Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Reading with My Ears

Monday morning after BookExpo is always a day of mixed feelings. I'm already missing my friends, but I'm also happy to wake up at home. I'm sorry that today is not going to be a day full of book events, authors, publicists, and publishing companies, but I'm also ready to get back to work and everyday life.

Coming up this week: As you can imagine, I'll have one or two posts about BookExpo coming up later this week and into next. I'm not quite sure about the specifics, but expect round-ups of books I'm excited about.

What I read last week. June is Audiobook Month, so it's appropriate that I turned to audiobooks last week during my travels and my down time in New York. I managed to finish two books.

The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer (Touchstone; 2017): If you like art, historical fiction, time travel, and/or medieval Italy, you'll find a lot to like about this novel. Beatrice, a neurosurgeon, gets involved in finishing her late-brother's research into why Siena, Italy, was so hard hit by the plague and why it lost its political power to Florence during the 1300s. While reading the journal of a lesser-known painter, she finds herself transported back in time, where she witnesses firsthand the arrival of the Black Death, meets the painter, and has run-ins with the Medici family. I liked the book for its historical details and as pure escape reading. On the other hand, I couldn't help but compare it to the Outlander series and thus found The Scribe of Siena a little lacking. The plot was somewhat predictable, and although I enjoyed meeting the characters, I didn't form a lasting connection to them. The unabridged audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 16 hr, 12 min) was read by one my favorite narrators, Cassandra Campbell. Campbell's voice is always a pleasure to listen to: she is expressive, creates consistent characterizations, pronounces the Italian and Latin believably and with ease, and is easy to understand. Unfortunately, I could hear obvious breath noises during the first hour or two of the audiobook and almost gave up listening; the good news is that they eventually disappear and the rest of the production was well done.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman (Atria, 2017): I was hesitant to read Backman's newest novel because it was getting so much buzz; I was sure it could never live up to its reputation. Plus I heard it was about hockey, a sport I've watched but hardly follow. Thank god I ignored my doubts and gave this brilliant novel a try. Yes, it's about hockey, but it's really about families, loyalty, friendship, small towns, sexuality, gender equality, marriages, what sports heroes can get away with, and really so much more. I was so utterly taken up by this town and these people that I almost literally couldn't stop listening. I started the book on the train home from New York on Saturday morning and by Sunday late afternoon I had finished. Backman's writing is gorgeous: sparse, poetic, and powerful. The characters are fleshed out slowly, just the way they would be in real life: At first we know the superficial: she's a lawyer, he's a coach, she's a musician, he's a troublemaker. Then, as we get to known the town's citizens better, we begin to understand why they behave and react as they do, and we start to polish our opinions. The novel is emotional and tender, brutal and beautiful. (Kudos to translator Neil Smith, who did an amazing job.) Do not miss this book. The unabridged audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 13 hr, 11 min) was read by Marin Ireland, who totally nailed the novel. There is a specific verbal hook in this story, repeated throughout, that could have tripped up a lesser narrator, but Ireland gives it the perfect tone and emphasis. Not only are her characterizations pitch perfect but she hits that sweet spot of creating an emotionally charged atmosphere while still leaving the listener ample room to form her own reactions. I see awards in this audiobook's future.