The Sunday Salon... If Only Animals Could Talk... Oh, I'm Sorry, They Do!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post!

It is officially hot is South Carolina! All week long I've been enjoying the warm weather with my gardening adventures. My seed snails are coming along after I opened them up and gave them all a little more room by transferring half of them to their own seed snails. Today or tomorrow I will be repotting them in their own individual pots.  And it's been a fun reading week too! I finally finished The Beheading by Rebecca Lehmann and loved it! I finished listening to Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth and loved that too! AND I discovered some fun reading... told in the animal's POV (point of view)...

Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch... In this one-of-a-kind mystery with heart and humor, a hilariously grumpy pony must save the only human he’s ever loved after discovering she stands accused of a murder he knows she didn’t commit.

Pony has been passed from owner to owner for longer than he can remember. Fed up, he busts out and goes on a cross-country mission to reunite with Penny, the little girl whom he was separated from and hasn’t seen in years.

Penny, now an adult, is living an ordinary life when she gets a knock on her door and finds herself in handcuffs, accused of murder and whisked back to the place she grew up. Her only comfort when the past comes back to haunt her is the memory of her precious, rebellious pony.

Hearing of Penny’s fate, Pony knows that Penny is no murderer. So, as smart and devious as he is cute, the pony must use his hard-won knowledge of human weakness and cruelty to try to clear Penny’s name and find the real killer.

This acutely observant, feel-good mystery reveals the humanity of animals and beastliness of humans in a rollicking escapade of epic proportions.

I came across this and it sounded so fun. I've seen some mixed reviews, but I actually was able to download the audiobook from my library, so I'll be listening to this, this week. I'll let you know.

The book was published by Berkley last November. The audiobook was released by Penguin Audio.

Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann... "This funny and surprising mystery stars a new breed of detectives you’ve got to read to baaaaa-lieve'.

Something is not right with George the shepherd. His sheep have gathered around him outside the cozy Irish village of Glennkill to assess the situation. George has cared for the sheep, reading them books every night, and now he lies pinned to the ground with a spade. His flock, far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep, sets out to find George’s killer, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world).

Her team of investigators includes Othello, who was rescued from the Dublin Zoo; Mopple the Whale, who is always hungry and remembers everything; and Zora, an existential ewe—just to name a few. Together, the sheep discuss the crime late into the night, and their speculations vary wildly. Determined to unravel the mystery, they embark on furtive missions into the village, where they encounter a hoof-full of two-legged suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher who smells of death; Rebecca, the secretive village newcomer; and Father Will, a sinister priest the sheep call God.

With wit and heart, this clever international bestseller is a mystery to chew on—and savor.

You might have heard me mention this book before. I had it for a First Lines Friday post way back at the beginning of January. I have the book and have been meaning to read it BEFORE the movie! The movie is called The Sheep Detectives, it stars Hugh Jackman and it's coming out to theatres May 8th. I better get a move on... 

Published by Soho Crime in February of 2025

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton... "In this hilarious, "dazzling" romp, a foul-mouthed crow is humanity's only chance to survive a zombie apocalypse–think Watership Down meets Dawn of the Dead (Mona Awad, author of Bunny).

S.T. is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his human owner, Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (i.e. ""those idiots""), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos ®. But when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to think something's not quite right.

With no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis (a loyal but dimwitted dog), S.T. discovers that the neighbors are devouring one other. Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a cowardly crow whose only knowledge of the world comes from TV–What could possibly go wrong?"

I recently found this book while I was googling books from the animal's POV. This popped up with all rave reviews. It was also nominated for an Audie award for its' audiobook. I'm tempted to use one of my Audible credits so I can listen. The paperback is available at my local library though... hmmm, anyone read or listen to this?

Published by Grand Central Publishing in July of 2020

Memoir Monday... Jumper Cables by Lee B. Dean... "A memoir of mourning an unforgettable girl, offering a raw portrait of survival and redemption."

New Release Tuesday... 3 books that are yummy, a second-chance romance, and a midlife reinvention. 

Another New Release and now in my eReader! Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mia Nguyen. You need to read about this book!

