Monthly Archives: February 2012

Bestselling Authors Champion Audiobooks Via Social Media

Adam Boretz -- February 29th, 2012
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The Audio Publishers Association is once again encouraging bestselling authors to share their enthusiasm for audiobooks with fans during June is Audiobook Month. On June 1, 2012, authors and narrators will take to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and e-newsletters to talk about their positive experiences with audiobooks.

Last June, authors came out in full force for the audio format, with audiobook messages reaching more than 7.5 million people. In 2012, the APA’s goal is to double that number, bringing more than 15 million people into a discussion about audiobooks.

More details are available at www.audiopub.org. To speak with an author about their support for audiobooks, please contact Kaitlin Friedmann at (609) 297-2215.

The following authors and narrators are confirmed to participate on June 1st: Jeff Abbott, Ayad Akhtar, Kevin J. Anderson, Mary Kay Andrews, Jeffrey Archer, David Baldacci, Holly Black, Judy Blume, Chris Bohjalian, David Browne, Chelsea Cain, Christian Cantrell, Lincoln Child, Marcia Clark, Ernie Cline, Michael Connelly, Andrea Cremer, Kenneth C. Davis, Ted Dekker, Emma Donoghue, Roger Ebert, Janet Evanovich, Joseph Finder, Kami Garcia, Daniel Handler, Thea Harrison, Diana Henriques, Marilyn Johnson, Darynda Jones, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Michael Koryta,  Alan Lazar, Brad Meltzer, Michael Moore, Erin Morgenstern,  Alyson Noel, Laurie Notaro,  Michael Palmer, James Patterson, Louise Penny, Thomas Perry, Douglas Preston, Rick Riordan, “Shorty” Rossi, Michael Scott, Marc Seifer, Michael Showalter, Nalini Singh, Karin Slaughter, Nicholas Sparks, Dana Stabenow, Duane Swierczynski, Carrie Vaughn, Norb Vonnegut, and Daniel H. Wilson.

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February Audio Bestseller List Preview

Adam Boretz -- February 28th, 2012
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It’s time to take a look at which titles topped Publishers Weekly’s Audio Bestseller Lists for February.

Here’s a quick preview of the Fiction and Nonfiction Lists:

Top Audio Fiction

1. Confession by John Grisham, read by Scott Sowers. (Random House Audio)

2. Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman, read by John Rubinstein. (Random House Audio)

3. Private: #1 Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, read by Scott Shepherd. (Hachette Audio)

4. Sixth Man by David Baldacci, read by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy. (Hachette Audio)

5. River’s End by Nora Roberts, read by Sandra Burr. (Brilliance Audio)

6. Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly, read by Peter Giles. (Hachette Audio)

For all PW’s Fiction Audio Bestsellers, click HERE.

 

Top Audio Nonfiction

1. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, read by the author. (Macmillan Audio)

2. Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America by Mark R. Levin, read by Adam Grupper and Mark R. Levin. (Simon & Schuster Audio)

3. Steve Jobs (unabr.) by Walter Isaacson, read by Dylan Baker. (Simon & Schuster Audio)

4. Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen, read by the author. (Hachette Audio)

5. Steve Jobs (abr.) by Walter Isaacson, read by Dylan Baker. (Simon & Schuster Audio)

6. Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin, read by Joe Barrett. (Hachette Audio)

For all PW’s Nonfiction Audio Bestsellers, click HERE.

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Audio Reviews Spotlight: Jeeves & Wooster

Adam Boretz -- February 27th, 2012
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This month our Audio Fiction Reviews Spotlight shines on radio dramas and the works of P.G. Wodehouse.

And for that, we bring you our Starred Review (see below) of Jeeves & Wooster: The Collected Radio Dramas from AudioGO.  And don’t forget to check out all of PW’s latest audio reviews HERE.

Jeeves & Wooster: The Collected Radio Dramas
P.G. Wodehouse, read by a full cast. AudioGO, unabridged, 17 CDs, 17 hrs., $124.95 ISBN 978-1-4084-2679-1

This collection of six full-cast radio dramas about the misadventures of Bertie Wooster and his gentleman’s personal gentleman, Reginald Jeeves, is a delightful, entertaining, and hilarious listen. Each of the installments—The Inimitable Jeeves, Right Ho, Jeeves, The Code of the Woosters, Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves, Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit, and Jeeves: Joy in the Morning—is chock-full of classic Wodehouse ingredients: angry aunts, broken engagements, conniving friends, overbearing fiancées, unimaginable imbroglios, wild schemes, and madcap antics. Michael Hordern and Richard Briers deliver unforgettable performances: Horden’s spot-on rendition of the brilliant Jeeves is appropriately refined and demure, while Briers’s portrayal of Wooster captures the character’s flighty, bumbling, and good-natured essence. The supporting cast is equally skilled, bringing to life everyone from Aunt Agatha and Madeline Bassett to Honoria Glossop and Gussie Fink-Nottle. Fans of Wodehouse will be absolutely delighted. (Jan.)
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AudibleAccess on YouTube: The Motherlode

Adam Boretz -- February 23rd, 2012
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In case your in the market for some behind-the-scenes audio extras — and who isn’t, really? — be sure to check out Audible’s YouTube Channel, AudibleAccess.

They’ve got scores of great videos — featuring everyone from Samuel L. Jackson and Jonathan Safran Foer to Martin Sheen and Scott Brick.

And to get your started, here’s a clip of Jim Dale narrating Return to the Hundred Acre Wood.

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Now Playing: Something Fresh

Adam Boretz -- February 22nd, 2012
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As I do battle with the flu here at Audio HQ, I’m bucking myself up by listening to the audio edition of P.G. Wodehouse’s Something Fresh.

And I think it should do the trick, based on the plot description:

“When a scarab belonging to an American millionaire is absentmindedly stolen by Lord Emsworth, young writers Ashe Marson and Joan Valentine are brought together in an attempt to retrieve it from Blandings Castle. Meanwhile, Freddie Threepwood worries some letters may surface and compromise his engagement to the millionaire’s daughter…”

Something Fresh is narrated by Martin Jarvis and available from CSA Word.

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Audie Awards 2012: And The Nominees Are…

Adam Boretz -- February 20th, 2012
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The Audio Publishers Association today announced nominations for the 2012 Audie Awards. Winners will be announced at the Audies Gala on June 5, 2012, at the New York Historical Society in New York City. Comedian, actor, writer, and director Michael Showalter will emcee the event.

According to the APA, 1,250 titles were entered into this year’s Audies, a clear indicator of the strength of the audiobook industry. And for the first time, the Science Fiction and Fantasy categories are separated, allowing for more nominations and a more focused selection process. Additionally, the Paranormal category — which was added as a special judges’ category in 2011 — is now a permanent classification.

“We are absolutely thrilled with both the quality and quantity of the nominations we are seeing,” Michele Cobb, APA President, said in a statement. “The tremendous range of excellent audiobooks produced this year is a testament to the industry’s continued growth, and with so many truly exceptional nominees, this is sure to be one of the most exciting and competitive races yet!”

Finalists in this year’s competition include the following titles: Continue reading →

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This Just In: n+1 Does Audio

Adam Boretz -- February 15th, 2012
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In case you missed it, check out Maggie Gram’s piece on n+1 on our favorite topic: audiobooks.

See below for a quick preview:

“I used to avoid talking about audio books. In general if you are 28 years old and in graduate school and you listen to audio books then the worst thing about the whole practice is admitting it to your graduate-school peers. Every time a book comes up in conversation, your dude friends will ask “Did you listen to that on audio book?,” and then they will laugh. Less dude-like people, people less invested in making fun of you, will just cock their heads to the side and ask you why you do it. As if liking books were not enough! As if it weren’t the best thing in the world to have someone read to you! As if you had something better to do! I thought about starting this essay by insisting that I listen to audio books for work, so that I could not be mistaken for that other kind of person, that kind of person who listens audio books because it brings her some kind of unsophisticated pleasure. I am not, I wanted you to know, your Aunt Paula. My kitchen is not decorated with rooster towel racks and rooster potholders and rooster trim. I am a very serious person.”

The full piece can be found HERE.  And feel free to share your thoughts in our comment section.

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The Heart Under The Bodice

Adam Boretz -- February 14th, 2012
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This morning, a wise woman informed me that too much bodice ripping and not enough romance often spell disaster. And her words of wisdom didn’t fall on deaf ears.

The Audio Intern and I have put away our (slightly torn) bodices and are shifting gears. As such, we’re listening to All There Is: Love Stories From StoryCorps.

The audiobook is available from HighBridge Audio and you can — after lighting some scented candles and pouring a glass of champagne — listen to an audio excerpt RIGHT HERE.

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Happy Valentine’s Day or the Annual Bodice Ripper-O-Rama

Adam Boretz -- February 14th, 2012
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This Valentine’s Day, everyone here at Listen Up — okay, just me and the Audio Intern — are celebrating by listening to nothing but Romance Audios in an event we like to call the Annual Bodice Ripper-O-Rama.

As such, we’re heading over to Audible for the massive selection of Romance Audios. You want Fantasy Romance?  They’ve got it HERE. Chick Lit? It’s HERE. Erotica? Oh, there’s plenty of that right HERE. Not sure what to listen to? Then just check out their Romance Best Sellers or New Releases.

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Audio Giveaway: John Carter

Adam Boretz -- February 13th, 2012
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If you like the looks of Disney’s new adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter, then — as you wait for the film’s March 9 release — you’ll want to check out the audio edition of John Carter, available from Tantor Audio and read by Scott Brick!

And — for a limited time — you can download the audiobook’s first chapter for FREE.

For an audio excerpt CLICK HERE. And remember: Tantor’s audio edition of John Carter comes with companion PDF ebook.

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