Audiobooks discussion
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A new Maisie Hobbs mystery by Jacqueline Winspear is always a cause for celebration, as is a chance to hear from the narrator who brings the audiobooks to life. Here is Orlagh Cassidy with a bit about the newest book, Journey to Munich, which was named one of AudioFile's Best of 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ABq8....And here is more about Orlagh, 'the dialect queen': http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr....
Aurelia here with a Happy New Year reminder that you don't have to wait for my posts about our newest, hottest reviews. You can subscribe to our free e-newsletter yourself! Here's the link: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/emai.... And yes, of course, you can unsubscribe should you ever wish to. On into 2017 everyone.
Peter Gamin won an Earphones Award for his terrific performance of Eric Ripert's fascinating culinary memoir 32 Yolks. In this new Behind the Mic video, Peter talks about what the narration meant to him and how he approached it: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....
Aurelia here with a reminder that even when you're on the move it's easy to find a good audiobook with our listenable SoundCloud reviews. Here's the SoundCloud review of Basma Abdel Aziz's mesmerizing new novel The Queue. And for added fun, here's more about the terrific narrator Paul Bramhall: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr....
Want to see what AudioFile really looks like? Here's a wonderful video that our local WCSH6 TV filmed for the program '207'. It's way cool (I'm not in it because I'd caught the winter crud the day before they came to film, but Robin and Jenn and Priscilla are there!) Have fun. http://www.wcsh6.com/mb/news/the-art-...#.
We think GR is the best, but we realize that there are other forums in the digital world, and to prove it, we inviting everyone to join us on Twitter on Tuesday, January 17, at 7pm ET. We'll be chatting with narrator Simon Vance about his experience recording Alan Moore's epic Jerusalem. Come join the conversation on Twitter, and bring all of your questions for Simon!
Stephanie wrote: "How do we join that conversation on Twitter??"Hi Stephanie, I spoke with Francisca, who will be hosting our Twitter chat with Simon. The AudioFile channel is not private, so you can go to twitter.com, search @audiofilemag and see our feed. Without a Twitter account, folks can't post questions or comments however, just read what he and others say. So, if you want to comment, you'll need to create a Twitter account.
To see the specific tweets with Simon, we are going to use the hashtag #simvanchat. So when looking at our feed, focus on that hashtag or just search #simvanchat instead of going to our feed first. Nothing will appear w/ that hashtag until Tuesday about 6:50 pm ET. Have fun!
On the first day of the working week, or the day you contemplate the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King, consider narrator Peter Berkrot's entertaining comments on How to Be a Great Boss in this Behind the Mic video blog: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/ca....
Narrators can take on every kind of voice and character, which they love to do. They also love it when they have a personal connection to a book. Take Kathleen Gati on recording her newest, The Bear and the Nightingale:"I had a blast recording Katherine Arden's THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE! Being of Hungarian descent, I love Eastern European stories, especially Katherine Arden's fantastical one where your imagination, combined with the written story, makes for a fabulous inner film. And it's always fun to be the audiobook reader where I can jump from one character to the next, in different accents, playing different ages, sentiments and personalities! Katherine Arden made it a colorful and fun experience for me, and listeners will be both captivated and transported by her mesmerizing story!"
Here's the sound clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....
AudioFile wrote: " Narrators can take on every kind of voice and character, which they love to do. They also love it when they have a personal connection to a book. T..."I waited for the audio of THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE just for Kathleen Gati's narration! I loved her narration in Lilac Girls and I am a General Hospital fan too!
MissSusie wrote: "AudioFile wrote: " Narrators can take on every kind of voice and character, which they love to do. They also love it when they have a personal conne..."Aurelia here. Oh, that's fantastic Miss Susie! What fun. We'll make to let her know.
Aurelia here. As I reported in the Latest from AudioFile, Martin Jarvis just won an Earphones Award for the The Best Bear in All the World. I culled that fact from our newest free e-newsletter. You're welcome to check the newsletter yourself and not wait for me. Subscribe at: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/emai....
