Tag: audiobooks

A picture of a hand giving a thumbs up. The hand is made of words, and the words "book review" are in pink in the middle, with all the other words in black
Posted in Reviews

Review: As You Wish by Cary Elwes

Posted on by Jennifer

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes

Recommended: Yes!!
For fans of The Princess Bride, for insight into a movie set and the process from before-start to twnety-years-after-finish, for the chance to listen to Cary Elwes’ soothing voice for about eight hours

Summary

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets and backstage stories.

With a foreword by Rob Reiner and a limited edition original poster by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, As You Wish is a must-have for all fans of this beloved film.

Thoughts

I have listened to, I think, 3 audiobooks in my life besides this one (and one I ended up switching to a printed copy about halfway through to finish). So I have no idea why I decided to grab the audiobook version of this book and start listening. However, I am so glad I did! This is basically exactly what I never knew I’d want in an audiobook. I suppose if I’m going to listen to one that isn’t narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Cary Elwes is a pretty good follow-up! And in honor of my successful audiobook foray, I voice-to-text wrote this review. 🙂

Cary narrates the majority of the book, as most stories are from his perspective. However, multiple other people who were involved in the movie include stories of their own, and their own perspectives on ones that carry tells. In the audiobook, most of them read their extracts and those who are unable to have a dedicated person to speak for them. This made it really easy to tell when it swapped, though they also said each person’s name before it was their words that came. It was really fun to hear everybody’s voices though, as it felt more like a group conversation and made it really engaging and almost interactive.

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Posted in A Picture's Worth

A Picture’s Worth: dark fantasy & light reality

Posted on by Jennifer

Words have always carried more weight with me than images – give me a book over its movie any day – but I do love to see the beautiful images other people create when they’re in love with a book. That’s not my strength, but I can certainly appreciate it in others! So here’s a few of my faves based on what I’ve been reading recently.

The Obsidian Tower

I was absolutely delighted when I was offered a copy of The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso after posting about how excited I was for its release. I’ve dived right in and am loving the rich world of magic so far! It’s a new release, but I’m excited to see some wonderful bookstagram posts for it already. ^.^

Such a dramatic and striking cover on this one! The details of it are impressive, and the flurry of items in this one complements it so well.

Continue reading “A Picture’s Worth: dark fantasy & light reality” →
Posted in Book Talk, Chatty

I finally found a way to enjoy audiobooks!

Posted on by Jennifer

I have struggled for so long to listen to audiobooks. At this point, I have finished only a handful. It’s due to what I imagine is a common problem for people: I’m not sure what to do while I listen to a book.

The attempts

If I listen before going to bed, I fall asleep and lose my place in the morning when it’s hours ahead. If I listen while cooking, I inevitably get distracted and mess up amounts for the recipe. If I listen while exercising (on a jog, for example) my headphones constantly fall out, or I eventually can’t hear it over my own wheezing breaths.

I really struggle to find ways to make it work, but I so want to! There are some that are truly incredible. Stefan Rutnicki is a godsend for narration, and he has made Orson Scott Card novels that I love even better, which seems like it should be impossible. There’s a copy of Lord of the Rings that someone recorded just for fun, and it’s amazing. It has a musical soundtrack, different character voices, and sound effects. It’s so immersive that it was a rare one where I didn’t lose focus!

The solution

I play online role playing games. It’s my other main hobby after reading. Sometimes in those games, I fly around gathering resources (farming) to use for crafting or to sell for gold. It’s a pretty easy, mindless thing to do.

This weekend, I made the revealing combination of farming while listening to an audiobook of The Joy Luck Club and wouldn’t you know IT WAS AMAZING. The narrator did a great job, and the book itself is fantastic, so those played into the success of this strategy. But I took two kind of mindless things and combined them to make a wonderful wholly entertaining item. I get to read and hear a story while also relaxing and farming gold. There is no downside to this, and I’m elated that I can finally enjoy audiobooks consistently!

Plus it makes me feel so productive. I’m not just gaming, I’m reading. I’m not just reading, I’m making gold.