Sound Recommendations: A Mixed Pair

In her most recent collection of personal essays, Anchor & Flares, Kate Braestrup talks about the emotional roller coaster of watching her children become young adults and choose their own life paths. Along with thoughts on her personal life and a variety of related topics, Braestrup takes us into her professional world, where she is a chaplain to the Maine [game] Warden Service. Although her faith informs her worldview, Braestrup is not a proselytizer, and her musings cover a wide range, including the exemplary record of the Danes during World War II, talking with the families of accident victims, and her anticipation of the birth of her first grandchild. This is one of the rare cases in which I can wholeheartedly recommend an author-narrated audiobook. As I said in AudioFile magazine, "Braestrup's sincere compassion for others, love and respect for her family, and easy sense of humor color her delivery, inviting listeners into her world." (Hachette Audio; 8 hr, 55 min)

Sarah Vaughan's The Art of Baking Blind introduces us to the five finalist in a British national baking contest. The winner will become the new Mrs. Eaden (think: Betty Crocker), the face of a popular supermarket chain. The chapters alternate among the main characters, each of whom has entered the contest for a unique reason. Woven throughout the modern-day story are diary entries written in the 1960s by the original Mrs. Eaden, who was the wife of the supermarket's founder. All the contestants are facing a personal crisis or a turning point in their lives, the resolution of which hinges on how well they do in the bake-off. Narrator Julie Barrie captures each character's personality and her pronunciation of the many cooking terms gives her performance an authentic feel. Listeners who are very sensitive to swallowing and breathing noises may be bothered, but the rest of us will find the audiobook to be a light, enjoyable escape. Warning: You may start craving a Victoria sponge or perhaps some scones. (Macmillan audio; 13 hr, 18 min)