What are we listening to? (audiobooks)

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by melmac

So far its just ok but I'm not very far in yet. I've not yet read/listened to any other Linwood Barclay however I've had several friends and family speak highly of No Time for Goodbye.

Last year I listened to Stay Close by Harlan Cobden and agree with your comments on it which is unusual for me as I usually adore Scott Brick although I wasn't sure weather to blame the author or the narrator

I'd mostly blame the author, but the way Brick performs some passages just emphasizes their flaws--it's like Brick's saying, "Listen this is really deep and important and meaningful"--but it simply isn't, and I'd prefer if he'd just save the flourishes for the parts that really are dramatic and exciting.

I'm not especially a fan of Scott Brick. I liked his performance of In Cold Blood, but not so much for the Harlan Coben or Gregg Hurwitz thrillers I've listened to.

[issybird]

Just as I pulled into the driveway on my way home from my swim yesterday, I got to the end of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House as read by Bernadette Dunne. Very well done. I'm not big on horror so I'm just as glad it wasn't a gore-fest, but a study of personalities with much nebulous.

Sooooo, here's my issue: I've got a few options already loaded onto my waterproof player, but the next one up as heralded by Simon Vance's plummy tones before I cut it off is #6 in the Aubrey/Maturin series, The Fortune of War. I told myself I was going to wait until Labor Day weekend, but I'm mightily tempted. Should I be strong and skip through to my next choice? Or cave, given that summer is short and almost over and I love O'Brian while I swim?

[CRussel]

Life is short, go for the good stuff. Read the Aubrey/Maturin.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by issybird

Just as I pulled into the driveway on my way home from my swim yesterday, I got to the end of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House as read by Bernadette Dunne. Very well done. I'm not big on horror so I'm just as glad it wasn't a gore-fest, but a study of personalities with much nebulous.

Sooooo, here's my issue: I've got a few options already loaded onto my waterproof player, but the next one up as heralded by Simon Vance's plummy tones before I cut it off is #6 in the Aubrey/Maturin series, The Fortune of War. I told myself I was going to wait until Labor Day weekend, but I'm mightily tempted. Should I be strong and skip through to my next choice? Or cave, given that summer is short and almost over and I love O'Brian while I swim?

Stay with Shirley: We Have Always Lived in the Castle is also available as an audiobook.

[Tarana]

Just finished Death Warmed Over by Kevin J Anderson and narrated by Phil Gigante. I recommend this book for zombie fans and fans of camp and maybe even Dresden Files fans. Fair amount of wit makes the story.

Moving onto Robin Hobb: The Assassin's Apprentice for audiobook.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Life is short, go for the good stuff. Read the Aubrey/Maturin.

I'll blame you, then.

(Thank you, it's obviously what I wanted to hear.)

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Stay with Shirley: We Have Always Lived in the Castle is also available as an audiobook.

Ah, thanks for the recommendation! I think I do better when I break up the authors even if by something short, but it's a good choice for the queue.

Oh, I just checked my OverDrive libraries and they don't have We Have Always Lived in the Castle in audio, so it'll have to be Audible and my waterproof player, otherwise sterling in every respect, doesn't do Audible. I'll get to it, though, thanks again.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

Ah, thanks for the recommendation! I think I do better when I break up the authors even if by something short, but it's a good choice for the queue.

Oh, I just checked my OverDrive libraries and they don't have We Have Always Lived in the Castle in audio, so it'll have to be Audible and my waterproof player, otherwise sterling in every respect, doesn't do Audible. I'll get to it, though, thanks again.

You _do_ know it is possible to "clean" Audible and convert to MP3 or M4b, right? Though I admit, I always insist that any player I buy support Audible, I also make archival copies. JIC.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by issybird

Ah, thanks for the recommendation! I think I do better when I break up the authors even if by something short, but it's a good choice for the queue.

