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On Tour with Fiona Davis in the Big Apple
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<div class="item"><a href="/contributors/fiona-davis">Fiona Davis</a></div>
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<p><a href="; target="_blank"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Fiona.jpg" style="width: 225px; height: 261px; float: left; margin: 0px 9px;" /></a>Last year, Florida-based travel advisor and book lover Corinne Levine reached out to me with a proposition. She had recently developed a book-centered travel company, called <a href="; target="_blank">Novel Travels</a>, and asked if I’d be her inaugural author. Intrigued, we met in person when she came into town and immediately hit it off. I’m thrilled to report that the first-ever “Fiona Davis Books On Tour” launched on a warm weekend this past March and was a huge success, even more so than I’d ever imagined.</p>
<!--break--><!--break--><p>The attendees were from all around the country --- California to Cape Cod, Michigan to South Carolina --- and consisted of two mother/daughter duos, as well as a pair of sisters-in-law. The first night, we met for cocktails at the Algonquin Hotel, where Corinne had arranged for us to sit at the famed “round table” of Dorothy Parker fame. Not a bad start. Over the next four days, the group hit the prime locations of each of my eight novels, as well as the Tenement Museum, the Strand bookstore, and a Broadway show (<em>The Great Gatsby</em>, of course).</p>
<p>Our fearless tour guide was renowned New York historian Kevin Draper. At each venue, he provided context and background regarding the characters and plots of my books, as well as offering fascinating insights into New York City history. I met the crew to tour Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library and joined them at night for dinner (all but one held in a private room). The conversations circled around books we love, books we recommend, book clubs, favorite bookstores --- you get the drift. It was heaven.</p>
<p>Our last night together we were all a little weepy, as we’d truly connected with each other. There’s something about sharing your love of a book, of making yourself vulnerable about what moves you most, that’s like no other bond. I can’t wait to do it again, and I can’t wait to see what other authors and literary-related travel Corinne will be lining up. She’s also working on Fiona Davis day tours for those who are in the area or who prefer a more pared-down itinerary. Stay tuned!</p>
<p>» <a href="; target="_blank">Click here</a> to see photos from the tour.</p>
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Fri, 11 Apr 2025 19:57:16 +0000
tom
202639 at
An Interview with John Shors about His One-of-a-Kind Travel Company
/blog/2025/04/04/an-interview-with-john-shors-about-his-one-of-a-kind-travel-company
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<p class="rtecenter"><a href="; target="_blank"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/John Shors Travel.png" style="height: 133px; width: 580px;" /></a></p>
<p><a href="; target="_blank"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/John Shors.jpg" style="width: 170px; height: 227px; float: left; margin-right: 9px; margin-left: 9px;" />John Shors Travel</a> was conceptualized and launched as a result of outreach from the readers of <a href="; target="_blank">John Shors</a>’ bestselling books --- which includes his 2004 debut, <a href="; target="_blank">BENEATH A MARBLE SKY</a> --- and their desire to visit the settings of his novels. Since 2013, this one-of-a-kind travel company has taken more than a thousand guests on small-group, high-end tours to six continents.</p>
<p>In this interview, John talks about the first literary tour he organized; his partnership with fellow bestselling authors, who travel with their readers to the locations of their books; and the exciting plans ahead for John Shors Travel. <a href="; target="_blank">Click here</a> to see photos from a few of their excursions.</p>
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<p><strong>Question: What gave you the idea to plan and coordinate literary travel?</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Shors:</strong> My debut novel, <a href="; target="_blank">BENEATH A MARBLE SKY</a>, was published in 2004 and went on to become an international bestseller. It is a work of historical fiction and is based on the remarkable love story behind the creation of the Taj Mahal. After my novel became a bestseller, I received hundreds of emails from readers saying that my story had inspired them to travel to India, but that they weren't comfortable with the thought of traveling there alone. After years of receiving these emails, I decided that I should simply start my own tour company, which would allow me to take readers to the settings of my novels, which were all set in Asia. In 2013, I ran my first literary tour. The destination was Cambodia --- the setting for my novel, <a href="; target="_blank">TEMPLE OF A THOUSAND FACES</a>. That initial tour was such a success that I started running more and more tours, and since then I have taken about a thousand guests on trips to six continents.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Who are some of the authors with whom you have organized travel?</strong></p>
<p><strong>JS: </strong>After leading hundreds of my own readers on literary tours to the settings of my novels, I decided to expand my business and to partner with other bestselling novelists to take their readers on literary tours to the locations of their novels. My first author partner was Loung Ung, who wrote a powerful memoir called FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER, which was set in Cambodia. I then ran tours alongside wonderful writers such as Jamie Ford and Kate Quinn. These trips were enormously successful and extraordinary experiences for my author partners, as well as their readers. Since these early trips, my company has grown quite a bit. In the near future, we're offering tours with writers such as <a href="; target="_blank">Jane Green</a>, <a href="; target="_blank">Martha Hall Kelly</a>, <a href="; target="_blank">Lisa Genova</a>, <a href="; target="_blank">Paula McLain</a>, <a href="; target="_blank">Christina Baker Kline</a>, <a href="; target="_blank">Madeline Martin</a>, <a href="; target="_blank">Jacquelyn Mitchard</a>, and more.</p>
<p><strong>Q: How involved is the author with the itinerary? Are they there for just some events, or the entire trip?</strong></p>
