Ursina's Shelf - Read by author
Issue 72
Dear Readers,
I am on my way to Berlin to run the marathon. Many hours on the (gravel) roads has meant more time for audiobooks. This summer I particularly sought out books read by the author, starting with decorated track & field athlete Lauren Fleshman’s book Good For A Girl (previously featured in issue 67). This was also the first book I listened to on libro.fm, more on that later.
Today, I’d like to share three more audiobooks that are particularly impactful due to the author’s narration.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (2018)
Description: Michelle Zauner tells the story of her mother‘s illness and death and her own confrontation with grief, care work, identity, and more in Crying in H Mart. Cooking the recipes of her mother‘s native Korea, finding the ingredients, and learning their significance plays a role throughout her journey. So does music, which is both the author’s profession and a coping mechanism.
My take: I appreciated listening to this book, read by the author, especially hearing the names of the dishes and ingredients, but also the gravity of her grief as heard in her voice. I have also been listening to her music with the band Japanese Breakfast. And as a bonus, Philadelphia features in this book too (Buy here).
Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah (2022)
Description: This multi-generational story is told by Ever Geimausaddle’s Native American and Mexican family members. All the chapters by men are read by the author, all the chapters told from a woman’s perspective are read by Rainy Fields.
My take: I am a sucker for this narrative technique of jumping to a new narrator in each chapter. It reminded me of the story-telling mechanism in Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, though here the central character of Ever is always present, starting with the first chapter told by his grandmother. It’s a tough but ultimately uplifting story (Buy here). By the way, Yaa Gyasi other book Transcendent Kingdom was featured in another issue of this newsletter on audiobooks here.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich (2021)
Description: The protagonist Tookie works at a book store—specialized in Native American books and owned by an author named Louise—that is not haunted by a deceased customer. Readers get to know Tookie, her criminal past, conversion to bookstore employee and fondness of books (so many wonderful bookish references!), and her family, friends, and community. The story starts in 2019 and doesn’t shy away from weaving in Corona, the lockdown, racial police violence, and Black Lives Matter.
My take: I discovered this book on libro.fm’s Read by Author list. I had previously read Erdrich’s The Roundhouse and knew I wanted to return to her writing. I was delighted to encounter her voice in the audio sense. I was a bit skeptical after the first chapter, but soon fell in love with Tookie, her literary wisdom, and the people surrounding her. I also appreciate how current events became a focal point in later chapters. (Buy here).
Bonus fact: Louise Erdrich owns Birchbark Books in Minneapolis.
My switch to libro.fm for audiobooks
I learned about libro.fm last year from a promotional bookmark I received at Book Club Bar, a book club previously featured in my New York for booklovers issue. Incidentally, the book I had purchased that day was Louise Erdrich’s The Roundhouse.
libro.fm shares part of its profits with independent bookstores and you can select which bookstore your purchases will benefit (in my case, Book Club Bar). While they have a subscription model, you can also purchase book bundles of 3 or more books, which is great if your listening habits don’t fit a monthly schedule.
If you do subscribe, be sure to use the code CHOOSEINDIE to get one free book. If you purchase through this link (or any of the links above), a small percentage also gets back to this newsletter and will be donated to Dolly Parton’s non-profit Imagination Library.
Currently reading: Achtsam Morden (Mindful Murder) by Karsten Dusse.
Thanks a lot for reading, send me good wishes for the marathon, and I’d be delighted if you could recommend this newsletter to a friend so more people get to enjoy it.