What Are You Listening To Now? Part 2

The original thread is getting a little long, so I thought I'd start a second one.

Good idea :)

I just finished listening to Martin Clifton's reading of Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley on LibriVox. The reading itself was nice, but the book was a bit weird :P

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of course, I've already read the printed version. So I guess this is my re-read.

Yesterday, I finished Speaking of Faith by Krista Tippett - host of the NPR radio program of that name. Alittle too intellectual for me; the six-hour book seemed twice as long by the time I'd finished, but if you're "into" religion-oriented philosophy, it'd likely appeal.

Moved on to The Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg, which is holding my interest much better.

Stiff : The curious life of cadavers which is an audible.com download. Nicely narrated with personality and sensitivity and a sense of wonder in the voice.

I've just started listening to The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar by Maurice LeBlanc, which I am so far very much enjoying.

>5 Bookmarque: Let me know how it (Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers) goes - it is one of six audios I just bought but I opted to start with Lean Mean Thirteen (Janet Evanovich) first.

I'm listening to Busman's Honeymoon read by Ian Carmichael. It's delightful and has prompted me to start reading all my Dorothy L. Sayers again.

Lucky you xorscape!! I'm looking forward to getting the audio version of the Deathly Hallows, but it won't be for awhile yet.

heyjude - I really butchered that title, didn't I? Have 3 hours, 1 minute & 51 seconds left to go. It's very interesting although has gotten a bit off the track in my opinion.

Also downloaded The Sociopath Next Door which is narrated by the same person, so should be enjoyable. The narrator knows her job well and does it nicely.

I'm about halfway through The Adventure of English and posting to say that the narrator, Robert Powell, is really giving the material all he's got. One of the best non-fiction readings I've run across.

Yesterday started The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery ...has anyone listened to this unabridged book on cd?

Finished The Thirteenth Tale (which I thought was wonderful) on Sunday afternoon and almost immediately started Dark Assassin by Anne Perry. (I was in the middle of rearranging my furniture and simply HAD to listen to an audiobook in order to find the impetus to finish the job. Thank God for audiobooks or I wouldn't get anything done!)

I dunno. I've also got The Adventures of English going on my iPod... and its interminable... I listened to about a quarter of it and just had to put it down. While listening further pieces of it, I've gone through The Basque History of the World and the majority of The Master and Margarita, both of which I've found *much* more enjoyable.

At this point, I'm about three quarters through it, but I've just felt that The Adventures of English was so all over the place.. and every so often there would just be these lists... of words..... He goes on too often about all the heroic actions the language has accomplished and about how its fought battles with nations and the church and so on.... No it hasn't! The author (too often) ineffectually used this anthropomorphism to exaggerate the accomplishments of a language, when in fact, sight is lost of the obvious fact that it was the people speaking the language who did all the adventuring. They could have accomplished the same thing speaking Sanskrit.

The most exciting thing about this book is the title.

Today I started Singularity by Bill DeSmedt, read by the author.

I'm currently listening to Mansfield park by Jane Austen on my iPod whenever I leave the house. So far, so good!

Listening to The Cleaner by Brett Battles. It's ok. A bit simplistic in style, but I can't tell if he's just setting character (mostly it's in dialogue and monologue) or if his style is just really pared down and vernacular. Seems like he doesn't have much of a vocabulary or imagination is what I guess I'm trying to say.

I'm partway through The Spellman Files and not sure if I want to finish it or not. I probably shall, but only because it looks as though there'll be a series, and I'd read the sequel to see if it actually has a plot - which this one doesn't! (roughly 80% character development/20% setting)

Finished Lean Mean Thirteen (many "laugh out loud on the highway" moments) yesterday. Includes a short interview with Janet Evanovich at the end of the last disk.

Started Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers this a.m. Love the reader's take on narration. Thank goodness I am on the road tomorrow - this is going to be a good one.

Had to quit Fire in the Teahouse...had trouble reading it so I thought I would listen to it and just was not interested in the characters...so went back to the library and got a YA book on tape...at least maybe I can concentrate on this one and not loose my place....so far it is good...Part of Me by Kimberly Willis Holt...set in Louisiana and cover many generations of one family.

Trying out The Traveler by John Twelve Hawkes read by Scott Brick. About a group of bodyguards called Harlequins that have protected Travelers through out history. Travelers are people who can travel between worlds. Bodyguards 'cultivate randomness' and are opposed by a group of assassins called the Tabula who are out to kill all Travelers and their helpers. The premise is that all advances in knowledge have been because of Travelers and most people in power fear advance and want the masses to stay ignorant. This is set in present day Europe and America so far and has described some funky ways to avoid detection by modern day technology.

#22 Hi, Sandragon ~ Please let me know if you continue to enjoy it on audio. I tried to read the printed book awhile ago and didn't care for it enough to finish it. I loved the premise and the idea of living "off the grid" enough to hope it's better on audio. Thanks!

I'm currently listening to Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer.

#23, I felt the same way. The premise was cool, but I have the book here abandoned. Just couldn't stay interested for some reason.

#23, 24: I don't think I would have as much patience with this in book form but so far it's been ok to listen to. Probably because it takes less effort to listen to a story than to read one. I'm a couple of hours into the story and, like Bookmarque said, the premise is cool and so far it's keeping me interested. I don't have the urge to listen endlessly as I do with some stories but it's been ok for the walk to work and back.

Storeetllr, I really had fun listening to the Artemis Fowl books. I think Nathaniel Parker did a wonderful job reading these. These I definitely had a hard time turning off! I've heard there will be a sixth, and last book, and I'm looking forward to listening to it.

I have The Spellman Files loaded up on my MP3 player too. I just finished The Sign of the Book yesterday, so I haven't started listening to Spellman Files yet.

Becca 27:

The second part of The Spellman Files is better: no more flashbacks to Izzy's past, she's moving along on a genuine case. The narrator, Christina Moore, is outstanding - as though this role were created with her in mind!

Edited to add ...

Curse of the Spellmans: a novel by Lisa Lutz due out in March 2008!

I'm listening to The Treasure Box which I'm really enjoying. I sat in the car for about 1/2 hour yesterday listening to it. My husband was starting to wonder if I was ever coming in! ;-)

I love the Artemis Fowl books too, they're great! It was neat to see Nathaniel Parker in Stardust, even though his role was a little small.

Bookmarque: Started the cadaver book the other day and am loving it! The reader does a great job...

heyjude - true, she does a good job. She also narrates The Sociopath Next Door for Audible.com which I'm listening to now. Somehow I associate her voice with the more quirky and humorous narrative of Stiff and find that she doesn't seem to match the more somber tone of this other book as well. That might be me though, a person reading them in the opposite order might not hear that.

I just finished reading Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. It was wonderful. A story set during WWII. It deals with a Japanese internment camp in Colorado. And is told from the point of view of a 13 year old girl. Very interesting, with an outstanding reader.

Started The Summing Up by Somerset Maugham - he says it isn't an autobiography, though so far that's pretty much what it's been.