Oh, I just checked my OverDrive libraries and they don't have We Have Always Lived in the Castle in audio, so it'll have to be Audible and my waterproof player, otherwise sterling in every respect, doesn't do Audible. I'll get to it, though, thanks again.

Downpour has it too in mp3 format.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by CRussel

You _do_ know it is possible to "clean" Audible and convert to MP3 or M4b, right? Though I admit, I always insist that any player I buy support Audible, I also make archival copies. JIC.

Yep. Even if you don't get software that removes the DRM, there is always the analog hole (i.e. software that simply records the audiobook as it's played). The big reason that I'm willing to spend as much as I do on audiobooks and ebooks is that I can format shift and not worry about not having access to my books at a future date.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

You _do_ know it is possible to "clean" Audible and convert to MP3 or M4b, right? Though I admit, I always insist that any player I buy support Audible, I also make archival copies. JIC.

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Yep. Even if you don't get software that removes the DRM, there is always the analog hole (i.e. software that simply records the audiobook as it's played). The big reason that I'm willing to spend as much as I do on audiobooks and ebooks is that I can format shift and not worry about not having access to my books at a future date.

I know it's possible in theory, but not for me in fact, lol. I'm all thumbs when it comes to tech. My attitude is not to worry about it for the moment. Except for Audible my audiobook purchases are DRM-free and I'm betting Audible's not going anywhere for now. If the situation looks as if it's changing, I guess I'm in for a bad patch as I try to figure things out.

I confess, I didn't realize that the Aerb wasn't Audible-compatible until after I bought it. (Too clueless to check.) Fortunately OverDrive has met my needs on that front (never a wait at my libraries for Aubrey/Maturin!) and I really like the Aerb as a device. My books from Downpour and elsewhere tend to be more serious stuff and not what I want while swimming.

Originally Posted by Catlady

Downpour has it too in mp3 format.

Thanks! I've postponed the decision for now, but I'm thinking it might be a good purchase at Audible with the $10 credit I need to spend in the next couple of weeks.

[CRussel]

OK, but let me know if you need help. Though I agree, I don't think Audible is going anywhere, at least not any time soon.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

OK, but let me know if you need help. Though I agree, I don't think Audible is going anywhere, at least not any time soon.

Thanks, Charlie! I will. One of these days, because I would like to be able to listen to my Audible titles.

[WT Sharpe]

I forgot to mention that I finished the excellent Short Story Collection #57 from Librivox, but I did, and then started listening to The Quest of the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer on my iPod.

On the iPad I'm still listening to the Blackstone audio app of It's Superman! by Tom De Haven. It's a rather lengthy book with a 16 hours and 42 minutes running time, which isn't too surprising given that the paperback weighs in at 432 pages, but I guess a book about a super man deserves a super length. It's very good, and the author's frequent insertion of real people and brand names common to the 1930s instills the feeling in the reader of being right there in the midst of the depression era in which the story unfolds. Like Siegel and Shuster's original creation, and unlike recent incarnations, this Clark Kent is not a god. When hit by a bullet, he is bruised. When caught in an explosion, he is dazed and bleeds from a minor wound. I can't wait to get back to it. If there were only more hours in a day!

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

On the iPad I'm still listening to the Blackstone audio app of It's Superman! by Tom De Haven. It's a rather lengthy book with a 16 hours and 42 minutes running time, which isn't too surprising given that the paperback weighs in at 432 pages, but I guess a book about a super man deserves a super length. It's very good, and the author's frequent insertion of real people and brand names common to the 1930s instills the feeling in the reader of being right there in the midst of the depression era in which the story unfolds. Like Siegel and Shuster's original creation, and unlike recent incarnations, this Clark Kent is not a god. When hit by a bullet, he is bruised. When caught in an explosion, he is dazed and bleeds from a minor wound. I can't wait to get back to it. If there were only more hours in a day!

Oh, this sounds like fun! I'm going to add it to my wish list!