My Favorite Audiobooks

Back before the pandemic I listened to a lot of audiobooks; I started on audiobooks when I had a data entry job in a big bureaucratic library and nothing to do with my brain while my fingers typed things all day.

Later I listened on my commutes; these days I have to carve out special walking time to listen, and that just doesn't happen that often. I exercise plenty; I'm just not a big long-walker.

Where did I get them? At the library data entry job, I downloaded them from the library or rented discs from the local independent bookstore.  When I started working at a bookstore I could borrow audios and then a company came up called Libro.fm that offers ALCs, or Advance Listening Copies, to booksellers, and I still have a huge queue of audiobooks downloaded from them. 

Libro.fm has audiobooks that can be played on any device and your purchases support your local independent bookstore. The library is also a great choice for audiobooks and if you are visually impared or have another condition that affects your ability to read print books, you may be able to avail yourself of books from the Perkins School for the Blind.  

I'm not someone who fangirls over specific narrators but I do make one exception, the rock star Peter Berkrot, who was my improv teacher way back when at Boston Casting. If you ever see an audiobook that he narrates, you should buy it because he is the best.

Elizabeth McCracken's wonderful novel Bowlaway was one of my favorite fictional audio experiences. It's narrated by Kate Reading and she does such a great job bringing this narrative to life. Bowlaway tells the story of a Boston-area community over time and its people, starting with a woman named Bertha who opens a bowling alley. 

The audio of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, narrated by the true-crime master Scott Brick, is one of the very few audiobooks I've listened to more than once. The book, a classic of the genre, is incredible and Brick tells this story with all the appropriate suspense and menace. He also narrated Eric Larson's The Devil in the White City and made it so creepy I had to stop listening and never finished the book.

Under the heading of author-read memoirs, there are two books that really stand out for me. One is the comic masterpiece Carsick, by John Waters. Oh-em-gee hilarious. Hil.Ar.Ious. 

Paul Auster's Winter Journal is so moving and enjoyable. I remember long walks around Cambridge listening to Auster tell his story. It's a case where the environmental experience I had colored and enriched my experience of the book.

Ben Macintyre's Double Cross is one of my all-time favorite World War 2 stories and the audio was just plain fun and fascinating and addictive. Double Cross is the story of the team of Allied spies who helped pull off the Normandy Invasion. The stories cover everything from society figures to double-agent pigeons to a guy in a house in England who created hundreds of fictional characters that passed as real people who played a range of roles in winning the war for the Allies. Amazing. It's narrated by the talented John Lee.

I want to go back to true crime with the magnetic I'll Be Gone in the Dark, by Michelle McNamara. I loved this book. It was so addictive and compulsively listenable, a book I would take a walk just to listen to. It's narrated by Gabra Zackman.

Finally I want to mention by #1 favorite audiobook author and narrator, David Sedaris. You can pick any of his books- it doesn't matter- he is always a delight. His most recent is Happy Go Lucky, a memoir. You just can't go wrong. My favorite is probably Holidays on Ice; I listen to "The SantaLand Diaries" every Christmas the way that some people watch Charlie Brown or the Grinch. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Paris in July- My French Book Reviews

 

I'm kind of late to the party for the Paris in July French book party going on in the blogosphere but here is a list of some of my favorite books I've reviewed that were originally written in French.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, the book that put Europa Editions on the map.

Climates, by André Maurois, a great beach read of a romance novel, originally published in the 1920s.

Another frothy romance, Enough About Love, by Hervé le Tellier.

Fatale, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, a gritty, violent noir.

On Leave, by Daniel Anselme, a moving book about soldiers in the Algerian War.

The Truth About Marie, by Jean-Philippe Toussaint, about the end of a love affair.

The Last Brother, by Natacha Appanah, about World War 2 Mauritius- a gem.

The German Mujahid, by Boualem Sansal, an emotionally challenging novel about the legacy of the Holocaust for one German-Algerian family.

Of course these are just a few of my reviews of books in translation from the French. Hopefully you will find something to enjoy!

Books to Love, Books to Share

A while ago a bookseller friend of mine asked on his Facebook page the question "what book or books do you buy multiple copies of, to have on hand to pass out to friends?"

I offered a title but in truth I don't do this although I think it's a great idea. I definitely have my short list of go-to's of favorite titles to suggest when asked. But favorites are so personal, and just because I loved it doesn't mean someone else will, so I guess I hesitate to think of any book as a one-size-fits-all.

Nonetheless I am now going to tell you about some books I should carry around in multiples and pass out all the time. You might keep these in mind for holiday gifts as well.

The Wedding of Zein, by Tayeb Salih. This short comic novel about a misfit and his nuptials is pure delight. It's small enough that you could carry it around.

