Listening to Audiobook Challenge #1 and #7

So I am now balancing two of the Audiobook Challenge challenges.  

I am counting The Other Queen as my challenge #1 with a cast of three. (See my previous post). I have the audiobook in CD's since it's not available on Audible with Richard Armitage as one of the cast. Luckily I have an old car that has a CD player. (That's how I first started to listen to audiobooks in my car many years ago, before Audible).  

But at home, with my Audible app, I've also been listening to The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths, narrated by a narrator whose work I haven't heard previously, Jane McDowell.

I like her narration very much so far, and can relate very much to the main protagonist of this book, Ruth Galloway.  I'm just a few chapters in, but there are are moments I feel Ruth Galloway is me 😊 especially at parties!


This is not that common with me, as I may like and admire many female characters in fiction, but not that frequently do I relate to them as much as I am now to Ruth as a person.  I'm sure that will change as I read/listen to more books in the series, but so far Ruth is #1.

Now Mysteries are my favorite genre, but I have a confession that I started listening to The Crossing Place  again because of my book guru, Richard Armitage.   No, he's not narrating any of the Galloway books, but the author, Elly Griffiths, has mentioned several times that she wouldn't mind if Armitage played the police detective in the book,  DCI Harry Nelson.  So I reached a moment when I just had to find out who is DCI Nelson. 

It seems the Galloway books have been "optioned" by the BBC or some other TV company for a series.  How about it BBC?

Listen to us BBC, Richard Armitage needs to play either Jackman (Joy Ellis' series) or Nelson. Make it happen.  Or why not both! 

Just to prove I'm not making this up, here is a link to an interview with author Elly Griffiths:


https://promotingcrime.blogspot.com/2015/07/elly-griffiths.html

Lynne:  If the series was ever picked up for TV, who would you like to see playing Ruth and Nelson? And maybe Cathbad?

Elly:  A TV company has an option but everything is moving extremely slowly, it’s even slower than archaeology. But, of course, I’ve thought about the casting. Ruth Jones or Eva Myles as Ruth. She would have to become Welsh but it would be worth it. I’ve always thought Richard Armitage for Nelson (I can dream can’t I?). Cathbad is the most difficult. Maybe David Tennant with long hair?

The 2019 Audiobook Challenge from AudioFile Magazine and Challenge #1

Here we are first day of 2019.  I think I'll give this new Audiobook Challenge a try.  No promises that I will get to #12 by the end of this year.  (And I might skip around!).

I have my own personal audiobook challenge I've followed now for several years, and that is listening to all the books narrated/performed by my favorite actor, Richard Armitage.   Armitage is always goal #1.

Tomorrow,  January 2, I go back to work from my holiday break 😒and I know just what I will be listening to for Challenge #1.

Update on 2018 Audiobook Challenge

Audioobook Challenge 2018 Details

• Runs January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018. You can join at anytime.
• The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2018 than you did in 2017.
• Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
• ANY genres count.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
• If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.
• Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. First update in June 30, 2018 and last update in December 15, 2018

So last year, 2018, I joined the Audiobook Challenge (see above)and challenged myself to listen to 12 books.  I ended up listening to 16 by the end of the year. Right at the end on December 30 I finished my 16th book, The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo, performed by Richard Armitage.

I listen to audiobooks on my commute to and from work, and sometimes on the weekend at home when puttering around the apartment. 

My Updated List - Audiobooks I listened to in 2018:


The Christmas Hirelings - narrated by Richard Armitage

The Snowman (by Michael Morpurgo) - narrated by Richard Armitage

Heads you Win - narrated by Richard Armitage

The Man from St. Petersburg - narrated by Richard Armitage

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - narrated by Jeff Woodman

The Lizard's Bite (Nic Costa Book#4) - narrated by Saul Reichlin

The Sacred Cut (Nic Costa Book #3) - narrated by Saul Reichlin

Their Lost Daughters (Jackman and Evans series) -narrated by Richard Armitage

The Murderer's Son  (Jackman and Evans series) - narrated by Richard Armitage

The Fourth Friend   (Jackman and Evans series) - narrated by Richard Armitage

A Season for the Dead (Nic Costa series) - narrated by Sean Baker

The Tattooist of Auschwitz - narrated by Richard Armitage

The Martian Invasion of Earth (adaptation of The War of the Worlds - audio play) - performed by Richard Armitage and Cast

Wanderlust - narrated by Richard Armitage and Grace Grant

The Bloody Chamber (Angela Carter) - narrated by Richard Armitage and Emilia Fox

The Villa of Mysteries (Nic Costa series) - narrated by Christopher Kay

A Quiet Flame (Bernie Gunther series) - narrated by Paul Hecht


The One from the Other (Bernie Gunther series) - narrated by John Lee
_______

I ended up listening to 18 audiobooks by the end of 2018, exceeding the Audiobook Challenge goal I had set for myself of 12-15.  

I've chosen to highlight the narrators on the list for 2018 because as I listen to more and more audiobooks I'm more and more aware of the difference a good narrator can make.  Especially if, like me, you're listening to books from a book series that have different narrators, as I am with the Nic Costa series (by David Hewson) and the Bernie Gunther series (by Philip Kerr). 

I want to thank my Book Guru and favorite actor and narrator/performer ("fantastic audiobook performer" stuff.co.nz) Richard Armitage for guiding me to discovering two now favorite mystery/thriller writers, David Hewson and Joy Ellis (Jackman and Evans).