Reader Submissions: Audiobooks
books for your earholes #85
Major book confession: I have never actually completed one (1) audiobook in full, which mayhaps is not surprising given that I’ve only ever attempted to listen to two (2) audiobooks.
WHAT? No, I know. There’s, like, a lot in the world of books that I’ve never experienced, despite my utmost dedication to the craft at the exclusion of socializing, home maintenance and other important adult tasks.
I think my issue is that I really struggle to listen to one voice for one stretch of time. I don’t even like single-person podcasts. I YEARN FOR HUMAN DIALOGUE, Y’ALL. How did I ever make it through school lectures?
My extremely scientific, peer-reviewed Instagram poll suggests that audiobooks are polarizing for a lot of people, with about half of the group identifying as audiobook lovers and half as grudging road trip listeners at best. People, we’re a house divided!
What is an uncomfortable truth is that most of the best readers I know have a regular audiobook routine and are enthusiastic fans, as presumably are their dogs who appear to be the greatest beneficiaries of this pastime given that the “walk ‘n’ listen” is quite popular.
So this week, the spotlight is turned over to you, dear readers, and your recommendations for the best of audiobooks in fiction, non-fiction, memoir and YA. If you love ‘em, please leave your audiobook thoughts in the comments – and if you, like me, are skeptical, maybe you’ll find something here to try (or be radical and read the paper version of the audiobook!)
Reader Submission: What Audiobooks Do You Love?
From author and BFF Danielle, who inspired this week’s topic and often says to me, “I know you don’t do audiobooks but maybe try this one …”
“I would mostly recommend nonfiction, as a book read by someone telling their own story is pretty powerful.
Molly Shannon’s book [Hello, Molly!] is spectacular … incredibly touching and funny and has a lot to say about art and struggle.
Trevor Noah truly performs the shit out of his book [Born a Crime].
Read Rob Sheffield’s books about the death of his young wife [Love is a Mix Tape], and the follow up about the aftermath and finding new love through karaoke [Turn Around Bright Eyes].”
Editor’s note, that’s me, I’m the editor - Born a Crime is *the* number one audiobook recommendation I hear including from readers Mark, Michelle and Joanna. So I guess that’s the one to try! (P.S. I read it old-school and I loved it.)
From Sean, who reads all the important self-development: The Four Agreements
From Jeff, who knows from books: Broken Horses
From Amy, who reads omnivorously and voraciously: “Say Nothing, because of the narrator”
From Joanna, my other audiobook guru, who has read / listened to 55 books (!!) this year so far:
“I sometimes pick audiobooks by narrators and Julia Whelan is an amazing narrator - she did Educated, Invisible Life of Addy LaRue, the Emily Henry books, the Taylor Jenkins Reid books. Or any non-fiction or memoir read by the author.”
Other suggestions:
The Girls Who Went Away - the Hidden History of Women who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v Wade. A hard but important read.
Things my Son Needs to Know About the World made me laugh out loud while walking my dog - people looked at me funny.
The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois - oh.my.god. I had avoided for months because it was soooooooo long (every time it came up in my Libby app I'd push my hold) but I am so obsessed with it.”
From Aditi, who’s smarter than 99% of people you meet: "Harry Potter, again!!!”
From Christina, who’s definitely right: “Daisy Jones and the Six, 100%”
From Abby, who did not really help my list of recommendations but whose heart and spirit are always exactly right: “All of them! I love to walk and listen!”
Reporting Live From …
This weekend I’m at the Sun Valley Writer’s Conference - shout out to my very very nice friends Nina and James, who is running the whole incredible show.
You can live stream all weekend here and hear from authors like Anthony Doerr, Lauren Groff, Ocean Vuong, Imbolo Mbue, and a guy named Noah Feldman talking about “The Supreme Court: Now What?” and honestly, Noah, that’s a question I ask every day.
Book lovers, check it out!
Your Weekend Reading is Produced By …
Me. I’m the editor and the producer, the DJ and the rapper. But I wanted to continue the audio theme.
If you’re new here, every week is a new theme or set of books. So if you didn’t find anything to love this week, check out the archive!
All links typically go to Bookshop.org which supports indie bookstores. Good! This week, in an effort to link to audiobooks, I was all over the place. Chaos! But definitely check out your local libraries, which offer free audiobooks, ebooks, music, newspapers, and general goodness. Like dogs, we do not deserve libraries.
