What are we listening to? (audiobooks) - Page 77

Rich_D · 02-11-2015, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

WHEN do you-all find time to listen to books? (Break out, if this should really be a separate topic, but I really only intend a short side question.)

I mostly listen on my commute, I have about a 35-45 minute drive one way and that allows me to get through 2 or 3 books a month.

In preparation for the upcoming Shannara TV show, I am listening to Terry Brooks' "ElfStones of Shannara" again.

sakura-panda · 02-11-2015, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

WHEN do you-all find time to listen to books? (Break out, if this should really be a separate topic, but I really only intend a short side question.)

I listen on my drive home from work at night -- it's about a half hour.

Right now I'm between books -- just finished The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (it took me about five months to listen to it all) and have been catching up on some podcasts these past two weeks. Next week I'm going to start listening to Lord John and the Hand of the Devils by Diana Gabaldon. (I am alternating the Outlander books with the Lord John series; otherwise, the novels all blur together for me.)

badgoodDeb · 02-11-2015, 03:39 PM

I read the first 6 Outlander books on Palm Pilot, so sometime pre 2004 (just because that's when I had one). I've had book 7 for a long while now but couldn't get into it. Book 8 having been out for a good while now, I've finally stirred myself up to the point, and dove back in.
I'd forgotten too much of the setting, so I started all over, but I did re-read books 1-5 more rapidly than I did the first time (skimming the place details, and the scenery descriptions, but paying attention to the people and conversations). I started on book 1 on Jan 23, and I'm now the middle of book 6 again. This is reading though, not listening, so of course I can go at a faster pace. I *am* having a blast, and enjoying it!
Books 7 and 8 to go, and there are two novellas that I'm labelling as 7a and 7b due to their time relationship. I haven't included any of the Lord John books though. I like him in the Outlander books, but haven't (yet?) felt called upon to start into his books.

Probably my personal need to read at least a book midweek and 2 books on each weekend (well, 1 on a weekend if it's a BIIG book like a Gabaldon book) is why I don't make time to listen to books yet. I'll save listening for later in life. And for long car trips.

Catlady · 02-11-2015, 05:07 PM

I enjoyed the Emily Arsenault book and will probably pick up some of her others. But now I've started James M. Cain's The Cocktail Waitress, and I love the narrator, Amy Rubinate. She's got a great voice for noir.

melmac · 02-11-2015, 09:46 PM

I finished Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch I am glad I started this series it's a lot of fun, I will be grabbing the next one during the next Audible sale for sure. I started listening to Lullaby Town by Robert Crais this is the 3rd in the Elvis Cole series. I listened to the previous 2 and I hope this one steps it up because I'm finding them a bit formulaic but then perhaps I've just listened to too many wisecracking detective books

CRussel · 02-12-2015, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melmac

I finished Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch I am glad I started this series it's a lot of fun, I will be grabbing the next one during the next Audible sale for sure. I started listening to Lullaby Town by Robert Crais this is the 3rd in the Elvis Cole series. I listened to the previous 2 and I hope this one steps it up because I'm finding them a bit formulaic but then perhaps I've just listened to too many wisecracking detective books

It is a lot of fun, isn't it? I'm reading the 5th in the series while I'm swimming, which is doing a good job of getting me in the pool every other day.

Meanwhile, I've got a 6 hour trip down to Seattle with my DW, so we've decided to listen to A String of Beads, the 7th Jane Whitefield book by Thomas Perry, and read by Joyce Bean. This is a great series, and I'm really looking forward to the book. Between the trip down and then back we should nearly finish the book.

melmac · 02-12-2015, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

It is a lot of fun, isn't it? I'm reading the 5th in the series while I'm swimming, which is doing a good job of getting me in the pool every other day.

Yep

I've found that being midway on a good audiobook is an excellent motivator to get my steps way up, makes getting exercise fun instead of a necessary chore.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

Meanwhile, I've got a 6 hour trip down to Seattle with my DW, so we've decided to listen to A String of Beads, the 7th Jane Whitefield book by Thomas Perry, and read by Joyce Bean. This is a great series, and I'm really looking forward to the book. Between the trip down and then back we should nearly finish the book.

Oooh no that I've finished off Virgil Flowers I should return to Jane I've only done the first few books

issybird · 02-12-2015, 09:52 AM

With eleven hours under my belt, so to speak, I'm still only halfway into Villette. It's interesting enough, but nothing has happened yet! It's not the audio equivalent of a page-turner.

I do like it and shall return to it, but I've decided to put it aside while I listen to this month's book club selection, The Age of Innocence, narrated by Laural Merlington. It's as delightful as I remember from reading it many years ago.

