HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I'm on my way out the door, again in the office at 7pm on a Friday, which is too wrong, but just wanted to check in with all the faithful readers of this blog to let you know I plan and hope to write an update or two while I'm on vacation the next couple weeks. However, I wouldn't be massively shocked if I don't.

In the meantime, know that I am listening to BEAT THE REAPER and it is SO GOOD. But don't worry about not getting an update on it now; it doesn't go on sale until Jan 7, so you have some time to start wishing for it. It's going to be huge! Also, the production team put some great little flourishes in that are making it super fun to listen to.

I hope you all have a wonderful new year!!!

Update!

So, there is so much very exciting stuff happening here at Hachette Audio. Not only were the GRAMMY nominees announced last week, but on the tail of that news, we got some pretty incredible reviews, from AudioFile Magazine and a few other publications.

Some of the titles getting a lot of great attention lately include Christopher Buckley's SUPREME COURTSHIP, which is read by Anne Heche (PW's starred review says "Despite the preponderance of men in SUPREME COURTSHIP, it is the brilliant casting of Heche—who keeps Pepper present at all times—that gives this audiobook an edge over the print edition," Michael Connelly's THE BRASS VERDICT, and DEWEY, the little cat that is winning more and more people over in audio!

Also, and in one of the most exciting bits of news for me personally, the entire department gets to go listen to David Sedaris read at Lincoln Center on Monday. It is going to be SO AWESOME. I love his live readings! More about this next week, probably including a photo of our gorgeous department dressed up for the event.

GRAMMYs!!!

Hi Everyone!
First off, let me tell you how ashamed I am that it's been several weeks without a post. I was promised guest reviews by a few coworkers I cornered and bullied, but it looks like my vacation week passed without an update. I am chastened, and because I want to make it up to all you loyal readers, I'm not starting my weekend until I've given you this post. Yes, I am lame and in the office at 6:30 on a Friday. Hopefully, though, I will not be lame enough to still be in the office at 7pm. So... on to the big news!

Nominations for the 51st Annual GRAMMY® Awards were just announced by The Recording Academy®, and while Lil Wayne tops the list with 8 nominations, Hachette Audio is not too far behind the music superstar, having been awarded two of the five nominations in the Spoken Word category! Congratulations to everyone who worked on I AM AMERICA and WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES!

This is our third nomination for David Sedaris and first for Stephen Colbert. These two Hachette Audio titles are in some very impressive company; click the link for information on our competition and other nominees.

Winners will be announced at the GRAMMY Awards Sunday February 8, 2009. GRAMMY SITE Best Spoken Word Album Nominees (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling) I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!) by Stephen ColbertWHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES by David Sedaris.

I have a ton of other news and some reviews to catch you up on, so look for a flurry of posts next week!

Two very different nonfiction audiobooks to recommend!

Hiya!
So, although I’ve been under the weather and have been spending most of my free time sleeping, I have two audiobooks to report on today! I finished OUTLIERS, which I LOVED! Gladwell is always interesting, but I thought the anecdotes and his recommendations for making fairer systems (especially those that effect young children) that will yield several times the success stories were really thought-provoking.

Oh, and I almost forgot- the interview that follows is SO GOOD. Buy the audiobook, and keep listening after it ends, because he tells great stories and some suprisingly personal, revealing stuff from his own past. It's not just a recap of the book - it's a substantial and revealing conversation.

The second audiobook I have to report on is DEWEY. Although it, too, is nonfiction, I imagine it's finding a different audience; however, I enjoyed listening to both of them a lot. I haven’t finished DEWEY because I let the final CD get a little too scuffed when I used it in a very rough manner as a photo prop with a disgruntled cat (hello Eleanor Roosevelt!), but I’m going to get another copy and finish it because the story is just so wonderful! I love cats, but I should admit that I was a little skeptical when I began. I thought it might be too sentimental or silly. However, by the middle of the audiobook, I was totally sold on the idea that this one little cat changed and inspired a town and dramatically affected the lives of several people in it, especially that of author Vicki Myron, who shared a telepathic kind of relationship with the special cat, and relied on him for comfort as she battled cancer. Recommended to all cat lovers and to people who like small-town stories and people who like libraries and people who like being inspired!

Okay ttfn and have a great weekend, everyone!

Outliers!

