Guess what I just added to my listening list? Billy Crystal’s new autobiography Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? came out this week. Bound to be hilarious, the fact that he narrates the audio book himself makes it all the more appealing. I’ve loved Billy Crystal forever (haven’t we all?) and this book will no doubt showcase his signature combination of razor sharp wit and engaging sensibility that shines through in every role he plays.

Crystal’s career has spanned almost 40 years so it’s tough to narrow it down, but here are just six of our favorite roles by this – I want to say ‘comedian’ but that doesn’t really cover the many facets of this singer, actor, writer and director. Let’s just call him a powerhouse.

Jodie Dallas in ‘Soap’

Crystal’s new audiobook touches on the trials of getting old, and I can relate – just about everyone in my office seems to be half my age. But one great thing about being older is that I remember Crystal in his breakout role in ‘Soap’, one of the most groundbreaking and hilarious shows in TV history. Long before Will met Grace, Crystal played one of the first openly gay characters in primetime. Sadly ABC wussed out and cancelled the highly controversial show but happily it wasn’t the last we saw of Crystal.

Miracle Max in ‘The Princess Bride’

Crystal’s cameo in Rob Reiner’s fairy tale comedy was one of the highlights of this beloved classic. Nearly unrecognizable in his make-up, Miracle Max – playing opposite Carol Kane who seemed made for the role of his wizened wife – taught us the difference between ‘mostly dead’ and ‘dead’ and the meaning of ‘to blathe’, and overcame performance issues to ensure that – in the words of Peter Cook’s clergyman –  twu wuv carried the day.

Harry Burns in ‘When Harry Met Sally’

Oh, Rob Reiner, we have so much to thank you for! Not just for one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time – but for your choice of leading man in said film. Watching Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal play off each other as their relationship evolved from antagonism, to friendship, to love is a sheer pleasure that never gets old. (Note to self: watch ‘When Harry Met Sally’ again this weekend.)

Host of the Oscars

To paraphrase a certain Oscar winner “We like him. We really like him.” If you thought James Franco and Anne Hathaway were awkward, you obviously don’t remember Rob Lowe hosting the Oscars in 1989. (Sorry Rob, you’re cute but…) Cue Billy Crystal in 1990. He has the pipes to carry a tune, the comedy chops to deliver the zingers (but with a gentle enough touch not to let them sting) and an everyman quality that just makes him appealing across the board. After nine outings, we haven’t tired of his charm.

Mitch Robbins in ‘City Slickers’

After ‘When Harry Met Sally’ proved Crystal could carry a blockbuster film, his next outing had him dusting off Jack Palance for this mid-life crisis flick meets buddy picture meets Western. Crystal finds himself not at all at home on the range, with hilarious results.

Mike Wazowski in ‘Monsters Inc.’

Crystal teamed up with Disney to play a neurotic, one-eyed monster in this sweetly funny children’s film. As Mike, the hapless sidekick to John Goodman’s Sully, he demonstrates once again how, even at his crankiest, we can’t help loving Billy Crystal.

Author Harper Lee made the news on Friday with the announcement that she had settled with two defendants in her battle to regain the copyright to To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee claimed to have been deceived into signing the rights over to the son-in-law of her former agent after suffering a stroke in 2007.

Lee isn’t the first author to have found herself headed to court, but she was lucky that her case had a happier resolution than some other cases that have put writers on the stand.

Here are five authors who went to court – and a couple who went to the slammer.

J.K. Rowling

Rowling is no stranger to legal battles. The author was accused of plagiarism in 1999 and again in 2009 by the authors of two separate books – both of whom lost. In 2005, Warner Bros. offered the Canadian band ‘The Wyrd Sisters’ payment for the use of their name in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but the band refused and sued for $40 million – despite the fact their name was never used. The case was thrown out of court. Rowling has also blocked the publication of Harry Potter-related books by other authors, and this year accepted a payment to a charity as a settlement of her suit against her law firm after a partner let slip to a tweet-happy friend that she was real author of The Cuckoo’s Calling.

(JK Rowling Photo Credit: Daniel Ogren)

Dan Brown

Dan Brown, the bestselling author of Inferno, was on the receiving end of a lawsuit by Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent, the authors of another bestseller, Holy Blood, Holy Grail. Leigh and his co-author claimed that the premise for Brown’s blockbuster novel, The Da Vinci Code, was lifted from their non-fiction book which suggested that Mary Magdalene gave birth to the child of Jesus Christ and that the bloodline continues to present day. Although the sales of Leigh and Baigent’s book were actually boosted by the publication of Brown’s book – the fact that the case was thrown out of court and the pair had to pay back several million in court costs may have taken the bloom off that rose.