#26 and 29 Yes, I agree wholeheartedly ~ Parker does a fabulous job narrating the Artemis Fowl books. I think the voice of which I am most fond is that of Digger Mulch (or is it Mulch Digger?). Anyway, I'm almost through with The Eternity Code and already looking forward to Opal Deception. :)

Yesterday....started The Doctor's Daughter by Hilma Wolitzer...really like it so far.

Finished The Eternity Code and immediately started Opal Deception. I am too old for it, but I can't help rooting for Artemis in all his nefarious deeds. I guess I am an anarchist at heart.

When I first heard about Artemis Fowl, I resisted reading the books. I did NOT want to read about an evil genius boy thief. Just felt wrong to me. But I caved (can't remember why) and I ended up loving this series (and got my husband hooked as well).

#37 I know what you mean. I only reluctantly read the first one because of all the great things I heard about the series on LT. It hooked me, and I'm going to start the 4th in the series now, right after I finish The Road by Cormac McCarthy, which I started last night. (In the past week, I've read (either on audio or in book form) a book about a wizard detective named Harry Dresden Fool Moon , Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code, about fairies and other supernatural creatures, and am halfway through HP7, about another wizard named Harry. :) I felt as though I've been gorging on dessert and needed something a little more substantial for a change before going back to the bon bons. ;D

Started Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris - I was never interested in the Sookie Stackhouse series, but the author does pretty good job with this one, as does the reader. Glad I downloaded the second one from the library (Net Library service) as well.

I was given Where the Truth Lies by Rupert Holmes. It was well read by Ana Gestheyer (sp?) of Saturday Night Live fame, but the story itself was a real stinker.

I've only recently started listening to audios, and though I sort of enjoyed "The March" by Doctorow, I just began HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban that I borrowed from the library. Although I've read all the HP books (I'm a huge fan), I've been told many times that Jim Dale's audio reading is ane experience unto itself, and I can attest to that. I'm trying to figure out how to get this on my new ipod, but in the meantime I listen to it in the car. It's really terrific. I hope all audio books are this much fun.

Hi, Vivien! Welcome!

Some are, and some aren't. I think a lot if not most of my pleasure in audiobooks comes from the narrator's voice. Some narrators are impossible for me to listen to. In those instances, I just stop listening and get the book to read. Sometimes, though, a reader can make a book absolutely magical!

I just started The Corrections and am about 2.5 hrs into it. Pretty well written so far, and I am enjoying George Guidell's narration. He also narrated The Master and Margarita which I really enjoyed a lot. He did a great job with Behemouth's character, completely conveying the snide slothfullness.

Now onto The World Without Us which is fascinating, but the narrator is awful. Very nasal and bad pronounciation. Bah.

Almost 2 hours into 31 of Middlemarch by George Eliot. Rather slow going so far, but guess I've been spoiled by all that Trollope and Dickens ....

I enjoyed Treasure Box, it was good, kept me guessing and I found the narrator very enjoyable to listen to. And now I'm listening to In the Wake of Madness, all about whaling and mutiny. Interesting.

The World Without Us is depressing me beyond belief, so I've started Killer Instinct by Joseph Finder. I HATE this narrator. He can't do accents or distinguish voices properly (ALL his women sound identical) and he can barely pronounce anything properly. Porsche - it's Por-Shah not Porsh. BAH.

Finally finished The Traveler. Some interesting tidbits of techno information and about other possible realities. Lots of potential but ended up being just okay, and the reader kept trying to do different accents but just wasn't getting it (his South African sounded very Mexican!). If the library had the others in the trilogy on audio I might get them, but they don't and I'm not too worried about it.

Not sure what to listen to next. Thinking about The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke which I've been meaning to read for ages. I finally read the first chapter but it just isn't grabbing me (I think it's more me than the book; for some reason I'm in a reading slump), so I'll try giving it a listen.

I've finished The Road and it was brilliant! The reader was fantastic. It is the best thing I've read this year and probably the best of the year, although Team of Rivals was also excellent. Well, one is a novel and one is non-fiction, so each can be best in their respective groups, I guess. Anyway, if you haven't read The Road yet, or even if you have but in printed book form as opposed to as an audiobook, you might want to give it a go. I know I'm going to read it again (printed form next time).

Wonderful!

Changed my mind, not listening to The Thief Lord (which I decided to read the old fashioned way after all). Now listening to So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane, read by Christina Moore.

Just finished The Doctor's Daughter and just started Black Girl White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

Finished Ender's Game and friend told me to read Ender's Shadow next, even though it's technically the fifth in the series. I am glad I took his advise, but I am getting anxious to get back to the next Ender book. He likes Bean the most, I still prefer Ender. ;)

I am a bit behind in this - finished up Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (really good book and an excellent reader) over a week ago, then did His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (fun historical fantasy - think a dragon aerial corps in the time of Napoleon).
Am now working on Caroline Graham's The Killings at Badger's Drift.

I just finished Tallgrass narrated by Lorelei King. King also narrates many of Stephanie Plum Novels.

My current one is A Wedding in December narrated by Linda Emond. I recently finished pilot's wife but I don't remember the reader.

Finishing up Dark Assassin by Anne Perry, a Monk and Hester mystery, which is turning out to be a real (virtual) page turner!

Didn't care for So You Want to be a Wizard, but ended up finishing The Thief Lord which I did enjoy. Now listening to The Prestige by Christopher Priest. I watched the movie last weekend and I'm hoping the book is as good (though I am aware it is quite different from the movie). I usually try to read the book before seeing the movie but that's just the way it worked out this time.

Just finished The Corrections, which while I liked the narrator, I didn't like the story or really any of the characters. It was one of those books that I felt just sorta ended rather abruptly. I've finally gotten a hold of an unabridged recording of Team of Rivals (36 CDs!) and am already very much enjoying it.

Finished Ender's Shadow yesterday and moved on to Speaker for the Dead.

That's such a wonderful 'trilogy'

#57 ~ Oh, I listened to the audiobook Team of Rivals and absolutely loved it.

Just started Find Me by Carol O'Connell. Really good so far!

I'm reading War and Peace and it is good. But it can be a slog at times, I guess like marching to Moscow and back. Anyway, I just purchased the last 1/3 of the novel on unabridged audiotape. Expensive, but that should help me along considerably. I've enjoyed this multimedia approach on several other classics. I listen during the commute then burn through a few more pages at home in the evenings.

I'm half-way through listening to 'The Invisible Man' by H.G. Wells, from LibriVox. Next up is Moby Dick, also from LibriVox.

Finished up The Killings at Badger's Drift (Caroline Graham), the book that the BBC TV series Midsomer Murders was based on. Now I want to go back and read all of the other books in the series. But for now have started Pirates! by Celia Rees.

I just finished Time Traveler's Wife. I can't say I loved it as much as most people, but it was well done and kept me company during my morning walks. I also listened to Terminal Man during my car ride. Not so good, very dated.

I'm about to begin Constant Princess at home and Mayflower in the car.

Hello, new here. I'm listening to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I usually like long books alot, but this seems to be longer than it needs to be. Before this it was Hide by Lisa Gardner, which I liked quite a bit.

I'm also listening to Breath Sweeps Mind, but I can't get past part I. It's so relaxing it keeps putting me to sleep.