I just finished the first disc of OUTLIERS, and I am so psyched to hear the rest. The idea of the only way to become a genius athlete/scientist/musician/etc is to have 10,000 hours of practice under your belt is really interesting. On the one hand, it shows how in control each individual is of his or her own destiny: in a study Gladwell cites, it was consistently those who didn't practice enough who were amateur pianists, and those who were virtuosos were always those who practiced more hours.

On the other hand, Gladwell speaks at great depth about how to an equal extent our fates are determined by our pasts, even down to details like our birthdays. I'll weigh in further as I listen to more, but it's incredibly compelling. I especially like that Gladwell reads himself, since his way of thinking and pulling together information is so unique. He has a reassuring, mild voice, nice to listen to!

What's coming up

Okay, first I need to mention two productions that I'm so excited about, but that you won't be able to listen to for a few months. One is BEAT THE REAPER, which I'm going to try to post a clip of here (we'll see if my technical acumen and Blogger's template aloows for this), and the other is UNDRESS ME IN THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN, which I'm reading an advance copy of now. Look for more info about these two soon! I hope to listen to the entirety of BEAT THE REAPER before the end of the month, but it's an early audio release - it won't be available for purchase until January!

I don't know about you, but I was totally convinced by the last two reviews. Both HERETIC'S DAUGHTER and MIKE'S ELECTION GUIDE are going on my iPod, stat. Thanks, Amber and Anthony!

And I almost wish I had a long road trip coming up, because ROADS TO QUOZ by William Least-Heat moon seems like a dreamy companion.

Mike's Election Guide by Michael Moore

Please America, I plead with you to listen to this audiobook written and read by Michael Moore!It's a quick listen at 3 hours, and love him or hate him, he raises many valid and interesting points. Entertaining and educational, the MIKE'S ELECTION GUIDE audio is worth your every minute.

If you ever wondered what Jesus had to say about abortion, or gay rights...Why the French pay more taxes than the US, but don't complain...or How we can solve the Social Security woes of all future genrations of Americans with the strike of a pen...Mike's audiobook is for you.

There still time left to make a difference! OneLove. -AG

OFF SEASON

So, I promised a review of OFF SEASON and got a little sidetracked! I can't believe a whole week has passed since I finished listening. We've been busy planning Spring 09 and working on the catalog for that, so I've been living in the future a little bit. Let me tell you, it's a season to look forward to for more than warm weather! A lot of really exciting first-time authors in addition to our wonderful standards who return.

Anyway, OFF SEASON draws the listener in with a really great story. I'm watching MAD MEN right now, and a lot of the same 1960s issues are brought up in Siddons' audiobook, although in a completely different way. The main story is of a complex woman and her family, of her coming of age in a well-off family that experiences several tragedies, and of her growing up and her relationship with her adult daughters, but along the way it also addresses antisemitism, racism, and the changing roles of women in American society. Parent-child and husband-wife relationships are examined in unflinching ways without the audiobook ever becoming either maudlin or cynical, which I really appreciated.
There are almost two books in this one, including the flashbacks of Lilly's childhood and then her present-day reality of her coping with widowhood.
Jane Alexander does a truly amazing job voicing both the young Lilly and her mature self. She keeps the character consistent, but a listener can absolutely tell when Lilly is a child and when she is a woman, without it ever seeming forced or false.A very skillful narration job, and I look forward to listening to other books narrated by her.

Still to come: Anthony's take on MIKE'S ELECTION GUIDE, and perhaps a weigh-in from Jon Klemm on the same title. They both enjoyed it, so I don't think we'll exactly have a point/counterpoint here, but I think they had slightly different reaction to aspects, so we'll see if we can stir up some controversy here.

The Heretic's Daughter

Even if you don’t listen to audiobooks on a regular basis, you should listen to The Heretic’s Daughter. Kathleen Kent’s debut novel follows Martha Carrier (one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts) and her daughter Sarah during the Salem witch trials. The story is really fascinating because Kent is a direct descendent of Martha Carrier. She did research for five years in order to meticulously depict the superstitious and ascetic environment of the time that led up to the trials. On top of that, Mare Winningham’s narration is exceptional, so much so that it brought the author to tears.

Checking in

So, we have some great guest bloggers lined up for next week: Amber Fairweather on HERETIC'S DAUGHTER and Anthony Goff on MIKE'S ELECTION GUIDE.