<p><strong>JS:</strong> Our author partners typically are present for the entire trip, though everyone understands if they need to skip a certain dinner or excursion to do some writing or editing. But for the most part, the authors travel with the group, having the same experiences as the rest of the guests. Some authors like to do formal talks, which might occur in a local coffee shop or a hotel's event room. Other authors prefer to take a more free-flowing approach and simply answer questions during bus rides or excursions. We encourage authors to have a lot of input with regard to our itineraries, as it's important to us that they feel at ease during the trip. But ultimately, authors spend quite a bit of time with their readers, fostering meaningful and memorable interactions that would be nearly impossible to replicate elsewhere. On our trips, authors and readers begin the tours as strangers, and they end up as friends.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Can you share a few standout experiences that have happened on one of these tours?</strong></p>
<p><strong>JS: </strong>These are all high-end, small-group tours to very special places in the world. The interactions between a group of 16 or so guests with their favorite novelist, while traveling, inherently creates once-in-a-lifetime experiences for everyone. One of my most poignant memories with an author involved Loung Ung, who took us to her childhood home in Cambodia. She spoke of her fond memories of growing up there, and then the horror that befell her when the Khmer Rouge came to her home and imprisoned her family. It was a uniquely powerful and profound experience. I don't think that anyone who was on the tour will ever forget it.</p>
<p><strong>Q: As the coordinator of these special experiences, what do you do in advance to ensure that things run smoothly? Do you do an initial site visit to each location?</strong></p>
<p><strong>JS: </strong>I've been blessed to travel to about 70 countries on six continents. I've been traveling overseas, nearly nonstop, for the last 30 years. So I understand how to put together an amazing, all-inclusive itinerary for a trip to Cuba, China, Morocco, Paris or Japan. I know the best restaurants, hotels, guides and excursions because I've traveled to all of these destinations many times. My colleagues and I work hard to create really unique itineraries, which also allow guests to choose from a variety of daily, optional experiences. We don't treat our guests the same, but rather as unique individuals who likely will proceed at slightly different paces. And because we have an extremely high guide-to-guest ratio, we're often able to split the group up into two or even three smaller groups, ensuring that everyone, including our author partners, gets to spend the day doing whatever they want.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What have travelers said about the experience of having an author join them? What do they most appreciate about your tours?</strong></p>
<p><strong>JS:</strong> Guests love spending quality time with their favorite authors. We recently ran a trip to France with <a href="; target="_blank">Kate Quinn</a>, and as soon as that trip ended, all of the guests were wondering when we would run another such trip with her. The same thing happened on our tour with <a href="; target="_blank">Jamie Ford</a>, and our guests were clamoring for us to run a tour with him to China, which we're doing next year. Both of these authors eagerly signed up for another tour, and I think they were both touched by their interactions with readers.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Are there any other authors you would like to feature as part of a literary trip?</strong></p>
<p><strong>JS: </strong>We're in discussions with many bestselling novelists about running overseas literary tours based on their novels. It seems like we're announcing another such tour every week or two. It's an exciting time for us, as clearly there is an immense demand from readers for such experiences. Fortunately, we have the knowledge and contacts to transform such brainstorming sessions into once-in-a-lifetime tours. By now, many authors have heard of our program and are reaching out to us with regard to potential partnerships.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What new location(s) would you love to travel to?</strong></p>
<p><strong>JS:</strong> I'm always excited to explore new places, and then to create trips to those places for our guests. This year alone, I'll do extensive scouting trips to countries such as Laos, Slovenia and Taiwan. I'm always looking to make new discoveries, which I can later share with my guests. I feel extremely privileged to take such trips, to get to know extraordinary people from around the world. I've partnered with many of the same guides and hotel managers for a decade, and we couldn't do what we do without them. I'm also blessed to work with some really talented and wonderful people who comprise our company, who bring skills to the table that I don't possess. I truly believe that what we're doing is very special, and I'm just grateful to be a part of it all.</p>
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Fri, 04 Apr 2025 20:47:02 +0000
tom
202566 at
Reader Denise Neary Reports on the 2024 National Book Festival
/blog/2024/09/05/reader-denise-neary-reports-on-the-2024-national-book-festival
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<div class="item"><a href="/contributors/denise-neary">Denise Neary</a></div>
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<p><em>Books, algorithms, civics and dragons. Oh my!</em></p>
<p>The <a href="; target="_blank">National Book Festival</a>, hosted by the <a href="; target="_blank">Library of Congress</a>, is one of my favorite days of the year. August 24th marked the festival’s 24th anniversary!</p>
<p>It’s been held on the mall, it’s been held at the convention center, it’s been virtual, and it’s been hybrid.</p>
<p>Question my devotion? Here’s some <a href="; target="_blank">evidence</a>.</p>
<!--break--><!--break--><p>This year, as a <a href="; target="_blank">Friend of the Library of Congress</a>, I had a bibliophile pass for the festival…which means I was guaranteed easy access and great seats to my favorite authors. Just when I thought the experience couldn’t get better!</p>
<p>Each time I attend, my jaw drops learning more about how libraries serve the community.</p>
<p>I love libraries and use their services so much that I think I am familiar with what they do. Ha!</p>
<p>The day prior to the festival, Friends were treated to learning (for me, for the first time) about the <a href="; target="_blank">National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled</a>. If you know anyone who is blind or losing vision, please share this link. The services offered by this group are spectacular, and I am so grateful to know more about them!</p>
<p>And the festival itself!</p>
<p>I met:</p>
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a lovely librarian named Marian (she introduced herself: “I’m Marian the librarian”)</li>
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a woman from Phoenix who attends the NBF --- and several other book conferences --- each year</li>
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first-timers, too-many-times-to-count timers</li>