The Beheading by Rebecca Lehmann... My Review

New Book Announcement for Jeffery Deaver! It's called The Collateral Heart and brings back Lincoln Rhyme! Read about it here!

First Lines Friday... It's definitely something to puck about!

My Audiobook Review of Mad Mabel... You won't want to miss this one!

New Romantasy Release Announcement... Godbound by Masha Sova.

That is how my week went... How about you?! What great reading did you do or great books did you find?

I hope you found something interesting here this week! And until next time... Happy Reading, Suzanne

Listening to this Curmudgeonly Old Lady...

 I just downloaded the audiobook courtesy of Macmillan Audio! I'm already hooked! The narration is great, l'm loving snarky Mabel and I can't wait to see where the story goes...

Originally I was thinking Mad Mabel was the female version of A Man Called Ove, but I think Mabel has a lot more to her than just being a curmudgeon... I think she's got some secrets buried somewhere...

Book and audiobook coming April 21st! Stay tuned for a review soon...

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the Advanced copy of the audiobook!

The Sunday Salon and 3 Books "Coming Soon" to Sink Your Teeth Into...

Welcome to The Sunday Salon and The Sunday Post! It's that day of the week bloggers from all over the internet get together virtually in a large gathering place called The Sunday Salon and talk books!  And at The Sunday Post, which is a weekly meme hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, in which more bloggers share their bookish news!

It's another rainy Sunday morning in Connecticut. The birds are singing though and I'm hoping the sun with show its face later. One the reading front... I've been leisurely reading LaRose by Louise Erdrich and really enjoying it. Erdrich's writing is wonderful and the story is absorbing. I added LaRose to the "must read" mix this week for anyone not familiar with Louise Erdrich's latest emotional work.

I also squeezed in two other books this week and an AUDIOBOOK. One book was a science fiction novella titled  Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (I reviewed it Saturday) that won the Nebula award for best science fiction novella for 2015. I don't read very much science fiction, but the premise sounded interesting (girl runs away from home to experience world and attend the most prestigious university in the galaxy. Encounters alien cultures, finds friendship and must learn to survive in an apocalyptic war she just happened to accidentally fly into on the way to school) The writing was wonderful. The story really held my attention and all of those things made me wonder why I never read science fiction.

     The other book I read was a Manga titled I Am a Hero by Kengo Hanazawa. I do read Manga, and I picked this out because I was hearing all sorts of great things about this series that Dark Horse Comics just bought the rights for and was beginning to publish in the States in 2016. This book also won the Shogakukan Manga Award, which is Japanese literary award for Manga series. I Am A Hero is an Omnibus, collecting a couple of the original japanese books in this one big 464 page volume. I'll be reviewing this Manga this week, but my initial thoughts were "why is this the cat's meow" until over half way through the story started to pick up speed and I was wanting to read more, but it ended and the next book is due in October. Oh, what's it about? It's about a Zombie Apocalypse in Japan. Think Walking Dead in Japanese, but there's so much more to it, really. And the artwork is nice, very detailed which is one reason people are raving about it.

Now the audiobook I listened to was Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at The End of the Lane, and it was wonderful!! OMG, it was such a marvelous tale that I wish everyone would listen to it. Neil Gaiman actually read it, played all the characters and did a fantastic job on all counts. Basically a fairy tale in the vein of Grimm's Fairy Tales- you know those dark fairy tales that look innocent enough from the start, but start to turn into a thinly veiled horror story. I'll be reviewing this also this week.

I'm always on the lookout for the next read, though and this week I found 3 books that should really satisfy that need to read... not just anything, but something with a really good story...

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler... From Kirkus Review: An ingénue from the Midwest learns the ways of the world, and the flesh, during her year as a back waiter at a top Manhattan restaurant. 