I'm almost finished listening to Paradise House by Erica James. I have really enjoyed this book. It is one of those "sit in the driveway after coming home just to listen to more" books.

#66 Hi, ireed110! Welcome to the thread. Gotta agree with you about The Historian. I finished it eventually, but it was touch-and-go.

Just started listening to The Woods by Coben. Up to disk 4 & very much enjoying it so far.

I've taken a break from Middlemarch to sandwich in Grave Surprise, Messenger of Truth, and Miss Julia Strikes Back.

I finished Speaker for the Dead last week.

I was going to move on to Golden Compass and listened to about an hour of that, and then thought maybe I should have stuck with the Ender Saga so I was going to listen to Xenocide.

But then ended up listening to Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. :-/

*Touchstone for Twilight didn't seem to be working. The best it could do was New Moon, but I haven't read that yet!

I just finished The Historian. Phew! Maybe this is one time I could see listening to an abridged version.

Right now I'm downloading The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I enjoyed Dance of Death last month. Also loading on the Sandisk right now are a couple of month's worth or radio programs; This American Life, Says You, To the Best of Our Knowledge. This will hold me for a while.

Just finished listening to A Moveable Feast by Hemingway and loved it! It was my first experience with Hemingway, mainly because I always believed I would hate his writing. What a shock to discover the exact opposite is true. I'm definitely looking forward to reading his novels.

I mentioned above that I was reading Twilight but I hadn't read New Moon yet. Well, 15 minutes into New Moon I realized I had them backwards and that Twilight was supposed to come BEFORE New Moon. So I read Twilight, then New Moon. I finished it today.

I have now moved on to what I originally had planned which was Golden Compass.

I'm listening to 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith. About 4/5 of the way through and it seems like just a mish mash of characters and stories. I wonder if it will tie together. I thought it was a mystery but so far it's not at all. Most of the characters are pretty unlikeable.

The narrator is Robert Ian Mackenzie - I think he's a boob. I hate the way he does the women's voices - quite condescending.

I'm listening to Sisters by Danielle Steel. It is not great. Repetitive and some of the characterizations are irritating.

I'm listening to Echo Park by Michacel Connolly, which is fabulous, the reading is excellent. I'm also listening to Suite Francaise which is also narrated with perfection. I'm enjoying both.

I finished listening to The Prestige which I enjoyed as much as the movie. The ending of the book was creepier than the movie and I actually had to pause five minutes from the end to let my heart calm down.

Now listening to The Magician's Nephew read by Kenneth Branagh which I tried rereading recently but couldn't get into. Listening to it is much better and Branagh has some great voices.

I just finished The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I have to say I'm really impressed by this duo -- I loved this book and its precursor, Dance of the Dead (wonky touchstones). Lots of interwoven plots and twists and smart touches to these books. Unfortunately there is only one other in this "series" (though the authors don't like to call it that) that are available unabridged from audible.

I've been on a binge lately, listening to some shorter stories. Finished listening to Dragon Rider read by Brendan Fraser. I know someone else mentioned this one. When I started listening to it I couldn't get into it, guess I couldn't separate the narrator from the story - kept picturing Brendan Fraser from The Mummy movie and it was distracting! ;-) - Does anyone else ever have that problem? But I persevered and am glad I did, 'cause the story was great and I enjoyed it. Listened to Thief Lord after that, and like you sandragon, found it kinda slow going at first, but it picked up and I liked it very much by the end. I'm looking forward to getting Inkheart and Inkspell next. Now I'm listening to the third in the Naomi Novik series, Black powder war which is good too.

Last week I finished Pirates! (the correct title touchstone doesn't appear to be working) by Celia Rees. A good listen but it made me wish there was another book to follow up on the girls' lives.

Started Still Life (again, a problem with the title touchstone) by Louise Penny which I had read last year in hard copy. Listening is almost better because of the richness of her descriptions, etc. I tend to read too fast and therefore probably skip too much description. Listening slows it down and I can appreciate it more. Plus, it is a good mystery too. Now I have to buy the audio for the second in the series, A Fatal Grace.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I adore listening to him. I got a boxed set from the library and put them all on my iPod.

The Accusers by Lindsay Davis. I just wish they were all available at audible.com.

Moon Pies and Movie Stars by Amy Wallen - not being a Texan I'm finding it rough going culturally.

Finished The Magician's Nephew which was a fun 'reread'.

Last night I started The Time Traveller's Wife before bed and I was wowed! What a great story, and I like how it is told by two readers, one reading for Clare and one reading for Henry. I was only going to listen a little to go to sleep to but 2 1/2 hours later I had to force myself to turn the player off!

#84 ~ I'm really glad to hear that about The Time Traveller's Wife on audio. After NaNo November, I think I'll see if I can find it and give it a whirl.

This morning I started Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. (Can you believe "Jane Austen" won't touchstone ~ and, yes, I'm using double brackets?!? What's up with that?)

I'm enthralled with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak on audio. It's amazingly read and the story is so compelling, I can't believe I never even heard of it until reading about it on LT. This book made several top ten lists.

To my surprise, I found it in the young adult's section of my library. Maybe I'd better spend more time there looking for fabulous reads/audios

China Road by Rob Gifford (read by Simon Vance) - longtime British expat journalist sets out on a road trip to the far west of China for a farewell trip before heading back to the U.K. for a new job.

Just could not get into Northanger Abbey so decided to listen to some mind candy, just to clear the mental palate after reading a number of heavy ("serious") tomes, both audio and printed. I chose Dark Guardian, a Carpathian romance by Christine Feehan, and am halfway through it and enjoying it.

I think next up on audio will be The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, having heard so much about that series here on LT.

Finished The Accusers which is a Marcus Didius Falco mystery and pretty good. Lots of shenanigans in this one.

Have begun Equinox by Michael White, like the story, but the narrator can't do an American accent to save his life and so is very annoying.

>89 Bookmarque: Bookmarque - Americans don't have accents! ;o)

Well then, I guess you've never been here! ; )

Finished Still Life last week and it was very nice. Did a quickie this week: Car Talk: Doesn't Anyone Screen These Calls: Calls About Animals and Cars. Much like the show, it had me laughing out loud as I was driving.

Now I am torn between doing something more serious (The Reluctant Fundamentalist or The Reluctant Mr. Darwin) or doing a re-listen of Local Custom.

Have moved on to the atrociously written and cheesily narrated Evil, Inc. which won't touchstone, which might be a blessing. AW. FUL.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. A little difficult to get into, but that might be because I have just started a strenuous early-morning exercise regime and am trying to listen and at the same time keep up with the pace without passing out. I may listen to it from the beginning this weekend when I have nothing going on and see if that helps.

Now listening to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe read by Michael York. I prefer Kenneth Branagh reading The Magician's Nephew better but still a good 'reread'. I remember my fourth grade teacher reading this to us and then I read it myself right after.

Closers, The by Michael Connelly. The Harry Bosch myteries penned by Connelly, are all pretty wonderful, whether book form or audio. Add to the great writing, the incredible narration by the marevelous actor Len Cariou, and his amazing array of character voices, and you have a combination that's unbeatable. If you like crime stories, these are for you. Enjoy!