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parents pushing babies in strollers</li>
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adults helping parents in wheelchairs</li>
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someone planning to start a book club focuses on NBF selections</li>
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a friend of a friend, participating for the first time, who was overjoyed to talk to someone who loved talking about books and reading</li>
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a family considering planning vacations around visiting book conferences in each state</li>
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<p>and so many more!</p>
<p>The organization of the event was spectacular. Library staff and volunteers were everywhere, most of whom were holding “ASK ME” signs.</p>
<p>Wandering around the convention, I “bumped” into authors, saw kids meeting with their literary heroes, intricate STEM projects, trivia games, and even saw a spot for people to relax and recharge.</p>
<p>My biggest “complaint”: It was so hard to choose among the spectacular program offerings.</p>
<p>Here’s a brief interview that The Book Report Network conducted with me about this year’s festival.</p>
<p><strong>The Book Report Network: Who did you attend the festival with?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Denise Neary: </strong>I attended with my husband and some friends --- some local and some coming to town just for the festival. I ran into a former co-worker and her family. And I had some friends join sessions virtually!</p>
<p><strong>TBRN: Was there one particular author, or maybe two or three, you most looked forward to seeing? If so, what was that experience like? </strong></p>
<p><strong>DN: </strong>James McBride was the speaker I most wanted to see. And I loved him even more than I thought I would. He is such a combination of brilliant, empathetic, funny and wise that I could have listened to him all day.</p>
<p>In the long list of wonderful things he said: “Fiction allows your dreams to come true.”</p>
<p><strong>TBRN: What panels did you attend?</strong></p>
<p><strong>DN: </strong>I saw James Patterson, James McBride, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Rubenstein, Emily Wilson and M.A.R. Habib, Stuart Eizenstat and Rebecca Yarros.</p>
<p><strong>TBRN: Which was your favorite? </strong></p>
<p><strong>DN: </strong>James McBride and Doris Kearns Goodwin were two standouts. Doris was able to quote verbatim from her husband, LBJ and Abraham Lincoln. She made me cry several times during her presentation, yet she got through it without a tear.</p>
<p><strong>TBRN: Were there any authors who surprised you or shared something unexpected? </strong></p>
<p><strong>DN</strong>: A friend traveled from NJ to see Rebecca Yarros. I didn’t know her and had to see her. She could do stand-up; she reminded me a little of Amy Schumer. She was so generous to her adoring --- some a little starstruck --- questioners. Her audience was vibrating with happiness and positive energy.</p>
<p>It was the first time that the festival featured a romance/fantasy writer on the main stage. Based on the reaction to this author (who closed out the conference), it won’t be the last!</p>
<p><strong>TBRN: Were there other panels that you wish you could have attended? </strong></p>
<p><strong>DN: </strong>SO MANY!!! There were some that I knew I would have to miss because of scheduling conflicts. And then I heard other participants describe how spectacular different people were, which gave me such book envy!</p>
<p>I only attended panels with “adult” authors and missed seeing the spectacular children’s authors. I heard rave reviews of some of the questions children asked.</p>
<p><strong>TBRN: Which books did you most look forward to reading after the festival? </strong></p>
<p><strong>DN: </strong>I need to read some Rebecca Yarros! And I want to read the James McBride books I’ve missed.</p>
<p><strong>TBRN: Did you discover books that you would like to share with your book group for possible discussion?</strong></p>
<p><strong>DN: </strong>Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY.</p>
<p><strong>TBRN: Any additional thoughts?</strong></p>
<p><strong>DN: </strong>The moderators of the discussions were superstars, not just the authors. To the person, the moderators cast a shining light on the authors.</p>
<p>Another has a retirement dream of visiting a book festival in every state. (I LOVE that idea, too.)</p>
<p>The 2025 National Book Festival is being planned. Join the Library of Congress in DC on September 6th for the festival’s 25th anniversary. Hope to see you there!</p>
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Thu, 05 Sep 2024 20:11:19 +0000
tom
200225 at
Linwood Barclay Talks About Book Banning
/blog/2024/05/10/linwood-barclay-talks-about-book-banning
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<p><a href="; target="_blank"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Linwood Side by Side_0.jpg" style="width: 285px; height: 220px; float: left; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;" /></a>In <a href="; target="_blank">Linwood Barclay</a>’s new thriller, <a href="; target="_blank">I WILL RUIN YOU</a>, a teacher’s act of heroism inadvertently makes him the target of a dangerous blackmailer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The teacher, Richard Boyle, runs into trouble when he introduces his students to a novel that is not on the curriculum. This subplot inspired Linwood to share his thoughts on book banning and his experiences with it.</p>
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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/The Man from Uncle.jpg" style="width: 215px; height: 287px; float: right; margin-left: 9px; margin-right: 9px;" />My first experience with the phenomenon of book banning --- which features in a subplot of my new novel, <a href="; target="_blank">I WILL RUIN YOU</a> --- occurred when I was in the fifth grade.</div>
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The book was THE THOUSAND COFFINS AFFAIR by Michael Avallone, and it was the first in series of novels based on the TV show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”</div>
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The book banner was my mother.</div>
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I was 10 years old and obsessed with the spy adventure series. So when a book based on the show hit the paperback racks (50 cents!), I snatched it up. (Avallone, by the way, was one of the most prolific authors at the time of TV novelizations and other crime novels.) I was already a devoted reader of <em>The Hardy Boys</em> mysteries and Tom Swift’s escapades about his fantastical inventions, but this U.N.C.L.E. thriller felt like a step up, something a little more mature.</div>