A flurry of publicity surrounded the acquisition of this book, which was pitched by an MFA–grad waitress to an editor dining at one of her tables. Danler’s debut novel takes place behind the scenes of a restaurant in Union Square whose rigid hierarchy, arcane codes of behavior, and basis in servitude and manual labor makes it less like a modern workplace than the royal court of 18th-century France—but with tattoos and enough cocaine to rival Jay McInerney. There’s even a Dangerous Liaisons–type love triangle with the beautiful, naïve young narrator at its apex, batted between the mysterious, brilliant waitress who teaches her about wine and the dissolute, magnetic bartender who teaches her about oysters. The older woman says things like, “I know you. I remember you from my youth. You contain multitudes.” The older man “was bisexual, he slept with everyone, he slept with no one. He was an ex-heroin addict, he was sober, he was always a little drunk.” What 22-year-old could ever resist them? The writing is mostly incandescent, with visceral and gorgeous descriptions of flavors, pitch-perfect overheard dialogue, deep knowledge of food, wine, and the restaurant business, and only occasional lapses into unintentional pretentiousness. From her very first sentences—“You will develop a palate. A palate is a spot on your tongue where you remember. Where you assign words to the textures of taste. Eating becomes a discipline, language-obsessed. You will never simply eat food again”—Danler aims to mesmerize, to seduce, to fill you with sensual cravings. She also offers the rare impassioned defense of Britney Spears.

I've read so many great reviews on this book, that I have now put it on my TBR list. What tempts me is  the backdrop of New York and all the wonderful food that fills the pages. This is published by Knopf and will be released May 24th!

 The Children by Ann Leary... The captivating story of a wealthy, but unconventional New England family, told from the perspective of a reclusive 29-year-old who has a secret (and famous) life on the Internet. 

Charlotte Maynard rarely leaves her mother’s home, the sprawling Connecticut lake house that belonged to her late stepfather, Whit Whitman, and the generations of Whitmans before him. While Charlotte and her sister, Sally, grew up at “Lakeside,” their stepbrothers, Spin and Perry, were welcomed as weekend guests. Now the grown boys own the estate, which Joan occupies by their grace―and a provision in the family trust. When Spin, the youngest and favorite of all the children, brings his fiancé home for the summer, the entire family is intrigued. The beautiful and accomplished Laurel Atwood breathes new life into this often comically rarefied world. But as the wedding draws near, and flaws surface in the family’s polite veneer, an array of simmering resentments and unfortunate truths is exposed. With remarkable wit and insight, Ann Leary pulls back the curtain on one blended family, as they are forced to grapple with the assets and liabilities – both material and psychological – left behind by their wonderfully flawed patriarch.

Again, I've heard lots of great buzz about this book and have put it on my TBR list! Published by St. Martin's Press, The Children will also be released May 24th!

Modern Lovers by Emma Straub... A smart, highly entertaining novel about a tight-knit group of friends from college— and what it means to finally grow up, well after adulthood has set in.

Friends and former college bandmates Elizabeth and Andrew and Zoe have watched one another marry, buy real estate, and start businesses and families, all while trying to hold on to the identities of their youth. But nothing ages them like having to suddenly pass the torch (of sexuality, independence, and the ineffable alchemy of cool) to their own offspring. Back in the band's heyday, Elizabeth put on a snarl over her Midwestern smile, Andrew let his unwashed hair grow past his chin, and Zoe was the lesbian all the straight women wanted to sleep with. Now nearing fifty, they all live within shouting distance in the same neighborhood deep in gentrified Brooklyn, and the trappings of the adult world seem to have arrived with ease. But the summer that their children reach maturity (and start sleeping together), the fabric of the adult lives suddenly begins to unravel, and the secrets and revelations that are finally let loose—about themselves, and about the famous fourth band member who soared and fell without them—can never be reclaimed.

The highly anticipated next novel of Emma Straub has gotten some nice press and what I find appealing is to see how this group of friends navigates being grown up after surviving their youth together, and dealing with the fact that their children have become them. On my TBR list. Published by Riverhead Books and will be released May 31st!

Question... Do you like to look ahead to see what books are "Coming Soon"? 

Bonus Book... 
LaRose by Louise Erdrich... An emotionally haunting contemporary tale of a tragic accident, a demand for justice, and a profound act of atonement with ancient roots in Native American culture.

