From Sea-to-Sea with Audiobooks: On the Road with Author Lisa Wingate
By Lisa Wingate
It’s Shelterwood book tour time! As I pack my suitcases, I’m stocking up for the miles of planes, trains, and automobiles by packing my audiobook library as well. Fortunately, audiobooks are weightless, so I can take as many as I want. To get in the mood for visiting different parts of the country on tour, I’ve organized my audiobook playlist by topography with a “from sea to shining sea” theme. Nerdy—yes—but audiobooks are an incredibly immersive way to take in a story, and there’s nothing quite like looking out the window and feeling as though the characters could be right on the other side of the glass. Here’s what’s on my list so far!
🌳 Forests:
In the Shadow of Greenbrier by Emily Matchar
I love the mystery and beauty of Appalachia, and this audiobook is a perfect fit for the eastern mountain states. I can’t wait to see what Emily Matchar has done with this story of White Sulphur Springs, nestled in the hills of West Virginia, and home to the Greenbrier Resort. Long a playground for presidents and film stars, Greenbrier is commandeered as a luxury prison in 1942, and everything changes for the generational residents, the Zelner family.
🌊 Oceans:
The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor
Not your typical beach read, but my favorite novels are based on true events. Inspired by a remarkable true story, in The Last Lifeboat a young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters. When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada, a single lifeboat is left adrift in the storm-tossed Atlantic. Alice and Lily, strangers to each other—one on land, the other at sea—will quickly become one another’s very best hope as their lives are fatefully entwined.
The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton
Again, not your typical beach read, but this sultry dual-timeline gothic tale sounds so atmospheric. As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide. The house has a treacherous legacy, and Carmen’s own life is in jeopardy…unless she can unravel the secrets buried beneath the mansion’s facade.
⛰️ Mountains:
Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
Even though this is my book, I haven’t had my hands (or ears) on the audiobook yet, but a librarian who listened to an early copy told me it’s fabulous. I can’t wait to see what the amazing Penguin Random House Audio production team and talented narrators have done with this story!
🌾 Plains:
Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts
I read an early copy of this one a few years ago, but I want to experience it again on audio. Finding Dorothy tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum’s intrepid wife, Maud.
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
A road trip isn’t complete without at least one self-help book. From the author of Deep Work, Slow Productivity is a timely offering for our over-torqued culture, and offers ways to pursue meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload. Perfect perspective for the “plains” section of my road trip! How do you conquer a journey that seems to stretch as far as the eye can see? One step at a time.
☁️ Wide Open Skies:
Crow Talk by Eileen Garven
The national park poster-esque cover of this one hooked me at first sight, and aside from that, I love Eileen’s work. Crow Talk offers a moving story of hope, healing, and unexpected friendship set amidst the wild natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
So, that’s the trip library. It feels robust, but I have many miles ahead. I’m looking forward to plenty of adventures and good company along the way, both real and imaginary. See you on the tour!
