Talking books Literature to listen to

In association with the 28.06.08 | | The 40 best audiobooks selected by our expert panel Book Marketing Society 40 audiobooks: fiction

Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks, Read by Samuel West (Random House) Tell me a story I somehow never got round to reading Birdsong when it was first published, and for that I am now grateful because I would have missed Samuel West’s wonderfully moving performance of this classic tale Listening to someone read is a captivating experience, which can illuminate set during the first world war. LH the most opaque books. It might just change your world, says Sue Arnold

hy do people buy audio The Broker, John Grisham, Read by books? For Dennis Boutsikaris (Random House) t h e s a m e I always prefer to listen to John Grisham’s novels reason they rather than read them as there is something about his watch colour fast-paced, multi-character, plot-twist narratives that Wrather than black and white televi- just work so perfectly as an audiobook. This latest sion perhaps. A great voice reading non-legal thriller is impeccably read by award-winning a good book really does achieve audiobook performer Boutsikaris. LH what those supermarket promo- tions for breakfast promise: “30% more flavour, 40% more fruit”. Of course, you don’t believe a The Curious Incident of the Dog in The word of it, it’s a marketing gim- Night-time, Mark Haddon, Read by Ben mick and, anyway, unless you are Tibber (Random House) the sort of saddo who actually Christopher Boone is a 15-year-old mathematical counts the strawberries in a muesli genius, but also suffers a form of autism. He hates packet, how could you prove it? But yellow, can’t relate to other kids and really misses his when you see on the back of one of mum. Then one morning he finds his dog dead and his Michelle Paver’s bestselling Chron- entire world changes. Beautifully written, stunningly icles of Ancient Darkness that it’s read, a story to wring the hardest heart. SA read by Ian McKellen, you know exactly what you are going to get: more colour, more flavour and Gan- Death Message , Mark Billingham, read by dalf’s inimitable voice bringing to Robert Glenister (Hachette) life the richly atmospheric descrip- Robert Glenister’s Tom has accompanied me through tions of the rites, rituals and mys- my 30s; he’s tired, pissed off and the only thing teries of an ancient civilisation. keeping him going is the desire to keep kicking against It’s often a bit of a struggle con- the pricks. The energy of this recording just zings out vincing the uninitiated that certain of the speakers. It’s gritty, dirty and absolutely human, books are more easily understood and I can’t wait for the next one. Addiction is a filthy through your ears than your eyes. habit, but entirely justified with this series. JF Take Proust, and before you come back with a heartfelt “no thanks, I’d sooner submit to bowel surgery in Dissolution, CJ Sansom, read by Anton the woods with a stick”, let me say Lesser (Macmillan) that I used to feel the same. I proba- Matthew Shardlake, the crooked-back lawyer, bly made as many attempts to read experiences at first hand the viciousness and tragedy À la recherche du temps perdu as that accompany Henry VIII’s reshaping of religion in Mark Twain made to give up smok- . A commissioner overseeing the closure of a ing, but page after page of those monastery is brutally murdered and Shardlake is sent interminable sentences always to investigate. A mix of serious history and its political brought me to my knees. Was lit- context, together with first-rate murder mystery. KN erature meant to be this difficult? Was it worth hacking through acres of Marcel’s impenetrable jungle to Exit Music , Ian Rankin, read by James find those legendary madeleines? MacPherson (Orion) Then I heard the audio version The king of maverick cops thrashes the old-school of Swann’s Way read by John Rowe competition. With no let-up in the pressure inside and everything changed. It made Rebus’s head, MacPherson gives us the best sense, in fact it was wonderful, the performance yet and proves that one reader does not more wonderful because someone mean one monologue — each character is given their else was doing the hacking, the hard own voice which makes this dramatic. It’s a rollicking work. Listening to rather than read- good listen. JF ing Proust is like paying someone to chop the firewood. All you have to do is sit back in your chair and The Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien, warm your feet in the glow. Sur- read by full cast (BBC) prise yourself, amaze your family, The Fellowship of the Ring has never been bettered impress your friends. Plug in and than in this superb BBC adaptation, recorded in 1981, switch on Finnegan’s Wake, A Brief with Ian Holm playing a magnificently valiant Frodo History of Time, Paradise Lost and and Bill Nighy a marvellous Samwise Gamgee. Michael all those other impossible books