and delightful times.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis and narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Reviews

Oh, Sunday! Such a classic misunderstood youngest sibling with a secret. She’s the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter in a kingdom where magic is fairly commonplace, so really she shouldn’t need to pour out her troubles to the frog at her local fairy well to make herself feel better. Nevertheless, Sunday does end up sharing her diary with Grumble the talking frog, who they both know is enchanted, but who doesn’t change when Sunday kisses him. Until, one day, he does, but she doesn’t know it.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and narrated by Kate Rudd

Reviews

The Fault In Our Stars is a gorgeous, emotion-packed, wry, deep, fun book. About kids with cancer.

The Reading Date

Kate Rudd sounds the way I imagined the characters to sound, and expertly handles different ages, genders and accents. Though her interpretation of Hazel and Augustus was spot on, it was also a treat to hear her rendition of Peter Van Houten, and the Dutch accent of his assistant. Rudd puts a lot of emotion and heart into her narration, and the joys as well as the pain were felt even more than in the print edition. The sad parts of the book felt sadder listening to the audiobook, perhaps because I knew what to expect. At the end of the audiobook John Green talks about the book, so that was a nice surprise. I think this is a great starter audiobook for readers that want to try out the audiobook experience, even/especially if you’ve already read the book. I really enjoyed revisiting this book and appreciate it even more.

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini and narrated by Gerard Doyle

Reviews

None currently available

2013 Solo Narration – Male Nominees and Reviews

Armchair Audies, Solo Narration - Male March 24, 2013 1 Comment

The following audiobooks were nominated in the Solo Narration – Male Category. This category is being reviewed by Melanie from Overreader, Michele from my book, my life, and Trish from Love, Laughter, Insanity. Would you like to join the crowd? Sign up here.

The Absolutist by John Boyne and narrated by Michael Maloney

Reviews

Tristan is at once knowable and intriguing, a man struggling with his identity, his actions, his relationship with his family, and his place in the war. He’s only 21, but after enlisting at 17 and serving several years in the trenches “over there,” his soul is an old man’s. But his heart is still as precariously confused and frightened as it was when his father kicked him out at 16 for transgressions that clearly have to do with his unreciprocated feelings towards his best friend.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

Reviews

Ballerini is a new-to-me narrator, and I enjoyed him ever so much. The Italian accents were charming, and his handling of many different Hollywood types (producer, writer, actors) felt spot-on.

Being There by Jerzy Kosinski and narrated by Dustin Hoffman

Reviews

Kosinski’s deadpan portrait of Chance’s life is relentless in its take-down of media and politics. Hoffman’s understated affability suited the narration brilliantly. He has a friendly, trustworthy tone – “laconic and matter-of-fact,” as a reporter describes Chance – and leaves the listener free to snap up the parody throughout.

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene and narrated by Colin Firth

Reviews

This is up for the Solo Narration – Male category of the Audies awards, and it’s my sacred duty as an #ArmchairAudies reviewer to give you the skinny on why I kept forgetting to do my job so I could listen to this book. (Good thing it was only 6.5 hours long.)

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff and narrated by Simon Vance

Reviews

MissSusie’s Reading and Observations

Hoff’s book has been out for 20 years, and I remember flipping through it once in a while, but I’d never gone front to back with it before. It’s interesting, and cleverly assembled to make points about Taoism using the familiar tales of beloved Pooh Bear. Rescuing Roo from the river, finding the “North Pole,” hunting heffalumps, and just being with Piglet and Christopher Robin all serve to illustrate the benefits of not over-thinking life, taking it as it comes, and trusting that solutions to problems will surface when needed.

2013 Solo Narration – Female Nominees and Reviews

Armchair Audies, Solo Narration - Female March 24, 2013 Leave a comment

The following audiobooks were nominated in the Solo Narration – Female Category. This category is being reviewed by Susie from Miss Susie’s Reading & Observations and Flannery, Tatiana, and Catie from The Readadventurer. Would you like to join the crowd? Sign up here.

The Boy in the Suitcase by by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis and narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Reviews

I just love the timbre of her voice. She also does all the different eastern European accents very well. A job well done!

Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth and narrated by Nicola Barber

Reviews

MissSusie’s Reading & Observations

Nicola Barber narration is very well done, going from British to Irish to Cockney accents all seamlessly.

Juliet in August by Dianne Warren and narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Reviews

MissSusie’s Reading & Observations

Cassandra Campbell’s narration is very good with softness when needed, she was able evoke the emotion I believe the author was trying to convey.

