Audie Awards – Book Journey

Welcome to the Audie Awards…. Your Ticket Awaits You At The Door

Published on May 19, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

Hello everyone and welcome to the Audie Awards post. I so hope I did not keep you waiting to long but what is an event like this if you do not have to wait for it to happen. Creates buzz I think 😉

Last Wednesday May 11th, I was lucky enough to be the plus one to the Audie Awards in Chicago at the Planetarium. I was the guest of our very own Candace, Beth Fish Reads, who won the Audio Book Blogger Of The Year. WOOT!!!! *Oops that wasn’t very lady like…. I mean *polite clap muffled by silk gloves to my elbow*

All kidding aside, this was quite an honor. This is a $700 ticketed invite only event and we were there! So let’s go in shall we?

We arrived at 5:30 pm per instructions for Candace to have a chance to go over what she would be saying when she gave out the awards. I was an observer at this point but it was pretty cool to watch. Everyone was incredibly nice. I even had a chance to go and look at the cool Audie Awards that would be handed out to the winners when the event began. I looked. I did not touch. I wanted to touch.

And then, before we knew it, we were being ushered upstairs to the reception area.

The signature drink offered at the door was ummm….. I don’t know. It was good, kind of a grapefruit flavor to it but not bitter.

Candace and I mingled with the Narrators and some of the big name narrating names. It was really amazing and I think we were both a little shell shocked as waiters and waitresses encouraged us to take the delicious little appetizers that I soooo wish I had taken pictures of (but did not want to look too fan girlish 😉 ).

Can’t you just hear the mingling? It was the sound of many narrators at once. 🙂

Then the big moment came and we were all sent back downstairs for the main event.

Paula Poundstone was the emcee and I have to say she was hilarious. I do not belly laugh often, but this woman had me laughing until I cried. Better yet, you do not even have to take my word for it, the whole thing is available on You Tube! (See Below)

One of the hilarious moments in the award ceremony was when Paula asked that the screen be backed up so she could get a closer look at one of the audio book covers. Her question? “Why do we not judge the covers?” There is a pretty funny give and take on this one with the narrator who was in the audience.

Candace did a wonderful job of giving out the awards in four different categories. I was the careful photographer behind the scenes trying to capture the moment.

It was a wonderful event and it went by so fast. It was amazing to be one of the first to know what audio books won the award for best of the year. I loved watching the audio books show up on the screen and then hearing which one won. Many I have read… there are many more that were added to my “must listen” list.

When it was over Candace let me take one of the audio award envelopes that announced the winners. TOTALLY EXCITED!!!!!! This was pretty awesome…. and I picked…

After the awards we were back up stairs *should have worn a Fitbit* and into the hall again for dessert and champagne. We had a wonderful time being able to talk with many of the narrators, and still looking at one another saying, “Yeah… that just happened.”

Thanks Candace for letting me be your plus one. What an AMAZING experience!

Note that the show does not start for the first 30 minutes so forward this baby and get ready to laugh and see our very own Candace of Beth Fish Reads give away a few awards!

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson and Narrated by the author (AUDIE AWARDS)

Published on May 4, 2016May 4, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

In Jenny Lawson’s second book, Jenny again shares a little deeper this time into her journey with mental illness. In her crazy, funny, unique way Jenny both makes fun of some of the things she comes up with, as well as handles more serious moments woven within this unique tale of taxidermy raccoons, a cat named Ferris Mewler, the tolerance level of her husband Victor, dreams for a more tolerant understanding world, and more.

I met Jenny Lawson years ago in New York at the book expo. Honestly, her humor is at times a bit crude and the whole taxidermy discussions freaks me out, but I do appreciate her underlying humor and the message within. Saying that, while I know I am not her target audience, there are many who are and I applaud her for her unique voice and a unique listen in a world that can create many cookie-cutteresk books and audio. I think anyone who has listened to Jenny Lawson can attest to the uniqueness! 🙂

There are moments of laughter for sure. While driving through town and listening to this audio I had to laugh out loud when she talked about taking Smokey The Bear’s Message quite literally…

“Only YOU can prevent forest fires.”

Yikes. That is a lot of pressure.

