Today Jen asks us, “What do you do while you listen? Any particular tasks or games that you find amazing for audio time?”

Here are the things I like do while listening to audiobooks:

1) During my daily commute
2) Crochet – I wish I had a picture of my most recent project, but alas it’s at home and I’m 4 hours away…
3) Eat lunch in the peace and quiet (from work related noise) during the work week
4) Walking around the neighborhood (when I’m being good)
5) Putting together a jigsaw puzzle

Here are the things I listen to audiobooks while doing to make the task more enjoyable:

1) Laundry
2) Laundry
3) Laundry (Dear God! Will it ever end?!?)
4) Waiting for a restless child to go to sleep

Do you have any activities you like to do while listening to a good book?

Here’s something quick and easy for the middle of the week, just a short meme. Thanks to Jen for posting it this morning!

My class kept me from commenting last night, but I hope to be back in the commenting saddle again tonight. I am so loving Audiobook Week and what everyone is posting.

Current/most recent audiobook:

Redshirts by John Scalzi, narrated by Wil Wheaton

Impressions:

I am really having fun with the snarky humor and the situation that Ensign Dahl has found himself in. I love his friends on the ship and their relationship. Wil Wheaton makes the story fun. Despite how much I enjoy his narration, I would not say that he’s a good narrator by my normal standards. There is little character variation and the way that he handles the large amount of X said nearly immediately followed by Y said without much finesse, there is just something about him that makes him perfect for the book regardless.

Current/most recent favorite audiobook:

This is a hard question! I’m going to have to go with two:

I loved how narrator Jenna Lamia embodied Beth Hoffman’s beautiful story of making one’s own way in life, making Looking For Me a wonderful audiobook experience. I haven’t reviewed Beautiful Ruins yet, but it rocked my world. Edoardo Ballerini is an excellent narrator and I loved all of the Italian, Greek, and American accents. I cannot say enough about this title which recently won Ballerini an Audie Award for Solo Narration – Male.

Favorite narrator you’ve discovered recently:

Will Collyer! I picked Schroder because I had really wanted to read the book and Hachette Audio offered me a review copy. I was blown away by Collyer’s performance. He kept me riveted to Erik Schroder’s story and I was sad to see the book end because he was no longer there with me on my daily commute. Brilliant.

One title from your TBL (to be listened) stack, or your audio wishlist:

Like Jen, this is the latest book I’ve added to my TBL, The Shining Girls. I got to listen to Khristine Hvam in Astray and liked her work. What I’m really excited for is Peter Ganim. I worked with him on Baby, It’s Cold Outside and I am excited to finally listen to his work. The other narrators on this project, Jay Snyder, Joshua Boone, Dani Cervone, and Jenna Hellmuth, are also new to me. This should make for an interesting read.

Due to the crap wifi here at this Holiday Inn, I can’t upload a picture of the cover, but you can get the details on Downpour.com.

Tuesday: How do You Choose Your Audiobooks?
How do you decide what you’ll listen to? Do you mostly listen, or split time between listening and reading? Particularly if you split time, how do you decide what you’ll consume in audio and what in print?

I do split my time between print and audiobooks because each format allows me to read at different times during the day. I get to maximize my reading as a result and I love that. I haven’t had the chance to do any calculations over the past year, but I roughly read about half print and half audio. At certain times one format will take precedence over the other, but I’m likely to finish one book in each format per week. How I choose my audiobooks isn’t something I give a great deal of thought to personally. Since this is the format I reserve most often for following my bliss, my initial answer was that I choose audiobooks rather haphazardly. As I thought about it more, there are several things that go into my choices at one time or the other:

• Narrator – I can’t say this is the primary reason, but it is an important factor. It doesn’t just work for my go-to narrators, either. True, when I found out that Simon Vance was narrating Bring Up the Bodies, there was no real decision for me as to which format I would be reading that book. Still, I have a pretty big list of narrators I’ve had contact with that I haven’t had a chance to experience yet as well as an equally long list of narrators trusted friends love. Seeing that a title is narrated by someone I’d like to listen to will also prompt me to opt for audiobook over print. Little Wolves is an example of an audiobook I selected because I’ve wanted to listen to a Hillary Huber narration. I selected You Lost Me There because Johnny Heller and Jo Anna Perrin narrated. Of course, this works both ways. If I have had a bad experience with a narrator, I’ll pick print.
• Friends – I have a group of people I know who love audiobooks that I look to for recommendations of what is good in audio. If I see someone praising an audiobook, I take notice. I would have never listened to Astray were it not for Jen’s review. Bob’s review prompted me to pick up Redshirts. Tanya and I decided to read some Edith Wharton this year (#Edith2013), so I listened to two of the titles in audio to better fit it in to my schedule. All y’all prompted me to listen to Ready Player One. Hearing about a great audiobook from friends and fellow readers is the best, in my opinion. Each time I feel like I’ve connected to the greater reader’s hive mind. This wouldn’t have been possible in the same way or to the same extent without the internet. What lucky ducks we are!
• Timing – Although it’s not as true as it used to be, I often can get to a book more quickly in audio than I can in print. If there is something I want to read NOW, I pick it up in audio. This is one way I discover some new and interesting new-to-me narrators and has worked very well in expanding that horizon (with the notable recent exception of The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan, which I will simply have to wait to read in print).
• Publishers Review Copies – There are a few audiobook publishers who either regularly send me a list of what’s available or send me “surprise” review copies in the mail. I try not to request too many review copies because I like to reserve my audiobook reading time for whatever strikes my fancy. Still, when I see a shiny new book that I want to read listed in email or in my mailbox, it just might be what strikes my fancy next. I discovered Schroder this way. I hope to review it this week. I absolutely loved it. I said this first on Twitter (several times) and will say it again when I post my review, but Will Collyer is a narrator full of awesome! I cannot wait to grab another of his audiobooks.
• Genre – As I mentioned yesterday, audiobooks has helped open my eyes to Science Fiction. It’s not something I would pick up in print. I also don’t do well with short stories in print. I enjoyed them in school, but outside of a classroom for some odd reason I lose interest in them in print and would much rather read a novel. In audio, that’s an entirely different matter. It may be that I have two 30 minute audiobook sessions each day while I commute and those more choppy time blocks make short stories fit well into my listening or I just need a good narrator to keep me company. Either way, I’ve listened to and loved both Astray and You Know When the Men Are Gone since adding audiobooks to my reading life.
• Style – There are some stylistic elements in novels that drive me absolutely nuts in audio. A generous helping of email addresses comes to mind. I know that when an audiobook is recorded that it must be recorded as written. In print, I can skip over email addresses the moment I can decipher who sent them to whom. If there is a signature at the end of the email and it hasn’t changed, I don’t read it again for the billionth time. As a reader I can’t easily do that in audio. I’ve also heard similar complaints about text messages. For me, this makes for a hard sell. If I know or have any question that a book is going to include a lot of verbatim email correspondence, I will choose print. Would it kill the audiobook experience? Not necessarily, but I’ll highlight the annoyance in my review.

That in a nutshell is how I roll with audiobooks. How does you decision making process line up with mine? Do you use any other factors to make that decision?

