Speaking Volumes

Any audiobook enthusiast will tell you the narrator can make or break a book. If you don't like the voice, nothing will save the story.

Barbara Rosenblat is one of my favorite narrators. She has recorded over 400 books and if you're a listener I can't imagine that you haven't come across something she has preformed. For me, she is Anna Pigeon, National Park Ranger and is as recognizable for this as the author of that series, Nevada Barr. When my co-workers and I attended BookExpo a few weeks back, a highlight of my day was getting a book signed by Barr, but the icing on the cake was having a 15 minute conversation with Rosenblat. What amazes me most is how distinctive her voice is in conversation, yet how easily she becomes the characters in the books. With small nuances you know when a character or scene changes and when a male or female is speaking. No small accomplishment. She has won numerous awards including this year’s Voice of Choice, Booklist Magazine’s recognition of lasting impact in the world of audiobook narration.

Among the many other narrations I've enjoyed are Frank McCourt's reading of Angela's Ashes and Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen) narrated by David Ledoux, and John Randolph Jones who give voice to the main character Jacob Jankowski. Superior!

Along the way there have also been some listens that didn't make the grade. It all had to do with a voice that didn't work for me, often grating on my nerves and frequently a male overdoing a female voice. That's surprising as most of my favorite narrators are men with the exception of Rosenblat.

Did you know narrators have their very own special awards? One of the most coveted awards is The Audie. Given by The Audio Publisher Association it is the only award devoted entirely to spoken word. Awards are given for several categories including Audiobook of the Year, Solo Narration by a Male or Female, Fiction, Non-fiction. There is also a hall of fame for narrators called The Golden Voices. It showcases those narrators who have shown a commitment to the craft and who have achieved excellence in spoken word production. You can view the 2009 audie winners and a list of Golden Voices by going to www.theaudies.com.

Saxton B. has a fine collection of audiobooks, in various formats, including our relatively new downloadable service (details can be found at www.columbiactlibrary.org). Of course, we can't have everything, so we're very willing to try to borrow your choice from an area library via interlibrary loan.

As we mark June as AudioBook Month, who gets your award for audiobook narration?