Audiobooks for the Audiophile: In which I make a new list

In no particular order, here are my ten favorite children's/MG/YA audiobooks. (I addressed the awesome Jim Dale and Katy Kellgren in my last post, so I haven't included their books on this list.)

Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer (Author) and Sean Patrick Reilly (Narrator): I knew when smoky jazz filled the car that I was in for trouble, and I was right. The combination of Eoin Colfer's dime-store humor and Sean Patrick Reilly's melodramatic brogue made me believe I entered the world of a P.I.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (Author) and Brendan Fraser (Narrator): I had the biggest crush on Brendan Fraser back in high school, which is why I picked up this recording in the first place. But after the first few minutes, I forgot whose voice I was listening to and got totally enthralled by the story.

Heist Society by Ally Carter (Author) and Angela Dawe (Narrator): This action-packed story works so well as an audiobook I can't imagine it any other way. Although I love Carter's writing so much that if I had read it first I probably wouldn't be able to imagine it in audio form.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (Author) and Various Artists (Narrator): There are a lot of wonderful audio productions of this series, but perhaps my favorite is the one produced by HarperAudio featuring Kenneth Branagh, Patrick Stewart, Lynn Redgrave and more. It was like listening to a story behind a story--with each narrator you actually hear how passionate they are about the book they're performing.

Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman (Author) and Various Artists (Narrator): It makes sense that you would want to listen to poetry read aloud, but this book is simply amazing when performed by two voices. Unfortunately, this audiobook has become difficult to find (I still have it on tape even though I no longer have a tape player). Hopefully this will be remastered so a new generation of listeners will be able to get the full effect of poems for two voices.

Jazz by Walter Dean Myers (Author), James Williams (Narrator) and Vanesse Thomas (Narrator): This is the perfect example of when great writing and great performance come together to make something bigger than the sum of its parts. It utilizes the musical talents of real jazz musicians to compliment the poems and illustrations of a beautiful book.

Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (Author) and Robert Ramirez (Narrator): I read the first book in this series and then listened to the second, and I can't tell you which way I enjoyed it more. The action is so compelling when read aloud, yet I wanted it to go faster so I eventually had to pick it up and read the third one myself.

Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales by Nelson Mandela (Compiler) and Various Artists (Narrator): I don't know if there has ever been this much buzz about an audiobook before, but with people like Charlize Theron, Samuel L. Jackson, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman lending their voices to raise funds for children affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa, it's really not surprising. What is surprising, however, is the quality of the production and how uniquely beautiful each story is. And both the traditional musical performance and the PDF of bright, bold illustrations included with the recording sets this production apart.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Author) and Jeff Woodman (Narrator): I was extremely skeptical when I picked up this audiobook. After all, how would they be able to turn the magic of an illustrated novel into an audio production? But I couldn't stop listening. This production does one of my favorite books of all time the justice it deserves.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Author), Emily Janice Card (Narrator) and Emma Bering (Narrator): This audiobook blew my mind. Really. I couldn't wait to listen to Card and Bering give a new outlook on a fascinating historical period with beautiful accents, perfect rhythm and infallible timing. Their skills should make every recording artist green with envy. (It probably also helped that Donnelly referenced some of my all-time favorite bands in the same sentences as my most beloved classical composers.)

Of course I can't just leave a list at ten...

I would be amiss if I didn't mentions that Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book), Sara Zarr (Story of a Girl) and Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian) recorded their own books. These authors have an unique ability to make characters come alive both on the page and through voice.

If you want more recommendations, the ALA's new Odyssey Award recognizes the best audiobook produced for YA/children, and AudioFile Magazine presents The Audie Awards for many different categories.

This post is the last in a three-part series dedicated to Molly Jaffa, who loves audiobooks only slightly less than I do.

Audiobooks for the Audiophile: In which narrators take precedence to authors

When I'm looking for a good book to read, I usually base my selection on author. Have I enjoyed a book by this author before? Have authors I love recommended this book? Has the author been compared to another author I love? I don't so much have favorite books as I have favorite authors.

With audiobooks I tend to use a similar philosophy. I look for narrators who can give consistent performances that I can enjoy whether I love the material they're reading or not. There are a couple people who could read the phone book and I'd listen to every word.

For me, there are two truly stand-out narrators in the audiobook profession. Every year they dominate audiobook awards, and their voices have become synonymous with some of the most beloved characters in modern children's lit. The hype their productions have received is well deserved.

