Thursday, June 13, 2013

Lit: June Is Audio Month

June is audio month, or at least that's what I read all over the blogoverse. I can't seem to find any group that wants to claim credit for naming it thus or any official site. Still, I've been so enjoying listening to books this past year I wanted to play along.

I popped in the last disk of Gods In Alabama today, excited to be nearing the end. Then I realized I only had one more audio book in my car. What if it isn't what I'm in the mood to listen to tomorrow? Would I, gasp, have to listen to the radio? Ok, that may be a bit dramatic - you all know how much I love NPR, it's definitely not the end of the world if I have to turn that on! Still...


Suddenly that little cartoon light bulb went on over my head. Today is Thursday, the weekly book sale at the library. An hour after I got off of work, I walked out of the library with five new (to me) audio books. Three I actually have in paper form but just haven't read yet. It seems wasteful to pay twice for a book but it seems to be the only way I'll get to some books. Here's what I picked up today:

Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
The Lady and The Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrota
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I tried very hard to stay away from actual books but you know I spent a good half hour browsing those shelves. I was very good and only picked up two books: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (all your fault, too many of you had raved about it) and No Time To Wave Goodbye by Jacquelyn Mitchard (The Deep End of The Ocean is one of my all-time favorite books so I had to have this follow up).

In the next couple of weeks, I'll be posting reviews of the audio books I've been listening to for the past couple of months. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts about audio books as well so next week I'd like to have that discussion with you as well. Can't wait to hear about your favorite narrators, when you listen, and what kinds of books are your favorites on audio!

8 comments:

  1. I didn't know it was audio month, but I did pick up two at the library today--a collection of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves stories and Olive Kittridge.

    I loved listening to The Lady and the Unicorn a few years ago--hope you like it too. I still need to read A Thousand Splendid Suns--I think that would make for a good listen as well.

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  2. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on these audiobooks! Several in there I'd like to read myself.

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  3. I'm sunk, because I'm a terrible auditory learner and can't listen to books. My mind keeps wandering to what I have to do later in the day...

    I am reading a book by Philippa Gregory right now. Light reading, which is what I really need in this moment!

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  4. Audio books can be so amazing and really elevate the material! I hope these are good ones!

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  5. I've loved listening to audio books since I started last year. I've listened to 8 I believe this year. All really good so far. I'm listening to Revenge Wears Prada and it's hilarious!

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  6. So... black and blue is a rough read, I can't imagine listening to it. It's about a woman abused by her husband. gut wrenching...consider yourself warned! :)

    I just started listening to Rob Lowe's memoir. Like many... I love his voice so how bad can it be?!

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  7. I hope we didn't ruin Interpreter of Maladies for you! I just saw a JIAM post raving about the audiobook version of The Abstinence Teacher - enjoy!

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  8. I don't think it's wasteful at all!! sometimes I find that listening fits into my life much easier than the book itself!!

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