What are we listening to? (audiobooks)

[taosaur]

I've only read one of his stand-alone sci-fi novels, Gravity Dreams, which was fascinating even if it sometimes slipped into Rand-ish manifesto territory, and even if it wrapped up the ending a bit too tidily IMO. The premise is one I've enjoyed more in other books: the majority culture is stagnant and characterized by willful ignorance, while the vital element of humanity survives by walling itself off and cloaking itself in myth. Elantris and Anathem would be more entertaining, less ideological examples, and Lord of Light is a brilliant take on what you might call the counter-premise. Still, Modesitt doesn't let the manifesto eclipse the story entirely, and sometimes a manifesto, even if one mostly disagrees with it, can be a good read.

Anyway, I can see how his works might best be enjoyed few and far between, but haven't had enough of a sampling to really judge.

ETA: BTW: I ended up sailing straight into the next Codex Alera and put off Recluce for another day, though it probably is up next.

[DuaneAA]

I just finished listening to 'Six Days of the Condor' by James Grady. The mid-1970's movie 'Three Days of the Condor' starring Robert Redford was based on this book.

For a 40 year-old book, it holds up very well. The lack of cellphones is very obvious and multiple references to typewriters is more humorous than annoying. But the basic story and writing style still works. I read the book a long time ago, but when I started listening this time, I had clearer memories of the movie than the book, so the book had several twists and turns I no longer remembered.

I also felt the narrator did a good job of giving the different main characters distinct voices and he definitely added to the enjoyability of this story.

Also, the author has done a very interesting foreword for this new audio version discussing the impact of a book written by a twenty-something outsider. Apparently the KGB set up a whole new division and spent thousands of man-years doing analysis as a consequence of this book. Fascinating!

If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced spy story, I would give this one a thumbs up.

Duane

[pwalker8]

Haven't listened to the audiobook, but I'll definitely have to get it. I read Six Days of the Condor many years ago, back when the movie came out. I liked Shadow of the Condor as well (the sequel). The book and movie (IMPO) had very different feels and very different endings. The movie had the standard "go to the press and everything will be alright" ending, while the book didn't.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by DuaneAA

I just finished listening to 'Six Days of the Condor' by James Grady. The mid-1970's movie 'Three Days of the Condor' starring Robert Redford was based on this book.

For a 40 year-old book, it holds up very well. The lack of cellphones is very obvious and multiple references to typewriters is more humorous than annoying. But the basic story and writing style still works. I read the book a long time ago, but when I started listening this time, I had clearer memories of the movie than the book, so the book had several twists and turns I no longer remembered.

I also felt the narrator did a good job of giving the different main characters distinct voices and he definitely added to the enjoyability of this story.

Also, the author has done a very interesting foreword for this new audio version discussing the impact of a book written by a twenty-something outsider. Apparently the KGB set up a whole new division and spent thousands of man-years doing analysis as a consequence of this book. Fascinating!

If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced spy story, I would give this one a thumbs up.

Duane

Thanks. I've been eyeing this one, but hesitating: I've seen the movie many times, but have only a vague recollection of reading the book long ago.

Typewriters and no cell phones! The good old days!

[tlaine]

I picked up the 1st of the Matthew Corbett Series by Robert McCammon when it was the Audible daily deal, Speaks the Nightbird. I'm now onto The Queen of Bedlam and enjoying it also. Headphones or earbuds would be best used if you have little ears about.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Something completely different now. The latest in the Imager series by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. -- Rex Regis:Imager Portfolio, Book 8. Excellently read by William Dufris. This is a series that I only read in audio books - I tried reading Modesitt in eBook, but it just didn't work as well for me as it does in audio book. IAC, I enjoy the series quite a bit, and recommend it. The books are a good size - 16-19 hours - without being huge. If you haven't tried the series yet, give Imager, the first in the series, a try. Worth a credit to see what you think. Or get the Kindle version from Amazon for $2.99, and then you get the Audible version for $9.95.

Finished. I'd rate this in the middle of the pack for the Imager series. I enjoyed it, it didn't put me off the next one, but I was never completely caught up in it.