Jim Dale and his reading of The Harry Potter Books by J.K. Rowling played a huge role in making me an audiobook convert. His ability to make those books come alive--and give them a new depth even after reading the books several times--made me want to listen to more. I also watched as several struggling readers followed along with Dale and then took up later HP books to read on their own. Dale has provided the voice for a wider range of characters than just Harry and his friends, including the 100th anniversary recording of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (my personal obsession), Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. You might also recognize his voice as the narrator of the unfortunately short-lived TV series Pushing Daisies.

But Dale is not the only rock star in the audiobook world. Katherine Kellgren has gained well-deserved recognition for her vocalization of L.A. Meyer's Bloody Jack Adventures. My obsession with sea chanteys makes these audiobooks easy to love, but Kellgren brings a depth to Meyer's books that honestly isn't there in the printed version. She takes some fun adventure novels and turns them into something truly special. Meyer even admitted in an interview that Kellgren's narrations have changed the way he writes the book and said the books are edited for "readability by voice as well as eye" to make the recorded books more exciting. Kellgren is heralded for her work on the recordings of Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Series by Maryrose Wood, The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan and the Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer.

So what makes a listenable narrator? Versatility.

There are some audiobooks out there that try to accomplish this with full casts, dramatic sound effects and over-zealous productions. But I'm kind of a purist. The best narrators are those who become the characters so effortlessly that you can no longer tell the difference between the author, the narrator and the main character. While the ability to use lots of accents and distinctive voices helps, it has more to do with pacing and rhythm. As the action heightens and the tension comes to a pinnacle, the narration intensifies. You can hear the excitement and fear and passion not just in the words, but also in the voice. Perhaps even more important are the quiet moments of a novel--what is happening between the words. If a narrator can pull off the subtext of a novel so you can hear the character development that happens between the chapters, yeah, you've got an amazing reader.

This post is the second in a three-part series dedicated to Molly Jaffa, who loves audiobooks only slightly less than I do.

Audiobooks for the Audiophile: In which the journey begins

When I first started writing this post, it was after a conversation I had during lunch at a writing conference where we discussed some of our favorite audiobooks and what makes them so special. The woman I was talking to asked me to post some recommendations, so I got to work making a list. Until I realized how woefully little I actually knew about audiobooks. Sure, I'd listen to a few every year and had a few that were stand-outs. But what really made me enjoy them so much? And why were there a few I couldn't bare to listen to even though I loved reading the book?

The first time I consciously remember listening to an audiobook was back in high school. I'm not a huge fan of British classics (the descriptions are far too plentiful for someone with an American journalism background) but I love the stories, so I listened to David Copperfield, The Lord of the Rings, Vanity Fair. Then I moved on to some American classics I could never seem to find time to sit down and read like The Sound and the Fury and The House of Seven Gables. Then I went through my history phase with Ronald Reagan's autobiography, Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation series and several books by David McCullough. Then there were the book club books like Daughter of Fortune and, yes, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Before I started my freshman year in college, I had gone from listening to books I didn't think I could ever get through just by reading them to listening to the books because they were fun and beautiful. Not that I didn't love those classics, and I learned a ton for the histories, but all of a sudden I wasn't limited to classic literature methodically read by British stage actors. I was listening to full-fledged productions that merge literature and acting and music. It was like candy for my ears.

And now that I've spent the past six months actually paying attention to what I've listening to, I can literally hear the difference.

I don't pretend that I have listened to everything out there, but it's safe to say that my audiobook experiences reach into the hundreds. When I'm listening to a good audiobook, I have to leave ten minutes early for everything because I have to finish the chapter. And the story and the audio production have be of high quality both independently and together, which means the writing has to be stellar, the narration has to be engaging, and the have to work together.

Access to audiobooks is only getting easier because they don't only come on tape--or even CD--anymore. Even as a Mac user, I can download audiobooks directly to my computer and listen to it or upload it to my iPod. And with those great little Play-Aways that I can pick up at the library and plug into my car or my headphones or my computer speakers...yeah, I'm a fan. They're perfect for long road trips or tedious chores or rainy days or any time at all. If you don't know much about audiobook providers, NextAdvisor.com reviews some of the most popular and features additional information about audiobooks.

I've made it my mission to listen to more audiobooks, specifically children's/MG/YA books. To pay attention to why they work. To get lost in the stories along the way. And the more audiobooks I listen to, the more I discover my journey as an audiophile has just begun.

This post is the first in a three-part series dedicated to Molly Jaffa, who loves audiobooks only slightly less than I do.