I would have agreed that I prefer narrators with the same sex as the protagonist which isn't the case here and it took me a while to realize it. I thought perhaps it's that I prefer narrators of the same gender as the author and it usually falls out they're the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

I enjoyed the Emily Arsenault book and will probably pick up some of her others. But now I've started James M. Cain's The Cocktail Waitress, and I love the narrator, Amy Rubinate. She's got a great voice for noir.

This sounds good to me. I loved the Cain books I read back into the day and I don't think I ever read this one.

Catlady · 02-12-2015, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

This sounds good to me. I loved the Cain books I read back into the day and I don't think I ever read this one.

It was published only a few years ago--a "lost" ms. I'm not too far into it yet.

issybird · 02-12-2015, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

It was published only a few years ago--a "lost" ms. I'm not too far into it yet.

Thank you. That explains why I was clueless!

CRussel · 02-15-2015, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

Meanwhile, I've got a 6 hour trip down to Seattle with my DW, so we've decided to listen to A String of Beads, the 7th Jane Whitefield book by Thomas Perry, and read by Joyce Bean. This is a great series, and I'm really looking forward to the book. Between the trip down and then back we should nearly finish the book.

Finished. I really enjoy the Jane Whitefield books, and this is no exception. I found the narration no better than so-so, but it wasn't annoying and the story is exciting enough to let me ignore the narration.

Next up: back to my current Valdemar book, Redoubt. This Mags storyline isn't my favourite, but the reading by Nick Podehl is good and it keeps my interest, so that's OK. Though I may digress for a bit to read this month's MobileRead Book Club selection, Age of Innocence. There are seven different narrations available that are WhisperSync for Voice enabled, but I've chosen the Dick Hill one, since he's a narrator I know and enjoy. And even though the author is a woman, I prefer to match gender of narration with the gender of the main character when I can.

Catlady · 02-19-2015, 10:49 PM

I listened to two stand-alone books by Lisa Scottoline, an author who is new to me: Look Again and Save Me. I loved the premise of Look Again; a mother sees a flyer for a kidnapped child and realizes he's a dead ringer for her adopted son. But it didn't deliver, with far too many contrivances to twist the story into the shape the author wanted it to be. The romantic subplot was just annoying. Narrator Mary Stuart Masterson was okay.

Save Me also had an intriguing start, with a school explosion forcing a mother to decide whether to help the children she's been bawling out for bullying her kid, or her kid who's hiding in the bathroom. But it just went haywire. The last chapters, after the big denouement, just droned on and on--I kept thinking the book was over, and then, wait, there's more! Cynthia Nixon narrated this one, and either the author didn't put in any commas, or Nixon doesn't know what they mean, as she didn't seem to pause in places that one would logically pause.

In both of these, Scottoline had an annoying habit of giving too many details for simple actions that don't require them. The character will be making a phone call, for example: first she has to pick up her phone, go to the phone function, scroll through the phone numbers, press the number, etc. And when she's done, she always, always seems to have to press end, because, I guess, the reader is too dense to figure out that that's how you end a phone call.

Still, both books were sort of fun to read--like watching a Lifetime movie on a weekend afternoon.

orlok · 02-20-2015, 05:57 AM

I've finished The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack: Burton & Swinburne by Mark Hodder, which was a lot of fun - so much so I have now purchased the next in the series, The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man: Burton & Swinburne.

Before I get to that, though, I am listening to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Got a bit of a feel of Gone Girl, told via diary entries from at least two people's points-of-view (I think there might be a third coming along, as there are three narrators credited). I *think* I know where it's going, but I'm happy enough to be along on the ride so far and will keep going.

Catlady · 02-20-2015, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

Before I get to that, though, I am listening to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Got a bit of a feel of Gone Girl, told via diary entries from at least two people's points-of-view (I think there might be a third coming along, as there are three narrators credited). I *think* I know where it's going, but I'm happy enough to be along on the ride so far and will keep going.

Oh, I really enjoyed The Girl on the Train. There is indeed a third narrator. I didn't know where the train was going, but it wasn't something I tried too hard to figure out, as I was enjoying the journey. I was certainly satisfied when I reached the end.

I haven't read Gone Girl yet--I keep putting it off for some reason.

sakura-panda · 02-20-2015, 11:14 AM

I have started Lord John and the Hand of the Devils by Diana Gabaldon, which is a collection of three short story/novellas that take place around the other two books that I listened to earlier. Since they are all relatively short (compared to the Outlander books), I'm going to relisten to the novels where they fit inbetween the stories.

My Audible app has been acting terribly for a little while. To finish The Fiery Cross (one file) I had to delete the iTunes copy and download the (multi-part) files from Audible. Now it downloaded my current book with no problem, but it is refusing (more or less) to download the other two books that I want to re-listen to (Lord John and the Private Matter and Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade). I am on my fourth attempt to download them.

