The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point).
Audible freebie on December 20, 2016 (currently $24.95 at Audible and $16.51 at Barnes & Noble as of writing this post)
Overall rating 4.46 with 199,496 ratings and 21,840 reviews
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Narrator: Trevor Noah
Published by Audible on November 15, 2016
Genres: Non Fiction
Length: 8 hours, 50 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
Trevor Noah, one of the comedy world's fastest-rising stars and host of The Daily Show, tells his wild coming-of-age story during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed. In this Audible Studios production, Noah provides something deeper than traditional memoirists: powerfully funny observations about how farcical political and social systems play out in our lives.
"Nelson Mandela once said, 'If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.' He was so right. When you make the effort to speak someone else's language, even if it's just basic phrases here and there, you are saying to them, 'I understand that you have a culture and identity that exists beyond me. I see you as a human being.'" (Trevor Noah)
Attuned to the power of language at a young age - as a means of acceptance and influence in a country divided, then subdivided, into groups at odds with one another - Noah's raw, personal journey becomes something extraordinary in audio: a true testament to the power of storytelling. With brutal honesty and piercing wit, he forgoes an ordinary reading and, instead, delivers something more intimate, sharing his story with the openness and candor of a close friend. His chameleon-like ability to mimic accents and dialects, to shift effortlessly between languages including English, Xhosa, and Zulu, and to embody characters throughout his childhood - his mother, his gran, his schoolmates, first crushes and infatuations - brings each memory to life in vivid detail. Hearing him directly, you're reminded of the gift inherent in telling one's story and having it heard; of connecting with another, and seeing them as a human being.
The stories Noah tells are by turns hilarious, bizarre, tender, dark, and poignant - subsisting on caterpillars during months of extreme poverty, making comically pitiful attempts at teenage romance in a color-obsessed world, thrown into jail as the hapless fall guy for a crime he didn't commit, thrown by his mother from a speeding car driven by murderous gangsters, and more.
I can’t remember how this freebie became available but I was ecstatic to get Born a Crime. I love Trevor on The Daily Show. He’s adorable and funny. The writing and narration are by Trevor Noah.
The topics of Trevor’s life are thought-provoking and show the realities of a child in South Africa. As non-fiction, it provides some insight to history and politics in a humorous and easy way.
Narration:
I loved listening to Trevor! I actually enjoy having the author narrate their work since I figure they know and understand the emotional tenor of the story. I listened comfortably at 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip here:
These are only Kindle freebies I get, or ones through author newsletters which anyone can sign up and get for free. I don’t include things like Kindle Unlimited or Prime Free Reading (I do have it). Both Tantor and Audible have occasional free audios (to anyone) and I do include those. Since I one-click on 1-2 freebies a day or probably at least 5 a week, I came up with this feature to make sure I start reading them.
So I have thought about doing a Thrifty Thursday Challenge someday. For now, what I think would be fun is if you have read and reviewed a freebie, link up to your review (Goodreads, blog, facebook or wherever) below.
Add your review link here:
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Audiobooks
- BTB 2019
I had so much fun with this book. Glad you enjoyed it too.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I really enjoyed it! Trevor Noah is just fun. Some of the topics were serious though and I learned a bit about some things I didn’t know much about before.
I’ve seen this book around but due to the non-fictional nature of it and the seriousness of the subject I stayed away from it. Maybe I’ll have to give it a try.
Yes there are some serious aspects but Trevor Noah is great. I learned a lot and I was sad about some things but it was a great listen.
I confess that I didn’t know about the title nor the author there
Trevor Noah is a comedian who grew up in South Africa during apartheid. He tells about his childhood and it’s interesting and he makes it fun. It is a serious and sad topic though.
I’ve got this on my Kindle shelf and just need to get busy and read it. Neat how he did his own narration.
It’s well worth reading.
I wasn’t familiar with who Trevor Noah was before this book released (I’m not a TV watcher) but the book sounds interesting. And I always like it when an author narrates their own memoir/work.
I see his little clips on Twitter from the Daily Show. He’s a comedian.
He has a sharp wit and I imagine his story is fascinating.
He has. It has lots of social and political information which I had not heard about previously, but it is more from the perspective of how it affects his life and family.