Moved on to Prison Diary by Jeffery Archer. Interesting, but not compelling. Maybe it will become so.

I'm listening to Inkheart right now read by Lynn Redgrave which is great - excellent story and Redgrave is doing a wonderful job reading. I'm glad it's long so I can enjoy it for awhile.

Finally finished with Team of Rivals and will be starting Stiff

Listening to Jane Eyre, which I wanted to read before Lost in a Good Book. I figured it would be less painful this way. I know the very basic outline and it's not a book I would read otherwise. And actually, listening to it is nice.

Couldn't decide between which of the two "Reluctant" audios in my message so opted for Robert Parker's Now & Then which is moving right along. This one has Chollo in it as well as the usual gang.

Mantegna does a good job but I started listening to Parker's books when they were read by the late David Dukes and Dukes was so much better.

Just finished About a Boy by Nick Hornby. It was abridged, with typically I loathe, but it was under $3 and read by Alan Cumming, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I've read the novel, too, and I find the differences between the novel and the film fascinating, particularly the endings.

Just couldn't get into Golden Compass Will try again later. I also finished Uglies, Pretties, and Specials.

Am now on A Game of Thrones.

I'm 1/3 finished with The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio - my library only has it on cassettes, so had to dust off the ole Walkman!

I started an 18 hour unabridged recording of Don Quixote last week. The narrator, Robert Whitfield, is excellent. I don't know who the translator is because it isn't listed on the Audible page, and I haven't looked real hard online.

I do plan to look at the two most recent translations because I'm enjoying the story so much I want to add it to my library. I read this back in high school (mid-70s) and recall not enjoying it at all. But then, required reading is rarely a joy.

Just finished Dream When you are Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg and was disappointed. If I had been reading it, I would probably have put it down. Laughed out loud at Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper...the language is pretty bad but the reader is dead on and so so funny...it was a great surprise...has anyone read any of his other books?

Finished up Robert B. Parker's latest "Spenser" offering, Now & Then. It was not bad but the resolution was rather a let-down.

Oh, well, I have now started the Lauren Willig's The Deception of the Emerald Ring. I had read the first two books in the series as they were published but I think I like the audio version better. A fourth in the series is coming out after the first of the year....

(Not sure why the touchstones are not loading.)

I finished Me Talk Pretty One Day over the weekend, it was fantastic and funny.

Since then I've been listening to a compilation of podcasts from The Story: Ahmed's Diary by Ahmed Abdullah, an Iraqi journalist living in Baghdad and reporting on what everyday life is like there. Pretty grim. He's a good writer and speaker. You can download his diaries from the website above. Highly recommend.

East of Eden. just a marvelous experience. I read the book years and years ago, but don't remember loving it as much. Either age changed me, or listening soothes. No wonder it's a classic.

Listening to The Devil You Know by Mike Carey. The narrator isn't British, but is trying to affect a British accent and it keeps slipping. Comical. I do quite like his voice however, it reminds me of Leonard Nimoy's, so I'll see it through. The story is interesting at least.

#110 Hi, Book ~ I just finished reading The Devil You Know in book form and just loved it! I'm going to have to see if I can find the audio version and listen to it sometime. It sounds like it might be a kick!

teelgee, I'm IN LOVE with The Story! I've never thought to listen to Ahmed's Diary all at once. An interesting idea, though I bet it's emotionally overwhelming.

Yes, it is a bit overwhelming nmelcher -- I really needed to hear it all at once instead of little bits and pieces though.

I think Dick Gordon is a phenomenal interviewer. He's so respectful but manages to get to some very hard places with people.

Another of my favorite podcasts is Here on Earth with Jean Feraca; she has a very global perspective. She also has a new book out that I'm interested in reading - I Hear Voices: A Memoir of Love, Death, and the Radio. (Not touchstoning, grr)

Perhaps start a thread dedicated to The Story where users can provide links to favorite stories, teelgee. I'd be a regular reader/contributor.

I found Ahmed's tale of the American soldier checkpoint moving into his neighborhood just plain sad, like a harbinger of terrible things coming down the pipe (I can only pray I'm wrong).

I'm currently listening to The Chopin Manuscript a serial thriller with so many surprising twists it keeps my head spinning ^^. Alfred Molina does a terrific job as a narrator to bring the different characters alive in my mind. Can't wait to hear the ending :).

I've gotten interested in Carl Hiassen. I just finished Double Whammy and am now in the middle of Skin Tight. I loved Skinny Dip and haven't been disappointed in these earlier works. Double Whammy is especially funny. It is all about bass fishing. "You mean guys watch tv to see other guys fish?" Well, bass fishing, murder, ecological disasters, political corruption, road kill, etc.

I finished with Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers, which was great: both grim and gripping. Have gotten nearly halfway through The map that changed the world, which is the third book by Simon Winchester about geology that I've read (the other two about a volcano and an earthquake). This one focuses on stratigraphy, particularly in England and on William Smith. Winchester is able to make geology really interesting. Check out the map that is the centerpiece of the book http://www.british-towns.net/britain/soil_strata.htm

I decided the time had come - yesterday, I started Land of Echoes by Daniel Hecht. I'd ripped this book from CD about a year ago, just after Anna Fields' tragic death, and been putting off hearing her voice. Not as sad an experience as I'd feared, but she sure had a great future ahead of her (without that freak accident).

I've started Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. So far I'm enjoying it, but it has parts that are a little too bloodthirsty for my taste.

Finished Jane Eyre last night. The reader (Susan Ericksen) seemed to be going too quick in the beginning but I must have gotten used to it as I didn't notice it at all after a the first disc. I enjoyed Jane's verbal volleys with Mr Rochester but overall it was just okay.

I'm now listening to The Horse and His Boy, my next Narnian 'reread', read by Alex Jennings.

I'm almost finished Inkspell read by Brendan Fraser, probably will finish up tonight with my knitting. Brendan certainly does a lot of different voices and adds lots of drama, overall I've been enjoying it.

I'll be starting Artemis Fowl, The Artic Incident next, that will be great fun.

I've read the print versions of Artemis Fowl but I've heard the audio books are very good. I hope you let us know what you think.

Brendan Fraser is such a good character actor - I have to imagine listening to him read is just wonderful.

#121, 122 ~ I've listened to most of the Artemis Fowl books, and they are just fantastic on audio! I hope you enjoy The Arctic Incident too, Katy!

I just started The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. Not yet as captivating as George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and FIre series, but I like what I'm hearing so far.

I am completely charmed with Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen. There are 2 readers - one for the main character, Jacob Jankowsky at age 23, and a different reader for Jacob at age 90...or 93.

Funny how it happens that once you listen to certain books you know for sure that it could never be this good in print. This has to be one of them. Others I can think of are Life of Pi and Middlesex. All highly acclaimed in print, but I can't imagine that listening to them wasn't the superior way to enjoy them.

Am listening to Darwin's Children which is the sequel to Darwin's Radio. Great scientific thrillers centered around human evolution and the havoc caused by a new species emerging.

