Scott Brick Named Reader of the Year

Scott Brick has been named 2011 Reader of the Year by Publishers Weekly.  About Moneyball, PW said: “Brick skillfully navigates an unsteady sea of information to produce a flawless reading that will keep listeners enthralled for hours."  About Mayday: “Scott Brick provides sizzling narration."  About Washington: A Life, “Brick provides compelling vocal inflection in portraying the narrative’s many personal and political dramas. Some of the most emotionally powerful renderings include the passages related to Washington’s struggles with the issue of slavery and the experiences of daily life in the slave community on his plantations and in the family household.”  Says Brick: "Very grateful for the nod, as they honored a few of my favorite books. Yes, I'm blushing."  Full interview with Scott at this blog.  About Washington: A Life:

Audiobooks Today: At 33 hours, is Washington--A Life by Ron Chernow the longest you've recorded as narrator?

Scott Brick: Well, it's definitely long, but maybe only the second or third longest yet. The longest was Atlas Shrugged at 62 hours. The Everest of audiobooks!

AT: What did you think of the book?
SB: I'd been looking forward to another Ron Chernow title from the moment I turned the last page while working on Alexander Hamilton.  It didn't matter to me what the book was, or who it was about.  Hamilton was that rare biography that read like fiction.  When I heard Washington was on its way, I was ecstatic.  I immediately cleared my schedule and dove in.

AT: You'd been waiting for it a while?

SB: I've found that when you look forward to something for five years or more, it's extremely hard to live up to expectations, which made this experience amazing as it exceeded those expectations and then some.  I learned so many fascinating little facts about the life of Washington, things that I shared freely in the studio lunchroom to great effect.  So many myths debunked, so many more tales of bravery and heroism that were deserving of myth-making.  I didn't think it was possible to be a bigger fan of Ron Chernow than I was before, but I am.  He's an extraordinary writer.