On a long road trip, the right audio offers a magic elixir of voice and story. It can mitigate irritation over snarled traffic, remedy boredom and, on occasion, lighten the mood if the atmosphere in the minivan resembles the Donner Party minutes before the knives came out.Here is a sampling of great listens, whether you are traveling solo, paired, with pals, or hauling the whole tribe. If you have little ones, exert a bit of caution. My older son fondly recalls my desperate swerve to hit pause during a particularly inappropriate sex and drugs anecdote featured in Anthony Bourdain's splendid reading of his 2000 tell-all memoir, Kitchen Confidential (Random House Audio, $20). Very funny, but for big-boy ears only.Family 'Potter' time (All seven books in digital audio: $242.94 on Pottermore. Complete seven-audio Listening Library set on CD from Amazon.com, $286.52)Whether you loved the seven Harry Potter books or never read a one, you'll adore the unabridged audios. The marvelous actor Jim Dale reads J.K. Rowling's magical books about the boy wizard with the wand. A Brit by birth who spent decades in the USA, Dale proved the perfect choice because his accent wasn't too strong for American children. He created more than 250 different voices for the Potter audios — 146 alone for 2007's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which set a Guinness World Record.Another suggestion: Listen as a family to your child's assigned summer reading. For example, Sissy Spacek's narration of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (Caedmon/HarperAudio, $34.99) does quiet justice to the 1960 classic.New roads, new 'Immortal' topics (Random House Audio, $35)From the opening, you know The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is no ordinary work of non-fiction. It tells the story of a poor black woman named Henrietta Lacks, today known as HeLa. Her cells were taken in 1951 without her knowledge as the Baltimore mother of five was dying of cervical cancer. HeLa cells have helped in medical breakthroughs such as the polio vaccine, cloning and gene mapping. But Lacks' children and grandchildren can't afford health insurance. Read by well-known narrator Cassandra Campbell and actress Bahni Turpin, the audio raises powerful questions about money, race and science.Divine silliness with the 'Woosters' (AudioGO, $29.95)P.G. Wodehouse's immortal The Code of the Woosters sparkles with wit and humor. And the British narrator, Jonathan Cecil, is truly "touched by the divine fire" as Wodehouse describes the book's French cook Anatole. (Avoid the other audio editions, because Cecil is "the voice.") The 1938 comic novel centers on rich feckless British aristocrat "Bertie" Wooster, who must be rescued from bullies, bossy aunts and unsuitable fiancées by his suave valet, Jeeves. It is almost impossible to convey the enduring appeal of Wodehouse because his plots sound ridiculous and the characters vapid. Yet this and other Wodehouse audios have embedded themselves in my heart for over a decade.Prepare for 'World War Z' (Random House Audio, $14.99)You'll never again dismiss the walking dead as silly once you've heard Max Brooks' unforgettable World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. Think Mad Max meets The Hot Zone. The novel's premise: A virus has created flesh-devouring zombie hordes who roam the earth, hunting down and infecting the living. Governments, armies, doctors and economies collapse in turn. For older teens, it's Apocalypse Now, pandemic-style, told through interviews with the survivors. The audio features a multi-actor cast that includes Alan Alda, Mark Hamill, Carl Reiner and John Turturro. (Brad Pitt stars in the upcoming 2013 movie.)Solitary musings on 'Organizing' (Simon & Schuster, $19.95)Self-help audios are perhaps best listened to alone, since one rarely enjoys a choir chiming in about one's flaws. If you struggle with clutter and disorganization, there is help to be heard: Julie Morgenstern's Organizing From the Inside Out. In clear, compassionate language, Morgenstern — herself a recovered slob — gives sensible tips and, more importantly, astute insights about the psychological reasons why some people find keeping things in order hard.Help on health and 'Happiness' (Hachette, $29.98)If reading about all the things you should do but don't gives you the vapors, schedule an audio house call with Andrew Weil's Spontaneous Happiness. A leading figure in integrating alternative and traditional medicine, the Arizona doctor will perk you right up. From the beginning of his career, Weil has always advocated for the simple: real food, deep sleep, good friends, exercise, mindfulness. It's his wise, calm, human-to-human delivery that empowers the listener to make changes.Voices from the past in 'Stalingrad' (Available as a download from Audible.com, $11.95)This August marks the 70th anniversary of the battle of Stalingrad, one of the most brutal struggles in history. It began on Aug. 23, 1942, when the German army attacked the city, and raged until Feb. 2, 1943, when the remnants of the German army surrendered. Antony Beevor's Stalingrad is a history classic read by a master narrator, George Guidall, one of Audiofile magazine's "Golden Voices."USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines.