Hi All, This is my 1st group talk...exciting! I am in the middle of an audio cd for the car: Muhammad by Karen Armstrong and it's taken me a long time to read - as a lot of non-fiction does - so it is way past when I was supposed to return to the library. The author reads it, which I usually don't like, but she has a liquid British accent and pronounces all the Arab names so beautifully (love the way she says "God" too, kind of like "Gowd", and of course she says it lot in this book). A fairly good historic/biographical read.

At home, on tape, listening to Heart of Darkness (and other stories) by Joseph Conrad. Excellent!!! Too bad the tapes are damaged.

Thanks, All - I'll be more brief next time!

Hi, agrifel ~ Welcome!

No need to be brief. It's great to have everyone's thoughts about the audiobooks they are listening to.

I'm listening to Mountains of the Pharoahs by Zawi Hawass, which is about the building of the great pyramids at Giza. I'm liking it okay, the narrator is wonderful, but I think it would be better to read it as a book due to the detailed descriptions and measurements and such.

Welcome, agrifel! Hope you enjoy your time on the message boards. Sounds like some interesting listening.

And: Brevity in messages is NOT a requirement!

Last night I picked up Atwood's The Penelopiad on CD. I'm anxious to listen - will probably have to wait for winter break though (only one more week!!) I also downloaded March by Geraldine Brooks from audible.com - it came highly recommended. So between hours of listening and the new hard cover War and Peace translation, I guess I know how I'll be spending my holidays!

Hi, agri! Please don't be brief. I look here all the time to find audio books to listen to. I like it best when I get good/bad info to go with it. Of course, I forget to do the same after I've listened to one. :(

The South African reader for the Alexander McCall Smith No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series has a lovely accent (well, to me it is) that I like to listen to.

Welcome agri, I agree with everybody else, brevity is definitely not necessary, it's great to hear what people think about the books they're listening to, however long that takes them.

Speaking of which, I finished listening to Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident read by Nathaniel Parker. Oh, what a delight. I usually listen to my audio books at night as I have trouble getting to sleep. This was a bad idea 'cause I kept waking my husband up with my laughing out loud and chuckling. I gave it up and finished listening to it while I was knitting. Highly recommended, just as good, if not better than the first book. Now I have to order the rest.

But I've got book 4 of the Temeraire series to listen to next, Empire of Ivory. I like listening to fantasy, I seem to be on a roll with them. I'll also be listening to Jim Dale reading Christmas Carol while I do my baking and some of the decorating in the next few days. I like his version.

I agree with you xorscape, Lisette Lecate (I think that's her name) has a gorgeous voice as she narrates The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books. She's just lovely to listen to.

edited to add...my! I'm agreeable tonight aren't I? ;-)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I was listening to The Importance of Being Earnest while I paid bills and did chores around the apartment. It's a pretty short read and it finished before I finished my chores. The next book on my iPod is Jane Eyre, and I was in the middle of doing something I didn't want to stop just then to find something else to listen to, so I let Jane Eyre play, and after 2 disks worth of listening, I am absolutely hooked! Why I couldn't get interested in it when I tried to listen to it a couple of months ago is beyond me. Just goes to show that sometimes it's the mood of the reader as opposed to anything wrong with the writing or the story or the narrator.

I just discovered Audible and am now listening to my first audiobook-- Peony in Love. I was so happy to be able to get it for just under $8. The story is beautiful! Romantic to a fault, perhaps, but, like Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, so immersed in Chinese culture that it's breathtaking. The narrator sounds Chinese-American herself, and it definitely adds to the story.

katylit, I just bought the Jim Dale version of A Christmas Carol. Books on Tape is having a 70 percent off sale (tapes) and last weekend had free shipping with it too! I've read all the Artemis Fowl's in the print version but everyone here says the audio books are so good that I bought them as well.

I wore out the tape player in my car and it only plays cd's now. So I may have to transfer my books to cd from tape. Then, one of these (future) days, step into the new century and transfer them to an mp3 player. I still have my Sony walkman but I don't like wearing the headset in the car.

xorscape -- Jim Dale/A Christmas Carol!!! Oh wow. I immediately went to iTunes and am downloading as I write. I love his voice. Will definitely enjoy that listen. Thanks for the nudge!

Do you have a portable CD player? There's a nifty little item you can get that's a cassette tape with a cable running from it; you pop the tape into your car's tape deck, plug the cable into your CD player and voila! the CD plays through the tape player. Also works for mp3 players.

Thanks SO much for all the sweet welcomes and anti-brevity encouragements! I'm sure to take you all up on it (I can be a little wordy...uh, I mean very wordy).

A note on Jim Dale: I listened to him ready the Harry Potter books (through #5 so far) and he is great!!! And there's something so cute about how he does his Rs, like a lisp only not an S. I keep wanting to find out what part of Britain he's from so I can move there and listen to these Rs all day long.

Hmmm...catching some tips on how to buy/download audio bks for not much $. Maybe I won't be so dependent on the library afterall. Although it is interesting, I pretty much only read audio bks but like to own pretty much only print bks (?!) Is this true for anyone else?

Uh oh...wordy...told ya'!

Oh agrifel, I know lots of LTers who can out-wordy you any day! LOL!

Yes, I love Jim Dale; I love all the different voices he can do. He narrates a very unique TV show that just premiered this year in the US - Pushing Daisies - and he is wonderful. Someday I'm going to get all the HP books on CD and listen to them. Probably not until retirement though.

I've only bought a few audiobooks, usually download them from iTunes for not very much money. I use the library a LOT. I just knew I wouldn't be able to get A Christmas Carol for a long while, it being the season and all, so I went ahead and bought it. Been listening today while I'm doing house chores. Very enjoyable. I realized -- I don't think I've ever actually read the book! I've seen many variations of the movie, but having all the text is really great.

xorscape, I hope you enjoy Jim Dale's Christmas Carol as much as I have, like everyone's said here, he's so amazing with the variety of voices he can do. That's so cool, getting it on sale like that, excellent!

I love Pushing Daisies, it took me awhile though when it first came on, 'cause I was so used to hearing him read Harry Potter, I had to disassociate his voice from HP and just let the TV show happen. It's a fun show.

agrifel, have you checked out audible.com? A membership isn't too expensive and they have a great selection of audio books. I've been a member for years and love it.

I have listened to all the Harry Potters by both Jim Dale and Stephen Fry. It's a close call for me, but I think I like Stephen Fry just a little better. Sometimes Mr. Dale has an inflection in his voice that is different than the word description of how something is said. "Oh," she said sadly comes out a happy "oh" once in a while. Of course, this is a made up example, but it was why I decided that the Fry version edges out the Dale versions for me. For a young person, I always recommend Jim Dale. What a voice! Stephen Fry reads slower making the books longer and there are bigger pauses between chapters which is really annoying. Things to consider when deciding which to listen to.

Teel, thanks for the advice. I have a friend who just asked me why I didn't have my car tape player replaced. Well, I hadn't thought of that either. I have a smallish boombox that I used with my last car whose radio/tape player had quit (old car before cd players in cars). I could go back to it.

I have a birthday in January. I've decided to get an mp3 player and start figuring out how to use it. I understand that I can get an adapter to play it through my car stereo.

I like having options.