Great Listens

I’ve had an incredible audiobook year. I’ve listened to some great audiobooks narrated by some of my favorite narrators and have been introduced to new favorites as well. Here are the audiobook highlights in not particular order, which I of course would recommend to everyone:

Schroder by Amity Gaige and narrated by Will Collyer (to be reviewed this week)
Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman and narrated by Jenna Lamia
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel and narrated by Simon Vance
Astray by Emma Donaghue and narrated by Khristine Hvam, James Langton, Robert Petkoff, Suzanne Toren, and Dion Graham (to be reviewed this week)
Heft by Liz Moore and narrated by Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walton and narrated by Edoardo Ballerini (to be reviewed this week)
Faithful Place by Tana French and narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain and narrated by Oliver Wyman (to be reviewed this week)
Safe House by Chris Ewan and narrated by Simon Vance
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and narrated by Wil Wheaton
Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye and narrated by Simon Vance
Dracula by Bram Stoker and narrated by a full cast starring Alan Cumming and Tim Curry
A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers and narrated by Dion Graham

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

In December I was inspired to feature holiday memories, traditions, and celebrations from some of my favorite audiobook narrators. I called the event Baby, It’s Cold Outside and 26 narrators signed on to participate. It made December a whirlwind month that I’ll never forget. I’ve never taken on a project of this magnitude before and it made each day special. I am glad that each narrator participated, but I was especially thankful to have had the honor of working even just that little bit with Robin Sachs before his untimely death in February. He is missed. The Holidays may seem forever away, but if you’re interested in checking out the creativity of some of the best audiobook narrators the world has to offer, check out the Baby, It’s Cold Outside Pinterest board. I think it’s lovely, if I do say so myself.

Armchair Audies

For the second year in a row, I hosted the Armchair Audies in preparation for the Audie Awards held each year by the Audiobook Publishers Association. Once again it was a fun challenge. We had several categories judged by teams of reviewers and judged a total of 18 categories. I was very proud of our efforts and the fact that the event was covered by the Library Journal this year. This year also had it’s personal challenges for me. I had been looking forward to the Audiobook of the Year nominations. When they were finally posted, I was a tad irritated. After speaking with some contacts in the audiobook industry, I felt as though I came to terms with how audiobooks are nominated and judged for the Audiobook of the Year award. My heart still cries for a “best damn audiobook” category because when the winner was announced and it wasn’t Beautiful Ruins, I was thoroughly disappointed and disheartened. When I saw the audiobook that was given the award posted with a smile all over Audible in the week or two that followed, my blood boiled a little each time. I’m planing to somehow, some way incorporate a “Best Audiobook” award of some kind from Team Armchair Audies next year. Henceforth I vow to ignore the APA’s Audiobook of the Year category the way I ignore the untelivised Oscar awards.

Science Fiction and Me

I am not a Science Fiction fan. I can say that over and over again, but I am learning that this is just not the case. Audiobooks are teaching me otherwise. There was so much talk during Audiobook Week last year about Ready Player One that I finally gave in and listened. I had bought it when it first came out before I realized it was Science Fiction because I had heard about all of the 80s references. What I discovered was amazing. I loved each and every moment of that audiobook. Wil Wheaton may not technically be the best audiobook narrator, but he was absolutely perfect for Ready Player One. Then, for reasons unknown – and not for lack of following some wonderful Sci Fi loving audiobook bloggers I forgot all about this little discovery I had made. It wasn’t until last week, after I downloaded a new release I was dying to read and found the narrator disappointing, that I picked up another Science Fiction audiobook, Redshirts by John Scalzi. It is rather short (under 8 hours) and narrated by Wil Wheaton as well. Within the first five minutes of Redshirts was laughing and having fun just as I did earlier with Ready Player One. There is just something about the humor and the way life in a whole new universe opens up my own imagination that I really enjoy. Not only have I learned to avoid Borgovian land worms, I found an escape from the stresses and pressures of Earth, even if it’s just for 30 minutes at a time. It’s too soon to say how much Science Fiction I’ll incorporate into my reading, but now I know to keep on the lookout for books like Ready Player One and Redshirts. For as long as I can remember I have turned a blind eye to books simply due to genre classifications and all that has done is kept me from at least two wonderful reading experiences. I can thank audiobooks and last year’s Audiobook Week for giving me a glimpse at what I’ve been missing.

