The thirteen audio books awards ceremony known as 'The Audies', took place in the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on May 30th 2008. Sometimes known as 'The Oscars' of the audiobook medium, the Audies are selected by distinguished members of the Audio Publishers Association, and awards are bestowed in over 30 categories.
The winner of the Mystery category was Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke. This audio book is narrated by Will Patton and the abridged version is 6 hours in length, while the unabridged version is over 16 hours long. Dave Robicheaux returns in another Bayou adventure, this one more gruesome and gut-wrenching than any that have come before. Hurricane Katrina has ravaged New Orleans, and it has left the streets and buildings flooded and the city awash with opportunists, loaters, and vicious criminals. There is no order, no law. Police are shooting randomly at innocent people, prison guards have abandoned their posts, bodies float through the streets and hang from trees, and every drug dealer, murderer and rapist is out taking advantage of the desperate lawlessness that holds the city captive.
In the mid of it all is Robicheaux, doing his best to help regulate the post-Katrina madness, all the while on a dogged search for a pair of dangerous fugitives, a dope-addicted, fallen priest, and a vigilante insurance salesman who takes His family's protection too far. This promises to be the most taxing and emotional case Robicheaux has had to work.
In his singular style that defies genre, James Lee Burke has created a haunting picture of life in New Orleans after Katrina. Filled with complex characters and vivid descriptions of the destruction and death that gripped the Big Easy, The Tin Roof Blowdown is an action-packed crime thriller as well as a poignant story of what disaster and desperation can do to people.
The winner of the Biography Memoir Category was Einstein, His Life and Universe , by Walter Isaacson. This audio book is narrated by Edward Herrmann and is 22 hours long. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom.
Based on newly released personal letters of Albert Einstein, Walter Isaacson explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk – a struggling father in a difficult marriage who could not get a teaching job or a doctorate – become the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos , The locksmith of the mysteries of the atom and universe. His success came from questioning conventional wisdom and marveling at mysteries that stuck others as mundane. This left him to embrace a morality and politics based on respect for free minds, free spirits, and free individuals.
The winner of 3 categories, namely, The Achievement in Production category, Original Work category, and Audio Drama category went to Sweeney Todd and the String of Pearls by Yuri Rasovsky. This audiobook is narrated by Phil Proctor, Simon Templeman, Moira Quirk, Martin Jarvis, Rosalind Ayres, Robertson Dean, and W. Morgan Sheppard.
According to legend, Sweeney Todd had his barber shop at number 186 Fleet Street, next door to St. Louis. Dunstan's Church, just a few blocks away from the Royal Courts of Justice. On this site, they say, he robbed and murdered more than 150 customers. To dispose of their remains, he transported them through underground tunnels to the bakery of one Mrs. Lovett a few blocks away, where they supplied the stuffing for her meat pies, the favorite mid-day repast of the lawyers who worked nearby and got their shaves from Sweeney Todd. The man you lunched yesterday could be your lunch today! The story first appeared in 1846 as a best-selling "penny dreadful," a sensational thriller published in installations. Before the final chapters even had a chance to hit the stands, the first stage version was packing them at the Royal Britannia Saloon. Since then there have been numerous stage and literary versions of the story.
The winner of The Business Information / Educational category was Words That Work : It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear by Dr. Frank Luntz. This audiobook is narrated by the author and LJ Ganser and is 6 hours long.
Why are some people so much better than others at talking their way into a job or out of trouble? What makes some advertising jingles cut through the clutter of our crowded memories? What's behind winning campaign slogans and career-ending political blunders? Why do some speeches resonate and end while others arc forgotten moments after they are given? The answers lie in the way words are used to influence and motivate, the way they connect thought and emotion. And no person knows more about the intersection of words and deeds than language architect and public-opinion guru Dr. Frank Luntz. In Words That Work, Dr. Luntz not only raises the curtain on the craft of effective language, but also offers priceless insight on how to find and use the right words to get what you want out of life. Whatever your goal is to boost company sales, win political office, inspire your employees, or get that raise you deserve, Dr. Luntz has something instructive to say about how language can help. Learn about the phenomenon of transforming words words into an effective arsenal for the war of perception we all wage each and every day.
The winner of The Children's Title For Ages 12+ category was Bloody Jack Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy, by LA Meyer. This audiobook is narrated by Katherine Kellgren and is 8 hours long.
Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighty-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas. There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life – if only she does not get caught …
The winner of The Audiobook adapted from another Medium category was Twilight Zone Radio Dramas: Collection 11 by various authors. This audio book is narrated by Stacy Keach, Fred Willard, Blair Underwood and others. The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas will keep you glued to the edge of your seat, whether listening in your home or in your car. Each tale unites classic stories and musical scores with contemporary sound effects and readings by distinguished guest stars.
Adapted from original scripts written for the television show Created by Rod Serling that aired from 1959 to 1965, these radio dramas were contemporized and expanded to accommodate a radio format. Serling's widow, Carol Serling, praised the radio adaptations, calling them "truly astounding." Hosted by Stacy Keach, the readings feature celebrities Jason Alexander, Jane Seymour, Blair Underwood, Ed Begley, Jr., Lou Diamond Phillips, Adam Baldwin, Bruno Kirby, Daniel J. Travanti, and many more.
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