What are we listening to? (audiobooks)

[Tarana]

I finished Doin' Time by Jodi Taylor, first book in the Time Police series. Just as funny as the original St. Mary's Chronicles series. Matthew is now an adult and has joined the Time Police. I also love the new characters. Of course, Ellis is in here and Max & Leon are briefly involved. The next book comes out later this year.

Started my relisten of Skin Game by Jim Butcher. The Peace Talks book comes out next month, so I might be able to fit in Side Jobs and Brief Cases as well (short stories). Amazing - I haven't listened to this in 6 years and I have pretty much no recall of this story. My poor brain is so faulty. Maybe having listened to the whole series over just a few months will imprint it better. I remembered most of the last book's plot.

[taosaur]

I finished up The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which was very cool - definite anime influences in the way the gods and their powers are depicted, and an interesting take on gods and their relation to humans and to each other. I was tempted to head into the next in series (though the first is a solid standalone), but my hold for Michael J. Sullivan's Theft of Swords was available, and I was hooked after a few lines. Sullivan has a great sense of humor, and I think it's time to make it official that Tim Gerard Reynolds is my favorite reader.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by taosaur

I finished up The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which was very cool - definite anime influences in the way the gods and their powers are depicted, and an interesting take on gods and their relation to humans and to each other. I was tempted to head into the next in series (though the first is a solid standalone), but my hold for Michael J. Sullivan's Theft of Swords was available, and I was hooked after a few lines. Sullivan has a great sense of humor, and I think it's time to make it official that Tim Gerard Reynolds is my favorite reader.

Plus, his first set of books - The Riyra Revelations (Theft of Swords, Rise of Empire and Heir of Novron) are all double books (i.e. two books combined) so they are huge books. Heir of Novron, which is my next up, is almost 32 hours. Reynolds is the perfect reader for the series.

[Paperbackstash]

Continuing the old-time, detective noir types, I listened to an oldie but goodie on Scribd, Double Indemnity by James Cain. Narrator was good, and I loved the old-time music in between certain chapter changes. It's short and recommended. Narrated by James Naughton

I'm still listening to the second Matthew Corbitt book, but it's a slow listen because it's slower paced and lengthy (for me with audio), so that one is reserved mainly for night walks.

[pwalker8]

Finished up The Anvil. Started up Hand of Mars, mostly because I was in traffic, Hand of Mars was the next listed in my next-up collection (no idea what order CarPlay defaults to ) and I didn't want to mess around too much. Hand of Mars is 8 hours long. I haven't decided if I'm going to stick with it or move to something else. Honesty compels me to say that the narrator isn't the best I've heard. I do like the series though (Gynn Stewart is the author, Jeffrey Kafer is the narrator). Kafer isn't terrible, he just doesn't seem to quite match the book. He's very much a narrator rather than a voice actor, if you know what I mean.

[CRussel]

Currently listening to Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin, with an introduction by Rachel Maddow, and narrated by Frances McDormand. Very much enjoying it, even though it is so very much pre-AIDS.

I was prompted to read this by the New Leaf Book Club's current book, Passing Strange, with its depiction of San Francisco in 1940. Oh, what a difference 30 years makes.

[Catlady]

I am listening to the long-awaited John Bolton book, The Room Where It Happened (from the library, as I do not wish to enrich an author for whom I feel active contempt), narrated by Robert Petkoff. It's a whopping 21 hours, and I've managed to get through only about 3 so far. Bolton comes across as quite sanctimonious and self-righteous, though I am probably unable to be objective. The writing isn't exactly snappy, either. I do want to get through it as quickly as I can because of the long library waiting list.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I am listening to the long-awaited John Bolton book, The Room Where It Happened (from the library, as I do not wish to enrich an author for whom I feel active contempt), narrated by Robert Petkoff. It's a whopping 21 hours, and I've managed to get through only about 3 so far. Bolton comes across as quite sanctimonious and self-righteous, though I am probably unable to be objective. The writing isn't exactly snappy, either. I do want to get through it as quickly as I can because of the long library waiting list.

Why are you listening to it if you feel that way? In general, I've found the kiss and tell memoirs tend to be not worth my time.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Why are you listening to it if you feel that way? In general, I've found the kiss and tell memoirs tend to be not worth my time.

Because it matters.

[CRussel]

I just started listening to The Shooting at Chateau Rock, the latest Bruno, Chief of Police novel from Martin Walker. The eBook has been out for nearly a month, but I like the narration of these books by Robert Ian MacKenzie so much that I prefer my first reading to be the Audible version. But this year, that Audible version is running quite a bit later than the eBook version, but it dropped overnight. So far, definitely enjoying it.

