friends, lend me your ears {audiobooks worth the listen}

for years, I've eschewed audiobooks -- my attention wanders, and it's too hard to "flip a few pages back" to catch up on what I missed when I inevitably get interrupted. but recently, I've discovered some true gems that come to life through audio in a way they wouldn't on the printed page, particularly if they are set in a foreign country where the narrator's accent or pronunciation of unfamiliar words adds authenticity to the story. just like any other muscle, my auditory attention is getting stronger. plus I've learned to set myself up for success by only listening when I'm unlikely to be interrupted (i.e., when the older girls are at school and the babies are napping, or when I'm driving to work without kids in the car). 

without further ado, here are my recent favourites!

Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Raybourn; narrated by Jane Oppenheimer and Christina Delaine. this is a hilarious and fast-paced story about a group of female assassins, who reunite at a retirement party and suddenly find themselves on a surprise mission to defend themselves against their former boss. the main characters are typecast into specific personality traits a la Charlotte, Samantha, Carrie and Miranda from Sex and the City, but I didn't mind. via flashbacks to their previous escapades, we travel around the world and through time with them. just plain fun!

Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid; narrated by Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer, Pablo Schreiber, Julia Whelan, and several others. as you can tell from the cast list, this production was more like a play than an audiobook -- with so many characters speaking in first person, it was essential to keeping the story straight, and the delivery from well-known actors was top notch. as always, Taylor Jenkins Reid is the master of character development. Daisy Jones grows from an independent young girl to the lead singer of a fictional hit band, with lots of drama from the rest of the band along the way. the only part I didn't like was the end of the book features a recording of the song that's supposed to be the band's biggest hit, and I found it just mediocre. but! the book is quite entertaining. 

The Splendid and the Vile, by Erik Larson; narrated by John Lee. a fascinating account of the life of Winston Churchill, this book is peppered with firsthand accounts of his political career from his own diaries and letters, as well as vibrant depictions of his family and friends. it probably would have taken me quite a bit longer to make it through the print version of this book; Lee's rich voice made the text come alive. a bonus at the end was the full recording of Churchill's speech from December 24, 1941, given from the White House shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. 

Let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play. Let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us, resolved that, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance or denied their right to live in a free and decent world. And so, in God's mercy, a happy Christmas to you all.

Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner; narrated by the author. a vulnerable memoir about the author's experience growing up Korean American, reflected on through the lens of her mother's terminal illness. once again, hearing the Korean words spoken by the author added so much to the story. you will definitely want your Kleenexes for this one. 

and finally, I've saved the best for last:

The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese; narrated by the author. I'm only one-third of the way through this tome (a total of 31 hours), but I already know this is going to be one of my favourite books of all time. it is an exquisitely beautiful reflection of culture -- the culture of India, the culture of motherhood, the culture of medicine and the culture of faith. the characters are drawn so warmly that you feel you know and love them all (with the exception of a few whom you are meant to despise).

Ammachi, when I come to the end of a book and I look up, just four days have passed. But in that time I’ve lived through three generations and learned more about the world and about myself than I do during a year in school. Ahab, Queequeg, Ophelia, and other characters die on the page so that we might live better lives.

on the flip side, I could not bring myself to finish How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, even though the premise sounded interesting. 

currently on my holds list, here are a few others I've heard (no pun intended) are excellent in the audio format: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, The Indifferent Stars Above, and The Rachel Incident. I will report back!