Above: John Rowe’s recorded for hours by signal failure in Dagen- crackling sound as if Andrew Sachs Horden is brilliant as Gandalf — and it’s impossible to you’ve tried but failed to finish. version of Swann’s Way by Marcel ham East. Instead of listening to or Sean Barratt or whoever was write about this without using superlatives. A feast for Print ties you down; when you’re Proust (top) transports the reader people complaining, weeping, reading it, had choked on a fish the ears! KN reading a book you can’t do any- to the very heart of this notoriously hyperventilating, I could have been bone, then silence broken only by thing else. An audiobook allows impenetrable masterpiece quietly listening to Ian Rankin’s curses as you tried vainly to untan- you to multitask. You could be Top photo: Getty. Above: Sarah Lee last Rebus story Exit Music, Ben gle the twisted strands of magnetic Flashman on the March, George listening to Anthony Beevor’s bril- Macintyre’s brilliant Agent Zigzag tape from your machine. The move MacDonald Fraser, read by Toby Stephens liant The Battle for Spain or The or, best of all, Richard Burton and to CDs made a big difference except (HarperCollins) Ghost by Robert Harris as you’re cast reading Under Milk Wood. for those tiresome, brittle boxes The reluctant Flashman undertakes a perilous mission painting the spare room, cooking, To paraphrase Norman Stone — they come in which crack under a into deepest Abyssinia in the late 1860s, where his clearing out the garage, fishing, “in four years the world went from hard stare or the weight of a care- mastery of lechery, treachery and amazing good slogging along the West Highland 1870 to 1940” from his latest book lessly dropped biscuit. And then luck will be put to the ultimate test. Toby Stephens Way or driving to Cornwall. World War One: A Short History — suddenly my world changed. I went manages to capture perfectly the range of characters Ever since I introduced a non- in the 20 or so years that I have been to an audiobook conference and that populate this extraordinary adventure. JHe believer to the virtues of audio- listening to them, the technology heard the magic word “download”. books she actually looks forward of audiobooks has evolved from the Now, instead of my usual mountain to going to the gym every morn- wheel to the space shuttle. In the of holiday books — histories, biog- Great Expectations, Charles Dickens, ing. Thanks to the hours she now bad old days, you needed a back- raphies, classics, memoirs, novels read by Anton Lesser (Naxos) spends working out while simulta- pack to bring three audio Aga sagas (unabridged wherever possible — I A cleverly abridged version of the tale in which an neously engrossed in the romantic home from the library. That was prefer my authors uncut), I take just unknown benefactor’s bequest allows young Philip and military strategies of War and when they were on old-fashioned one small player no bigger than a Pirrip to escape his humble background, though his Peace (67 and a half hours una- Then I heard John cassettes in plastic boxes that could packet of 10 Silk Cut. It holds eight newfound great expectations only manage to bring bridged) she has lost five kilos and Rowe’s audio version double as cabin trunks. books (total running time around him sorrow. A classic novel of self-discovery, brilliantly her muscle definition, she claims, is Portability aside, cassettes had 110 hours) downloaded from the read by Lesser. JHo as good as Jason Statham’s. I never of Swann’s Way and other snags. Invariably, just as the internet. Downloading takes a bit leave home without my Discman. it made sense. In fact plot was nicely thickening on side of practice, but it’s the way forward. I’ve been caught short before on 22 of, say, Val McDermid’s new Space-wise it works out at about lightless tube trains, immobilised it was wonderful thriller there would be a strange 2cm a book. How clever is that? The Life of Pi, Yann Martel, read by Kerry Shale (HarperCollins) Listeners have clearly responded to this recording by Editor Pas Paschali Subeditor Dale Berning Picture editor Tracey Tomlin Production Steve Coady Judging panel for the 40 best audiobooks (priced £15rrp or less), based on the Canadian Shale and to the spiritual themes content, reading and production values: Sue Arnold, audio literary editor, the Guardian; Ruth Atkins, fiction buyer, Borders; Jo Forshaw, chair, Audiobook Publishers Association; of this Booker prize-winner as it has been a consistent Jo Henry, managing director, Publishing News; Jo Howard, chair, Book Marketing Society; Laurence Howell, senior book manager, Amazon.co.uk; Kati Nicholl, audio abridger and bestseller since publication. Pi is the small Indian boy reviewer; Rodney Troubridge, fiction marketing planner, Waterstone’sProduced for Guardian Plus, a commercial division of Guardian News & Media, to a brief agreed with the who survives shipwreck and sails across the ocean Book Marketing Society