Audiobooks discussion

Hi everyone. This is Robin and Aurelia for AudioFile. Welcome to the place where we’ll meet and talk about the people behind-the-scenes who make the magic of audiobooks.

This sounds nice. How many employees does Audiofile have?

Hi, Robin here--our office is in Portland, Maine and there are 3 of us full-time here, and 5 others on the editorial team--but, we have contributing editors and reviewers all over. And, I do mean all over.... a couple international reviewers, Canada, east coast-west-and across the country. I think we counted 78 reviewers at the start of 2016. Aurelia is also here in Portland.

Robin here today to tell you about an ongoing AudioFile project celebrating Voices of Black History this month. We have been serializing the new audiobook 28 DAYS: Moments in Black History that Changed the World, by Charles R Smith Jr and performed by 8 amazing narrators. Dion Graham, William Jackson Harper, Zainab Jah, January LaVoy, Robin Miles, Lizan Mitchell, Jonathan Earl Peck, and Carter Redwood. It is being published by Live Oak Media --truly "being" published day-by-day on AudioFile's Soundcloud channel. Each day we are releasing a "day" that celebrates an event or hero of Black History.
Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/audiofilemagaz...

What is such fun about this for us--it's really a premier each day! You are the very first to hear the track as it's posted. If we had a billboard we could out up flashing lights: "Premier Performances"
We're just 18 days into the month, and it goes on until Feb 29. (There's a very special 29th day!)

If this isn't an appropriate question for here, just let me know. But I'm wondering when/how/if we will hear about an audio version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Is there any buzz out there yet? Will Audiofile likely hear about this first... and pass it on to us?

Jeanie wrote: "If this isn't an appropriate question for here, just let me know. But I'm wondering when/how/if we will hear about an audio version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Is there any buzz out there..."

Yes, Jeanie, AudioFile will absolutely hear about it early--and I'll check with other editors to see if anyone knows anything yet!

Robin from AudioFile here--as part of our Voices of Black History feature, AudioFile is serializing the audiobook release of 28 DAYS.
Next week Wednesday Feb 24-Friday Feb 26 we've invited author Charles R. Smith Jr. and narrator Dion Graham to join us here in the Audiobooks Group. Dion is the creative director and one of the narrators of 28 Days, and worked with Charles and Arnie Cardillo of Live Oak Media to create the amazing book & CD program.
More details coming, but start thinking of what to ask Charles & Dion--and be sure to check out the serial at SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/audiofilemagaz...

Oh my, will need to keep my fan girl in check for Dion! **Swoon**

This is Aurelia for AudioFile. The ever cool actor/narrator Dion Graham is now a AudioFile Golden Voice! Check it out: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr.... And get ready to say 'Hi' tomorrow when he and author Charles R. Smith visit the Narrator's Corner to talk about Smith's new book 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World - and anything else you want to ask.

Robin here from AudioFile--A few audiobooks to get us ready to talk to Charles R Smith Jr. and Dion Graham tomorrow.

Here's 28 DAYS this is the recent collaboration of Charles R. Smith Jr. and Dion Graham, but they also worked together on BLACK JACK -- Jack Johnson was the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion.

Charles is "a children’s book author, poet, photographer, personal fitness trainer and Mixed Martial Arts coach." How's that for a great combination of skills--look at his website for more http://charlesrsmithjr.com/ and I should also add, Charles' GoodReads page https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Robin here from AudioFile--Here are some of Dion Graham's audiobooks--for teens & families....
X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon
LOOKING LIKE ME by Walter Dean Myers

PEACE, LOCOMOTION by Jacqueline Woodson


and more mysteries and biography Dion has narrated
MARTINI SHOT by George Pelecanos

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball

THE BIG GOLD DREAM by Chester Himes

MILES byMiles David & Quincy Troupe

link: THE SONG MACHINE:Inside the Hit Factory by John Seabrook (2016 Audie Finalist)

Coming soon—an autobiography of Muhammad Ali, THE GREATEST, and MY NAME IS NOT FRIDAY by Jon Walter

Loved Peace Locomotion! Such a good book and Dion's narration was amazing!

looking forward to listening to X for the Armchair Audies!

Aurelia for AudioFile here with a bow of gratitude to the great narrator, Neville Jason, who passed away in November 2015.

So connected to his work that he once broke down while voicing Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, Jason was a fine artist and fine man. Read producer Nicolas Soames remembrance and listen to some of Jason's many Earphones Award winning performances here: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr....

Aurelia for AudioFile with a meet-the-narrator post about Gerard Doyle http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr..., who got into audiobooks in a most surprising way (and is very good with dragon voices, although that's not a requirement for all narrators)!

He just received a great review for The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero.

