WritingMyHeart: audiobook

Showing posts with label audiobook. Show all posts

Hello!

This week I'm back with an audiobook review, yes you read that correctly. The wonderful author Albion Byrd reached out to me to review his horror audiobook, and I have lots to say! Albion himself is impressively producing the entire audiobook, from writing to recording and it's done brilliantly.

Firstly, let's give a little story synopsis. Skandinavien is an episodic horror audiobook that follows the life of Conrad, who lives a life of solitude in an ancient windmill in a remote area of Scandinavia. What's so interesting about Conrad, is that he has zero memory of being a functional cog in the machine we call society. Conrad's day job is disposing of dead bodies. We follow the story of how important politician Albert Finz winds up on Conrad's autopsy slab. It's a story of discovery, the unravelling of truths, and intense drama.

The first instalment includes three parts, and predominantly follows Albert and the crooked things he gets up to as a politician. The instalment is 18 chapters long including the beginning and end credits, it's about an hour long and is voiced by Albion and Jane Banks.

The element I enjoyed the most was the sound effects that were added to the narrative, it really made the story feel more intense. It felt like I was listening to a film. This first instalment of the series was a brilliant introduction to the series and it ends with a cliffhanger. I'd like to see more of Conrad in the upcoming parts as his characters fascinated me the most. Equally, it will be interesting to see how Albert winds up dead.

As a writer myself, I struggle with dialogue and I am in awe of how effectively Albion uses dialogue to push the narrative. It feels natural and every word is necessary. There's a great balance of narrator-to-character dialogue.

Prior to listening to Albion's audiobook, I had only ever read horror books, however, this has changed the entire experience for me. Listening feels similar to watching a horror film, and I now prefer listening to a horror book to reading one. It makes the atmosphere more intense and brings the narrative to life more.

Since listening, I have reached out to Albion for some extra information about the series. The next instalment is currently in production and will be released in the next six months. I'm very excited to continue following the story.

You can access Skandinavien via most audiobook platforms!

Skandinavien

Monday 7 November 2022

Hello!

This week I would like to discuss my thoughts on the world of audiobooks. My own opinion of audiobooks has definitely changed since they brought back into mainstream social media.

Having done a little research on the topic, I found that the first audiobook emerged in 1932. I didn't know this, personally, I had never heard of an audiobook till the emerge of audible back when I used to watch YouTubers as a teenager (Eg Tyler Oakley, Marcus Butler, Sawyer Hartman etc). At the time I wasn't phased by them, I was young and had zero interest in a subscription service for books, not when I could go to a library and read my little heart out.

This is somewhat still my opinion. Fast forward to doing an English degree and simply not having the time to read chunky ass books. I didn't want to subscribe to something for books still but thanks to good ole YouTube I found the big texts on there. Since finishing my degree I have found life happens and I am not able to always sit down and delve into an actual book so I have found myself on YouTube again. This time I look for books that perhaps I wouldn't usually pick up in a bookshop, for example, Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking - I am no Star Wars fan but I had heard a lot about this iconic star so I gave her book a go. I got the pleasure of finding a version she herself readout. This was the start and now I have listened to 10+ books this year!

Don't get me wrong I am not about to throwback all my books (I could never) I still very much love reading a physical copy of a book and there is no other feeling like it, but audiobooks do allow me to do other stuff. That is essentially the top and bottom of it.

As I have left University I still want to read as much of the literary canon as possible, and sometimes the novels aren't as exciting as they lead you to believe. I try and listen to one literary book a month just to add to my read list. I am currently listening to William Golding's Lord of the Flies! Not many chapters but it's 7 hours listening time in total. I am enjoying this one quite a bit, the reader does the most amusing voices for different characters.

To finish this post off, it is a big YAY for me with audiobooks! Maybe this isn't the case for you. What is your opinion? If you are an audiobook lover like myself, what are you currently listening to?

My Thoughts on: Audiobooks.

Thursday 29 October 2020

Last Sunday I went out for my daily exercise and found myself snapping away at nature with the camera. The usually busy streets empty. Busy with blossoms and nature showing her true colours. I set out with a book in my pocket and my soul in need of revival. Lockdown hasn’t been easy if I’m honest I’ve found it hard. I needed a break. It wasn't far from home, but it was enough. I explored nature and fell in love with photography again.

I took a book out with me, I usually take a notebook but I have been trying to read more recently. I have been buying new books to be delivered and they have been contributing to my dissertation as well as my personal reading. I am trying to use books to go places if that makes sense?

The world is in a bizarre moment and sometimes it is difficult to understand and feel okay. These times are not normal so trying to make a normal can be challenging. Everyone is using this time for themselves and doing different things, myself I have been trying to take comfort in my books. Majority of which is in my student house and I could only bring dissertation books back home with me. With good old Amazon, kindle and audiobooks I have been trying to keep up with reading. I am working on some book reviews too, which I am excited to show you. Books have been the thing I am clinging to during this pandemic. What have you been doing to cope? If you're not coping so well please reach out.

Books and Blossoms

Tuesday 28 April 2020

Hello!

I am back and I have been reading some very lovely books this month. The last day of the month (every month) I will be sharing a list of all the books I have read that month and will be rating them out of 5 stars! You will recognise a couple from my reviews! I don't want to post a review for every book I've read, just because sometimes the books are short or that I don't have a lot to say about them. I do share reviews for the books I think you guys would be more interested in! So let's get started:

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote - ★★★★
Diamond Guitar - Truman Capote - ★★★
Faithless - Brian Azzarello - ★★★★★
Memory of Christmas - Truman Capote - ★★★
House of Flowers - Truman Capote - ★★
Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - ★★★★
Woman of no Importance - Oscar Wilde - ★★

I have read and listened to some pretty amazing books this month! I am going into February reading Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith and Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking read by Carrie Fisher herself! A very interesting start to February. If you want to know more about the books I have read this month comment below and we can have a chat!

Rating the books I have read this month

Friday 31 January 2020

The story was published in 1911, the author of The Secret Garden is Frances Hodgson Burnett. the film I watched as a child was released in 1993. Reading the story in 2020 it still feels relevant. A timeless story, one of beauty and nature.

I loved the film as a child, I’ve always wanted to read the book. I found it as an audiobook free on YouTube to listen to here is the link: https://youtu.be/Yx_GpxQvi5E. The story to listen to is 7 hours and 40 minutes long, it sounds daunting but once you really get into it you don't notice the time. It took me about 5 days to listen to the entire thing.

I have been finding it easier listening to books, especially when I’m bathing, cleaning or even editing videos for my YouTube channel. Listening to this book, in particular, has been so therapeutic, I really enjoyed all of the different characters and voices especially the Yorkshire ones. I often found myself grinning at the dialogue. I really enjoyed reading this one. I would really recommend this book, the description of nature and the garden was stunning to listen to. I was sad when it came to an end.

The Secret Garden is a story of a little girl called Mary, she moves from India, due to the death of her family, to England. She moves into the house if her uncle, as the story unfolds you see her transform from a bratty kid to a lovely young girl. Whilst her time at Misselthwaite Manor she discovers the secret garden, a place that belongs to her uncle’s dead wife. During the story Mary finds her cousin hidden away in the mansion, and you see him through the help of Mary, Dicken and the garden you see him grow as a person.

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