Hello Readers,
The idea for today’s newsletter theme—audio books—comes from my friend Briana. When she suggested the topic in December, I immediately loved it and knew I wanted to ask both her and Aishwarya to contribute recommendations for this issue.
Briana’s pic
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage (abridged) written by Alfred Lansing and read by Tim Pigott-Smith (1959)
Description: This story of incredible survival chronicles Shackleton and his crew’s year in the arctic after their ship, the Endurance, gets locked in ice a day’s sail from their destination. This true story itself is unbelievable, you will likely gasp aloud on multiple occasions while listening.
Briana's take: The narrator, Tim Pigott-Smith, makes you feel as if you are out on the ice with the crew. He is so emphatic and energetic in his reading that you are fully drawn in. At the same time, his reading does not feel overblown, it's just the right level of intensity to match the story. Make sure to get the abridged version, and as a bonus it appears to be included in most Audible subscriptions.
Bonus tip: This book was previously recommended by my high school friend Anna in Issue 6 about our favorite reads from school.
Aishwarya’s pics
Open Book written and read by Jessica Simpson (2020)
Description: While on the surface this memoir may seem frivolous since it's written by an early 2000's popstar, Simpson is very raw and honest about what it was like being a manufactured sex symbol/"dumb blonde" who was the puppet of record company execs and the media. Hearing her narrate her life and hardships in her own voice adds such heart and depth to her journey from childhood to now, when she's finally reclaiming her identity.
Aishwarya’s take: As someone who was very much into the pop scene in the early 2000's, it was eye opening to see how meticulously the boy bands and pop princesses were "crafted". There was tremendous pressure on Simpson from such a young age to live up to a certain image that was curated by her record label and not true to who she really was. In this memoir, she opens up about struggles with body image, a failed Mickey Mouse Club audition, never-ending comparisons with Britney and Christina, her early marriage to Nick Lachey, and constant abuse by the media and paparazzi. It's sad and scary to now know what was going on behind the scenes in the lives and careers of the women who were supposed to be role models to teen girls in the early 2000's.
Bonus tip: The NYTimes Britney Spears documentary covers similar themes from Britney's POV.
Exit West written and read by Mohsin Hamid (2017)
Description: This work of fiction is a love story taking place in the backdrop of a country torn by civil war. The star-crossed lovers embark on their new life together as refugees, but in a supernatural world where people are able to escape their war torn homes via supernatural “doors” that open up to other countries.
Aishwarya’s take: Hamid writes about this topic with an element of sarcasm and whimsy, when in reality the global refugee crisis is very grim and horrifying. Hamid also voices the audiobook, and this ironic tone is further conveyed in the matter of fact way he performs this book, almost normalizing the horror and desensitizing the reader. The author artfully uses his tone to make a meta point in the audiobook to shed light on how often in the real world, people are desensitized to the horrors going on in other places in the world. This audiobook comes with the added gift of seeing this book performed by the author himself, exactly as he hears it in his own head.
Bonus tip: The Obamas announced last month that they will adapt this book for Netflix starring Riz Ahmed.
My pics
Red at the Bone written by Jacqueline Woodson and read by the author and several narrators (2019)
Description: This books tells the story of a black family over several decades and as the narration jumps between family members and generations we get an in-depth experience at their experiences with parenthood, class, education, loss, sexuality, and more.
My take: While the book is short it is full of emotion and plot without ever feeling packed or rushed. And the writing—and even more so the narration—is more like poetry or theater. The voices and lyricism bring a depth to the story making it both more beautiful and heartbreaking.
Fun fact: This book was also recommended to me by Aishwarya last year.
Several runners-up
Amor Towels’ A Gentleman in Moscow is one of the most beautifully written and read books. Period. I specifically seek out its narrator when looking for new books to listen to. For a full description of the book, see my very first issue here.
David Attenborough's narration of his autobiography Life on Air tells of his many wonderous experiences. While I learned so much more about his life and the places he visited, it’s his iconic voice and story telling ability that make this lengthy book flow like a gentle stream.
Barack Obama’s A Promised Land, also narrated by the author. Early on in his career, Obama is told that he can be rather longwinded and, well, that is certainly also true of his book. Listening to his deep analysis has sharpened my understanding of his personal and policy decisions and my feelings about his voice are similar to those of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character in Fleabag.
And finally, I could not conclude a newsletter on audio books without at least mentioning Harry Potter and the entrenched debates between fans of Jim Dale’s and Stephen Fry’s narrations. I myself am in camp Dale as his voice brings back memories of long car ride’s with Anna’s family, but I do adore Fry as a narrator and in particular his reading of Sherlock Holmes with Fry’s own insightful forewords.
Currently reading: Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley.
Taking a bit too much inspiration from Obama, this newsletter has turned out rather long. I hope you enjoyed it and wish you a happy weekend. All the best!