LOL, I had just finished a story and decided to listen to... A Christmas Carol read by Jim Dale when I logged on and read the last 15 comments. Great minds think alike and all that! I read the print version of this last year and just thought it was meh, but someone mentioned that Dickens stories were really meant to be read aloud, which people used to do with their families as soon as they got the latest serial installment. So I thought I'd give it a try on audio this year.

The one I just finished was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, read by Sissy Spacek. I last read this in high school, one of the few I had to read that I really enjoyed. I enjoyed it just as much all over again and Spacek has a lovely drawl to go along with the story.

>141 sandragon: sandragon, I've heard the Sissy Spacek reading is very good. I'll have to check that out one day when the TBR pile dwindles (ha ha ha).

I re-read TKAM this last summer (it had been years) and also watched the movie which is just excellent.

I just finished listening to Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Quite long but very enjoyable.
I'm on to Double Bind by Chris Bohajalian. Friends who've read it say it's a keeper. I'll report my own impressions when I'm done. I also have two Thursday Next novels on the ipod; between that and Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens that I started reading, because I can't get the audio from the library, I should be busy for awhile. Happy holidays to all.

#142 - Yup, the movie is next. I can't wait until it's my turn in the queue for it at the library. Again, I saw this the last time in high school. It's been a while since I've seen a Gregory Peck movie too. Another person with a wonderful voice. I wonder if he ever read any books for audio?

Oh vivienbrenda, I just love, love, love Thursday Next novels! Let's see, I've read 2 or maybe 3 by now - all audio. Trying to do them in order but The Eyre Affair never appeared at the library. Didn't matter though: #2 caught you up and then went full steam ahead into the most enjoyable read. And speaking of great readers...can't remember the woman's name but she too is great at voices and BRITISH! (I really am an anglophile and probably should move there.) This reader also sounds like she is smiling the whole time.

Thanks for the audible.com suggestion, katylit. Haven't had a chance to check them out yet, but plan to soon. Always like to get info and leads!

I'm listening to His Dark Materials series again. Since seeing The Golden Compass I want to refresh my memory about everything they left out of the movie! - a LOT!! The versions I'm listening to are unabridged, but sort of dramatised as there are different voices for each character, not a bad listening experience.

Just finished Darwin's Children by Greg Bear. Long for the days of George Guidall, this Scott Brick guy is lousy and tiring. Oy vey. But the novel itself was good. Not sure what I'll listen to next, but I know it won't be another Brick. Can't take him again just yet. Bah.

I finished up A Christmas Carol a couple of days ago. Still not a fan. I haven't liked it print or read by Jim Dale. Now I'm listening to Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke which I am really enjoying, or it could be I'm really enjoying listening to Brendan Fraser. Either way, I'm liking it!

My CD (i.e., car) book right now is Point to Point Navigation by Gore Vidal. Quite good...very rich, like a triple chocolate dessert. Have to reverse constantly because there's so much cleverness in every mouthful, literally. He reads it himself - something I usually dislike very much - but he's good.

On cassette tape (i.e., home) I just started P.D. James' Death in Holy Orders. At the very begining, but I know it'll be yummy as usual.

Bookmarque, The Wall Street Journal did a front page article on audio book readers yrs ago, and guess whose penned-in picture was featured? Yep, your favorite: Mr. Brick. If I remember correctly, he was described as one of THE most sought-after readers around, able to pick his own "projects", needing to be ever so careful with his voice, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. A little gross. I heard him do Mystic River by Dennis Lehane and I can't say he was awful, but I don't think I saw what all the fuss was about. As for Guidall, I heard him do a bunch of those The Cat Who... series by Lillan Jackson Braun and now I can't hear him do too much else without feeling like I'm back with the cat. I do so like how he announces the begining and end of each CD or cassette, though!

I will admit that Mr. Brick has a nice voice, but he is not an ACTOR which is the very quality needed to really bring a book to life. He has no ear for accents and loses characterization easily and all his women sound identical. He's boring. I'm sad to hear that people find him so wonderful as it will severely limit my choices of audio now that I've decided to avoid him wherever possible.

Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale. I borrowed this copy from the library and it had a bad spot on almost every disk! I had to check the book out so I could fill in the blanks. BUT even with this irritation, I find this a riveting listen. And the icing? It is introduced by Simon Prebble.

Oooh...Mr. Prebble's voice is like honey.

Am listening to First Among Sequels the latest in the Thursday Next series. The narrator's attempts at male voices are so bad and annoying, but the story is sort of fun. This one is taking off at a much slower pace than in previous installments.

#148, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Christmas Carol sandragon, maybe it's a favourite of mine 'cause I've read it every Christmas for as long as I can remember, so it's all nostalgia and sentamentality for me. But I'm glad you're enjoying Dragon Rider, Brendan Fraser does do a great job reading it doesn't he? just fun to listen to all around.

I'm listening to His Dark Materials again, on the second one right now The Subtle Knife. They're unabridged and read by the author with different narrators for each character so keeps it very interesting. I'm finding the recordings very well done as it's not dramatized, just read and the different voices aren't jarring, but quite natural.

I just finished a Recorded Books version of The Plague read by James Jenner. I am now listening to Orlando, a Recorded Books recording narrated by Barbara Rosenblat. Both readers are great, but I must admit I don't understand all the symbols and allegories of Camus or Woolf, respectively.

Almost exactly at the middle of David Copperfield as read by David Case/Frederick Davidson as though Dickens had written the story with him in mind as a reader 100+ years later. The story itself seemsa bit bogged down at present, but there's enough going on for me to continue.

#153 - That's okay katylit. I can put it behind me, now that I've tried it in its many versions (I've never liked the movies either.) I really wanted to like it because so many others seem to love it (I think I wanted to feel a bit of that nostalgia and sentimentality you mentioned) and it seems like the quintessential Christmas time story. I don't usually try so hard with a book but for some reason I felt like I had to with A Christmas Carol. Next year I'm going to try The Stupidest Angel instead ;o)

The Time Traveler's Wife. Laurel Lefkow is reading Claire, I'm afraid the name of the guy reading Henry's parts escapes me.

Started Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata yesterday.

#157: Christopher Burns. The Time Traveler's Wife was one of my favorite audiobooks in 2004 (when I listened to it).

Recently finished Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman read by J. Paul Boehmer and Coleen Marlo. If you're a comic book geek (which I'm not) you'll love it, otherwise it's an interesting tale about superheroes and super-villains. Each narrator takes over the role of one of the two Point-of-View Characters and so it's easy to recognize on whom the story focuses.

I just ordered The Time Traveler's Wife. It has gotten such good reviews here.

I'm listening to The Thirteenth Tale because of the comments here also. But I checked it out of the library. Almost every disk has a bad spot! I checked the print version out also so I can fill in the missing places but it is really annoying. I think I will just finish the print version and start listening to something else. Darn it. The two narrators do a great job of setting the proper mood.

ditto on The Time Traveler's Wife...also one of my favorite audios of 2004. LOVED LOVED LOVED it.

#160 I hate it when that happens! I hope you let the librarians know about the problems so they can have the disks replaced.

