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.

Before I begin my discussion, here were the Audie Award nominees for Literary Fiction for 2013:

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel and narrated by Simon Vance

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

Heft by Liz Moore and narrated by Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka

The Remains of the Day by by Kazuo Ishiguro and narrated by Simon Prebble

Remember Ben Clayton by Stephen Harrigan and narrated by George Guidall

This is the second year I’ve judged the Literary Fiction category for the Armchair Audies. From the moment the nominees were announce this year I was thrilled with the quality of titles. All of the titles more or less belonged in the category. Last year most of the titles didn’t fit under the Literary Fiction umbrella in my opinion, so this was a welcome change for me. Just as the titles were better suited this time around, I learned another lesson from last year. If I am bored to tears with a title and there is no way I would select it as the winner, there is no impetus to finish it. Last year I found State of Wonder unbearable, but I struggled through it because it was a nominated title. I didn’t make the same mistake this year. Around 4 hours into Remember Ben Clayton, I was so bored that I could cry. George Guidall’s voice is suited to a Western-type audiobook. The story was just dull despite the initial promise I felt it had. When it got to the point of dreading turning the audiobook on, I called it. I’m so glad that I did because there is no reason to subject oneself to an intolerable audiobook. The Armchair Audies doesn’t need any martyrs.

Obviously Remember Ben Clayton is at the bottom of the barrel for me. Here is how the rest of the audiobooks ranked for me:

4. The End of the Affair – this was far better than Remember Ben Clayton but still far below the rest of the titles in the category.

3. The Remains of the Day – this title could very easily been in second place. I loved this book as much the second time around. Simon Prebble is a great narrator.

2. Heft – this book hit me personally and Keith Szarabajka’s narration was incredible. Had Kirby Heyborne felt natural to me from the beginning, it would have been difficult to choose my winner.

1. Bring Up the Bodies – this audiobook was simply something to behold. Mantel and Vance were a perfect combination. If I had the money and the rights (I have neither, by the way) I would commission Simon to narrate Wolf Hall. I sincerely hope that he will narrate the last book in this trilogy and I want a complete set. This audiobook is definitely my pick to win the Literary Fiction Audie Award this year.

Before a fellow Armchair Audies judge who shall remain nameless (but Bob knows who he is) gets all in my face judgy about my selection of a Simon Vance audiobook as the best in my category, I am not alone. Melanie from Overreader and Theresa from October Lace… Thoughts & Stitches feel the same way.

Published by: Norton, W. W. & Company

Published on: September 4, 2012

Page Count: 368

Genre: Fiction

My Reading Format: Audiobook purchased from Downpour.com using my monthly credit.

Audiobook Published by: Blackstone Audio

Narrators: Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka

Audiobook Length: 11 hours 44 minutes

Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook

Notes: I purchased this title because it was nominated for a 2013 Audie Award in the Literary Fiction category. I am posting this review as part of the Armchair Audies challenge.

Summary from the Publisher:
Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn’t left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty miles away, in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career—if he can untangle himself from his difficult family life. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel’s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur’s. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene’s unexpected phone call to Arthur—a plea for help—that shatters their isolation. Told with warmth and intelligence through Arthur and Kel’s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft is the story of two improbable heroes whose connection transforms both their lives. It is a memorable, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive novel about finding sustenance and friendship in the most surprising places.

My Review

I could not help but get caught up in the world Liz Moore created in Heft. It’s not often that I open a book or begin listening to an audiobook and find that one of the main characters weighs over 500 pounds. He is a recluse for obvious reasons, but Arthur Opp’s story took me aback. While I quite thankfully weigh no where near 550 pounds, I could so very much relate to his story. Arthur is a compulsive eater. He has been since his childhood. We may have led vastly different lives Arthur and I, but his story reminded me so much of my own. I too eat compulsively and saw in his life a possible future for me and I was horrified. The lack of mobility, the leading one’s life via television or books, the lies told to one’s friends to cover up one’s shame, and the fear of other people and what they might be thinking scared me to death. That being said, I liked Arthur quite a bit. He is generous and kind to others. While he knows the worst about himself, he never once judges other people for their weaknesses. Throughout I kept thinking if only Arthur treated himself with the same consideration as he treated others he would be in a much better place. He may have had significant faults that are so visually obvious to anyone he might have met, but he had inner strength as well that kept him going and enjoying what he could out of his life.

While Arthur was the focal point for me in this book, Heft is also told from the perspective of Kel Keller. Kel is a high school senior who should have the world by the tail. He is an all around excellent athlete, but he shines on the baseball field. His talent is so great that he’s been scouted by a professional team. What most people don’t know is how his home life holds him back. He goes to a prestigious high school outside of New York City, but he and his mother live in a run down house in Yonkers. He is embarrassed of his home and what his mother has become. At the same time, he loves his mom and is trying to plan for the future in a way that he can continue to take care of her. It was impossible for me not to get caught up in his story.