North Dakota, late summer, 1999. Landreaux Iron stalks a deer along the edge of the property bordering his own. He shoots with easy confidence—but when the buck springs away, Landreaux realizes he’s hit something else, a blur he saw as he squeezed the trigger. When he staggers closer, he realizes he has killed his neighbor’s five-year-old son, Dusty Ravich. The youngest child of his friend and neighbor, Peter Ravich, Dusty was best friends with Landreaux’s five-year-old son, LaRose. The two families have always been close, sharing food, clothing, and rides into town; their children played together despite going to different schools; and Landreaux’s wife, Emmaline, is half sister to Dusty’s mother, Nola. Horrified at what he’s done, the recovered alcoholic turns to an Ojibwe tribe tradition—the sweat lodge—for guidance, and finds a way forward. Following an ancient means of retribution, he and Emmaline will give LaRose to the grieving Peter and Nola. “Our son will be your son now,” they tell them. LaRose is quickly absorbed into his new family. Plagued by thoughts of suicide, Nola dotes on him, keeping her darkness at bay. His fierce, rebellious new “sister,” Maggie, welcomes him as a coconspirator who can ease her volatile mother’s terrifying moods. Gradually he’s allowed shared visits with his birth family, whose sorrow mirrors the Raviches’ own. As the years pass, LaRose becomes the linchpin linking the Irons and the Raviches, and eventually their mutual pain begins to heal. But when a vengeful man with a long-standing grudge against Landreaux begins raising trouble, hurling accusations of a cover-up the day Dusty died, he threatens the tenuous peace that has kept these two fragile families whole.

First, Louise Erdrich's writing is beautiful, I am enjoying reading the words that convey such strong emotions. The story is so devastating and yet inspiring. I'll be reviewing this soon, but for now, put this on your TBR list because I think it will be one of this years big hits. It has gotten a lot of positive press and a starred review from Kirkus. Published by Harper and released last week!

That about does it for this Sunday. What have you been reading (or listening to?!) Please share because I'd love to hear about it all!

Happy reading... Suzanne

The Sunday Salon and Listen it's May! or How about Listen it's an Audiobook...( Because this month is the Audio book awards!)

Welcome to The Sunday Salon and The Sunday Post! It's that day of the week bloggers from all over the internet get together virtually in a large gathering place called The Sunday Salon and talk books!  And at The Sunday Post, which is a weekly meme hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, in which more bloggers share their bookish news!

The weather is dreary in Connecticut today. It's rainy and gray. The kind of day to wrap yourself up in a quilt and read. But I just finished a wonderful book, a book I want to linger with a little more before cracking open the spine of a new one, so I'm thinking that relaxing with an audiobook might be the answer. Listening to audiobooks are a different "reading" experience. I'm not a big audiobook listener, but I have reviewed a few in the past that I absolutely loved. One of which is The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova.  There are actually 5 readers, one for each major character, which is a nice treat. And the story has a lot of the elements I like- a love story than spans time, it's a mystery and it's about art. (You can read my review by clicking on the link above). I reviewed Love & War by James Carville and Mary Matalin, a story about these two political powerhouses that fell in love an raised a family. It was alternately read by them both, and it was so good. (And I'm not one to read books on politics, but that was a very minor part of this story).

3 Things that make a good audiobook?

1. A Great Narrator... A narrator that sounds great, reads well, emphasizes the right words, and has a sense of feeling for what's being told. And that includes whether or not the narrator is using an accent. There is nothing worse than a narrator whose voice is unpleasant to listen to and/or they are trying to read in an accent that does not sound authentic. And a pleasant voice is subjective, so listen to a sample of someone reading what you are considering, because you will probably be listening to that voice for hours!   
2. An Interesting Story... A good narrator can make or break a good story, but choosing a genre that interests you or a story that sounds interesting will keep your attention.
3. The Length of the Audiobook... Yes, there are audiobooks that are 30 minutes and then there are some that are 40 hours. Choose something that is appropriate for what your doing. Such as commuting or a roadtrip. If you choose that 40 hour book and you are commuting to work 30 minutes a day you'll be listening to that book for a long time and hopefully won't get lose your interest. 

In May, the Audio Publisher's Association awards the Audies, which are the awards for outstanding audiobook in about 30 catagories, ranging from Audio drama to Best female/male Narrator, all the way to Best Audiobook of the year. The catagories also include all the different genres, so that Fantasy isn't competing against, say Humor. The finalists have been chosen and you can see and listen to samples of all of them at Audiofile Magazine. Checking these out that may be a great way to dip your toe into the audiobook waters.