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Mom must have seen it that way, too. She started thumbing through the pages, came upon a reference to a naked woman, and had a case of the vapors. And just like that, the book was withdrawn from household circulation, buried under other items on the top shelf of our front hall closet.</div>
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I was not deterred. Whenever she was out, I would grab a chair, climb atop it, get the book down from the shelf and read a chapter or two. Then, before she got home, I’d put it back in its hiding place, should she decide to check and see if it was still there.</div>
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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/The Diviners.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 267px; float: left; margin-left: 9px; margin-right: 9px;" />My next experience with book banning came years later, in my 20s, when I was a reporter for the <em>Peterborough Examiner</em> in Ontario. I came up against a campaign to ban from the curriculum of a high school in nearby Lakefield a novel called THE DIVINERS by Margaret Laurence. Laurence was not only one of Canada’s most celebrated literary writers of the time. She was a good friend and hugely supportive of my dream of becoming a crime novelist one day. (I used to keep her well supplied with Rex Stout and Ross Macdonald novels.) Laurence lived in Lakefield, and this campaign, led by a minister from a local Pentecostal church, was not only maddeningly closed-minded, but also deeply hurtful.</div>
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THE DIVINERS was the rich, profoundly beautiful, raw and honest story of Morag Gunn, a writer struggling with her own daughter’s independence, haunted by her past, struggling to come to terms with her future. (It was adapted into a movie here in Canada years later.)</div>
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That minister just thought it was dirty. He branded Laurence a pornographer, which was a pretty good clue this guy had never seen inside the pages of <em>Penthouse</em>. At one point, I interviewed another minister with a similar outlook. To prove his point that the book was pure filth, he directed me to a passage where Morag watches, with some fascination, two flies copulating.</div>
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Now, if that’s the kind of thing you believe is going to get young readers’ motors running, I respectfully suggest you need to talk to someone.</div>
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My wife, Neetha, and I spent a lot of time with Laurence during this period and saw the toll it took on her. How her thoughtful work could be so categorized was beyond baffling to us. But years later, as we see new attempts to ban books, demonize librarians, and supposedly protect children from works of literature that celebrate acceptance, condemn racism and tackle coming of age with directness, we see how little has changed.</div>
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There is a segment of society that will always be fearful of letting children think for themselves, of confronting ideas that may challenge them.</div>
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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/The Road.jpg" style="width: 165px; height: 254px; float: right; margin-left: 9px; margin-right: 9px;" />In my novel, a teacher runs into trouble when he introduces his students to a novel not on the curriculum. The book is THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy, and one of the teacher’s students is troubled --- but far from traumatized --- by a depiction in the novel of cannibalism. This ends up, as they say, biting our teacher in the butt. One parent questions why the school would force students to read a book that celebrates people devouring one another.</div>
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It’s pretty clear to anyone who has read THE ROAD that celebration was not McCarthy’s intention.</div>
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Here’s part of what my teacher character, Richard, tells parents at a hastily called meeting:</div>
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“Most novels, most good novels, involve conflict and what human beings do to resolve it. THE ROAD is a story about survival in the wake of a global catastrophe, and for kids who have grown up on stuff like ‘The Walking Dead’ and <em>28 Days Later</em>, it’s a way to engage them, to get them past the gore and the sensationalism and guide them toward a discussion of complicated moral issues…. I would be doing your children a disservice if I made every effort to protect them from things that might challenge or upset them. I could cocoon them, avoid anything that might spark debate, that would raise questions of right and wrong. Of course, that would mean not reading any great works of fiction at all, because that’s what we hope good fiction will do. Get the kids talking, thinking. Good fiction provokes and bridges gaps, can bring people together by exposing them to all sides of an issue.”</div>
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Richard knows he’d be a fool to think this will be enough to win over his opponents. But that doesn’t mean that he --- and all of us who believe in freedom of thought and expression, who oppose the suppression of ideas --- will stop trying.</div>
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A small postscript: I now have two copies of THE THOUSAND COFFINS AFFAIR and a framed blowup of the cover on my wall signed by one of the stars of the TV series. Kids always find a way, even if it takes a few decades.</div>
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Fri, 10 May 2024 15:49:37 +0000
tom
198452 at
Readers Share Their Audiobook Experiences
/blog/2024/03/22/readers-share-their-audiobook-experiences
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<p>In the <a href="; target="_blank">March 15th Bookreporter newsletter</a>, Carol Fitzgerald talked about listening to <a href="; target="_blank">Simone Gorrindo</a>’s upcoming memoir, <a href="; target="_blank">THE WIVES</a>. When an author writes a memoir, she enjoys hearing it in their own words. So she was curious about how our readers have adapted audiobook listening in their lives. We received so many wonderful replies that we decided to make a blog post out of it. Many thanks to all those who told us about their audio experiences!</p>
<!--break--><!--break--><p><strong>Angela H.</strong><br />
I became an audio listener years ago when my son convinced me to listen to books while I was walking at the mall so that it would be less boring. It was amazing how much longer I could walk when I was being entertained by listening to a book! I remember my very first Audible experience was listening to THE GOLDFINCH, which necessitated a lot of steps! Since then, I continue to enjoy Audible, except that every three books I read a hardcover for the pure pleasure of holding a book and turning the pages. That is still my favorite way to experience a book.</p>
