Audiobooks discussion
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June 2013
Just want everyone to know that after a series of so-so stories, Odd Thomas is back with Deeply Odd, a worthy adventure to the original. Well done, Dean Koontz. Another fantastic job by David Allan Baker and his narration. Good news, there is an Odd Thomas movie coming out. View the trailer, can't wait.
http://www.movieweb.com/movie/odd-tho...
John wrote: "Dee: I never read a word of Shakespeare until I was nearly 40, needing a Literature (as opposed to English) credit for a second degree."I was so-so with Shakespeare in high school, lucked out and got a great prof for a class on it in college, and now one of my goals next year is to do at least three plays via audio because I think that will just bring it to life so much more for me than trying to read it on the page. Next best thing to seeing it on stage. I haven't read other plays on audio, though, so I'm not sure how that will work out.
I'm still working through We Were the Mulvaneys right now and the first person narrative is really throwing me off, especially when listening to it, because it's one person telling the story in first person, but there are large sections where he's in the head and thoughts of another character in third person, then he'll jolt back into first person for his thoughts. It's very distracting. The narrator is doing a good job, but the book is written very awkwardly.
Henry V is probably my favorite Shakespeare of all time - plus then you can watch a young Kenneth Brannagh in the movie adaptation
Richard III for me! The documentary of Al Pacino's efforts to stage a production of that play ("Looking for Richard") is recommended!
I listened to an audio of Romeo and Juliet. Enjoyed it a lot and the actors gave me new perspectives on the characters. I think for many people it would be best to read along while listening, at least to the one with Calista flockheart as Juliet(sp?). It often went too fast for my Twenty-first century mind to translate the English of that time.I got most of it, but there were some lags in mental translation that caused me to miss some of it. Still, it was a great experience and I plan to get more of them.
I second John's recommendation of Al Pacino's Looking for Richard ;) I plan to listen to SYNC's The Tempest later this month - never read this Shakespeare play (in fact, I'm not sure that I have seen it performed either!).In the meantime, I have still not decided what I think about The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, narrated by Rupert Degas... The narration is fine, it is the book I am uncertain about.
Taking a bit of a break from Murakami, I am currently listening to the Librivox recording of Of Human Bondage. The narration is OK but sometimes there is some sort of sound in the background which is a bit annoying when I use my ear buds. I don't seem to notice when I use speakers...
Wind-Up Bird was one of those cases where I dropped an Audible credit, and it appeared on my library's Overdrive holdings later -- I still haven't heard it yet.
Jennifer wrote: "Oh, you're Australian? Oz is in my too-far-away-but-maybe TBV list (To be visited)."Jennifer, I live in Sydney. So I can play tour guide if Oz ever works it way up your TBV list!
I also studied a lot of Shakespeare at school (including A Midsummer Nights Dream, Twelfth Night, Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth, Othello and Hamlet). I've been going to the theatre regularly most of my life and I've seen many excellent production of various of the plays over the years, including Al Pacino in Merchant of Venice on Broadway and Kevin Spacey in Richard III here in Sydney.
While I enjoy reading Shakespeare, he wrote his plays to be performed and watched so I'd much rather see a play than read it or listen to it. There are some wonderful film adaptations out there and also some great filmed stage productions. Recently I discovered Digital Theatre, which has a bunch of Globe Theatre productions of Shakespearean plays available for rent or purchase, as well as an excellent West End production of Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
John wrote: "Richard III for me! The documentary of Al Pacino's efforts to stage a production of that play ("Looking for Richard") is recommended!"So... this evening we played our game. Take the first movie in our database and give it ten minutes. It is "10 things I hate about you" which is by William Shakespeare... sort of. It is based on "The Taming on The Shrew"... loosely I would think. Does that count? :)
i think so - I love it as a movie - but its def. more of a teen movie - personally, TotS isn't one of my favorites
Dee wrote: "i think so - I love it as a movie - but its def. more of a teen movie - personally, TotS isn't one of my favorites"I agree about the play but I love the musical Kiss Me Kate!