I have some problems with audiobooks...

1. I Get Distracted... If I try doing something else besides listening, I more times than not, get distracted by what I'm doing and not hear part of the story. So, for me, it's relax while listening to the audiobook and enjoy just listening. I have enjoyed audiobooks while driving and on long roadtrips, though.
2. I Get Bored... If an audiobook is too long, I can get bored. Especially if I'm not doing anything else. Taking breaks from listening can help this. 

What's the answer? Just like books, picking out an audiobook is trial & error. Getting recommendations from others is always a plus. And today, I'm going to share 3 of the audiobooks from the Audie finalists that sound pretty good. 

BTW, the first 2 of these audiobooks has already won an Earphone Award, which is the award given by AudioFile to truly exceptional titles that excel in narrative voice and style, characterizations, suitability to audio, and enhancement of the text.

The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins 

* Earphones Award Winner

by Paula Hawkins | Read by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, India Fisher

Fiction • 11 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2014

Three talented narrators handle Hawkins’s debut psychological thriller, giving identifiable voices and personalities to the characters Rachel, Megan, and Anna. Rachel’s life is spinning out of control. She imagines the perfect life of “Jess and Jason,” people she sees from a train window on her daily commute. She actively believes in the fantasy, and when she observes something shocking, she determines to intervene. The three narrators alternate chapters, offering differing interpretations of events as seen by Rachel, who drinks excessively and is subject to alcoholic blackouts; Megan, who is having an extramarital affair; and Anna, who is married to Rachel’s ex-husband. When Megan disappears and the police investigate, listeners must decide how much of what the women report is reliable. Top-notch narration makes this perfect for audio.

FURIOUSLY HAPPY:A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Read by Jenny Lawson

*Earphones Award Winner

Biography & Memoir • 8.5 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2014

In her second memoir, Jenny Lawson wears the hats of both author and narrator. While her reading isn't as polished as a professional performer's, her conviction makes this deeply personal content sound powerful and meaningful. Lawson's energy, passion, and furiously happy demeanor invite the listener into her atypical world of mental disorder, taxidermy, and family. Her ability to laugh at herself puts listeners at ease with her weighty issues, which she delivers with grace, insight, sometimes profanity, and the authenticity of a person who faces personal challenges daily. At turns funny and deeply moving, Lawson's accounts and genuine emotion will connect with listeners, whether they struggle with similar problems or not.

I started reading this book a while back and really enjoyed it. I had never heard of Jenny Lawson before, but she is funny and this book is funny. It seems that her humor towards mental illness has helped a lot of people deal with their own issues. I enjoyed the sample of Jenny reading her book too. I liked her voice and I liked that fact that she was reading her own story. This audiobook is up for Best Humor Audiobook 2016. And it also is a Earphone Award Winner. 

SEASON OF FEAR :Cab Bolton, Book 2 by Brian Freeman Read by Joe Barrett

Mystery & Suspense • 12.5 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2014

There's a reason Joe Barrett succeeds as narrator in so many audiobooks. He has a particularly dynamic and intriguing style. Freeman's second Cab Bolton mystery is a soaring, complex thriller of political corruption and human failing. Set in Florida, it involves Cab with a campaign for governor and old crimes. Barrett voices just enough to give his characters definition. Where he excels is in imbuing all of them with feeling, passion, and temperament in sync with the storyline. It doesn't matter that his male and female voices differ little in pitch and intensity; the essential differences exist in timbre, intonation, and pacing. His delivery is complex, but Barrett never loses the thread of the story.

This Audiobook is up for Best Mystery Audiobook. I'm not a big "political mystery" reader, but I really loved Joe Barrett's voice as he read it. And, even though this is book 2 of the character Cab Bolton, I'm not sure these days you need to read book 1 to enjoy a book 2. 

Question... Do you listen to audiobooks? and if you do, What do YOU think makes a good audiobook?

