A closet readers take on: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Erotica, YA Fiction & Audiobooks

Friday, January 2, 2015

Best of 2014 - Narrator's Edition (Part 1)



I have gotten together with a few of my favorite narrators to talk about the their favorite audiobooks of 2014!  In Part 1 of my Best of 2014 - Narrator's Edition, I asked Khristine Hvam, Lorelei King, Johnny Heller, Dion Graham, and Robert Fass about their favorite audiobooks that they narrated in 2014.


See Part 2 Here









Name: Khristine Hvam    
Twitter Address: @khristinehvam

 






Top Audiobooks of 2014

#1 "Frog Music" by Emma Donoghue  - Fiction - I loved this novel. Recording this was  the most challenging narration of my career thus far. Beautiful story. So many accents. Intricate characters. Music and songs. This narration pushed me out of my comfort zone and humbled me. What a wonderful experience.

#2 "Dreams of Gods and Monsters" by Laini Taylor - Teen/Fantasy - If you haven't read this one yet (or listened to it) it is a MUST. Laini Taylor is a beautiful genius in the writing of this. Its filled with all my favorite things. Great interesting well fleshed out characters, a love story, a tragedy, comic genius, battles... it's just such an amazing ride. I had such fun with creating all the voices for this series. When an author gives you something this juicing to bite on... well, you've just gotta bite!

#3 "Conversion" by Katherine Howe - Teen/Fiction - "Converision" was really interesting for me. The book takes place both in present time and in seventeenth century Massachusetts. So, on the one hand it was right in my "teen" wheel house of narration but, once we went back in time I needed to CREATE an accent for these characters since there is no way of knowing how the people of this time period really sounded and I had to try and relate to seventeenth century minded young women. It was a challenge I enjoyed taking on

#4 "How to Shit in the Woods" by Kathleen Meyer - non fiction - I think the title speaks to exactly why this was one of this years favorites for me. Oh how I laughed and learned. I honestly think that if I ever decide to spend lots of time camping (not gonna happen) that at least I'd be smarter about my "imprint" on the environment.

#5 "Burn" of the Pure Trilogy by Julianna Baggott - sci fi/fantasy - This trilogy was one of my favorites. Post apocalyptic rebellion, war,  and romance. This was a multi cast performance which brings so much dimension to the work.

 


Favorite Audiobook Cover for 2014


You know I never really pay much attention to the covers to be honest. I actually had to go searching to look at them to answer this one. So, I'd have to say "Dreams of Gods and Monsters"... very eye catching.



Favorite Audiobook Series of 2014

Hands down the "Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series" We recorded the final book in the trilogy early this year (Dreams of Gods and Monsters). What an incredible story. Its got it all. Love, Tragedy. Comedy. Fantasy. Beautiful characters and imagery. Its no wonder this series was such a success. Laini Taylor is just an incredible writer. It was truly an honor to work on this series.



Favorite Narrator of 2014

This is such a difficult question to answer. I respect and admire so many fellow narrators... but if I have to choose one for 2014 it's Suzanne Toren. Suzanne actually directed me in my performance of "Frog Music." Without her the project would have fallen flat. She is such an accomplished and experienced narrator herself that she was really able to bring out the very best in me. I learned so much from her during that experience and i love her for it! Thanks Suzanne Toren!


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Name: Lorelei King  
Blog Address: www.loreleiking.com 
Twitter Handle: @LoreleiKing





Top Audiobooks of 2014

#1 Top Secret Twenty-One (by Janet Evanovich), crime fiction. “I have loved this series from the start – Janet Evanovich has a wonderful sense of humor and a real gift for dialogue. Top Secret Twenty-One was a joy to record.”
#2 Sixth Grave on the Edge (by Darynda Jones), paranormal romantic suspense. “Charley Davidson is a GREAT heroine! I was lucky enough to record two books from the series this year, but I have a soft spot for this one as (no spoilers!) there is a HUGE development in Charley’s life.”
#3 Some Luck (by Jane Smiley), literary fiction. “An American family saga with superb writing – what’s not to love?”
#4 Dead Old (by Maureen Carter), police procedural. “This is British crime fiction at its best – hard-hitting, but with a thread of dark humour running throughout. Bev Morriss is a great, all-too-human heroine.”
#5 How To Write Fiction Without the Fuss (by Lucy McCarraher), non fiction. “I love the challenges of narrating non-fiction – and I learned so much from this title! It’s a great jumping-off point for any aspiring writer.”


Favorite Audiobook Cover for 2014

I think the most striking cover of the books I recorded this year has to be the one for The Peripheral, by William Gibson. Love it!



Favorite Audiobook Series of 2014

 My favourite series has to be the Seattle-based Laura Benton mystery series by Chris Nickson – Emerald City and West Seattle Blues so far. I love the way Chris incorporates his knowledge of popular music into the stories.



Favorite Narrator of 2014

Robert Madge – a young British narrator just bursting with talent. He held his own against a star-studded cast of superb narrators in Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, released this past autumn.



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Top Audiobooks of 2014

#1 THE EIGHTH DWARF BY ROSS THOMAS (HIGHBRIDGE/RECORDED BOOKS) Fiction/mystery   - great post WWII noir featuring an evil Romanian dwarf and a cast of American & European wonderful characters...Funny and fast moving.

