What are we listening to? (audiobooks) - Page 92

badgoodDeb · 10-05-2015, 06:44 PM

Agreed. Our modern mores are being placed on a 1700's setting.

But back to audio books. Sorry for the digression.

CRussel · 10-05-2015, 07:41 PM

Agreed. And, speaking of these audio books, I actually enjoyed them quite a bit. Think how many miles you can do on your morning jogs to Outlander. Or laps in the pool, or whatever. You definitely get your Audible Credit's worth!

Besides, they are very well read, the era and the history are interesting, and one can mostly ignore the stuff you don't want to listen to. The first two in the series I enjoyed a lot. I finally gave up on the one set in US before the war.

badgoodDeb · 10-05-2015, 07:43 PM

I do (or did, before I got so old it was tiring) US Revolutionary War re-enactment, so I found the US based books *quite* fascinating! Just the bits about what daily life was like. It seemed quite realistic.

CRussel · 10-05-2015, 07:45 PM

Meanwhile, I started listening to Tai-Pan, by James Clavell, and read by Gildart Jackson. This is a 32 hour book, so perfect for a long trip with lots of highway miles. I'm enjoying it, but it hasn't grabbed me the way Shogun did. Possibly because I have a far greater "connection" to Japan that China, having worked for a Toyota company for many years.

CRussel · 10-05-2015, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I do (or did, before I got so old it was tiring) US Revolutionary War re-enactment, so I found the US based books *quite* fascinating! Just the bits about what daily life was like. It seemed quite realistic.

Interesting. I think by then I was just plain tired of them. I've got them in my Audible library, however. Maybe I'll break down and listen to them again at some point, starting with the one I gave up on. Or perhaps skipping it and going to the next.

Solitaire1 · 10-07-2015, 02:39 PM

I'm getting ready to listen to the entire "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" series by Lemony Snicket.

issybird · 10-08-2015, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I'm getting ready to listen to the entire "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" series by Lemony Snicket.

If you've read the books already, you'll know; but if they're new to you, I'd suggest breaking them up. I think they're wonderful, but they are somewhat repetitive. No point in burning out on such wonderful reads, or listens.

Solitaire1 · 10-09-2015, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

If you've read the books already, you'll know; but if they're new to you, I'd suggest breaking them up. I think they're wonderful, but they are somewhat repetitive. No point in burning out on such wonderful reads, or listens.

I listened to the first book in the series (Tim Curry does an excellent job as the reader) and thoroughly enjoyed it so I quickly got the rest of the audiobooks in the series (with getting the later audiobooks as they were released). But it has been a while since I gave the audiobooks a listen, and I didn't pay as much attention to the later books as I did with the earlier ones.

I don't plan on listening to the entire series at one sitting, but will listen to a book and then, after a break, return to the next audiobook in the series. I've got a large number of books (audiobook, ebooks, and pbooks) to read/listen to so it will take me a while to get through the entire series. Among the pbooks I need to read is Lemony Snicket's "All The Wrong Questions."

CRussel · 10-09-2015, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

Meanwhile, I started listening to Tai-Pan, by James Clavell, and read by Gildart Jackson. This is a 32 hour book, so perfect for a long trip with lots of highway miles. I'm enjoying it, but it hasn't grabbed me the way Shogun did. Possibly because I have a far greater "connection" to Japan that China, having worked for a Toyota company for many years.

Well, it's grabbed me now! As usual, Clavell has sucked me in and I'm trying to find time to listen more.

wayspooled · 10-10-2015, 01:07 AM

I've been listening to "Beyond Words - What Animals Think and Feel, by Carl Safina". It's a fairly recent book and contains a lot of up to date research in a very readable style. It mostly presents current behavioral knowledge about elephants, wolves, orcas and dolphins. I'm not a vegetarian btw, my interest derives from a long-archived major in Marine Biology. It's so well written and up to date, I'd recommend it to anyone.

taosaur · 10-10-2015, 06:24 AM

I've wandered off from this thread since the institution of MR's audiobook ghetto, but I'm working my way slowly through After the Flood by Margaret Atwood. An interesting feature of the audiobook is that the sermons and hymns of the future green cult are rendered as such: the sermons are delivered by a separate narrator and the hymns are recorded as musical tracks. The characters seem a bit more human than in Oryx and Crake, and the world more lived-in and less satirical (though obviously, still quite satirical). Maybe there's an element of Atwood being better at female characters than male characters, the focal characters in After the Flood being female, whereas Jimmy and Crake in the first book were the boysiest boys ever, ending the whole world with their horseplay.

issybird · 10-15-2015, 12:59 PM

I've finished The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, all 66+ hours of it. I feel simultaneously as if I've got my life back, yet oddly bereft, too, at the loss of a long-time companion. It's taken nearly two months.

It was enthralling but also too dang long, as in, cut out the redundancies and get it down to a more manageable, still quite lengthy, size. One of the major disadvantages with audio is that your eye can't skim over the tedious bits as with print. But as I said, enthralling just the same. The Goodreads' rating is over 4.5 stars.

I've got to get back to Amanda Foreman's bio of the Duchess of Devonshire, with which I broke up The Power Broker a bit, but first I'll listen to Kidnapped, read by the wonderful Frederick Davidson, the October selection for the book club.

CRussel · 10-15-2015, 07:57 PM

I'd give you Karma for finishing, but apparently I need to spread it around a bit first. Seriously, well done and I'm glad it was worth the 66 hour investment!

I may just join you on the Frederick Davidson read, since he's so very good. But I'm stuck in my own 36 hour marathon with Tai-Pan. And a new 32 hour David Weber Safehold book. Sigh. I need more time to be able to listen!

issybird · 10-15-2015, 09:16 PM

Thanks!

I know I can't resist the value in using Audible credits on loooong books, but seriously, when a book takes over your life forever, I sometimes think it would be better to just read them. Good listening with your own marathons. I'm looking forward to only 7+ hours on Kidnapped, so then I can change gears again.

CRussel · 10-16-2015, 12:57 PM

I'm like you, I tend to love the idea of getting really big books for a single credit. But then I'm listening to the same book for a long time unless I'm traveling.

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10-05-2015, 06:44 PM	#1366
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,553 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Agreed. Our modern mores are being placed on a 1700's setting. But back to audio books. Sorry for the digression.

10-05-2015, 07:41 PM	#1367
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	Agreed. And, speaking of these audio books, I actually enjoyed them quite a bit. Think how many miles you can do on your morning jogs to Outlander. Or laps in the pool, or whatever. You definitely get your Audible Credit's worth! Besides, they are very well read, the era and the history are interesting, and one can mostly ignore the stuff you don't want to listen to. The first two in the series I enjoyed a lot. I finally gave up on the one set in US before the war.

10-05-2015, 07:43 PM	#1368
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,553 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	I do (or did, before I got so old it was tiring) US Revolutionary War re-enactment, so I found the US based books quite fascinating! Just the bits about what daily life was like. It seemed quite realistic.

10-05-2015, 07:45 PM	#1369
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	Meanwhile, I started listening to Tai-Pan, by James Clavell, and read by Gildart Jackson. This is a 32 hour book, so perfect for a long trip with lots of highway miles. I'm enjoying it, but it hasn't grabbed me the way Shogun did. Possibly because I have a far greater "connection" to Japan that China, having worked for a Toyota company for many years.

10-07-2015, 02:39 PM	#1371
Solitaire1 Samurai Lizard Posts: 14,943 Karma: 69500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: NookColor, Nook Glowlight 4	I'm getting ready to listen to the entire "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" series by Lemony Snicket.

10-10-2015, 01:07 AM	#1375
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	I've been listening to "Beyond Words - What Animals Think and Feel, by Carl Safina". It's a fairly recent book and contains a lot of up to date research in a very readable style. It mostly presents current behavioral knowledge about elephants, wolves, orcas and dolphins. I'm not a vegetarian btw, my interest derives from a long-archived major in Marine Biology. It's so well written and up to date, I'd recommend it to anyone.

10-10-2015, 06:24 AM	#1376
taosaur intelligent posterior Posts: 1,562 Karma: 21295618 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohiopolis Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro	I've wandered off from this thread since the institution of MR's audiobook ghetto, but I'm working my way slowly through After the Flood by Margaret Atwood. An interesting feature of the audiobook is that the sermons and hymns of the future green cult are rendered as such: the sermons are delivered by a separate narrator and the hymns are recorded as musical tracks. The characters seem a bit more human than in Oryx and Crake, and the world more lived-in and less satirical (though obviously, still quite satirical). Maybe there's an element of Atwood being better at female characters than male characters, the focal characters in After the Flood being female, whereas Jimmy and Crake in the first book were the boysiest boys ever, ending the whole world with their horseplay.

10-15-2015, 12:59 PM	#1377
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,330 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	I've finished The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, all 66+ hours of it. I feel simultaneously as if I've got my life back, yet oddly bereft, too, at the loss of a long-time companion. It's taken nearly two months. It was enthralling but also too dang long, as in, cut out the redundancies and get it down to a more manageable, still quite lengthy, size. One of the major disadvantages with audio is that your eye can't skim over the tedious bits as with print. But as I said, enthralling just the same. The Goodreads' rating is over 4.5 stars. I've got to get back to Amanda Foreman's bio of the Duchess of Devonshire, with which I broke up The Power Broker a bit, but first I'll listen to Kidnapped, read by the wonderful Frederick Davidson, the October selection for the book club.

10-15-2015, 07:57 PM	#1378
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	I'd give you Karma for finishing, but apparently I need to spread it around a bit first. Seriously, well done and I'm glad it was worth the 66 hour investment! I may just join you on the Frederick Davidson read, since he's so very good. But I'm stuck in my own 36 hour marathon with *Tai-Pan*. And a new 32 hour David Weber Safehold book. Sigh. I need more time to be able to listen!

10-15-2015, 09:16 PM	#1379
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,330 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	Thanks! I know I can't resist the value in using Audible credits on loooong books, but seriously, when a book takes over your life forever, I sometimes think it would be better to just read them. Good listening with your own marathons. I'm looking forward to only 7+ hours on Kidnapped, so then I can change gears again.

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10-16-2015, 12:57 PM	#1380
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	I'm like you, I tend to love the idea of getting really big books for a single credit. But then I'm listening to the same book for a long time unless I'm traveling.