Audio Diary Saturday

“There's always a parade, Howie. When it's something you can't ever join but only watch, then it's a parade” 
― Dean Koontz, Darkness Under the Sun


My town loves a parade! What's not to love? Every year the town hosts a Pet Parade. Families bring their pets of all kinds to march up and down Broadway. It's a lovely way to spend a sunny Saturday morning. We would go even if we didn't have a pet. Our 2 cavies were ready and willing participants.

Meet Pepper

The High School Marching Band played:

up the street...

 ...and back again

This fabulous community band played:

Our community orchestra played, too:

Pepper made a new friend.

If you're looking for a good book to read your kids about parades, I found this list on Goodreads.

All you have to do in this life...

A few final thoughts on this year's Banned Books Week

My mother repeated a quote often to me when I was young - "All you have to do in this life is die." Sometimes she would add"...and pay taxes." I think the quote is attributed to Ben Franklin who said "The only thing certain is death and taxes."  My mother was trying to make a point about choices. I can choose to read a book. I can choose to leave a book on the shelf. But, what happens to my right to choose if someone doesn't allow the book on the shelf in the first place? I want my child to have access to the vault full of knowledge that reading can open for her. I want her to be like Roald Dahl's Matilda devouring every book in the library.

I want books to inspire her, to teach her, even to scare her. I want her to be able to escape into a book when there are moments she's had enough of real life.

"While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read."

“The only thing you have to do in this life is die," said Mrs. Pinsky..."everything else is a choice.”

Karen Thompson Walker, The Age of Miracles

Banned Books Week

Celebrating the freedom to read September 22-28, 2013

Banned Books Week

From the American Library Association:

"Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular."

Imagine being arrested for selling a book...

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess -  In 1973 a bookseller in Orem, UT was arrested for selling the novel. Charges were later dropped, but the book seller was forced to close the store and relocate to another city.

or

banning a book for being too accurate in portraying historical events...

A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway - Banned in Italy (1929) because of its painfully accurate account of the Italian retreat from Caporetto, Italy.


I'm happy to report my local library recognizes Banned Books Week:

Markus Zusak, in his novel A Book Thief,  created a young protagonist who loved books before she even knew how to read them. She braved great dangers to collect and read books. Liesel even plucked a book from the flames during a Nazi book burning campaign. The author participated in Virtual Read-Out in recognition of Banned Books Week:




Here'a list of banned or challenged books to add to your reading list:
Banned Books on Goodreads

And finally, as an audiobook narrator, I wanted to post a little excerpt from a classic novel that has faced its share of being banned. Written in 1722 by Daniel Defoe, the complete title says is all:

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, etc. Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of continu’d Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv’d Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums.

Megan Hilty at the Fairmont

Saturday in San Francisco started off with a bit of rain. The girl and I were stuck inside a coffee shop while my thoughtful and lovely husband brought the car around for us. Here's what it sounded like while we waited outside under the awning: Although the weather was making us want to curl up by the fireplace and read all night, we had opening night tickets to the Bay Area Cabaret Series. Performances are in the Venetian Room at the historic and gorgeous Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill.

The performer was Megan Hilty, an amazing singer, stage performer, and star of the TV show Smash. I'm a big fan of seeing singers perform in a cabaret setting. It's an intimate and relaxed experience for the crowd. The audience gave her a standing ovation as she walked out onto the stage. San Francisco loves Megan Hilty! Here's her entrance and part of her opening number: She performed some standards, some songs from her new album, and a few numbers from Smash, including the beautiful ballad Second Hand White Baby Grand. She and boyfriend Brian Gallagher, also her guitar player, performed Suddenly Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors. Mostly, she did what she does best, sang big! See what I mean - That's Life sung as a duet with her soulful piano player, Matt Cusson: What a night! Her closing number was Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend. She came out for two encores, one of which was Popular from her role as Glinda in Wicked! The crowd adored her. She's funny and personable and just an incredible performer. She has a new album out, too.

Next week I'm back in the booth narrating two audiobooks due to be released early November. Teen Ghost at Dead Lake by R. Barri Flowers and The Harder They Fall by Pamela Risdon.


my currently-reading shelf:

Audio Diary - Wednesday

I got the girl off to 8th grade 10 minutes late on Wednesday. It sounded like this:




She's a very understanding girl! Don't know if you noticed, but we were in the car listening to the audiobook version of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. It's narrated by Jenna Lamia & David Ledoux. After a road trip to Tahoe last weekend, we're deep into this one. I can't say that the girl is enjoying it, though. So, listening to this has put us on a quest to find a book that has less kissing and more SAT words. Her wish. Not that she doesn't (or shouldn't) enjoy some light reading. She's just not quite into the dating, romance, make-up, fashion thing, yet. I'm having a dickens of a time finding books that will satisfy her 8th grade brain. ALL recommendations are welcome!


Until we find the next great teen/YA read, she's planning a reread of an old favorite. Here's her not so subtle hint:





my currently-reading shelf:

Sounds of the Giants

If you're going to take an afternoon off from work a great way to spend it is at the Ballpark! I stepped out of my booth one afternoon last week to sit in the bleachers at a San Francisco Giants game.  While I was standing near the Willie Mays statue just outside the Ballpark, I collected this audio:

The view from our seats:

And this is what it sounded like from way up there:



This week it's back in the booth producing the audiobook for Teen Ghost at Dead Lake