Paid for by the Book Marketing Society Contact Kate Small at Guardian Plus on 020-7713 4123. All editorial content commissioned by the Guardian. with only a tiger for company. RT 12a Fiction 2 Onesthat got away Non-fiction, poetry, plays (HarperCollins) Chris The MurdrofR Britain from the man himself. JF A joy to hear this wonderful eyebrow-raised take on in cheek; his impressions of old politicos are hilarious. with wit and energy and a tongue placed perpetually animated telly mode. He performs rather than reads, Marr is a virtuoso performer, even when not in full read b A His each species. JHo special is the addition of the distinguishing birdsong of asides on their characters. What makes this reading to 50 “obvious” birds of Britain, along with whimsical humorists, reads his own illuminating introductions Barnes, one of Britain’s leading bird writers and and readb A Bad Bird bookseller and his exuberant correspondent. JHe . An expert reading brings to life the restrained of news and even provisions for those living in postwar for rare books soon become more personal exchanges booksellers on the Charing Cross Road. Her requests brownstone with the manager of Marks and Co, For 20 years Hanff correspondedfrom her New York (Hachette) b 84CharingCross R streets and squares for a particularly nasty criminal. RT London and the desperate search through shabby the menacing atmosphere of a fog-bound, postwar of a wide variety of characters and perfectly catches the best. Franks brilliantly manages to read the voices detective Albert Campion — this has always been rated Allingham wrote a number of novels featuring the read b Tiger inthSmok,Margery Allingham, ever written. LH of his voice while reading probably the best spy story le Carré read any book such is the compelling delivery often be misplaced, but I would be happy to hear John An author’s enthusiasm to read his own novel can en andradb Writt The Sp towards matrimony. RT Dashwood, and their varying fortunes as they move classic, the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne an inimitable style to this recording of the Austen Juliet Stevenson, a noted audiobook reader, brings Juliet Ste Sense andsibility, Jane A bring this reading to life. JHo including John Sessions and Andrew Marr (as himself) and learns to believe in the impossible. A stellar cast and in the course of which he discovers true love caught up in a bizarre project which changes his life, A hen-pecked middle-aged scientist finds himself read b Salmon FishingintheYemn, PaulTorday, murder mystery with vintage sound effects. SA wife Steve. A brilliant remake of the 1948 classic most popular detective Paul Temple and his glamorous — welcome to the sophisticated world of BBC Radio’s cigarette holders, men in cravats and handmade shoes Fast cars, chilled cocktails, dangerous blondes with ,rad Paul TempleandthSullivan My the author Alexander McCall Smith. RT humour and humanity, and for launching the career of (there are now nine) are noted for their gentle sense of engaging character. This and the subsequent books Andoh, catches the warmth and acumen of this Precious Ramotswe, and the reader, British actor Introducing Botswana’s first lady detective, Mwa Andoh (HarperCollins) The No1L but would believe them. SA but they won’t tell, can’t tell, and in any case nobody crowding into his quiet life? Only the murderer knows the poison, the bodies, so many bodies, that were much about the web of intrigue, the lies, the blackmail, of Crime. Did Roger Ackroyd die because he knew too The whodunnit that clinched Christie’s title as Queen Alexandr Mc y JulietSte tory ofModernBritain,en and Writt tie, radb y WhoCame inFrome Cold, th y Andrew Marr(acmillan) y PhilipFrank y JohnSessions andc adies venson (Naxos) w y SimonBarnes (Naxos) atcher’ es venson andJohnNettl Call Smith,readb ’ DetectiveA y HughFraser oger Ackroyd, A oad, HelenHanff s Comp y JohnleCarré ( s (Hachette) anion,en Writt y fullc genc as u s t (BBC) ten, readb y, gatha y Ad s as tery, , read Orion) t (BBC) joa y in the final chapter by Marcella by chapter final the in performance tour-de-force a with Norton Jim by read masterpiece, greatest century’s 20th the as describedoften Ulysses, to listen shakesbutthe givespeople most £150 but it’s worth every penny. without chips. sion isfish It costs passion — and Tolstoy without pas- how to vary his pitch, his pace, his mate professional, knows exactly voice but Neville Jason, a consum- single a to listen to time long a of the gym. Sixty-one hours is a heck friend’s attitude to working outat Peace, theaudiothat changed my andWar mentioned already I’ve Road — are already on the shortlist. Companion and84Charing Cross Birdwatcher’s Bad The — choices my of Two books. unabridged in specialise that publishers other the of any or Stories Assembled Soundings, Audio, BBC Clipper, Isis,Naxos, at £400 spend rather double that for a pair of boots. I’d and hairdresser the to goes she one whoforks out£125whenever