Dinner, by César Aira. Zombies and single men in a small town in Argentina. Funny, crazy, ridiculous.
It's great.

Prophets of Eternal Fjord, by Kim Leine. An immersive
historical novel set in Greenland in the 19th century, this tale of a preacher going to convert indigenous people is fascinating, raw and unforgettable.

The Missing Year of Juan Salvatierra, by Pedro Mairal. Juan Salvatierra was a mute and an artist; his sole work was a huge painting that he worked on for his entire adult life. When he dies, his son tries to find a single scroll of the painting representing a year of his father's life. What he finds, what he loses and what he finds out roll out in a simple and beautiful story. It turns out sometimes the trees must be gone in order to find the forest.

Hild, by Nicola Griffith. Another long and immersive historical novel, this time
set in England, about a little girl who grows into a saint- but has to get through girlhood first. I've seldom read such a gripping and detailed account either of early Britain or what it's like to grow up female.

The Son, by Phillip Meyer. A multigenerational tale set in Texas from the beginning to the end of the 20th century, this book deserves to be a classic. It's violent and charged-up as well as heartbreaking and full of insight into what makes us human.



Double Cross, by Ben Macintyre. I love Ben Macintyre's books about espionage and intrigue- all of them- but this is the best, in terms of scope and detail and range. This is nonfiction about some of the spies who helped the Allies plan and execute the D-Day invasion of Normandy- and the stuff is stranger than fiction, from the guy who invented non-existent Welsh nationalists to the carrier pigeons who sent information back and forth over enemy lines. And Macintyre's writing sparkles, as usual, and brings it all to life like it's happening right now.

And if you love reading about espionage you have to read Code Girls, by Liza Mundy, about the American women who were a crucial part of the war effort, decoding Axis messages right here in this country. What a fascinating and gripping story.

Last but by no means least, The Moonflower Vine, by Jetta
Carleton, is a rediscovered classic that deserves to be discovered again and again. It's the story of a 1930s Missouri family told from the point of view of each character and the narratives wrap around each other and laying bare their secrets, their shames and the love that pulses through their veins. This was a staff pick of mine in my bookselling days and did very, very well with my customers- it's the kind of book you want to share with a friend, and people did come back to buy multiple copies for friends after reading it. You might too.

So I picked these by going through my LibraryThing books for five-star ratings and then saying "yeah, that one." Very scientific. Nonetheless there you go.

Halloween Reads-Updated Edition

I haven't done a Halloween book list in a couple of years and I definitely have some spooky titles to share that weren't on there.

Get your flashlight and cozy blanket handy.

See What I Have Done, by Sarah Schmidt, is a fictional take on the real-life Lizzie Borden mystery- the gruesome murders of Fall River, Massachusetts. This will definitely keep you up at night.

J.W. Ocker's memoir A Season with the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Salem, Massachusetts is a fun, interesting and only slightly scary tale of one family's time in the Witch City. I grew up in and around Salem and Ocker gets its combo of schlock and history just right.

Dan Chaon's Ill Will is a long and frankly terrifying crime novel with a brutal twist ending. If you've never read him before- or even if you have- buckle up.

Out is a crime novel from Japan about how evil seeps into everything around it. The tale of a group of women drawn into a murder and its consequences, all the while moving around a vicious killer none of them knows about, will keep you turning pages to the bitter end.

Last year I finally read Bram Stoker's Dracula and if you haven't read it, you really have to. It's an incredible read and one of the foundations of modern horror.

Have a great Halloween!

Bastille Day Books

Here we are again, it's Bastille Day when we can all get the chance to be French for the day. Here are some of my favorite books to give you a little Gallic flair.

Henri de la Barbe, aka Henry Beard, penned this adorable and silly book to teach you how to speak French to your cat. It's indispensable. French for Cats: All the French Your Cat Will Ever Need truly lives up to its title.

Jean-Jacques Sempé is a wonderful artist and his book A Little Bit of Paris collects much of his charming, light-filled and evocative work focused on one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The Parisianer is a wordless, coffee-table-ready collection of illustrations by a variety of French artists, creating their own New Yorker-style "covers" highlighting different aspects of Parisian life. Arist Aurélie Pollet is the editor.

Antonia Fraser's accessible and lively biography of one of the most controversial figures of French history makes excellent reading. Marie Antoinette: The Journey attempts to rescue France's infamous queen and rehabilitate her image. Along the way it makes for fascinating look at French social and royal history. It's one of my favorites.

I'll finish off this year's quick list with a current novel, Nathacha Appanah's wonderful Waiting for Tomorrow, about contemporary French life, a friendship and a marriage all built on self-deception and denial. Appanah is one of the best people writing in French today.

