What are we listening to? (audiobooks)

[tilia]

I finished For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison a couple of days ago. I'm a bit ambivalent about this series, and for a while I just wanted the book to be over. But I'm going to listen to the next one as well. Just not right away

I haven't been able to decide on which book to listen to next, so I've been catching up on some podcasts instead.

[badgoodDeb]

I've enjoyed the Kim Harrison series to read (as opposed to listening). It's lightweight and funny. And coming to an end -- the last book was just released last week or so. Oh well -- it was a fun ride! I think the series is about 12 books.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished Carousel Sun, and really enjoyed this re-read. I read it in eBook format when the book was first released, but the Audible version wasn't available until just now. Elizabeth Rodgers does a superb job narrating this book. Her Maine accent sounds perfect to my admittedly non-Maine ears, and her pacing and character separation are excellent, without the use of weird voices.

For those not familiar with the Archer's Beach series, this is the second in the series, with the first being Carousel Tides. These Maine Fantasies are a complete departure from the author's Liaden Universe series of Space Operas, but equally well written. Highly recommended.

Next up, Frederica by Georgette Heyer. This will be a combined eBook and audio book read.

Finished Frederica, an excellent Heyer Regency, and the audio book was quite well read by Clifford Norgate. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of different readers for the Heyer books. I'm sure some of the others will be good, but I dislike changing readers for an author without a compelling reason.

Next up was a re-listen to Crystal Soldier, read by Kevin T. Collins. This is chronologically the first of the Liaden Universe books, but is really a prequel, and outside the main story lines. I enjoyed this a lot, and I liked Kevin T. Collins' narration. He sometimes has a problem with pace, but this book was fine. I'm going to read Crystal Dragon next. Though, since this is a re-read, I'm just completely skipping that first prelude to the book that I never liked. I'm starting with Chapter 1, and look forward to the listen.

[Catlady]

I am starting It's Superman, based on WT Sharpe's recommendation, so if I don't love it, I know whom to blame!

I'm hoping it will bring me back to the good old days of eagerly awaiting the new issues of Superman and Lois Lane comics!

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I am starting It's Superman, based on WT Sharpe's recommendation, so if I don't love it, I know whom to blame!

I'm hoping it will bring me back to the good old days of eagerly awaiting the new issues of Superman and Lois Lane comics!

MeTV just started showing the old 50s TV series of Superman on Sat nights. Takes me back to my childhood.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

MeTV just started showing the old 50s TV series of Superman on Sat nights. Takes me back to my childhood.

I know! I love old Superman! The early episodes especially are kind of noirish fun.

The Tim Daly-voiced Superman cartoons are part of Amazon Prime, and I've started watching those, too.

I may have to dig out my collection of Lois Lane comics.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I am starting It's Superman, based on WT Sharpe's recommendation, so if I don't love it, I know whom to blame!

I'm hoping it will bring me back to the good old days of eagerly awaiting the new issues of Superman and Lois Lane comics!

I'll be interested to hear what you think of it. It's still on my TBLT list.

[silverraven]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

MeTV just started showing the old 50s TV series of Superman on Sat nights. Takes me back to my childhood.

I loved that show! I'll have to catch it Saturday night.
Thank You!
S

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by orlok

I'll be interested to hear what you think of it. It's still on my TBLT list.

I'm enjoying it so far. I hadn't been liking Scott Brick too much as the narrator for some thrillers I'd been reading previously, but he seems really well suited for this book. I like all the period references and the historical detail.

ETA: I've now finished It's Superman. I give it a thumbs-up; I wish there was a sequel. As I expected, I now want to put everything else aside and read old Superman comics.

WT Sharpe had said:

I really did not like the way Lois was portrayed in this book. She was shallow, mean, and callous. What Clark saw in this woman who wouldn't give him the time of day was beyond me.

This was something that worried me before I got the book, as I always liked Lois in the old comics. And now I must respectfully disagree with WT Sharpe--here, Lois was portrayed as headstrong, ambitious woman trying to succeed in a tough world. She wasn't nice, but she wasn't a cartoon meanie either. In any case, I didn't see her character as being markedly different from her original comic book persona, or from the way Phyllis Coates originally portrayed her on TV's Adventures of Superman (Noel Neill was a lot softer).

[Xanthe]

I'm currently listening to Faith Hunter's "Blood Trade" from her Jane Yellowrock series. I wanted to get re-caught up with the series. Just finished "Death's Rival" in the same series.

[tilia]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I've enjoyed the Kim Harrison series to read (as opposed to listening). It's lightweight and funny. And coming to an end -- the last book was just released last week or so. Oh well -- it was a fun ride! I think the series is about 12 books.

I read the first one and enjoyed it, but it took me forever to continue the series. Much better fit as audio books for me. Sometimes they are a bit too much like chick-lit, and I'm also not a fan of too much vampire politics, but for the most part they are fun to listen to. Luckily the library have all the rest of them. I've also heard that Rachel gets a bit smarter as the series progresses

[tilia]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

I'm currently listening to Faith Hunter's "Blood Trade" from her Jane Yellowrock series. I wanted to get re-caught up with the series. Just finished "Death's Rival" in the same series.

I wonder how the Beast voice works in audio. I tried the first book some time ago, but stopped after she showed up. I have been thinking about trying again, to see if I like her better now.

There may also be too many vampires in it for me. I like the Kate Daniels kind of vampires

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by tilia

I wonder how the Beast voice works in audio. I tried the first book some time ago, but stopped after she showed up. I have been thinking about trying again, to see if I like her better now.

There may also be too many vampires in it for me. I like the Kate Daniels kind of vampires

I think that she does the Beast voice and character well. It's very easy to distinguish between Jane and Beast. She drops the southern accent, the tone is more abrupt and disdainful, sentences are short and concise - "Beast is NOT prey!". Beast's thought process is much simpler, more black and white. She classifies things simply - "less than five", "more than five", "good mate", "pack hunters", for example. Beast is not impressed with either humanity or the supernatural community and considers herself at the top to the food chain.

The character of Beast has evolved as the series has progressed, and as we learned more of the background of Jane's inadvertent stealing of the big cat's soul when she was a child which created the blend known as Beast. Also, by the time of the books I am reading, Beast has had an interaction with a supernatural being that has changed her in some way, though both the reader and Jane don't know exactly how or to what extent.

When I listen to the Beast segments, I'm reminded of a very well-written short story I read years ago from the perspective of an old wolf that was about to be killed by its pack written, IIRC, by Mykola Khvylovy. I get the same sense of the animal's personality.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished a re-listen ofCrystal Soldier, read by Kevin T. Collins. This is chronologically the first of the Liaden Universe books, but is really a prequel, and outside the main story lines. I enjoyed this a lot, and I liked Kevin T. Collins' narration. He sometimes has a problem with pace, but this book was fine. I'm going to read Crystal Dragon next. Though, since this is a re-read, I'm just completely skipping that first prelude to the book that I never liked. I'm starting with Chapter 1, and look forward to the listen.

Finished both the Crystal books, as well as Local Custom, read by Bernadette Dunne. These are well read, though we have to deal with a narrator change from the Books of Before set. These three books, the Space Regencies Sequence, include Local Custom, Scout's Progress, which I'm currently reading, and Mouse and Dragon. All read by Bernadette Dunne. All the Liaden Universe books are re-reads, and I'll be doing joint Audible and eBook reads, moving back and forth, using my Manual-Sync process of sync'ing my reading location.

[tilia]

@Xanthe, thanks. I think I may try to read the first one again some time.