some- know I priorities. to down cases. In the end, I suppose, it boils — mind-boggling expense in some MP3 discs unrestricted by expense abridged books. shortlist, with a few exceptions, to the limits which £15 under books iting your choice to the best audio and a Kit Kat. That’s why we’re lim- ris’s Greatest Hits reduced to £4.99 Emmylouof Har- CD double a for settle probably they’ll and work, to in the car on the way home from for something interesting to listen Classic FM to pay more than 15 quid with up fed someone Ask print. far more expensive to produce than Katie Mitchell — make audiobooks ers — especially good ones such as dios, producers, yes, even abridg unrealistic. Readers, recording stu- not cutdown versions. I’m a purist. I like complete books, bingo! — it’s my lucky day because — “unabridged” letters, small in bottom the at usually there, it’s If book. talking a of back the on for look I thing first the course, ter than none”, respectively. or nothing” and “Half a loaf is bet Latin is a little rusty that means “All I SueArnoldlists out. herfavouritesnumber ofunabridgedgemstobeleft The price criterion of £15 for our top 40 audiobook selection caused a Full-length version The mere mention of James Joyce So here are my eight desert island hopelessly being I’m know I I’m talkingwordthe U about of quam nullus quam est melior dimidius Panis is,it suspect I as not, and would be would of the audiobook industry n a perfect world the motto Omnia aut nihil aut Omnia . And if your if And . - - -

between chapters and bar-room ballads with sounds of the sea full-scale production It’s less a book than a great aplomb by PG Wodehouse with Jonathan Cecil delivers Thank You, Can Nguyen/IDS literature’srelation- buddy great ofFordArthur, oneare and Here different.is author the It’s funny. loathe sci-fi, but Adams brilliantly normally read by I universe. the hitchhikinground him takes and from Guildford called Arthur Dent bloke ordinary nice a with friends Fordhimself makescalls Prefect, planet Betelgeuse comes to Earth, Guide to the Galaxy. An alien from HitchhikersThe Adams, Douglas by spoof sci-fi sublime BBC’s don’t, but it sounds terrific. We correct? it’s know we do How speech: of Joyce’s famous four-word wave Let Jim work out the pronunciation chapters. between ballads room bar- contemporary and sea the of sound the with productions) all-dancingall-singing in cialises (Naxosproductionspe- full-scale were about.It’s lessabookthan storiesscare the all whatwonder Riordan as Molly Bloom and you’ll A mere snip at £69.99 is the the is £69.99 at snip mere A seesoo hrss rsseeiss ooos. rsseeiss hrss seesoo audiobook. it would have been the world’s first when he got rid of the albatross.” Mariner Ancient the like felt and daynext machine the sold I one. library after a quick glance at page the to return you that life peasant into oneofthosedimtragedies of like that, the thing would develop if you still follow. But a with voice if you see what I mean. Rollicking, new Jeeves an amusing book. Gay, been hoping I’d if all went well me. to make the stunned It spirits. dreariness about it that chilled the wasakindoffoggy result. “There to wax. This is how he described the recorded the sound of his voice on one of those prewar machines that to on it dictated PG it, typing of wayto end. For achange, instead voices which seems an appropriate It has an illuminating preface about Wodehouse’s first full-length book. Jeeves,You, Thank reading tors any of the other Jeeves impersona- I’ll have Jonathan Cecil rather than ble; I’d like at least another 20 but his irrepressible enthusiasm. of the reader William Hootkins and the rich dark double espresso voice wasme forit did what but Dick”, ently? with “I wouldn’t read Moby- differ- do you would what again tion: if you could live your life over who famously replied to the ques- I wouldn’t go as far as Woody Allen weighing in at 20 hours for £61.75. than my seventh bookMoby-Dick Mansfield Park, a lot cheaper even Persuasion and finish at £38.99 for £27.99modest fora at start They group. focus a it call we’d days These family. her to aloud books her of drafts first the readington imagine the high priestess of Chaw I how exactly is gravity in-cheek Stevenson whoseblissfultongue- do me, provided it’s read by Juliet ously aware of.” wasn’tI wordthatsafe the - previ of usagestrange some obviously Fleet.” “Ah,” said Arthur. is “This ConstructorVogon the of ships space the of one “in Ford, said ” cabin, galley small a “We’rein Arthur.said good,” “Oh said. he “We’reup. Fordsafe,”stood it?” said Arthur weakly, “would I regret asked you where the hell we were,” I “If darkness. the in blankly him Fordout.” passingkeep atstared academy,” said Arthur. “Bits of me military a Ford.