Listening to books

So far this year, I have read 75 books. Those are of all different types. (Take a look at my Goodreads page to find out what books specifically). Of those books, 19 were audiobooks. I am an audiobook convert, having begun listening to them a few years ago and now, I'm hooked. I listen to them in my car, which is especially nice because I have a six-disc cd player. Convenient, I tell you.

At first, it was difficult to get used to someone telling me the story, versus me interpreting the narrative voice of the book. However, I grew to enjoy this way of reading. You never get tired of being told a story it seems, and I found that it was nice to hear the accent in someone's voice instead of trying to manufacture it myself. Anywho, this year I've been plugging right along in my audiobook habits, jumping from one book directly into the next. Especially when I'm super busy at home, it's nice to sneak in my reading in my daily commute.

Below are the top audiobooks I've read this year (so far).

Paper Towns by John Green
I wanted to read another John Green book, and this one was recommended to me. The story is about a teenage boy searching for the girl of his dreams, Margo Roth-Spiegleman, who left behind clues to her whereabouts for him. It was a fun read, and quite the journey itself.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
This is a memoir of Jenny Lawson's life. She is a former HR employee, daughter of a taxedermist, and known for her blogging skills. Parts of this book were a bit drab, but other parts had me crying laughing. In fact, I even made a friend listen to my favorite part when we were driving together. (She was crying laughing too).

Harry Potter, books 1-3 by J.K. Rowling
You may recall that this series is my "books we've missed" subject. I had heard that the audioboks for this series were very well-done, so that was my preferred reading method for these. They were indeed done extremely well. The narrator does an excellent job doing different voices for the characters, and it really helped bring the story to life.

Room by Emma Donoghue
The book is told from a little boy's point of view, and the audio narrator is a little boy. It was a bit jarring at first, but it added to the haunted quality of the story. The book definitely stuck with me.

Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres
This audiobook reminded me how much I really do love Ellen. Her witty observational comedy had me laughing so hard I thought I may have to pull over. It's really the simple things with her, and my favorite parts were when she was discussing everyday life.

The Intern's Handbook by Shane Kuhn
See my review of this book here. The narrator just did an amazing job expressing the emotions of John Lago in his voice, and it made the book super memorable for me.

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
Now, this is a book I have read multiple times before. I think I may have even listened to it once before. I love this story of a cranky southern cook trying to put on a wedding. This book has humor, the mob, romance, and yes, a hitman. Funny, sweet, and surprisingly fast-paced. The narrator of the book does a great job with Agnes's crankiness, but I wasn't a fan of the echo-y voice to represent her internal thoughts.

What's your take on audiobooks? Are you an audiobook "reader?" If so, what are you favorites?

~Cailey W.