What are we listening to? (audiobooks)

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Since last posting, I have finished the following (most bought at Audible).
The Measure of Magic by Terry Brooks narrated by Phil Gigante.
Good ending to two book story. Gigante was excellent.

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters.
I enjoyed this book. Finished in two days, but I knew that it was a 2 book story. Plan to start Battle Ground as soon as I'm finished with current book.

Body at Bunco by Elizabeth Craig and with new narrator Judy Blue. I love the story. I don't love the narrator. I'm unhappy to see that she will be narrating the remainder of the series. The squeaky old person voice she uses for Myrtle Clover tells me that she spends zero time around 80 something women. My Mom is 86 and doesn't sound all squeaky like this. Stuck it with though. I won't be buying book 13 and just get ebooks.

A whole bunch of short stories. Only one worth mention was Tidy the F*ck Up: The American Art of Organizing Your Sh*t by Messie Condo and narrated by Natalie Naudus. This was briefly available for $1.99 over at Chirp. Absolutely hilarious parody of Marie Kondo's book "The Lifechanging Magic of Tidying up which I also got at Chirp for $1.99 some time back. Really, you should get this book when you see it on markdown. The narrator was GREAT! Yes, cussing in here but totally appropriate.

Currently listening to Wizard at Large by Terry Brooks (part of the Landover series) and narrated by Dick Hill. I absolutely adored Dick Hill in the 87th Precinct series by Ed McBain. I don't like him so well as narrator of this fantasy series. This is book 3 and I'm still not excited by his narration although he does excellent on the wizard and Abernathy. Maybe it's because I came into this after listening to all of the 87th Precinct.

So that's it for now! Starting Battle Ground after this.

I decided to hold off on listening Peace Talks until Battleground was out. I did read the ebooks, but I figured that I would rather listen to them back to back. I'll start Peace Talk just as soon as I listen to my current book, a 30 hour book that I'm about half way through.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Devoured. Now doing a re-read of the Solar Clipper series from Nathan Lowell. Read well by Jeffrey Kafer, though I admit to preferring the author's own narrations for the podcast versions of these.

Finished as far as I'm going this time around -- thru Full Share. Need something new...

Ah, yes. I bought the first Inspector Maigret book, Pietr the Latvian a while ago, but never got around to reading it. Perfect.

[binaryhermit]

Ghostwater by Will Wigght, the fifth book (of 8 so far) in the Cradle series.

[issybird]

I’ve finished The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre, read by John Lee. I’ve enjoyed all but one of the espionage books I’ve read by Macintyre, but this Cold War yarn might be my favorite of all of them. Even knowing how it’ll come out, it’s still thrilling. An added plus is that John Lee is one of my favorite narrators, although as always he benefits from goosing the speed a scooch.

I’m listening to The Invention of Fire by Bruce Holsinger, read by the peerless Simon Vance. This is the second of Holsinger’s John Gower series set in 14th century England and while I don’t like it as well as the first thus far, it’s still got tons of atmosphere and historical credibility. I do think it would have benefited from tighter editing.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished as far as I'm going this time around -- thru Full Share. Need something new...

Ah, yes. I bought the first Inspector Maigret book, Pietr the Latvian a while ago, but never got around to reading it. Perfect.

Oooh, I quite liked Maigret. This has promise, given that there are an apparently nearly infinite number of them. (When you're my age, a series with >75 books in it is effectively infinite!)

But first, a divergence into the Vorkosivere. Started with Shards of Honor, and am already up to The Vor Game. All read by the inimitable Grover Gardner. These are, of course, re-reads, but none the less enjoyable.

[SeaBookGuy]

Bio of actress/singer Elaine Stritch: Stll Here. Very thorough, lots of detail, so can only listen for an hour or so at a time. Narrator's enthusiastic tone a plus.

[Tarana]

More novellas and short stories amongst the books.
Finished Wizard at Large by Terry Brooks. Enjoyed this one much better than previous book. Dick Hill's narration improved as the book went along. He's a great narrator, but not really for this series.
The only short/novella worth mentioning was The Dispatcher by John Scalzi. EXCELLENT. Narrated by Zachary Quinto.

Cruising for Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig and narrated by Judy Blue. Another fun cozy; this time on a cruise. Honestly, a lot of the plot was silly, but I do enjoy the characters. Judy Blue has improved her narration in this book.

The Institute - Stephen King narrated by Santino Fontana. This was a hard book to listen to, but it was an excellent story and well narrated. I highly recommend!

