Staff Picks 2011

Introduction

The audiobooks which feature as Staff Picks in 2011 will be added here. More details of these selections may be found on the linked blog posts. For more information and a list of Staff Picks in previous years, have a look at the main Staff Picks page

Suggestions for future Staff Picks on the LibriVox home page and the Internet Archive LibriVox index page are always welcome. Please post your suggestions in this thread.

LibriVox Staff Picks 2011

January 2011: New Beginnings

Fiction

The Chimes by Charles Dickens, read by Ruth Golding. (January theme: Changes)

Grace Harlowe's First Year At Overton College by Jessie Graham Flower, read by BumbleVee. (January theme: New School)

Work: A Story of Experience by Louisa May Alcott, group recording. (January theme: New Job)

Better Angel by Richard Meeker, read by Greg W. (10. January 1996: Death of Forman Brown, pseudonym R. Meeker)

White Fang by Jack London, read by Mark F. Smith. (12. January 1876: Birth of J. London)

Non-Fiction

Army Letters from an Officers Wife 1871-1888 by Frances M.A. Roe, read by Sue Anderson. (January theme: Moving)

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, read by Gary Gilbert. (17. January 1706: Birth of Benjamin Franklin)

A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay by Watkin Tench, read by tabithat. (18-20. January 1788: Arrival of the First Fleet in Australia)

Play

Five O'Clock Tea by William Dean Howells, drama. (January theme: Marriage)

Poetry

Robert Burns 250th Anniversary Collection by various, group recording. (25. January 1759: Birth of R. Burns)

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 7334 times in January 2011.

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February 2011: Freezing February

Fiction

The Fur Country by Jules Verne, read by Esther. (8. February 1828: Birth of J. Verne)

The Frozen Pirate by William C. Russell, group recording. (24. February 1844: Birth of W.C. Russell)

Dorothy Dale's Queer Holidays by Margaret Penrose, read by Lucy Burgoyne. (February theme: snowstorm)

The Frozen Deep by Wilkie Collins, read by Diana Majlinger. (February theme: Arctic)

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, read by Diana Kiesners . (9. February 1941: Death of E. von Arnim)

Non-Fiction

Exercises in Knitting by Cornelia Mee, group recording. (February theme: Fighting the cold)

The Journals of Robert F. Scott by Robert Falcon Scott, group recording. (February theme: Antarctic Exploration)

Famous Affinities of History by Lyndon Orr, group recording. (14. February: Valentine's Day)

Play

The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, drama. (February theme: Winter)

Poetry

A Boy's Will by Robert Frost, read by Savanna Herrold and Bill Boerst. (February theme: Frost :-))

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 2993 times in February 2011.

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March 2011: Mysterious March

Fiction

32 Caliber by Donald McGibney, read by Dawn Larsen (5. March 1836: First production model revolver (.34 caliber) made by Samuel Colt)

Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux, group recording. (March theme: locked room mystery)

The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, group recording. (March theme: crime)

The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green, read by Kirsten Ferreri. (March theme: whodunit)

The Crevice by William J. Burns and Isabel Ostrander, read by J. M. Smallheer. (March theme: natural death or murder?)

Non-Fiction

Science and Hypothesis by Henri Poincaré, group recording. (2. March: World Math Day)

The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt, read by Roger Melin. (March theme: Mysterious Appearances ;-))

The Collected Works of Saint Patrick, by Saint Patrick, read by Sean McKinley. (17. March: Saint Patrick's Day)

Play

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, drama. (15. March 44 BC: Death of J. Caesar)

Poetry

The Farmer's Bride by Charlotte Mew, read by Elizabeth Klett. (24 March 1928: C. Mew commits suicide)

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 14774 times in March 2011.

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April 2011: April Fools!

Fiction

The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Rudolf Erich Raspe, group recording. (April theme: Lies)

The Idiot by John Kendrick Bangs, read by Gregg Margarite. (April theme: Fools)

The Masquerader by Katherine C. Thurston, read by Tom Weiss. (18 April 1875: Birth of K. C. Thurston)

The Man who was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton, read by Zachary Brewster-Geisz. (April theme: Mistaken identities)

The Indiscretions of Archie by P. G. Wodehouse, read by by Mark Nelson. (April theme: fools)

Non-Fiction

Pathological Lying, Accusation and Swindling by William and Mary Healy, read by Mary Schneider. (April theme: Lying)

The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire, by Charles Morris, group recording. (18. April 1906: San Francisco Earthquake)

Martyred Armenia by Fa'iz El-Ghusein, read by Margaret Espaillat. (April 24: Armenian Genocide Day )

Play

Mrs. Warrens Profession by George Bernard Shaw, drama. (April theme: Deception)

Poetry

From The Temple by George Herbert, read by Kirsten Ferreri. (3 April 1593: Birth of G. Herbert)

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 4466 times in April 2011.

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May 2011: Lovely May

Fiction

The Money Moon by Jefferey Farnol, read by John Lieder (May theme: searching true love)

First Love by Ivan Turgenev, read by Martin Geeson (May theme: first love)

Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy, read by Tadhg (May theme: starcrossed lovers)

The Melting of Molly by Maria Thompson Daviess, group recording (May theme: choosing the right one)

Camille by Alexandre Dumas (fils), group recording (May theme: pains of love)

Non-Fiction

When Mother Lets us Cook by Constance Johnson, read by Kara Shallenberg (Throughout May: Mother's Day)

Hints for Lovers by Theodore Arnold Haultain, group recording (May theme: Love self help)

Easy Lessons in Einstein by Edwin E. Slosson, group recording (May 29, 1919: solar eclipse proved his predictions)

Play

Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw (May theme: Choosing the right one)

Poetry

Elegiac Sonnets and Other Poems by Charlotte Turner Smith, group recording (May 4, 1749: Birth of C. Turner Smith)

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 4149 times in May 2011.