And if you want to know more about Jarvis's audiography and theater roles - who doesn't? - check out his profile at: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr....
Aurelia here. Earlier this month, I posted the rave review of Derek Perkins' Earphones Award performance of Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave. Well, here is the narrator himself in a revealing Behind the Mic blog post about his performance. Enjoy! https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....
Here's a marvelously honest Behind the Mic blog post by narrator Julia Whelan about what it was like to read Kathleen Glasgow's debut Girl in Pieces: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20.... She won an Earphones Award for her performance. The blog post includes links to Julia's other work. This is one prolific and talented narrator.
February is Valentine month, we all know that. And just in time, we've partnered with Romantic Times to sponsor the Best Romance Narrator Award as part of our recent partnership with RT Book Reviews. AudioFile’s newest romance audiobook reviews now appear weekly on the RT Book Reviews website. So, the nominees are - drumroll, please:
https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20...
This is Aurelia, excited to announce that narrator extraordinaire, John Lee, is coming to GR Audiobook Group as our first Guest Narrator for 2017! He'll be here on February 15 and 16. We'll bring up our Narrator's Corner section soon and create a discussion thread. Meanwhile, start getting your comments and questions ready!
I hope you will start the discussion thread with bio info and any video links you have of him on your website.
Kathleen wrote: "I hope you will start the discussion thread with bio info and any video links you have of him on your website."Thanks Kathleen. I'll put those up this weekend!
Aurelia here. As we announced a couple of days ago, narrator (also actor and writer) John Lee is coming to GR Audiobook Group on February 15 and 16! His visit will appear in Narrator's Corner, which we'll bring back to the top of the GR Audiobook Group page very soon. Meanwhile, to get prepared, here's lots more about John, including recent work and awards, audio links, and my own chat with him from several years ago. As you'll see, he is a grand guy to chat with. http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr....
Thanks for the link. I know his name and his voice is so familiar! It is always fun to see what the narrators look like. Recently I've been listening to the short videos, by narrators, commenting on books they've just finished. Those are good promos.
Kathleen wrote: "Thanks for the link. I know his name and his voice is so familiar! It is always fun to see what the narrators look like. Recently I've been listening to the short videos, by narrators, commenting o..."So glad you like them, Kathleen. We have lots more in the pipeline.
February feels like the perfect time to profess our love for audiobooks, actors, and producers who make them happen.Aurelia here with a great Behind the Mic video blog from Kate Reading all about performing A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas. Enjoy! https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....
As Valentine's Day approaches (the 14th, everyone), this is Aurelia to play the concerned auntie. Did you know that candy (aka the giant box red box you plan to buy in two days) contains sugar? Yeah, I know. Whatever. But at least watch this delightful new Behind the Mic video blog by Mike Chamberlain, narrator of Gary Taubes's The Case Against Sugar. https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20.... Happy Saint Valentine's Day!
Aurelia here. The newest AudioFile e-newsletter is out today, featuring selected books and quotes from the narrators. I thought you'd enjoy this from Ruffin Prentice III, who shot a perfect three-pointer with his narration of Kwame Alexander's The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life:"THE PLAYBOOK does a perfect job of defining the skills and characteristics one would need to excel in sports and then teaches us how we can directly apply them to the 'game of life' and succeed. As someone who grew up playing sports, this book spoke directly to my heart and was a pleasure to read. I hope as you listen, you are filled with the determination to take on whatever life has for you and succeed while doing it."
Here's a sound clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....
And here's a link the free e-newsletters, should you wish to subscribe yourself: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/emai....
Aurelia here with a special treat found in AFM's newest e-newsletter - Simon Prebble's real opinion on the hugely successful Charles Todd/Inspector Rutledge series, which he has long narrated."This has seemed the most physically exhausting mystery series that I have had the good fortune to narrate. Set in post-First World War Britain, Inspector Rutledge (and his ever present Highland doppelgänger, Hamish) seems to do nothing but hand crank his car from paragraph to paragraph. No racing here, but our hero gets his man, turn by turn!"