Recommendations 

Finding your next great listen is the best part of Audiobook Week if you ask me. I hope some of my favorites from this past year peak your interest. I haven’t finished Redshirts yet, but I definitely recommend what I’ve heard thus far. Do you have any you’d like to share? What were your favorite listens recently?

The girls are also happy that it’s barefoot/sandal weather. Emma just had to have her picture taken this evening and Ally had to join in as well. Ally decided to get a bob and I think she looks just darling. It really fits her personality. Even Emma likes it, if only because now her hair is the longest.

Emma ~ Summer 2013

Allison ~ Summer 2013

The first part of summer has been a touch rough for us as well. Danny’s mother spent four nights in the hospital at the end of May due to pneumonia. Not that pneumonia is ever a trivial illness, but she just celebrated her 88th birthday, so we were very worried. To make matters worse, she hasn’t been able to sleep during her stay or really very well since due to the coughing and due to some constant pain in her lower back. I must say that I am very proud of my husband and the way he’s handling the situation. It is extra difficult for him as he’s an only child. For both of us the past three weeks have been a lesson in the cycle of life. It’s quite eye opening to have young children, full-time jobs, and sick elderly parents at the same time.

My grandpa used to say that getting old isn’t for sissies. I will be the first to admit that I feel like a pretty big wimp after the past three weeks. I remember as a little kid saying that I wanted to live to be 100. I now pray that the powers that be didn’t ever hear me say that. My plan over the summer is to write my 80-something year old self a letter reminding me of when I should voluntarily give up my car keys, when to move out of my house and into a smaller apartment, and when to know when I’m not able to care for myself anymore. Hopefully the me of the future will listen to the me of the present. Somehow I think it’s easier for a 40-something to make decisions for an 80-something than to actually follow through on them.

I have been getting a fair amount of reading in even though I’ve not been very present her on the blog. I’ve recently read both Z and Call Me Zelda and loved them both. Jenna Lamia narrated Looking For Me and Z and she is a new favorite of mine. I’ve been participating in a Twitter book club over the past few months and we’ve taken to calling ourselves the hashtags because we’ve been discussing the book  using the titles as hashtags. This month we’re discussing The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls. Our first discussion was Tuesday, but the State of Texas exploded on me at work (don’t ask). I read Dreaming of the Blue Room for my IRL book club. It was a quick, interesting read and made for a good discussion. I also read Still Midnight for Jenn and Nicole’s Book Club. They also got me reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell with a larger group on Twitter. I’m not as able to keep up with that, but I’m trying. On top of that it’s time to round up my July recommendations for Bloggers Recommend. Have you subscribed to that newsletter yet? Do it!

Next week I’ll be in Arlington taking a cram course for my PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. I am going to do my best to have all of my Audiobook Week posts written and scheduled before I leave because I have a feeling this class will wear me out. Between then and when I (God willing) pass the exam, I am not sure how visible I will be here. Wish me well. It’s been quite some time since I have studies for this kind of a test. It will be worth it, though, to be able to sign my name Literate Housewife PMP. Be that book pimp or project management guru, it’s all the same.

I hope your summer is off to a good start!

Every year, the Audiobook Publishers Association hosts June Is Audiobook Month (or JIAM). To help celebrate this month dedicated to some of my most favorite things, I’m offering a giveaway of my favorite recent audiobook release, Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman and narrated by Jenna Lamia. I loved both the story and the way it was presented in audio. It makes a perfect summer listen, so I’d like to share it during JIAM.

One winner will receive a gift audiobook from me through Audible.com, so this giveaway is open to anyone who has or would be able to open an Audible account. Please note see Audible’s Terms and Conditions for gifting audiobooks for information on geographical limitations. To enter the contest, please fill out the form below. Please be sure to provide the correct email address for your Audible account as I’m not sure that I can make any changes once I purchase the audiobook as a gift.

