What are we listening to? (audiobooks) - Page 187

MOREAWESOMETHANU · 01-25-2020, 06:11 AM

Hey
I'm reading any and every book that cross reference The Dark Tower, The Crimson King, and Randall Flagg ( S.King)
I'm on The Stand
Recently Finished
The Talisman, Eyes Of the Dragon, The Black House.

Best It

In the near future
Harry Potter ( spoken of in DT)

Happy Reading

Tarana · 01-25-2020, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I started and finished The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks read by Stephen Kenny.

However, this is not only a dark book, it's a gross and violent book, especially towards animals, and I'm sure some people would have trouble reading some of it.

I like Iain Banks so it's good to know in advance about this issue. There are times when I just can't read that kind of stuff, but it will be on my list with that note. I finished that free short story at Audible called The Bone Farm by Dean Koontz and that had some powerful violence in that as well (serial killer). Note - I think the series of short stories by Koontz was free with Prime.

taosaur · 01-28-2020, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

Currently listening to the 4 book epic Heritage of Shannara by Terry Brooks (it's one story). I'm on book 2 - Druid of Shannara. I started a relisten of the Shannara books in anticipation of the final book currently scheduled to be published in June. I won't be able to get the audiobook until I rejoin Audible in November, but I think it will take me until then to get the rest done anyway.

I actually started my audiobook habit with the Shannara books years back, which also took me back into the fantasy genre, largely abandoned since high school. I hit a wall with Ilse Witch, though: the only version available (still) is an abridged recording with the single worst narrator I've ever encountered. As far as I can tell, he's never had any other work in the industry, and with good reason. It was the first of the very few occasions I've dropped a book because of the narrator. You'd think such a popular and lucrative series would get a new version done, unabridged and with a professional reader.

I did like the Shannara Chronicles TV series that ran a couple seasons a few years ago. It drew a lot of criticism, but I thought the aesthetics were 100% appropriate for the source material. It covers the "Elfstones" trilogy, the second cycle of Shannara books.

Right now, I'm on the last book of The Passage series. The series borrows a lot aesthetically from early Stephen King, but Cronin doesn't have King's writing chops, and characterization is pretty crude/absent. Also, he's very invested in the fatey-watey "Lord's will" shtick. The result is pulp that takes itself rather seriously, lending it an Ed Wood kind of appeal. There is a lot of violence, but rarely much graphic detail, and again sufficient unreality to the whole order of things in Cronin's world that the gore is not too hard to take.

ETA: As I think about it, the Ed Wood comparison is spot-on, even if they have a very different set of delusional aesthetics. Both lean heavily on cliches and other peoples' work and are not creative in a traditional sense, but when the borrowed or repetitious material passes through their deluded mindset, the results have a unique quality. The delusion substitutes for creativity.

Tarana · 01-28-2020, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taosaur

I actually started my audiobook habit with the Shannara books years back, which also took me back into the fantasy genre, largely abandoned since high school. I hit a wall with Ilse Witch, though: the only version available (still) is an abridged recording with the single worst narrator I've ever encountered. As far as I can tell, he's never had any other work in the industry, and with good reason. It was the first of the very few occasions I've dropped a book because of the narrator. You'd think such a popular and lucrative series would get a new version done, unabridged and with a professional reader.

I was puzzled too as to why this wasn't reissued unabridged (and with a better narrator). We can hope. Put in a request to Audible and if enough people do, they will work to seek the rights and redo it. It would be great to have John Lee do this trilogy as well, but really anybody professional - Just not Scott Brick who did a half-assed job on Shannara. I am actually a fan of Scott Brick and was rather disappointed with his narration of the book.

I'll just have to read the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy. Wasn't one of my favorites either but it's been more than 15 years since I read it the last time.

Bonilla · 01-29-2020, 04:18 PM

Being Mortal. My grandfather is living with me now (95 years old) and I put it on for him to read. He was crying, so I figured I better read it, too. It's great so far

pwalker8 · 02-08-2020, 05:40 PM

Finished up The Forge. It was well done. I enjoyed it. I picked up the next in the series (The Hammer) and put it in my reading list.

