Insurgent DUAL AUDIO
Sofie Kovalcheck
This is a difficult proposition because a large part of audiobook collection development is focused on title selection. Selectors must ensure that they build collections that serve patrons seeking materials in the growing variety of formats they demand. Yet the most critical component of audiobook selection is not the title, but the narrator. The narrator of an audiobook is as important to the experience as the author. Indeed the narrator joins forces with the author to create the audio experience. All avid audiobook listeners know the disappointment of a story ruined by the narrator, or more happily, a story transformed by the deft choices of a skilled reader. Given the performer's importance, collecting the best narrators, as well as key titles, should be a part of any well-developed collection.
This column offers a way to begin this dual work for those new to audiobook selection and serves as a checklist for those more familiar with the particular demands of this facet of collection building. Written by four members of The Listen List: Outstanding Audiobook Narration (the newly created CODES award for audiobooks), it offers a mix of popular authors and titles read by important narrators. The column works towards the creation of a core list of narrators, a must-buy list of top performers, and also offers further reading and resources.
From classics and occasional nonfiction titles to thrillers and science fiction, prolific narrator Scott Brick has read a wide variety of audiobook titles. A popular and critically acclaimed narrator, Brick is known for his ability to allow listeners to make a personal connection with his characters. The clear pleasure he takes in his work enhances and transforms the listening experience. Brick enlivens Bradbury's classic science fiction tale of life on Mars, a reading that makes the most of his talents. He captures all the drama of space exploration, but he also reflects the elegiac tone evoked by this thoughtful examination of the human condition. A treat for listeners new to the work and for those reexperiencing it.
Versatile narrator Stephen Hoye brings an understated elegance to his performances, whether reading zany crime novels, classic fantasy and science fiction, heartfelt historical fiction, or historical accounts. He excels at becoming invisible, at disappearing into characters and allowing their voices to establish the mood and drive the story. Shaara's classic novel of the battle of Gettysburg is the perfect platform for his talents. Individual accents and voices for the famous and lesser-known enliven characters and make listeners privy to their thoughts and fears. Hoye's polished reading perfectly suits the lyrical prose and memorable, heartbreaking scenes, and showcases unforgettable characters and events.
A narrator noted for reading a wide range of books, Lawlor is praised for his clear and focused reading and the enthusiasm he brings to every topic, from science and history to adventure and even romance. In The Worst Hard Time Lawlor performs this oral history of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl with convincing authority, drawing listeners into the personal stories of this catastrophic weather disaster. Myriad individual characters share their stories, each given distinctive accents, pitch, and cadence. The dark tone and evocative reading convincingly portray the impact of this disaster on individuals as well as the country.
Prebble's skills are numerous, but key are his ability to create unique accents and speech patterns, the way he infuses his voice with the most subtle of tones, and his fine ear for the best pacing and rhythm to deliver an author's story. While he is a wide-ranging reader, one of his greatest performances is Clarke's elegant and glorious novel, which sets two radically different types of gentlemen wizards against one another and against a darkly enticing and malevolent being from Faerie. Supported by a mythical background explaining English magic (details of which are often related via footnotes), this involving and richly layered work is perhaps even better as an audiobook, as Prebble masterfully reads the novel and the footnotes in such a way as to create an experience not possible in print.
That Barbara Rosenblatt is a voice artist is evident in the wide range of characters and accents that inhabit her narration of the Amelia Peabody series, beginning with this first title. Trained in England and the United States, Rosenblatt has brought her legendary skill and imagination to her recordings of a wide range of audiobooks, but her award-winning interpretation of the adventures of the Victorian Egyptologist are particular fan favorites and demonstrate her talent for drama as well as her incredible gift for dialects and accents. As the characters in these books age, so does her voice, providing further proof of just how perfect the match between narrator and author is in this popular series.