<p><strong>Beth O.</strong><br />
I’m new to audio listening (turning 60 soon). I enjoy listening on solo car trips, while completing mundane chores around the house, and while walking.</p>
<p><strong>Beth S.</strong><br />
I started listening to audiobooks during the pandemic when I would go for long walks by myself. (I also walked with my hubby, but sometimes I just needed some time to myself!) I enjoyed it so much that I started incorporating audiobooks into my life when I was making dinner, doing chores or exercising. It really gives me the motivation to exercise or do unpleasant chores if I can listen to a good book at the same time! Now that I am working in a hybrid situation, it makes going into the office less painful to spend some of the commute listening to audiobooks or podcasts. I also have many e-book/audiobook combinations, so I can listen or read depending on the situation.</p>
<p><strong>Daryl E.</strong><br />
I have been listening to audiobooks for many years --- first with tape cassettes, then CDs, then Playaway, and now I download them from the library. It’s great to listen to a book while I knit or crochet or needlepoint. I get to do two of my favorite hobbies at the same time!</p>
<p><strong>Deb J.</strong><br />
Audiobooks have changed my reading experience. Since my retirement, I have more time to read, of course, but not much time to sit down with a good book. So I use audiobooks while cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, driving and sitting at the pool. I have developed “relationships” with favorite narrators. I pore over <em>AudioFile </em>magazine for recommendations. If I am reading for my book club discussions, I often purchase the print copy along with the audio format.</p>
<p><strong>Deborah B.</strong><br />
My mom, who soon will be 95, was an avid reader. I installed reading lights over her bed so she could enjoy reading long into the night. We visited the local bookstores weekly to stock up on books. In 2013, Mom suffered a heart attack; she had a stent installed and was put on blood thinners for two years. The blood-thinning medication greatly exacerbated her macular degeneration, which had been manageable for years. But when I took her to see her eye doctor, after complaining that she thought she needed new glasses, he woefully told her that there was nothing he could do for her and referred her to the Braille Institute.</p>
<p>There we were introduced to the world of audiobooks, but because these were free and the reading of the books was like listening to paint drying due to the uninspired narrators, I visited the local Barnes & Noble and stocked up on a slew of audiobooks on CD, which she would listen to through her Bose system. They changed my mom's life and gave her back the enjoyment of books. She listens throughout the day and night, and we now have about 1,000 books in our collection.</p>
<p>Mom enjoys listening to the male narrators as she finds a lot of the female voices too, what she calls, “childlike.” This, of course, has limited her selections as a lot of the mystery and romance books are female-narrated. We look forward to your Bookreporter newsletter. I go through the selections, and she listens to excerpts on Amazon or Audible to see if she likes the reader. We download her selections, and she listens to them off her oversized iPad so she can see the start and stop arrow.</p>
<p>Life is good!</p>
<p><strong>Deborah M.</strong><br />
I always have an audiobook keyed up. I listen while driving (even on short trips), walking and cleaning the house. There are certain books and types of books for which I always buy the audiobook: William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series, Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, and Viola Shipman’s books. I seldom, if ever, listen to nonfiction. I am grateful for audiobooks because I know that, as I get older and my vision is failing, I still will be able to listen to books. The one downside to audiobooks is the price, which you can mitigate if you buy a subscription or your library has audiobooks to borrow.</p>
<p><strong>Ellen B.</strong><br />
I started listening to audiobooks a couple of years ago to help pass the time on multi-day car travel with my husband. We settled on our mutual love of travel and history to pick books (OUR FIRST CIVIL WAR by H. W. Brands, LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Rinker Buck, THE RIVER OF DOUBT by Candice Millard, AMERICAN RAMBLE by Neil King, THE REVOLUTIONARY: SAMUEL ADAMS by Stacy Schiff).</p>
<p>Now I listen to audiobooks regularly --- when I'm in the car by myself, on daily walks, when sewing or doing house chores. It helps pass the time and has really upped the number and scope of books I read. The Libby app from my library is my go-to source, though I have picked up a couple of longer books (DEMON COPPERHEAD, for example) on Audible because I wasn't sure I could finish the book in the two-week Libby window.</p>
<p><strong>Gina T.</strong><br />
I remain an avid print reader, usually reading at least two books at the same time. I don’t enjoy e-books, but audio has been a game changer!</p>
<p>I have a 45-minute commute each way, and audio has been my companion on these rides. I have found that I enjoy listening to certain books that I wouldn’t necessarily read, and vice versa. The audio narrator is crucial. If I don’t like the voice or style, I won’t listen to it. I have learned to look for certain readers, and I know I have a good probability of enjoying it if it features them. A cast ensemble and the author as readers are usually excellent. Now that spring is on its way, I have been listening to audiobooks as I am getting my garden prepared or while doing chores around the house.</p>
<p>I have a few audiobooks that I purchased (I usually get them through the library), and I listen to them when I need comfort. We never lose the ability to enjoy listening to a really good story, regardless of our age. I also pay attention to audiobook performance recommendations, and I will check them out.</p>
<p>What I have noticed is that if I am reading a book for my book club, I can’t listen to it. I must read it in order to remember all the details well.</p>
<p><strong>Jean M.</strong><br />
As a lover of books with an ever-growing list of “to reads,” and as someone who loves to knit and needlepoint, I have found audiobooks perfect for doing both at once rather than having to choose which one to pick up. I also always listen to an audiobook when on the elliptical machine. The one time I do not listen is when walking outdoors, where I prefer to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and people around me. I find even a route I have done many times is a different experience each time.</p>
<p><strong>Jill G.</strong><br />