Heft was my first experience with the work of narrators  Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka. Szarabajka narrates Arthur Opp’s story while Heyborne narrates Kel’s. Szarabajka fully embodied Arthur Opp and I adored his work. I cannot imagine another narrator doing a better job. His work with the character Yolanda was absolutely amazing as well. Perhaps in part because Arthur began the novel, I had more difficulty getting into Heyborne’s narration. I grew to appreciate his narration by the end of the book, but he didn’t click with Kel as immediately as Szarabajka did with Arthur. I can’t exactly pinpoint why that is, but it didn’t take away from the experience of reading Heft either. I look forward to future audiobook experiences with both narrators, especially Keith Szarabajka.

There was a good portion of the book that was downright bleak. What I remember the most from this experience, however, was the sense of hope. By the end, I could feel the sun shining down on both Arthur and Kel. Neither of their lives might have been what they had dreamed, but there was a good future out there for them both. I also left that book with my own sense of hope. Attempts to conquer poor eating habits and to lose weight often feel as heavy as twice the extra weight I’m carrying. Arthur became so real to me by the end of this book that I still remember the day I finished it, April 3rd. It was then that I began taking baby steps of my own. It’s a long haul and things have not gone perfectly, but if Arthur Opp is willing to take this walk, so am I.

Published by: Riverhead Books

Published on: May 21, 2013

Page Count: 416

Genre: Fiction

My Reading Format: Both the audiobook version and an ARC provided to me by the publishers for consideration

Audiobook Published by: Penguin Audio

Narrators: Khaled Hosseini, Navid Negahban, and Shohreh Aghdashloo

Audiobook Length: 13 hours

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, and Audiobook

Summary from the Publisher:
An unforgettable novel about finding a lost piece of yourself in someone else.

Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

My Review

I read The Kite Runner in 2007. It’s been one of my favorite reads since I began blogging. When I was offered the opportunity to receive an advance copy of And The Mountains Echoed I was thrilled. Then I also received a surprise copy of the audiobook. I was in book heaven. For the first time, I read both the print and the audiobook versions of a book together. Normally I prefer to stick with one format or the other, but I so loved the book from the first pages that I didn’t want to stop reading it when I got in the car. I finished the book in two days because I simply couldn’t stop myself from reading this book. And The Mountains Echoed begins with the stories of Abdullah and Pari, a brother and sister growing up in an impoverished village in Afghanistan and continues on throughout their lives, but not necessarily through their eyes. Each chapter, which would all work very well as stand alone stories, builds upon the defining event in Abdullah’s childhood, providing snatches of what happened to the brother and sister over the course of time. While they remain present throughout the novel, there are other characters like Idris who broke my heart. It was an honor to sit with him as he relates his story and his shame.

The audiobook was narrated by three people, Khaled Hosseini, Navid Negahban, and Shohreh Aghdashloo. While they were each competent narrators, Negahban and Aghdashloo’s accents required some adjustment. That I had to listen more carefully to them felt authentic for the most part. There were times when a different narrator would have been appreciated. For example, a character who grew up in France from early childhood would not have a thick Middle Eastern accent. Someone who grew up in the United States would to me have no accent at all. At those times I choose to move to print when I could. That being said, the narrators in no way diminished the impact this book had upon me. I do not believe I would have had a lesser experience if I read it entirely in audio. Had I read the book entirely in print I would be lost for city and name pronunciations. I found that tag teaming this book in print and in audio provided me the best of both worlds.

I read to feed my heart. I read to excite my imagination. I read to feel connected to the greater world. And The Mountains Echoed does all of this and more. It made me homesick for my family, these wonderful people who are tied to me through the haphazard destiny of biology. One day I hope to have the opportunity to meet Khaled Hosseini so that I can thank him for one of the best reading experiences of my lifetime. And The Mountains Echoed is perfectly beautiful. I read because every so often there is a book like And The Mountains Echoed that finds me just where I am.

Thank you very much to Khaled Hosseini, Riverhead Books, and Penguin Audio for making reading year.

And The Mountains Echoed will be available tomorrow (5.21.2013). You can pick up a copy online from any of the following sites:

Penguin: http://bit.ly/WZBuyt
B&N: http://bit.ly/YMtaiZ
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/10hNEAo
Amazon: http://amzn.to/10dCfmA
iBookstore: http://bit.ly/XKiH7C
Kobo: http://bit.ly/Xl3duR