Lilly at All Ears Audiobooks's comments (member since Jan 05, 2009)

Lilly at All Ears Audiobooks's comments from the All Ears Audiobooks group.

Lars wrote: "OK...I am now an official fan of Alan Corduner after listening to 'Magyk' (the first Septimus Heap) on the Thanksgiving pilgrimage to SoCal (and back), thanks to Kristin and this discussion group! ..."

Re Alan Corduner, There's some subtle humor in the Septimus Heap series that I thought Corduner captured well. Makes it more fun to listen to...

I'm also a fan of Alex Jennings reading of the The Dark is Rising Series by Susan Cooper. Classic British reading of the story. Quite gripping!

Lars, thanks so much for the NPR link to Neil Gaiman's piece on books read aloud. Gave me goosebumps.

Speaking of NPR, I listened to part of an interview with Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, Long Way Down, Slam, most recent book, Juliet, Naked) Sunday morning. Hearing about his early work life, especially a stint with Samsung in London was pretty dang funny. He also mentioned that he tended to like female authors. Ann Tyler's writing in particular, inspried his writing voice. I started listening to The Amateur Marriage last night with renewed interest. (Blair Brown's voice/tone seems well suited to the story.)

Agreed! Neil Gaiman is simply a bundle of narration talent. The only downside is that his recordings tend to have a wide volume range. Appropriately, he sometimes speaks quite quickly and quietly, such that it's hard to hear what he's saying while on the highway. I experience a similar effect when listening to symphonic music in the car. So I've taken to listening to "wide volume range" narrators in quieter settings.
Lilly

Donna wrote: "on the topic of reading vs. audio -
one thing i've noticed is how my brain works differently between the two. When i read, i read. Nothing else exists. There can be music on in the background ..."

Donna - I completely relate to your experience of reading vs. listening. It's fun and fascinating to observe one's own particular information intake quirks. Loved hearing about yours!

Like you, when I read, I become totally immersed in the book. I have been known to startle when someone interrupts me, or at the very least have a difficult time transitioning out of the book to give that person my attention. However, traditional reading is time consuming for me. Since I read slowly, and my 50+ eyes get tired, it takes me a while to get through a book - probably only about 25% faster than listening. I have found the best environment for me to read beside in a silent, comfortable space is while riding public transportation. It seems to take all of my focus to decode the words on the page and then make sense of them.

Although I listen more than I read these days, last weekend, I read That All Cape Magic by Richard Russo, a short, easy, entertaining read. Although I loved escaping into the story, I was acutely aware of how I isolated myself from my family. I gave off the signal of "don't bother me, I'm reading" in spades as I sat in bed engrossed in my book. I was a bit relieved to finish the book so I could return to my own reality again.

When I listen, although engrossed, I don't have to isolate myself and stay connected to reality. I like to drive, pick up the house, walk the dog while listening. Strange enough, my comprehension is as high or higher when I listen than when I read. It seems that decoding the spoken word and then making sense of it still leaves room for a fairly broad range of physical activity like driving, walking, mindless clean up. I'll go so far as to say that physical activity helps anchor the story or information for me. Something to do with being tactile.

That Old Cape Magic Just finished That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. At the NCIBA conference a couple of weeks ago, Richard Russo read aloud a short essay pondering his mixed feelings when a NYTs critic speculated that this work of fiction was autobiographical. And since That Old Cape Magic is essentially about one man's mid-life crisis, the autobiographical "thing" rubbed him the wrong way. In the essay, Russo ponders the dynamic between a writers recollection of a "real" event, against the necessity to add or delete elements in order to tell a good story. Like all of Russo's writing, That Old Cape Magic is thoughtful, complex, ironic, funny and a bit defiant. I couldn't stop the book once I started. Interesting that Russo chose to narrate it himself...and he is the perfect voice for the story.

Lars wrote: "Lilly, your comments about audiobooks really resonated. I don't think it's exaggerating to say that 'being read to is one of the greatest pleasure known to man.' In my work with kids, I've seen t..."

Hi Lars,
Since I have 2 kids in high school, I've become particularly sensitive to reluctant readers in this age group. Here's an idea I've been playing around with for students on financial aid at my kid's high school...

Summer Listening Idea for reluctant middle and high school readers:
* Since audiobook listening tends to broaden a person's exposure to reading, and reluctant readers are closed off from that exposure, I'm attracted to the idea of loading ipods with an array of books (fiction/non-fiction) and loaning them to students over the summer (90 days.) In order to participate the student must agree to at least try listening to each book. Even if they only get through an hour of a book, they will have gained some sense of the genre and authors "voice." If the book clicks for them, keep listening! If the book really clicks for them, consider grabbing the physical book and read a chapter, or if reading is "working better" for the student, switch from listening to reading the rest of the book.

