Suntag: The Audiobook Tag

The week is ending. Before we kick off another seven days (and try to survive the heatwave coming) I am stealing a tag I loved reading on Jonetta and Nicki‘s blogs! (check their posts, they’re brilliant!)

HAVE YOU ALWAYS LISTENED TO AUDIOBOOK OR WHEN DID YOU BEGIN?

I first tried audiobooks when I had eye surgery years ago. I was unable to read but I needed my daily dose of adventure and I missed my books, so my mother bought me my first cassettes. The choice was very limited so I only went back to it years later as part of my American accent training. I started listening in the car on my way to work, and since then, I enjoy always having an audiobook with me!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUDIOBOOK?

No hesitation. The Stephanie Plum series narrated by Lorelei King. She has the most amazing voice, and I can always rely on Stephanie Plum to cheer me up. I know the books by heart, but I can listen to the books over and over again.

WHAT IS MY LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT AUDIOBOOKS?

I share Nicki’s answer on this one. It is very frustrating not to be able to check something you’ve heard. I remember reading a book in which dates were very important and I couldn’t keep up with the timeline and audiobooks are not handy about that. Also, when a sentence is interesting or inspiring, I like to jot it down, but the books keep going and within a few seconds, I don’t remember the exact sentence!

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE IN EXPERIENCE BETWEEN PHYSICALLY READING A BOOK AND LISTENING TO IT?

I love the opportunity to see the characters come to life thanks to the right narrator in audiobooks. When reading, the voice I hear in my head is mine, so the experience is totally different. Sometimes, the audio edition of a book makes the story more powerful!

HOW AND WHEN DO YOU LISTEN?

Anywhere, anytime! My phone is always with me, therefore so are the audiobooks! I avoid bedtime though, or I end up dozing off and I miss chapters!

WHAT STYLE/GENRE DO YOU PREFER?

I tried different genres and discovered thrillers were more difficult for me to follow, especially police procedurals. I usually read those in one or two sittings, but I can’t do that with audiobooks, and I lose the effects of the plot or forget the events. I usually go for autobiographies, chick lit, women fiction, and the odd psychological thrillers when possible.

WHAT ARE SOME AUDIOBOOK/NARRATOR RECOMMENDATIONS?

I finished Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine recently and loved both the story and the narrator. She did a superb job in breathing life into the book.

Anything by Lorelei King is good if you want a great narrator. The Harry Potter audiobooks with Stephen Fry are great.

Becoming written and narrated by Michelle Obama is a MUST!

Last but not least, if you come across a book read by David Tennant, go for it!

Do you enjoy audiobooks? Any recommendations for me??