Leslie wrote: "Dee wrote: "i think so - I love it as a movie - but its def. more of a teen movie - personally, TotS isn't one of my favorites"I agree about the play but I love the musical Kiss Me Kate!"
I suppose someone is always revamping Willie Shake. I remember late in High School there was a guy named Marshal Mcluan who boldly asserted "The Medium is the Message". Mcluan was a big influence on local theater director Paul Baker. I went to see his Macbeth. I have this memory of the assassination on stage taking place and simultaneously a bolt action sound comes from an Oswald located offstage in a window. It was heady stuff for an 18 year old.
Turns out we liked "10 things". Who would have thought? Certainly not me.
Julia stiles was also in a modernization of Othello - just called O I think
Jeanie wrote: "I listened to an audio of Romeo and Juliet. Enjoyed it a lot and the actors gave me new perspectives on the characters. I think for many people it would be best to read along while listening, at ..."I didn't have much interest in Shakespeare until I saw the Zefferelli movie Romeo and Juliet (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063518/?...). The dialog is very close to the text of the play, and the movie is gorgeous - costumes, locations, etc. It may be difficult to find now, but I strongly recommend getting the movie, a good text of the play, and following along.
This really showed me that Shakespeare is best when you listen to it; admittedly the language is difficult sometimes, but it's worth the trouble to figure out the unusual words.
I was around when the Zefferelli Romeo and Juliet was first released in theaters and remember the stir the production caused--the guy who played Romeo was featured in many a teen magazine for a while. It really did bring the play to life in a way that was meaningful to many people.I found a fun way to have a play by Shakespeare brought into a new light when I listened to King of Shadows narrated by Jim Dale. While it is a time travel adventure where a boy goes back to Shakespeare's time to perform at the original Globe Theater--with Shakespeare himself playing Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream--its secondary effect was to make that play far more comprehensible for me. It's aimed at around age twelve, but that made it just about my speed ;P
Tricky isn't it, when popular authors come out with new books?! Will they be as good as the ones we have loved. I finished Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Who hasn't read Half of a Yellow Sun? Just about everybody. For me that was a five star book.
And who hasn't read either The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini?! They are both must reads. Now I have begun his newest: And the Mountains Echoed.
Ah, good, that takes one off my TBR!
Jennifer, I have edited my above message. The narration has improved, as of chapter four, but I remain confused.
Jennifer, I have begun the whole audiobook over again. There are three narrators. The first narrator is easy to understand. Is this one the author? Then come two other narrators that slur their words. I do like how the beginning section is a father, perhaps the author, telling his two children a story. This is very well done. This story is, I bet, the message of the whole book in a nutshell.
I finished the second DeChance Chronicle by David Wilson and narrated by Corey Snow, Vintage Soul. I really enjoyed both the story and narration. I don't know if this would have been beyond my scare tolerance if I hadn't slowly accustomed myself to such action through things like The Dresden files and Monster Hunter International, but this was interesting and action packed without sending me screaming from the room in terror, despite the presence of vampires.
It must have been so much fun to listen to something created by people we "know" and like!
Jennifer wrote: "It must have been so much fun to listen to something created by people we "know" and like!"That's very true! I often found myself marveling at David's creativity and Corey's marvelous voicings and smiling at the knowledge that we're part of the same community. It's great.
I have completed And the Mountains EchoedMy review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Now I need a non-fiction book. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. If I like it, I will be happy b/c it is the first of a trilogy. Will it be as good as Mornings on Horseback?