#2 THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE  by FORREST CARTER (ACX/CROSSROADS PRESS)  YA    An enchanting moving tale of a young Cherokee boy learning about the ways of nature and of man during the depression.  A very moving and beautiful tale.

#3 SAFARI by PARNELL HALL (BLACKSTONE/DOWNPOUR) MYSTERY/HUMOR    A wonderfully funny mystery featuring Stanely Hastings. A NY Detective must solve murders while on an African Safari vacation.

#4 BLOOD SPORT BY TIM ELFRINK AND GUS GARCIA-ROBERTS (RECORDED BOOKS) current events/non fiction    The true tale of the Biogenisis scandal that still rocks MLB and the horrible story of noted slugger and cheater - Alex Rodriguez.

#5 GANGSTERLAND BY TOD GOLDBERG (BLACKSTONE/DOWNPOUR) crime fiction
I'm recording this right now so it counts for this year!  It's the story of a Chicago mob hit man who goes undercover as a Jewish Rabbi in Las Vegas.  It's a brilliant story - funny, clever and twisted.



Favorite Audiobook Cover for 2014


I like the cover of SAFARI



Favorite Audiobook Series of 2014
 

SAFARI - STANLEY HASTINGS MYSTERY




Favorite Narrator of 2014


JOHNNY HELLER!  if not me, then Robert Fass



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Narrator: Dion Graham





 Top Audiobooks of 2014

It was a busy year. I didn't get to listen to many audiobooks that were recorded by other folks. But here's a list of some favorites that I recorded or were released in 2014. All worth your time. In no particular order:

#1  RADIANCE OF TOMORROW by Ishmael Beah, Fiction
This is Beah's first work of fiction following his harrowing memoir A LONG WAY GONE. Chronicling the return of villagers after civil war in Sierra Leone this is a moving and sometimes wry tale. Told with great subtlety and compassion, I felt like I was walking around with these people.

#2 INFINITY RING: THE IRON EMPIRE and ETERNITY by James Dashner and Matt de la Pena, Young Adult Fiction
These are the last two books in the series (perhaps) and they do not disappoint. It's been a blast time traveling with Dak, Riq, and Sera as they try to fix history and thwart the malevolent SQ. If this is really the end I'll miss these kids.

#3  THE MARTINI SHOT by George Pelecanos, Short Stories, Fiction
I've narrated a lot of George's work. He's a favorite. These stories are the essence of 'lived in' and are full of diverse characters. They remind me of my grandmother's saying 'Life is a good teacher', sometimes followed by 'Life is a hard teacher...'. Grab a drink and settle in.

#4  DAYS GONE BY by Eric Jerome Dickey, Short Stories
This is gem of a story that I did for Spoken Freely's Summer Shorts. The first piece that Eric Jerome Dickey ever published, it's a look at the lives of a few friends via the rear view mirror. Memory. Time. What happened. What might've happened. It's hilarious and sobering at the same time.

#5  INSIDE A SILVER BOX by Walter Mosley, Speculative Literature/Sci-Fi
Wow. This fever dream by the great Walter Mosley will blow your mind. Talk about life, the universe, sex, God, and everything! A wild ride to narrate AND to listen to.




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Name:  Robert Fass
Blog Address:  Facebook.com/RobertFassNarrator
Twitter Handle: @RobertFass1


 




Top Audiobooks of 2014

#1  IT HAPPENED IN BOSTON? by Russell H. Greenan. Introduction by Jonathan Lethem. It’s hard to define the genre for this amazing novel; it’s sometimes labeled speculative fiction, literary fiction, sometimes fantasy, sometimes a murder mystery, often simply “unclassifiable”. This is a cult classic which I’ve loved for about 40 years and had never been in audio before, so I negotiated the audio rights and published it myself, partnering with Blackstone Audio for the marketing and distribution. I’m very proud of it!

#2  THE WOLFEN by Whitley Strieber. Horror. Another older book I did this year, this is a werewolf classic that was made into a film with Albert Finney in the early 80s. I was surprised to discover how genuinely scary it is.

#3 A STUDY IN TERROR by Ellery Queen. Mystery. Ellery Queen matches wits with Sherlock Holmes in an effort to reveal the true identity of Jack the Ripper. A breezy, well-constructed mystery and a standout in the series.

#4  F: A NOVEL by Daniel Kehlmann. Literary Fiction. This prize-winning new German novel by the phenomenal young author of MEASURING THE WORLD is a clever, haunting, heartbreaking puzzle told from multiple points of view within a fractured family. Fellow narrators Bronson Pinchot and Jim Meskimen do a stellar job.

#5  JOHN MARSHALL: The Chief Justice Who Saved the Nation by Harlow Giles Unger. History. Thomas Jefferson does not fare well in Unger’s hands as he tells the engaging, inspiring story of the chief justice who helped bring law and order to the young United States. Unger does a good job of humanizing this towering figure, describing not only his political struggles but his loving marriage.




Favorite Audiobook Cover for 2014
 
IT HAPPENED IN BOSTON? by Russell H. Greenan 



Favorite Audiobook Series of 2014

The Bodenstein and Kirchhoff crime thrillers by another bestselling German author, Nele Neuhaus. In 2013 I narrated the smash hit SNOW WHITE MUST DIE, and 2014 began with the release of the particularly nasty follow-up, BAD WOLF. I have just finished recording the prequel to SNOW WHITE MUST DIE, entitled THE ICE QUEEN, which comes out next month.


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Check our my favorite Author's Best of 2014

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