Now that we've talked about how to pick out an audiobook, let's talk about where to buy them... and remember, these audiobooks are not generally physical CD's so you have to have a device that you can download them to... 

Audible.com is an Amazon subsidiary now and you can join a monthly audiobook subscription through Audible.com to get credits for 1 or more "Digital" books a month, starting at $14.95 for 1 audiobook a month. OR, check out Audible.com's Daily Deals! Every day they have a new deal on an audiobook. Usually anywhere from $1.99 to $4.95. The other day I downloaded Woof by Spencer Quinn for $3.95. It sounded cute and of course I like dog stories. It's the teenage version of Spencer Quinn's adult "Talking Dog and partner" series. 

Downpour is a something I've gotten emails from about audiobooks. It appears that is an audiobook rental site. To join and get one audiobook rental a month is $12.95, but if this sounds like something you're interested in you should investigate a bit further because I'm not sure. The site was a bit mysterious in all it's details.

AudiobookStand... They sell audiobooks on CD's and MP3's starting at $6.

Audio Editions... Audiobooks on CD's and Tapes, prices vary.

YOUR Librairy! Most libraries have audiobook downloads AND audiobooks on CD's for you to borrow!

*Kim at The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, just reminded me with her Sunday post about a great audiobook program from SYNC (part of Audible). It's is a free summer audiobook program for teens 13+. The 2016 season is May 5th - August 17th 2016. SYNC 2016 will give away 30 titles - two paired audiobook downloads a week! Go to Audiobooksync to sign up!

Hope you have found something tempting here, or at least some good audiobook information! June is Audiobook Month, and maybe we'll check out some audiobooks then too. If you've listened to a great audiobook, please share it! I'd love to hear about it!

Happy reading... (or listening)... Suzanne

P.S. That wonderful book I just read that the memory of won't let me immediately open another book is Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky! It is only 129 pages with each sentence speaking volumes! It is a love story, it is a story of the passions of our youth, it is a beautifully written novel. READ IT! 

June is Audiobook Month! What Stories Do You Have in Your Head?

June is National Audiobook Month!

What Stories Do You Have in Your Head?

June is Audiobook Month! It's Storytime for adults! Sit back, relax and let someone tell you a story! Why audiobooks?! Audiobooks put the pleasure of "reading" back into your busy day, when you're commuting, driving, working out! How about when you're wandering the grocery store? Basically any time you aren't able to flip a page, you can still relax with a good book.

Choosing an audiobook is a bit different than a "paper" book. First you have to consider abridged or unabridged (abridged is a slightly shortened version of the original book, where some of the non-essential parts surrounding the story may be cut). Then there's the narrator. Who's reading the book? Do you like their voice? Do they read well? A narrator can make or break an otherwise wonderful book. Listening to samples of audiobooks before hand is a big help, and all audiobook publishers have excerpts on their sites, but iTunes is also a great place to listen to excerpts of audiobooks too. But WHERE to start?! How do you choose from ALL THOSE BOOKS!? Well, it just so happens that last week The Audies were awarded! What are the Audies? They are the awards for the best in audiobooks! What better place to start? Let's take a look at the some of the winners...

Audio book of the Year... Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales, an anthology read by such people as Gillian Anderson, Benjamin Bratt and LeVar Burton.

Best Literary Fiction... Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, read by Simon Slater

Best Mystery/Suspense... Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley, read by Michael Boatman

Best Romance... The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens, read by Simon Prebble

Best Children's Book for Ages 8 to 12... Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes, read by Jessica Almasy

One of my favorite audiobooks this year was The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova which had a group of narrators, here's a link to the review if you missed it, I really enjoyed Scott Brick narrating Absolute Power by David Baldacci and I've heard a lot of great comments about Jim Dale's narration of the Harry Potter audiobooks. Jim Dale has a wonderful voice and you can listen to a sample of him reading any of the Harry books at Random House Audio. But there are just as many choices in audiobooks as in "paper"books! Check out Hachette Audiobooks, Macmillan Audio, Harper Audio, and Blackstone Audio. Feel like renting an audiobook? Simply Audioboks works similar to Netflix! Like to listen to Classics such as Pride and Prejudice? LibriVox offers free downloads of books in the public domain, as well as BooksShouldBeFree.com.

