Read and Don’t Weep: From Harry Potter to Dracula, a List of Audio Books that are Worth Your While.

Read and Don’t Weep: From Harry Potter to Dracula, a List of Audio Books that are Worth Your While.

The technology behind audio books seems to be constantly evolving—from audio tapes to CDs, to mp3s, streaming, to Kindle editions, the audio book continues to grow both technologically and in popularity. Although I am a lover of the traditionally bound book (ask my husband who had to move all of my boxes of books when we moved into our home), there is also a strong case to be made for the audio version. Whether you’re a busy mom or dad, have to drive long distances, or simply want a little mental stimulation in the car, audio books are the ideal solution. In fact, more than mindless entertainment, audio books can be a health and safety aide—when I drive and listen to an audio book, traffic jams, road construction, an accidental wrong turn, plague me not. Below you will find a list of—for various reasons—some highly entertaining audio books to consider as you tune in and turn on.

1. The Harry Potter Series. Read by Jim Dale, actor and multiple Audie and Audible Award winner (not to mention multiple other awards as well, listed on his web site (http://www.jim-dale.com)), Dale has a superb knack for creating voices for and giving life to JK Rowling’s beloved characters. As a fan of the original books, and picky about audio books (the wrong voice can put me to sleep rather than stimulate my mind), I was, at first, hesitant to listen to the series. Quite honestly, I began listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phonenix (unabridged CD set) because it was on sale for half-price at Sam’s Club. It was also, at the time, my least favorite of the books—maybe that’s because Rowling so accurately captures the angst-ridden mind of a fifteen year old. However, once I popped the CD into the car player, I was transfixed. It’s a good thing that I was not a mother at the time—I arrived at home and stayed outside in the car listening for the better part of an hour; I was literally unable to turn of the CD until it reached its end! Dale is both able to take on the persona of an adolescent boy (and offer slight changes in his interpretation as Harry ages) as well a roughly-seventy year old Deputy Headmistress—Professor McGonagall. His transition from voice to voice is seamless; he even offers slight variations on the Weasley twins—Fred and George. After hearing the entire book, I passed it on to my brother, who passed it on to my sister, to my mother, to a family friend, etc. All shared the same opinion: it was among the best audio books any of us had listened to; we all also became addicted to the audio book series alongside of the written series. And now, Book 5 ranks much higher in Potterdom for me. Even if you don’t think you’re interested in Harry Potter, or you don’t think you can imagine a voice other than Daniel Radcliff—who does a bang-up job portraying Harry in film—just give one—any one—of the audio books a try; it won’t break the magical spell.

2. Dennis Leary: Why We Suck . Okay. I’m a huge Denis Leary fan. I have been since first hearing and watching No Cure for Cancer . I’ve watched many of his films and my husband and I are avid watchers of his show Rescue Me . Thus, it was an easy jump to try out one of his audio books. Somehow, though, I was still surprised at how original and hilarious the content this book was, once my husband and I started to listen to the mp3. We decided to download the book and play it through the car unit on a three hour trip to our relative’s home. It was late as we set out, and Leary seemed an ideal choice to keep us awake on the trip. Needless to say, not only did we stay awake, but we nearly woke up the kids, multiple times, as we burst out laughing. Some of his best stuff concerns confronting a bully and getting shot in the head with an arrow—yes, an actual arrow. Better than the content is Leary’s flippant, clipped, ranting presentation of his own material. There’s no one in the world who can do justice to Denis Leary other than Denis Leary.

3. The Dan Brown books. Interestingly, and different than most series or multi-published authors, the readers of Dan Brown’s material vary (Paul Michael is given credits on The Da Vinci Code, Digital Fortress, and The Lost Symbol, Richard Poeis the narrator on Angels and Demons and Deception Point. Both narrators have their pros and cons. Michael seems to be a bit stronger with accents, which is important in a Brown book which will invariably include characters of multiple different nationalities. His voice is also more natural in taking on the female characters. However, Poe is very strong as Robert Langdon—Brown’s recurring character. His voice has the combination of grizzle and academia that befits Langdon. All in all, however, both are animated and give strong presentations of Brown’s material. I guess the best proof of the swept-up-in-the-story power of Brown’s story (and the narrators) is a personal anecdote. Years ago, when we happened to take a day trip to NYC, debris from the back of a tractor trailer had scattered across the Thruway, making it literally impassable. Having stopped at the library before the trip to pick up some reading, I’d also happened to pick up a copy of The DaVinci Code audio CDs (unabridged). My husband and I decided to pop in the first CD to pass the time—we could tell from the curve of the road ahead and the general lack of motion that we’d be stuck for quite a while. My husband, up to that point, was not much of a fan of audio books. That day changed his opinion. We became so engrossed in the story and reading that we did not notice how long it took for the traffic jam to finally dispense . . . until, after an hour, we popped in the second (then third) CD. It kept our sanity. Here’s hoping it keeps yours. . .

4. Dracula : Of all classic stories, this one has true action, suspense, horror, and intrigue at its heart. I’ve read the text version multiple times, so why, you might think, listen to the audio book? I guess, sometimes, I’m just a sucker for atmosphere . . . and I think we could all benefit from a little escapism. The best time to listen to Dracula is late at night in late fall, just before Halloween. The outside atmosphere and mental setting echo each other in a way that really allows you to understand why the novel has been made into a film over and over and over again. The story’s just that good—Jonathon Harker, Mina, the Count himself—all real, tainted, haunting, memorable characters. As far as audio versions go, I highly recommend the abridged version published in 1997 by NAXOS audio and narrated by a full cast (including Brian Cox and Heathcote Williams.) The different voices add further atmosphere and an air of credibility to the fantastical story; the performances are spot on. You can hear a sample of the audiobook at http://www.learnoutloud.com/Audio-Books/Literature/European-Classics/Dracula/1891. I think even Bela Lugosi would have to tip his hat.

5. Tom Brokaw, A Long Way from Home . What can be said about one of the greatest anchormen in modern history? There’s just something about Brokaw: you knew he worked hard, yet you never really saw him sweat, you knew he really cared about the issues, but you never really saw him get overly emotional. I guess he just had class. Surprisingly, I never realized how a big a fan I was of the man until listening to the audio book. The book, actually, was my father’s. But on the many occasions I’d stopped by the family home, it remained in the same place next to the kitchen table collecting dust. I decided to save the book from its dusty purgatory and give it a listen. After listening, and seeing the smiling, youthful boy on the cover, you begin to understand how he became such a staple in the news industry. His moral code came from a real earthy place—American’s heartland. His life was good—and he is unafraid to share his appreciation. It’s almost a refreshing outlook today. Best of all, it’s narrated by Brokaw himself. The only trouble here: once you hear it, you wish the guy would come back on the evening news.

I’m a bit of a book addict—I love the hard cover, folded page version, the adjustable Kindle version, and the recorded audio version. I also happen to believe that any experience of a book (digital, audio, or traditional) is a valid experience. Audio books count! And these are some great ones; happy listening!