Adam and Eve
Drove home from the Valley yesterday making a few stops to pick up oranges (there are so many growing seasons in the Valley that there is fresh fruit virtually year round) and BBQ (Hinze's, the best place in Texas IMHO) for dinner tonight. I also listened to two audiobooks.
I wonder if listening to a novel with a mystery is somehow better? I know when I am reading a book with a mystery I will often turn back and note clues. However, I do not have that same luxury when I listen and I think that I am, therefore, more surprised. Just a thought. And it does apply to THE GARDEN OF EVE. I so adore K.L. Going's work. Her books are always lovely little surprises, no two alike. THE GARDEN OF EVE begins with a wonderful little prologue of Eve and her mother sharing some story time before her mother's death. The rest of the book tells of Eve's move to Beaumont, NY, once known for its apples. Unfortunately, the apple orchard is blighted. Perhaps Eve's father will be able to resurrect it? Or is the secret hidden within the apple seed she is given by Margaret who runs the local store and is the sister of the deceased owner of the orchard?
The narrator does a terrific job voicing Eve, making her sound a bit older than her 11 years (and she is somehow older because of her loss and her life). My only complaint was the voicing of Adam/Alex who is ostensibly the same age as Eve. He sounds much more juvenile. However, the rest of the audiobook is spot on. Pacing, pitch, tone, volume: all controlled and used to their fullest extent to convey the heart of the story.
I also listened to a book I had read, THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE by our own LJer Liz Gallagher.
I know Liz was concerned about how the audio would sound (would it sound like the voices she heard?). I can assure you, Liz, and others, that the narrator sounds right to me. Even though I had read the book, the audio was more like meeting characters for the first time (enough time had passed between my first reading and this listening). I genuinely like Alice and Jewel. I can still feel the same emotions as Alice (and maybe Jewel, too) as she goes from being one of the invisible kids at school to being the opposite. It is tough to lose anonymity, to not fly under the radar. It is also hell to lose your best friend and not have someone else in which to confide. Alice's reflection on art, especially her feelings about glass blowing and creating something new, come through with this audio version. I have already blogged about the book and my enthusiasm for it, so I will keep this short.
I love audiobooks! They are keeping me company on these long hauls.
I wonder if listening to a novel with a mystery is somehow better? I know when I am reading a book with a mystery I will often turn back and note clues. However, I do not have that same luxury when I listen and I think that I am, therefore, more surprised. Just a thought. And it does apply to THE GARDEN OF EVE. I so adore K.L. Going's work. Her books are always lovely little surprises, no two alike. THE GARDEN OF EVE begins with a wonderful little prologue of Eve and her mother sharing some story time before her mother's death. The rest of the book tells of Eve's move to Beaumont, NY, once known for its apples. Unfortunately, the apple orchard is blighted. Perhaps Eve's father will be able to resurrect it? Or is the secret hidden within the apple seed she is given by Margaret who runs the local store and is the sister of the deceased owner of the orchard?
The narrator does a terrific job voicing Eve, making her sound a bit older than her 11 years (and she is somehow older because of her loss and her life). My only complaint was the voicing of Adam/Alex who is ostensibly the same age as Eve. He sounds much more juvenile. However, the rest of the audiobook is spot on. Pacing, pitch, tone, volume: all controlled and used to their fullest extent to convey the heart of the story.
I also listened to a book I had read, THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE by our own LJer Liz Gallagher.
I know Liz was concerned about how the audio would sound (would it sound like the voices she heard?). I can assure you, Liz, and others, that the narrator sounds right to me. Even though I had read the book, the audio was more like meeting characters for the first time (enough time had passed between my first reading and this listening). I genuinely like Alice and Jewel. I can still feel the same emotions as Alice (and maybe Jewel, too) as she goes from being one of the invisible kids at school to being the opposite. It is tough to lose anonymity, to not fly under the radar. It is also hell to lose your best friend and not have someone else in which to confide. Alice's reflection on art, especially her feelings about glass blowing and creating something new, come through with this audio version. I have already blogged about the book and my enthusiasm for it, so I will keep this short.
I love audiobooks! They are keeping me company on these long hauls.