Extra Mustard: Praise for audio books
They were first termed “books on tape” and if you’re old (like me), you remember that they came in a plastic casing that held each cassette tape firmly in place. You’d put each cassette in a car stereo or a Walkman (mine was black and silver) and when one side of the tape was done, you flipped it over, then moved to the next tape, etc.
Gosh, I’m getting tired just thinking about it. No wonder books on tape were a bad idea.
Books on CD weren’t much better. And if you bought a typical book, you’d put it on a shelf and you looked studious. But putting Books on CD on a shelf? Lame.
Then came iTunes, Audible, Libby and all sorts of platforms for audio books and what a difference. In 2010, about 6,000 titles were published in an audio format. In 2020, that figure grew to 71,000. In addition, sales has grown each year. Convenience is a factor and the ability to listen and multi-task.
My ratio of audio to print is about 3:1. Personally, I check out audio books through Libby, my library system e-book app and I have it with me at all times whether it’s in the car on the way to work or a road trip or working in the yard or washing the car. Have a phone and some earbuds and a journey into another world is just the push of a side triangle away.
Narrators make all the difference. Get a good one who can provide multiple voices unique to each character and who can also bring the tension of the page and you have a recipe for a great read.
As a writer, I gain a greater appreciation for the writing when I hear it spoke. When the words on the page, the eyes often can skim through the lines of text. But in audio, I digest every word and every nuanced phrase. I can listen for the elements of drama and tension and how a turn of phrase makes all the difference. Unfortunately, there are no margins to pin it for future reflection.
How about you? How do you like audio books? Do you listen? Do you consider it “reading?”
Instagram Partner: @literary.bookscape
I’ve forged a partnership with a Bookstagrammer (@literary.bookscape) to provide some quick impressions on some books she’s read in the past month. Expect this an extra feature!
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
All anyone needs to know is that there is a character in this book who is a Giant Pacific Octopus named Marcellus. He is one of my favorite characters ever. If you enjoy quirky and heartwarming, this is for you.
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna Marie McLemore
book club selection - We had mixed feelings about this one. I feel that it is overwritten and relies too much on fairytale tropes, rather than being true magical realism. Good premise, lackluster execution.
Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson
I really enjoyed this historical fiction piece set at the Blue Lion Inn in London. I liked how it focused on everyday people preparing for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. I think I could have done without the bit of mystery and shenanigans that ensue, but overall, it is a good read!
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Smart, funny, and deeply satisfying — Sally is a writer for TNO, a SNL-esque show, and Noah is the host and musical guest star in 2018. Fast forward to 2020 and Covid and reconnecting with someone you just may have connected with two years ago. Everything you want in a rom com penned by Sittenfeld.
Iona Iverson’s rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
Iona rides the same commute train daily with the same group of people. None of them speak to each other until the day one of them almost chokes on a grape. What follows is a delightful and heartwarming story about the kindnesses of strangers and how the assumptions we make about people are not always correct.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
I was highly entertained by this dive into a 1% family in Brooklyn Heights and what it must be like to marry into one. A great summer read!
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabelle Monaghan
Is this story totally implausible? Yes. Is it worth reading anyway? Also yes. Fun, fantasy escapism that is NOT about a 20-something ingenue. Refreshing!
My finished pile
I also read some books this month. Here are my impressions:
Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight. This book is very similar to It Girl by Ruth Ware, but not as well executed. There is a murder mystery, shared pasts from college and behind-the-back gossip. The characters weren’t all that likeable and subplots were so out of place that you figured they had to be part of the overall mystery.
L.A. Weather by Maria Amparo Escandon. Family Drama and lots of it, the kind that depresses you and urges you to get away and do something hopeful in your life. Each character faces such turmoil in a calendar year that you wonder (wish?) if an asteroid will just hit already. There is a message of hope in family at the end, but by time you get to it, you are just ready for it to end.
The Last Trial by Scott Turrow. I read Presumed Innocent and Burden of Proof decades ago and enjoyed the character of defense attorney Sandy Stern. It’s like going to see an old friend and catching up. I enjoyed the nostalgia and, as the title suggests, this is the last of Sandy’s appearances. If it is, it’s a good note to go out on.
Birdman by Mo Hader. I like good British detective procedurals. I like crime. But this one was so graphic and described disturbing scenes so intensely, I visibly cringed and felt sick as I read. Overall, the story drew you in and the mid second act twist kept you in it. I just didn’t have the stomach for some of the details.
I absolutely love audiobooks. My only problem with the transition to Audible is that some of the ones I listened to on cassette or CD never made it over. Most of them did, and you can find just about anything on there now, but there's one or two.... ah, so it goes.
Totally agree that the narration makes or breaks a audio read.