(Dan Brown Photo Credit: tonynetone)

J.D. Salinger

Salinger may have been a recluse in later life, but that didn’t stop him from sending his lawyers after a Swedish author who tried to publish an unauthorized sequel to The Catcher in the Rye. The unpublished sequel caught up with Holden Caulfield 60 years later as a 76 year old who escaped his nursing home. The case was settled when the author of the sequel agreed not to publish it in the U.S. or Canada until The Catcher in the Rye enters the public domain.

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde, well-known playwright and author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, was in the unfortunate position of being a gay man at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in England. He also made unfortunate decision to go against the advice of his friends and sue for libel when the Marquess of Queensberry, the father  of Wilde’s alleged lover, Alfred Douglas, named him a ‘sodomite’ in 1895. Queensberry used every means at his disposal to uncover Wilde’s true preferences, even stooping to entrapment. As the case turned against him, Wilde dropped the prosecution, but the damage was done: Forced to cover Queensberry’s legal costs Wilde was bankrupted, and worse he was convicted of ‘gross indecency’ and sentenced to two years hard labor. Prison destroyed Wilde’s health and he died in poverty a few years after his release.

Jeffrey Archer

Archer, best-selling author of such books as Shall We Tell the President? and the Prodigal Daughter, should’ve learned from Wilde’s sad tale, but perhaps his rise to fame as one of the youngest Members of Parliament in the Conservative Party lent to the arrogance that saw him suffer a similar fate. When ‘The News of the World’ published allegations in 1987 of an assignation with a prostitute that led to him having to resign his position in Margaret Thatcher’s government, Archer sued for libel. Although he lost the case and went on to publish several more bestsellers, that wasn’t the end of it. During his run for Mayor of London in 2000, a friend and a former assistant contradicted evidence he gave in his ‘87 libel case. Archer was found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice and sentenced to four years in prison. Ouch.

Good morning, ABC listeners! I’m still hanging around Seattle, one of the biggest hubs of game development in North America. If there’s one thing this trip has taught me so far, it’s that the video game industry is rich with things to talk about. There’s a wealth of stories, issues, philosophical questions and colorful characters all begging to be talked out, debated and disputed–and fortunately, some of those stories have made their way to audio book. Here’s a list of my favorites.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One is the quintessential gamer-lit novel. The idea of a fully-immersive virtual reality that people spend the better parts of their days submerged within opens the door for so many questions about philosophy, ethics, and sociology–the answers to which become more and more relevant as the reality of that idea creeps ever closer. It’s also doused in 80’s references, which will be either a good thing or a “meh” thing, depending on if you’ve got the appropriate nostalgia to back it up or not. If you’re looking for more game-inspired fiction, check out You, by Austin Grossman.

Jacked:The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto by David Kushner

There was a period of time when Grand Theft Auto was the game franchise most often cited whenever anyone wanted to decry how video games were destroying today’s youth. Violent and controversial, the series has flourished in the face of huge criticism and condemnation, and always pushed the limits on what was “acceptable” in games. This is an exhaustive look at the men and the story behind the game. The author, top game journalist David Kushner, also wrote an equally compelling book about the creators of Doom in his book Masters of Doom.

Of Dice and Men by David M. Ewalt

Dungeons and Dragons seems to be experiencing something of a second coming in pop culture lately, but many of the jokes and references are grossly misapplied. Of Dice and Men is a very funny, very clever, and thoroughly delightful memoir/long-form journalism piece about D&D, and it’s obvious that Ewalt just gets it. He’s not an outsider looking in; as someone who has played for years, he offers up anecdotes and information with the authority of someone who thoroughly knows the game, where it came from, and what makes it amazing. Players will love this book, and it should be required listening for anyone who wants to learn more about the D&D and role-playing games in general.

If you’re looking for another memoir steeped in reportage, Tim Bissell’s Extra Lives is a recollection of his life-long love of video games and a critique of the gaming industry as a whole.

Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

It’s a popular stance to take that increased time spent playing video games leaves players with poor social skills, low attention span, and a poor understanding of right and wrong. In Reality Is Broken, McGonical takes the opposite stance: she addresses how playing games can actually make us smarter, happier, and better global citizens. She offers case studies of games that are taking positive steps forward right now and discusses how the power of video games could be used in the future. It’s a refreshing point of view. If you love wrapping your brain around the ever-shifting concept of reality and technology and the corollary sociological ramifications, try Infinite Reality: Avatars, Eternal Life, New Worlds, and the Dawn of the Virtual Revolution by Jim Blascovich and Jeremy Bailenson.

 Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan

You can show a picture of Mario to almost anyone in the world, and even if they’ve never played a video game in their lives entire, chances are they’ll know who he is. Nintendo has some of the most popular and enduring franchises of all time–Super Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda–and has a long history deserves to be told. Jeff Ryan tells that story in this book, starting all the way back in the 1980’s and documenting all the innovative and industry-changing moves Nintendo has made since then.