“Like said feel?” you do “How spacecraft. galactic inter- an on away stowing ships, Its a shame he didn’t persevere — Only oneto go. Thisisimpossi- Any unabridged Jane Austen will - - 12a W children andadultsalike. ShetellsJoelRickett why sheloves telling stories oftheGruffaloWith herinterpretation ImeldaStauntonhas tales, won over Master raconteuse Imelda Staunton: ‘Listening to a good story feeds your imagination. We have to keep telling stories: that’s what life is made of.’ ling in the range of voices required energy,infectiousrevel - an with stories book picture the injects She follow-ups. its and Gruffalo The of narration sing-song ton’s who’ve derived adults much pleasure from of Staun- thousands of “Forget my other acting.” laughs. Staunton Gruffalo,” The on work my with impressed very thought he was joking, but he was Scheffler.“IAxel and Donaldson the Gruffalo, modern children’s classicby Julia The of recording Staunton’sto listened had Leigh children,young had who friends falo’ to you?” he asked. surprise. “Can I just say ‘The - Gruf So Leigh’s first words to her were a shoots. intensiveimprovised for stringent demands and preference fully aware of director Mike Leigh’s script, harrowing the for sively exten- researched had she tion, nomina- Oscar an her win to was Leigh Leigh is just one of the hundreds with time spending Through the role that role the Drake, Vera on set to play n o arrived first t n u a t S Imelda hen director doesn’t let me get away get me let doesn’tdirector involved: “It’s not an easy gig. The work the stresses she although expectation,and pressure of lack the appreciated Staunton roles, silly voices and a good story.” like her. I bore to tape on it put to ter, soIthought it would begreat daugh- my “I’dto itchance. read the at leapt she mentioned, was Gruffalo The 2001 in when But days.” two for studio a in locked being of idea the bear couldn’t I ago I was at rubbish narrative and years few “A fiction. dramatise to opportunities down turned and a very nice horror story.” to see it. It’s beautifully tantalising Gruffalo, but they also really want ations. “Children are dreading the aldson and Scheffler’s original cre- Don of vibrancy and tensioning Staunton pays tribute to the pleas- parents.” the to apologise only can I neys. ten to it 200 times on long car jour- ‘again,sayagain’ lis wantto and adult fanshave theirlimits: “Kids even that she’s aware But faloes). (from snakes to monkeys- to Gruf After years of stage and screen screen and stage of years After had Staunton career her All Why do children get so addicted? - - ess works, she gives the example of have sung it back to me,” she says. people many how extraordinary songGruffalo standaloneCD. “It’s she admits. She even sings on The heaven,”“It’s accents. regional ferent voices, lacing the stories with forming the animal noises and dif- nearly 800,000 copies in total. Whale and Monkey Puzzle, shifting lowed, including The Snail and the Donaldson/SchefflerCDs have fol- copies and counting). more Seven gest audio title of all time (350,000 become publisher Macmillan’s big- to on went and 2002, in Awards audiobook won two Spoken Word barely troubled sales: The Gruffalo mentioning the audiobooks. without cabaret”) and musical Shakespeare, Chekhov, Broadway tragedy,,radio; evision, achievements (“theatre, film, tel- newspaper exhaustively listed her recent a acknowledged; rarely is work thebetter.” shamebeIt’s a each [new Donaldson book] has to have to channel my energy because a kid’s thing anddoesn’t matter. I with anything, there’s no sense it’s Asked to analyse how the proc per- relishes clearly Staunton Yet lack of media recognition has - life is made of.” to keep telling stories: that’s what film or around a campfire. We have in any form: audiobooks,theatre, tion,” she rhapsodises. “That’s true to a good story feeds your - imagina seeing the illustrations? “Listening without books picture hearing of an Ibbotson, but where’s the appeal ple listen to the longer narrative of really worked hard at it,” she says. Sea. “I had read it and loved it, so I son’sRiverthe to Journey classic Ibbot Eva of version a recording sound effects and noises.” doing all the little extras like funny minds never She with. working ofpleasure havethe I had people is one of the most talented and fun books Ali Muirden says: “[Imelda] enthusing listeners.” about“It’s chuckles. she up,” it have to paint the picture, really fire est until she suddenly stops. “You forbiddingdark for- a edgeof the ment. I’m instantly transported to the with breathless treat Gruffalo it injects then and straight, once itsays She forest.” the intowent a single sentence: “And thenthey It’s easy to understand why peo Staunton has now progressed to audio of head Macmillan, At Linda Nyland - - - - Non-fiction, poetry, plays Humour Richard Burton, PhilipMadocetal(Naxos) Anthony Head( The Essential D tells all with panache. SA they and what if anything happens on them? Connolly threaten to overwhelm them, but where on earth are even worried about the gale force eights and nines that names on the shipping forecast every night and maybe Iceland: you’ve heard the long mysterious litany of Lundy, Portland, Fisher, German