Plus Great Suggestions for Your Audiobook Collection
By
Dora Machado
I love to listen to a good story. I find it comforting,
relaxing and fun to hide in a quiet corner, plug in my headset, and bask in the
wonders of a great tale. My love affair with audiobooks probably began early on
as a child, when my parents shared their love for books by reading aloud to me.
I remember thinking that it was such a treat! I then read to my own children
and relished our time together. Reading aloud to our children is not just fun; it’s also a loving gift and a lasting legacy. Look at me. I’m still craving the
story that the voice tells. Or is it the voice that tells the story?
I am pleased to bring you today my interview with the founder of Audibookjungle.com, Mihail
Abadzhiev, Mike, as his online friends like to call him. Audiobookjungle.com
is one of only a handful of sites dedicated exclusively to audiobooks. I
discovered this new site by accident, when my publicist submitted Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone Audible
edition for review. It's packed with helpful reviews, discussions, articles and
tips for audiobook addicts. So if, like me, you love to listen to your books as
you commute to work, wash the dishes or before you turn in for the night, don’t
miss http://audiobookjungle.com.
Hi Mike, welcome to MB4! Tell us a little bit about
yourself. How did you become a reviewer, when did you start audibookjungle.com
and why audiobooks?
I started my blog just a few months ago and it has been
quite fun so far. I just wanted to create a place where I can talk about all
the audiobooks I'm listening to and inspire others to read more or find their
next favorite book. There's just so much awesomeness in audiobooks. They make
reading a different experience and put it in entirely different context. That
makes them not only very enjoyable but also useful.
What advantages/disadvantages do audiobooks have over
print or e-books?
Reading in general comes down to personal preference, but
one undeniable advantage of audiobooks over print or e-books is convenience. I
could be listening to a book as I'm typing this answer right now. Well, maybe
not, but in situations where my hands are occupied and my mind is free, audiobooks
are perfect. Walking in the park, driving, cleaning the house – why not immerse
yourself in a good story while getting things done? Can't do that with your
Kindle!
Also, the books I've read in audiobook form somehow feel
more real. It's like your favorite childhood stories your parents read to you
in bed – you still remember them and they feel special and dear to you. There's
just something almost tribal and primal about one human telling a story to
another and it feels great.
Now, there are some disadvantages to this type of reading.
You lose the opportunity to imagine how the characters sound like, is their
voice deep or not, etc. Another thing which I discovered when I started writing
reviews was, I didn't know how to spell characters' names or places (that's
really awkward with fantasy novels) because I only heard the narrator's
pronunciation, which results in me having to constantly look up things online
to make sure I'm spelling them correctly.
Wow. You are absolutely right! I never thought about that
before, but it would take some research to find out the spelling for the
characters' names and such. What's the difference between reviewing an
audiobook and reviewing a print book?
Reviewing an audiobook is, in my opinion, reviewing an
entirely different work of art from the original. I could read a book in print
and rate it as mediocre then listen to it on audio and rave about how awesome
it is. They're different reading experiences and as such they have different
properties I expect to find. For audiobooks, the narrator in most cases makes
or breaks the final result. That's why I make sure to mention how the
narrator's performance affected me while listening.
Does a great book always make for a great audiobook?
Well, nobody would want to listen to the Encyclopedia
Britannica, right? I think that all fiction and a big portion of the
non-fiction books are well suited to be read on audio. Then there are the
instances where a great book gets done perfectly as an audiobook and it's just
magical. No better word for it.
How do you decide which audiobooks to review?
Well, I review the ones I find interesting. I don't get them
just so I can review them – reading comes first, reviewing is second. I usually
read the blurb and if it sounds intriguing I'll pick it up. If I'm on the fence
I'll look for reviews online and see what others thought of it so I can get a
better idea if it's something I'd be into.
In your opinion, what makes for a great audiobook?
Hmm... You can't have a great audiobook without a great
story, so that's first and most important. Second is the narrator, of course –
his/her tone of voice, ability to convey emotions, genders, accents. As I
mentioned, a narrator can make or break a good audiobook experience but
ultimately it's a totally subjective thing. This is something I think isn't
mentioned enough but all of this falls as a responsibility on the audiobook
producer. He has to point the narrator in the right direction, make them
pronounce things certain ways and in general help them do their best. So, yeah,
the producer is another vital element.
