What are we listening to? (audiobooks)

[sgoldin]

I just read John Scalzi's Old Man's War. Excellent book, this generation's Starship Troopers.

[Marrella]

Originally Posted by Marrella

I am nearly finished with Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold as well. I am enjoying listening to the Vorkosigan series more than actually reading it and I might get another one soon. If I don't get sidetracked by other books, that is.

Finished it and liked it enough to continue the series, but not right now as I got sidetracked by other stuff.

Also finished The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, the first book in her Retrieval Artist series. It was read by Jay Snyder who did a fine job. The book is a science fiction/mystery crossover set on a Moon base. I really like Rusch's writing and will certainly come back to her stuff.

Right now, I am listening to Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I read the book years ago and liked it quite a bit. This one is not only read by Gaiman himself (who is a great narrator), it is also "the author's preferred text", so I think it must be a bit different from the paperback I also own. I am enjoying it a lot so far. It is the story of a man who "loses" his life after helping an injured young woman he found in the street. He discovers a whole new world different from his own in London "below".

I also listened to A Study in Emerald, Gaiman's Sherlock Holmes pastiche, also read by the author. Really nice too.

[melmac]

Originally Posted by melmac

Sean King reminded my so much of John Corey that I've gone back to Demille for my next listen and have loaded up Wildfire for a listen.

Slightly disappointed in Wildfire definitely wasn't as strong as the previous novels in the series, lots of running around getting no where and constantly rehashing what just happened in the previous chapters.

Another issue I had specifically with the audible book was the musically interludes etc. Am I the only one that finds them very irritating in audio books? I don't like having a soaring orchestral piece when something sad happens or the scary piano piece when a cliff hanger is approaching. Is it just me or are there other like minds about

[orlok]

Originally Posted by melmac

Another issue I had specifically with the audible book was the musically interludes etc. Am I the only one that finds them very irritating in audio books? I don't like having a soaring orchestral piece when something sad happens or the scary piano piece when a cliff hanger is approaching. Is it just me or there other like minds about

I personally hate it. The first time it happened to me (a James Patterson audiobook, I think), I jumped out of my skin, and I thought it was coming from an external source. It does nothing to enhance the experience, and in fact seriously detracts from it, IMO. The only time I don't mind it too much is when it marks the end of a chapter or section, but even then is superfluous.

[melmac]

Originally Posted by orlok

I personally hate it. The first time it happened to me (a James Patterson audiobook, I think), I jumped out of my skin, and I thought it was coming from an external source. It does nothing to enhance the experience, and in fact seriously detracts from it, IMO. The only time I don't mind it too much is when it marks the end of a chapter or section, but even then is superfluous.

Glad to hear it's Not just me. It pulls me out of the flow of the story every time

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by sgoldin

I just read John Scalzi's Old Man's War. Excellent book, this generation's Starship Troopers.

Thanks for the recommendation. Starship Troopers is one of my favs, so I'll definitely be looking at this one.

[CRussel]

Listening to The Cold Dish, the first Walt Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson. The reader is George Guidall, who is also the reader for the 1632 series of Eric Flint. He's a good fit for the Longmire books, and a good reader.

Overall, I much prefer Longmire as a book over the TV series. The writing is better, and I can tell I'll be buying more of these. And with Guidall as the reader, I'll probably stick to the Audible book over buying the eBook version. Especially since the eBooks are definitely overpriced.

[odiakkoh]

Originally Posted by melmac

Slightly disappointed in Wildfire definitely wasn't as strong as the previous novels in the series, lots of running around getting no where and constantly rehashing what just happened in the previous chapters.
Another issue I had specifically with the audible book was the musically interludes etc. Am I the only one that finds them very irritating in audio books? I don't like having a soaring orchestral piece when something sad happens or the scary piano piece when a cliff hanger is approaching. Is it just me or are there other like minds about

Yup I hate it too. Takes me out of the experience.

I haven't listened to an audiobook in a while. I've been on a reading binge.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by orlok

I personally hate it. The first time it happened to me (a James Patterson audiobook, I think), I jumped out of my skin, and I thought it was coming from an external source. It does nothing to enhance the experience, and in fact seriously detracts from it, IMO. The only time I don't mind it too much is when it marks the end of a chapter or section, but even then is superfluous.

For me it really depends. I've listened to some audiobooks that used music (LOTR, some Tamara Pierce) where I thought the music added to the experience. Others not so much.

[Marrella]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

For me it really depends. I've listened to some audiobooks that used music (LOTR, some Tamara Pierce) where I thought the music added to the experience. Others not so much.

The same here. I never much liked the Naxos audiobooks that had a lot of music, but sometimes it fits. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman has a bit of music which marks chapter breaks and it works very well for me.

[SeaBookGuy]

I've been listening to a couple of the earlier books in Cynthia Riggs' mystery series set on Martha's Vineyard, narrated by Davina Porter. Voice of the 92 year old island native protagonist is spot on, and I could live with Porter's doing the expository text (non-dialogue) in her usual British accent, but some of the locals sound as though they'd just flown in from Blighty! So, not sorry that the later books haven't been recorded; my library has them as ebooks.

[Dhevi]

Listening to the 20th anniversary edition of Star Wars: Heir to the Empire. I'm not sure how I feel just yet. It's not quite measuring up against my minds voicing of the characters. I'll still finish it but... at this point it's taking effort.

[CRussel]

Just finished listening to Jacqueline Winspear's latest Maisie Dobbs book, Leaving Everything Most Loved, read quite well by Oriagh Cassidy. If you're a fan of the Maisie Dobbs books, by all means get this one. But if you're new to the series, you'll want to start with the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs. The reader is different, unfortunately, but my memory is that she's perfectly acceptable. This is an excellent mystery series set in the period between the Great War and WWII, with a main character who was an ambulance driver during The Great War, and a servant who ends up getting a university education and becomes a private detective.

[pwalker8]

Just finished listening to Galactic Bounty by William Dietz, book 1 of the Sam McCade series. It's a fun space opera written back in 1984. All in all a good performance of a fun book. I need to pick up the next two of the series.

Also, just started Prince of Chaos, book 10 of Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber. I hope that a couple of Zelazny's lesser know works come available, such as Creatures of Light and Darkness and Dervish the Damned.

[sgoldin]

I just finished Killing Floor by Lee Child, Book 1 of the Jack Reacher series. The thrilling conclusion has huge flaws in its logic, but it's fun getting there just the same.