Simply Audiobooks Inc.

The Grammy Awards are coming up this Sunday, and we’ve been taking bets on who we think will take home the prize for Best Spoken Word Album (includes Poetry, Audio Books, and Story Telling).

The nominees are (drum roll please):

Always Looking Up, written and narrated by Michael J. Fox.

Always Looking Up is a memoir of Fox’s past decade, told through the critical themes of his life: work, politics, faith, and family. The book is a journey of self-discovery and reinvention, and a testament to the consolations that protect him from the ravages of Parkinson’s.

In the Simply Audiobooks crowd, Fox is the hands down favorite to take home the hardware.

We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land, written and narrated by JImmy Carter.

Nobel Peace Laureate and former President Jimmy Carter argues that the present moment is a unique time for achieving peace in the Middle East – and he offers a bold and comprehensive plan to do just that.

Carter comes as a close second for our favorite to win; he has a previous win for Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis, and has the whole presidential angle working for him. Since 2005 the Grammy for Best Spoken Word has gone to audio books by Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Carter, and two audio books by Barack Obama.

Wishful Drinking, written and narrated by Carrie Fisher.

Fisher rounds out our top 3 with this memoir which was adapted from her one-woman show. She tells the true and outrageous story of her bizarre reality with wit, unabashed self-deprecation, and infectious humor.

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates, narrated by Richard Dreyfuss and David Stathaim.

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates made history and changed its course through seven legendary match-ups between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Illinois senatorial race. Although he lost the election, Lincoln’s gift for oratory and his anti-slavery stance made him a nationally known figure, and led to his election to the presidency in 1860.

This is the first time these debates have been presented in audio.

The Maltese Falcon, and Jonathan Winters – A Very Special Time round out the nominees.

Who would you like to see win?

Al Gore!

The 51st Grammy Awards were held last night, and though you might not have seen any performances by those nominated in the Spoken Word category, the prestigious award went to Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, read by Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon, and Blair Underwood.

Gore’s audio book was up against some tough competition:

Born Standing Up, by Steve Martin

I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

Life Beyond Measure by Sidney Poitier

When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris

Kudos to Gore and his narrators for a job well done.

And I very much look forward to the by-product of Gore’s win -  Stephen Colbert’s rant of “Who’s Not Honoring Me Now?“