One of my favorite blogging events of 2013 was the first edition of The Armchair Audies, organized by the Literary Housewife and the Guilded Earlobe. The idea is that bloggers choose at least one category of the Audies Awards, listen to all the nominated titles, and then make their predictions.
Last year I chose the History category, had lots of fun, but failed miserably in my prediction. After seeing the 2013 nominees I’ve decided to stick to History, even though, as last year, there’s an overwhelming focus given to American History (and the world so big!).
Here they are:
Da Vinci’s Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image
Toby Lester
Read by Stephen Hoye (Tantor Media)
The story behind the Vitruvian Man – the nominee I’m most curious about.
X
X
Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love
David Talbot
Arthur Morey (Brilliance Audio)
A history of San Francisco in the crazy years between 1967 and 1982, “when the city radically changed itself—and then revolutionized the world“.
X
X
L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City
John Buntin
Read by Kirby Heyborne (Tantor Media)
After San Fran in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, enter LA in the 50s. Portrayed as “the white spot of America“, it hid “crooked cops, ruthless newspaper tycoons, corrupt politicians, and East Coast gangsters“.
X
Twelve Desperate Miles: The Epic World War II Voyage of the SS Contessa
Tim Brady
Read by Joe Barrett (AudioGO)
How cool does this sound? It’s a movie in the making:
“The Dirty Dozen meets Band of Brothers in this true story of how a rusty old New Orleans banana boat staffed with an unlikely crew of international merchant seamen, a gang of inmates from a local jail, and a French harbor pilot spirited out of Morocco by O.S.S. agents in the trunk of a Chevy, were drafted into service in WWII — and heroically succeeded in setting the stage for Patton’s epic invasion of North Africa.”
The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Best-Kept Secret
Kent Harman
Read by Dan John Miller (Tantor Media)
A book about the West Coast’s recording studio scene of the ’60s. A bit too similar to Season of the Witch, but it still sounds… groovy.
X
x
Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942
Ian W. Toll
Read by Grover Gardner (Audible, Inc.)
Pacific Crucible tells the story of the first months of the Pacific war, when the U.S. Navy shook off the worst defeat in American military history (Pearl Harbor) and seized the strategic initiative.
I though military war, especially naval, was not my cuppa until I started reading Patrick O’Brian. I’m hoping this book will have the same effect.
10 comments
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February 22, 2013 at 5:27 pm
cbjames
This sounds like a fun project, though I’m sure I’d never be able to get through all of the books before the award was announced.
February 22, 2013 at 6:22 pm
sandynawrot
I’m an audio freak, but I don’t know if I could do them all either. And I have heard of NONE of these! Where have I been?
February 23, 2013 at 2:08 am
Vasilly
I’ve heard of this before but I’ve never participated. I think this might be fun. I’m going to check it out. Good luck with the listening AND the predictions. 🙂
February 24, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Jay
Hi Alex,
Try as I might, I have never been able to really get into audio books. I’ve tried listening while driving my daily commute – fail (other,crazy drivers distract me too much); I’ve tried listening while doing repetitive tasks at work – fail (my work slows down too much); while walking -fail (I want to be able to hear the sounds around me); in bed – fail (asleep in minutes). I don’t know why I can’t do it. Any suggestions? 🙂
-Jay
February 25, 2013 at 6:48 am
theguildedearlobe
Jay,
I’m not Alex but here’s my advice. Active listening is a skill like anything else. Some people may naturally take to it, while others need to work at it. There is a lot of benefits to audio, including being able to fit more books into your schedule. I always suggest for those who have trouble start with something you are familiar with. My first audiobook attempt was a disaster. Yet, then years later when i attempted again I started with books I had already read (World War Z and The Mist).
I suggest trying a book you are familiar with, or a classic you know from anther medium (like Wizard of Oz) Try it while doing some tasks like dishes or laundry when you don’t feel rushed. Try doing a half hour a day during these task for a week, either this will show you that audio is just not for you, or you will find yourself making more time to listen.
Now… the post. I’m very excited you are taking on this category again. I am quite interested in Pacific Crucible and thing Grover Gardner would be excellent in non-fic. Can’t wait to see your thoughts.
February 25, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Jay
Thanks so much for the advice & suggestions! I really would like to “make this work” for the reason you stated – to fit more books into a busy schedule.
February 25, 2013 at 9:51 am
Joanna @ CreateYourWorld
Da Vinci’s Ghost is the only one that really interests me here. Are you seriously planning on listening to these history books in the next months??
February 27, 2013 at 2:59 am
Literate Housewife
I hope you enjoy this year as much as last year. I don’t think you or I failed last year. I think the Audie committee failed to think like us. LOL! Good luck with this year’s nominees. I see what you mean about the US focus. I think that is a valid critique. I wonder what was submitted and not nominated. Are the publishers submitting mainly US centric titles or was the initial committee just happier with these particular titles?
February 27, 2013 at 4:14 am
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