Any of these books will give you a taste of France this Bastille Day weekend and beyond.

Some Favorite Books by Immigrants

Photo by Tony Webster. CC License

Sea of Poppies, by Amitav Ghosh, and the whole Ibis Trilogy including River of Smoke and Flood of Fire. The series, by Indian-born Ghosh, details the lives and fortunes of a panoply of characters during the first Opium Wars and takes place on the seas and shores of India and China. It's a breathtaking epic.

The Patriots, by Sana Krasikov. Ukrainian by birth, Krasikov has long been on my list of writers to watch. The Patriots is her first novel and covers the life of an American who travels to Russia only to get caught up in Stalinism and the shifting sands of the Soviet Union in the 20th century.

Hild, by Nicola Griffith. British Griffith was mainly known as a science fiction/fantasy writer before producing this vivid and engrossing historical fiction about a young woman in the England of swords and castles. It's an incredible coming of age story about an extraordinary person.

American Gypsy, by Oksana Marafioti. Russian-born and part Roma, Marafioti wrote this memoir about growing up in Los Angeles in the 1980s. It's charming and bittersweet, full of detail and emotion. I enjoyed it on several levels and highly recommend it.

Before Night Falls, by Reinaldo Arenas. Cuban dissident Arenas wrote this memoir to document his life and the struggles he endured as his country changed around him. It's an incredibly moving and life-affirming work.

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show, by Frank Delaney. Irish-born Delaney started a trilogy with this book, about a man's search for his lost love. It's funny and emotional and just plain delightful.

Pushkin Hills, by Sergei Dovlatov. Jewish/Armenian Russian-born Dovlatov eventually settled in the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens, but not before penning this absurdist and wonderful novel about a poet working at a tourist resort and all of his daily travails. I love this book so much.

A Mountain of Crumbs, by Elena Gorokhova. Russian-born Gorokhova wrote this book about her childhood and growing realization that she needed to leave her homeland for greater opportunities in America. She draws a detailed picture of the struggles and deprivations of 1970s Soviet life, and also some of its joys.

Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah. South African, biracial and a polyglot, comedian Noah wrote a moving, funny and insightful book about his family and his country. The more I learn about South Africa the less I feel like I know and Noah's book brought out more dimensions to explore.

Oscar Films and Book Recommendations

I haven't seen all of this year's Oscar-nominated films, but I've been trying to get out to see some, and of course I have to come up with a list of books to recommend for moviegoers.

If you loved Lady Bird, read Chocolates for Breakfast, by Pamela Moore, a better-than-it-has-any-right-to-be coming-of-age book for adults (i.e. not a YA title) about a girl navigating life, love and growing up in LA and NYC in the 1950s. I did not love Lady Bird, and I think Chocolates is much better entry in the coming-of-age department than a film I found frankly rife with tropes and stereotypes. Chocolates is the real deal, though.

If you loved Call Me By Your Name, read The Line of Beauty, by Alan Hollinghurst, about a gay man in 1980s London and his two great loves- one a man, another a family to which he yearns to belong. I liked the movie OK, but again I think this book is better. And of course the film was based on the novel of the same name, by André Aciman, and you can read that if you like. I kind of want to.

If you loved Get Out, read Slumberland or The Sellout, both by Paul Beatty, two wonderful crazy-good novels about black men and white rules. I loved the movie, and I loved the books and despite Beatty winning the Man Booker Prize for The Sellout, I still think not enough people have read it.

If you loved The Big Sick, read The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf, by Mohja Kahf, about a young girl figuring out her place in America and the Islamic world. I loved the movie and the book. If you don't want to read about cross-cultural issues and want to go with a love story, I'd suggest A Very Long Engagement, by Sebastian Japrisot, a World War 1 drama which really doesn't have anything to do with The Big Sick but comes to mind because I loved it like I loved this movie.


If you loved I, Tonya, read We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson, another unreliable young woman narrator who may or may not have done some very bad things. I, Tonya was a favorite of mine this year but a day or two later I definitely felt duped by this cleverly told and well-acted con job.

If you loved Coco, read Caramelo, by Sandra Cisneros, a wonderful growing-up story about Mexico and America. I don't read enough about Mexico but I still say Caramelo is a solid pick.

What books do you think match up with your favorite award winners or nominees?

2017 Favorites

2017 was not a banner year of reading for me. I was frequently distracted, busy, running around and just not reading. And I read a lot of clunkers. But the year is winding down and it's time for my annual favorites.

