I’ve gotten into a habit of listening to audio books in the evening while I do mindless tasks like laundry, post-shower skincare, and other non-thinking activities. I’ve found that memoirs are my go-to for audio books, and even more so if they’re read by the author. Occasionally I’ll listen to fiction, but usually only if I hear the audio version specifically recommended.
Here are a few I listened to recently that were particularly good on audio.
{Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle} Read by Glennon Doyle herself, this was like listening to a good friend. A good friend who happens to be a superb writer and can tell a story about learning to love and accept herself with raw honesty and just the right amount of emotion. My rating: 4/5 stars
{Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan} I heard excellent things about the audio version of this middle-grade novel, and it did not disappoint. It begins with a mysterious tale of a boy named Otto, three sisters, a witch, and a harmonica. Music, specifically Otto’s harmonica, carries the rest of the story forward and ties the separate tales together. We meet three other children, all of whom are facing tremendous challenges, yet who discover the joy of music and share it with that same harmonica. It is a beautiful story, and the audio version captures it (and the music within it) perfectly. My rating: 4/5 stars.
{Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain} I’ve been a fan of Bourdain’s since I first saw him on the Food Network in its early years. I found his irreverence and sense of adventure so appealing–such a contrast to my planning, rule-following ways. I was heartbroken when I heard about his death, and yet I’m thankful he left behind a legacy of great work, including this honest memoir about restaurant life (that he narrates himself on the audio version). It is funny and fascinating. As someone who loves to cook but wouldn’t dream of trying to hack it in a restaurant kitchen, I loved immersing myself in that life as I listened. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
Do you listen to audio books? Have you listened to any good ones lately?
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