I first encountered Gerard Doyle reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I thought Doyle's reading in this series was outstanding--especially his voice for the dragon! After that series, any time I saw his name listed as narrator, I at least gave the book serious consideration. Really love his work.

Jeanie wrote: "I first encountered Gerard Doyle reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I thought Doyle's reading in this series was outstanding--especially his voice for the dragon! After that series, any time I ..."

Amazing that he had only 12 days to read and prepare all 760 pages of that book!

Aurelia for AudioFile here with a great AudiOpinion piece by Beth Gutcheon about why audiobook narrators are her heros: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/ca....

I wanted to share, since SO many of us feel that way!

AudioFile wrote: "Aurelia for AudioFile here with a great AudiOpinion piece by Beth Gutcheon about why audiobook narrators are her heros: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/ca....

I w..."

Hear, hear! (BTW, I think that expression was presciently made just for us!) I agree with Beth's sentiments wholeheartedly!

Aurelia for AudioFile here with a comment by narrator Mark Bramhall about reading Richard Russo's wonderful newest, Everybody's Fool, for which he won an Earphones Award.

"I didn't know Richard Russo's work until I opened this fabulous book, so it was daunting to realize that it was essentially a small epic, and that I was to embody this whole lovely mud-pit of flawed people. It was a huge privilege, and a wonderful learning experience, to find Russo's sweet irony and live for a while in his crazy -- but oddly heroic -- community."

Here's the review and an audioclip: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....

Aurelia here to share the newest blog post from AudioFile's website. It's a thought-provoking essay on how we talk to kids about audiobooks: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com. I think it should make us think more about how we talk about audiobooks with all our friends and family, whatever their age!

Congratulations to Cady McClain who just received an Earphones Award for her narration of The Girls, a novel by Emma Cline about the group surrounding Charles Manson. Here's what she had say about the harrowing recording process -
"Ms. Cline's insights into human nature, and the nature of a young woman, are staggering, and to this day I continue to reflect on them. It wasn't always easy to read this book aloud. There were times at the end of a chapter where I needed to take a break as the room felt thick with the horror of what was on the page. It was rattling, at times, for sure. But I felt a strong obligation to bring every bit of myself to it. It's a profound and important book, and one I am grateful to have been asked to read."

Clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi...

AudioFile wrote: " Congratulations to Cady McClain who just received an Earphones Award for her narration of The Girls, a novel by [author:Emma Cline|29..."


I want to listen to this one I just have to get over Dixie from All My Children narrating the book ;)

MissSusie wrote: "AudioFile wrote: " Congratulations to Cady McClain who just received an Earphones Award for her narration of The Girls, a novel by [au..."

:) close your eyes, banish the All My Children theme music...

AudioFile wrote: "MissSusie wrote: "AudioFile wrote: " Congratulations to Cady McClain who just received an Earphones Award for her narration of [book:The Girls|2621051..."

HaHa!

Narrator Kirsten Potter had a grand old time with Anne Tyler's newest - Vinegar Girl.

"I came to audiobooks by way of Shakespeare; an actor/narrator I was working with on AS YOU LIKE IT in L.A. introduced me to the folks at Random House. So coming across this title years later -- a modernized, sardonic retelling of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW -- was like coming home. I also confess to taking particular glee in playing snarky, unlikable characters and bringing out their humanity beneath."

All that snarkiness earned her a great review. Here it is, plus a clip: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi...

Meet Allan Corduner, who just won an Earphones Award for Dan Vyleta's Smoke. There's an art to making great books even better! http://audiofilemagazine.com/narrator...

Aurelia here with an exclusive (and delightful) video clip of Mark Bramhall telling us what it was really like to narrate Richard Russo's Everybody's Fool! https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com He won a much-deserved Earphones Award for the performance.

This is Aurelia with the video that narrator Erin Bennett made about her newest performance of Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars. She's a delight. https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20...

Dylan Baker wasn't so sure about narrating Wendy Walker's All Is Not Forgotten -

"Knowing that the science of this book isn't that far off, I was terrified reading it. Wendy Walker takes us step by step through every parent's nightmare and into the mind of the therapist who must face his inner demons and bring his family through a rocky voyage. A must-listen!"

We're all glad he did it, because he won an Earphones Award. Here's a clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi...

Paul Boehmer enjoyed everything about voicing Rob Shmitz's Street of Eternal Happiness: Big City Dreams Along a Shanghai Road -

"This title was particularly interesting to me given the times we live in. I loved researching Chinese pronunciation and found the book extremely passionate about the hopes and aspirations that we as human beings all have in common. It is a beacon for recognizing the commonalities and striving for compassion and understanding."

Here's a soundclip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....

