What are we listening to? (audiobooks)

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by orlok

Just finished Old Man's War by John Scalzi, narrated very ably by William Dufris. This was my first Scalzi, and won't be my last.

Several of his are narrated by Wil Wheaton (including Redshirt and Locked In). I highly recommend them.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Several of his are narrated by Wil Wheaton (including Redshirt and Locked In). I highly recommend them.

Thanks, I'll have a look.

[WT Sharpe]

I just finished listening to The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (Audible audiobook read by Emma Thompson, Richard Armitage - introduction). It so confused me as to what actually occurred in the story that I immediately followed it with The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (Librivox Audiobook read by Nikolle Doolin). I came to the opinion that . . .

Spoiler:

. . . there were no ghosts. The governess/narrator of the story was mad as a hatter and she ultimately killed her charge, probably by inadvertently smothering him. I did some digging, and there seems to be a lively debate about all those points: whether she was mad, whether she was responsible for Mile's demise, and whether the ghosts she saw were real. I've picked my side.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I just finished listening to The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (Audible audiobook read by Emma Thompson, Richard Armitage - introduction). It so confused me as to what actually occurred in the story that I immediately followed it with The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (Librivox Audiobook read by Nikolle Doolin). I came to the opinion that . . .

Spoiler:

. . . there were no ghosts. The governess/narrator of the story was mad as a hatter and she ultimately killed her charge, probably by smothering him. I did some digging, and there seems to be a lively debate about all those points: whether she was mad, whether she was responsible for Mile's demise, and whether the ghosts she saw were real. I've picked my side.

I think many must reread this as soon as they're done, to pick up the hints they missed and to help them decide which of the two options prevails and both explanations rooted in sex at that!

I keep changing my mind.

Spoiler:

I go from ghosts to insanity and then back to ghosts; if you're going to accept the notion of the "ghost story," then ghosts have to be a possibility. I'm partially entertained by the way James had his fun with its and partially irritated by the unreliable because nutter theory that has been used to dismiss women for centuries. Maybe both theories are true.

[issybird]

I'm listening to Timothy West read Phineas Finn, the second of Trollope's Palliser novels novels. Trollope always delights and Timothy West is wonderful. I wish he had a larger library of narrations. I'd picked up the whole series in audiobooks before Whispersync prices skyrocketed; alas, a couple of the Whispersync-priced books were read by Simon Vance. I have no objection to him, at all, and I'm sure they'll be fine, but I'm sorry I won't be able to listen to the West versions all the way through.

[CRussel]

Always a problem when there's a narrator change, even when both are good in their own right. I enjoy Simon Vance, and haven't read the Timothy West Palliser narrations, but I know how much of a lurch it can be to switch.

I'm currently dipping back and forth between this month's MobileRead Book Club selection, The Great Siege: Malta 1565, read by Simon Vance, and some WhisperSync'ing with a re-read of the last 4 of the Foreigner series from C.J. Cherryh, read by Daniel May.

Malta is an easy to read book about a pivotal event in the history of the Mediterranean, and Vance's narration is excellent. Even though it doesn't cover the historical context as well as I'd hoped, I'm glad we chose to read this book this month -- I am learning from it, and it is a good read.

The Foreigner books are part of one of the most interesting, thoughtful, and compelling alien species series of all time, and are absolutely superbly read by May. There's a new book in the series due out early next year, so I'm catching up on what has been happening.

[taosaur]

I'm still making my way through The Wheel of Time on audio (book 9, I think), but I wishlisted Lowell's Solar Clipper books ages ago based on recommendations in this thread, and my Kindle offered Quarter Share as a Kindle Lending Library title (first time I've used that program). I gobbled it up in two sittings, then took a Kindle Unlimited trial to move on to the next one

[ApK]

Originally Posted by taosaur

I'm still making my way through The Wheel of Time on audio (book 9, I think), but I wishlisted Lowell's Solar Clipper books ages ago based on recommendations in this thread, and my Kindle offered Quarter Share as a Kindle Lending Library title (first time I've used that program). I gobbled it up in two sittings, then took a Kindle Unlimited trial to move on to the next one

Tom Hanks said of his masterpiece (IMHO) film "That Thing You Do!" He hoped audiences would leave the theater thinking "that was a delightful change of pace."
That was exactly what I thought after finishing "Quarter Share."

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by taosaur

I'm still making my way through The Wheel of Time on audio (book 9, I think), but I wishlisted Lowell's Solar Clipper books ages ago based on recommendations in this thread, and my Kindle offered Quarter Share as a Kindle Lending Library title (first time I've used that program). I gobbled it up in two sittings, then took a Kindle Unlimited trial to move on to the next one

They are a delight, and ones I can go back to every once in a while. I first read them as eBooks, though they were originally podcasts read by the author. The Audible versions are good versions, though some purists argue that the original podcasts were better. Personally, I enjoyed both. The thing about these stories is that they really are _stories_, and they actual do best as audio books, though they can certainly be enjoyed as eBooks. But they have a sense of narrative about them. They're my SF 'cozies' when I just want to enjoy a good story, and not have to worry about someone getting eviscerated or tortured in the middle of the story.

[pwalker8]

Just started David Weber's Stars at War series. Crusade is the first one that I'm listening to. It's the first chronologically, but the second in order published (Insurection was the first book published, but the last of the four in chronological order). The Stars at War were the first books that Weber wrote. He co-wrote them with Steve White.

[CRussel]

Just started listening (and reading) Stephen Fry's Mythos. This is his modern re-telling of the classic Greek myths, and I've heard nothing but good things about it. Not available yet in North America, so if you want to read it, you'll need to do some temporary geographic shifting, but it is going to be worth it. Not only is Fry a gifted writer, but he's also a superb narrator. And these are wonderful tales, shifted to the modern world.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Just started listening (and reading) Stephen Fry's Mythos. This is his modern re-telling of the classic Greek myths, and I've heard nothing but good things about it. Not available yet in North America, so if you want to read it, you'll need to do some temporary geographic shifting, but it is going to be worth it. Not only is Fry a gifted writer, but he's also a superb narrator. And these are wonderful tales, shifted to the modern world.

It's on my Audible Wishlist. Would be very interested to hear what you think.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Just started David Weber's Stars at War series. . . .

I am so over this whole Taylor Swift vs Katy Perry thing.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I am so over this whole Taylor Swift vs Katy Perry thing.

I'm so out of the loop of who are the current movie/singing stars it took me a few minutes to get that. Pretty good.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I'm so out of the loop of who are the current movie/singing stars it took me a few minutes to get that. Pretty good.

It's good that you have resisted the plague of pop culture. I don't look for it, but it seems to infect even the news feeds I visit. I feel I'm absorbing mind rot by osmosis.