I started a re-listen of The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. This is the first of the Percy Jackson books. I like to change the pace in the books that I listen to so I don't get burned out on one particular type of book. In general, one of the things that I look for in YA books is a certain sense of humor/whimsy. Sure there are a lot of YA books that are grim, but I tend to avoid those.

Apache · 02-08-2020, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Finished up The Forge. It was well done. I enjoyed it. I picked up the next in the series (The Hammer) and put it in my reading list.

I started a re-listen of The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. This is the first of the Percy Jackson books. I like to change the pace in the books that I listen to so I don't get burned out on one particular type of book. In general, one of the things that I look for in YA books is a certain sense of humor/whimsy. Sure there are a lot of YA books that are grim, but I tend to avoid those.

I am currently reading the second of three volumes of The Complete Hammer's Slammers. I think I need to get these in audio and listen to them too.
Apache

Tarana · 02-11-2020, 02:39 PM

Just finishing Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood. It's a good book (Violence) but compared to Clancy's earlier books, only so-so. There is a fair slog early on and some of the politics was Clancy's personal spurting, but otherwise, multiple missions. I gave it a 4 as I will likely listen to it again in future. Narrator was great. Very long book (900+ pages). Getting a lot of fantasy in this month, so need the break with thrillers and scifi.

Also finished Dead Beat, Dresden series. I'll fit it another at the end of the month after I finish Shannara.

On or about the 15th of the month is when I'm starting the Shannara mini-series every month. Word and the Void is the next group and I've never listened/read this one before so looking forward to it.

pwalker8 · 02-12-2020, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

I am currently reading the second of three volumes of The Complete Hammer's Slammers. I think I need to get these in audio and listen to them too.
Apache

I don't think they have any of the Complete Hammer's Slammers books. I've got the first four Slammer's books, all read by Stefan Rudnicki, one of the better narrators in the business. Very good.

It kind of looks like the days of the huge sales at audible.com is over. It use to be that I could count on at least a few books in my wish list to go on sale, but I haven't seen any go on sale over the last 5 or 6 months. I do have a few that are no longer available. Oh well.

CRussel · 02-12-2020, 04:07 PM

Currently listening to Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, and the (excellent) narration is by Rachel McAdams. This is the New Leaf Book Club selection for February, and I'm quite enjoying it, though discussion will have to wait until the 15th.

pwalker8 · 02-20-2020, 11:56 AM

Finished up my change of pace re-listen of The Lightning Thief and started on The Hammer, book 2 of the General series. The Lightning Thief stood up to a second listen rather nicely. That's not always the case.

melmac · 02-21-2020, 08:39 AM

Just finished The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny then started Blight of the Blackwings by Kevin Hearne narrated by Luke Daniels and Xe Sands.

Tarana · 02-21-2020, 10:05 AM

Listened to Call of the Wild by Jack London yesterday (free for Echo owners). Haven't read it since high school in the 70s. Still a great story! Now on book 2 of Word and the Void trilogy by Terry Brooks. FWIW, I returned an audiobook to Audible. The Science of Diskworld by Terry Pratchett was so boring I could not keep on. There is pretty much no humor in this.

SeaBookGuy · 02-25-2020, 12:07 PM

I have two going at present...

Murder at Kensington Palace, third in the Wrexford & Sloane series set in Regency England. There is a romantic angle of sorts, but in the background (implied). Really like these books!

Wasn't really getting into the novel French Exit, but when the action shifted from New York to Paris midway through it became funny rather than dark.

issybird · 02-25-2020, 03:44 PM

I’ve also got two going, two 19th-century classics.

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain is narrated by Grover Gardner, who is doing his typical excellent job with a folksy voice as an interpreter of Twain.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, which I know I’ve read but have no memory of it. Tremendous fun with its combination of sinister melodrama and humor and shifting unreliable narrators. Better than I anticipated, in fact. Read by James Langton who is new to me and very good.

