What are we listening to? (audiobooks) - Page 89

CRussel · 08-06-2015, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marrella

I usually don't care for author readings either, but I have just finished listening to Neil Gaiman reading his collection Fragile Things and found his voice quite addictive. Another author reading his own books is Stephen Fry, and he is absolutely wonderful.

Thanks for recommending Simon Winchester. I have looked at his books over at Downpour and was a bit hesitating because he is reading them himself. I really like his writing but haven't listened to one of his audiobooks yet.

I wasn't thrilled with Neil Gaiman reading, but Stephen Fry? Any time. I even did a bit of geographic juggling to make sure I got his version of the Harry Potter books.

Marrella · 08-07-2015, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

I wasn't thrilled with Neil Gaiman reading, but Stephen Fry? Any time. I even did a bit of geographic juggling to make sure I got his version of the Harry Potter books.

I also love him reading his autobiography. He has been on the top of my list for 15 years now, ever since I first listened to him reading the first Harry Potter book.

As for Gaiman - mileage varies, like always. Overall, I agree that there are very few authors who are also good narrators. Another book I have listened to is Catherynne Valente reading her first Fairyland book. It was ok, but not a great listen.

Catlady · 08-13-2015, 10:36 AM

I listened to the two most recent Jennifer McMahon books: The Winter People and The Night Sister. I have read several previous McMahon titles; even though she includes supernatural elements that I usually avoid in my reading, for some reason I generally like her books anyway--the writing is suspenseful and usually not over-the-top silly.

The Winter People kept me intrigued. The author juggled several sets of characters and timelines deftly, but at one point it did get silly--McMahon seemed to need to move the plot along and seemed to choose a rather unbelievable way to do it. Plus the information dump when she's wrapping up seems like lazy writing. I always find it annoying when a character suddenly decides to explain everything that has gone on before.

The Night Sister was better. Again, there were several sets of characters and multiple timelines, and highly suspenseful scenes. The narrator (Cassandra Campbell) got a bit intense in her reading of some scenes, but it worked to add to the suspense.

Spoiler:

pwalker8 · 08-13-2015, 08:35 PM

Finished up Methuselah's Children. Once you got use to the fact that Heinlien guessed wrong about some technology and some of the dated terminology, it really hung together well. Quite good, especially given that it was first written in 1941. The reader was quite good and matched the story well.

issybird · 08-18-2015, 11:03 AM

I just finished Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley, read by Nadia May. It was pleasant and short, rather slight. May does a credible Yankee accent. I'd probably have preferred to have read it as there really wasn't much to it; in any case, I wasn't as charmed as others are by this.

With some trepidation, I've finally womanned up and started Robert Caro's The Power Broker, read by Robertson Dean, all 66+ hours of it. This is another I'd rather read, for the exact opposite reason - Moses and I are going to be spending a lot of time together. But it's not available as an ebook and it's more than I want to heft, so listen I will. My strategy is two-fold: I've bumped the speed up to 1.25 times, so that should save me roughly 13 hours, and since it downloads in chunks, I'll observe the breaks and intersperse them with something else.

I like Dean's narration, except that my pet peeve is present here, too - he mispronounces some words. Only about 45 minutes in, and he's already got "Mosholu," "Van Wyck" and "Impelliteri" wrong. Why, why can't readers check on the pronunciation of proper names? But he got "Impelliteri" right the second time, so maybe someone is listening and giving him feedback. Fingers crossed.

melmac · 08-19-2015, 05:22 AM

Due to some heavy duty car travelling Recently I have racked up plenty of listening hours, finishing off 3 books

Armada by Ernest Cline - I found this disappointing when compared to RPO

Tilt a whirl by Chris Grabenstein - Its always nice to find a new series to love and this one is definitely going on my faves list easy listening, great characters and locale a very enjoyable book.

Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein - Liked the first so much went straight into the second which was just as good.

Now I've started Hammered by Keavin Hearne I don't know why it took me so long to return to this series but it's like lunching with a favorite friend something to be enjoyed and savored

Oberon cracks me up

The narration on these books is truly wonderful.

issybird · 08-20-2015, 09:26 PM

I'm cruising with The Power Broker, which so far is fascinating. If it stays the pace, it'll be a contender for my best non-fiction book this year. Assuming I finish it this year.

I've added the ninth Aubrey/Maturin, Treason's Harbour, read by Simon Vance. This is my third in fairly rapid succession and then I must stop for a while. I want to add that the seventh book, The Surgeon's Mate , might be my favorite of the series so far. Beautifully written and penetrating, it doesn't fail to have its meed of both heart-stopping and laugh out loud moments.