William DeMeritt had some interesting comments on Ben H. Winters' suspenseful alternate history Underground Airlines, for which he won an Earphone's Award -

"I suppose technically, it's a work of science fiction. But really at the heart of it, it's a multi-layered mystery in the noir tradition. In the person of Victor, Ben Winters has created a reluctant but damn charismatic hero that gave me the chance to play the Bogart archetype I've always dreamed of. The book itself tells a story which is frighteningly relevant in America today, influenced as much by Octavia Butler as Raymond Chandler. UNDERGROUND AIRLINES is an important addition to our national conversation about things we'd rather not (but need to) talk about."

Clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi...

AudioFile wrote: " Dylan Baker wasn't so sure about narrating Wendy Walker's All Is Not Forgotten -

"Knowing that the science of this book isn't that far off..."

Wow! he sounds great! I read an ARC of this book via netgalley and now have just sampled his narration. I almost wanna buy the audio now. Well done!

debbie~cr8zycat~ wrote: "AudioFile wrote: " Dylan Baker wasn't so sure about narrating Wendy Walker's All Is Not Forgotten -

"Knowing that the science of this book ..."

:)

Here's narrator Jorjeana Marie's video-blog about voicing the new hit, The Assistants. It and she are hysterical. https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20...

This is Aurelia reminding everyone that I keep abreast of AudioFile's latest reviews by subscribing to our free e-newsletter. Finding it in my in-box is like going on a mini-vacation. All right, an exceedingly mini-vacation, but still...

Here's the link: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/emai...

AudioFile wrote: " William DeMeritt had some interesting comments on Ben H. Winters' suspenseful alternate history Underground Airlines, for which he won an E..."

sounds intriguing

Ruth wrote: "AudioFile wrote: " William DeMeritt had some interesting comments on Ben H. Winters' suspenseful alternate history Underground Airlines, for..."

It does, doesn't it? Do give us a report if you end up listening.

This is Aurelia. As Alexander McCall Smith's newest book just won an Earphones Award (see Latest from AudioFile), I'm posting an interview I did with him a few years ago. He's the author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and the 44 Scotland Road series. And he's a delight, with lots to say about writing and audiobooks. http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/auth...

Aurelia here with a fun new video chat by narrator Julia Whelan (filmed in her sound booth, no less) about why she loved voicing Christine Reilly's hit debut novel Sunday's on the Phone to Monday. Step inside the booth with Julia - https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/!

It may well be a topic of discussion in your house. So, here's actress Susan Boyce going Behind the Mic to talk about what surprised her most about narrating How Women Decide: What’s True, What’s Not, and What Strategies Spark the Best Choices. It's not what you expect: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/.

Edoardo Ballerini says that the newest hot novel, The House at the Edge of Night, stuck with him long after he finished the narration. It's a magic listen. Meet Edoardo on AudioFile's Behind the Mic: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/.

Baseball: America's gift to the sports world. This is Aurelia for AudioFile, and that may be my bit of mild hyperbole, but trust me on this - Robert Fass is great in this Behind the Mic about narrating George Plimpton's forever-great Out of My League: The Classic Hilarious Account of an Amateur's Ordeal in Professional Baseball. You'll love it: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/

Aurelia here to make sure everyone knows that our free e-newsletters come out on Wednesdays. http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/emai.... They're a great way to stay on top of the newest releases.

In the most recent e-news, I found this Earphones Award winning reading by the inimitable Sean Barrett of a wonderful thriller, The Wreckage, by Michael Robotham. Clip and review: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....

AudioFile reviewer Mike Sangiacomo actually met Muhammad Ali. Yes, that Muhammad Ali. As we remember all the great athletes in this summer's Olympics, we invite you to meet one of the finest: https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20....

While you must wait until next year for Neil Gaiman's American Gods to appear on television, you can read and listen right now to Neil's post for our In the Studio blog! https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20...

In honor of last night's final live-radio airing Garrison Keillor doing Prairie Home Companion, here's a great review and clip of The Road Home: News from Lake Wobegon, a lovely new compilation of Lake Wobegon audio monologues: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/revi....

And Garrison Keillor in person: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narr....

This is Aurelia, wanting to let everyone in on the 'secret' that I find the audiobook reviews that I post each week in the AudioFile's free e-newsletter.

I know you love my personal comments, but you're welcome to sign up for the newsletter yourself! http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/emai....

It's quick and easy, and the newsletters are like Baby Bear's chair - they come often enough, but not too often. In other words, they're just right!

The kids are back in school. Time for the adults to learn something new too! We're calling September 'Listen to Learn Month' and to celebrate it, here are some of our editors and reviewers' favorite audiobooks on personal growth, business, and inspiration. https://blog.audiofilemagazine.com/20...

I'm making a post, with Add to my Update Feed unchecked, hoping that will unsubscribe me from this forum.

Nope, that didn't work. I'm still getting digests that include this forum.