I finished with the newest Dan Brown book, Inferno. While it was better in some ways, a bit of a different plot format, it was not that much different overall. Same character flags with no further depth of development. Also it was a little too preachy about the subject matter/crisis involved. Eh. I gave it 3 stars as a book but as for the audiobook performance wise 4 stars.I started Stephen King's Joyland immediately afterwards. I am only a tiny way into it but sounds promising so far. :-)
I'm on a little bit of a summer "ear candy" binge right now. I listened to High Five this weekend. Good fun, but obviously not haute literature. Now I'm following up with a little YA: Insurgent. I really like this series, though I wish I'd brushed up on Divergent before picking this up...it launches right back in where Divergent left off, and it's been so long since I listened to Divergent that I can't remember all the characters and events.
I'm now listening to books on my smartphone via the Audible app and the Smart AudioBooks app for CD's I've ripped from the library. I have more narrator speed options than my iPod nano had (only went 1.2x at the fastest), so I'm cruising even faster through my books now! My TBR pile should whittle down a little faster. :)
Catherine wrote: "I finished with the newest Dan Brown book, Inferno... I gave it 3 stars as a book but as for the audiobook performance wise 4 stars.I started Stephen King's Joyland immediately afterwards. I am only a tiny way into it but sounds promising so far. :-) ..."
If authors were cars, King would be a dragster. He gets off the line quick and I really like that. Let me know about how you like it.
I like the Dan Brown books OK but just OK. I know some who really liked them.
Forney_bill wrote: "Catherine wrote: "I finished with the newest Dan Brown book, Inferno... I gave it 3 stars as a book but as for the audiobook performance wise 4 stars.I started Stephen King's Joyland immediately ..."
I am with you on both points. Will let you know about Joyland when I have listened to more. :-)
re:Dan Brown - my father, who I don't think I ever saw read growing up, actually read Da Vinci code and angels and demons and now is slowly starting to read more at the age of 59...(his mother didn't "approve" of him reading growing up) - so I'm a fan for that reason...that being said, The Lost Symbol is still sitting on my kindle unread
I gave in to my Nero Wolf addiction and listened to the two short stories in Not Quite Dead Enough. These are from the military years during WWII. John, you mentioned the return of Lily, which occurs in one of these, but I can't say she was a positive player given her role as catalyst. Maybe she returns again and is less... self-interested? The second story, Booby trap, was interesting but ended badly, imo. It's frustrating that Audible doesn't have all the titles so that there are gaps between all these books now. Sigh. I've started Earthly Delights, a culinary mystery set in an Australian bakery. The story and narration are quite good so far.
Dee wrote: "re:Dan Brown - my father, who I don't think I ever saw read growing up, actually read Da Vinci code and angels and demons and now is slowly starting to read more at the age of 59...(his mother didn..."Hey whatever gets folks reading right? ;-)
@Jeannie - I read Earthly Delights, which I picked up as a free Kindle book. Quite good first book in a series & I have heard a lot of people saying they like her other series with Phryne Fisher, historical fiction mysteries set in the 1920s.
Catherine wrote: "Hey whatever gets folks reading right? ;-) "that's pretty much my theory - whatever works...last I heard (he lives in a different country), he was plugging away through a 600-odd page NF
ETA - wouldn't actually surprise me if he had a reading disorder...although he is brilliant at math
Leslie wrote: "@Jeannie - I read Earthly Delights, which I picked up as a free Kindle book. Quite good first book in a series & I have heard a lot of people saying they like her other series with Phryne Fisher, ..."I got this one to try because it was a $0.99 Kindle/$2.99 audiobook combo. I had heard about the other series--on this thread--and so maybe this one will be the start of an extended Australian mystery tour.
Well, pals, I am listening to a book that's $1.99 Kindle, but I like the narration so much it's worth a credit for me: At Home and Abroad -- British author's travels throughout the world in the 50's/60s.
"That's very true! I often found myself marveling at David's creativity and Corey's mar..."THIS is why communities like this are awesome. I'm well aware someone will come along and hate something I've written, but I can take dozens of those for one of these!