Not sure what's up next. I have a couple more Heyer's, and lurking on the back of the list the second Brandon Sanderson Mistborn book. Also a couple of Allingham mysteries on the TBL list. Hmm. I need so serious downtime to get some knitting and "reading" done! Both are way behind.

[pwalker8]

Just finished off Jerry Pournelle's Janissaries. It's a favorite book of mine and the reader (Keith Szarabajka) is much better than the reader who did West of Honor and Birth of Fire. I hope that they add the rest of both series and use Szarabajka.

[Geralt]

The Golem's Eye. 2nd book in Bartimaeus trilogy. Wonderful narration by Simon Jones as usual. My favorite jinni is back <3

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Geralt

The Golem's Eye. 2nd book in Bartimaeus trilogy. Wonderful narration by Simon Jones as usual. My favorite jinni is back <3

Excellent series. Liked the prequel that came out just a while ago as well.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Not sure what's up next. I have a couple more Heyer's, and lurking on the back of the list the second Brandon Sanderson Mistborn book. Also a couple of Allingham mysteries on the TBL list. Hmm. I need so serious downtime to get some knitting and "reading" done! Both are way behind.

Went with a tried and true surety -- a Georgette Heyer, The Nonesuch, read by Eve Matheson. This is a good example of a Georgette Heyer Regency. Humorous, well-written, and all comes right in the end. And the reading by Ms. Matheson is good, not intrusive and with good pace and character separation.

[sakura-panda]

I don't think I've posted in here before.

I stopped listening to audiobooks over the holidays; I had a lot of hours of podcasts built up after I finished Dragonfly in Amber (book 2 in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series) in October and thought I'd work through those for the couple of months until Christmas. Normally I listen to podcasts during my drive into work and audiobooks on the way home, but for the last two months of 2013, I listened to podcasts both coming and going.

Anyway, with the new year, I've started listening to the third Outlander book, Voyager (unabridged and narrated by Davina Porter.) I'm a fan of the series and this is my first time listening my way through it. I'm a bit of a skimmer, so I'm catching a lot of details now that I missed even in multiple reads. (Apparently I always skip the same bits. LOL)

[bfisher]

I recently listened to "We Look Like Men of War" by William R. Forstchen (narrated by Andrew L. Barnes)

This is a YA book about a young slave,Sam Washburn, who escapes from Kentucky to Indiana, joins an Indiana U.S.C.T. regiment as a drummer, and fights at the Battle of the Crater. Sadly, there's not much fiction available about black troops in the Civil War. I found this book very moving.

Forstchen has a history Ph.D. from Purdue and his doctoral thesis was "The 28th USCTs: Indiana's African-Americans go to War, 1863–1865", so I believe it can be taken as an accurate portrayal.

[pwalker8]

Forstchen is a heck of an author and has written quite a few SF books. His The Lost Regiment Series (about a lost Yankee regiment transported to another world) and his Ice Prophet series are among my favorite. I also really liked his alternate history - Civil War trilogy with Newt Gingrich.

[bfisher]

I enjoyed his Lost Regiment books. I have "One Second After" on my TBR.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by sakura-panda

I don't think I've posted in here before.

I stopped listening to audiobooks over the holidays; I had a lot of hours of podcasts built up after I finished Dragonfly in Amber (book 2 in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series) in October and thought I'd work through those for the couple of months until Christmas. Normally I listen to podcasts during my drive into work and audiobooks on the way home, but for the last two months of 2013, I listened to podcasts both coming and going.

Anyway, with the new year, I've started listening to the third Outlander book, Voyager (unabridged and narrated by Davina Porter.) I'm a fan of the series and this is my first time listening my way through it. I'm a bit of a skimmer, so I'm catching a lot of details now that I missed even in multiple reads. (Apparently I always skip the same bits. LOL)

Davina Porter does a good job reading them. I got stuck in the series after they got to the US, but have the others here and will get back to them when I finally have more time to listen. These aren't books you can knock off in a few days of listening!