The Twitterverse is abuzz with the announcement that Charlie Hunnam would play the role of the dominating Christian Grey in the film version of the steamy erotic novel ’50 Shades of Grey’. Hunnam is a relative newcomer, his biggest role to date being one of the ‘Sons of Anarchy’ on the television series on the cable channel FX. Personally, I welcomed the news – although not particularly a fan of the book, I loved the British actor’s turn as the title character in the 2002 film Nicholas Nickleby and I’ve kept an eye out for him ever since.
(Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore)

Of course, as with any popular book, fans often have a predetermined image of the character in their heads and it’s impossible to please everyone when it comes to casting. (Much as I like Gary Oldman, the role of Sirius Black will always belong to Colin Firth in my head.) Add to that the graphic nature of the material and the trouncing the novel has taken with critics, and many higher profile actors will naturally shy away. When rumors swirled that Emma Watson would play Anastasia, her reaction via Twitter said it all: “who here actually thinks I would do 50 Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life.”

Although some fans may express disappointment at the news, if the movie does well, no doubt most will change their tunes and forget that they ever protested the choice in the first place, and Hunnam will take his place among our favorite leading men. Here are five of our favorite book-to-film casting decisions that plucked actors out of obscurity and cast them into the limelight.

 1. Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice

Although Colin Firth was already a well-established actor in the UK, it was his role as Darcy that cemented his place in the hearts of Americans. Although Firth apparently tires of the ongoing association with a character he put behind him over 20 years ago, our obsession with his portrayal has since spurred a cottage industry, inspiring such books as Bridget Jones’ Diary (which, in a strange pop culture twist, saw him playing a character inspired by his portrayal of the character in P&P), Austenland and Finding Colin Firth. And this past June things got even weirder when his famous dunk in the lake was immortalized with the erection of a 12 foot tall statue in a the Serpentine Lake in High Park.
(Photo Credit: WEBN-TV)

2. Robert Pattinson in Twilight

It may be reassuring for critics of the selection of Hunnam to remember that Pattinson’s casting was also received with widespread skepticism. I’m not sure why – I remember being entranced by him as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In case you haven’t noticed though, Pattinson managed to overcome objections and win fans over with his portrayal of the sparkly vampire Edward Cullen. No doubt many fans would have preferred to see Pattinson and his Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart take the lead roles in ’50 Shades’, seeing as the book began as a piece of Twilight fan fic.
(Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore)

3. Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter series

Although he was only 11 when he was cast in one of the most highly anticipated book to film adaptations in history, Daniel Radcliffe already had already played the title character in the BBC adaptation of Dickens’ David Copperfield. His parents almost turned down the role of Harry initially because they thought the series was to be shot in LA but capitulated when it turned out the films were being made in the UK. Radcliffe’s subsequent starring role in all eight of the Potter films has made him a household name, and he will be forever remembered in fans’ imaginations as the-boy-who-lived.
(Photo Credit: El Hormiguero)

 4. Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Mortensen wasn’t the original choice to play the role of Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. He was brought in just before filming began to replace Stuart Townsend, who Jackson decided was too young for the role. Even at that, the actor, who already boasted a roster of respectable but lower profile credits, was considered too young by some to play the part of the 87 year old ranger. Tolkien’s books do state though that descendants of line of Dunedain live longer than normal men which could explain this octogenarian’s hotness.
(Photo Credit: Josh Jenson)

5. James McAvoy in Atonement

Those Brits do know how to pick ‘em. This Scot had enjoyed a relatively successful television career and went on to play a pivotal role in the children’s movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as Mr. Tumnus. But it was opposite Keira Knightly in the adaptation of Ian McEwan’s tragic romance Atonement that McAvoy proved he could carry a major motion picture, something fans of his role as Charles Xavier in the blockbuster X-Men: First Class are no doubt thankful for. (I know I was thankful when I spotted the Scottish hottie in person at the Montreal Grand Prix in June!)
(Photo Credit: gdcgraphics)

It’s Friday, and I (along with tens of thousands of other attendees) am enjoying myself (or, more likely, standing in line) at PAX Prime, a massive west-coast convention for lovers of games of all types. So, to stay in the spirit of the weekend, here are 10 video game tie-in audio books you might not know are out there.

10. Assassin’s Creed: Renaissance

This tie-in novel telling the story of Ezio Auditore offers an in-depth look at the same storyline the game follows, so fans of the franchise will enjoy getting to sink their teeth into Renaissance-era Italy–and one of the most bad-ass characters of all time–through a whole new medium.