I never thought I would enjoy audiobooks as much as I do. There are some really great narrators, such as Edoardo Ballerini, Bahni Turpin, Jim Dale, Julia Whelan and Scott Brick, to name just a few. I also enjoy memoirs read by the author. I usually have an audiobook I listen to while in the car and working around the house, and then a book/e-book that I am reading as well. I found that I’m reading/listening to more books per year by adding in audiobooks. I know some say that if you listen to a book, you shouldn’t count it towards books read per year. I do!</p>
<p><strong>Karen H.</strong><br />
I LOVE audiobooks. I walk and walk and walk daily listening to audiobooks. I also take lots of road trips with audiobooks, making the miles go faster.</p>
<p><strong>Kathy H.</strong><br />
Well, I have been an audiobook reader for probably over 30 years. When I first became aware of audiobooks, there was a company called Books on Tape. I could order and pay for 10 titles; #11 would be free. Then I would set up a schedule when I wanted each book released to me. Through the mail, I would receive each book (in cassette form) in its own box, listen to the book, and then return the box of cassettes when I was done. It was like going to the library; there was no ownership.</p>
<p>Being a "reader," I never feel like I have enough time to read. So I loved this concept. At the time, I was also a long-distance runner (26-50 miles), so I would put a small cassette player in a fanny pack and go out for my long training runs. It was my R&R (running and reading) time.</p>
<p>Today, I don't spend all those hours on the trails, but audiobooks are still a big part of my reading life.</p>
<p><strong>Kim S.</strong><br />
I discovered audiobooks when I discovered the Libby app on my phone. Once I joined a book club, I realized I couldn’t keep up with all the actual reading, whether e-books or paperback. Also, I like audiobooks as I can walk and listen to my book. And I admit, sometimes when pressed for time, I increase the speed to 1.25x to finish on time.</p>
<p>One nice benefit of audiobooks is HOW stories are delivered. I’ve read books with, say, Irish characters, and the accent is spot on! The actors who read these books are amazing and bring the story to life. I’ve looked at reviews on Goodreads, and folks who gave lower ratings read the print version of the same audiobook that I listened to and enjoyed with a higher rating.</p>
<p><strong>Laura T.</strong><br />
I started listening to audiobooks via Libby (I'm a library director at the Fort Atkinson Public Library in Fort Atkinson, IA; we gotta stand with our own!) about a year and a half ago. I was never really into audiobooks before. Now it's my primary way of reading. I generally read all over the place: YA, adult fiction, memoirs, some nonfiction (though not a lot). I don't generally read Junior Fiction or picture books except at my job, but then not often and rarely on audio.</p>
<p>Having said all of that, I LOVE audiobooks now and keep working on people to get into them. With Libby, it's a free resource, though there may be some wait time. But it's FREE. You can't go wrong. Our library also has Hoopla, which has audiobooks among other resources, so I'm spoiled for choice.</p>
<p>Audiobooks are so simple, and you can listen while you're doing things like laundry, dishes, cleaning and mindless tasks. It's wonderful. I'm really glad that they are taking off. It's so much more liberating now that you can use your phone or Kindle (or whatever) to listen because you can use your hands and still enjoy a book. For me, that's the best part!</p>
<p>I generally listen when I'm on my commute to and from work, but I do sneak it into my daily life when I can. If it's quiet at work and I have to do something like cover books, I'll definitely put in my ear buds and listen. I learned the hard way that some of the things I listen to have unexpected love scenes, which is not really appropriate for work! Plus, it helps me get in the zone of what I'm doing.</p>
<p><strong>Michelle B.</strong><br />
I have increased my book listening approximately tenfold in the last few years. I moved to a rural part of northern Maine mid-pandemic and drive A LOT. When your closest Target is an hour away, that’s what happens. I actually split my time listening to book-related podcasts and audiobooks.</p>
<p>I am reading and reviewing quite a few books pre-pub and am trying to get more reading in! Because of the audiobook timeline, it’s hard to get this reading in before the pub date, so I use my listening time for recently published books and backlist titles.</p>
<p>Continued thanks for your recommendation of the <em>Orphan X</em> series! My husband and I have listened to the last four installments on our (very) long drives to Florida for his annual sailing races, and to say it keeps bickering to a minimum would be an understatement.</p>
<p><strong>Pat B.</strong><br />
I began an interest in audiobooks after arranging tapes of books for the blind for my sister 20 years ago. These were provided by the state. She did not like them, but I used them and got hooked. I found the books on CDs at the library and then eventually online through the library.</p>
<p>Almost all of my “reading” now is audio. I hate doing housework without a book! There is not much on TV that appeals to me these days, so I listen to books. I have to say that I am among a minority of women my age (86) who like and prefer audiobooks.</p>
<p><strong>Phyllis R.</strong><br />
As I age, I surely appreciate the option of listening to audiobooks and reading e-books so I can change the size of the font. I listen mostly in the car, on the beach and waiting at the dentist’s office.</p>
<p><strong>Rita K.</strong><br />
I listen to audiobooks while working out at the gym, doing yard work or cleaning the house --- basically any activity that doesn’t need deep concentration. I check them out of my local library. But I have to admit that print books are still my favorite.</p>
<p><strong>Vickie O.</strong><br />
I love listening to books on Audible.</p>
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Readers Share Stories About Their Book Groups
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<p>In the <a href="; target="_blank">January 18th ReadingGroupGuides.com newsletter</a>, Carol Fitzgerald wrote about meeting with her book group: “We often meet at my house as I am the only one without young children, so gathering here assures that everyone has a night out --- and I love company…. I look forward to these two hours every month. Besides discussing the book, we kick back and talk about life…. What I really love is that they are women who are very supportive of one another. There is a camaraderie that I think can be rare these days.” Carol asked readers to email her about their own group and what makes it so special. We are happy to share their comments with you in this blog post.</p>
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<p><strong>Abby M.</strong><br />
