The Summer 2004 Book Sense Top Ten Audiobook Picks

May 13, 2004

Here are the Summer 2004 Book Sense Top Ten Audiobook Picks. The selections are based on the nominations of independent booksellers nationwide, and pads of Top Ten fliers for customers were included in the May Red Box mailing to independent booksellers in the Book Sense program. June is National Audiobook Month, and, along with the Top Ten titles, the flier includes a promotional message from the Audio Publishers Association.

Book Sense sends a very big thank you to all the booksellers who sent in such knowledgeable, engaging, and insightful nominations for this great list. These are superb titles to promote to your customers who listen while driving, gardening, exercising, housecleaning, cooking, and more.

For a downloadable PDF of the flier, click here.

1. THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME: A Novel, by Mark Haddon (Recorded Books, Unabridged CD, $24.99, 1402568851) "Author Mark Haddon and narrator Jeff Woodman do an extraordinary job of bringing 15-year-old Christopher Boone to life. Christopher has Asperger's Syndrome, and he is a distinctive narrative voice. And that is why Woodman's reading is so perfect -- he makes Christopher's actual voice as unique as his character and his story. This is the best book I have ever listened to." --Laura Lucy, White Birch Books, North Conway, NH

2. THE CURVE OF THE WORLD: A Novel, by Marcus Stevens (Highbridge, Abridged CD, $29.95, 1565116348) "The book is a real page-turner, and the audiobook is just as gripping. From the first scene, when a jet falls out of the sky into the Congolese rainforest with the protagonist aboard, until an African child saves the day, you won't want to stop driving until it's over." --Bill Reed, Misty Valley Books, Chester, VT

3. ERAGON: The Inheritance, Book I, by Christopher Paolini (Listening Library, Unabridged Cassette, $39.95, 0807219622) "My family and I listened to Eragon -- the story of a young boy who discovers a dragon hatchling -- during 17 hours of vacation driving, and I wish the trip had taken one more hour. When I got home, I rushed in and read the rest of the book, and my sons rushed in and listened to the final hour of the audiobook. Time passed too quickly while listening to Eragon!" --Scott Meyer, Merritt Books, Millbrook, NY

4. THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality, by Brian Greene (Random House Audio, Abridged CD, $29.95, 0739309269) "The Fabric of the Cosmos offers a history of, and the current thinking in, the field of cosmology. From Newton to superstrings, sometimes my head hurt from trying to understand these complex ideas, but my eyes were spared." --Terry Whittaker, Viewpoint of Columbus, Columbus, IN

5. GOOD GRIEF: A Novel, by Lolly Winston (Time Warner Audio Books, Abridged CD, $23.98, 1586216953) "The audiobook edition of Good Grief is wonderful! Narrator Amanda Foreman makes the central character, Sophie Stanton, so real you think she is at your kitchen table confessing how she prefers to self-medicate with frozen waffles. The story is funny, sad, touching, and so very human that I found myself driving home with a tissue in hand and a silly grin on my face. It's very tempting to go sit in the car in the garage just to hear more." --Lois Powers, The Toadstool Bookshop, Milford, NH

6. THE LADY AND THE UNICORN: A Novel, by Tracy Chevalier (Penguin Audio, Unabridged CD, $34.95, 0142800341) "This extraordinary story comes to life spoken by Robert Blumenfeld and Terry Donnelly. Blumenfeld reads the part of the arrogant 15th century painter Nicolas des Innocents and leaves listeners feeling as if they truly can understand him better. A fabulous book to read, an even better one to listen to!" --Susie Weaver, Broad Street Books, Portsmouth, VA

7. LOVE: A Novel, by Toni Morrison (Random House Audio, Unabridged Cassette, $29.95, 0739307495) "The audiobook editon of Toni Morrison's Love -- the story of a number of women obsessed with hotel owner Bill Cosey -- is read by the author, and it is not to be missed." --Carole Horne, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA

8. ORCHARD: A Novel, by Larry Watson (Recorded Books, Unabridged Cassette, $29.99, 1402563582) "Through the reading of narrator George Guidall, the stark prose of the author comes to life. Watson's story of two couples in rural Wisconsin in the 1950s paints a good picture of the upper Midwest." --Sue Kowalski, The Bookstore, Glen Ellyn, IL

9. THIS JUST IN: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV, by Bob Schieffer (Recorded Books, Unabridged Cassette, $34.99, 1402536321) "Bob Schieffer's book tells his remarkable life story, including the many fascinating people he has met during his career as a journalist. Beginning with the aftermath of Kennedy's assassination and continuing to 9/11, Schieffer has a unique, insider's view, and the audiobook is like a mini-course in American history. It deservedly belongs at the top of any recommendation list." --Elizabeth Hamilton, Portland State Bookstore, Portland, OR

10. THE TRUE AND OUTSTANDING ADVENTURES OF THE HUNT SISTERS: A Novel, by Elisabeth Robinson (Time Warner Audio Books, Unabridged Cassette, $29.98, 1586215868) "This epistolary novel tells the story of Olivia Hunt, as she writes to a wide variety of people -- her sister, boyfriend, Hollywood execs, and her parents. The narrator's voice in this production is perfect -- the author even comments at the end of the audiobook that she felt the book was a perfect listen, and I can't agree more." --Suzanne Droppert, Liberty Bay Books, Poulsbo, WA

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