9. The Infernal City: An Elder Scrolls Novel

The Elder Scrolls games are all about storyline, so they lend well to novelization. This is the first of two books about a rag-tag group of heroes attempting to save Tamriel. I’m a sucker for anything ES related, but anyone who enjoys typical medieval fantasy will like this, too.

8. Halo Evolutions: Essential Tales of the Halo Universe

There are a surprising number of Halo-related books out there. This one’s a collection of short stories inspired by all the Halo games, so go get your Master Chief on.

7. Mass Effect: Revelation

This is the first of a series of books written to accompany Bioware’s hugely popular Mass Effect franchise. It’s set before the first game takes place, and fleshes out the universe and history quite nicely. A bit of an info dump at times, it appeals mostly to serious fans–but tough beans if you don’t like the ending. *wink*

6. Gears of War: Aspho Fields

This book jumps between two storylines: one set during the time period of the first game, and the other, 26 years earlier when hero Marcus Fenix is only a child. It’s the first in a series of five, so there’s plenty of supplementary material for avid fans.

5. Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne

Prequel to a prequel, DA: The Stolen Throne is set 30 years before Dragon Age: Origins takes place. The second Bioware origin story on this list, author David Gaider also happens to be the lead writer for the game, so consistency should be at 100%.

4. World of Warcraft: Jaina Proudmoore – Tides of War

Jaina Proudmoore is one of World of Warcraft’s most admirable babes: strong, feisty, and an incredibly powerful mage to boot. Hers is one of the most interesting parts of WoW lore, and this listen is a great expansion of that story. A clean and high-quality production, expertly narrated by Justine Eyre.

3. Starcraft II: Heaven’s Devils

Narrator Neil Kaplan slips into the Space Marine persona like a well-worn leather glove for this, an origin story explaining “testosterone-filled” hero Jim Raynor’s long-time friendship with Tychus Findlay.

2. God of War

Kratos is a fascinating and complex character, so if after playing the God of War series you’re still thirsting for answers about what makes him tick, this audiobook tie-in will surely satisfy.

1. Diablo III: The Order

Some might be flabbergasted that the prequel to Diablo III, whose story couldn’t defend itself against a marshmallow gun, could be stretched out into a 13+ hour audiobook. Others might be horrified that they even tried. But I’ve got to give it to them: while the original story may have been lacking, this book is actually pretty good. It’s a high-quality production of an interesting and well-written backstory. Besides–you can take pretty much anything, throw narrator-extraordinaire Scott Brick at it, and come away with something good.

This is the final installation in the four-part blog series by our curation team member Wendy. Click here to go to Part One, Part Two, and Part Three. 

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Now we get into the tricky stuff. It’s great to encourage teens to love books, and what they read on their own time is up to them. But the make-out sessions and overwrought romances that they (and maybe you, too!) cherish while reading alone, will have you all staring awkwardly out the window and praying for divine intervention when you listen to them together. As the bar for “appropriate content” rises and the adult themes in YA literature grow stronger, it can be very tricky to find something that teens will like that’s still family friendly.

Tricky, but not impossible. For example, I Am Number Four is completely riveting, and entirely family-friendly. Written by the fictional character Pittacus Lore, an elder from the world of the book, the story is a fast paced, dramatic, paranormal tale. The book centers around two alien refugees on Earth attempting to flee from the those who destroyed their home planet. In terms of squeamishness, this book gets a PG-13 rating. There’s definitely fighting and some bloodshed, and the main character has a girlfriend so there is some hand holding and brief kissing (but nothing that will make you blush.)

Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” series, soon to be adapted into a movie, is great for parents and teens to listen to together. Hitting all the notes of the dystopian adventure series’ that are ruling bookshelves right now, the book has the perfect combination of drama, romance and action to make it appeal to all listeners. There are relationships and romantic themes that definitely leave hints, but nothing is explicit.

For the younger teens and pre-teen set, The Graveyard Book, written and narrated by Neil Gaiman, is a gripping story about Bod, short for Nobody, who lives alone in a graveyard full of ghosts. Fans of Gaiman’s adult work will continue to appreciate his skill at both writing and narrating as he switches from an adult audience to writing for a younger audience.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (author of the hugely popular “Uglies” series) is a very clean but riveting steampunk military adventure. In a world where a majority of YA novels are targeted towards girls, Leviathan fills two uncommon requirements: with no sex, no cursing and little graphic violence, this action-packed story is great for family listening and will appeal to sons and daughters equally.

If you find a book your teens might like but want to make sure they’re full-car appropriate, search for it at Parental Book Reviews for detailed descriptions of the level of sexual content, as well as violence and curse words.

Good luck, and Happy Road-Tripping!

–Wendy

Browse hundreds more great books for teens in our Young Adult section.