I love listening to audiobooks. A great writer and narrator bring the stories alive. This is a list of stories I have enjoyed (and a couple I have holds on) that are perfect for summer listening.
The library book
Susan Orlean
COMPACT DISC 027.4794 Orlean
Nonfiction
Susan Orlean re-opens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling love letter to the beloved institution of libraries.
Where the crawdads sing
Delia Owens
FICTION ON DISC Owens, Delia
Fiction
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She's barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark. But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world -- until the unthinkable happens.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a lyrical, coming of age story by Delia Owens about a girl who lives on the North Carolina coast and, as a young child, is abandoned by her family. I listened to the last chapter twice and enjoyed the book so much I wanted to start again at the beginning. Cassandra Campbell’s narration is excellent.
- Kara
Leadership in turbulent times
Doris Kearns Goodwin
973.099 /Goodwin
Nonfiction
"In this culmination of five decades of acclaimed studies in presidential history, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin offers an illuminating exploration into the early development, growth, and exercise of leadership. Are leaders born or made? Where does ambition come from? How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? Does the man make the times or do the times make the man? In Leadership in Turbulent Times, Goodwin draws upon four of the presidents she has studied most closely--Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson (in civil rights)--to show how they first recognized leadership qualities within themselves, and were recognized by others as leaders. No common pattern describes the trajectory of leadership. Although set apart in background, abilities, and temperament, these men shared a fierce ambition and a deep-seated resilience that enabled them to surmount uncommon adversity. At their best, all four were guided by a sense of moral purpose. At moments of great challenge, they were able to summon their talents to enlarge the opportunities and lives of others. This seminal work provides an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders in every field. In today's polarized world, these stories of authentic leadership in times of apprehension and fracture take on a singular urgency."--Provided by publisher.
I saw Doris Kearns Goodwin recently talk about this book and it piqued my interest. I'm listening to the eAudio version and it's very good. I'm looking forward to listening to it in the evening while I work on projects around the house.
- Kara
The Island of sea women
Lisa See
eAUDIO
Historical Fiction
"A new novel from Lisa See, the New York Times bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, about female friendship and family secrets on a small Korean island"--
Island of Sea Women is a coming of age novel by Lisa See, who continues her tradition of telling compelling stories about women, relationships, family and home. The story is set in a matriarchal society on a Korean island, beginning in the 1930’s, and covers many decades. Jennifer Lim’s narration is excellent.
- Kara
The American agent : a Maisie Dobbs novel
Jacqueline Winspear
FICTION ON DISC Winspear, Jacqueline
Historical Fiction
When Catherine Saxon, an American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe, is found murdered in her London digs, news of her death is concealed by British authorities. Serving as a linchpin between Scotland Yard and the Secret Service, Robert MacFarlane pays a visit to Maisie Dobbs, seeking her help. He is accompanied by an agent from the US Department of Justice--Mark Scott, the American who helped Maisie get out of Hitler's Munich in 1938. MacFarlane asks Maisie to work with Scott to uncover the truth about Saxon's death. As the Germans unleash the full terror of their blitzkrieg upon the British Isles, raining death and destruction from the skies, Maisie must balance the demands of solving this dangerous case with her need to protect Anna, the young evacuee she has grown to love and wants to adopt. Entangled in an investigation linked to the power of wartime propaganda and American political intrigue being played out in Britain, Maisie will face losing her dearest friend--and the possibility that she might be falling in love again.
The American Agent, the newest in Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series, finds Maisie traveling between London and her country home during the blitzkrieg of WWII. When an American correspondent is murdered and British authorities are concealing the crime, Scotland Yard asks Maisie to investigate.
- Kara
The Chelsea girls : a novel
Fiona Davis
eAUDIO
Historical Fiction
"From the dramatic redbrick facade to the sweeping staircase dripping with art, the Chelsea Hotel has long been New York City's creative oasis for the many artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, and poets who have called it home--a scene playwright Hazel Riley and actress Maxine Mead are determined to use to their advantage. Yet they soon discover that the greatest obstacle to putting up a show on Broadway has nothing to do with their art, and everything to do with politics. A Red scare is sweeping across America, and Senator Joseph McCarthy has started a witch hunt for Communists, with those in the entertainment industry in the crosshairs. As the pressure builds to name names, it is more than Hazel and Maxine's Broadway dreams that may suffer as they grapple with the terrible consequences, but also their livelihood, their friendship, and even their freedom. Spanning from the 1940s to the 1960s, The Chelsea Girls deftly pulls back the curtain on the desperate political pressures of McCarthyism, the complicated bonds of female friendship, and the siren call of the uninhibited Chelsea Hotel"--
Fiona Davis is known for her historical fiction stories that tell the story of iconic buildings and the people who live there. This story focuses on the Chelsea Hotel, Broadway and the age of McCarthyism.
- Kara
Mistress of the Ritz
Melanie Benjamin
FICTION ON DISC/Benjamin, Melanie
Historical Fiction
In March 1940, the Nazis sweep Paris and immediately take up residence in one of the city's most iconic sites: The Hotel Ritz. There, under a roof legendary for its unprecedented luxury and for its fabled residents--including Coco Chanel, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Cole Porter, Hemingway, Balanchine, Doris Duke, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and now Hermann Göering--the Nazis rule over a paralyzed city. But two residents of the Ritz refuse to be defeated: its director, Claude Auzello, and his beautiful American actress wife, Blanche. They not only oversee the smooth workings of the hotel, but both Blanche and Claude throw themselves fearlessly into the dangerous and clandestine workings of the French Resistance. This is a true-to-life novel of a courageous woman and her husband who put their marriage--and ultimately their lives--in jeopardy to fight for freedom. Intimate, fearless, and moving, it spins a brilliantly and unforgettably vivid human portrait at a time of unimaginable crisis and sacrifice.
Another historical fiction story with a hotel as a backdrop that brings the story of the 1940 Nazi sweep of Paris and the French Resistance to life.
- Kara
The Library Book by Susan Orlean weaves the story of a catastrophic fire at the Los Angeles Public Library with a narrative about the history and purpose of libraries. Orlean reads the audiobook and her narration is perfect. Orlean’s book is a testament to the importance of libraries and their service to communities.
- Kara