I'm going to finally get the chance to listen to OFF SEASON, since I hope to have a little time free this weekend (no pressing manuscript to read, and our big presentation was done this week). I finally have a chance to relax!

More to come soon!

Long weekend followup

Finished BOOK OF LIES! I don't want to ruin it for anyone else who's planning on listening, so I won't go into too much detail about the plot, but I have to mention a few of my favorite bits. As a Cleveland native, I get excited whenever the city is mentioned in a book or movie or TV show, so the fact that Brad set a great deal of the action there was a wonderful surprise! By the end of the story, I was nostalgic for home, despite the fact that the downtown gun chases are a little removed from the, ah, more suburban experience I had growing up.

I also LOVED the Jerry Siegel/Superman/comicbook stuff. I was so intrigued when I heard the premise of the audiobook- how would Brad get Superman's creation story entwined with the Cain story from the Bible? It ended up being seamless! I highly recommend that anyone who listens sticks around for the extra note from the author at the end of the audiobook. He talks a little bit about his research and quest to find a real-life murderer, and it casts an interesting light on the historical realities included in the book.

Brad's in the office for a signing today, and I'm totally going to get my copy signed, plus a few for online giveaway. One of the best perks of this job is getting to meet the authors! I'll try to post a picture later.

Oh, and almost forgot! Everyone should check out www.BradMeltzer.com for more information on the book, to see the trailer, and for information on the campaign to Save the Siegel House.

Book of Lies

I just got back from the beach and I am SO relaxed that I don't even really mind that I'm still in the office at close to 7pm. I had an amazing time; my first visit out to Fire Island, and I am hooked. I never really thought of myself as a beach person before, but after a trip to Kiawah earlier this summer and then this jewel of a long weekend, I'm beginning to revise that opinion. As planned, I began listening to Brad Meltzer's BOOK OF LIES while I was out there, and I have to say how impressed I am with both the writing of the opening scene and the production--really beautiful swelling music and, of course, expert narration by Scott Brick. I didn't get enough alone-time with the audiobook because I was so surrounded by friends at almost every turn, but the few minutes I stole away to listen were totally worth it. Now in my memory that haunting first scene will always appear in tandem with darkening crashing waves and a gorgeous empty beach.

There's a new trailer for the book which I'll post as soon as I figure out where it's hosted on our servers. It stars Joss Whedon, Damon Lindelof, Christopher Hitchens, Brian K. Vaughn, and A.J. Jacobs.

Assorted linky update with a New York Times focus

I was tempted to try to back-date this entry, but instead I will simply apologize for another long absence. You didn’t miss much anyway. July was horribly hot here in New York and I don’t think anyone was in the best mood. Now that a hint of autumn is in the air, we should be able to have much more congenial discussion about our favorite audiobooks. I'm currently a little behind in my listening, having been busily away a lot lately for weddings and family vacations, but I'm really looking forward to listening to THE BOOK OF LIES by Brad Melzter, read by Scott Brick, and OFF SEASON by Anne Rivers Siddons, read by Jane Alexander. Perhaps I’ll finish one this weekend and post about it next week!

In other news from the office, Hachette Audio was featured in a New York Times article today! I’m getting good feedback from people who read the feature; they think the idea of including the audiobook in the DVD release of the Gossip Girl television series was a great idea, (we're even getting tweeted about on twitter!) and I’m excited that people are reacting so positively. Christina Ricci reads the audiobook, which is another draw for listeners (and that reminds me that I need to move Penelope up my netflix queue). I feel I’ve been hearing a lot lately about how teens don’t read anymore, so anything to get a book in front of them is a positive. It's cool to think of our audiobook getting to as large an audience as loves the show. Plus, I think that the DVD is pretty neat from a TV-watcher's point of view, too. It’s got so many great multimedia extras! I think I’ll have to go out and buy one for the department. Oh, and while I’m talking about wonderful NYT coverage, I’ll include another link, to the article Andrew Adam Newman wrote about our wake for the cassette. This one got a lot of pickup around the nostalgic internets... people are really going to miss our old pal.

Ron Paul's Audiobook: THE REVOLUTION

I have to let you know that Ron Paul's audiobook THE REVOLUTION is something that should be heard! If you voted for Bush (or love to hate him), enjoy history, or consider yourself an American patriot, you must hear THE REVOLUTION. This eye and ear opening account is read by Bob Craig, produced by Hachette Audio, and will remain relevant for many years to come.