Needless to say, Prebble does his usual terrific job with the newest, Racing the Devil. Sound clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi.... Enjoy!
Aurelia here. Following up on John Lee's wonderful visit with us in Narrator's Corner last week, here's a fun In the Studio blog about Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces, for which John was one of the narrators. The blog includes a great photo of John literally in the studio. Enjoy! https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....If you missed the Narrator's Corner conversation with John Lee, here's the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....
John Rubenstein has been performing Jonathan Kellerman's popular mysteries for over 30 years, making for a genuinely winning partnership. We checked in with John to hear about the latest, Heartbreak Hotel:"Jonathan Kellerman's narrator/protagonist Alex Delaware and I have sort of grown up together. Miraculously, he never ages. Since 1985, I have been fortunate enough to record all 32 of the Delaware books for audio, and HEARTBREAK HOTEL once again has Alex and his old friend, Detective Milo Sturgis, delving into the heart of Los Angeles, this time the movie industry and its dark underside, an old relic of a once-luxurious hotel, its foragers, freaks, and phantoms, and the twisted minds and machinations of those who put little value on human life. What a treat to get lost in this deep and dangerous world once again!"
Here's a sound clip and review (John won an Earphones Award for his performance): http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....
Aurelia here calling all mystery fans! Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus is back in Rather Be the Devil, and in this fun Behind the Mic video blog, you can meet Ian Rankin and narrator James Macpherson, who has given an Earphones Award-winning performance. https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....
Aurelia here with a future world in which children only live until their 18th birthday. That's the starting point for William Campbell Powell's amazing Expiration Day, which has been given a powerful Earphones Award winning performance by Gabrielle de Cuir. Meet Gabrielle in this Behind the Mic blog post and hear a sound clip of the book. https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20...
Join Christa Lewis in this Behind the Mic video blog as she chats about what it was like to narrate the World War II alt-history Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin. She's fun to meet: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....
Here's the delightful Steve West, who narrates Stephanie Laurens's Regency-era The Adventurers Quartet - the newest is Lord of the Privateers for which he won an Earphones Award. This may be a romance series, but as far Steve is concerned, these heroines are every bit as tough as the men they flatter! Enjoy the Behind the Mic video blog and audiobook sound clip: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....
Steve West did a great job with Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer, proving yet again that 'young adult' books appeal to many ages. The narration did have a few challenges though, as he told us - "My favourite part of recording this book? The emotional journey(s) and transformation I was swept away on and fully immersed in; I still get a knot in my stomach thinking about certain parts of the book. The most challenging? Realising at 9 A.M. that my first scene was a screaming argument between four teenage girls, one of whom was trapped in the body of a six year old. A tad tricky for a fella with a deep voice first thing in the morning, but I think we got there!"
Sound clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....
Aurelia here to make sure everyone knows about the lovely Behind the Mic video blog that Robin Miles has done about her Audie-nominated performance of Another Brooklyn. Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/embed/_LvZ6hP...
You love Richard Ferrone's warm gravel voice. Now, in this Behind the Mic video blog, hear what he has to say about Ron Rash's amazing mystery novel, The Risen, for which he just won an Earphones Award: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20.... Performance sound clip and review included.
It's Sunday, the end of the weekend, if not the world. What you need is this wonderfully spooky Behind the Mic blog by award-winning Nicole Poole about Walter Tevis's post-apocalyptic Mockingbird. Enjoy. https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....
Aurelia here to say that I'm delighted (truly madly deeply) that my profile of narrator Nicholas Boulton has appeared in AudioFile Magazine's new April/May issue. He was a kick to chat with. Hope you'll enjoy him as much as I did: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr....Make sure to check out the great video of Nick and author Laura Kinsale chatting, which appears at the bottom of the AFM.com page.
It's the last day of March, otherwise known as Women's History Month. Before you yawn, check out this fun and quirky AudioFile blog compilation of books by and about outspoken women. Just betting that there's something for everyone, even if it simply provokes argument. Enjoy! https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/wh...
