Have a Listen: Audiobooks We Love

I am a longtime lover of audiobooks. When we were kids, Paige and I shared a room, and we used to drift off to sleep at night listening to our favorite books on tape. This is a habit that became so ingrained that, although we no longer live in the same state, much less the same bedroom, we both still love to listen to a book at bedtime. Paige and I also liked to pick out a couple of audiobooks for our drives home from college. While working on my PhD, I listened to a lot of audiobooks during my 50 minute commute to the University of Kansas. Now I love an audiobook to help me through my less exciting chores or a session at the gym.

Here are ten fabulous audiobooks:

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaimon. Nathan and I listened to this books years ago. Years. And we are still talking about it and quoting it.

At Home by Bill Bryson. This "short history of private life" is really a short history of basically everything. At Home was all I could talk about for weeks. It's also narrated by the author, which is almost always a treat.

Austenland by Shannon Hale. My impression of this book is that it has Shannon's (I've met her in person, so sure, we are on a first name basis) sense of humor all over it. I could imagine her snickering as she wrote it. I snickered while I read it.The movie is out in theaters now in select cities.

The Beka Cooper Books by Tamora Pierce. I have listened to all of Tamora Pierce's novels. Yes, all. That's 29 books, folks and these are my favorites of the lot. I love, love, love the language in the Beka Cooper books, and Susan Denaker's narration really brings it to life.

The Curse Worker Books by Holly Black. There are quite a few series that I will wait to read until I can get my hands on the audio version. Jesse Eisenberg narrates this series, and I think he really nails Cassel.

The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima. These books are exciting, as in maybe not the best for bedtime listening because you won't be able stop listening and go to sleep.

The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr. I know I am an art history nerd, but I found this book about the rediscovery of a lost Caravaggio incredible suspenseful even though almost all the big discoveries were unearthed in archives (tedious work). This is one that I passed along to my husband and sister.

The Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper. Here's a series I've been recommending to everyone. These books are great historical fiction and fabulous choices if you want to read about the 1930s, the Spanish Civil War, and World War II. I was so sad that the third book wasn't recorded.

The Thursday Next Books by Jasper Fforde. Clearly I love Jasper Fforde. This is another series that I always read in audio format. It's also one that Nathan and I like to listen to together. We just love Thursday.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This audiobook got us through the drive from Maryland to Alabama and back. Nathan and I were absolutely riveted, and I had already read the book. It seems like basically everyone has already read this or thought about reading this, and, if you are in the latter category, might I suggest the audio version?

Pair it With: When the World Was Flat (And We Were in Love)

When The World Was Flat (And We Were in Love) starts out a little slow. And it's full of those young adult tropes I'm getting a little tired of: mysterious new guy, strange, sudden connection, visionary dreams, stereotypical friends, small town, absentee mother. So the test became whether or not Ingrid Jonach's debut young adult novel could impress me despite all of that. I stuck with the book because I had this feeling that the pay off was going to be worth it. When the secrets--inspired by Albert Einstein's theories--began to be revealed the book got much more exciting and suddenly had enough that was unlike what I'd read before to be enjoyable and thought provoking. There were a couple of reversals that I was not expecting. I did have some serious issues with Lillie's friends, especially Sylv whose crassness is completely unnecessary. Lillie's mom, however, stepped it up and turned out to be more conscientious parent than I expected. Lillie and Tom aren't destine to become two of my favorite characters of all time, but I liked them well enough.What made the book worth reading, for me, were the fantastical elements. When the World Was Flat is out September 3, 2013.