Do you read audiobooks? What are YOUR favorites?! Share them here so we can all enjoy a good story! And check back later in the week AND this coming "Memoir Monday" because I'll be having audiobook giveaways!

Hey! Here are some GREAT suggestions from some GREAT Book Bloggers who've stopped by...

* Laura from I'm Booking It shared with me some of her favorite audiobooks, thanks Laura!, and here they are...

• The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King, (actually she says all of her Mary Russell audiobooks are good!

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett (this won an audie for distiguished production this year!)

• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

*Natalie from The Book Inn shares one of her favorite audiobooks! Thanks Natalie!

• I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne

*Carla, who tells us she has enjoyed a lot of audiobooks, adds her favorites... Thanks Carla!

• Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
• Lord Foulgrin's Letters by Randy Alcorn
• The Chronicles of Narnia series
• The Harry Potter Books read by Jim Dale
• Hank the Cowdog series by John Erickson (just for the fun & laughs) (*I've listened to some of these adventures myself and laughed at what Hank gets himself into!)

*Mel from The Book Nook tells us she's an enormous fan of audiobooks! She shares 2 of her favorites, plus recommends Audible.com for more great audiobooks! Thanks Mel!

• Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (one of my FAVORITE series!)
• Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

*Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea shares what she's been listening too and what she's going to listen to next! Thanks Diane!

• Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
• Matterhorn (that's next!) by Karl Marlantes

Giveaway: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks Audiobook!

A Modern Day Romance

Congratulations to Jennifer, Melissa and Janet! They each won a copy of the audiobook for Dear John! Thank you to everyone who joined in, Tweeted and Blogged about the giveaway!

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else....

Nicholas Sparks' novel Dear John, will soon be released in movie theaters this coming Valentines day! Well known for his touching stories that bring to light the drama,hope and tragedy in our every day lives, Dear John will touch your heart. Read the book before watching the movie! Or better yet, Relax to the soothing voice of actor and voiceover artist Holter Graham as he reads the audiobook version of Dear John... How?! I have a giveaway for the CD audiobook edition of Dear John! Courtesy of Anna of Hachette Book Group, I have 3 copies of the audiobook to give away! BTW, here's an excerpt of the audiobook, Dear John. AND, here's my review of the audiobook now too!

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only.(No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Dec. 19th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

Audie awards 2009... or the best bedtime stories for grown-ups!

Do you remember the last time someone read a story to you? Well, these aren't bedtime stories but last Month the APA (Audio Publishers Association) announced the 2009 audie award winners! The audies is "the premier awards program in the United States recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment." There are over 30 categories- a little something for everyone!

My commute to work isn't that long, so I generally listen to either the radio or a podcast (*Books on the Nightstand podcast my fav!)... But when I do get in the car for a longer ride, and vacation time is here, I love to pop in an audiobook in the CD player....

How to choose an audiobook is a little different than a 'paper' book - there are things to consider- abridged or unabridged (abridged is a shortened version of the original book and the plot may be altered a bit ). Who is reading the book? The narrator is important - do you like the way the person is reading the book- a bad narrator can make a good book boring.... So it's nice to hear a sample of the book being read if you can. (iTunes is one site that offers a free preview before downloading an audiobook MP3 from them) The audies reward the best audiobooks! What could be simpler than starting there to look for a good 'listen'...

Here are some of this years winners....

* Fiction - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows, Narrated by A full cast. (this actually tied with Duma Key by Stephen King)

* Mystery - Voice of the Violin, by Andrea Camilleri... Narrated by Grover Gardner

* Romance - The Dark Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning... Narrated by Phil Gigante

* Children's Titles for Ages up to 8 - The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman... Narrated by Neil Gaiman

Do you listen to audiobooks? Have any favorites? And if you do like audiobooks, what's important to you when your listening- voice, the way the narrator reads? Share your thoughts!

* Books on The Nightstand just did a post on their blog on AUDIO books! Check out their website for some great recommendations: BOTN

For the complete list go to: The Audio Publishers Association Site. And enjoy listening to someone read to you once again! (hey, why not make it a bedtime story?!)