Listen to a Book

Some people think listening to audiobooks is cheating. Like if you don't actually read the book yourself, it doesn't count. I think that's ridiculous. This isn't school. Who cares if you read or listen to the book? Better to listen to the book, than not read at all, I say. Audiobooks are a great way to fit in more books when you don't have time to sit down and actually read. I have found that listening to audiobooks while I'm stuck in traffic helps preserve my sanity. And it makes chores bearable. Parents are encouraged to read to their children. Children love it and always want a story before bedtime. Why shouldn't adults get the same enjoyment from having a book read to them? Besides, if the narrator is really good, you may get more from the book by listening to it than if you had just read it yourself. Since I have started listening to audiobooks, I have come to favor a few narrators. I have found that a good narrator can make a so-so book really good, and a bad narrator make a great book terrible. I have also found myself listening to books I might not normally read, simply because I like the narrator. My favorite narrator is Kate Reading. I would listen to her read anything. She has such a great voice and does a great job distinguishing between characters. Some of the books she has narrated that I enjoyed were Lauren Willig’s Secret History of the Pink Carnation, Ken Follett’s Jackdaws, Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth, and Ann Rule’s Bitter Harvest. A few other great narrators I enjoy are Scott Brick, Jim Dale, George Guidall and Barbara Rosenblat. Publisher's Weekly has a great interview with Scott Brick, where he talks about how he records a book. It's very interesting to learn what goes into recording and how long it takes. If there is a narrator that you enjoy, you can always find other books he or she has narrated by doing an author search of their name in the library catalog.

Sue