The Unseen Guest: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood and narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Reviews

MissSusie’s Reading and Observations

Katherine Kellgren’s range is so unbelievable that at times you wonder if there is more than one voice narrating, but no it is all Katherine.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and narrated by Anne Hathaway

Reviews

MissSusie’s Reading and Observations

It’s still a very interesting story, it just isn’t completely the same story as that of the movie. And if you’re going to read this book – or particularly if you’re planning on reading it to a child – think about using this version. Anne Hathaway shines in this audiobook. I’m not usually one for dramatic readings of books, but the characters in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz definitely deserve that treatment to bring themselves and the story to light, and Hathaway does great justice to it all. The range of her voice and the many unique characterizations that she has created for this book were a large part of why I was so enthralled with it and wanted to read it all at once. She made the story and the characters spring off the page and come to life, in a fun and whimsical, yet ultimately respectful, way.

I can see why this book was nominated; as much as I am not a fan of Audible’s celebrity A-list (because the real A-List is all the great narrators who do this for a living), but Anne does bring many voices to the mix maybe at times too many because some of them don’t seem to belong in the land of Oz but what do I know I’ve never been there!

2013 Short Stories/Collections Nominees and Reviews

Armchair Audies, Short Stories/Collections March 24, 2013 Leave a comment

The following audiobooks were nominated in the Short Stories/Collections Category. This category is being reviewed by Carina from Reading Through Life. Would you like to join the crowd? Sign up here.

Astray by Emma Donoghue and narrated by Khristine Hvam, James Langton, Robert Petkoff, Suzanne Toren, and Dion Graham

Reviews

Astray is more about the characters and their struggles than about plot development, and even though most of the stories are set quite a bit in the past, there’s a timeless quality to the conflicts presented in the book that really struck me.

I Am an Executioner: Love Stories by Rajesh Parameswaran and narrated by Lina Patel and Neil Shah

Reviews

You can really feel the emotions of the characters through the stories, even when they’re doing things that you wish they wouldn’t. I found myself, in a few stories, wanting to reach through my headphones and tell them, “no! don’t do that!” or “do this!”, which isn’t often how I feel when I’m reading a book. Usually, I’m happy to be a passive reader, but something about these stories made me feel as though I was emotionally invested in what happened.

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion and narrated by Diane Keaton

Reviews

I was thoroughly unimpressed with the narration of this book, and I’m not sure how it managed to be nominated for an Audie award. It was painfully clear throughout the seven hours of this audiobook that Keaton hadn’t rehearsed much, if at all.

Welcome to Bordertown: New Stories and Poems of the Borderlands by editors Holly Black and Ellen Kushner and narrated by Cassandra Campbell, MacLeod Andrews, Holly Black, Ellen Kushner

Reviews

I really loved that there were all kinds of different narrators and other characters, that there was quite a bit of diversity apparent from the outset. I’ve read so many books, particularly fantasy works, that are supposed to stretch our minds but that are really all the same: stories about mostly white, mostly middle- or upper-class, average characters. Instead, Welcome to Bordertown included characters from different nationalities and sexualities, and from varying life experiences.

When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories written and narrated by Molly Ringwald

Reviews

I loved – and hated – the nuanced characters and the ways in which they interacted with each other. She found a way to interlink the characters through the different narratives, while at the same time, giving each of the primary characters a distinctive voice of their own. The fluidity with which Ringwald shifted between perspectives and the way in which she managed not to trivialize any of their issues pulled me into their stories and made me want, desperately, for everything to work out in the end.

2013 Science Fiction Nominees and Reviews

Armchair Audies, Science Fiction March 24, 2013 Leave a comment

The following audiobooks were nominated in the Romance Category. This category is being reviewed by Bob from The Guilded Earlobe. Would you like to join the crowd? Sign up here.

14 by Peter Clines and narrated by Ray Porter

Reviews

Peter Clines novels are always highly visual, with intricately detailed action that comes across splendidly in audio. If there is any justice in the world, 14 is a novel that should make Peter Clines a household name among not just horror fans, but fans of good stories, expertly told. Clines has created a novel with characters to cheer for, twists to be honestly shocked by and stunningly vivid horrors that will make your dreams uncomfortable.

Agatha H and the Airship City by Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio and narrated by Angela Dawe

Reviews

None currently available

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker and narrated by Emily Janice Card

Reviews

The Age of Miracles isn’t an easy ride. Karen Thompson Walker’s slow boil apocalypse is a melancholy, almost anti-coming of age tale that is equal parts gripping and frustrating. While it left me ultimately unsatisfied and uneasy, the path to this final destination was lavishly and intricately created.

Invincible: The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell and narrated by Christian Rummel

Reviews

Invincible is a rollicking good listen, full of action and a touch of humor. By creating some interesting new angles Campbell breathes new life into a series that really wasn’t even close to death. The Lost Fleet is easily my current favorite continuing science fiction series, and one of the few that seems to just keep getting better.

Pure by Julianna Baggott and narrated by Khristine Hvam, Joshua Swanson, Kevin T. Collins, and Casey Holloway

Reviews