Audiobook Challenge 2021 - September Audiobook

 I'm going to be cheating on my 

SEPTEMBER Listening Books  

AUDIOBOOK CHALLENGE:  

 Listen to an Audiobook that is over 24 Hours Long.

Listening Books  Audiobook Listening Challenge 2021:

https://www.listening-books.org.uk/library/audiobook-listening-challenge-2021

Why am I cheating?  Because the book I plan to listen to is 23 hours and 13 minutes long. 

Maybe Listening Books will forgive me since I will also be reading books for four (4) separate Zoom Book Clubs this month.  

Below a description of the book from the publisher:

"Now, award-winning historian Ada Ferrer delivers an ambitious and moving chronicle written for a moment that demands a new reckoning with both the island’s past and its relationship with the United States. Spanning more than five centuries, Cuba: An American History provides us with a front-row seat as we witness the evolution of the modern nation, with its dramatic record of conquest and colonization, of slavery and freedom, of independence and revolutions made and unmade.

Along the way, Ferrer explores the sometimes surprising, often troubled intimacy between the two countries, documenting not only the influence of the United States on Cuba but also the many ways the island has been a recurring presence in US affairs. "

________

As a Cuban-American I've been interested in this book and what Dr. Ada Ferrer, also a Cuban-American, has to say about the joint history of Cuba and the United States. 

Audiobook Challenge 2021 - May/June Audiobook

 

My next Listening Book 2021 Challenge Audiobook for May/June is

DRACULA by Bram Stoker

With this audiobook/audioplay by a full cast I can check off the Listen to a Dramatization or Full Cast Audiobook on the challenge list.  

The reason I selected DRACULA by Stoker is that I plan to also listen to some of the Rosenbach Museum's  Sundays with Dracula videos on YouTube  (https://youtu.be/wNLLluLLKpc).  I say "some" because I doubt I'll get through all the videos in May and June,

I read DRACULA by Bram Stoker when I was in my late teens. 

I've watched many TV and movie versions of Dracula and vampires, even before reading Stoker's work.  It will be fun to listen to the full cast audiobook and see how I feel about the book now decades later.

Frank Langella as Dracula

888888888888888888888888888888888888888

ARMITAGE AUDIOBOOKS UPDATE:

For May and June I'm also planning to listen to two new audiobooks narrated by Richard Armitage.

Listening now to Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (Audible US).

Later in May,  Mania by L.J. Ross  (Dr. Alexander Gregory, book 4).  (Publishing expected May 16, 2021).

Mania by L.J. Ross, narrated by Richard Armitage, not available until August 2021.

Audiobook Challenge 2021 - April Audiobook

 

My Audiobook for April is 

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Narrated by Trevor Noah

I'm following the

2021 Listening Book Challenge

And this checks off

Listen to an Audiobook Narrated by the Author

___________

I have to confess that last year's audiobook challenge was easier to follow since we had a specific type of book for a specific month.  

Must be something in me that makes an open ended annual audiobook challenge more difficult to fulfill.  I have to make more of an effort to listen to one book a month rather than procrastinate.

Why this book?  I don't watch the Daily Show but I like watching Trevor Noah on YouTube.  He's a very interesting and very good interviewer.  And funny too. I've had this audiobook in my Audible library for a while and am looking forward to finding out more about Trevor.  

Audiobook Challenge 2021 - February and March Audiobooks

 Listening Books Challenge for February and March

Turbo Challenge

Listen to Two Audiobooks from the same Narrator in Different Genres

Narrator:  Richard Armitage

The Books

    FEBRUARY:

The Garden of Angels

by

David Hewson

Historical Fiction

MARCH:

The Burning Girls

by

C.J. Tudor

Mystery/Horror

(Narrators Richard Armitage and Gemma Whelan)

It was because of my Book Guru,  Richard Armitage, that I discovered authors David Hewson and C. J. Tudor.  They are now two of my favorite contemporary authors.  

They are also two of my favorite people on Twitter.  Wonderful interacting with their fans and lovely people.  (And Richard too, of course.)

New Year - New Audiobook Challenge 2021 - Listening Books (UK)

 

At the start of this year, 2020, I was looking for a new audiobook challenge for the year.  I was searching Facebook when I found the Listening Books 2020 Audiobook Challenge.  I am now listening (and reading also - for a great book club) my December challenge,  "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.  You can check my blog post of November 30 for more about this month's challenge.