Just something I've been working on...
Lilly

Donna wrote: "Jordan -

Number One Ladies' Detective Agency - Liset Lecat - she's marvelous - totally spoiled me for reading them, i'd rather listen to her!

Like you, I have had a bit of a "thing" for Lisette Lecat's unique voice and intonation. I highly recommend Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller. Non-fiction. Lecat's narration is mesmerizing..

Jordan wrote: "I'm a young adult librarian and listen to a lot of teen fantasy audiobooks. Some of my favorite narrators include those doing the following books or series:
Artemis Fowl (all time favorite narrator..."

What a wonderful job you have. Goodness gracious, you are a gold mine of great recommendations. Thank you for taking the time to jot down some of your favorites. Can't wait to track down some of your recommendations that I haven't tried, which is about half of them! Re Artemis Fowl, too bad the publisher changed the narrator to Enn Reitel in Book 6, The Time Paradox. Although the story was great (a strong comeback from Book 5), changing narrators took the wind out of the series' sail for me.

Lars wrote: "I feel a little guilty about participating in this group because I am such an intermittent user of audiobooks, usually reading off the page except on long drives, but 'The Book Thief' was a life-ch..."

Hi Lars,
Are you kidding? We LOVE you commenting on your audiobook listening. (Also thoroughly benefit from reading your personal blog on Good Reads.) There are so many people who are just like you... Avid readers who see the opportunity to extend their reading through listening on road trips. Readers who appreciate that being read to is one of the greatest pleasure known to man (Ok, a little hyperbola here:-) And that road trip listening, i.e., extended listening time without interruption, is reading time found that is normally lost.

Truth told, I'm the only avid listener in our household. My kids and husband are "readers," but when it comes to road trips, we're all on the same page. Knowing that we'll be entertained by an audiobook creates positive energy around getting off on the trip. Also, there is something very calming about listening together. We tend to get along better when we share a good yarn. At the risk of sharing too much information, audiobooks appear to have the medicinal effect of alleviating motion sickness for my 2 kids and me. Who wouldn't listen?

Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. Look forward to your listening comments then.

Love the discussion. Here's my two cents. I've realized I must be a kinesthetic learner. I retain more when I am the driver than when I'm the passenger. There is something about actively driving the car as opposed to just sitting there looking out the window that helps anchor content in my mind. Also, because I generally drive the same routes repeatedly, I think I still drive safely when listening? However, once I'm totally engrossed in a book and reached my destination, I find it a bit challenging to get myself out of the car (understatement.) Moreover, whenever I think of a specific book, I usually have an image of what parking lot I was sitting in completely immobilized by the audiobook. Kelly Paper parking lot - Frindle by Andrew Clements, PW parking lot - Black and Blue by Anna Quinlan, my drive way - Time Traveler's Wife by Anna Neffenegger.) Actually, I'm broken of the habit of continuing to listening in my car once I'm home because doing so causes friction with my better half. He's right - doing so wastes waste of gas/battery life. Outside of the car, it gets a bit more tricky to find activities that foster the same kind of retention I experience in the car. Next best is listening while walking. But I get so absorbed in my listening that I lose awareness of my surroundings which can be a bit dangerous, i.e., get lost on the trail, get hit by a car. Knitting while listening only works if I'm knitting something I already know how to make. No problem, since usually I only make baby caps as gifts. But forget it when knitting socks. Recipes that require a lot of repetitive chopping work well - but can I really chop my way through a 17 hr books? Laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, picking up the house for company - all wonderful activities for listening with high retention, especially if I'm the only one in the house. Ahhhh I wish I were a gardener. I bet listening while weeding or watering or generally tending one's garden must be divine.

One thing I love about reading is that one books often suggests another. Although I was sorry to say goodbye to Olive in Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, (2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner for fiction) I found myself in the mood for a "feel good read." So many customers have given praise to Jennifer Cheverini's Elm Creek Quilt series, I gave The Run Away Quilt (Elm Creek Quilt Series, book 4) a try. Turns out I was in the mood for everything about it, especially the tone and pacing of the narrator's first person account of the years directly preceding the civil war. Then it seemed only natural to move from quilting to a knitting themed story, so I tried The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. Again, a thoroughly enjoyable listen, not too deep, not too light. Textured descriptions of the amazing qualities of yarn's look and feel, and descriptions of the meditative nature of knitting are woven into the story. (At this point, I dug out my knitting bag and launched into a sampler so I could experience some of what was described in the book.) Next up - rugs. I had started but never finished Blood of Flowers by Anita Anita Amirrezvani, a local author who's first novel is the story of a young girl's coming of age in 17th century Persia. The narrator's rich voice made me feel like I was sitting by a camp fire in the dessert being told an Arabian tale full of vivid descriptions of everything to do with rug making. So if you ever want to turn a "fibers friend" onto audiobooks, I'd recommend starting with these 3 books. They'll be hooked!

I was in desperate need of a lighter, yet engaging read and found it in Jennifer Chiaverini's The Runaway Quilt: book 4 in the Elm Creek Quilt series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Bergstroms, a 19th century german immigrant family who finds themselves drawn into the pre-civil war debate on the slavery. Christina Moore does a great job narrating, especially when present day Sylvia reads 19th century Gerda family memoir. And the story is much enhanced by all of the questioning and speculating that occurs by the present day characters in the story. This books reminds me that writing down even the most mundane events in memoir or journal form can precious to those that come after us.

Just finished Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. My sister-in-law who has lived in Southern Maine most of her adult life tipped me of to Elizabeth's Strout's depiction of the inhabitants of the small coastal community of Crosby, Maine. As a result, Elizabeth Strout was invited to Book Group Expo held in San Jose last October. Strout had to cancel her appearance at the last minute due to a broken foot, which strikes me as something that would happen in the book... Who would have known that Olive Kitteridge would be award the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction? In any case, if you like insightful character development with a neo-realism slant, Olive Kitteridge is a must read. It was disturbing to me when Olive expresses her annoyance with her new daughter-in-law, who knows "everything," by surreptitiously taking 2 personal item from her room and defacing one of her sweaters. And quite satisfying when confronted by her son several years later who calmly explains that Olive has never take responsibility for her actions and that he is no longer afraid of her. It was also a bit weird to spend so much time with a character so completely devoid of ANY sense of humor. Even so, Stout creates a complex character worth understanding. Olive Kitteridge

Was out riding my bike today and notice a house for sale in my neighborhood with the same layout and similar remodel work as mine. The house was professionally staged, devoid of all clutter. My jaw dropped to see how big the place felt. Of course, I would never want to live likes this, but it did remind me of why I want to reclaim my house. I'm continuing to work on small areas, off and on and ALWAYS while listening to an audiobook. As a result, I seem to be much more tuned into descriptions in novels of how people feel about their homes and possessions. In Loving Frank (as in Frank Lloyd Wright) by Nancy Horan, discussion of residential design is central to the book. In The Name Sake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the author spends a significant amount of time describing and comparing living spaces of her characters -- also how her characters feel about their stuff. Even in Creating a World Without Poverty by Mohammad Yunus, I find his discussion of how the term "the poor" is defined in different parts of the world serves as a point of comparison for evaluating my own sense of personal wealth or poverty. Thanks for reading my ponderings...

Just finished Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even a passing interest in Frank Lloyd Wright and the "women movement" in the first decade of the 20th century. The story is chalked full of insight into both. When I was in grade school, one of my friends lived in a house designed by FLW. The house had many of the qualities of the house designed for Edwin and Mamah by FLW. Reading this book reminded me of how exceptional that house was and how it made me feel to be in it.

I recognized this as a form of de-clutter procrastination but it's progress nonetheless...18 cups & saucer and butter plates of our wedding china has been sitting in our house unused for the last 20 years. Because I couldn't bear to de-clutter a particularly nasty counter in my kitchen, I got motivated instead to dig out the china and see what I might be able to sell it for. After checking with www.replacement.com and realizing it's worth a chunk of change, my husband offered to post it on eBay. Stan has a laser engraving business and has wanted to start offing custom engraved glassware on eBay. The china project tripped his wire to get going... As for me, I'm happy to see the china go, but I'm still staring blankly at the nasty kitchen counter.

For any of you, like me, that didn't read The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri when it was on the best seller list for so long, it is well worth circling back for a listen. Knowing that the story is semi-autobiographical, made me pay close attention to details. As a person of Northern European descent, it was fascinating to gain some insight into Bengali culture, especially juxtaposed against the American way. As a former NYer, I thought Lahari's depiction of Maxine's family was pretty darn accurate. It's hard enough to find one's way in a culturally homogeneous environment, daunting to integrate two or more! If you liked The Namesake, I also highly recommend The Hungry Tide by Amitov Ghosh.