This is Aurelia with an 'Oh wow.' I know that I shouldn't have favorites, but I loved this new Behind the Mic video blog with Ron Butler about Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith. He gave an Earphones Award-winning performance, and even if kid's books aren't your thing, take a look at the video. Butler is a real pleasure to meet: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....
Lots of kids have school vacation in April, which means family time, which to us means family listening! Check out this selection of 20 amazing audios from the AudioFile blog. The best of the newest titles are paired with great classics, resulting in something for everyone: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....(Personally, I plan to start with Jim Dale's performance of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I had no idea that he's recorded it!)
John Lee was a marvelous Guest Narrator with us here at GR Audiobook Group in February. For those who missed his visit and for those who want to savor it again, we've posted an edited clip of the discussion. Enjoy. Among other things, you'll love the photo. https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/ca....
We've got a treat for you in this Behind the Mic video blog by Justine Eyre about the experience of narrating the debut novel Idaho by Emily Ruskovich. Justine won an Earphones Award for her performance of the deeply moving novel, but that's just part of the story. Have a peek: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com.For a direct link to the audiobook review, here you go: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....
Don't you love Sara Paretsky's fun and quirky author photo? Well, in her latest SOLVE blog post, Jen Forbes asks about your favorite narrator for Paretsky's hugely popular V.I. Warshawski detective series. Check it out and then let us know - do you have a favorite? https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20.....
Narrator Orlagh Cassidy has done it again with a fine rendition of the newest Maisie Hobbs mystery, In This Grave Hour. Here's a link to the review (Earphones Award!) and sound clip: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....And here's what Cassidy has to say about the book: "As always, I had a wonderful time recording the recent Maisie Dobbs. From the beginning, I found this one gripping, with the description of the dawning of war and the effect on Britain's citizens and their families. The whodunit aspect unfolds brilliantly; each character presented is so unique, and I especially liked the growing theme throughout the novel of how Maisie and her good friend Priscilla will contribute their efforts to helping those damaged by the ravages of war. It unfortunately all rings true today."
It's the Boston Marathon today, which seems a good time to post Elizabeth Strout's new novel, Anything Is Possible. Sound clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi...Narrator Kimberly Farr won an Earphones Award for her performance and had her own peak marathon experience while recording. "Elizabeth Strout seems to have a conduit straight into the heart of her very complicated characters. Because of that, embodying them was an emotional roller-coaster ride that I was so lucky to go on. We finished recording on a day in L.A. when the sky opened up; there were floods and power outages, but in the dim lights in our studio, the people she created seemed much more real than what was going on outside. I’ll never forget it."
Calling Debbie Macomber and Khristine Hvam fans! This is Aurelia with a delightful Behind the Mic video blog by Hvam about narrating Macomber's newest novel, If Not for You: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20.... Hvam won a Earphones Award for her performance.And here's an interview I did with Macomber a few years ago. She was a real joy to speak with. http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/auth....
Between them, narrator Susan Boyce and author Jane Scott could instill upbeat confidence in anyone, even on a Thursday, even if you're about to become a parent for the first time (OMG!). Take a look at this engaging Behind the Mic video blog with Susan Boyce - https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20...- about the experience of narrating (and using) Jane Scott's The Confident Parent: A Pediatrician's Guide to Caring for Your Little One--Without Losing Your Joy, Your Mind, or Yourself.For more by the Earphones Award-winning Boyce, who reads everything from non-fiction and history to romance: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....
Aurelia here to say that while I pull a range of the latest audiobooks from AudioFile's free e-newsletter, I may well not be hitting your particular listening-interest. Feel free to solve the problem by subscribing to the newsletter yourself: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/emai.... It'll arrive in your in-box just often enough, but not too often! Happy perusing and listening.
Aurelia here to let everyone know that the amazing Kate Reading will be our Guest Narrator on Wednesday and Thursday, April 26 and 27. I've posted some more information at: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/.... Get those questions ready!!
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Aurelia C. Scott (other topics)Aurelia C. Scott (other topics)
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And an interesting NPR piece about the upcoming film: http://www.npr.org/2016/12/16/5055691....