Three-for-One Audiobook Reviews

2010 at 11am     Posted by Rebecca Schinsky

I spend a lot of time in the car for work, and since Richmond has yet to produce a radio station that comes anywhere close to being as satisfying as my favorite station ever (and because a girl can only listen to the GLEE soundtracks so many times without going hoarse from singing along), I also spend a lot of time listening to audiobooks.  And I love it…but I find that I can’t review audiobooks with the same level of detail I like to include in book reviews because I’m devoting attention to driving, and I don’t have a way to take notes, both of which are good things for the people of Richmond. Lord knows this city doesn’t need any more bad drivers.

Thus, I give you mini-reviews of what I’ve been listening to lately. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

Naked by David Sedaris

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love David Sedaris. Naked was the first of his books I ever read, and it’s been a good six years since then, so it was about time for a re-read. As funny as Sedaris’s stories are on paper, they are infinitely better when presented in his voice, and this audio recording of my favorite Sedaris book really hammered that message home. Opening with “A Plague of Tics,’ which is easily my favorite piece in any of his works, Sedaris describes the odd compulsive behaviors that defined his childhood—licking light switches, making strange vocalizations, and rocking back and forth just a few among them—and recalls witnessing his mother and teachers imitate him during supposed parent-teacher conferences.

His first night in college, as he attempted to rock himself to sleep, his roommate assumed the bunk beds were shaking for an entirely different reason, and Sedaris just let him believe it…..because what’s weirder, really, an eighteen-year-old man masturbating at bed time, or one rocking himself to sleep?

The title essay is also a favorite, as Sedaris recounts vacationing at a nudist colony with the goal of becoming more comfortable with his body. He learns the importance of carrying a towel with him everywhere and begins to understand nudity as the great equalizer, all the while residing in a trailer with no lock. Sedaris’s sister Amy provides voices for many of the female “guest stars” in the collection, and I loved the texture and humor she added. This is one funny family.

Whether you’re a longtime Sedaris fan or you’re simply looking for an audiobook to keep you company in the car, at the gym, on your walk, or wherever, I highly recommend Sedaris and Naked.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

I first heard about this book when Deborah reviewed it, and I knew it would fit right in with my obsession for memoirs about religion. I tend to be drawn to the ones about weird, unusual, or seemingly crazy religious sects, and for me, the Mennonites fall  into the “unusual” category.  I really didn’t know much about Mennonite culture, and I was intrigued by this memoir by a former Mennonite who defied her parents and peers, left her community, married an atheist, and became an academic.

As it turns out, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress isn’t really a book about religion, but it’s a great book nonetheless, and I found Janzen’s sarcasm, sense of humor, and candid revelations about her life very refreshing. I cracked up several times as she described spending time with her practicing Mennonite family members, navigating awkward dinner conversation with female relatives who lack boundaries and any sense of social propriety, and learning to date again after her husband left her for a man he met on gay.com.  Really.

Along the way, I picked up interesting bits of information about Mennonite history, beliefs, and culture, learned about the most popular shame-based foods in Mennonite communities, and relived a few of my own embarrassing experiences as Janzen recounted similar childhood foibles. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress was a great listen, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written, humorous memoir.

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

It’s official. Sarah Vowell is my new author crush. If I ever decide to extend the list of #pantyworthy authors (those at whom I would throw my panties out of admiration for their work. It’s purely intellectual….well, except with Joshua Ferris. But have you SEEN him? Yum.), she’ll be on it.

But I digress.

This love affair started when I finally got around to reading The Wordy Shipmates last month. I’ve always been fascinated by the Puritans, and Vowell brought them to life in a way no other writer I’ve encountered has managed to do. Several of you commented that if I liked Vowell’s books, I should check out her audio, which she reads herself, and I am so glad you did.

In Assassination Vacation, Vowell records her travels across America researching the assassinations of presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley.  Her oh-so-unique voice adds to the nerdiness of this endeavor (she provided the voice of Violet in the movie The Incredibles) and puts her right up there with Sedaris on the list of authors whose work is even better when read aloud. In fact, Vowell and Sedaris remind me a lot of each other, and I think it’s safe to say if you’ve enjoyed audio by one, you’ll enjoy audio by the other, even though their subject matter couldn’t be more different. Both are intellectual, witty, and have a way with well-placed snark, but where Sedaris is plumbing the depths of personality quirks and social awkwardness, Vowell turns outward to explore underappreciated bits of culture and history. And she’s less vulgar, which is a plus for those of you who would like Sedaris if he weren’t quite so dirty (which is something I don’t mind at all).

Now that I’ve enjoyed these, I’m having a major dilemma. What to listen to next? Make some recommendations and help a lady out!

Hey, FTC: I checked these out from the library. I am an IndieBound affiliate and will receive a (very small) commission if you buy any of these audiobooks by clicking through my links. But hey, at least you won’t be sending your money to Amazon.