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June 2011: Chill Out June

Fiction

Vice Versa by F. Anstey, group recording (June theme: identity switch)

The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice Leblanc, group recording (June theme: crime)

Oh Money, Money by Eleanor H. Porter, group recording (June theme: Millions to give away!)

Killgloom Park by Neil Boyton S.J., read by Maria Therese (June theme: amusement parks)

The King of Schnorrers by Israel Zangwill, read by Adrian Praetzellis (June theme: ghetto stories)

Non-Fiction

Literary Taste: How to Form It by Arnold Bennett, read by Timothy Ferguson (June theme: prepare for summer reading)

The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova, Vol 1 by Giacomo Casanova, group recording (June 4, 1798: death of Casanova)

Twentieth Century Inventions by George Sutherland, group recording (June theme: what could have been...)

Play

Porcelain and Pink by F. Scott Fitzgerald (June theme: Chill Out)

Poetry

Ballads of Lost Haven by Bliss Carman, read by Sean Michael Hogan (June 8, 1929: Death of B. Carman)

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 3912 times in June 2011.

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July 2011: Adventurous July

Fiction

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard, read by John Nicholson (July theme: classical adventure)

Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne, read by David Leeson (July theme: heroes!)

The Odyssey by Homer, group recording (July theme: First adventure/travel story)

The Web of the Golden Spider by Frederick O. Bartlett, read by Roger Melin (July theme: treasure hunting)

Bunyip Land by George Manville Fenn, group recording (July theme: Search & Rescue)

Non-Fiction

How I found Livingstone by Sir Henry M. Stanley, group recording (July theme: Lost in Africa)

Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum, read by Alan Chant (July 3, 1895: beginning of the voyage)

A Woman Who Went to Alaska by May Kellogg Sullivan, read by Karen Commins (July theme: travelogue)

Dramatic Reading

The Perils of Pauline by Charles Goddard, dramatic reading (July theme: adventurous damsel in distress)

Poetry

Beowulf, group recording (July theme: Heroes & Monsters)

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 21937 times in July 2011.

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August 2011: Happy Birthday LibriVox!

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, read by Mark F. Smith

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, read by Elizabeth Klett

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, read by Stewart Willis

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, read by Karen Savage

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, read by John Greenman

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, read by Kara Shallenberg

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan, read by Adrian Praetzellis

Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens, read by Mil Nicholson

Right Ho Jeeves, by P. G. Wodehouse, read by Mark Nelson

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, read by Ruth Golding

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 95376 times in August 2011.

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September 2011: Different Tongues

Fiction

Egri Csillagok by Géza Gárdonyi, read by Diana Majlinger (Hungarian)

Max Havelaar by Multatuli, read by Anna Simon (Dutch)

Ein Landarzt, kleine Erzählungen by Franz Kafka, group recording (German)

Rautatie by Juhani Aho, read by Tuija Aalto (Finnish)

Monsieur Lecoq by Emile Gaboriau, read by Ezwa (French)

Non-Fiction

Epistole pros Collosaes, read by peaceuntoyou (Greek)

Oku no Hosomichi by Matsuo Basho, read by kaseumin (Japanese)

Lun Yu by Confucius, group recording (Chinese)

Drama

Desencantos by Machado de Assis, drama (Portuguese)

Poetry

Simplemente Darío by Rubén Darío, read by arturo (Spanish)

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 4856 times in September 2011.

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October 2011: Scientific Studies

Fiction

A Story of the Stone Age by H. G. Wells, read by James Christopher

Greener Than You Think by W. Moore, read by Lee Elliot

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott, read by Ruth Golding

Frankenstein or Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft, group recording

The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster, read Jennilee and E. Tavano

Non-Fiction

The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin, group recording

The Book of the National Parks by Robert S. Yard, read by J. M. Smallheer

On the Elementary Electrical Charge by Robert A. Millikan, read by Eric Ray

Drama

The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, drama

Poetry

Edgar Allan Poe Poems by Edgar Allen Poe, read by shurtagal

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 19473 times in October 2011.

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November 2011: Correspondence

Fiction

Pamela or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson, group recording

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster, group recording

You know me Al by Ring Lardner, read by Utek

The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett, group recording

Molly Make Believe by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott, read by Kehinde

Non-Fiction

Deer Godchild by Marguerite Bernard and Edith Serrell, group recording

Letters to his Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman, by the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, read by Sibella Denton

Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark by Mary Wollstonecraft, group recording

Drama

Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac, dramatic reading <

Poetry

Cathay by Ezra Pound, read by Alan Davis-Drake

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 2831 times in November 2011.

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December 2011: Spiritual December

Fiction

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, read by Adrian Praetzellis

Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz, read by David Leeson

The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke, David Leeson

The Ball and the Cross by G K Chesterton, duet

Non-Fiction

The Promised Land by Mary Antin, read by Bridget Gaige

The Meaning of the Glorious Koran by Mohammed M. Pickthall, group recording

Bhagavad Gita, by Sir Edwin Arnold, group recording

The Soul of the Indian by Charles Alexander Eastman (Ohiyesa), read by David Mix

Drama

Salome by Oscar Wilde, drama

Hymns

Librivox Hymn Collection Vol. 1 group...erm...singing

Note: The books from this collection got downloaded 14381 times in December 2011.