Currently listening to two books. Over halfway done with Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold. This is my first run of this series. LOVE Grover Gardner who narrates this series! Miles and his cousin Ivan head a diplomatic mission to Cetaganda that goes awry.

Started the first book of the trilogy Dark Legacy of Shannara by Terry Brooks and called Wards of Faerie. Narrated by Rosalyn Landor and she is quite good.

[Catlady]

I'm feeling very virtuous for having listened to Jane Eyre. I despised this book when it was assigned in high school--my ancient paperback copy was marked with complaint after complaint about what a stupid book it was--and haven't read it since.

I listened to a version read by Wanda McCaddon, which was free from SYNC some years back--I figured a great narrator might make it more palatable, and she did, though the production left something to be desired, as the sound level was annoyingly inconsistent--I had to keep fussing with the volume.

Apparently I've mellowed a bit in the eons since high school, because I felt only mild distaste this time around, and elements that incensed me back then merely made me roll my eyes now, though I do still wish I could smack Rochester upside the head.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Apparently I've mellowed a bit in the eons since high school, because I felt only mild distaste this time around, and elements that incensed me back then merely made me roll my eyes now, though I do still wish I could smack Rochester upside the head.

Rochester deserves more than a smack upside the head! Wife abuser, would-be bigamist and seducer, Jane Eyre should be very, very afraid of what might happen to her if he ever gets tired of her. She’s lucky he’s been maimed.

I only wish Bertha had been successful in one of her attempts on his life. I like to think they happened during her sane periods.

I really don’t get how Rochester is a romantic hero.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by issybird

Rochester deserves more than a smack upside the head! Wife abuser, would-be bigamist and seducer, Jane Eyre should be very, very afraid of what might happen to her if he ever gets tired of her. She’s lucky he’s been maimed.

I only wish Bertha had been successful in one of her attempts on his life. I like to think they happened during her sane periods.

I really don’t get how Rochester is a romantic hero.

I'd forgotten just how awful Rochester was. I'm pleased that even as a young teenager, I had the sense not to find him romantic, or to accept his portrayal of himself as a victim. I guess his injuries are supposed to be enough punishment for his transgressions, except he still has servants and long-suffering, noble Jane to cater to him for the rest of his miserable life.

And don't get me started on St. John ...

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I'd forgotten just how awful Rochester was. I'm pleased that even as a young teenager, I had the sense not to find him romantic, or to accept his portrayal of himself as a victim. I guess his injuries are supposed to be enough punishment for his transgressions, except he still has servants and long-suffering, noble Jane to cater to him for the rest of his miserable life.

And don't get me started on St. John ...

Why Jane thought the Rivers siblings were entitled to three-quarters of her inheritance is beyond me. They lived comfortable lives in a loving family and she was destitute after an abusive upbringing.

It’s too unfortunately true; Rochester’s injuries were supposed to redeem him. I can’t imagine why; it’s not as if Bertha were any less dead, but he gets to have a lavish life on her money plus a second wife to cater to his every whim.

[ApK]

You guys are not encouraging me to push Jane Eyre up on my "classics I should have read already" list.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by issybird

Why Jane thought the Rivers siblings were entitled to three-quarters of her inheritance is beyond me. They lived comfortable lives in a loving family and she was destitute after an abusive upbringing.

I don't mind that too much; it would have been out of character for Jane to prance off with all the loot. And they did take her in.

It’s too unfortunately true; Rochester’s injuries were supposed to redeem him. I can’t imagine why; it’s not as if Bertha were any less dead, but he gets to have a lavish life on her money plus a second wife to cater to his every whim.

And even when Bertha was alive, he was having a fine old time, traveling and keeping mistresses while his wife was locked up in an attic. It's not like he was taking care of her or making any sacrifices for her.

Falling in love with Jane--if it was love--was certainly forgivable, but lying to her all the way to the altar was not; the betrayal was far too great.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by ApK

You guys are not encouraging me to push Jane Eyre up on my "classics I should have read already" list.

I already feel better for not having read it. I tend towards Charles Dickens which are long and often depressing, but you just get sucked into the story.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Falling in love with Jane--if it was love--was certainly forgivable, but lying to her all the way to the altar was not; the betrayal was far too great.

The worst of all was that he excused himself by saying that he’d have told her the truth after they’d been “married” for a year, and let her decide. At which point, of course, she could easily have been pregnant if not already a mother. What would her options have been then? He was cold, calculating and cruel.