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Hot summer author: Stephen Carter
What if John Wilkes Booth failed in his assassination attempt — and Abraham Lincoln recovered, only to face an impeachment trial? That's the intriguing premise of The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Carter's courtroom drama featuring a determined young African-American heroine.
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
Why it's hot: Books about Lincoln's assassination still fascinate — see Bill O'Reilly's best seller. In his new novel, Carter draws on his expertise both as constitutional scholar and as the author of four best-selling thrillers including The Emperor of Ocean Park.A taste: "He had been shot on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, he had risen. By the middle of the week, the President was sitting up, meeting with his staff, once again in charge of the affairs of the nation."On sale: July 10The authorQuick bio: A professor at Yale Law School since 1982, Carter, 57, has also written eight non-fiction books, most recently The Violence of Peace: America's Wars in the Age of Obama. He and his wife have two grown children.His inspiration: The idea of writing a "what if" Lincoln book has been in "the back of my head" since Carter was an undergrad. The man from Springfield has fascinated Carter since elementary school when he would flip through his father's copy of Carl Sandburg's multi-volume Lincoln biography. Today Carter has a bookshelf filled with Lincoln books in his Connecticut house.Lincoln impeached? On what grounds? Lincoln is our greatest president, says Carter, "but because he faced a greater crisis than any other president, he did things that, in the light of history, don't look very good." Things such as suspending habeas corpus, shutting down newspapers and putting northern cities under martial law.Would Lincoln have succeeded in politics today? "Not a chance. He would been been dismissed as uneducated and too folksy. He was not very telegenic and had a funny voice."Any plans to see the summer movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? "I don't know. It sounds like enormously silly fun," but he doubts his wife will agree.Up next: A historical novel about the Cuban missile crisis.His summer reading:An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies by Tyler Cowen; Attica Locke's The Cutting Season, a mystery set in Louisiana; andBourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can't Explain the Modern World by Deirdre McCloskey.E-books or print? "I read mostly print. I love the feel of the books."For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAYStephen Carter is a Yale Law School professor an author of a number of best-selling novels.
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAYStephen Carter is a Yale Law School professor an author of a number of best-selling novels.
The book:The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln: A NovelBy Stephen CarterKnopf, $26.95 Why it's hot: Books about Lincoln's assassination still fascinate — see Bill O'Reilly's best seller. In his new novel, Carter draws on his expertise both as constitutional scholar and as the author of four best-selling thrillers including The Emperor of Ocean Park.A taste: "He had been shot on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, he had risen. By the middle of the week, the President was sitting up, meeting with his staff, once again in charge of the affairs of the nation."On sale: July 10The authorQuick bio: A professor at Yale Law School since 1982, Carter, 57, has also written eight non-fiction books, most recently The Violence of Peace: America's Wars in the Age of Obama. He and his wife have two grown children.His inspiration: The idea of writing a "what if" Lincoln book has been in "the back of my head" since Carter was an undergrad. The man from Springfield has fascinated Carter since elementary school when he would flip through his father's copy of Carl Sandburg's multi-volume Lincoln biography. Today Carter has a bookshelf filled with Lincoln books in his Connecticut house.Lincoln impeached? On what grounds? Lincoln is our greatest president, says Carter, "but because he faced a greater crisis than any other president, he did things that, in the light of history, don't look very good." Things such as suspending habeas corpus, shutting down newspapers and putting northern cities under martial law.Would Lincoln have succeeded in politics today? "Not a chance. He would been been dismissed as uneducated and too folksy. He was not very telegenic and had a funny voice."Any plans to see the summer movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? "I don't know. It sounds like enormously silly fun," but he doubts his wife will agree.Up next: A historical novel about the Cuban missile crisis.His summer reading:An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies by Tyler Cowen; Attica Locke's The Cutting Season, a mystery set in Louisiana; andBourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can't Explain the Modern World by Deirdre McCloskey.E-books or print? "I read mostly print. I love the feel of the books."For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com. 
