This year, I fully embraced the delights of audio.
I finally acquired a smartphone, which means I can easily borrow and listen to audiobooks. They make exercising far more tolerable, and accompany me in my daily tasks. Thus far, my preference has gone to non-fiction, and I highly recommend these:
- At Home by Bill Bryson, a delightfully eclectic study of the domestic space (read my review here)
- Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith, a fascinating comparison of human and other minds
- Stiff by Mary Roach, a funny and irreverent but never disrespectful look at what happens to us after death
As a longtime fan of podcasts, I'm always happy to add new ones added to my feed. These are the ones I found over the course of this year:
- Shedunnit, a celebration of Golden Age mysteries with an emphasis on women's contributions
- Words to that Effect, about the written word in all its multifaceted glory
- The Memory Palace, always food for thought
- Literary Friction, which feels like eavesdropping on two smart, funny friends having a literary conversation
- Finding Fred, a touching look at beloved TV figure Fred Rogers and his lasting legacy of being a good neighbour
Despite my love of podcasts, I'd never realised before this year that there was such a thing as audio dramas! I've fallen headlong down the rabbit hole and have made amazing discoveries, with superb voice acting and mind-blowing sound design. Give these a listen if you're curious!
what: Staid Inspector Archibald Fleet and plucky journalist Clara Entwistle's (mis)adventures in Even Greater London under the reign of cyborg Victoria (& Albert)
listen while: nibbling on ginger buns
in two words: steampunk comedy
what: Tell them a good story and pony up the cash, and they'll fake your death
listen while: sipping cocoa
in two words: this review isn't happening
what: Cantankerous Rudyard Funn and his perpetually gloomy twin sister Antigone ran the only funeral home in the village of Piffling Vale, until (almost) universally popular Eric Chapman moved across the street
listen while: enjoying a hot water, strong
in two words: Enjoy yourselves!
what: A chronically overenthusiastic young man inherits a ramshackle tavern run by a crabby troll; what could go wrong?
listen while: tucking into seagull on toast
in two words: absurd fun
what: A team of strangers was sent to a remote area with a specific task; what happened next is told through their audio and video recordings and written notes
listen while: thawing your fingers on a mug of coffee
in two words: addictively terrifying
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