Our large book club fell apart during COVID. We tried to regroup in the summer of 2021, but it didn’t seem to work. A few of us who are avid readers decided to get together in early 2022 and talk about a book (THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LaRUE). We had such fun that we decided to keep going --- and our new group was born.</p>
<p>There are only five of us, but we all live to read --- as opposed to the old group, where attendance was always iffy and many never read the books. We have become a tight-knit group, and we laugh and enjoy each other’s company. We usually meet at someone’s home, but occasionally we go out, especially in December. We also do book challenges once or twice a year. Most recently, we each read a book where the author had the same first and last initial as we do. I read Armistead Maupin’s TALES OF THE CITY.</p>
<p><strong>Beth S.</strong><br />
We have been meeting since 2011. I started the book club at the urging of my spin instructor at the Y. I no longer take spin, and she no longer teaches it, but we are still seeing each other in the book club! Over the years, women have come and gone, though there are four of us who have been in the group the whole time. We come from different political persuasions and walks of life. We range in age from mid-50s to mid-70s. New members join at the invitation of one of the members.</p>
<p>We likely never would have met some of our members without the book club as we live in a large metropolitan area. But we all get along and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. We don’t always all like the books picked, but we always have lively and respectful discussions. (The member who hosts picks the book and leads the discussion.) I hope we can continue for many years to come!</p>
<p>Our group is called Book Parkers as most of us live in a suburb of Chicago that ends in Park --- Elmwood Park, Oak Park and Forest Park! The book club is also how I discovered Reading Group Guides and Bookreporter. I was googling for questions to ask when I was hosting book club. I have greatly benefited from both the book club and your newsletters! Oh, and I keep a list of all the books we have read. Over 100 now!</p>
<p><strong>Diane A.</strong><br />
I’ve been subscribed to Reading Group Guides for quite a number of years, but our book club is even older! Our group first met in late 2000, and I think six of the original 12 members are still with us. Most everyone in our group is the same general age. Over the years, we’ve lamented about raising children, caring for aging parents, and our jobs. Today, we love to talk about retirement hobbies and grandchildren.</p>
<p>We have a Google spreadsheet that documents every book we’ve read through the years. At our December meeting, we decide on our reading list for the coming year. Sometimes we barely discuss the book, and sometimes we complain if we didn’t like reading it. Usually everyone has read the book, but there’s no judgement if someone just comes for the fellowship.</p>
<p><strong>Janice E.</strong><br />
I’d like to tell you about our book group. We are a group of 8-10 women, ages 24-72, and two of our members are actually the daughters of two original members. We have grandchildren and kids of every age in between. Some of us have been meeting for 18 years, and some of us have been friends for even longer. We met because we were neighbors, coworkers or parents of kids who went to school together. I know I can count on these women for love and support in every situation. We have celebrated and cried, bought new homes and downsized as empty nesters.</p>
<p>We love to read a wide variety of books, our favorite being historical fiction. Discussions about the books always open the door to stories about life. Between us all, we read way more books than we ever could discuss each month. This year, we are committed to being more focused on all trying to read the same book at the same time so we can have a discussion and use the Reading Group Guides questions. We try to change things up, so we have done dinners with a theme based on the book we read. In the fall, we read some classics in recognition of the start of the school year.</p>
<p>Our biggest rule is that you show up, even if you didn’t know which book we were reading. To us, having “book group” once a month is a reason to make time for us and our friendship. We alternate who hosts, which usually includes dinner, but everyone brings food. We tend to make our decision on which book to read from a consensus --- maybe it’s what’s popular, a new release or a favorite author. We often search Reading Group Guides recommendations for our next book, and at this time of year we will review the list of favorites from last year to see what we missed.</p>
<p><strong>Jean H.</strong><br />
My book club formed in September 2002, and I joined it in January 2004 when I moved to the area, so I had several books to read in order to “catch up.” We meet at our church for an hour every Sunday morning from September to May and then monthly in members’ homes in the summer. Currently we have 15 on our email list, although usually only 6-9 show up on any given week. We are aged 45-85. I believe all of us have college degrees and have worked/are working in fields of engineering, chemistry, biology, therapy, teaching, business management, accounting, library/media and homemaking, among others. We are single, married, divorced, childless, college-age children, adult children and grandparents.</p>
<p>Our membership changes as people move away, lose interest or die. We have different political views, so we try not to talk politics. We've supported each other through troubled teenagers, separations, divorce, loss of parents, illness, surgeries and more. We managed to meet virtually during the pandemic's early months and held spaced-out meetings outdoors in the summer of 2020. We're happy to be meeting in person once again.</p>
<p>Over 22 years, we've read 275 books, averaging 12 or 13 books a year. That includes one book we read twice, one book we abandoned as a group after one week, and two collections of short stories. We've hosted local authors, to varying success, and have Zoomed with one author. Every member has a chance to offer suggestions, and then we choose our books three or four times a year. Summer hostesses always get to choose the book title. We have used a local library's Book Club Bag of Books (10-12 copies on loan for six weeks) many times. Members buy new and/or used books, borrow library books and use e-readers. We always try to find discussion questions --- Reading Group Guides is a Godsend for us --- to guide our discussions, and our best discussions are when we disagree on whether or not we liked the book.</p>
