Listening is Reading Too

I’ll admit it: I used to be a big book snob.

(I’m still a book snob, just no longer a BIG one.)

I used to think that audio books didn’t count. But that was before I had a child; before I tried to

juggle two, basically full-time jobs. Now, I know better. Listening to audio books definitely

counts as reading. Hell, if I could place my hand on a book and absorb its content, I would say

that counts, too.

Because listening is reading, too, I’m excited to announce that Diamonds in Auschwitz has been

released on audio!!

In honor of that, I wanted to share some of my favorite audio books with you, because I think

that listening to books can be a completely different experience than reading them. That’s why

I’ll often listen to some of my favorite books on audio just to enjoy the story in a different way.

That’s also why I think certain books should be read and certain ones should be listened to.

Here’s my list of “must listen to” books:

1. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simision – think Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory

creating an experiment to find the perfect mate. But he finds the exact opposite than

Amy Farrah Fowler. And he’s Australian. And hilarious. This is one of three in the Don

Tillman series. I love them all, but nothing beats the original.

2. The Shining by Stephen King – Talk about suspense. I listened to this at least six years

ago, and I still remember where I was driving when the scene with the fire hose was

performed. Yes, it was a scene with an inanimate object – a “break glass in case of

emergency” fire hose – and I was on the edge of my seat with anxiety. That’s mainly

because of Stephen King’s superb writing but also the narration.

3. Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – TJR is not my favorite writer. I think she

can be hit or miss, but this book… This book on audio version… It’s not just a book, it’s a

full production. The format is an oral history of the band anyways, so why not listen to it

as such? Plus, there’s great actors (like Benjamin Bratt and Judy Greer) and singing –

since the story is about a Fleetwood Mac-esque band. The audio book was so

convincing, I kept googling to see if Daisy Jones and The Six were real musicians.

(Spoiler: they’re not.)

4. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey – I’m a sucker for Hollywood memoirs and I

always listen to them. The writer/actor obviously knows the right inflections when

reading it, so I think the experience is very authentic. While I wouldn’t say I’m a huge

McConaughey fan, who doesn’t want him to read to you for 10 hours? And he’s a

surprisingly great writer.

5. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – this book is great read or listened to,

but the voice and sarcasm of Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus, (yes, there’s an

octopus POV and it’s the highlight of the entire book) is hilarious and heartwarming.

And – shameless plug – while you’re checking out these audio books, don’t forget Diamonds in

Auschwitz – available wherever you find audio books (including Apple, Spotify,