#162> I almost always put a note on it when I return it. I never know if it makes a difference, but it could. I'm glad to say that I read ahead before bed last night and was glad I did. I had to skip most of disk 8 but since I had already read it, I didn't get as annoyed. Disk 9 looks to be smooth so I am looking forward to continuing...

edit: And I have Eragon or a Dean Koontz ready to go if I have to give up!

Well, we were a one-auto household most of December due to an unfortunate meeting of car and bus (no one even slightly injured but the car was totaled - darned electronics!) so I did not get to finish Lauren Willig's The Deception of the Emerald Ring until a week or so ago. Now I am listening to her The Masque of the Black Tulip. Yes, I know this is in reverse order but I've already read the print versions so....

I'm listening to Playing for Keeps, a wonderful serialized (and free!) novel by Mur Lafferty.

I'm really liking Dune by Frank Herbert, narrated by Simon Vance and a full cast (unabridged, not dramatized).

Note: it has occasional music, and ambient sound (a different soundscape for each location). I figure that might bug some people. It works for me, for this book.

Still pounding through Undaunted Courage wile working away in the lab.. Have been pursuing other tasks recently, which is why this has taken so long.

I finished The Thirteenth Tale. It is really a wonderful book, made more powerful by an excellent audio team! Thanks to those of you who recommended it!!!

My favorite audios last year were Suite Francaise. The Book Thief and The Thirteenth Tale. Right now I'm listening to AND reading Tale of Two Cities, which I found confusing in a first reading alone. I am still going back and forth between book and audio to get my characters staight. I'm sure it's just me, as obviusly, this classic has mesmerized millions before me. But the reading is good and now, about 1/3 of the way in, I finally know who all the characters are. and they're relationship to each other.
For fun, I listen to John Connelly's "Harry Bosch" mysteries, narrated by the wonderful Len Cariou.
I'm always looking for recommendations. I love classics, period pieces, history, and great nonfiction.
It's really great to have a group like this to share with.

The Time Traveler's Wife came today. I am really looking forward to it. I've already started a Dean Koontz book (about a dog, I've forgotten the name, a dark Saturday night?) and so I'll have to wait.

I've recently finished Prince Caspian read by Lynn Redgrave, which was light and fun. Now listening to Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, a ya novel told from the point of view of a girl who has just died about her experiences after death.

My new audiobook is Scaredy Cat, the second in the DCI Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham.

Since Thorne's patch (north London) is my own manor, I'm finding these novels interesting from that perspective.

I've finished all The Dark Materials books and am now enjoying The Woman in Black, good ghost story.

I'm listening to Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh and Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty.

I've given up on Elsewhere. The 15 yo protagonist was getting on my nerves with her whining. Not sure what to start now. Maybe Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

I'm listening to American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It's one of my favorite novels, but I've never heard the audio version before. It's really good so far - I'm a tape and a half through a ten-tape unabridged presentation.

ok, finally finished the memoir Point to Point Navigation by Gore Vidal. I had to keep reversing bits b/c every sentence was long and chocked-full. I happened to like that - I found him to be right on, unbelievably intelligent (btw he bever went to college), immensely clever and often lol funny, but...I have a feeling some might find the tale a self-centered and arrogant account of all the famous people he was such good friends with. I also thought he read it very well.

Now I am almost half-way through The Good Guy by Dean Koontz. I LOVE it!!!! I got the recommendation from someone in this group (but I can't find the entry...so many, many thanks whoever you are!) For some reason I had believed Dean Koontz wrote trash (was it an assumption based on the cover art and font?) Boy was I wrong...

#177 agrifel: I always thought so too! Maybe I better check out The Good Guy and see for myself!

I'm listening to The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz. It is pretty good so far. I haven't read many of his books because he writes scary things, or at least I think he does. This one is about dogs and crazy people and nice people and ordinary people and violence. The mentions of rescuing the dogs always makes me tear up. (Our heroine rescues golden retrievers from abuse, neglect, the pound, etc.)

I'm listening to Lifelines : How Personal Writing Can Save Your Life by Christina Baldwin. I took a writing workshop from Christina last fall, so listening to her on this audio workshop is like being right back there with her. Wonderful insights and ideas and stories. Christina is a strong advocate for all of us telling our stories, an important piece of culture that has been lost among the info-tainment of TV and movies (but is being rediscovered through blogs and journaling).

#179 - xorscape: I think Dean Koontz must love dogs. I can't seem to get into his stories anymore, but there was a time when I read several of them one after another, and golden retrievers made it into most of them. There was one book, Watchers, about a man who finds an unusually intelligent retriever that is able to read and spell. I don't enjoy reading Koontz anymore but at one time this was one of my favorite Koontz books (Lightning was my other favorite).

181> sandragon, I think you are right. He really loves his goldens. Costco has Lightning on audio and I was thinking about getting it. I may now. Cold Fire is a book I read years ago that stuck in my head. At least I think that is the one. I would also recommend it. But I have to say that I don't think he writes women very well (based on this Darkest book).

#182 - I agree, about Koontz not being able to write women very well. Recently I tried False Memory, about a woman who suddenly mysteriously develops autophobia, fear of oneself, and I just couldn't get into it. I really wanted to like it, because of liking Koontz so much before and the premise sounded very interesting, but it just didn't ring true for me.

I am listening to this Darkest book and our hero is pouring out his guts to our heroine and she is cracking wise cracks! Women don't do that (ususally). At least women who say they love you don't do that. We're nurturing. We'd say, Poor Baby. Anyway, the book is still interesting enough to have me sitting in the driveway for half an hour after I get home... :D

184: - LOL. I do that occasionally, and later wonder if the neighbours have started whispering amongst each other about the strange woman who sits in her car all the time doing nothing :o)

I felt it was about time for another TTC lecture, so I loaded up Between the Rivers by Alexis Q. Castor.

I'm listening to The Card, A Story of Adventure in the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett, written in 1910. Its a LibriVox recording by Andy Minter and I'm finding it quaint and entertaining.

I have just listened to Scratch Of The Pen by Colin G. Calloway

I am very much interested in history, much more than I ever was in school, I must say, and this was an excellent book to hear about and understand the events that ultimately led up to the Revolutionary War, and the founding of the United States in 1776.

I am about to finish Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie. Interesting book, not very long (4 cd's). It makes me want to read Balzac.

Funny #188, I'm listening to a biography of John Adams, the one by David McCullough. It is quite good so far. I'm woefully ignorant of my own country's history and am trying to put that to rights.

Several road trips this week so I was able to finish Lauren Willig's The Masque of the Black Tulip and this morning started Nothing's Sacred by Lewis Black. Is is almost like watching (well, with no picture) one of his shows. In fact, I am sure variations of a few of the stories have appeared in his HBO specials.

I'm listening to The House of Mirth right now. I'd have a tough time being patient enough to read this one, but as audio, it's not bad.

>192 Sandydog1: Sandydog1 ~ Is that the LibriVox version? I just downloaded it yesterday, but haven't started listening to it yet.

>193 digifish_books: digifish,
No it's Books on Tape, read by Penelope Dellaporta (1985). I'm Old Skool; still addicted to cassettes.

Currently on the mp3 I have Dan Brown Deception Point and some spanish lessons.