Bight, South East read b A recently been released for the first time. RA Macintyre, using letters, diaries and M15 files that have in a fantastic tale of espionage and adventure by who led many lives. His story is now brought together criminal who became a double agent during WWII and The true story of Edward Chapman, a womanising A Petr Jonesandc (BBC) some classic Boosh songs. RA a delightfully weird and wonderful series, featuring its own festival this year. Set in Bob Fossil’s zoo, it’s comedy, now enjoying bigger budgets on BBC3 and of this now huge cult hit as a quiet late-night Radio 4 Mighty Boosh on CD shows the humble beginnings In its original incarnation, before it hit our screens, The The MightyBoosh,Cas you on a journey you too will never forget. JHe original recording from the BBC Radio 4 series will take update the bestselling hitchhikers’ handbook. This and taken on a surreal journey across the universe to friend, Ford Prefect — who turns out to be an alien — a hyperspace bypass, Arthur Dent is rescued by his On the day that Earth is demolished to make way for Primarys Adam Phase,Dougla s The Hitchhikr’ at Home. LH Hancock’s finest half-hour: Sunday Afternoon Galton and Simpson is the place to start as it contains of the best radio episodes, selected by the writers listeners because it’s still very funny. The first volume classic series deserves to find a new generation of From the golden age of British radio comedy, this Episodes Hanc eponymous debut album. RA of some of the songs which now feature on their techno, hip-hop music. Featuring early versions to get a record deal for their folk guitar-based jazz, London fresh-faced from New Zealand, attempting 4 show follows Brett and Jermaine as they arrive in Precursor to the celebrated HBO series, the Radio Flight oftheConchords leading . LH takes. All credit to the genius of Bennett and Britain’s of times I am surprised by the turn a familiar story repeated listening. I have lost count of the number have lost none of their impact and they stand up to monologues were first broadcast 20 years ago — they It is hard to believe that Bennett’s award-winning full c T RA proactive approaches to the problems we encounter. transform one’s personal and professional life, through subject. Using his seven points, Covey offers ways to one of the most influential books written on the A classic in its field, this self-help audio guide supports (Simon &chuster)) en andradb Writt The 7Habitsofighly E ffective Popl, A totally brilliant way to revise. KN historical and social backgrounds and exam strategies. play plus discussion topics, full read-along scripts, and Juliet has an engaging performance of the entire For students facing GCSE, SmartPass’s superb Romeo read b R himself, captures the quintessence of his genius. SA Richard Burton, other famous actors, and the poet radio play Under Milk Wood, read by the incomprable — stories, poems and above all his mould-breaking of his best-known, best-loved and wittiest writing was also a genius with words. This glorious collection charismatic, outrageous, unpredictable, impossible. He Poet, storyteller, broadcaster Dylan Thomas was lan Benn tt,alking HeadsNo1,Alan readb ention AllShipping,tt CharlieConnolly, omeo andJulit, WilliamShakespeare, gent Zigzag ,BenMa ock’ as y AlexJnning y Joan Walker andc t (BBC) , V s Halfour—TheVery Bes ol 1,Cas The reader 3 ylan Thomas ylan Orion) s G as t rec uide tothG y Stephen RCove t (BBC) s (Hachette) cIntyre, radb t rec ording (BBC) , Cas as ording (BBC) , Readb t ( t rec Smar , readb alaxy: ording y y tP t y

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y 12a Humour 4 New technology Children’s Special, Cas I’m Sorry IHaven’t aClue Annivr cookery. JHo be a wax dummy, and his experiments in Red Indian his escape from an angry shopkeeper by pretending to Jarvis and featuring such typical William exploits as unabridged William stories, read by the incomparable A six-CD set featuring 10 newly recorded and read b William’ brings Alex to edge-of-the-seat life. KN to save the world. Dan Stevens is a gorgeous reader and action you can name. Enemies abound and Alex needs in the secret and service can do virtually any physical packed Snakehead you can see why. Aged 14, Alex is unwilling boy readers, and listening to the action- Horowitz’s Alex Rider character has totally captured D Snakehad, AnthonyHo Lundie-Brown and Maisie Cowell — are delightful. KN patient understanding. The children’s voices — Jethro dismay at the thought and older brother Charlie’s which totally captures both the four-year-old Lola’s 2-8) include My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Fall Out Lola BBC TV show. The five delicious stories (for ages This has been beautifully adapted from the Charlie and c Charlie andL My Completly Bes won’t mind listening to over (and over) again. JF everyone entertained. Wicked in all senses, a CD you with musical interludes and sound effects that keep