Lately I’ve been addicted to audiobooks. It’s nice to have something to focus on when you’re stuck in traffic or doing the dishes or binding a quilt. At the same time, I’ve been a little let down by my reading selection. I know I should look back to what others recommended before, but I need a sure fire winner. I’m looking for not just something that you think I might like, I’m talking your favorite book, or one that just blew your mind.
On the other hand, even if I don’t like a book as much as I’d hoped, I’ve been enjoying rating and reviewing things on Goodreads. There I can actually give reason behind why I didn’t like a book or why I did, plus others’ reviews help me choose my next book.
Of the books I recently listened to above, I enjoyed The Red Garden and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. I am a big fan of Alice Hoffman so The Red Garden was easy to love. Quiet was really interesting, especially as a person who is extremely introverted. It highlighted all the talents of introverted people, but it didn’t really lend any advice to fitting in to the real world. Mostly I really enjoyed learning the history of how extroversion became popularized in American culture.
On the other end of the spectrum, I hated A Discovery of Witches. I only got this one because it was on sale and seemed decent but it was awful all the way through. It grosses me out how mediocre writing is celebrated these days. I demand new ideas! I demand editing! I’m only posting this book as a warning so you do not make the same mistake I did.
I also tried out two books by Jeffrey Eugenides. I have always been a fan of The Virgin Suicides
so when The Marriage Plot was released I thought I’d give it a go. I suppose these days I’m maybe too aware of feminist issues for this book to work for me. I wonder if this book also was negatively affected for me by a mediocre audio production. Maybe I’ve just outgrown Eugenides as an author. In any case, I wasn’t a fan of this. Middlesex on the other hand was so highly recommended that I thought maybe it would cleanse my palate. It was certainly better but I think I had the wrong idea about it going in. I did really enjoy about two thirds of the novel, but there was one third that dragged on and nearly made me lose interest in the book entirely.
Ok, so what’s the most awesome of awesome books because I need a real winner right now? What do you think about audiobooks, are you a fan?
*note: affiliate links above earn me credit when you buy on amazon
