Media in 2009: Audiobooks
In the world of the internet, it seems that everyone likes to do these yearly wrap-ups and I am definitely one of those. If you have any suggestions of media that I should have picked up this year, let me know. I’m always interested!
Audiobooks
The Graveyard Book by Neal Gaiman
(via Audible.com)
Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book was my first book of the New Year and probably one of my favorites. Read by the author, it is the story of Bod, an orphan raised in a graveyard by ghosts after his parents murder. Despite the fantastical elements, it was a story about growing up and moving out of the safety of your family into the wider world. I know that Gaiman is acclaimed for his adult books ( American Gods. Sandman) but to me, his understanding of the complexities of adolescence is truly exceptional. Most “young adult” novels forget to respect their readers and forget that most young adults deal with tough issues in their short lives. I definitely enjoyed this book, and recommend it to anyone needing company on a long commute in 2010.
from JulieKenner.com
Tales of Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (books 1-5) by Julie Kenner
Orphaned and raised by the Vatican, Kate Connor spent the majority of her life hunting demons until she settled down, got married and moved to the suburbs. Then, things got really complicated. While the title is campy and definitely a spin off the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, I found the first five books of the series to be lighthearted and frankly fun books to listen to on my long commutes to and from work. Most of Kenner’s book seems to fly in the face of the majority of the “urban fantasy” genre that publishers have been pushing – the sexy, badass female with lone wolf tendencies and a wardrobe of leather clothing. A nice change from the dark, leather-clad fantasy I’d been reading in 2008.
via PC Cast.com
The House of Night Series (books 1-6) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
Zooey Redbird’s biggest problem at the start of the series was an upcoming geometry test that was going to fail the next day. On her way to her locker, she is Marked as a vampyre and sent to an elite boarding school for fledgling vampyres. Overall the series is well-written, the teenagers are realistically written (thanks Kristin Cast!) and it’s cool to see an author use Cherokee mythology as a basis for their world building. However, my main concern and the ONLY reason why I don’t recommend this book to teenagers is that there is heavy use of the word “slut” by the narrator in reference to herself and some other female characters, mostly the devious Aphrodite. Definitely a fun, interesting read that should be treated with caution.
I’ve read probably about an audibook a week for a year and didn’t keep the best track of them, but these were the standouts that I read. If I remember anymore, they’ll be up on my Good Reads page.
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