Thanksgiving, that greatest of holidays, has now come and gone. I am still in a food coma. This is being written in a dream with the assumption I’m actually posting it in the waking world.
I love Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday. All of the delicious foods and none of the stress of gift-giving (and receiving). But, with all that delicious food comes too much food in general. Is there really such a thing? For the premise of this post we’re going to say yes (there is a strong argument against, but then why would I be writing this?). After all the deliciousness, after the long nap, I usually feel like I need to move a bit to feel human again and not like I’m going to roll away in my internal carb bath.
Exercise is not my favorite thing and I usually require external motivation to get going. This is usually provided by my dog, but he’s a greyhound and actually lazier than I am and not always up to the task. So I must find motivation in other ways and I find it with audiobooks. I’ve listened to audiobooks for as long as I remember. Family trips growing up usually involved car rides which meant keeping my siblings and myself occupied in a small space for hours on end which meant audiobooks. Well, books on tape really. It was the 90s.
Now I download books to my phone and listen to them on walks. I motivate myself by having certain books I am only allowed to listen to while I’m walking. If I am not walking and someone is dangling off a cliff, they stay on that cliff until I’m moving again. There is no motivation like having a fictional person’s fate hanging in the balance.
Here are a few of my picks of great audiobooks to keep you moving through the holidays, and maybe (maybe, I’m not a miracle worker) keep some of the pounds at bay.
Bossypants by and read by Tina Fey
I adore Tina Fey and as always, she is an hilarious and poignant writer. Any time a comedian writes a book I almost always listen to the audiobook version if they narrate because there is no replacing their voice in my head.
Neverwhere by and read by Neil Gaiman
A classic fantasy novel about the world below London and the hapless Richard Mayhew who accidentally discovers it. Neil Gaiman should always narrate his books as far as I’m concerned, he has a wonderfully soothing and playful voice.
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, read by Barbara Rosenblat
The start of classic mystery series starring the Miss Marple-like Mrs. Pollifax who is accidentally recruited to the CIA and has international spy adventures. Fun and very funny.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, read by Jim Dale
Le Cirque des Réves appears and disappears out of nowhere and two magicians are waging a battle behind the scenes. Jim Dale is one of the greatest narrators I have ever heard. He narrated the American version of the Harry Potter audiobooks and he was the narrator for my late, beloved Pushing Daisies. If you don’t completely lose yourself in his dulcet tones, you are a monster.
Sabriel by Garth Nix, read by Tim Curry
The first of two Tim Curry narrations on this list (who doesn’t love Tim Curry?). Sabriel is the daughter of a mage who talks to the dead and when her father disappears, she must go looking for him in the Old Kingdom where magic runs free.
Dracula by Bram Stoker, read by a full cast
Why not knock a classic off your bucket list? I recommend this full cast version of Dracula which stays faithful to the epistolary format of the novel by employing a fantastic range of voices including Alan Cumming and Tim Curry.
The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture by and read by Glen Weldon
Glen Weldon writes about books and comic books for NPR (and other places on web) and is also one of the chairs for the podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour. His exploration on the history of Batman and his effect on nerd and pop culture is fascinating, funny, and a good time no matter how nerdy you are.
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