I do appreciate Jenny Lawson’s quick whit, I can not deny laugh out loud moments. As a narrator, she rocks. In a book like this, no one else could narrate Jenny’s story other than Jenny. She can put just the right emphasis (or not) to each story of her life happenings. She can use just the right tone, and just the right amount of pause for the listener to catch what was just said.

While I may have passed on this one if not for the audio and Jenny Lawson being up for the Audie Award, I have to say I am glad I did listen to it. It is that same style of humor you get from her first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, but there is more here – a deeper message that spoke to me a little bit and I think if most of us are honest…. we would say the same.

Well done Jenny. Keep up the good fight.

Listening Length: 8 hours and 20 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Audible.com Release Date: September 22, 2015

I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out – True Stories Of Becoming A Nurse by Lee Gutkind, Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

Published on April 20, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

A collection of true narratives from nurses and their careers. From their first birth, to their first death – to what they deal with as well as what they see on a day-to-day basis. Stories that are at times life changing, overstepping boundaries with an AIDS patient, and the nurse who was the only one who showed up at the funeral of one of her patients.

So this particular listen is both right up my alley – and not. I do enjoy a good non fiction read. At the same time I knew this one would be a bit touchy for me on a personal level and I was nervous going into this listen. While there were moments that hit a little too close to home, this audio was not only doable – but interesting.

This book of short personal stories of these nurses is both enlightening and heartbreaking. Yes there were moments for me that were harder to listen to than others. I suspect that would be the case for many in such a read. When talking about the different things that nurses do and the types of patients they encounter, I suspect it is easy to touch the reader/listener personally in many ways.

Adding to the mix is of course the narration of Tania Gilbert, who I have enjoyed listening to many times and this book was no exception. Her diversity in the stories is once again a powerful performance and a narrator I always smile abut when I see her name on audio books I wish to listen to.

My overall thoughts are that this is an interesting listen and while I am probably not the best audience for this, I am still glad I had a chance to experience it and get a little insight to what it is really like to live out your career as a nurse.

Tavia Gilbert, narrator of I Wasn’t Strong Like This Before is nominated for an Audie Award.

Written by: Lee Gutkind
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:08-04-15
Publisher: Tantor Audio

The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker and Narrated by Chris Patton

Published on March 23, 2016March 23, 2016 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

In a world of fad diets, carb and calorie counting, and food programs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig… we still seem to be heading the wrong direction. Record numbers of obesity and diabetes pop up every year.

So what are we doing wrong?

Author Mark Schatzker tells us how since the 1940’s we have slowly been losing the flavor in our foods. Through faster growing procedures, making our fruits, vegetables, and meat larger faster, we have taken away the main thing that makes food satisfying…

Flavor.

Foods that once were considered healthy are now more like junk food having been zapped of the needed nutrition built into the growth process that causes foods to contain what our bodies need to feel full, healthy, and satisfied.

Chris Patton’s narration in The Dorito Effect was engaging and thought provoking. He held a tone that kept me fully engaged in this book.

I found this book to be filled with interesting facts that I had not really thought of. Being a consumer, not a grower, I had not given much thought to the taste of the large visually appealing tomatoes I find in my local super market, or the lack of taste in the grilled chicken breasts I prepare for dinner after I marinate them or cover them in herbs and spices to make them into a tasty meal. When presented with the facts in this book, it was an eye opener when they spoke of chicken that our grandparents would prepare with the yellow fat…

I had forgotten all about the yellow fat.

And as I listened to this book on audio with the well spoken narrator Chris Patton, I became more and more aware of what they were saying was true. Food has lost its flavor. That tomato I buy at the store does not have that delicious taste of the ones I grew up with. While our produce may look larger and more colorful than any in history, they have lost what is important…. the flavor and the nutrients that make us feel full and satisfied. As our food has become blander, flavor technology has stepped up to replace the natural flavor with artificial ones.

I found the Dorito Effect to be very interesting. I had thought for a while now about having a garden like the one I grew up with and after listening to this book, I am even more sure that this spring I want to do just that. As a reader or a listener, I think you will find The Dorito Effect to give you your own “aha” moment when it comes to our food choices and why. I enjoyed the narration of Chris Patton very much, he had an engaging tone that made this an easy listen.

Narrator Chris Patton has been nominated by the APA for the 2016 Audie Awards for this non fiction book.