Reading the Detectives discussion
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What mysteries are you reading at the moment? Old thread
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Elizabeth (Alaska)
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Apr 07, 2019 07:27AM
Do those of you who listen to books feel you get as much out of them as when you read them?
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Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Do those of you who listen to books feel you get as much out of them as when you read them?"Yes, I do - I was never a fan until I started wanting to knit and read a few years ago - I’m not nearly coordinated enough to knit without looking, so audiobooks allow me to listen and knit. Then with health issues and a few surgeries in the last several years, audiobooks were a comfort and distraction when I couldn’t wear my glasses and read physical books. I read mostly historical mysteries and some historical fiction, so they work in those genres. If I read horror or romance, for instance, I don’t know!
I belong to the Georgette Heyer Fans group here on Goodreads, so I’ve listened to several Heyer books, for instance, as rereads with this group, all with British narrators, and I feel they’ve added a lot of enjoyment to books I’ve already read, really bringing the story to life, like my own personal theater performance! The best narrators can pitch their voices differently for each character- it’s voice acting, really.
I’ve only just started using audiobooks for first-time reads, and I find I prefer to read along a physical book if possible, just so I don’t miss important character development or plot points. That’s only when I want to remember fora discussion of the book with group members - if it’s purely for pleasure reading, I would just listen and enjoy- or exercise! I find a good audiobook makes great company when doing necessary physical therapy exercises- makes the time go more pleasurably!
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I find I miss parts when my attention wanders. Sometimes I back up other times I hope it wasn't important. However I enjoy being read to and some series I always do on audio because of the narrator.
Judy wrote: "That's a pain that it wasn't available for you yet, Susan! Glad you can get it through the library. My narrator is Katie Scarfe - nice clear voice, but I've already noticed that she speaks very slo..."Well, the strange thing is, when Susan put out a recent email updating the reading schedule, I went into Scribd, found the ebook and audiobook, and saved both - maybe a week or two ago.
Then when I went into read and listen, audiobook was suddenly unavailable! I have seen that on Scribd, books I’d find and save after a GR friend recommendation would suddenly become unavailable. I guess one good thing is, it prompts me to actually read the book, rather than save more than I could ever get to, like a squirrel with nuts!
Judy wrote: "That's a pain that it wasn't available for you yet, Susan! Glad you can get it through the library. My narrator is Katie Scarfe - nice clear voice, but I've already noticed that she speaks very slo..."Oh, ok, different narrator, I’m glad she’s good! I have noticed with audiobooks, the 1.0 speed is rather slow on most books, I always find myself upping the speed a bit, depending on the accent of the reader. I have to be careful, though, that it doesn’t become distorted. That happened with Duplicate Death, a long passage where the narrator was doing Inspector Grant’s thick Scottish brogue, with the Gaelic sprinkled in - I had to slow her down, sounded almost Russian!
Sandy wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Do those of you who listen to books feel you get as much out of them as when you read them?"I find I miss parts when my attention wanders. Sometimes I back up other tim..."
Yes!
Ha Ha Susan, no wonder I did not have a problem with Grant. A few Gaelic expressions thrown in was not a problem but if I had been forces to listen to brogue, I would not have known what was happening.
Thank you for your replies about Herron. I guess I will have to catch up in a hurry.
Bicky wrote: "Thank you for your replies about Herron. I guess I will have to catch up in a hurry."You’re welcome, I hope it helps, I won’t be able to read the next Herron book at the same time as the rest of the group, but I am so glad I found out about the series from this group!
Bicky wrote: "Ha Ha Susan, no wonder I did not have a problem with Grant. A few Gaelic expressions thrown in was not a problem but if I had been forces to listen to brogue, I would not have known what was happen..."Ha ha! I didn’t understand the actual Gaelic words, but context helped a bit - I could tell if it was a curse or exhortation, for instance!
Hi, I just posted my introduction on the other thread.Well, let me plunge in by saying that I love both eye-reading books and audiobooks. I recently had to drive many hours each weekend, and audiobooks were a lifesaver. Listening to a book helped take my mind off the long drive, especially if I was stuck in traffic!
I have also found that the narrator can make or break a book. For instance, one of my favorite mystery series is Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun series, which starts with "The Coroner's Lunch." I listened to every audiobook in this series that was available in my library. But the library ran out of audiobooks, even though there were more books in the series. I checked out the next book in the series, and it seemed a bit flat. The narrator, Clive Chafer, is wonderful at presenting the sly wit and charming idiosyncrasies of the characters, but I wasn't quite picking that up when reading the book.
