Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by issybird

I followed this up by finishing Lauren Groff’s book of shorts, Brawler, also published this year. Fantastic. So since maybe I’m on a roll with 2026 publications,

I jinxed it. I read Five by Ilona Bannister yesterday afternoon and evening and it was execrable. Total gimmick plus contrivance plus agenda. I only finished it because it was short and I didn't want to start something new last night. (I'm reading other books but I wasn't in the mood.)

This is what I do all too often, alas. I see a short stellar mention of a new release and think, "That might be good," and put it on my OverDrive holds lists. By the time it shows up I've forgotten everything about it and don't bother to look into it and just dive in. To my regret.

Sometimes I do scan my holds list and purge it when on reflection I realize I really don't want to read something (Yesteryear got the boot), but all too often something that's not to my taste is the new shiny with a ticking clock before it has to go back.

I don't learn.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by issybird

I think Nero Wolfe is my favorite detective. And Michael Prichard as narrator is a near* perfect match for the material. (*His women's voices aren't quite there). I also have gone back and am very slowly working my way through the Wolfe books from the beginning; I'd read most of them but there are a few toward the end that will be new to me. Unlike most very long series, even the later books are mostly up to standard and some are among my favorites. The Doorbell Rang! That last scene....

I agree. I recently listened to Valediction by Robert Parker. It is also read by Michael Prichard and I kept thinking why is Archie Goodwin helping Spenser.
The Doorbell Rang is the next Nero Wolfe on my list. I finished A Right to Die about two weeks ago. I am really looking forward to The Doorbell Rang. As you said that is the perfect ending. It is already in my Audible library waiting for me. Once I finish my current listen, I will start it. My wife and I listen to some books together. We do this when we are traveling. We finished The Commodore last week and just started The Iceman.
Apache
Apache

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Apache

We finished The Commodore last week

The Aubrey/Maturin book? Ahh! One of the greatest series of all times, even though the quality did fall off a bit toward the end.

I own the Simon Vance narrations of this series; which do you have? I like the Patrick Tull versions also; he does a better Stephen but I prefer Vance's Jack.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by issybird

The Aubrey/Maturin book? Ahh! One of the greatest series of all times, even though the quality did fall off a bit toward the end.

I own the Simon Vance narrations of this series; which do you have? I like the Patrick Tull versions also; he does a better Stephen but I prefer Vance's Jack.

Sorry I did not list the author. It were both part of the WWII book series by P. T. Deutermann. I do agree about the Aubrey/Maturin books though I haven't started on the audiobooks. I hope to before the end of the year.
Apache

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Apache

Sorry I did not list the author. It were both part of the WWII book series by P. T. Deutermann. I do agree about the Aubrey/Maturin books though I haven't started on the audiobooks. I hope to before the end of the year.
Apache

I forgot to mention that while I enjoyed Deutermann's The Commodore, I was not crazy about the late Dick Hill's narration. His voice rubbed me the wrong way sometimes. He's done a ton of work for big name authors, so clearly he has fans.

[Apache]

The Commodore seems to be the last one narrated by Dick Hill. The Iceman is narrated by John Pruden.
Apache

[Dr. Drib]

Just finished 'While the Women are Sleeping,' by Javier Marias, a writer whom I highly admire, but now unfortunately dead from covid.

JUST started 'Silencio', by Clyo Mendoza. This is a novella, and her writing is incredibly beautiful. I should be able to finish this today, unless I die. I'm looking forward to it - the reading, you wits!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Apache

<snip> I do agree about the Aubrey/Maturin books though I haven't started on the audiobooks. I hope to before the end of the year.
Apache

Oh, you're in for a treat! Either the Simon Vance or the Patrick Tull narrations are excellent. Others, less so. I'm about due for another round of these myself.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Oh, you're in for a treat! Either the Simon Vance or the Patrick Tull narrations are excellent. Others, less so. I'm about due for another round of these myself.

I was scrambling for DRM-free audiobooks to listen to while swimming this summer after having mostly used up my backlog last year (grr, OverDrive!) and decided it was time. I did start with H.M.S. Surprise, though; I felt the first two would suffer from overexposure as I dipped into them fairly frequently early days.

And speaking of editions, I was checking to see what’s out there and was appalled to see that Audible has listed abridged editions. Why, Audible, why? I don’t blame Tim Piggot-Smith for narrating them, a gig’s a gig, but why would anyone want to listen to them?

[Apache]

Originally Posted by issybird

I was scrambling for DRM-free audiobooks to listen to while swimming this summer after having mostly used up my backlog last year (grr, OverDrive!) and decided it was time. I did start with H.M.S. Surprise, though; I felt the first two would suffer from overexposure as I dipped into them fairly frequently early days.

And speaking of editions, I was checking to see what’s out there and was appalled to see that Audible has listed abridged editions. Why, Audible, why? I don’t blame Tim Piggot-Smith for narrating them, a gig’s a gig, but why would anyone want to listen to them?

I agree. I refuse to buy abridged editions of any book. I made that mistake once in the eighties with a series on cassette and did not realize until I had bought it that it was abridged. I had read the book years before and I remember thinking somethings missing. I then realized that it was abridged. Never again. Especially the Aubrey/Maturin series.
Apache

[DiapDealer]

I once read Jaws in a condensed Reader's Digest before I fully understood the ramifications. My parents had a ton of those when I was a kid. To this day, I have no idea what I missed. But I don't think I ever read another condensed/abridged book. I never saw the point.