PARTY AT HACHETTE AUDIO (waking the cassette)

Yes, it’s true! We were still producing audiobooks on cassette.
As of July 2008, we’re not.

Today the audio group at Hachette will gather with coworkers to reminisce about the good old days of bygone technology over drinks and snacks. We'll bemoan the ignoble loss of the 8-track player, wax nostalgic over our first vinyl records, and of course, above all else, honor the old cornerstone of the audiobooks industry, the humble cassette tape, with a toast.

Engulfed!

Sorry we've been so quiet, loyal readers! I've been getting lots of complaint email regarding our internet silence, so I'll try to be good this month. Let's consider this a new start.

First, I just want to report that I'm listening to WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES, the new David Sedaris collection, and that, like his previous audiobooks, it is incredibly funny but also at times makes me a little melancholy (the story "Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool" makes me miss home!) . But mostly, I just laugh, even out loud on the subway every morning. It's actually taking quite an edge off my commuter rage. David Sedaris: a boon to humanity.

I also had occasion to reflect on David's skeleton's message YOU ARE GOING TO DIE this weekend, as I spent Sunday morning recovering from an amazing 30th birthday bash.

Anyway, I wanted to link to this cool audio review with excerpts: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/audiopolis/2008/06/when-you-are-engulfed-in-flames-by.html, and I'm sure I'll have more reviews to post very soon.

I'm interested to hear what everyone's favorite essay from this collection is. I'm not sure of mine yet, but I'll weigh in in the comments section soon (I read a galley months ago, but definitely feel I'm missing something when I don't get to actually hear Sedaris himself, so I'm holding judgement until I'm completely through the audiobook!)

Review of THE CHOICE by Nicholas Sparks

I recently finished listening to THE CHOICE by Nicholas Sparks, read by Holter Graham. I though the recording was GREAT! Holter has the perfect voice for this material. He does a good a job of voicing the male and female characters and I had no issues determining who was "speaking". There is original music on this program which was created specifically for this title - it really added to the dramatic impact of the story and was useful in determining when a CD was over so that I could get the next one ready.

I'm also happy to report (SPOILER ALERT) that although I was preparing for a typical weepy Sparks ending, I was pleasantly surprised with how this story turned out.

I am now listening to CHILD 44 (when I'm driving my car) and BAREFOOT (when I'm in my husband's car) both of which are off to a great start. BAREFOOT should be a great listen for any woman with an appreciation for the support of good friends and a love of Nantucket.

Happy Listening!

Thanks Megan for starting this up.

I just finished Hachette Audio UK's 84 Charing Cross Road, which I loved. A long time ago I saw the film, and only after listening to this program did I notice that the writer's name was the same as the main character's: that is, the work is non-fiction. (I'd assumed that it was fiction.)

The two readers are tremendous. We should consider Juliette Stevenson for anything with an English narrator. She is so adapt at the different English and Irish accents, though an odd choice to play Helene Hanff (the American author).

A nice extra element of the production is an interview of both narrators by the producer. If anyone wants to borrow my copy, feel free.

First Post!

Hi Everyone!
This is Megan. I started working at Hachette Audio a little over a year ago doing Marketing and Publicity, and I'm probably going to be the main poster and facilitator for this blog, so I thought I'd start out with this little intro and let you know what I'm listening to now: CHILD 44.

I already read the book in manuscript, so I was surprised that, while some of the plot twists are less shocking (obviously, second time around), the audiobook still seems really fresh and fast-paced. Listening to the audiobook lets me sit back and really take my time to savor the language and the subtleties of personality and politics and history Smith describes, stuff that I perhaps didn't linger over last time as I sped through the pages trying to find out what happens next. The pacing is fantastic, and I'm really enjoying the voices and accents so skillfully rendered by Dennis Boutsikaris. (I think I heard he has Russian family; that makes sense since his accents are so good.)

I highly recommend this title to anyone, especially people who like thrillers, mysteries, or anyone who wants to learn more about Stalin's Soviet Union and their inescapable State Police. Lots of great history and atmosphere. Oh, and I hear that it may be a movie soon; Richard Price and Ridley Scott are said to be working on it now, so it's sure to be as good as its source material; listen to the audiobook now, watch the film later!