Page to Screen in October 2018

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Lena Yang

Going to the movies this October? Get the best experience by listening to the books they were based on before seeing the film adaptations.

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, narrated by Bahni Turpin
Expected release date: October 5, 2018 (limited)

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Read more and sample the audio.

2. Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey through His Son’s Meth Addiction by David Sheff, narrated by Anthony Heald
Expected release date: October 12

Before meth, David Sheff’s son, Nic, was a varsity athlete, honor student, and award-winning journalist. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole money from his eight-year-old brother, and lived on the streets. With poignant candor, Sheff traces the first warning signs—denial, 3 a.m. phone calls—the attempts at rehabilitation, and, at last, the way past addiction.
Read more and sample the audio.

3. First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen, narrated by Jeremy Bobb
Expected release date: October 12

When Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon’s surface in 1969, the first man on the Moon became a legend. Based on over fifty hours of interviews with Lance Armstrong, who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources, this “magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century” is an unparalleled biography of an American icon.
Read more and sample the audio.

4. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, narrated by Bernadette Dunne
Expected release date: October 12

Four seekers have come to the ugly, abandoned old mansion. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable noises and self-closing doors, but Hill House is gathering its powers and will soon choose one of them to make its own.
Read more and sample the audio.

5. Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger by Lee Israel, narrated by Jane Curtin
Expected release date: October 19

In 1990, Lee Israel made a bold and irreversible career change: inspired by a letter she’d received once from Katharine Hepburn, and armed with her considerable skills as a researcher and celebrity biographer, she began to forge letters in the voices of literary greats. Between 1990 and 1991, she wrote more than three hundred letters and sold the forgeries to memorabilia and autograph dealers.
Read more and sample the audio.

6. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat, narrated by Samin Nosrat
Expected release date: October 19

In the tradition of The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything comes Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, an ambitious new approach to cooking by a major new culinary voice. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time.
Read more and sample the audio.

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Page to Screen in September 2018

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Lena Yang

Going to the movies this September? Get the best experience by listening to the books they were based on before seeing the film adaptations.

You by Caroline Kepnes, narrated by Santino Fontana
Expected release date: September 9

How far would you go for the perfect love? When aspiring writer and recent Brown graduate Guinevere Beck strides into the bookstore where Joe works, he’s instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: she’s gorgeous, tough, razor-smart, and as sexy as his wildest dreams. Joe needs to have her, and he’ll stop at nothing to do so. Read more and sample the audio.

The Bad Seed by William March, narrated by Elizabeth Wiley
Expected release date: September 9

There’s something special about eight-year-old Rhoda Penmark. With her carefully plaited hair and her sweet cotton dresses, she’s the very picture of old-fashioned innocence. But when their neighborhood suffers a series of terrible accidents, her mother begins to wonder: Why do bad things seem to happen when little Rhoda is around? Read more and sample the audio.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, narrated by Jennifer Ikeda
Expected release date: September 14 (UK)

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Read more and sample the audio.

A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell, narrated by Xe Sands, Andi Arndt, Matthew Waterson
Expected release date: September 14

It starts with a simple favor—an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. But, when Emily doesn’t come back from her high-demand job in Manhattan, Stephanie knows something is wrong. Then, she receives shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over.
Or is it? Read more and sample the audio.

The Children Act by Ian McEwan, narrated by Lindsay Duncan
Expected release date: September 14

Fiona Maye, a fiercely intelligent, well-respected High Court judge in London faces a morally ambiguous case involving a seventeen-year-old boy’s life while her own marriage crumbles. Read more and sample the audio.

The Predator by Christopher Golden, Mark Morris, narrated by James Patrick Cronin
Expected release date: September 14

For centuries Earth has been visited by warlike creatures that stalk mankind’s finest warriors. These deadly hunters kill their prey and depart as invisibly as they arrived, leaving no trace other than a trail of bodies. When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe’s most lethal Hunters’ return to earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race. Read more and sample the audio.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, narrated by Edward Herrmann
Expected release date: September 14

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. Read more and sample the audio.

The House with a Clock its Walls by John Bellairs, narrated by George Guidall
Expected release date: September 21

When Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan, comes to stay with his uncle Jonathan, he expects to meet an ordinary person. But he is wrong. Uncle Jonathan and his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann, are both witches! Lewis is thrilled until he accidentally discovers a clock built into the walls of the house that could obliterate mankind. Read more and sample the audio.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt, narrated by John Pruden

Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Commodore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn’t share his brother’s appetite for whiskey and killing, he’s never known anything else. But, as the brothers embark on their journey, Eli begins to question what he does for a living–and whom he does it for. Read more and sample the audio.

The Old Man and the Gun by David Grann, narrated by Mark Deakins
Expected release date: September 28

In this mesmerizing collection, David Grann takes the reader on a journey through some of the most intriguing and gripping real-life tales from around the world. Read more and sample the audio.

