Monday: 2011-2012, Your Audiobook Year
Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is your chance to introduce yourself and your general listening experience.
Oh no, audiobooks are old hat to me. I started listening to audiobooks around 12 years ago. I was commuting to college and the drive was SUCH a bore. I hate almost all of our local radio stations… no, make that all of them except the one that occasionally plays classical music… I had to find something to occupy my mind. I got out The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (read by the brilliant Davina Porter) and was in love. I followed it with Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding (read by the amazing Barbara Rosenblat) and there was no looking back. I was an audiobook addict.
Book blogging has only made me fall even deeper in love with it.
So far this year, I’ve read 44 books. 17 of them have been audiobooks. One trend I’ve noticed before, but see it is becoming very clear with this year’s listening; I love to reread in audio. Here are the 17 books I’ve listened to so far this year. All of them have been favorites. In bold are the ones that are rereads.
1. Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal written and read by Conor Grennan
4. A Killing Frost by John Marsden, read by Suzi Dougherty
7. Shiver by Maggie Steifvater, read by Jenna Lamia, David LeDoux
8. Darkness, Be My Friend by John Marsden, read by Suzi Dougherty
10. The Graveyard Book written and read by Neil Gaiman
13. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, read by Stephen Briggs
14. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, read by Wil Wheaton
16. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, read by Carolyn McCormick
18. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, read by Carolyn McCormick
20. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, read by Carolyn McCormick
22. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, read by Nick Podehl
27. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, read by Nick Podehl and Angela Dawe
33. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness, read by Nick Podehl, MacLeod Andrews, and Angela Dawe
34. If I Stay by Gayle Forman, read by Kirsten Potter
36. Let’s Pretend this Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir written and read by Jenny Lawson
39. Peter & Max by Bill Willingham, read by Wil Wheaton
I am currently listening to A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (read by new discovery Jennifer Ikeda, who I am rapidly falling in love with as a reader) and yes, it is also a reread. I love to reread it audio because it allows to me to revisit a story I loved, to revisit old friends I loved, to see the story in new, unexpected ways through the talents of the reader, and, in the case of a continuing series, to remind myself of what came before.
Many thanks to Jen for running Audiobook Week again. I don’t know how she does it! See her blog for more posts on today’s subject and check back tomorrow for more Audiobook love.
Great idea about re-reading on audio! There are so many books I've loved (like Ready Player One) that might be better listened to on audio … might have to check out The Hunger Games series on audio now
I listen to most YA books now instead of reading them, I just realized after noticing your list has a lot of YA in it. I tried reading The Knife of Never Letting Go and didn't get into right away. Maybe audiobook is the way to go. I know I've liked Nick Podehl's narration on something else.
You certainly do use audiobooks to reread! I was able to give that a try during the Armchair Audies with THE MARRIAGE PLOT. I found that not only was it a great way to reread, it made me see things in a new way. Loved it.
Happy Audiobook Week!
Oh, I just listened to an audiobook that Ikeda narrated and she was just wonderful!
I'm with you on the Knife of Never Letting Go series, Ready Player One and Shiver/Linger/Forever series, all are great on audio. I'm going to have to see if I can get a copy of The Mists of Avalon on audio. That's been on my TBR forever and audio would be a great way to get to it.
I have been meaning to read The Mists of Avalon forever, it never occurred to me to try it on audio. As a matter of fact, your list is full of audios I think I'd like. Must take note…
I love rereading on audio, especially classics!
I think I'm going to try a reread on audio for the first time this year.
As a book blogger, we often read books a VERY long time before the movie comes out, or before our book club gets around to them. Whenever I do a re-read, it's usually on audio (The Night Circus was a wonderful re-read for me this year!). Discovery of Witches I actually discovered from a clip on Book Radio…I didn't listen, but I read the print. Now that I have the sequel, I might just have to listen to the audio with you!
I really enjoyed Ready Player One on Audio and I listened to all three of the The Hunger Games Trilogy on audio. I don't reread much with audio but have noticed I enjoy classics better in audio.
I loved The Hunger Games on audio. And you've listened to so many books that I've been meaning to get to like If I Stay.
That’s a great list. I also re-read via audiobooks, especially at work when I might have to *gasp* actually concentrate on something besides the book. The Tomorrow series by John Marsden was a fun listen in audio and it looks like you’re working your way through it.
I think everyone has 'Ready Player One' on their list and marked it as a favorite. I think I am going to have to get this one and see what all the hoo-ha is about!
Happy AudioBook Week!
Dorothy – The Alaskan Bookie – Squeak
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There are a few books out there that I've been wanting to reread and I think I might try them on audio. I've been listening to audio books for about a year and a half and now I find that I cannot get into my car (when I'm by myself) without having an audio going. I don't even remember the last time I just listened to the radio!
Kristin @ Always With a Book
RPO is a popular one, huh? I'm RE-listening to it right now and loving it more than the first time! I wish I had discovered audios earlier. When I had a long commute before (college) I always listened to musicals.
I really want to listen to the rest of the John Marsden Series. I liked the first one a lot, and enjoyed the movie.
Before Audiobooks I almost never read YA, but their worlds translate so well into audio, I usually listen to around 1 YA novel a month. In fact, I'm just about to start Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.
I have heard so many great reviews about Ready Player One audiobook. Must add to the TBL list! Thanks!
Ooo, I wish my library had a Discovery of Witches on audio – I'd love to reread it that way before book two.
I like to re-read on audio too, you get the joy of returning to a book you love but in a different format!
What an awesome list! So many I need to try.
As an author, I'm delighted my books are available in audio, but I can't listen to them! The voice on the audio books is so different from the voice I hear in my head when I'm writing!
I don't listen to audio books much either, because I'm like rereading sentences and paragraphs. That said, if I were to go on a long car trip, I would definitely take an audio book to fill the hours.