As much as I dislike the summer season sweats, and am glad it’s almost over, I do love the free time it gives me to read, read, and read some more. Well, to put it more accurately, I spend my time listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and documentaries. I’ve always loved reading, but have often struggled to do so, so I was happy to hear that this August, we at the Blough-Weis Library want to emphasize on the auditory world of literature!
In my “Summertime Sadness” post, I wrote about one of our academic partner’s, Libby, a resource that allows anyone to conveniently check out e-books and audiobooks with your provided student or staff ID. I have been using Libby obsessively since I first learned about it last semester during one of my service desk shifts and have compiled a list of audiobooks that I’ve personally listened to and recommend for you here. So, press that play button and let’s get listening!
During the past spring semester, I had to read 14 different books across my two creative writing courses, many of which I didn’t have time to sit down and enjoy, but having Libby helped me tremendously as I was able to do chores or crochet and chill while immersing in various sci-fi worlds and memoirs. Some of these books I have already discussed before, such as “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro, and others that I haven’t like, “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly. “Frankenstein” is one of my all-time favorite novels, having read it three times prior and a fourth in the spring. The audiobook for “Frankenstein” was wonderfully directed and voiced with great emotion that somewhat changed the way that I consumed the book, being the first book I listened to via Libby.
Another book I loved listening to was “Dawn” by Octavia Butler, another fantastic post-apocalyptic novel. Though this was not a book I read on Libby, it inspired me to diver deeper into Butler’s mystical works and guiding me to my favorite book of the summer “Parable of the Sower” also by Octavia Butler. Continuing her theme of writing dreary world-ending settings, Parable of the Sower takes place in a world ravaged by extreme climate change and social injustice as the main character, Lauren, attempts to guide fellow survivors to a better and more accepting community. I honestly loved this audiobook from beginning to end, and while it is long, I highly recommend you read it, now would be a great time to start, seeing as the book begins in the summer of 2024.
Since the start of the summer, I have listened to 12 audiobooks and am on the lucky 13th. Many of the books that I have reviewed in my time as the writer for this blog post have been done from the help of audiobooks, including all the celebrity memoirs I talked about in my last post, “The Chaotic World of Celebrity Chronicles.” A really nice touch to an audiobook is when the author reads the work that they created, especially if that creative work is a memoir. A memoir I have yet to talk about that also fits these guidelines is “The Glass Castle” written and read by Jeannette Walls. While this book is not my favorite that I read last academic year, it is still an extremely detailed and fascinating story that is only heightened by Walls’s powerful narrative voice as she lists traumatic childhood story one after another.
A shorter, but equally excellent book I listened to this summer was Max Amal El-Mohtar’s “This is How You Lose the Time War.” I listened to this four-hour audiobook in a single sitting while doing some chores, and that had to be one of the quickest, yet most enjoyable four-hours I have spent. Following a flip-flop narrative between two enemies across time are Red and Blue, both fighting back and forth to win the “Time War” for either’s side. The narrating is soft and soothing as the story waxes and wanes through the centuries of letters between the two characters. If you are looking for something short to fill your silent space as you get through the day, I would highly recommend this book!
And finally, I might as well talk about the book that will most likely wrap up my summer, “The Scorpio Races” by Maggie Stiefvater. I stumbled across this novel when looking at our new front display in the library, which showcases each of the librarian’s favorite books, this one was highly recommended by our Public Services Librarian, Morgan MacVaugh. “The Scorpio Races” is another book that’s narrative flips between two characters, this one being even better from the two different narrators of the audiobook, forming a beautiful yet deadly fantasy world. We follow the two main characters, Puck and Sean, who are both competing in the annual race of the terrifying capaill uisce, also known as water horses. I am only halfway through this thriller of a novel, so I can’t speak much as to the entire book, but so far, I have loved all the detailed imagery and intense moments from it.
In all, I love audiobooks, even though it may not be everyone’s forte. I find it much more immersive to listen to the voices of the characters truly come alive, and even more when there are sound effects and music placed throughout, as well as the freedom they provide me to complete other important tasks along the magical literary journey. If you haven’t already signed up for Libby, I can’t encourage you enough to do so, whether it be for the e-books or audiobooks, you can always find your next story there!
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