A Sneak Peek at the Set of A Discovery of Witches

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Lena Yang

When I attended Oxford University for a month-long publishing program, I didn’t expect to go to school with witches and vampires.

It was a chilly September day when my train arrived from London. The cobblestone streets and sea of spires didn’t look familiar, even though I had visited the city less than ten years ago. I’d always wanted to live in a castle—a desire stemming from my Harry Potter obsession that was finally being realized—but I also knew that come morning, my boyfriend would be off on a bus to Heathrow Airport while I’d be meeting 70 strangers who would, for better or worse, be my only company for the next month.

As the days passed and I settled into my new home at Exeter College, I savored the thrilling feeling of exclusivity as I strutted past hordes of weekend tourists to my always-too-cold dorm room (I was told by the porter that heating wouldn’t be provided until the fall term began). Every night when I sat in my room overlooking Broad Street and Trinity College, I felt as if I had been transported back in time to land squarely in a gothic romance.

That’s what Oxford does: it makes you feel special and not quite yourself.

When the end of my time at Oxford was looming near and I had been feeling particularly gloomy, an unusual email from my professor popped up in my inbox. “Filming in College,” it read. As it turns out, A Discovery of Witches was going to be filmed in the very college I was staying in. A thrill went through my spine—I bought the book just two months ago and had been dying to read it.

“This will not disrupt our schedule,” my professor insisted—only it did, in a minuscule, exciting way that only happened to bystanders who wished to take part in an important event. Daily journeys to the dining hall became riddled with thrills and suspense: ducking behind posts when the director yelled “action,” holding our breaths as the actors walked past, and dashing madly through the film set toward our coveted meal before filming started once more.

The film crew setting up in the Front Quad in front of the Dining Hall.

On the last day of filming—coincidentally my last day in Oxford—the weather was relaxing and sunny, a departure from its usual overcast gloominess. My friend Abby and I pressed our noses up to her window to watch the film crew below, who waved at us when they discovered our hiding spot.

Teresa Palmer, who plays the lead character Diana Bishop—a witch—stood by in a heavy black coat, while Matthew Goode, who portrays her vampire boyfriend Matthew Clairmont, walked past in a matching black jacket. When Abby and I ventured out for our shopping trip, we tried to be discreet and nonchalant, although I suspect we failed miserably at both.

When afternoon came and my class gathered in Fellows’ Garden for one last sherry hour, Teresa strolled past wearing a new athletic outfit and peeked at the crowd. “I want to be a part of their party,” I heard her say.

But who would believe I partied with a witch?

A Discovery of Witches premieres in the UK on Sky One on September 14 and in the US and Canada on Sundance Now and Shudder at a yet to be announced date.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

7 Books That Prove Wasting Time isn’t a Waste of Time

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Lena Yang

Ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get everything done?

Living in a frenetic, connected world has pushed us to fill every waking second of our days with work for fear that wasted time will mean wasted potential. But, this isn’t healthy, and we must find a way to cope with the overwhelming stress fueled by our addiction to speed.

These seven books will help you do just that. Take a step back, relax, and discover why wasting time may just be the best way to use your time.

1. In Praise of Wasting Time by Alan Lightman, narrated by Alan Lightman

In this timely and essential book that offers a fresh take on the qualms of modern day life, Professor Alan Lightman investigates the creativity born from allowing our minds to freely roam, without attempting to accomplish anything and without any assigned tasks. Break free from the idea that we must not waste a single second, and discover how sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing at all. Read more and sample the audio.

2. The Art of the Wasted Day by Patricia Hampl, narrated by Patricia Hampl

The Art of the Wasted Day is a picaresque travelogue of leisure written from a lifelong enchantment with solitude. Patricia Hampl visits the homes of historic exemplars of ease who made repose a goal, even an art form. The real job of being human, Hampl finds, is getting lost in thought, something only leisure can provide. Read more and sample the audio.

3. Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, narrated by Adam Sims

Overwork is the new normal. Rest is something to do when the important things are done—but they are never done. Looking at different forms of rest, from sleep to vacation, Silicon Valley futurist and business consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang dispels the myth that the harder we work the better the outcome. “Deliberate rest,” as Pang calls it, is the true key to productivity, and will give us more energy, sharper ideas, and a better life. Read more and sample the audio.

4. Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self by Manoush Zomorodi, narrated by Manoush Zomorodi

Has your smartphone become your BFF? Do you feel bored when you’re not checking Facebook or Instagram? Bored and Brilliant: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Spacing Out explains the connection between boredom and original thinking and explores how we can harness boredom’s hidden benefits to become our most productive selves. Read more and sample the audio.

5. In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honre, narrated by Carl Honore

We live in the age of speed. We strain to be more efficient, to cram more into each minute, each hour, each day. Living on the edge of exhaustion, we are constantly reminded that the pace of life is spinning out of control. Realizing the price we pay for unrelenting speed, people all over the world are reclaiming their time—and living happier, healthier, and more productive lives. A Slow revolution is taking place. Read more and sample the audio.

6. An Oasis in Time: How a Day of Rest Can Save Your Life by Marilyn Paul, narrated by Vanessa Daniels

Now, more than ever, people are seeking a reprieve from the constant pressure to achieve, produce, and consume. While many turn to mindfulness and meditation, organizational change expert Marilyn Paul, Ph.D. offers a complementary solution that is as radical as it is ancient. Read more and sample the audio.

7. The Art of Stillness by Pico Iyer, narrated by Pico Iyer

In this age of constant movement and connectedness, when so many of us are all over the place, perhaps staying in one place and locating everything we need for peace and happiness there is a more exciting prospect and a greater necessity than ever before. Read more and sample the audio.

The Other Side of the Castle: 6 Fairy Tales as Told by the Villains

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Lena Yang

For centuries, fairy tales have delighted the young and the old. Passed down through fireside fables and aged storybooks, these stories have been told and retold, yet they continue to captivate readers. As the tales typically go, good triumphs while evil is punished. Yet, nothing is ever what it seems. There are stories untold even in the most classic and familiar tales. Step into the shoes of some of the most infamous villains with these new spins on classic fairy tales.

1. All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Stepmother by Danielle Teller, narrated by Jane Copland

As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story. The story of their relationship reveals that nothing is what it seems, that beauty is not always desirable, and that love can take on many guises. Read more and sample the audio.

2. Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust, narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

Frozen meets The Bloody Chamber in this feminist fantasy re-imagining of the Snow White fairy tale.
After the death of her mother, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart and become queen. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother to fifteen-year-old Lynet. Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Read more and sample the audio.

3. Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller, narrated by Elizabeth Marvel

In this novel authorized by the Little House estate, Sarah Miller vividly recreates the beauty, hardship, and joys of the frontier in a dazzling work of historical fiction, a captivating story that illuminates one courageous, resilient, and loving pioneer woman as never before—Caroline Ingalls, “Ma” in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House books. Read more and sample the audio.

4. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao, narrated by Kim Mai Guest

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns reimagines The Evil Queen legend as a tale of one peasant girl’s quest to become Empress. Growing up in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But, in order to achieve greatness, Xifeng must embrace the darkness within her. Read more and sample the audio.

5. Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire, narrated by Steven Crossley

Hiddensee recreates the backstory of the Nutcracker, re-imagining how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how it magically guided an ailing little girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a snowy Christmas Eve. It also brings to life the mysterious godfather Drosselmeier, the ominous, canny, one-eyed toymaker who presents the Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter. Read more and sample the audio.

6. Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes, narrated by Moira Quirk

Dinah, the future Queen of Wonderland, has not yet seen the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father’s approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal threatens her throne, she is launched into Wonderland’s dangerous political game. Queen of Hearts brings to life the epic origin of Wonderland’s infamous villain. Read more and sample the audio.

The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín — an audio book review

Posted on January 4, 2014 by admin

There is no doubt that Colm Toibin’s The Testament of Mary is a superbly written book. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2013, it’s elegant, imaginative, and steeped in grief. It’s a brave interpretation of one of the most hallowed and loved figures in history, Mary, mother of Jesus. Toibin gives new life to the flawless, soft and ever-obedient figure she’s typically portrayed as, making her into a strong and compassionate woman, at times cautious and fearful, at others, resistant and angry. Her relationships with her husband, her son and his disciples, and the other women in town all take on deep thought-provoking complexities. Toibin’s Mary challenges the agreed-upon history of events that took place leading up to and during her son’s death. I love historical re-imaginations, this one was written with insight, imagination and mastery. That kind of book, when being recorded as an audio book, requires a certain caliber of narrator—and Meryl Streep certainly fits the bill.

Meryl Streep

Streep was perfectly cast in this role. An Academy Award-winning actress, it’s castings like these that force regular audio book listeners to re-evaluate their idea of a “good narration”. Streep’s years of acting experience are present here in full force: I was told by a co-worker that she was exceptional, but I still wasn’t prepared for her expertise and skill. She caught me from the first words (literally, within the first 10 seconds), and held me, minute by minute, through the entire 3 hours. She does not simply narrate this book: it’s a performance, a one-woman show, bolstered by incredible words and a fascinating character, but brought to a new level by the woman delivering it. I almost never say this, but the audio version of The Testament of Mary is a cut above the print version, as good as it is. Streep imbues Toibin’s words with much more emotion, fragility, tenuous strength and love than my silent inner narrator ever could. Sometimes people worry that the narrator influences their personal interpretation of a story too strongly, but in this case, that influence is a gift.

Which audio books do you think are better than the printed versions?

Tag Archives: audio book

Page to Screen in October 2018

Page to Screen in September 2018

A Sneak Peek at the Set of A Discovery of Witches

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