A wonderful trip back in time

[susandennis]

My brother is as much a fan of audio books as I am. A good one requires an excellent author and can be enhanced or ruined by a superb or a distracting reader. If I'm buying an audio book, I'll often search for a new author by searching my favorite readers. If I'm listening to library books, I'm even more judgmental. My brother and I swap 'here's a good one's' often and the recommendation he sent not long ago is so perfect it's hard to believe.

Waking up in Dixie is written by Haywood Smith who is an author I would normally ignore. She's written a lot but none of it would really appeal to me if I were just browsing through. I have no clue what led my brother to find this one but the idea that I might have just dismissed it out of book snobbery really gives me pause.

It's such a wonderful story. I'm about halfway done and even if it goes to shit starting now, it will still have been a great read.

I know nothing about Laura Merlington except that her reading of this excellent story turns a good story into a very wonderful experience.

I was raised mostly in North Carolina where the food, the accents, the mores and the culture were as tightly packed and shaped as any fine sculpture. There was precious little influence from outside anyone/anywhere. Rules were rules and what was, was, with no argument.

This story is set in contemporary times but the culture and the accents are exactly as they were in the 60's. And the voices that Merlington uses are those that surrounded me growing up. Sometimes I think i'm in my teenage room eavesdropping on my Mom's bridge club.

I generally listen to the book for an hour or so at night in bed before I go to sleep. I've discovered this week that several times during the day, I surprise myself by how much I am looking forward to my nightly read time when I can fire up the voices of my youth and listen to more of the story.

Comments

Me too

[spiritgirl.livejournal.com]

I have several favorites. I enjoy reading this Sue Grafton alphabet mysteries, but listening to Dena Kaye read them and they come to real life. I really like most of the readers of John Grisham novels too. I even have a kids book that I love to hear on audio because the reader is Judith Ivey with a great southern accent.

Re: Me too

[susandennis]

Scott Brick is one of my very favorites! audio books rock.

[annietopia.livejournal.com]

My mom surprised me several years ago by asking for a few audio books for her birthday. My mom loves to read, and I was surprised that she would be okay "listening" over reading. She told me that she has found audio books as the best way to pass the time when she drives to and from work each day. She has one heck of a drive very early in the morning so I think she likes hearing a voice in the car with her. She feels less alone and is able to enjoy a good book at the same time. Pretty cool!

[susandennis]

I originally found audio books (books on tape back then) because of a horrible commute. It's a fabulous way to beat traffic. Some stories are so good, you hope the traffic stays clogged just a little longer.

[mixter11nm.livejournal.com]

Sounds wonderful. I've never listened to an audio book but if you recommend this one, I may have to give it a try.

[susandennis]

This would be a good one to start with. As I recall, in the beginning, it was such an odd experience that it took a while to get into it. But after you listen for an hour or two, then you realize you are hooked.

If your library does not offer audiobooks, audible.com gives you one free selection to try.

From your brother. Not signed

[(Anonymous)]

:-)

[howeird]

I am jealous. The voices of my youth talk with thick New Yawk accents and I have worked very hard to sound more Seattle, and have blocked them out. :-)

You are so right about the writer/reader pairing.

[susandennis]

You know, now that you mention it, I remember that in every day speech, I find thick Southern accents mostly really offensive.

I think that this book takes me back to a time when I really didn't know that people talked any other way so I didn't know to be offended.

wild.

I did spend a great deal of time and effort in my early career life to ensure *I* did not talk that way. I used to tape record Walter Croncite every night and then practice saying stuff the way he did.