Julie at All Ears's comments (member since Feb 21, 2009)

Julie at All Ears's comments from the Audiobooks group.

Cathy, that's wonderful that you are volunteering for 3 weeks - my hat is off to you!

Just in case your flight back is as long as the one out, one of my favorite audiobooks about India is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry and narrated by John Lee. I can't remember how long it was, but it definitely fit into the epic category. The story revolves around many of the political and social changes in India in recent history. Really worth the time. Hope you have a wonderful trip!

Cathy wrote: "Julie at All Ears wrote: "I just finished Suzanne Collins' book The Hunger Games and I'm adding it to my 'favorites of 2009'. The setting for this speculative fiction title is a future where diffe..."

Cathy - so glad you enjoyed it! Can't wait for the sequel - I think it comes out in September.

Hilary wrote: "Thanks for the suggestions. I've also heard Janet Evanovich books are great listens.

I LOVE anything Larry McMurtry and John Irving. I prefer audio books with character development and heavy plot..."

I am a huge John Irving fan. If you like literary fiction then some titles that I thought were superb in audio are:

- A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner is also good)
- Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
- Peace Like a River - Leif Enger (this book reminded me so much of Irving's - A Prayer for Owen Meany. The audio is narrated by Chad Lowe and it is really exceptional)
- The Blood of Flowers - Anita Amirezvani (spelling?) - again the narrator has a rich husky voice that made this a wonderful listen
- In the Company of the Courtesan - Sarah Dunant
- The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory - strong recording by 3 great narrators including Davina Porter

Ahh... so many books...

John wrote: "Julie -

I used to rent tapes from Recorded Books years ago, but I've never owned a CD player, making the leap straight from cassettes to mp3. Audible is convenient as all I need do is select a boo..."


Wow, John - you're quite resourceful in obtaining your audiobook 'fix'. Now stores are following a 'Netflix' model where people pay a membership for unlimited audiobooks for the month. Since mp3 is now available, you can load your audiobook on an ipod or other device and listen while your new book is on its way. That way the mailing back and forth time never leaves you without a title. I do see the advantage of audible when you are overseas or for that 'I want it NOW' moment. Thanks everyone for all of your responses - very enlightening!

I'm curious about why so many audiobook addicts - or borrowing Marius' term, audioholics - get their audiobooks from audible. I listen to 2 or 3 books a week and I know many people who listen to a lot more than I do. Audible's model of purchasing audiobooks seems expensive when compared to renting. Do people prefer it because they want to own their audiobooks so they can listen to them again? What compels people to use audible over the audiobook rental companies?

Kent wrote: "Julie,

Damn! I started a long reply to your note that has mysteriously disappeared on me. I'm still having trouble navigating GoodReads. This sort of thing has happened to me before.

Anyway, I s..."

Kent,

Thanks for the Kate Reading suggestion - I love her as a narrator - I'll definitely look for that edition. And I'm impressed that you are such a Mark Twain expert! What a wonderful author to know intimately.

Kent,

Thanks so much for your narrator ratings. It's so interesting to see how much people's tastes vary. I thought Dick Hill's narration of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was stellar. I've recommended it to so many people and he also won an Audie last year for it. I noticed that you like Frederick Davidson who I can't stand. I'm still looking for another version of War and Peace and A Passage to India. I have recordings that he has done for both of these books, but his women's voices really grate on my ears. I'll have to check out some of the narrators at the top of your list - thanks!

Also, another alias is Robert Whitfield is Simon Vance (who I think is fantastic).

I just finished Suzanne Collins' book The Hunger Games and I'm adding it to my 'favorites of 2009'. The setting for this speculative fiction title is a future where different regions of the United States have to offer a boy and a girl teenager as tribute to the ruling government. The tributes from all of the territories participate in the Hunger Games - a reality show 'Survivor' game, but the losers don't get voted off the game ... they get killed. This book is enjoyable on so many different levels. The plot is fast and gripping (plan to stay up late listening to this one). But the story also raises some very good ethical questions and makes some subtle comments about our fascination with reality tv shows. The audio version is great - wonderful narration by Carolyn McCormick. And the best news yet? There is a sequel - Catching Fire - due out in September - can't wait!

Thanks, Grumpus, for posting all of the audiobook articles. The last one is really surprising. I work in an audiobook store and although our revenue had been growing strongly in past years, this year our revenue is more or less the same as last year. Given the economy, I think we are doing great. If anything we are seeing more people come to the store because renting is cheaper than owning and audiobooks have become so much more mainstream and popular. We are next to a For Eyes eyeglass store. For years, people thought we were either a hearing aid store (our store is named All Ears) :) or that audiobooks were only for the blind. Now it seems like more and more people are listening. And once people get hooked, just like us, they can't stop!

I just finished Black Cherry Blues, my first James Lee Burke mystery. Loved it! If you are looking for a mystery that not only has a good plot but also is well written, I highly recommend this series. I loved the narration by Mark Hammer. There is a strong Cajun dialect for many of the characters and he does a great job. I also finished Bernard Schlink's book, The Reader. I really liked this one also. Very thought provoking - Campbell Scott is excellent. Wow! 2 big hits in audio in one week - woohoo!

** spoiler alert**

Sara TX wrote: "Julie at All Ears wrote: "Sara TX wrote: "I just started I Am the Messenger. The narrator, Marc Aden Gray, is awesome! I love Aussie accents.... :)"

Hi, Sara. Thanks for the response - And I'm glad you listened to the book, because I've been wanting to talk about the ending with someone! It's been awhile since I read the book, but I remember being confused by the ending. Who sent all of the cards? Was it the 'author'? I think I wanted Ed to be a hero that was part of a bigger purpose - maybe something magical. I'll have to listen to it again. I remember enjoying it all the way up to the very end.

Sara TX wrote: "I just started I Am the Messenger. The narrator, Marc Aden Gray, is awesome! I love Aussie accents.... :)"

Hi, Sara. I'd be curious to hear what you think of I am the Messenger after you finish it. I loved The Book Thief - definitely one of my all time favorites - but I found the end of I am the Messenger disappointing. Let me know what you think!

I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson. This one is narrated by the ever-talented Simon Vance. This mystery is not for the faint of heart. It is gritty and explicit, but the violence is not gratuitous - it is an integral part of the plot. If you are looking for a book that will keep you glued to your earbuds, then this is it. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first of a trilogy. The 2nd book releases this summer, but I understand that it is already available in the UK. I hope Simon Vance reads the next 2 books - his narration on this was spectacular!

I just finished Chris Bohjalian's Skeleton's at the Feast. What a fantastic story about Germany at the end of World War II. Narrator Mark Bramhall did an excellent job with many different foreign accents and voices. This will definitely be on my 'best of 2009' list!

Christina wrote: "I just finished The Story of Edgar Sawtelle A Novel
What an amazing book.I'm not sure what to listen or read next that could compare to it.The images and characters the author created just stay wi..."
I loved that book - what a compelling story and Richard Poe's narration was fantastic. Have you read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society? It is told in letter format with multiple narrators - lighter than Edgar Sawtelle, but both funny and poignant. I just finished Kazuo Ishiguro's book Never Let Me Go. It was written a few years back. If you are a fan of speculative fiction, I highly recommend it - like Edgar Sawtelle, it will haunt you for a long time. Happy listening!