Media Madness

June is Audio-book Month!

No matter how one “reads” these days; by Kindle, Nook or plain old book, the Henrietta Public Library has access to all kinds of audio or digital books on every subject or by every favorite author.  This month I would like to highlight a few new audio book /e-book biographies that may interest you.

The King’s Speech is written by Mark Logue, the grandson of Lionel Logue, the man who ”cured” the Duke of York of his life-long stuttering problem. This book enhances the plot to the Academy award winning Best Picture story with the background of Lionel Logue and his endearing wife. Though not really trained as a clinical speech pathologist, Loque’s unique methods would transform the new King’s public speaking abilities and inspire his English countrymen during WWII.

Some of us have grown up with his most famous characters: Rob Petry, Bertie, the chimneysweep of Mary Poppins, and the sleuthing Dr. Mark Sloan – but Dick Van Dyke recounts in his autobiography,  My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business, that his life was not always “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”! Though he considers himself a simple song and dance man, his comedic rise to stardom and several theatrical awards, is told warmly and is rich in detail and told in his own voice.

From Barefoot in the Park to the creator of his world renowned Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford has proven a handsome man has more than just a pretty face. Robert Redford: the Biography written by Michael Feeney Callan, describes the hardscrabble, restless young life which led to a political activist, award winning director and actor through personal interviews, journals and scripts.

According to one of our favorite patrons who has actually met Mr. Sinatra – James Kaplan’s  Frank : The Voice, read by Rob Shapiro, captures the essence of the greatest singer of modern times, from his New Jersey roots to his rise of stardom and screaming fans, to his many marriages, the “Big Band “ years, and his notorious “connections”.  He contends Frank Sinatra was a “tortured musical genius” through an engaging and perceptive narrative with all the style and passion of the “Voice” himself.

I hope you enjoy these new biographies on audio-CD. Be sure to check out these and more on the Overdrive website on the MCLS website. As always, happy listening and come in and check us out at the Henrietta Public Library.

Nancy R. Maxwell, Audio-Visual Librarian