[ApK]

I finished Elmore Leonard's "Pronto," and "The Ghost Machine," the third Firefly book by James Lovegrove.

Pronto was good. It was the first Elmore Leonard story I've read (eye or ear), and the character of Raylan was in some ways quite a bit different than as portrayed by Timothy Olyphant on "Justified." I'll add another book in this series to the list for a little later.

"Ghost Machine" was a bit different than the previous books in that series. The primary story was just a framing device as an excuse to tell alternate versions of life for the crew. This actually made it quite a bit more original than the other books.
The fan service and references to events and characters from the source material is definitely heavy handed and shoe-horned in as much as possible. It kind of reminds me of when big touring rock bands shout at the audience "It's great to be here in <insert city name>, the most rocking city in the world!" You know they're looking at a note on their hand to remember where they are tonight, but you cheer anyway.

My to-be-listened-to pile is embarrassingly large right now, and I'm having trouble choosing. I'm working through the "Expanse" series, which is excellent, but I'm doling it out slowly, only listening to it while on car trips with my son.
As my personal next listen, I may try another Harry Bosch book.

ApK

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by ApK

I finished Elmore Leonard's "Pronto," and "The Ghost Machine," the third Firefly book by James Lovegrove.

Pronto was good. It was the first Elmore Leonard story I've read (eye or ear), and the character of Raylan was in some ways quite a bit different than as portrayed by Timothy Olyphant on "Justified." I'll add another book in this series to the list for a little later.

"Ghost Machine" was a bit different than the previous books in that series. The primary story was just a framing device as an excuse to tell alternate versions of life for the crew. This actually made it quite a bit more original than the other books.
The fan service and references to events and characters from the source material is definitely heavy handed and shoe-horned in as much as possible. It kind of reminds me of when big touring rock bands shout at the audience "It's great to be here in <insert city name>, the most rocking city in the world!" You know they're looking at a note on their hand to remember where they are tonight, but you cheer anyway.

My to-be-listened-to pile is embarrassingly large right now, and I'm having trouble choosing. I'm working through the "Expanse" series, which is excellent, but I'm doling it out slowly, only listening to it while on car trips with my son.
As my personal next listen, I may try another Harry Bosch book.

ApK

My to be listened to pile is way past embarrassing. I decided to move on to Patricia Briggs' Smoke Bitten. I'll probably come back to the Hand of Mars at some point, but I have way too many really good books in my to be listened to pile to try to slog through something that sounds just ok to me.

[taosaur]

I'm in book 4 (2nd half of 2nd volume) of Riyira Revelations. Sullivan doesn't get a lot of points for originality, but a couple of strengths more than carry the books: strong character relationships built on great dialogue. Each book is a DnD campaign plotted like a screenplay. His medievalism, horsemanship and woodsmanship are at best adequate (I've maybe been spoiled on technical depth with some recent reads and listens) and his martial arts are pretty good. He's decent with both schemes and politics, but the world is painted in broad, mostly borrowed strokes. What keeps me coming back more than anything is waiting for the characters to open their mouths. It's an odd balance for a fantasy series to strike, but it works here.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by taosaur

I'm in book 4 (2nd half of 2nd volume) of Riyira Revelations. Sullivan doesn't get a lot of points for originality, but a couple of strengths more than carry the books: strong character relationships built on great dialogue. Each book is a DnD campaign plotted like a screenplay. His medievalism, horsemanship and woodsmanship are at best adequate (I've maybe been spoiled on technical depth with some recent reads and listens) and his martial arts are pretty good. He's decent with both schemes and politics, but the world is painted in broad, mostly borrowed strokes. What keeps me coming back more than anything is waiting for the characters to open their mouths. It's an odd balance for a fantasy series to strike, but it works here.

I thought that the 2nd volume was the weakest of the three volumes. Basically, when significant sections of the book went away from Royce and Hadrian, it just didn't hold up as well. That's a complaint I have of his Age of series. He has a real tendency to spend a lot of time on characters who drift into the story, then drift out, never to be heard of again.

[SeaBookGuy]

Chiming in here to recommend The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu. Protagonist, Su Lin, is from a Chinese family in 1930s Singapore, sent to a mission school where she learned excellent English, along with an understanding of the ways of westerners. Recommended especially for her determination to land a professional position, when racism makes those largely off-limits for her. Her Singaporean accent takes some getting used to; even if you don't care for the narration, or don't have access to the audio edition, consider a print alternative.