Studies show that students enjoy being read to, even when they’re in high school. There is some lingering effect from all those times as young children when our parents read to us that carries over later in life. With that in mind, why not continue, even as an adult?
Michelle and I have both been listening to audiobooks for a number of years. We got our start when I received one as a gift. Admittedly, I was skeptical at first. Why in the world would I spend my time listening to a book when I enjoy reading so much? Still, I thought I might as well give it a try while I was driving the long distance between Ellendale and New Richland.
That book on CD was titled Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell. It was a memoir about one lady trying to emulate Julia Child and has since been made into a movie.
The funny thing is that it was very enjoyable. The story was interesting and the author read it herself, adding a great amount to the experience through her verbal expression. Michelle listened to it after I did, and since she has a longer trip to work than I do, it didn’t take her nearly as much time. We agreed that this might be a good thing to start doing as part of our commutes. After all, we both enjoy reading, and it never seems like we can catch up on all the books we’d like to read.
What makes audiobooks so great? It really begins and ends with the person reading on the CDs. The story can be so-so, but if you have a really amazing person reading it, the audiobook escalates into a good realm. On the other hand, you might have a good story, but a bad reader will wreck your interest in a hurry.
It’s funny, but it didn’t take long for me to start recognizing specific voices. “Hey, this is the guy who read…” became a common refrain as I would start a new book on CD. One of my favorites is Scott Brick. He reads a lot of thrillers and mysteries. Brick’s distinctive voice just carries you along and makes you want the drive never to end. If I see that he is the narrator, I know I’ll enjoy the experience.
Another notable voice is that of Jim Dale. He’s read many, many books on CD, but he might best be known for reading the Harry Potter series. I decided a couple of years ago to listen to all of them in a row, in an effort to experience some of my favorite books in a new way. Normally, I don’t like to listen to something I’ve already read, but this was a notable exception. Trust me on this, if you enjoy Harry Potter and you listen to Jim Dale read the novels, your enjoyment will increase exponentially. Dale absolutely nails the characters and the timing throughout the seven books.
Another nearly surefire winner is when the author reads the book him or herself. Neil Gaiman is a great fantasy author who reads his own works. If he wrote it, he surely knows how to hit the beats at the right times. Gaiman’s stories are a delight to begin with, but his reading of them makes them all the better.
Many times, if we listen to a memoir or autobiography, the person will read it too. Again, if the book is written in first person point of view, it’s best if that person reads it. Tina Fey’s book Bossypants would have just sounded strange if Fey hadn’t read it herself. Carrie Fisher read all her memoirs and made them better through that act.
Here’s another side to things though. Michelle and I discovered the delight that is David Sedaris through audiobooks. I was just randomly looking for something to listen to one time when I saw his book Me Talk Pretty One Day. Certainly, my attention was drawn by the terrible grammar in the title, but once I popped in the first CD, I knew life wouldn’t be complete until I had listened to everything Sedaris had written.
So we found everything we could by Sedaris. One day I thought I might just read one of his books. As I was reading, I could hear Sedaris’ very distinct voice reading it in my head. And I realized I had been spoiled. Sedaris writes stories based on his life, and his readings bring either tears of laughter or sadness almost every time. I’m so spoiled to his excellent readings that I can’t simply just read one of his books. Plus, Michelle and I already have tickets to see him in person for a third time next year in Minneapolis – that’s how good he is!
Outside of Sedaris’ latest books, we don’t buy any of these. The library in Owatonna is a wonderful source for new audiobooks. They have so many choices that I don’t think we’ll ever run out of books to listen to in our vehicles. Michelle prefers non-fiction and enjoys a lot of the memoirs and other good books that are true. I like some of those too (Bill O’Reilly and his Killing series are excellent), but I’ll pop back and forth to fiction plenty as well.
Who knows what else is next in this shared enjoyment. I know I’ll get to listen to plenty through the winter sports season as I travel all over the countryside for basketball games. I hope that if you don’t have the time to sit down and read some good books that you might find the time to listen to some at least. Check out your local library and get a start on a good listen today!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is declaim, which means to state with passion, as in, “He tried to declaim the advantages to listening to a good book if you had a long road trip.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!