I also tried the Listening Challenge from AudioFile magazine in 2019.

So I was pondering the next challenge late last week looking for a new 2021 audiobook listening challenge.  

I was happy to see a notification on FB this morning that Listening Books has posted a new challenge for 2021.  It's different from 2020's but looks interesting and I think I will try it.

Now I don't belong to Listening Books, a UK Audiobook Lending Charity. They have audiobooks for children and adult members that have "illness, physical, or mental, disabilities that affects their ability to read the printed word."(https://www.listening-books.org.uk/).    

When I decided to join this year I asked if it was OK to do so since I'm in the US, and also would not qualify for membership. They explained that they had opened it to the public on FB in the hopes of learning about new audiobooks from a wider public so that they might then research for their members and add to their lending library.  

I really enjoyed their 2020 Audiobook Challenge.

😌🎄🎅🤶

If you would like to find out more about Listening Books and consider a donation to support their work you can do so at the link below:

https://www.listening-books.org.uk/help-us/donations

They also have a podcast and a blog

https://voluminous.libsyn.com/

https://www.listening-books.org.uk/blog

Now for the Listening Books 2021 Audiobook Challenge:

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - December Audiobook

 

December Audiobook

The Audiobook Listening Challenge for December is a 

Seasonal Audiobook

My selection is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Narrated by Simon Prebble

Below is a link to an interview with Simon Prebble on 

AudioFile Magazine

https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narrators/simon-prebble/

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - November Audiobook

 

The November Listening Book 

Audiobook Challenge is a 

Funny Audiobook

I have selected 

"No Cunning Plan"

The memoirs of Tony Robinson, narrated by Tony Robinson.

Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson

I first got to know Tony Robinson many years ago as Baldrick in the British comedy Blackadder. 

I've recently gotten to know him as presenter and narrator (and writer and many other things) in Time Team and also many other interesting documentary series.  

Time Team

Sir Tony Robinson

The book is described by Google Books as:

"Packed full of incident and insight, No Cunning Plan is a funny, self-deprecating and always entertaining memoir by Sir Tony Robinson."

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - October Audiobook - Update October 2, 2020 - Second Update - October 7

October 7 -  Those of you that follow Armitage news on Twitter and Facebook already know that both of the Christie books narrated by Richard have now suddenly and mysteriously appeared in Audible Plus.

Initially it seemed purchasing the audiobooks was not a possibility.  Thanks to other Armitage fans with the same problem, the solution seemed to be to uninstall and then install the Audible App on your phone or tablet.  I unfortunately was able to purchase only Book #2 since I made the mistake of adding Book #1 to my library and downloading it on my tablet before I knew the trick. Very weird all around by Audible.

Why purchase the books since they are "free" on Audible Plus?  Because on Audible Plus they have an expiration date.  It's like borrowing from a library, except you are paying for your membership. I don't really understand how Audible Plus is a good business  move for Audible?  I'm missing something.

Anyway,  I'm now happy to have the two books back with Richard Armitage narrating and have started to listen to Book #1, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.  

        OCT 2 - PLEASE READ MY UPDATE AT THE END OF THIS BLOG POST.  I'M TOO DEPRESSED RIGHT NOW TO MAKE ANOTHER OCTOBER SELECTION.

 

October Audiobook Challenge 

An Audiobook Narrated by a Famous Narrator

My Choice 

Two audiobooks narrated by my favorite narrator

RICHARD ARMITAGE

I have been waiting for the October challenge since I started this in January.  I was really hoping Richard would have one new audiobook out just in time.  Imagine how happy I was to find out he would have two books out on October 6.

Both books, The Mysterious Affair at Styles and The Murder on the Links are Book #1 and #2 of the Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie.  

The release of both books this October commemorate 100 Years of Agatha Christie Stories: 

https://www.agathachristie.com/news/2020/the-making-of-the-mysterious-affair-at-styles

As a mystery lover, Agatha Christie reader, and admirer of Richard Armitage I am very much looking forward to listening to both books in October.

Thank you Audible.

