Maya Fleischmann's Blog, page 4
August 1, 2021
The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun
Bury the hatchet and buy the book.
Digging yourself into a hole for life.
“Life itself was merely an accumulation of failures, and those failures never made life better.” ~The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun
When Oghi wakes up in the hospital after a car accident, he is only able to blink and move one finger. Luckily, his mother-in-law has volunteered to look after him.
Korean author Hye-Young Pyun artfully interweaves the events that led to Oghi’s car accident that killed his wife and lef...
July 30, 2021
Sugar Crush by Richard P. Jacoby and Raquel Baldelomar
“We love sugar; a spoonful of it makes anything go down.” ~Sugar Crush
This no-nonsense book busts myths about the true causes of many diseases with its hard-hitting exposé on our addiction to sugar, the damage does to your body and mind, and just how politically charged it is.
“It’s difficult to find out just how many “chemically sugar” compound are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food, toothpaste, vitamins, or ni...July 19, 2021
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
Head games in a hotel that was once an Alpine sanatorium.
“Digging up the past, especially with this place, you’ll send yourself mad. If you go into the details about what went on . . .” The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse.
Pearse’s debut novel immediately sets the gothic tone of eeriness in a sanatorium transformed into an elegant hotel, nestled into the tranquility and beauty of the Swiss Alps that is hit by a blizzard.
Among the guests of this hotel are Br...
One Charmed Christmas by Sheila Roberts
“German pastries are the best, trust me. Just think Amsterdam, Heidelberg, men in lederhosen.”
A European river cruise at Christmastime makes for a perfect backdrop in this endearing romance.
Widow Catherine Pine reluctantly joins her friend on a cruise, and meets a newly divorced and previously widowed doctor. He is traveling with his protective daughter who is making certain her father doesn’t get involved with ...
July 16, 2021
Ten books for the ebb and flow of a writer’s life.
I dislike the term “writer’s block,” because it suggests to me that writing is a smooth flowing state of creativity that is suddenly and irrevocably obstructed by some shift in momentum and focus that can render us powerless. I prefer to see the creative process as the ebb of flow of the tides of life. It’s something we can work with and around to maximize benefits to our writing life.
I enjoy the act of physically writing, the sh-sh-sh of my fountain pen on paper as ink flows out as let...
July 2, 2021
A peek into those whisperings in your ear.
Ponderings of an audiobook narrator.
Audiobooks have become a staple for book lovers who commute, multi-task, or have difficulty reading. Audiobooks are also a strategic educational tool. How? Read on to find out why I am an audiobook narrator, how audiobooks make a difference to students who struggle with reading, and what is involved in creating these integrated tools to facilitate learning for students and help them reach their potential.
I have volunteered as an audiobook narrator with Learning Ally for almost a decade. Learning Ally is a nonprofit organization that provides solutions for students from Pre-K through high school.
Although philanthropic work is often seen as selfless endeavour, I admit I narrate for several selfish reasons. First, it gives me a reason to read. Why do I need a reason to read beyond simple pleasure? I don’t, but it helps justify the time I spend with books. It also allows me to share my love of books with others.
Finally, reading aloud taps into other aspects of processing words and language, which is very satisfying for me as a reader and writer. In the same way that reading in my head and reading out loud allows me to process words and language differently, students who struggle to read may find that reading, listening, and interacting with a book helps them process the information more effectively.
The audiobooks through Learning Ally differ from standard audiobooks in that they are designed as a support tool for the students. This provides interactive features which are especially important for younger students, and includes complete text to allow the visual experiencing of the words, as well as control of the audio and visual experience with highlighting and speed management.
Speaking of speed, just how long does it take to create an audiobook? Mike Kinsey, Lead Recruiter for voice talent, has been involved in the technical and production aspects of Learning Ally for over two decades. According to his estimates, while it might take an average of ten hours to listen to an unabridged novel of about 330-350 pages, the making of an audiobook can take 30-60 hours to get from narration through post-production to the student.
Although I can’t address the technical aspects, I know that, as a narrator, reading aloud isn’t as easy at it might seem — even with children’s books and sentences that look simple. Reading out loud involves interpreting the author’s intent and expressing the emotion within those words. Also, effective narration requires different character voices and switching in and out of the narrator’s voice. i.e. “Let go of my bag,” Maya said. She tugged the leather strap so hard it it snapped, slapping her in the face. “Ouch.”
The length of the audiobook can also vary spending on how complex and atmospheric the book is, and the pace of the book. Another curious thing that happens when you read out loud is that your brain can fix errors. For example, in the above sentence, there is an extra ‘it’ in the sentence. Your brain may delete one ‘it’ as you read, but, as it gets tired, it may also mix up and substitute other words.
That’s where listeners have to quality check the original narration and send back a list of any required edits to the narrator, as well as mistakes in the written portion of the book. I am often surprised how my brain rewrites the text and I read a word from a line two lines ahead or might substitute ‘slapping’ for ‘smacking.’ Also, it can take several attempts to read a sentence without errors such as mispronunciation of words, swallowing letters, misplaced emphasis in a word or sentence and incorrect modulations. These are all reasons a ten hour listening experience may take three or four times longer to create, and why there are about twenty staff members and at least three volunteers involved in the entire process.
Learning Ally produces about one hundred books a month and their target audience is grades two to eight to promote early literacy. Last year 1.5 million students had access to the solutions provided by Learning Ally. While there are a few hundred active volunteers with Learning Ally, their database holds 6,000 volunteers that have worked with them and who sign on for special projects – for example, with foreign language books. For further information about their services, you can check out the website for Learning Ally.
Do you use audiobooks? Do you narrate audiobooks? Leave me a comment and let me know.
The post A peek into those whisperings in your ear. appeared first on Maya Fleischmann.
June 28, 2021
Confucius Jane by Katie Lynch – a review
A romance and relationship between two very different women blossoms in NYC Chinatown.
“Jane felt Chinatown encircle her, simultaneously embracing and threatening. Tiny stores were crammed next to and on top of each other, and she carefully threaded her way around the fruit sellers setting up their wares and the fishmongers carting ins full of ice outside of their storefronts.” ~ Confucius Jane
Jane Morrow is working at her Uncle’s fortune cookie factory. She meets Dr. Sutton Saint ...
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz – a review
A delicious mystery within a mystery.
“Everything in life has a pattern and a coincidence is simply the moment when that pattern becomes briefly visible.”
― Anthony Horowitz, Moonflower Murders
Susan Ryeland, a former book publisher, has retired in Crete with her boyfriend. A British couple implore her to help them find their missing daughter, Cecily, who had some dealings with Alan Conway — the author who was murdered in Magpie Murders (another fantastic read).
As Ryeland investiga...
June 27, 2021
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz – a review
A magnificent two-for-one murder mystery
“There are some relationships that succeed only because they are impossible, that actually need unhappiness to continue.” Magpie Murders
When modern day editor Susan Ryeland reads the manuscript by Alan Conway, she suspects that his death was not accidental, but murder. As she begins sleuthing, she looks to Conways manuscript — and the missing last page— for guidance. Atticus Pünd, Conway’s Poirot-like detective, is a German who comes to E...
Small Plates by Katherine Hall Page – a review
Murder mystery tapas, anyone?
“Mary was alone There was no lover past, present, or future. When she considered the complications love presented — gleaned from her reading and from observing those around her –she was usually glad to have been spared the bother.”
There are ten short stories in this curious collection by author Katerine Hall Page, author of Faith Fairchild mysteries, set in a small Massachusetts town. Some feature the sleuthing caterer/ minister’s wife, while others ar...
