Why I Love Audiobooks

Audiobooks - yay or nay? I personally love them! There are apparently people out there who think listening to an audiobook doesn't "count" as reading - this is not the case, we definitely count it as such! It is a great way to catapult yourself into the world of a book. There can be opening and closing music, sound effects, and unique narration for each character. There are even audiobooks narrated by celebrities. Two of my favourite things about audiobooks are the portability and how I can multi-task while listening to one. It's nice being able to carry around so many wonderful stories just on an app on my phone and get lost in a one while doing the dishes or putting away some laundry.

Below are a selection of audiobooks from our collection that I really enjoyed and believe highlight some of the things I love most about the medium.

Down the Drain by Julia Fox (narrated by the author)

Down the Drain by Julia Fox is a celebrity memoir that had my jaw dropping over and over again! If you have been anywhere on the Internet or follow Kanye West at all, then you would recognize the name Julia Fox. She has been criticized in the media and made a meme of partly due to her fashion sense and unique-sounding voice (amongst other things). I'm glad that criticism didn't stop her from narrating her own memoir, and after listening to it, she has experienced so much turmoil that I can imagine it takes a lot to shake her. Part of what made the experience of this book so impactful for me was hearing the tales of her life in her own voice. She narrates the wild, and often illegal, things she got up to as a young woman living in New York, all the way up to the birth of her son and breakout role in Josh and Benny Safdie's movie, Uncut Gems. I came out of her memoir with a lot more respect for her as a person and as a creative force.  She is definitely one to watch and I can't wait to read what she writes next.

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater (narrated by Will Patton)

There are also audiobooks read by celebrities, even if they didn't write the book. These are always fun, as you can get some surprising actors reading things you wouldn't have expected! Actor Will Patton, from Yellowstone and Remember the Titans, narrates an entire Young Adult Urban Fantasy series by Maggie Steifvater. I just finished listening to the book Call Down the Hawk, the first one in a companion trilogy to Steifvater's breakout The Raven Cycle series. With so many books, you can probably infer that there are a lot of characters. And typical of a Steifvater novel, they all have very unique personalities, characteristics, and ways of talking. Patton does an excellent job of doing the source material justice and really gives each character their own distinguishable voice.

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Harring Blake (narrated by Kristen DiMercurio)

I listened to this entire trilogy as an audiobook because I thought the narrator, Kristen DiMercurio, did such a good job! The books are fun, flirty, and heartfelt, and she was able to convey all of that. This is the first book in the series, but I don't think you have to listen to them in order. My favourite one is actually the third book, Iris Kelly Doesn't Date, and we have that audiobook as well.

Enchantment by Katherine May (read by the author)

If you're new to audiobooks but love a good podcast, then try your hand at listening to a non-fiction book. Enchantment by Katherine May is read by the author and is both a relaxing and enriching listen. She has a wonderful English accent and intersperses her advice with tales from her life. The narration adds such a lovely personal note to her words, feeling more like the advice and anecdotes of a friend, rather than someone telling you what you should be doing.

If you want to delve into the world of audiobooks and discover your favourite narrators, download the Libby and Hoopla apps to access so many amazing titles with your APL card!