William series, this is a superb performance, along And absolutely irresistible. A cool update of the Just Henry is snotty, frustrating and very, very naughty. take a pretty great book into the “fabulous” category. A grand example of how an audio production can Simon, readb Horrid Henry’ supreme Imelda Staunton. An absolute cracker. JF and music, but mostly just made bags of fun by the creepy and a little bit scary thanks to the sound effects that brains beat brawn every time, it’s a little bit Gruffalo. A charming tale of a wee mouse who proves rejoice in a book as effortlessly pleasurable as The of the same book night after night, week after week, For every parent who has experienced the tedium Imelda Staunton (Macmillan) The Gruff and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. RT James and the Giant Peach, The Enormous Crocodile stories that have become classics: The Magic Finger, work, and on this recording Dahl himself reads four frisson at hearing a great writer reading their own There is something that gives the listener a special b Four Favourite Stories classic family stories. JHe of great London characters — brilliantly alive in these the well-meaning, but accident-prone bear — and a cast extraordinary when Paddington is involved. Fry brings Browns soon discover that ordinary things become for wear after a long journey from darkest Peru. The Paddington station by the Browns, slightly the worse The first series about PaddingtonBear, discovered at read b A BearCalled Paddington, MichaelBond, for cricket fans. RA jokes from the BBC archives, it’s a superb collection radio commentating. Featuring gaffes and practical hilarious stories and anecdotes from their years of brought together with a live audience as they present Broadcasting legends Bird, Blofeld and Johnston are feld andBrianJohns Blo The WitofCrickt, DickieBird, Henry read with masterly wit and style by Martin Jarvis. JHe set for an outing by one of the greatest humorists ever, enormous and unflappable butlerBeach, the scene is cast of characters larger than life, overseen by the home of the dotty ninth Earl of Emsworth. With a entanglements set at Blandings, in sunny Shropshire, napping, memoir-thieving and the usual romantic Wodehouse at his best: a sublime comedy of pig- Summer Lightning, P features celebrities’ selections from the archives. JHo edition, and I’m I Sorry Haven’t a Desert Island, which original producer David Hatch, the remastered pilot plus anniversary special, with an introduction by A celebration of 30 years of I’m I Sorry Haven’t a Clue, Martin Jarvis ( y R as an Ste t (Puffin) oald D y Martin Jarvis ( y Stephen Fry (HarpeCollins) vens (Walker) s Happ alo, JuliaDonaldson, r ead b ahl (HarperCollins) t rec y Miranda Richardson( ola, L ola, s Stinkbom, Francesc CSA y D ording (BBC) ay ) t Story Collection — aure n Child,ead b r s G Wodehou , RichmalCromp

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y T MichellePauliand mobilephones. onaforward-thinking reports industry Publications areincreasingly available asdigitaldownloads for MP3players Books onthemove dotcom company, started 10 years its audiobook content. An original with iTunes provide to contract exclusive an and site its on books digital downloads with over 20,000 seeing the appeal of spoken word.” availability of great content, the by matched on, stuff to they listen are proliferation of devices available to ered audio before but because of - consid neverhave the customers our of audible.co.uk,“Many site load aging director ofaudiobookdown - According to Chris McKee, the man- ing audiobooksto anewaudience. they take up much less space. course, of and, product, hard the Downloads tend to be cheaper than phone. mobile or player MP3 PC, your on to listen and computer your to download can you files — buy the titles as digital downloads sitesyou’lland option to the find any of the major publishers’ web the market. digital is the fastest growing area of now sold on regular CD. However, the vast majority of audiobooks are cassette,on audiobooks buy still editor of the Bookseller. explains Joel Rickett, deputy news of the publishing industry’s plans,” but now audio is right at the centre son tucked away inadustyoffice, stationery cupboard with one per- publishing house used to be like the is embracing it with open arms. last decade, the audiobook industry the challengedigital of the of face Vote for your favourite audiobook winners please the check www.nationalbooktokens.co.uk of after July list 31 2008. full a For returned. entry no and into entered be will correspondence No final. is decision judge’s The 2008. 