LOL from A to Z (The Vocab Book Series 1)

by Amanda Terman

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

4★ Audiobook⎮ Are you the kind of person who has a “word of the day” calendar? If so, I can almost guarantee that you will love LOL from A to Z. Even though I don’t have a “word of the day” calendar, I still love learning. I spend hours upon hours watching Ted Talks and listening to lectures from The Great Courses. And I’m just “nerdy” enough for LOL from A to Z to be a perfect fit for me.

I can’t help but think “Where was Amanda Terman with LOL from A to Z when I was taking the GRE a few years ago?”. This 38 minute audiobook could have saved me from boring nights studying dry vocabulary lists. Terman clearly knows her stuff. Having a psychology degree and experience with professional exam preparation, she employs the most effective methods of studying and memorization.

LOL from A to Z isn’t a cut and dry vocabulary list. Terman uses humorous examples, repetition and recall to cement definitions and usages in the mind of the listener. Most impressively, she offers to study tips at the beginning and end of the book. Learning vocabulary isn’t just about knowing a word and its meaning, but also becoming comfortable using it.

There were some words I was already familiar with, such as verdent (green), ribauld (vulgar), zeal (enthusiasm), and sanguine (happy). But out of the list of 26 vocabulary words, the ones that stick out most in my mind are the new acquisitions. I can’t deny the effectiveness of Terman’s use of humor. Her seemingly ridiculous examples will certainly be hard to shake and I’m guessing that’s by design.

However, LOL from A to Z highlights a minor flaw in audiobook listening. We are presented with a word, a definition, and an example, but no spelling. When it comes to pronunciation, audiobook listeners have a leg up on traditional readers. But traditional readers have the advantage when it comes to written spellings. While I don’t have a solution for the traditional reading format, I can offer this suggestion for upcoming installments of The Vocab Book Series (of which I hope there are many): Having a vocabulary word audibly spelled out would help to further cement the vocabulary item into the mind of the listener and could increase the comfort level of someone wishing to use it in written form.

Narration review: Amanda Terman herself narrated this audiobook. Her articulation and clear pronunciation of each vocabulary word greatly enhanced my understanding. Her comedic timing also added to the overall humor and wit, something I’m not sure could have been communicated as well in written form. In that sense, Terman’s narration was especially valuable to LOL from A to Z. ♣︎

➜ This audiobook was graciously gifted to me by its author/narrator, Amanda Terman, in exchange for a review containing my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Amanda!