<p>Because we read about 125 pages each week, some of our discussions revolve around guessing what's going to happen to characters or the plot. Sometimes we're even right! Our members have different reading interests --- one loves mysteries, one loves biographies, one refuses to read any more WWII/Holocaust books, and one likes to psychoanalyze the characters, while others are not at all discriminating. We all agree that book club gets us to read beyond our usual genre --- and that it's a good thing.</p>
<p><strong>Liz E.</strong><br />
This year, our 14-member group will celebrate its 35th anniversary! We live on an island in the middle of the Niagara River between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY, called Grand Island (French explorers described it as "grand" or large). The group began as an offshoot of the local Welcome Wagon, which introduced new islanders to each other at monthly luncheons.</p>
<p>I was the first to volunteer to host a monthly book discussion group in the evening. As a result, I somehow become the de facto moderator for decades because I produced "discussion" notes on each title we read (before publishers followed suit). They included a character list with descriptions, a short summary, discussion questions, a record of who picked the title and/or hosted the meeting, the next title and hostess (and eventually what we read at the same time last year). Finally, I listed recommended titles, which were mainly the titles I had read in the interim between meetings. The book notes helped provoke memories of the book (if they had read it long before) and also served to keep members on topic.</p>
<p>Over the years, we added a few traditions, like having a picnic rather than a true discussion meeting in July or August. For a number of years, we also held a joint meeting with another Island Book Group at holiday time until they disbanded. In the beginning, we allowed the hostess to produce choices for the next meeting, as well as refreshments. Later, we found it easier to produce a year-long list of books, as well as hostesses. Everyone was allowed to suggest titles that we voted on.</p>
<p>Our members varied widely in age when we began. We became so popular as members wanted to bring additional friends that we had to limit our size for several years to a number that hostesses could accommodate in their living and dining rooms. Because we have been in existence for so long, I brought my youngest daughter to meetings because I was breastfeeding (she will be 31 this December). Members often ask how she is now as she helped me serve refreshments for years when it was my turn to host. We have lost members when their husbands got jobs across the country (she and her husband actually moved back years later!) or who moved to help care for elderly parents. Now that we are all much older, we have lost members due to age-related disease. (We donated a tree to the library "garden" in memory of one of these precious friends.)</p>
<p>During the COVID years, our "advanced" ages put the majority of us in a risk category, so we did not meet at all. When we finally did get back on track, we picked up with the titles we had not read on our last list. I asked to be relieved of my moderator duties. My monthly "book notes" had filled numerous binders. A committee of three took over. We now meet at the local library community room during the early afternoon with volunteer moderators and hostesses. Driving at night, especially during the winter, had become a daunting proposition to many.</p>
<p>I have kept a Master List of the titles we have read over the years. New members began proposing titles that we actually had read. It is up to eight pages long!</p>
<p><strong>Mary Lou W.</strong><br />
Our book group had an interesting start. Somewhere in late 2019 and early 2020, right before the pandemic, a 40-something woman posted a message on NextDoor. Her senior mom had just moved to Denver and didn’t know anyone. The woman asked if anyone would be interested in meeting for lunch, and she gave the name of the restaurant and the date/time. Would you believe that over 50 senior women showed up?</p>
<p>Out of the original 50, several smaller groups were formed --- for example, a movie discussion group, a knitting group, a walking group, and…a book group. I was not involved in the very earliest beginnings of all this senior fun, because I was in the middle of tutoring for the bar exam and had no spare time. I was determined to join up as soon as bar review ended.</p>
<p>The first group I attended was the movie group. About six of us met to see <em>Little Women</em>, and it was a blast sitting in the movie theater with all these people who just wanted to make friends. How fun.</p>
<p>And then March 2020 happened, and that was the end of in-person get-togethers. The book group was still in their early days, but they made a seamless transition to Zoom. I was able to attend the meeting, and I met the most amazing group of senior women. We all loved books, we all were in various stages of seniorhood, we all lived in Denver, and we all were interested in making friends.</p>
<p>We continued to meet on Zoom until we got the all-clear about COVID and we all could be vaccinated. The first time we met in person, we all exclaimed about how tall or short we were, as it wasn’t easy to tell those details on Zoom. We started meeting for lunch just to visit with each other, in addition to our monthly book discussion meetings.</p>
<p>I now consider these women to be such good friends. We’ve been to each other’s houses, gotten together to sit outside in the park in the summer, and stepped up to help when one of us needed it. I got so much support from them last fall when I was in an auto accident that totaled my car and left me with a cracked sternum and on oxygen for 10 weeks.</p>
<p>I consider it something of a miracle the way this all happened, beginning with a loving daughter posting on NextDoor that her mom was new to town and wanted to make some friends. Who knew?</p>
<p><strong>Suzie D.</strong><br />
When my husband and I retired to the beautiful island of Anguilla in the Caribbean in 2001, one of the first things I did was join a book club. In 2003, I took over the “management” of our group and continue to enjoy it 21 years later. We usually have around 15 members, which fluctuates during the seasons as about half of our group are “snowbirds.” We read a variety of genres with each member submitting and leading the discussion of her book. We meet monthly either in someone’s home or at a restaurant. I have found that book clubs are a great way to make friends and read books you normally wouldn’t choose.</p>
<p><strong>Vesna D.</strong><br />
We have been meeting for five years. We meet at my house and on occasion take a field trip to a restaurant or winery for that particular month. We were a spotlight group again in an online newsletter, and we were so very lucky in 2020 to be a Book Club Girl-sponsored club. We miss those days of boxes and boxes of new titles and swag coming each month! We now have four mother/daughter pairs and couldn't be happier to see one another each month. With the unpredictable weather in Sparta, NJ, a