What I will say is that I read a lot of excellent nonfiction. My original favorites list was eight titles, whittled down to five for balance. Fiction was tougher for me. I read a lot of TBR dust bunnies that should have been weeded. And found some treasures too.  But I kept on reading as best as I could. Here are my favorite reads this year, five fiction and five nonfiction.

Fiction

Made for Love, by Alissa Nutting. I just loved this edgy and offbeat novel about a runaway wife and a gigolo attracted to dolphins. Nothing goes the way you think, and yet it all works out, somehow. 2017 release.

Beautiful Animals, by Lawrence Osborne. If you love literary fiction and you're not reading Lawrence Osborne, it's
really time to start. His latest is a firecracker about the refugee crisis in the form of a taut thriller about a scam that goes very very wrong. 2017 release.

See What I Have Done, by Sarah Schmidt. This is just a terrific page-turning thriller based on a real life murder, the case of Lizzie Borden. No big surprises here but a tight, moody story to keep you up at night. 2017 release.

The Literary Conference, by César Aira. Haha the best. I love César. I just love his stuff so much. If you like Carlos Fuentes you may have strong feelings about this story of a mad scientist and his project that goes very very wrong.

Dinner, by César Aira. If you didn't get enough already, indulge in this sweet treat about the zombie apocalypse.

Nonfiction

In the Land of Invented Languages, by Arika Okrent. Fascinating and fun story of languages that people made up, and how they fared, or didn't. I started learning Esperanto after reading it. Maybe you'll want to learn Klingon or Lojban.

The Romanov Sisters, by Helen Rappaport. This is a sad but also engrossing story of the four doomed daughters of the last czar of Russia.

Theft by Finding, by David Sedaris. I did this one on audio
and I recommend that you do, too. Audio is the best way to experience Sedaris's humor and storytelling flair. This volume excerpts his diaries from 1977-2002. I can't wait for the next compendium. 2017 release.

American Gypsy, by Oksana Marafioti. I loved this coming-of-age-in-America
story about a young Roma girl who comes to Los Angeles from Russia in the 1980s. Charming and fun.

A Very Expensive Poison, by Luke Harding. Read this for a gripping and horrible story about what happened to one man who crossed Vladimir Putin. 2017 release.

Stay tuned for the annual statistical recap, coming soon.

You Should Definitely Read These Books This Fall

There are so many good books coming out this fall. This list isn't really everything you should read this fall- it's just my top picks. But you should read all of these, even if there are also other things you should read too.

Fiction

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby, by Cherise Wolas (September)
The Best Kind of People, by Zoe Whitall (September)
Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward (September)
Belladonna, by Daša Drndic (September)
Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng (September)
Fever, by Deon Meyer (September)

Ferocity, by Nicola Legiola (October)
Madonna in a Fur Coat, by Sabahattin Ali (October)
Dunbar, by Edward St. Aubyn (October)

The Night Language, by David Rocklin (November)

Nonfiction

Marita: The Spy Who Loved Castro, by Marita Lorenz (September)
The Madeleine Project, by Clara Ledoux (September)


The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia, by Masha Gessen  (October)
Renoir: An Intimate Biography, by Barbara Ehrlich White (October)
San Francisco's Queen of Vice: The Strange Career of Abortionist Inez Brown Burns, by Lisa Riggin (currently on my nightstand) (October)

What I'm Reading This Summer

*subject to me changing my mind

So like a lot of people I'm thinking about summer reading and pulling things from my TBR piles to have handy on trips, weekends and the lazy afternoons and evenings to come. Summer just makes you want to sit around and when I sit around I typically have a book or two in hand. Here are some new releases I'm looking forward to during the dog days.

The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry. This book, a hit in Great Britain, is a historical novel about a widow who stumbles on a local myth and a compelling stranger.

Beautiful Animals, by Laurence Osborne. I always look forward to Osborne's mesmerizing novels, always a heady mix of compelling plot and travelogue-ready setting.

Less, by Andrew Sean Greer, is my pick for beach book of the summer, about a man who's turning 50 as his much-younger boyfriend is about to get married. It's been called a "breakout romantic comedy" from this author of literary novels. I can't wait to tuck it into my boat-and-tote when I hit the beaches of Nantucket this season.

Brave Deeds, by David Abrams, has been described as a "powerful novel of war, brotherhood and America." I haven't read Abrams' books before and I'm really excited to start here.

The Burning Girl, by Claire Messud. I heard Messud speak at BEA and was captivated. Her latest  is "compact, compelling, and ferociously sad," "a story about childhood, friendship and community, and a complex examination of the stories we tell ourselves about childhood and friendship." It will be good for when I want a more serious book to read.

Then there's See What I have Done, by Sarah Schmidt, a "riveting debut" that takes on Lizzie Borden. Buckle up!