Stacey Jay invented such an interesting premise for her novel Juliet Immortal. I shall try and do it justice in a few words. In Verona all those years ago, Romeo killed Juliet in order to gain eternal life. In the hundreds of years that followed, Romeo and Juliet have been fighting one another, returning to earth again and again to either destroy true love (in Romeo's case) or protect it (in Juliet's). They are each part of a larger organizations of which they understand very little. When the novel begins they are once again at odds, but this time there seem to be higher stakes involved. Juliet Immortal is pretty out there, but I really enjoyed it. The enmity that Juliet feels for Romeo is so palpable, but she is not beyond redemption. She still believes in love, and this could be her second chance. Romeo, on the other hand, was so repulsive at times as his borrowed body began to fall apart. In turns creepy and sweet, I found Juliet Immortal hard to put down.

Reading on a Theme: Russia and YA

This Reading on a Theme came about by pure chance. On my nightstand sat a copy of Shadow and Bone. On my e-reader sat a copy of Between Shades of Gray. Then I received review copies of two other Russia-themed young adult novels. I read them all in a row and they were richer and more enjoyable because of it.

The Siberian Work Camp:
 I had heard all kinds of praise for Ruta Sepetys's debut novel, and it received a long list of awards. In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina, along with her mother and younger brother, is taken from her home in Lithuania and sent to a Siberian work camp. This book deserves its awards. It is well-written, gripping, and sad. Ruta Sepetys took her inspiration for this book from her own family history. It tells of a time and a place in history that definitely deserves a story.

The Cold War: 
 In 1982 college student Laura Reid goes to Leningrad with a study abroad program. She meets Alexei there. As Laura gets more and more involved with Alexei the stakes get higher, and although Laura loves Alexei she's not sure his motives are pure. Natalie Standiford is from Baltimore. I love a hometown author, and I really enjoyed Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters, which is why I wanted to read The Boy on the Bridge. I liked this book more than I thought I would. It is not your typical fairytale romance. I, like Laura, was not at all sure of Alexei's intentions. The professor/ type-A student in me cringes at how seemingly uninvested Laura is in her studies, but I can shove that aside. My advice if you want to read this book: DO NOT READ THE SUMMARY. The Boy on the Bridge is out on July 30th, 2013.

                                   
Russian Fugitive in America:
As luck would have it, Elizabeth Kiem's new novel also takes place in 1982-1983. 17-year-old ballerina Marina Dukovskaya is an up and coming ballerina in Moscow. Her mother, Svetlana Dukovskaya is one of Russia's prima donnas, and although past her prime, she is still very much in the spotlight. But one day Sveta disappears, and Marina and her father must flee to America.  Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy has a terrific premise. There are a lot of things to love about this book! However, I wanted more of almost everything. More dancing. More intrigue. More character development. And, if we are going to have it at all, more of the supernatural. However, Kiem really made me believe that Marina was not an American girl recast as a Russian, but a real Russian fugitive. I love that cover. Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy is out August 13th, 2013. More opinions at Red Letter Reads.


The Fantasy: 
I quite liked this fantasy with a Russian flare. Leigh Bardugo introduces readers to Ravka. A country divided by the Shadow Fold, a swath of darkness where no light can penetrate inhabited by horrific monsters. Those trained in magic, the Grisha, help fight the Shadow Fold and Ravka's enemies. There were several reversals in this story that I was not expecting at all. I liked how Bardugo set up an extreme contrast between the Royal and Grisha palaces and the common folk. This book also has a fair amount of court intrigue. What made this book even more of a pleasure to read is how beautiful the book itself is with its map and decorative illustrations. The sequel to Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, is out now.

The Paranormal:
Imperial Russia with vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, fairies, and necromancers, The Gathering Storm is kind of crazy. Seriously, this world has a lot going on. A few times I started to wonder if it was too out there, but, seeing as I was enjoying the story, I kept deciding no. I love alternate histories, and I thought that Robin Bridges did a fabulous job weaving the supernatural into the history of Russia. Also, this book really kept me guessing. I really wasn't sure who to trust. Katerina is a worthy main character, although at times her inner monologue did get a little repetitive. I quite liked Grand Duke George Alexandrovich and the rest of the royal family. The Unfailing Light was published in 2012 and the final volume of the trilogy, The Morning Star, is out August 27th, 2013.