Some of our all-time favorite classic novels will be coming to a theatre near you this fall. Hollywood has been  inspired by books like Great Expectations and Les Miserables, just a few of this fall’s highly anticipated film releases that have everything it takes to be Hollywood blockbusters. You’ve got your beautiful people, mixed in with a little unrequited love, lots of lies, passion and tragedy…oh so much tragedy. But we say—proceed to the theatre with caution.

When books (especially classics) are brought to life by movie magic, it’s not always pleasant. It’s been our experience—and we’re guessing most bibliophiles would agree—that books are (almost) always better than the movie and there’s a very real possibility that the movie won’t live up to the book you’ve read and fallen in love with.

Some book adaptations impress, while others crash and burn. So when movies are able to capture the essence of the original work and convey it well on the big screen, it’s a beautiful thing. The Kite Runner and Mystic River as well as the Lord of the Rings trilogy are all examples of books-turned-movies have managed to stay true to their roots and impress fans.

The bottom line is that it’s a bit of a lottery but even with a great screen version, we’ve never heard “The movie was sooo much better than the book”. So before you rush off to catch the premiere of Anna Karenina, take our advice and listen to the book first. And hey, if you’ve read or listened to it before, listen again—it’s a classic after all.

Title: In the Water They Can’t See You Cry
Author: Amanda Beard, Rebecca Paley
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Length: 8 hours 13 minutes

Last week we kicked off the 2012 Games by recommending some Olympic-inspired titles, including In the Water They Can’t See You Cry. Check out the fantastic review below, written by one of our biggest audio book fans here in the office, the lovely Pam:

I’ve been watching the games all week and it’s clear to me that elite athletes have power, strength, and determination.  However, with the book In the Water They Can’t See You Cry, four-time Olympic athlete Amanda Beard, shows the world another kind of determination and strength.  The book starts out by throwing the listener right into the chaos of Amanda’s later life.  At first I thought I was listening to the wrong book, as Amanda describes a painful moment in her life that has nothing to do directly with swimming.  Shocking and unnerving, this introduction makes you wonder how she got to such a desperate place in her life.  The listener is then taken back to Amanda’s childhood where her love of swimming and her inner turmoil began to take its toll.

Amanda went to her first Olympics at age 14 and found it boring – something that honestly made me cringe to listen to as there are so many athletes that would have done anything to be in her spot.  She goes into a little detail about her early training and her times at the Olympics early on in the book, but this book is mainly about her struggle with self-doubt and troubled personal relationships that eventually lead her to cutting and bulimia.  We see Amanda’s story unfold as she achieved great success at a young age and then listen to her strive to maintain that success.  For me, what really hit home was the way she dealt with her body image issues and the way the media perpetuates impossible standards. Amanda’s willingness to come clean about all her personal battles was inspiring—especially since most people would have never guessed such a battle was being waged beneath the surface of her ‘perfect’ public life.   I am not an athlete, nor have I had to deal with the type of issues she’s faced but I was able to connect with her struggles and enjoyed the little glimpse of the swimming world Amanda brought to life in her book.

I have listened to many books narrated by Tavia Gilbert, and she again does an amazing job with this book.   Through Gilbert’s wonderful talents, Amanda becomes the young girl, the competitive athlete, the lost soul and the life champion you find yourself rooting for.

If you’re looking for a book that simply tells the story of the Olympics from an athlete’s perspective, I’m sorry but this book is not for you.  But if you want a Gold Medal performance of an Olympian’s true story about overcoming professional and personal hardships in the public eye, then In the Water They Can’t See You Cry is definitely the listen you’re looking for.

Title: The Stupidest Angel
Author: Christopher Moore
Narrator: Tony Roberts
Length: 6 hours, 18 minutes

Around Christmas, every little boy wants the same thing: to get a glimpse of Santa Claus. In the tourist town of Pine Cove, California, 7-year-old Joshua Barker finally gets a look at the old man, but the encounter does not go as Josh hoped it would. No, Joshua did not expect to witness Santa be murdered in cold blood by a woman wielding a shovel. Not realizing that what he saw was the abrupt conclusion to a domestic dispute between the town’s drunken mall Santa and his ex-wife, Josh heads home and starts to pray for somebody to come save Christmas.

The craziness that comes next won’t be a surprise if you’re a fan of Moore’s. A dimwitted archangel shows up to help Josh (truly a match made in heaven) by bringing Santa back from the dead, but accidentally causes a zombie plague led by the resurrected Santa. It’s up to Santa’s murderous ex-wife, the town’s stoned constable, a hallucinating b-movie actress, a rogue pilot, and his pet fruitbat Roberto to save the town.