02-12-2020, 04:07 PM	#2800
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,161 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	Currently listening to Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, and the (excellent) narration is by Rachel McAdams. This is the New Leaf Book Club selection for February, and I'm quite enjoying it, though discussion will have to wait until the 15th. Last edited by CRussel; 02-12-2020 at 04:10 PM.

02-21-2020, 10:05 AM	#2803
Tarana Wizard Posts: 3,982 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	Listened to Call of the Wild by Jack London yesterday (free for Echo owners). Haven't read it since high school in the 70s. Still a great story! Now on book 2 of Word and the Void trilogy by Terry Brooks. FWIW, I returned an audiobook to Audible. The Science of Diskworld by Terry Pratchett was so boring I could not keep on. There is pretty much no humor in this. Last edited by Tarana; 02-21-2020 at 10:08 AM.

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01-25-2020, 06:11 AM	#2791
MOREAWESOMETHANU Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Andromeda Device: none	Hey I'm reading any and every book that cross reference The Dark Tower, The Crimson King, and Randall Flagg ( S.King) I'm on The Stand Recently Finished The Talisman, Eyes Of the Dragon, The Black House. Best It In the near future Harry Potter ( spoken of in DT) Happy Reading

01-29-2020, 04:18 PM	#2795
Bonilla Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2020 Device: Kindle	Being Mortal. My grandfather is living with me now (95 years old) and I put it on for him to read. He was crying, so I figured I better read it, too. It's great so far

02-08-2020, 05:40 PM	#2796
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,195 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Finished up The Forge. It was well done. I enjoyed it. I picked up the next in the series (The Hammer) and put it in my reading list. I started a re-listen of The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. This is the first of the Percy Jackson books. I like to change the pace in the books that I listen to so I don't get burned out on one particular type of book. In general, one of the things that I look for in YA books is a certain sense of humor/whimsy. Sure there are a lot of YA books that are grim, but I tend to avoid those.

02-11-2020, 02:39 PM	#2798
Tarana Wizard Posts: 3,982 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	Just finishing Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood. It's a good book (Violence) but compared to Clancy's earlier books, only so-so. There is a fair slog early on and some of the politics was Clancy's personal spurting, but otherwise, multiple missions. I gave it a 4 as I will likely listen to it again in future. Narrator was great. Very long book (900+ pages). Getting a lot of fantasy in this month, so need the break with thrillers and scifi. Also finished Dead Beat, Dresden series. I'll fit it another at the end of the month after I finish Shannara. On or about the 15th of the month is when I'm starting the Shannara mini-series every month. Word and the Void is the next group and I've never listened/read this one before so looking forward to it.

02-20-2020, 11:56 AM	#2801
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,195 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Finished up my change of pace re-listen of The Lightning Thief and started on The Hammer, book 2 of the General series. The Lightning Thief stood up to a second listen rather nicely. That's not always the case.

02-21-2020, 08:39 AM	#2802
melmac Wizard Posts: 1,399 Karma: 5573651 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Perth AU Device: Sony PRS650, Sony T3	Just finished The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny then started Blight of the Blackwings by Kevin Hearne narrated by Luke Daniels and Xe Sands.

02-25-2020, 12:07 PM	#2804
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	I have two going at present... Murder at Kensington Palace, third in the Wrexford & Sloane series set in Regency England. There is a romantic angle of sorts, but in the background (implied). Really like these books! Wasn't really getting into the novel French Exit, but when the action shifted from New York to Paris midway through it became funny rather than dark.

02-25-2020, 03:44 PM	#2805
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,232 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	I’ve also got two going, two 19th-century classics. The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain is narrated by Grover Gardner, who is doing his typical excellent job with a folksy voice as an interpreter of Twain. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, which I know I’ve read but have no memory of it. Tremendous fun with its combination of sinister melodrama and humor and shifting unreliable narrators. Better than I anticipated, in fact. Read by James Langton who is new to me and very good.

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