As befits someone in radio - always listening to something - I enjoy the heck out of audiobooks. Hearing the author saying what they wrote is illuminating. They know where to place the emphasis, how to illustrate the point they're making, how to get their thoughts across.

It used to be that only the elderly and visually impaired listened to "books-on-tape" as they were called. Audible.com, which is owned by Amazon, has re-framed in the public's mind that audiobooks are for everyone. In my native New Orleans, there is a non-commercial radio station which reads books, magazines and the newspaper ostensibly for the blind and handicapped but is accessible to all. This non-profit has adjusted its slogan to reflect this new popularity: "Reading fine print for the blind, the literary and the visionary."

As we've mentioned before, Waco's own Chip and Joanna Gaines, those sensations from HGTV's Fixer Upper, have released their first book called The Magnolia Story. With Audible.com being so popular, having them do a spoken word version was only natural.

You'll have to click over to Audible for a clip, Amazon doesn't allow sharing of audio yet.

Some Audiobooks go above and beyond the text. Comedian Martin Short's book, I Must Say, is a fun, tender, and alternately hilarious book. The Audiobook version features interstitial songs and funny bits linking the chapters. You'd expect nothing less from someone like Marty Short. Chip and Joanna play it straighter than that, but their natural charm comes through.

Published by inspirational imprint Thomas Nelson, Chip and Joanna provide strong Christian witness throughout the book. They're fine Texas folks. You'll enjoy it.

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