Autonomous · 08-21-2015, 11:20 AM

I finished listening to Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore yesterday. Xanthe Elbrick is the narrator for the series and does a good job.

I've just started listening to The Son by Philipp Meyer. This has several narrators, including Will Patton and Kate Mulgrew.

CRussel · 08-21-2015, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm cruising with The Power Broker, which so far is fascinating. If it stays the pace, it'll be a contender for my best non-fiction book this year. Assuming I finish it this year.

I've added the ninth Aubrey/Maturin, Treason's Harbour, read by Simon Vance. This is my third in fairly rapid succession and then I must stop for a while. I want to add that the seventh book, The Surgeon's Mate , might be my favorite of the series so far. Beautifully written and penetrating, it doesn't fail to have its meed of both heart-stopping and laugh out loud moments.

The Aubrey/Maturin books just keep getting better as the series goes on. I m really going to have to start a re-read soon.

Catlady · 08-21-2015, 06:26 PM

Downpour is offering a free 60-day rental of Master and Commander. After all the glowing reviews here for the series, I guess I'll have to give in and try it.

CRussel · 08-22-2015, 12:30 AM

That's the Simon Vance reading, which is quite good. Not quite as good as the Patrick Tull, but then issybird would argue the other way, so by all means, enjoy. And know that the series gets better and better.

issybird · 08-26-2015, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

That's the Simon Vance reading, which is quite good. Not quite as good as the Patrick Tull, but then issybird would argue the other way, so by all means, enjoy. And know that the series gets better and better.

We're each happy in our own delusion! We agree, I think, that the series doesn't really hit its stride until the second book, Post Captain, which dots not mean that the first book isn't wonderful. Speaking of which, I'm spinning out Treason's Harbour, as I'm determined it will be my last for a while.

On other fronts, I've got about 15 hours of The Power Broker under my belt;

only 51 hours to go! I've decided it's best to break it up lest I get sick of it, so I've cued up The Duchess, Amanda Foreman's biography of Georgiana Devonshire. It's read by Wanda McCaddon, probably my favorite female narrator no matter what she calls herself, so I'd be very surprised indeed if I don't like it.

Catlady · 08-26-2015, 01:37 PM

I'm listening to Patricia Highsmith: Selected Novels and Short Stories. This includes the novels Strangers on a Train and The Price of Salt and assorted short stories. So far I'm about halfway through Strangers on a Train, which I read years ago; however, the movie is so much more familiar to me that the differences are jarring.

CRussel · 08-26-2015, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

We're each happy in our own delusion! We agree, I think, that the series doesn't really hit its stride until the second book, Post Captain, which dots not mean that the first book isn't wonderful. Speaking of which, I'm spinning out Treason's Harbour, as I'm determined it will be my last for a while.

On other fronts, I've got about 15 hours of The Power Broker under my belt;

only 51 hours to go! I've decided it's best to break it up lest I get sick of it, so I've cued up The Duchess, Amanda Foreman's biography of Georgiana Devonshire. It's read by Wanda McCaddon, probably my favorite female narrator no matter what she calls herself, so I'd be very surprised indeed if I don't like it.

-- We definitely agree about Ms. McCaddon, by any of her many names. I'm always happy to read a book she narrates.

On Aubrey/Maturin: Treason's Harbour is a good one (though in an entirely fictional time in between real events. ) But as good as this one is, the next two are even better.

The Far Side of the World includes a harrowing scene in the Antarctic Ocean (if I remember my books correctly) and The Reverse of the Medal includes more of Jack ashore with one of the most moving scenes of the series.

I really need to do a reread. It's been long enough now, and I've been in a slump of audio books lately. Definitely time for something guaranteed to be good.

issybird · 08-27-2015, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

-- We definitely agree about Ms. McCaddon, by any of her many names. I'm always happy to read a book she narrates.

I grieve to report that I've finally caught McCaddon in a mispronunciation. She pronounces Lady Mary Coke's name as in the beverage, when it's correctly said "cook."

Alas! She had been on my (very) short list of narrators who have never offended my delicate ears in that manner.