And we'll keep providing the gift that keeps on giving :-)
I am *almost* done with Dragonfly in Amber - well on CD 29 out of 33. It has been long and somewhat tedious. Don't get me wrong - the narration is superb and I do love Jaime and Clairem but I have found myself wandering and not paying attention... I'm ready to get on to something a little different for a while!
Nancy wrote: "I am *almost* done with Dragonfly in Amber - well on CD 29 out of 33. It has been long and somewhat tedious. Don't get me wrong - the narration is superb and I do love Jaime and Clairem but I hav..."I agree with your observation. It's easy to get hooked on the characters in the Outlander series, especially with a reader like Davina Porter...she's incredible. But, they are extraordinarily long books. I like them long, but some of these passages have my mind wandering, too.
Finished The Asylumby, John Harwood narrated by, Rosalyn Landor this book was gothic fiction at it's best! I highly recommend it!Now listening to The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eatby Edward Kelsey Moore narrated by,Adenrele Ojo & Pamella D'Pella
Jeanie wrote: "I gave in to my Nero Wolf addiction and listened to the two short stories in Not Quite Dead Enough. These are from the military years during WWII. John, you mentioned the return of Lily, which oc..."Speaking up as a fan of the series beginning with Earthly Delights, I really wish there were such a wonderful bakery near me. And I'm a huge fan of the Phryne Fisher series - I have most of them in audio, the narrator is very very good. The first of that series is only 99¢ at Amazon, it's called Cocaine Blues; the audio is $2.99 if you buy the book first.
Kristie wrote: "I'm on a little bit of a summer "ear candy" binge right now. I listened to High Five this weekend. Good fun, but obviously not haute literature. Now I'm following up with a little YA: Insurgent. ..."
Kristie,
I felt the same way when reading Insurgent. I will definitely re-read the first 2 books before going on to Allegiant.
Dawn wrote: "Kristie wrote: "I'm on a little bit of a summer "ear candy" binge right now. I listened to High Five this weekend. Good fun, but obviously not haute literature. Now I'm following up with a little..."
I think if I'd even just listened to the last hour or so, to refresh myself on the details of how Divergent ended, I'd have been in good shape going into Insurgent. It is slowly trickling back to me as the first half of Insurgent unfolds. Yes, lesson learned for Allegiant. Looking forward to it!
I noticed that Project Gutenburg, via its iOS app, now supports audiobooks! Good news!
Jeanie wrote: "I gave in to my Nero Wolf addiction and listened to the two short stories in Not Quite Dead Enough. These are from the military years during WWII. John, you mentioned the return of Lily, which oc..."I skipped those, Jeanie -- it's a later Lily appearance I was referring to I guess.
Kristie wrote: "I'm on a little bit of a summer "ear candy" binge right now. I listened to High Five this weekend. Good fun, but obviously not haute literature. Now I'm following up with a little YA: Insurgent. ..."
Love your term ear candy! You just need some of those books every once-in-a-while.
I had been listening on a ipod nano 6th gen and really loved the little thing but after four years the battery gave up. The new nano didn't trip my trigger so I got an iphone 5. We had to boost the internet speed at the house because while I'm listening to books on the phone or even the kindle, it's zapping bandwidth. It was a big problem for a while because I always have an audiobook going.
Susan wrote: "I had been listening on a ipod nano 6th gen and really loved the little thing but after four years the battery gave up. The new nano didn't trip my trigger so ..."Is it not possible to replace the battery?
Not that we could figure out. It could be reconditioned but I needed a new phone so the iphone solved both issues. I like that the phone has speakers and I don't have to wear headphones or plug into separate speakers. My new car also syncs to my audiobook so when I start the car, the audiobook takes off where I left off. Too much technology just so I can have someone read to me! lol
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Audiobooks
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I loved the narrator for the omnibus. You've reminded me to see if the prequel omnibus has been released yet."
I read that one in ..."
Amanda Sayle