I've been listening to All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot and, while it's not laugh out loud funny, it has me chuckling in spots and walking around with a happy grin on my face. His boss, Sigfried Farnan (sp?) gets on my nerves though. He seems very selfish and inconsistant, always contradicting himself depending on the situation. Would drive me bonkers if I had to work for someone like that!

I just started The Appeal by John Grisham. I needed a break from Jonahtan Strange & Mr. Norell which has been a bit challenging to follow on audio.

I finished Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I enjoyed three of the four disks. The last one I didn't like very much. I don't think it was very well thought out or written (the end).

I will start Blue Shoes and Happiness next. I have loved this series on audio. I ordered this from Amazon. The box was okay on the outside but the audio book looked like they had run over it with a something. So I will see if any of the disks are damaged. Has anyone had a problem like this and will Amazon be good about it?

Finished Nothing's Sacred and moved on to another comic with Ellen DeGeneres' The Funny Thing is....

Just got The Turn of the Screw from the library and am very much looking forward to it! It's unabridged and read by Flo Gibson; I don't think I have heard her read before.

I recently finished Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. It made me cry at the end. I find her books quite engaging (this is my 3rd). She really knows how to keep the plot in forward motion, hard to push the "stop" button. Sometimes her symbolism/metaphors/recurring themes feel a little forced, but I still enjoy her very much.

Finished The Good Guy by Dean Koontz - so good! Now reading Dragon's Tears also by Koontz. You're right, xorscape - this one is a bit scary and I thought I wouldn't continue, but he redeems himself with a dog (don't want to say much more not to give it away). This author seems to loves dogs and write them into all his books. Koontz also knows how to keep me in motion.

In the car on CD I am listening to the Modern Scholars series on Greek Drama. I've borrowed 3-4 of these from the library so far on everything from economics to bio-ethics. They are recordings of professors from various colleges giving lectures. Overall these professors have been excellent and I've learned a lot. I recommend them highly. There are many on history, which I have to agree with those of you above who have come to appreciate and love it more than when in school. Me too...

#201 agrifel ~ What a great idea, thanks for the tip. I've never heard of the Modern Scholars series before. It seems a good way to fill in the dead time (driving, cleaning house, exercising) and learn something to boot!

I recently spent a good two hours loading Don Quixote - 35 discs!!! onto my ipod. It was worth every single minute. I also borrowed the book from the library for help with names, etc.. The audio is amazing. The reader, George Guidell, has been highly recommended to me. He is an absolute wonder. The adventures of the man of La Mancha and his sidekick Pancho are hysterical and so universal it could have been written yesterday. It will take me a long time to listen to the whole thing, and I do take breaks to listen other things, but this listening experience is one of the best ever. The 900 plus book is so heavy and so wordy that I can't imagine myself actually being able to read it. But the audio is a wonder. I can't recommend it enough.

Thanks a lot, vivienbrenda ~ yet another audiobook to add to the already incredibly long list of audiobooks TBLT. *groan* But, you've used "wonder" twice in your post and say it's one of the best ever listening experiences, so I have simply got to listen to it! :)

203 - I recently got Don Quixote, read by David Case. I haven't started listening to it yet but I hope I enjoy it as much as you are. I do have the book, in hardcover no less, and I've been putting it off for years. This seems like a pleasant way to stop procastinating about it. I normally listen to only one story at a time, but at 39+ hours I think I will also do what you are doing and break it up with other audiobooks.

201, 202 - Modern Scholar lectures are great, as are those from The Teaching Company. My area town libraries are full of titles. They do make the commute go faster.

>203 vivienbrenda:, George Guidell, is really great. I've loved listening to several books read outloud by him.

I've finally finished with Undaunged Courage, narrated by Barrett Whitener, who I didn't really enjoy and have now started with Under the Banner of Heaven, narrated by Scott Brick, who I do. I figured it was about time for a complete change of topic. I had a lot of time in the lab last night, so this new book is going quickly so far.

My new audiobook is The Road by Cormac McCarthy and read by Tom Stechschulte. I hope that's how his surname is spelt, anyway.

> 208 Grammath - The Road was my first (and so far only) Cormac McCarthy book, and I was able to listen to it on e-audio just a few months after it was published. It was also my first audiobook by that narrator (with that difficult last name!), and I thought he did quite well. I'd be interested to know what you think of it, when you're finished.

e e cummings!

I'm listening to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Very good.

#207 I read Under the Banner of Heaven for my bookclub. It provided a very interesting discussion. I'm curious how you like the audiobook. I have downloaded it and plan to listen to it as there is a lot to take in.

Is it ethical to post the name of a reader who I think is awful? I recently had to stop listening in the car to a crime story (so so anyway), because the reading was so grating. I got four discs into it before I just couldn't take it anymore.

Why not? I already bitched about Scott Brick and how he's probably made of wood for all the acting ability he has.

This was John Rubenstein reading Jonathan Kellerman, Obsession, which might have been tolerable in book form, but his interpretation of an Italian NY detective, sounded like a stereotype of a heavy dialected Brooklyn dentist or high school teacher. His female voice came out squeeky as if the character were a little girl, which she was not. I'm sorry to have to say this, as he is a fine actor, but I would never listen anything else he reads.

I love the Earthsea trilogy and the version I have is read by different readers, starting with Le Guin herself, which is great. But one of the readers is Harlan Ellison, whose writing I really enjoy, but he shouldn't narrate books. He's way too over-the-top and it detracts from the story big time, at least for me it did. If it weren't for the other readers I wouldn't listen to it again either. Frustrating isn't it when a bad reader wrecks a good story?

I'm listening to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen which will soon be followed by it's sequel The Moon of Gomrath, children's fantasy stories. I can certainly see that J.K. Rowling might have gotten some inspiration from Alan Garner here? They're fun stories and the narrator has a deep, gloomy, wizardy type voice, very appropriate.

#212 Rarcar, I'm very much enjoying listening to Scott Brick reading Under the Banner of Heaven - I think he does a good job with it -- #214 Bookmarque - one of the reason I like Scott Brick's narration is that I think he does a good job reading dense material in a fairly matter of fact tone with good enunciation. I tend to read a lot of dense non-fiction, and I think this style is helpful and appropriate, and I'm not looking for a lot of (over)acting. I'm looking forward to listening to Alexander Hamilton, which is also narrated by him.

#213 Vivienbrenda, My thoughts are that commenting on a performance of an audiobook narrator is analogous to reviewing any other performance or discussing what you thought about the works of an author - so I don't have any problem with someone expressing their views, provided they also provide some reasoning.

#209

Stechschulte (it is spelt like that) is doing a pretty good job. The relentless grimness of The Road makes it pretty gruelling stuff, but one expects that with Cormac McCarthy. He also read No Country for Old Men, which I listened to last year, so I guess he must specialise in his work. I'm pretty sure I've not heard him read anything else.

bfertig started a new thread ~ #3! ~ and here's the link to it (I hope): http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=30190#

I'm listening to another Jon Krakauer book, Into the Wild. I'm really enjoying it. I have such a hard time figuring out when to listen to an audiobook, as it really requires all my attention. This one has definitely captured my attention now, so I will find a way to make the time for it.

oops didn't see the new thread, will repost.