08-13-2015, 10:36 AM	#1323
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,419 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	I listened to the two most recent Jennifer McMahon books: The Winter People and The Night Sister. I have read several previous McMahon titles; even though she includes supernatural elements that I usually avoid in my reading, for some reason I generally like her books anyway--the writing is suspenseful and usually not over-the-top silly. The Winter People kept me intrigued. The author juggled several sets of characters and timelines deftly, but at one point it did get silly--McMahon seemed to need to move the plot along and seemed to choose a rather unbelievable way to do it. Plus the information dump when she's wrapping up seems like lazy writing. I always find it annoying when a character suddenly decides to explain everything that has gone on before. The Night Sister was better. Again, there were several sets of characters and multiple timelines, and highly suspenseful scenes. The narrator (Cassandra Campbell) got a bit intense in her reading of some scenes, but it worked to add to the suspense. Spoiler: I thought perhaps that McMahon was going in a new direction and would avoid the supernatural element in The Night Sister--I thought what seemed supernatural would instead turn out to be madness and delusion--but no. I think it would have been a stronger book without the supernatural.

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08-13-2015, 08:35 PM	#1324
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,196 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Finished up Methuselah's Children. Once you got use to the fact that Heinlien guessed wrong about some technology and some of the dated terminology, it really hung together well. Quite good, especially given that it was first written in 1941. The reader was quite good and matched the story well.

08-18-2015, 11:03 AM	#1325
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,331 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	I just finished Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley, read by Nadia May. It was pleasant and short, rather slight. May does a credible Yankee accent. I'd probably have preferred to have read it as there really wasn't much to it; in any case, I wasn't as charmed as others are by this. With some trepidation, I've finally womanned up and started Robert Caro's The Power Broker, read by Robertson Dean, all 66+ hours of it. This is another I'd rather read, for the exact opposite reason - Moses and I are going to be spending a lot of time together. But it's not available as an ebook and it's more than I want to heft, so listen I will. My strategy is two-fold: I've bumped the speed up to 1.25 times, so that should save me roughly 13 hours, and since it downloads in chunks, I'll observe the breaks and intersperse them with something else. I like Dean's narration, except that my pet peeve is present here, too - he mispronounces some words. Only about 45 minutes in, and he's already got "Mosholu," "Van Wyck" and "Impelliteri" wrong. Why, why can't readers check on the pronunciation of proper names? But he got "Impelliteri" right the second time, so maybe someone is listening and giving him feedback. Fingers crossed.

08-19-2015, 05:22 AM	#1326
melmac Wizard Posts: 1,399 Karma: 5573651 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Perth AU Device: Sony PRS650, Sony T3, Kobo Forma	Due to some heavy duty car travelling Recently I have racked up plenty of listening hours, finishing off 3 books Armada by Ernest Cline - I found this disappointing when compared to RPO Tilt a whirl by Chris Grabenstein - Its always nice to find a new series to love and this one is definitely going on my faves list easy listening, great characters and locale a very enjoyable book. Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein - Liked the first so much went straight into the second which was just as good. Now I've started Hammered by Keavin Hearne I don't know why it took me so long to return to this series but it's like lunching with a favorite friend something to be enjoyed and savored Oberon cracks me up The narration on these books is truly wonderful.

08-20-2015, 09:26 PM	#1327
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,331 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	I'm cruising with The Power Broker, which so far is fascinating. If it stays the pace, it'll be a contender for my best non-fiction book this year. Assuming I finish it this year. I've added the ninth Aubrey/Maturin, Treason's Harbour, read by Simon Vance. This is my third in fairly rapid succession and then I must stop for a while. I want to add that the seventh book, The Surgeon's Mate , might be my favorite of the series so far. Beautifully written and penetrating, it doesn't fail to have its meed of both heart-stopping and laugh out loud moments.

08-21-2015, 11:20 AM	#1328
Autonomous Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: US Device: Kindle, iPad, iPhone	I finished listening to Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore yesterday. Xanthe Elbrick is the narrator for the series and does a good job. I've just started listening to The Son by Philipp Meyer. This has several narrators, including Will Patton and Kate Mulgrew.

08-21-2015, 06:26 PM	#1330
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,419 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	Downpour is offering a free 60-day rental of Master and Commander. After all the glowing reviews here for the series, I guess I'll have to give in and try it.

08-22-2015, 12:30 AM	#1331
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,296 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	That's the Simon Vance reading, which is quite good. Not quite as good as the Patrick Tull, but then issybird would argue the other way, so by all means, enjoy. And know that the series gets better and better.

08-26-2015, 01:37 PM	#1333
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,419 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	I'm listening to Patricia Highsmith: Selected Novels and Short Stories. This includes the novels Strangers on a Train and The Price of Salt and assorted short stories. So far I'm about halfway through Strangers on a Train, which I read years ago; however, the movie is so much more familiar to me that the differences are jarring.

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