What makes for a not-so-enjoyable audiobook?
Again, this comes down to personal preference but for me the
narration could stop me from enjoying an audiobook. The narrator could be
reading too fast or too slow, his accent may be too thick and hard to
understand. I've given up on audiobooks before just because the narration is
annoying me and it feels like I'm wasting my time.
Technical issues like missing chapters or parts of the story
are really annoying as well, but that happens very rarely anymore.
Here come the holidays, and people are going crazy
thinking about gifts. Do you have some great audiobook recommendations for us?
I like to read various types of books but my absolute favorite
is the sci-fi genre and I feel that's where I can give the best recommendation.
For younger people or any sci-fi fan really, I recommend the Ender's Game: Special 20th Anniversary
Edition. I've not listened to it yet but everybody says it's amazing. One
of my favorite audiobooks ever is Fuzzy
Nation by John Scalzi and narrated by Wil Wheaton. It has greedy
corporations, lawyers, humor and cute fluffy aliens. Just go check it out, it's
awesome! Going for a more cinematic feel or, as their tagline is “A movie in
your mind,” try GraphicAudio's Vatta's War series. It's a very high quality
production and really entertaining. That's three solid gift ideas for you right
there!
I'm not sure if this is a fair question, but I'll ask
anyway: What's your favorite audiobook of all time?
Oh, man... That's like asking a mother to pick a favorite
child! Well, if I had to choose just one, it would be The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfus. In my mind it's one of the
best fantasy stories ever written and the narration is flawless.
Thank you so much for chatting with us and thank you also
for giving us writers an insight into the mind of an audiobook reviewer. We
wish you much success with audiobookjungle.com.
To contact Mike:
Website:
audiobookjungle.com
E-mail: audiobookjungle@gmail.com
Facebook:
fb.com/audiobookjungle
Twitter:
@audiobookjungle
To Read Mike's Reviews, including his review of Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone: http://audiobookjungle.com/stonewiser-the-heart-of-the-stone-audiobook-review/
****
Dora Machado is the award-winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser
series and her newest novel, The Curse
Giver, available from Twilight Times Books. She grew up in the Dominican
Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for
Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds,
fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband
and three very opinionated cats.
To learn more about Dora
Machado and her novels, visit her website at www.doramachado.com or contact her at:
For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, visit: http://twilighttimesbooks.comthingsTheCurseGiver_ch1.html.
For a free sample of Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, Audible edition, visit: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Stonewiser-Audiobook/B00F52CJIY/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1379186069&sr=1-1
Great interview, guys!
ReplyDeleteI also LOVE audio books because I can listen while driving, doing housework, walking my dog, etc. And there's something about them that I find deeply inspiring--they make me want to run to the computer and write. So they can be an effective medicine against writer's blog.
Right now I'm listening to "Eat, Pray, Love," "The Power of Now," and I recently listened to Aaron's "Write Like the Wind" book 2 (I LOVED it and plan to review it soon).
If only they weren't so expensive. I think I should become one of those Audible premium members, I have to check what is it they offer.
Keep up the great work, Dora and Mihail!
Of course, I mean to say writer's "block" and not "blog" :-)
ReplyDeleteWonderful interview, Dora and Michael! In the past few years, I've become totally hooked on audio books. I love walking (3 plus miles every day) with a good story, then continuing the book while I drive to and from work, and then finally, when I go to bed, I listen til I fall asleep. I usually have to "back up" the story in the morning, but it's just so much wonderful...
ReplyDeleteMayra, I also become inspired to write by great audio books - I am especially moved by John D. MacDonald's books and Dick Francis's books read by Simon Prebble. Amazing stuff! (and thanks for the mention of my Write Like the Wind book!)
I also agree about the spelling - that's the only thing that drives me crazy, I have to look up the names so in my mind's eye I 'see' them when the narrator is speaking. ;o)
Happy listening!
You make a great point about audiobooks as a source of inspiration, Mayra. I never made the connection, but you are right! I think audiobooks help my eyes and brain to relax after a long day of writing. Aaron, your obsession is contagious! LOL. I think Mihail brings an awesome perspective to audiobook reviews. From now on, every time I submit an audiobook for review, I also plan to submit a sheet with character names to make it easier for reviewers. Thanks Mihail!
ReplyDelete