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Hot summer author: Larry Tye
In his new book Superman, Larry Tye has written a cultural biography of the Man of Steel, covering the many movie and TV adaptations and the unresolved legal battles between heirs of the creator, Jerry Siegel, who died in 1996, and DC Comics.
Josh T. Reynolds, for USA TODAY
The bookWhat's it about: A cultural biography of the Man of Steel, the numerous adaptations, and the unresolved legal battles between heirs of the creator, Jerry Siegel, who died in 1996, and DC Comics.Why it's hot: Superman, who burst into print in 1938, remains hot: The same day Tye's book is released, an animated film, Superman vs The Elite, hits theaters (a coincidence, he says). Coming in June 2013 from Warner Bros.: Man of Steel with British actor Henry Cavill as Superman, Russell Crowe as his Kryptonian father, and Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as as his earthbound parents.A taste: "The most enduring American hero is an alien from outer space who, once he reached Earth, traded in his foreign-sounding name Kal-El for a singularly American handle: Superman."On sale: June 12The authorQuick bio: Tye, 57, a former reporter for The Boston Globe, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal and The Anniston (Ala.) Star, has written four other books, including bios of baseball legend Satchel Paige (Satchel) and public relations pioneer Edward Bernays (The Father of Spin) and was co-author with Kitty Dukakis of Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy. He lives in Lexington, Mass., with his wife, Lisa, and two children, 19, and 17, his "in-home experts on comics and kids."Fun fact: Tye has his own red cape, emblazed with a L (for Larry), a gift on the 10th anniversary in 2011 of a fellowship program he runs to help reporters improve their coverage of health care. On Superman's enduring appeal: "Part of it is the irresistible allure of taking flight. Part of it is the seduction of the love triangle and his secret identity. Part of it is just being 10 years old again. The more that flesh-and-blood role models let us down, the more we turn to fictional ones who stay true."Biggest surprise: "How brilliant writers and screenwriters have been over the years in inventing and reinventing Superman. I expected to be cynical, but I was inspired."Up next: A biography of Robert F. Kennedy, the New York senator assassinated during his 1968 presidential campaign.His summer reading: "For pleasure and work," David Rowell's 2011 novel, TheTrain of Small Mercies, inspired by 1968 photographs of crowds who gathered from New York to Washington as the train carrying RFK's body passed by.E-books or print? "Print, definitely. As an old newspaper guy, holding what I'm reading is part of the joy."
Josh T. Reynolds, for USA TODAYLarry Tye writes about the history of Superman in his new book.
Josh T. Reynolds, for USA TODAYLarry Tye writes about the history of Superman in his new book.
The book:Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring HeroBy Larry Tye Random House, $27 The bookWhat's it about: A cultural biography of the Man of Steel, the numerous adaptations, and the unresolved legal battles between heirs of the creator, Jerry Siegel, who died in 1996, and DC Comics.Why it's hot: Superman, who burst into print in 1938, remains hot: The same day Tye's book is released, an animated film, Superman vs The Elite, hits theaters (a coincidence, he says). Coming in June 2013 from Warner Bros.: Man of Steel with British actor Henry Cavill as Superman, Russell Crowe as his Kryptonian father, and Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as as his earthbound parents.A taste: "The most enduring American hero is an alien from outer space who, once he reached Earth, traded in his foreign-sounding name Kal-El for a singularly American handle: Superman."On sale: June 12The authorQuick bio: Tye, 57, a former reporter for The Boston Globe, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal and The Anniston (Ala.) Star, has written four other books, including bios of baseball legend Satchel Paige (Satchel) and public relations pioneer Edward Bernays (The Father of Spin) and was co-author with Kitty Dukakis of Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy. He lives in Lexington, Mass., with his wife, Lisa, and two children, 19, and 17, his "in-home experts on comics and kids."Fun fact: Tye has his own red cape, emblazed with a L (for Larry), a gift on the 10th anniversary in 2011 of a fellowship program he runs to help reporters improve their coverage of health care. On Superman's enduring appeal: "Part of it is the irresistible allure of taking flight. Part of it is the seduction of the love triangle and his secret identity. Part of it is just being 10 years old again. The more that flesh-and-blood role models let us down, the more we turn to fictional ones who stay true."Biggest surprise: "How brilliant writers and screenwriters have been over the years in inventing and reinventing Superman. I expected to be cynical, but I was inspired."Up next: A biography of Robert F. Kennedy, the New York senator assassinated during his 1968 presidential campaign.His summer reading: "For pleasure and work," David Rowell's 2011 novel, TheTrain of Small Mercies, inspired by 1968 photographs of crowds who gathered from New York to Washington as the train carrying RFK's body passed by.E-books or print? "Print, definitely. As an old newspaper guy, holding what I'm reading is part of the joy."Contributing: By Bob Minzesheimer
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Hot summer author: Laura Moriarty
In 1922, Louise Brooks, the Kansas teenager who will be transformed into a star of the silent screen, travels to New York for dance lessons accompanied by Cora Carlisle, a middle-aged chaperone who has hidden motives for taking the trip. That's the story behind Laura Moriarty's new summer novel, The Chaperone.
By Earl R. Richardson, for USA TODAY
Why it's hot:Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern narrates the audiobook and will star in the film version.A taste: "The remarkable black hair, shiny and straight and cropped just below her ears, the ends tapering forward on both sides as if forming arrows to her full lips. A smooth curtain of thick bangs stopped abruptly above her brows … really, this girl looked like no one else."On sale: June 5The authorQuick bio: Moriarty, 41, who teaches creative writing at the University of Kansas, lives in Lawrence with her husband, Ben Eggleston, a professor of philosophy, and their daughter, Vivian, 8. The Chaperone is her fourth novel.Fun fact: The chaperone in this novel is named Cora, just like the character McGovern plays on Downton Abbey. "I hadn't seen Downton Abbey when I was writing it, and I think I might have changed the name if I'd known. It's just a coincidence, and I wonder if they'll change it for the movie so people don't get mixed up."On McGovern in the movie adaptation: "I've always really liked her, and like everyone else I'm a huge Downton Abbey fan. In a lot of ways it's similar to the character she plays because it's a similar time period, but this Cora is so different from that Cora. That Cora grew up in wealth and lives in England. This Cora is very much a Midwesterner with humble roots."On how she came to write about Louise Brooks: "I knew her personality was very vibrant and that she was difficult, self-destructive in a lot ways and smart and interesting. But when I had read she had left Wichita at 15 with a chaperone I started thinking, 'I wonder if I could write a novel about that.' "On Brooks' signature look: "She had the bangs, the real Buster Brown, and I think with her features and how she looked, it was just completely striking to the point where if she changed it she wouldn't really look like herself."Up next: Moriarty is doing research for a new novel, this one set in the 1930s.Her summer reading: "I'm going to reread Baby Jesus Pawn Shop by Lucia Orth. It's a little bit like The Chaperone in that it has a fictional character and a real historical backdrop. It takes place in the Philippines in the 1980s."E-books or print? "I don't have an e-reader yet. I'm still reading books and don't know when I'll make the jump. I do listen to audiobooks. I love to listen to a book when I'm walking in the woods when they have a wonderful narrator."