📚📖📱💻

Another wonderful thing about the October Audiobook Challenge is that Listening Books has selected an audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage as one of their "October Listening Challenge - Listen to a Book With a Famous Narrator" suggestions:

https://listening-books.overdrive.com/collection/1117621?page=1&sortBy=listorder&availableFirst=true&collectionId=1117621

Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

Click below to find out more about this audiobook:

https://listening-books.overdrive.com/media/717133?cid=1117621

"Richard Armitage turns in a stellar performance of the lovelorn and hasty hero of Heyer's Regency romance. Even better, Armitage creates wonderful voices for the female characters--from the stern society matrons to the giddy debutantes. Armitage moves the narrative along at a breezy, gossipy pace that is perfectly suited to the novel's action and scene descriptions..." 

"The charm of Heyer's characters and Armitage's skillful performance will have the listener longing for more." R.F. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Update October 2, 2020

So today I received a mysterious email from Audible (see below) and contacting them today they can't tell me what has happened, or even when the two audiobooks, scheduled for October 6, will be published.  

Below is their email:

Dear

We have good news for you. The Agatha Christie title(s) you pre-ordered will now be available in the Audible Plus Catalog on their release day. That means they will be available for free. With that, we are canceling your pre-order, you won’t be charged.

Remember, you can keep your Audible Plus titles for as long as your membership is active and they remain in the Audible Plus Catalog. If you’d like to keep them forever in your library, you may purchase them on the day they become available.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.

Happy Listening!

The Audible Team

10:34pm -

Another message from Audible tonight.  The two audiobooks have been "postponed indefinitely" 

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - September Audiobook

September Audiobook Challenge is

An Audiobook of a Classic Novel

My selection is Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Narrated by Emilia Fox

When I was a teenager the Bronte sisters were my favorite authors.   And my favorite book of the Bronte's was, and still is, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

But I've never read Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do so with the Listening Books Audiobook Challenge.

In September I will have a second classic to listen to.

I never read the tales of Beatrix Potter when I was a child. I'm looking forward to the audiobook,  

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - August Audiobook

Listening Books Challenge August Audiobook

An Audiobook from a Series

A surprising announcement that I was lucky to see on Twitter and Facebook yesterday about the surprise release of Jackman & Evans Book (Audiobook) #7 in the series determined my pick for August.

They Disappeared by Joy Ellis

Since this is one of my favorite mystery series I was so happy to see this announcement, since I have been pondering what my choice would be for August. 

Not only a favorite book series but my favorite narrator, Richard Armitage.

Detective fiction and police procedurals are best when you have a great partnership in the main characters, and Jackman and Evans are a great detective partnership.  And one of the pleasures for me of following a book series is getting to know the regular characters slowly, from strangers to friends.  Yes they are fictional characters, but all book lovers know that fictional characters can become very real in our minds and hearts. This is one of the joys of reading (and listening to audiobooks).  

Richard has also optioned books from this Joy Ellis series for his new production company. I wish him well in bringing the TV series based on the books to life. Of course he has to play DI Rowan Jackman.  

TV production is difficult in the best of times, and these are not the best of times in the midst of a pandemic. I know Richard has a tough task ahead of him. 

Doing some fan casting, who would I pick to play Marie Evans with Richard as Jackman?  

I've thought about this since he said he had optioned the books for a TV series.  I'm still thinking, but right now I'm pondering these two (not that anyone will listen to me):

Rachael Stirling

Orla Brady

____________

I'm finishing another Richard Armitage narrated book today:

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - July Audiobook

Listening Books Challenge July Audiobook

An Audiobook About Sport

Sports would be my least favorite book genre.  

If not for this audiobook challenge I would most likely not read a book about sports.  I've watched movies about sports from time to time, but a book,  an audiobook, that's something different.

So to the rescue comes favorite actor Sean Bean.

Yes, OK, they are children's books, but that's about right for me and sports

One of my favorite Sean Bean narrated books, King Arthur an the Knights of the Round Table. is also categorized as a Junior Classic.

I would recommend the tales of King Arthur to young and those young at heart. Really an audiobook for the entire family. 

I've never listened to the two football books that Sean recorded, so now is the perfect time.

I did look for another sports audiobook Sean recorded (picture below), but couldn't find it anywhere, at least in the US.

In closing this post, my favorite Sean Bean sports ad: