Armchair Audies review: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya narrated by the author

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya narrated by the author
Published by Listening Library

I liked this family and understood their fight against gentrification and to keep their neighborhood what it had been. Abuela's restaurant was a place I really wanted to go I wanted to visit the restaurant and get to know the Zamora family. This kind of had the same feel as One Crazy Summer I know I don’t usually like comparing books but there is this family feel that was similar to me. The bad guy in this book will make you so mad he’s kind of a mustache twirling kind of guy and I loved that this family and came together to try to save their neighborhood from him.

The narration by the author was good especially for an author (sorry but the majority of authors shouldn’t narrate) However this author does a good job he has some good voices and accents. And did a good job at conveying the emotions of Arturo.

Bonus recipes at the end to try with your kids!

3 ½ stars

Armchair Audies..Thriller/Suspense Category …And the Winner Is….

Armchair Audies….THRILLER/SUSPENSE Category …And the Winner Is….

 Again in this category we have many different kinds of Thrillers and one I felt didn’t belong in this category. Here are the nominees:

The Avengers, Lost Episodes Vol 1: Hot Snow; Adapted by John Dorney; Narrated by Various; Big Finish Productions

I didn’t feel like this book belonged in this category I felt it should be in Audio Drama and it also seemed old radio show, which I enjoy but I didn’t feel like it was a good fit for the category. The narrations were okay but the music was extremely annoying.

Dead Six; by Larry Correia and Mike Kupari; Narrated by Bronson Pinchot; Audible, Inc.

We all know Bronson is amazing but even he couldn’t get me all the way through this 20 hour book. As always all his voices were great but I didn’t feel his range as much in this one as I did in his other nominated title in CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES 8-12 (The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw)

In the Morning I'llBe Gone; by Adrian McKinty; Narrated by Gerard Doyle; Blackstone Audio Inc.

Gerard Doyle’s narration is fabulous this man has a chameleon voice he can do any accent and every single person has a very distinct voice he is amazing!

The Lost Key; by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison; Narrated by Renee Raudman and MacLeod Andrews; Brilliance Publishing

I must admit to liking MacLeod Andrews narration faster than Renée Raudman’s I thought his narrations were fabulous and all his accents seemed real and well done. Raudman though it took me a little while to enjoy her voice by the end I was enjoying her narration. I would listen to more by both of these narrators.

Those Who Wish MeDead; by Michael Koryta; Narrated by Robert Petkoff; Hachette Audio

I thought Robert Petkoff’s narration was amazing  and very impressive especially the narration of the 2 psycho hit men The Blackwell Brothers that are after Jace/Conner then when one of the characters describes how these men talk, it was even more right on, because he narrated them exactly how the author describes them. Every character has a distinct voice and his female voices were well done.  I will be seeking out other books Petkoff has narrated. I see he narrates quite a few of Koryta’s books so; I will be listening to more of this author & narrator combo.

Wayfaring Stranger; by James Lee Burke; Narrated by Will Patton; Simon & Schuster

I liked this book and at first I enjoyed Will Patton’s narration but after a while everyone sound like an old southern man with cotton in their cheeks.

And The Winner Is…..

Robert Petkoff for Those Who Wish Me Dead, his narration blew me away. The narration of the bad guys had my stomach churning from fear, his female voices sounded authentic and it was a great story.

Good Luck To All The Nominees!

Armchair Audies…Solo Female Narration—And the Winner is……

Armchair Audies…Solo Female Narration—And the Winner is……

This was a tough category this year, we all know how fabulous all these ladies are and honestly I will be happy whoever wins because every one of these narrations is an award worthy performance

The nominees are:

SOLO NARRATION — FEMALE

Boston Jacky; by L.A. Meyer; Narrated by Katherine Kellgren; Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Katherine Kellgren IS Jacky Faber she has made this series come to life for me and this offering is no exception every accent every voice is amazing. Every single voice is different and this book has a huge cast of characters.

Life Drawing; by Robin Black; Narrated by Cassandra Campbell; Penguin Random House Audio

Even though this book was not my cup of tea, Cassandra Campbell’s narration was really well done with different accents and every character had a different voice. Although I disliked the story itself Campbell’s narration was the only thing that kept me listening.

Murphy's Law; by Rhys Bowen; Narrated by Nicola Barber; Audible, Inc.

Nicola Barber’s narration is well done, she has many different accents in this book from Irish to American to a little Italian, and her male voices are also very good. I enjoyed her narration and I think it added to my enjoyment of this book.

Until the End of theWorld; by Sarah Lyons Fleming; Narrated by Julia Whelan; Podium Publishing

Julie Whelan’s narration is well done, I enjoyed her many female voices, however at times her male voices muddled together, especially when Nelly and John are talking and Nelly’s accent isn’t as pronounced I wasn’t sure which man was talking. I did enjoy her narration very much as I always do and love her regular talking voice, and the whininess of Anna was good and not overdone to be annoying, well any more annoying the character of Anna is!

Written in My Own Heart's Blood; by Diana Gabaldon; Narrated by Davina Porter; Recorded Books

Ahh Davina she is the voice of the Outlander Series and I have listened to every one of this series many times so this is a favorite and Davina Porter’s narration is as always amazing. So many accents and characters all with their own voice you never wonder who is speaking, and there is a lot of characters in this series!

Yellow Crocus; by Laila Ibrahim; Narrated by Bahni Turpin; Brilliance Publishing

I read this book in print back in 2012 and if I remember right I read it in Bahni’s voice so was very happy to listen to the real thing. Bahni Turpin’s narration was amazing; she is such a great narrator. Every character has their own voice and her male voices are great too.  She makes this story come to life and embodies every character and makes them real.

Now to pick a winner……That is really tough!

And the Winner is….

Katherine Kellgren for Boston Jacky, for not only this book but this entire series her narration is amazing so many different voices and accents from all over the world she is an amazing talent.

Good Luck to all Nominees!

Armchair Audies …Mystery Category…. And The Winner Is……

Armchair Audies …Mystery Category…. And The Winner Is……

This year we really had a lot of different kinds of Mysteries in this category, some I enjoyed others not so much. I will be going back and listening to others in the Castillo series I really enjoyed that one and will look for other books by Katherine McInerney. I wasn’t a big fan of Malice or Providence Rag I thought both of these books dragged on and didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed Missing You and had listened to this before the nominees were announced and even predicted it was going to be nominated (I said Solo Female Narration) but it was still nominated! The Silkworm was a pretty good book but I think I should have read the first one because I did feel I was missing out on some character development.

The Dead Will Tell;by Linda Castillo; Narrated by Kathleen McInerney; Macmillan Audio

Kathleen McInerney’s narration was really good she used a nice slight accent when she was voicing the Amish people, her German accents were good and her male voices were fine and her narration of Kate was very well done.

 Hounded; by David Rosenfelt; Narrated by Grover Gardner; Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

I listened to the last book in this series last year and didn’t enjoy it much so I only listened to some of this book. Grover Gardner’s narration is good I like his voice but couldn’t get past not liking the book.

Malice; by Keigo Higashino; Narrated by Jeff Woodman; Macmillan Audio

I usually enjoy Jeff Woodman’s narrations but this one was different he has an odd accent that I can’t place, this book is set in Japan but that isn’t the accent it has an almost upper crust British feel to it but not all out British but it isn’t a straight American accent either, but either way I can’t place it and it threw me off. Also every one pretty much sounds the same, I never knew when it was Detective Kaga or Nonguchi talking their voices sounded so similar. I think he attempted to make one voice higher but that just confused me more because I thought that was his lady voice.

Missing You; byHarlan Coben; Narrated by January LaVoy; Brilliance Publishing

January LaVoy’s narration was very well done I liked that you always knew who was talking and that everyone had a voice, I must mention though there are times some of her male characters sound like cartoons but that was only a couple people so it was easy to overlook. This is my second narration by January and I really enjoyed both so I will seek out books where she is the narrator.

Providence Rag; by Bruce DeSilva; Narrated by Jeff Woodman; Audible, Inc.

Jeff Woodman’s narration was good although sometimes his women’s voices weren’t believable. I thought his other accents and voices of men were well done. I have liked his narration of other books so I will listen to him again.

The Silkworm; by Robert Galbraith; Narrated by Robert Glenister; Hachette Audio

Robert Glenister’s narration is very well done he does both male and female voices very well; he also had a lot of different kinds English accents which were well done.

AND THE WINNER IS…….

January LaVoy for Missing You, I thought she was the perfect choice for this book. I know Sleepless Reader and I disagree on this one and it was a tough call between Glenister & LaVoy but none of the other books brought out the emotion of the book the way January LaVoy did and for that reason she is my winner.

Good Luck to all Nominees!

Until the End of the World by,Sarah Lyons Fleming narrated by, Julia Whelan ~~ArmchairAudies

Until the End of the World (Until the End of the World #1) by Sarah Lyons Fleming narrated by, Julia Whelan

Podium Publishing

Nominated for an Audie in the Sole Female Narration Category

Julie Whelan’s narration is well done, I enjoyed her many female voices, however at times her male voices muddled together, especially when Nelly and John are talking and Nelly’s accent isn’t as pronounced I wasn’t sure which man was talking. I did enjoy her narration very much as I always do and love her regular talking voice, and the whininess of Anna was good and not overdone to be annoying, well any more annoying the character of Anna is!

I never thought I would be a fan of zombies until The Walking Dead came out actually I didn’t even watch the first season until it was on Netflix then I was hooked. However I haven’t read many zombie books, so this probably wouldn’t have been a book I would have picked up on my own but thanks to the Armchair Audies I had the pleasure of listening to this one. I mention The Walking Dead because this has the same feel to it, in that you care about the group and you want them all to survive.

This is so much more than a zombie book though, it is about survival. This group of people is lucky to have Cassie, her parents were preppers so she has some skills and also a cabin full of food and anything they need to survive but first they need to get there. The group consists of Cassie her now ex-boyfriend Peter (Yes, Cassie picked the day the world fell apart to break up with him), her two best friends Nelly and Penny and Penny’s bratty little sister Anna. And some people they encounter along the way. (No Spoilers) There are some safe havens and one happens to be run by Cassie’s ex-fiancé Adrian, but she broke his heart and isn’t sure he’d want to see her anyway  and besides they are doing okay at her parents cabin right??!!?? Well it is the zombie apocalypse and things don’t always go as you want or expect them to.

The characters in this book are very well written, you want to cheer for a couple, and smack a couple others but as a whole you want this group to survive even the ones that need to grow up and stop making things worse for everyone. I am completely hooked on this series and will be continuing on (in fact I am listening to the novella ‘So Long Lollipops’ right now) because I need to know where they go from here and if they ever figure out how to get rid of the zombies and what life will become after the end of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book both the great writing and wonderful narration will keep you captivated all the way through. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Walking Dead fan.

4 ½ Stars 

SUMMER SHORTS ’14 BLOG HOP FEATURING TANYA EBY

SUMMER SHORTS ’14 BLOG HOP FEATURING Tanya Eby

I am so happy to be participating in Going Public’s Summer Shorts ’14 , promoted by Spoken Freely, a group of more than 40 professional narrators. They have teamed with Going Public, and Tantor Media to offer Summer Shorts ’14, an audio collection of poetry, short stories and essays. All proceeds from sales of the collection will go to ProLiteracy, a national literacy outreach and advocacy organization. (See the end of this post for more information on this program)

This year I had the pleasure of getting to know a new to me narrator Tanya Eby who was nice enough to answer all my questions and offer a giveaway to any book she has narrated (details at the end of the post).

Tanya Eby is an Audie-nominated narrator. AudioFile Magazine said "Listening to Tanya Eby is like listening to a full-cast recording". She has a BA in English language and literature and an MFA in creative writing. Besides narrating, Tanya blogs, and works on her own novels. She has published four novels and is at work on her fifth.

Free Listen: The Girl at the Gate, by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Bonus Track: The Perfect Neighbor, by Tanya Eby

Story Summary:

This is a fun little story about a man on his deathbed, young love, and a ghostly encounter.

Let’s get to know Tanya:

Did you get to pick your short story or did Xe assign them? If yes, What made you choose this story?

Xe gave us total freedom in choosing a piece we wanted to read. I decided right away that I wanted to read an L.M. Montgomery short story. She wrote the Anne of Green Gables series, which was a huge influence on me growing up. Also, I’ve narrated a lot of steamy romances and mysteries, and I wanted to do something that my kids could listen to (if they ever wanted to). It’s a bonus that it’s a little ghost story.

Let’s get the routine questions out of the way first…

How did you get started in audiobooks?

I was a Theater and English major in college. When I was having trouble figuring out a text, I’d read it out loud and suddenly the characters would come to life for me. I got into doing radio commercials for extra cash while finishing up school and trying to figure out what to do with my life. Eventually, I heard that some actor friends were narrating. I recorded a demo, sent it to companies, made wishes to the fairies, and was miraculously cast.

What was your first book?

Oh my gosh! Can you believe I don’t remember? I think it was a Debbie Macomber book. All I remember was that the first time I narrated a full book, I was completely exhausted after the first day. My voice was hoarse and my dinner was a big bowl of soup followed by an even bigger bowl of ice cream. When I finished the book after three days of non-stop talking, I cried with relief. Then I asked when I could do it again.

I see you are also an Author, which do you prefer writing or narrating?

I love storytelling in general. In writing, I get to build a different world and kind of shape things as I go. In narrating, I slip inside a world that’s already created and explore characters. They’re both really satisfying. My own work doesn’t sell as much as I’d like, but ah well. I keep trying. It will be great if I can keep doing both. 

Can you give us a scoop on any upcoming books you are especially excited about? Can be a book you are writing or one you are narrating or both.

There’s a book coming out in July called “Expecting” by Ann Lewis Hamilton. It’s funny, heartwarming, bittersweet, and has fantastic characters.

My book “Tunnel Vision &Other Stories From The Edge” was just released. It’s a novella narrated by Mikeal Narramore and then it also has two short stories I narrated. They’re dark stories. I guess I was exploring my dramatic side. My other work is comedic.

I enjoyed listening to your narrations on your website and your blog is a hoot I highly recommend everyone checking it out. I see you also have a food blog how did that come about?

Oh, thanks! I do a bunch of weird little stuff. I’m a foodie and I like to think I’m funny. When I’m not working on book stuff, I’m in the kitchen. My newest food blog is “Dips, Balls and Logs Blog” mostly because I laugh every time I say the title. It’s food for quirky people. You know, my soul mates. 

Thank-you so much for joining me and thanks to Xe Sands for asking me to join in the fun!

And thanks for the great questions!

I’d like to offer a giveaway. The winner can choose whichever book I’ve narrated on Audible for an instant download. There are all sorts of genres to choose from. Or they could choose a book narrated by my saucy doppelgänger “Tatiana Sokolov”.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The entire collection Summer Shorts ’14 is available at Tantor Media.

Past post:

6/27  A Discussion with Author Jane Cawthorne and Narrator Dawn Harvey @ My Books, My Life

Upcoming

6/28   Tish Hicks, How They Broke Away to Go to the Rootabaga Country, by Carl Sandburg @ Going Public

6/29   Karen White, Sharks and Seals, by Susanna Daniel @ Every Day I Write the Book

6/30    Xe Sands, Virtue of the Month, by Kathleen Founds @ The Oddiophile

About the Program

The audiobook community is giving back! Spoken Freely, a group of more than 40 professional narrators, has teamed with Going Public andTantor Media to celebrate June is Audiobook Month (JIAM) by offering Summer Shorts ’14, an audio collection of poetry, short stories and essays. All proceeds from sales of the collection will go to ProLiteracy, a national literacy outreach and advocacy organization.

Throughout June 2014, 1-2 stories, poems and essays will be released online each day via Going Public, as well as on various author and book blogs. As a “Thank you!” to listeners, pieces will be available for free online listening on their day of release. As a bonus for those who purchase the full collection from Tantor Media in support of ProLiteracy, there are over 20 additional tracks only available via the compilation download. Full release schedule on the Speak Freely page.

ProLiteracy, the largest adult literacy and basic education membership organization in the nation, advocates on behalf of adult learners and the programs that serve them, provides training and professional development, and publishes materials used in adult literacy and basic education instruction. ProLiteracy has 1,000 member programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and works with 52 nongovernmental organizations in 34 developing countries. Its publishing division, New Readers Press (NRP), has for more than 40 years provided educators with the instructional tools they need to teach adult students and older teens literacy skills for functioning in the world today. Materials are available in a variety of media, including the flagship publication, the weekly news source News for You, which delivers articles online with audio. Proceeds from sales of NRP materials support literacy programs in the U.S. and worldwide.

Summer Shorts ’14 is made possible by the efforts of the Spoken Freely narrators and many others who donated their time and energy to bring it to fruition. Post-production, marketing support and publication provided by Tantor Media. Graphic design provided by f power design. Project coordination and executive production provided by Xe Sands. Nonprofit partnership coordination provided by Karen White.