Known for her expressive performances, often heartwarming and thoughtful, Suzanne Toren is a popular narrator of series and stand-alone titles. In The Zookeeper's Wife, she brings passion and compassion to Diane Ackerman's inspiring account of a little known event during World War II: the decision by the director of the Warsaw zoo and his wife to store arms for insurgents at the zoo and to house refugees among the remaining animals. In convincing Eastern European accents she recounts this true story of selfless humanitarianism, reflecting Ackerman's lyrical writing. Rich in danger as well as humor, this is a fascinating and satisfying exploration of personalities, both human and animal.
An important audiobook-only review source. Includes hundreds of reviews in each issue, written by professionals in the information, education, and performance fields. The focus of these reviews is on audio presentation rather than a critique of the written material. Monthly Earphones Awards are given to note exceptional performances. A list of the very best narrators in the field, designated as Golden Voices, also is provided. Each issue contains featured articles, an extensive list of new releases, and information for buying and locating audiobooks. Available in print and in enhanced digital format.
Each January Booklist designates an Editor's Choice list for Audio for Adults and a list of the ten top titles reviewed that year. The Top of the List, the best audiobook of the year, is chosen from the Adult and Youth lists by the Booklist media editor. Booklist also names a Voice of Choice, its audiobook reader of the year, in the June issue.
The Spoken Word Album is the Grammy category that includes audiobooks. A winner, as well as several nominees, is selected each year. The award recognizes outstanding achievement and is announced in February.
A juried list of the twelve best audiobooks published each year. Selection, by a committee of librarians, is based on the skill of the narrator's performance. The award is administered by CODES and is announced during ALA's Midwinter Meeting.
A yearly award given to the producer of the best audiobook for children or young adults. One winner is selected and a number of honor books may be included. A joint venture between YALSA and ALSC, the award is announced during ALA's Midwinter Meeting.
A blog from Audiofile that highlights their top picks. Each entry includes an audio sample and the AudioFile review. Also consider AudiobookCommunity , an open forum hosted by AudioFile.
Considers the role and use of audiobooks in academic libraries based on the results of a survey (with 217 respondents). The survey sheds light on audiobook circulation, delivery, marketing, and collection development. A literature survey also is included.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that the group has issued an audio message from its newly-appointed emir, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. Reports of the audio appeared in Reuters, AFP, Dawn, and other news outlets. The Reuters report below corrects the record:
The official spokesman for the Afghan Taliban said on Wednesday that an audio tape purporting to be from newly named leader Haibatullah Akhundzada rejecting peace talks was not issued by him and was not from the new insurgent chief.
ROTH: You know, officially, officials haven't discussed discussing any leads. Because past attacks of this nature in Russia have often been tied to the insurgency in the Caucasus and Chechnya, I would assume that one of the main sort of suspicions would be that it's an attack by insurgents from that region, but there hasn't been any sort of conclusion of that. Russia's also involved in the conflicts in Syria, and that's also considered a possible motive behind the attack. But in terms of an actual suspect or a person that investigators say that they're looking for, we haven't seen anything in particular yet.
ROTH: So there have been attacks like this before, although this is the largest attack of this kind on Russian soil since 2013. That was several bombings in the city of Volgograd, which is in southern Russia. There's also been bombing attacks on the metro in particular before, like dual bombing attacks in 2010 in Moscow. Those killed several dozen. The main difference between those and this was that those were suicide attacks carried out by women from the North Caucasus.
"I have no doubt that she will apply that energy to these negotiations and we will continue pushing and pushing and pushing until we get our British dual nationals home," he told British broadcaster Sky News.
Jordan had for years supported mainstream Western-backed rebels who controlled southern Syria until a campaign by the Syrian army in 2018 aided by Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias retook the province. Some insurgents remained in Deraa but left the area with Russian mediation after Iranian-backed forces began an assault in August.
Travelling along the road leading to the Swat valley is a memorable experience. As the narrow dual carriageway snakes around impossibly steep mountain ranges, the breathtaking vista of snow-capped peaks come into view as they loom over an emerald green valley pierced by the Swat River. It looks too perfect to be natural.
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