I will select one winner on Wednesday, June 12th. The winner will be notified by receipt of the gift audiobook from Audible. Good luck and happy JIAM!

Published by: Pamela Dorman Books

Published on: May 28, 2013

Page Count: 368

Genre: Fiction

My Reading Format: Audiobook sent to me by the publisher for consideration

Audiobook Published by: Penguin Audio

Narrator: Jenna Lamia

Audiobook Length: 12 hours

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, and Audiobook

Summary from the Publisher:

Teddi Overman found her life’s passion for furniture in a broken-down chair left on the side of the road in rural Kentucky. She learns to turn other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques, and eventually finds a way to open her own shop in Charleston. There, Teddi builds a life for herself as unexpected and quirky as the customers who visit her shop. Though Teddi is surrounded by remarkable friends and finds love in the most surprising way, nothing can alleviate the haunting uncertainty she’s felt in the years since her brother Josh’s mysterious disappearance. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi is drawn home to Kentucky. It’s a journey that could help her come to terms with her shattered family—and to find herself at last. But first she must decide what to let go of and what to keep.

My Review

As I sit and write this reviews, I have just returned from a whirlwind trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan to celebrate my sister’s marriage. It was a 12 hour+ drive each way. While we spent a good deal of the time on one turnpike or another, there was a still a good stretch of road through small towns and neighborhoods. Along the way I saw many garage sales. Growing up in my family, it is no wonder that they always catch my attention. I have enjoyed garage sale-ing with my mother and working at our own since I was little. What was different about this drive through garage sale territory was what my eyes were drawn to – furniture. I’ve never before turned to garage sales for furniture. Now I know I always will because of Looking For Me. Within the first chapter or two, Beth Hoffman’s latest novel excited my imagination and made me want to pick up a hobby I’ve never once considered. That is just the first indication that I’d found a winner in Teddi Overman.

This book held on to me from page one and has made me take a new look at what I have around me. I was thrilled for her as she remembered the pieces of furniture she rescued and refinished in her childhood. I was so proud of the way she used her talent to take something no one wanted and turn it into something that would make a stranger stop along the side of the road to buy from her. She fought to follow her bliss and make a life for herself, which came both with rewards and at a cost. Through it all she kept her humor and there were as many laugh ouf loud moments as there were sentimental ones. Teddi Overman is such a wonderful character and as such she attracted interesting people to her. This made Looking For Me so enjoyable from start to finish.

I had been planning to read Looking For Me prior to the publication date since I first knew of it’s existence. I loved Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt and Beth Hoffman is such a pleasure. When an advance copy of the audiobook arrived I was able to start it even earlier. It was a such a treat. I had first listened to Jenna Lamia’s narration in The Help. I was rather new to audiobooks at the time and I enjoyed her work. Now I am better able to articulate just why. Her voice is so pleasant and her variations of Southern accent provide just the right variety needed for the listener to be able to keep characters straight simply by the way she gives them voice. Listening to her work, I felt as though she fully embodied Teddi. It was as if she was in my car with me telling me about her life. I found myself sitting in parking lots and in my garage much longer than I had to simply to extend my time with the audiobook and the story. There is one moment between Teddi and a nurse at her grandmother’s nursing home that was performed to sheer perfection. I think back to the way Jenna Lamia performed that all the time when I need a smile. I couldn’t imagine a better narrator for Beth Hoffman’s work.

When I enjoy an author’s debut so much that I suggest it to anyone asking for a good book to read, picking up their second book can make me a little apprehensive. I had all the faith in the world in Beth Hoffman and it paid off in spades. Without taking anything away from Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt, Looking For Me is just that much better. I know that Teddi will stay with me for years to come. She peaked my interest in something new and, as a person who buys foresaken things at garage sales and estate sales and turns them into jewels to make a living, I know she would delight my mother as well. I can’t wait to share it with her. Looking For Me will undoubtedly be a books I gift over and over again.

June is Audiobook Month. In celebration, I’ll be hosting an audiobook giveaway each week. Stop back on Wednesday for my giveaway of Looking For Me audiobook.

I decided to break the book down into thirds and hold three discussions on Twitter using the #AHundredSummers hashtag. Since I work during the day, I’d like to hold the discussions during the weekend or in the evening. I am open for discussion, though. Here is what I have in mind.

Chapters 1 – 8: Discussion July 6th at 2pm EST
Chapters 9 – 15: Discussion July 9th at 9pm EST
Chapter 16 – Epilogue: Discussion July 11th at 9pm EST

Would you like to join us? You could get a summer-themed bookmark made by me, too. The first 15 people who fill out the form at the bottom of the page and participate in the discussion will get their very own bookmark from me (check out the now closed giveaway post for an idea of what it will look like). I will do my best to send one to every person who signs up and participates, but I am promising the first 15 will get one. Once you’ve signed up, go and get yourself a copy of A Hundred Summers! It officially debuted yesterday, so you can pick up a copy of the book from your local public library, a local indie bookstore, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or straight from Putnam Books. I am looking forward to the discussion.

Isn’t the quote button featured in this post lovely? Putnam Books created one for seven of us to create a fun blog hop for Beatriz Williams (I’m hoping they will also join me for the read-a-long in July). Check out there blogs for more quotes.

May 28 ~ Teresa’s Reading Corner

May 29 ~ Girls Just Reading

May 30 ~ Anita Loves Books

June 1 ~ Linus’s Blanket

June 2 ~ The Red Headed Reader

June 3 ~ Poof… books.

We had a timely conversation about audiobooks and the upcoming Audie Awards this week. Please stop by and say hello. We’d love to chat. While you’re there, check out all of the audiobook goodness they have to offer. They are definitely Literate Housewife Approved.

Before I begin my discussion, here were the Audie Award nominees for Audiobook of the Year:

American Grown by Michelle Obama and narrated by Michelle Obama and a full cast

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene and narrated by Colin Firth

Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard and narrated by Bill O’Reilly

There was a very interesting conversation about the Audies on Twitter yesterday. It was prompted by Susie’s post full of good questions. While that discussion did not alter my opinions on which of the audiobooks nominated in this category is the best, it did change the way I am thinking about this category. Based on what I learned, the road to get to an Audiobook of the Year nomination is long and full of documentation. This is a category about influence and advancement of the industry as a whole and sales and marketing data are key. I have no problem celebrating audiobooks that bring more listeners to the table. My issue is that this is the award, so the implication to me is that the winner of the Audiobook of the Year award is the best audiobook of the year. This award has a much different focus. It is for industry professionals and the hard work they put in to making an audiobook a success. They certainly deserve this award and I’m happy for all those who stand behind the titles nominated here. I hope they are celebrating.

My criteria for judging the Audiobook of the Year category is irrelevant. How am I to judge this category when I know nothing of the title’s sales figures or the work that went into marketing it? I feel the same way about this category as I do the Package Design category. I don’t have all of the information I need to make a determination. In this case, I don’t care about the determining factors either. When I select an audiobook, I don’t care if it has made a dollar or if it was properly marketed. What I’m looking for is a good story and production and narration that make it shine. If combined it grips me and won’t let me go until the closing credits, that makes it qualify as a candidate for audiobook of the year for me.

At the very least I’d like to expand the 2014 Armchair Audies to include a Best Audiobook of the Year category of our own. That would be relevant to me and I suspect it would interest other audiobook fans out there who aren’t concerned as much in the business aspect. We would be a category I’d be interested in judging. I don’t foresee myself paying as much attention to this category in the future.

If all other things are equal, my selection for Audiobook of the Year category is Beautiful Ruins. For all the hard work and pride I’m sure that went into each of the nominated titles, Edoardo Ballerini’s performance packed significantly more bang for the buck for me.