Christopher Moore has already proven himself to be the king of horror-comedy mashups (in About.com’s opinion, he has done for the horror genre what Douglas Adams did for science fiction), and The Stupidest Angel is no exception. Moore takes hilarious characters from some of his other works (you might recognize the rogue pilot Tucker and his fruitbat from Island of the Sequined Love Nun, or Raziel from Lamb), creates a bunch of new but equally hilarious characters, and tosses them all into a zombie apocalypse in his iconic town of Pine Cove.

One person trying to narrate for dozens of different characters involved in fast paced conversations is no easy task, but Tony Roberts nails it with his seemingly infinite supply of easily distinguishable voices. Moore’s humor is often quite subtle, but Roberts uses different tones to help emphasize jokes, and pauses at appropriate times to help these jokes sink in.

Good things usually happen when an author can put lively characters in absurd and interesting situations. The Stupidest Angel does just this, and is an excellent book by an author who’s at the top of his game. Whether or not you consider yourself a ‘zombie aficionado’, The Stupidest Angel is definitely a book worth your time. After all, how could you not enjoy a book that has a zombie Santa Claus doing battle with a domesticated fruitbat?

The Olympic torch is doing a final lap around London today, sweeping through the city igniting excitement before it makes its last stop at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics tomorrow. While we appreciate the Olympics for the sense of spirit it brings with each country rallying behind their athletes throughout the games, what we really admire are the stories behind the athletes and how they’ve risen to the world stage—not to mention the very top of their sport. A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into their dream of one day participating in the Olympic Games (which makes for some really great listening entertainment).

Below are some great memoirs, written by some pretty amazing athletes. Each of them will give you an inside look at their long journey. For example, there is a candid and uplifting memoir written by Olympic medalist Amanda Beard (We happen to be listening to this one and it’s amazing! Check back for the review next week), a revealing look into the secrets behind Michael Phelps remarkable success, along with many other truly inspiring stories! Check them out below:

And here are a few more books for the history buffs in the crowd:

Title: Macbeth
Author: William Shakespeare
Narrator: Alan Cumming
Length: 1 hour, 45 minutes

For those of us not lucky enough to catch Alan Cumming’s one man performance of Macbeth at Lincoln Center in New York City, we have good news! Simon & Schuster Audio has just released an exclusive studio recording of Macbeth that captures Cumming’s excitement and passion.

We’re guessing most people are familiar with Shakespeare’s Macbeth (or at least the Coles Notes version: ambitious power couple get stabby to get ahead, witches pop by, “out, out damn spot.” Moral: not only does crime not pay, it can also make you nuts). Cumming’s adaptation isn’t the most avant-garde take on Macbeth to hit NYC lately – that title would go to Punchdrunk’s interactive Macbeth installation last year – but it is definitely a fresh, original view to the tale of desire, ambition and the supernatural, framing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as two of many multiple personalities of a single mental patient.

The story is set in a psychiatric unit where the lone patient relives the story of Macbeth, inhabiting each complex and troubled character. Cumming performs the roles of all the main characters, including Mr. and Mrs. McB, Macduff, King Duncan, Banquo and the three witches, all of whom belong to one shattered person.

Tony Award winning actor Alan Cumming is one of our favorite narrators and in this recording of his stage performance, he demonstrates full command as he subtly shifts from character to character. You’ll be hard-pressed not to cling to his every word.

However, if you happen to be encountering Macbeth for the first time, this interpretation may be baffling. Despite Cumming’s versatile performance, having some prior exposure to the drama is almost essential to keep track of the various characters and follow the action. But for listeners looking for something original and fresh, this version of Macbeth is a perfect choice.

Last week we filled you in on our 2012 summer must-listen list (which we’re already 4 books into, btw–gotta love summer!) Now we can’t resist recommending some awesome audio book series that we’ve listened to in summer days gone by. We’re talking about books with a sizzling combination of action, romance, drama and adventure that’ll have you glued to your beach chair, bike seat or rollerblades all summer long!

All of the top audio book series that we’re recommending are really fun and super addicting. The kind where you become so invested in the characters and storylines that you absolutely have to start listening the next book because you can’t stand a single minute of not knowing what happens next. They’re also pretty quick so you’ll have no trouble devouring an entire series during your trip to the cottage (or in a 35 hour marathon like we did with The Hunger Games trilogy).

Check out the first book in a few series that will keep you coming back for more (don’t say we didn’t warn you). We guarantee you’ll be taking full advantage of your unlimited Audiobooks.com membership this summer.

Top Picks for Grown-ups:
            

Don’t forget to check out these less sizzling but equally entertaining series for the kidlets: