Episode 17: Year-end book review

On today's episode: Listening to an audiobook, as opposed to reading it in print, is a different experience. Not better or worse, just different. But how exactly does it differ? And how does that change the way we appreciate the story? Yes, we’re not done talking about this. Plus, later, Ted Cooper is here for Rapid-Fire review.

On today's episode: Did you read a book if you listened to the audiobook version? If you research this question online, you’ll find all sorts of opinion pieces, message boards, and social media posts that make it clear that people have strong feelings on both sides. Why is this such a contentious issue? Why is this seemingly innocuous question always striking such a nerve? There’s a lot at play here and we’re here to talk about it. Plus, later Ammer Khan, our very own audiobook curator is with us with this month’s batch of specially curated titles, just for you. That’s in the second half of the show.

On today's episode: First impressions matter, and the title of an audiobook is more than likely going to be the first thing you’ll react to when coming across a potential next read. Sometimes that title is intriguing. Sometimes it’s confusing. Sometimes it sounds dumb as hell. The point is, that titles matter, and we’re prepared to break it down for you. We also have a list of silly, ridiculous, and cringy book titles. Plus, in the second half of the episode, we ask ourselves: is listening to a book the same as reading print?

On today's episode: The Romantasy genre has blown up in the past few years and Booktok is responsible. What is it about this genre that’s made it so irresistible to its ravenous fanbase? What’s the appeal? Why is it blowing up now? And how does Booktok wield so much influence? Karen McKay and Theresa Power of CELA are here to help us answer these questions. Plus, in the second half of the show, Sarah Hillis joins us to discuss the merits and pitfalls of celebrity narrators.

On today's episode: We’ve spoken in the past about the huge role audiobook producers have over the final product of a project. So many small decisions on their part come together to shape what we end up spending hours eagerly consuming. Our guest this week, Caleb Stoll, is the technical director of the audiobook program at Penguin Random House Canada. He’s involved in many of the stages of production for the audiobooks they produce out of their studios in Toronto. From the technical aspects of sound recording, engineering sessions and directing narrators, Caleb is well placed to shine some light on the behind the scenes of the audio book world.

A huge part of living the audio bookworm lifestyle is constantly seeking out your next read. That means taking tons of recommendations, be it from websites, close friends or coworkers. That said, not all recommendations are made equal. What is it that makes us take recommendations seriously? And how can we do better the next time we recommend an audiobook to our friends? Today we’re talking about the art of the book recommendation, and what better person to have for this discussion than our very own Audiobook curator, Aamer Khan? A little later, we’ll also get to the book club’s input on this topic.

Multi-Voice narration audiobooks offer a product that’s more like an engrossing old-school audio drama when done well. When done badly, though, they can be a disjointed mess of cringe, so say the haters. Sarah Hillis is here to help us break it down. Plus, Natasha Peters is our avid bookworm this week, and a rapid-fire review with Natasha is coming up in the 2nd half of the show.

We’re so excited to have one of our favorite audiobook narrators, Julia Whelan, on the show. Julia Whelan is an author, audiobook narrator of over 500 books, screenwriter and actress. Check out the two fantastic novels she's authored. Both are available on Audible and CELA with Julia's narration: My Oxford Year: https://celalibrary.ca/node/24026776 Thank You for Listening: https://celalibrary.ca/node/23968710 Here is an extensive list of her narration work available on Audible: https://www.audible.ca/search?searchNarrator=Julia+Whelan Her website: https://jmwhelan.com/

On today's episode: With 2023 behind us, Karen Mackay of CELA is here to help us break down the best and most notable audiobooks of the year. Plus, the voice of AMI-audio, Julia Bonett, is joining us as our avid audiobook listener this week.

The last book in the Harry Potter series was published back in 2007, over 15 years ago. That’s 15 years for the millions of fans around the world, including ourselves, to fully absorb the series and what it has to offer. We thought it would be a great time to have a deep dive discussion, giving our retrospective review of the series from a 2023 perspective. To help, we enlisted Grant Hardy, our colleague, producer on AMI's Kelly and Ramya and massive HP fan, to join us. We also get into the rollercoaster of reactions and comments the world has been expressing around the author of the Harry Potter universe, J.K. Rowling.