By Earl R. Richardson, for USA TODAYShe's not in Kansas anymore: Lawrence resident Laura Moriarty goes to 1920s New York with Louise Brooks in her fourth novel, The Chaperone.
By Earl R. Richardson, for USA TODAYShe's not in Kansas anymore: Lawrence resident Laura Moriarty goes to 1920s New York with Louise Brooks in her fourth novel, The Chaperone.
The book:The Chaperoneby Laura MoriartyRiverhead, $26.95 Why it's hot:Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern narrates the audiobook and will star in the film version.A taste: "The remarkable black hair, shiny and straight and cropped just below her ears, the ends tapering forward on both sides as if forming arrows to her full lips. A smooth curtain of thick bangs stopped abruptly above her brows … really, this girl looked like no one else."On sale: June 5The authorQuick bio: Moriarty, 41, who teaches creative writing at the University of Kansas, lives in Lawrence with her husband, Ben Eggleston, a professor of philosophy, and their daughter, Vivian, 8. The Chaperone is her fourth novel.Fun fact: The chaperone in this novel is named Cora, just like the character McGovern plays on Downton Abbey. "I hadn't seen Downton Abbey when I was writing it, and I think I might have changed the name if I'd known. It's just a coincidence, and I wonder if they'll change it for the movie so people don't get mixed up."On McGovern in the movie adaptation: "I've always really liked her, and like everyone else I'm a huge Downton Abbey fan. In a lot of ways it's similar to the character she plays because it's a similar time period, but this Cora is so different from that Cora. That Cora grew up in wealth and lives in England. This Cora is very much a Midwesterner with humble roots."On how she came to write about Louise Brooks: "I knew her personality was very vibrant and that she was difficult, self-destructive in a lot ways and smart and interesting. But when I had read she had left Wichita at 15 with a chaperone I started thinking, 'I wonder if I could write a novel about that.' "On Brooks' signature look: "She had the bangs, the real Buster Brown, and I think with her features and how she looked, it was just completely striking to the point where if she changed it she wouldn't really look like herself."Up next: Moriarty is doing research for a new novel, this one set in the 1930s.Her summer reading: "I'm going to reread Baby Jesus Pawn Shop by Lucia Orth. It's a little bit like The Chaperone in that it has a fictional character and a real historical backdrop. It takes place in the Philippines in the 1980s."E-books or print? "I don't have an e-reader yet. I'm still reading books and don't know when I'll make the jump. I do listen to audiobooks. I love to listen to a book when I'm walking in the woods when they have a wonderful narrator."Contributing: By Carol Memmott
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
MARTIAN SUMMER: Robot Arms, Cowboy Spacemen, and My 90 Days with the Phoenix Mars Mission
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Friday, June 17, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Summer reads: A look at the hottest titles, authors
Illustration by Sam WardIt's summertime, and that means time to relax ? and to read. And whether you prefer hardcovers, paperbacks or downloading to your e-reader, we've got you covered with the hottest new titles of the season.Bookmark this handy guide, and have fun planning your summer reading.
Check out our picks for great summer reads in 11 categories, from romance to sports.
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A guide to the best sellers headed to the big screen this summer.
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Novelist Monica Ali, who in Untold Story imagines that Princess Diana is living under a fake identity in the USA, explains her fascination with the iconic princess.
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Ben Mezrich dishes on Sex on the Moon, the true story of a young man who stole moon rocks from NASA to impress a girl ? and landed in prison.
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Daniel H. Wilson, whose sci-fi novel Robopocalypse has already been snapped up by Steven Spielberg, discusses technology gone awry.
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