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02-11-2015, 03:39 PM	#1143
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,553 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	I read the first 6 Outlander books on Palm Pilot, so sometime pre 2004 (just because that's when I had one). I've had book 7 for a long while now but couldn't get into it. Book 8 having been out for a good while now, I've finally stirred myself up to the point, and dove back in. I'd forgotten too much of the setting, so I started all over, but I did re-read books 1-5 more rapidly than I did the first time (skimming the place details, and the scenery descriptions, but paying attention to the people and conversations). I started on book 1 on Jan 23, and I'm now the middle of book 6 again. This is reading though, not listening, so of course I can go at a faster pace. I am having a blast, and enjoying it! Books 7 and 8 to go, and there are two novellas that I'm labelling as 7a and 7b due to their time relationship. I haven't included any of the Lord John books though. I like him in the Outlander books, but haven't (yet?) felt called upon to start into his books. Probably my personal need to read at least a book midweek and 2 books on each weekend (well, 1 on a weekend if it's a BIIG book like a Gabaldon book) is why I don't make time to listen to books yet. I'll save listening for later in life. And for long car trips.

02-11-2015, 05:07 PM	#1144
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,419 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	I enjoyed the Emily Arsenault book and will probably pick up some of her others. But now I've started James M. Cain's The Cocktail Waitress, and I love the narrator, Amy Rubinate. She's got a great voice for noir.

02-11-2015, 09:46 PM	#1145
melmac Wizard Posts: 1,399 Karma: 5573651 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Perth AU Device: Sony PRS650, Sony T3, Kobo Forma	I finished Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch I am glad I started this series it's a lot of fun, I will be grabbing the next one during the next Audible sale for sure. I started listening to Lullaby Town by Robert Crais this is the 3rd in the Elvis Cole series. I listened to the previous 2 and I hope this one steps it up because I'm finding them a bit formulaic but then perhaps I've just listened to too many wisecracking detective books

02-19-2015, 10:49 PM	#1152
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,419 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	I listened to two stand-alone books by Lisa Scottoline, an author who is new to me: Look Again and Save Me. I loved the premise of Look Again; a mother sees a flyer for a kidnapped child and realizes he's a dead ringer for her adopted son. But it didn't deliver, with far too many contrivances to twist the story into the shape the author wanted it to be. The romantic subplot was just annoying. Narrator Mary Stuart Masterson was okay. Save Me also had an intriguing start, with a school explosion forcing a mother to decide whether to help the children she's been bawling out for bullying her kid, or her kid who's hiding in the bathroom. But it just went haywire. The last chapters, after the big denouement, just droned on and on--I kept thinking the book was over, and then, wait, there's more! Cynthia Nixon narrated this one, and either the author didn't put in any commas, or Nixon doesn't know what they mean, as she didn't seem to pause in places that one would logically pause. In both of these, Scottoline had an annoying habit of giving too many details for simple actions that don't require them. The character will be making a phone call, for example: first she has to pick up her phone, go to the phone function, scroll through the phone numbers, press the number, etc. And when she's done, she always, always seems to have to press end, because, I guess, the reader is too dense to figure out that that's how you end a phone call. Still, both books were sort of fun to read--like watching a Lifetime movie on a weekend afternoon.

02-20-2015, 05:57 AM	#1153
orlok Close to the Edit! Posts: 9,797 Karma: 267994408 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Amazon Fire 8", Kindle 6"	I've finished The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack: Burton & Swinburne by Mark Hodder, which was a lot of fun - so much so I have now purchased the next in the series, The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man: Burton & Swinburne. Before I get to that, though, I am listening to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Got a bit of a feel of Gone Girl, told via diary entries from at least two people's points-of-view (I think there might be a third coming along, as there are three narrators credited). I think I know where it's going, but I'm happy enough to be along on the ride so far and will keep going.

02-20-2015, 11:14 AM	#1155
sakura-panda Guru Posts: 935 Karma: 9558874 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Southeast Michigan, USA Device: Kindle Oasis; 11" iPad Pro (Books, Kindle, Kobo, MapleRead SE)	I have started Lord John and the Hand of the Devils by Diana Gabaldon, which is a collection of three short story/novellas that take place around the other two books that I listened to earlier. Since they are all relatively short (compared to the Outlander books), I'm going to relisten to the novels where they fit inbetween the stories. My Audible app has been acting terribly for a little while. To finish The Fiery Cross (one file) I had to delete the iTunes copy and download the (multi-part) files from Audible. Now it downloaded my current book with no problem, but it is refusing (more or less) to download the other two books that I want to re-listen to (Lord John and the Private Matter and Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade). I am on my fourth attempt to download them.