31 July that later no post by notified be will winner the and 2008 18 July Friday on midnight by the Bookseller’s Association, National Book Tokens Ltd, Guardian is News & Media. All entries prize must be received The accepted. be will person per of employees except Ireland, and UK of residents to Open alternative. cash no is there and non-transferable entry one Only necessary. purchase No conditions: and Terms Audible is the giant in the world of Digital advances are introduc are advances Digital to theaudiobookssectionof Go surprisingly, can you Although, a of section audiobooks “The dragged its feet in the industry music the audiobook. Whereas genteel the of world the in afoot lution revo quiet a is here ­(standard texting SPOKEN to 60300 from your mobile from ­audiobook each of samples free download can you National Tokens.Book To help you choose, voteenterand prizedraw a win to ­40bestaudiobooks.co.uk audio­ Here’s your chance to vote for your favourite book from ourtopbook from 40selection.Visit - - - ­operator charges apply). specialises in publishing the clas- the publishing in specialises which Naxos, of MD Soames, las Peace is 67 hours,” points out Nico “An forward. Warunabridged and way the is publishing full-length furious and fast that agree lishers available in a timely fashion.” tor driving thecontent: making it plete audiobooks. It is another fac- com- and immediate for demand the to responding are producers book andthefullaudioversion as the of release simultaneous the length recordings. abridged audiobook, towards full- market — away from the traditional are also driving a major trend in the However, the tastes of its audience of business tomes and Bill Bryson. out well does it and male/female 60/40 are customers Audible’s by Amazon in March. ago in the US, it was swallowed up However, not all audiobook pub- seeing are “We says: McKee world, books the in Unusually audible.co.uk/apa or by by or ­audible.co.uk/apa to register your your register to £500 of£500

- that people will rip us off and that is believe not do “We Soames. says of DRM, Naxos is “staunchly MP3,” such as Audible apply a “light” form they buy, and some audiobook sites content the of use unrestricted customers allow that formats file of scared run has industry the music While (DRM). management one of the big issues is digital rights its own download site. For Soames, with site audiobook independent only the is and 1994 in completely turn its back on the humble cassette can make it more accessible.” abridgement.abridgementSkilful rather have nine-hour-long a good wonderful but many people would sics as audiobooks. “It’s absolutely to rooms, as piles of CDs give way the market, and listeners’ living Downloads are transforming Closing date July 12 2008. Entry is free. See website for full terms and conditions. Enter acompetitionthetop 5audiobooksat to win gospoken.com/competition. Competition: wintop5audiobooks be taken. To claim your download you will need to register with a valid email address. Offer ends JulyTerms 30 2008. and conditions: This is a genuine free offer with no obligation to purchase and no billing information will Reader offer: free complete audiobook download Naxos was the first company to company first the was Naxos digital files Alamy email [email protected] assistance in downloading call 0800 0825 100 or players, mobile phones and all iPods. If you need more than 500 different devices including MP3 your free download, which can be listened to on Register at audible.co.uk/greatadventures to claim audible.co.uk/greatadventures Wuthering Heights free of charge from Download Emily Bronte’s classic read to us too? be that will — manual instruction could soon be. But what about the itbut yet there not is technology video mode to provide a demo. The into moves audiobook cookery Nigellayour and kitcheninto the it Take word. a missing without drive, it slips effortlessly into audio an iPhone.Asyou get into acarto novelscreen,mobile a on as such text andvideo. Imaginereading a — the blending of audiobooks with media of different types of gence is moving, says Rickett, isconver- ing direction in which technology ing the cost barrier of downloads. dataplans in their contracts, remov free bundling also are companies time, same the At payment. ing takes less than four minutes, includ- ing a four hour book on your phone 4%), whichmeansthat download- currently (it’s speeds download fastest the allow will sold phones of 30-40% year the of end the by technology is moving its way. but Williams, Rebecca manager, marketing its admits far, so low as downloads for phones. Sales are House, HarperCollins and Hachette year and offers titlesfrom Random new market. It launched in April this Spoken hopesto beaplayer inthis pay,” suggests Rickett. new, and it also offers an easy way to trying to get them to buy something than easier is have,which already people what using is mobiles on “Listening push. big that for ripe industry just needs a big push.” yet translated into huge sales. The excitementand tial notithas but dicts Rickett. “There is huge poten- borne out by the evidence.” However, perhaps the most excit According to the phone networks, Go company download Mobile area one is technology Mobile “We are at a tipping point,” pre-

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