Tara wrote: "I was just at a Wednesday service and the minister was talking about cleaning out her closet and then she talked about cleaning out the "inner" closet of the mind and getting rid of anything that d..."

Tara - Wow - talk about getting to the heart of the matter. Your post inspires me to add Ann's recent post under "Which one did you just finish?" Remember the dapple light dancing on my hard wood floor? By clearing the clutter, I have discovered the perfect spot to meditate in my house! One step closer to actually starting a mediation practice..
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Ann says...
I just finished Becoming Enlightened by The Dalai Lama.

In Becoming Enlightened, His Holiness The Dalai Lama powerfully explores the foundation of Buddhism, laying out an accessible and practical approach to age-old questions: How can we live free from suffering? How can we achieve lasting happiness and peace?

Dalai Lama says that all religions are valid and each is suited well for a different group of people. It says Buddhists should never go around trying to convert others. Buddhism is not better than other religions. Each religion is a path, each one promotes peace, compassion and charity.

Time is precious, don't waste it by hurrying to do things. Instead meditate daily, to give yourself some calm, quiet time. You should try to bring under control your lust for objects and people. Learn to be content with what you have, to appreciate what you already own.

Focus on appreciating yourself and others. People pray all the time for more money, better health, a better job, etc. - but rarely do they simply focus on being content NOW. In fact, if people relaxed and were content with they had now, they would be healthier and happier now.

Cjusti wrote: "I have been enjoying reading about all those of you have been tackling the problem of clutter. Although I have not read this book, I understand very well what all of you are going through. My fir..."

Cheryl - I can't imagine how hard it must have been to get yourself to go through and clear out your husband's shed. I am taking inspiration from it. Be in the present.

My observation is that it takes a year for most people to ready themselves to take on this type of task. When my mother-in-law passed away, my husband's family (including me) couldn't even begin to deal with dismantling her house for a full year. Even then, my sister-in-law took a significant amount of her mother's (and grandmother's) things to her house, where they sit in storage. It is hard to let go. All the more reason I applaud your courage to clear out the shed.

Thanks Lars - Guess I'm not entirely comfortable sharing my zen moment. But the truth is I'd like to experience more of them in my day. Thanks for you support.

Marci - House Lust definitely puts the bigger house trend in perspective. And boy do I know what you mean when you say all this stuff is crap. Interestingly enough, my first impulse is to clear my husband and kids clutter first, but not my own. For instance, I have a small counter in my kitchen covered with my you know what. If I would just focus, it would take 2 hrs tops to clear it and create some order. For me, it's a bit like thinking about exercising when I haven't for a while. I know I'll feel so much better once I do, but I feel stuck in my own inertia. I'm hoping that by putting this truth in writing I'll get off my duff and doing something about it this weekend. We'll see...

Jen - Thanks for your comments. How one deposes of one's clutter is a very personal matter. I wouldn't doubt that there is a correlation between disposal behavior and the economy. I say get it out of your house any way you can - even if it is in the dumpster! I happen not to be a fan of contributing to the land fill, so disposal tends to follow my interests and goes something like this:
1) Clothes go to my cleaning ladies. Anything they don't use, they sent to family in Mexico.
2) Children's books go to Reading Partners (www.readingpartners.org), the rest to the library
3) Running/sports shoes are delivered annually at the Run for Zimbabwe in Los Altos (www.zimbabweparaguay.org)
4) Most recently, items with a value are posted on Craig's List by my friend Liz Cox (www.saratogabaskets.com)
5) Miscellaneous household items go to Hope or Good Will.
6) Electronic waste gets dropped off at local high school e-waste fundraisers.

Anyone have any particularly satisfying ways to get rid of their stuff?

Adding the books y'all have mentioned so they appear under "Books mentioned in this topic."
It's All Too Much An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff

Organizing from the Inside Out The Foolproof System for Organizing Your Home, Your Office, and Your Life

Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Big? The 6 Step Total Life Approach to Permanently Clearing Out the Clutter that Redefines How You Live, What You Eat, and How You Look

House Lust America's Obsession With Our Homes

I've been reading Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston, which describes clutter as stuck energy. Clearing out the sports equipment jumble, a couple of weeks ago, fully exposed a window that had been obscured with junk and a closed shade. The other morning while rushing around getting my kids lunches ready for school, I noticed the movement of dappled light on the hard wood floor, coming through the trees out side the window. That kind of beauty in my home stopped me in my tracks. And I felt a moment of awe. Sounds corny, but it feels good to have that kind of experience in my own home.