On the other hand, I love Jane Austen. "Emma" was never one of my favorites, but, in book form, Emma comes off as charmingly misguided. But I bought "Emma," narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Ms. Stevenson does a fabulous job, but as I listened to the book, Emma comes off as an unpleasant, manipulative jerk. I will probably never read or listen to this book again!
I should probably answer the actual question for this thread! I am listening to "Six and A Half Deadly Sins" by Colin Cotterill. This was the written book that was a bit unsatisfying, so I broke down and actually bought the audiobook. Much better!
I just started American Gun Mystery - Ellery Queen's 6th. In some ways, so far, it is reminiscent of the second book in Stuart Palmer's Miss Withers stories - Murder on Wheels. I haven't got to the murder yet. Hopefully, it will be more believable than Palmer's.But they both have to do with the rodeo coming to Manhattan.
Started Slow Horses so that I could catch up with the discussion of Spook Street. It seemed like a chore but Herron is a wonderful writer.
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I doubt you will regret your decision, Bicky.
I just finished making my way through most of the Nathan Shapiro series by Richard and Frances Lockridge. I had previously read and enjoyed their Mr. and Mrs. North series as well as the Captain Heinrich series, but hadn’t ever read any in this series. I found them to be quick, easy reading. I’m slowly working my way through Garrison Flint’s Raymond Masters series, interspersed with re-reads of old favorites. Right now it’s Unnatural Causes by P. D. James.
I have also downloaded a few of the Keith Calder series by Gerald Hammond to my Kindle. I have picked up a bunch of these free, but haven’t read any. I also picked up the entire Raymond Masters series free. Neither of these are series that I would have paid much attention to if they weren’t free. I liked the Masters books that I have read so far, but I wouldn’t say that they are wonderful!
Gardener0126 wrote: "I just finished making my way through most of the Nathan Shapiro series by Richard and Frances Lockridge. I had previously read and enjoyed their Mr. and Mrs. North series as well as the Captain He..."You will be ahead of us then in next year's challenge books with The Dalgliesh books.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Do those of you who listen to books feel you get as much out of them as when you read them?"The narrator can really make or break an audiobook. Sometimes they ruin an otherwise great book, or make a mediocre one more palatable. They are certainly helpful when you don't have as much time to read a book as you'd like, but can listen to a book while doing other things. I do find that sometimes my mind wanders, which is a downside of the format, but you can always rewind if you need to :)
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Not many votes this month - if anyone hasn't already done so, please make sure you add your vote to this months poll.
Susan wrote: "I am a fairly recently convert to audiobooks, but I am a great fan now. I do enjoy them, especially while doing other things...."
I'm yet to try one but do plan to because it will be a great idea when one is doing something else, or I want to rest my eyes a bit (since I am always reading on screen all day).
I used to like to listen to them on long drives. Made the miles fly by.
Jan C wrote: "I used to like to listen to them on long drives. Made the miles fly by."It's impossible to take a long drive here. It's 35 miles from one end of the road sign to the other. We had to laugh, yesterday our van ticked over 7300 miles - we bought it June 1, 2016.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I used to like to listen to them on long drives. Made the miles fly by."It's impossible to take a long drive here. It's 35 miles from one end of the road sign to the other. We had t..."
I have the opposite - it is a fair distance to anywhere. It is about 35 miles to Asheville, shopping centers are 20-25-50 miles away. I don't go to the 50 mile away one very often.
Jan C wrote: "It is about 35 miles to Asheville, shopping centers are 20-25-50 miles away. I don't go to the 50 mile away one very often. "We don't have any shopping centers. We are not as remote as some places in Alaska, but you can't get anywhere from here except by plane or boat. Seattle and Anchorage are both 700 air miles from here.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jan C wrote: "It is about 35 miles to Asheville, shopping centers are 20-25-50 miles away. I don't go to the 50 mile away one very often. "We don't have any shopping centers. We are not as remote..."
Sounds nice. But possibly not so nice if you have an emergency.
Jan C wrote: "But possibly not so nice if you have an emergency. "Our hospital is the largest employer and serves the area around for about 100 miles. But they can't handle the most severe injuries and a Medivac is stationed at the airport for things they can't handle.
I just finished Smallbone Deceased by Michael Gilbert. I've only just discovered MG, who was a prolific detective story writer in the Fifties and onwards and a member of the Detection Club yet his name is obscure to uninformed readers like me.I loved Death In Captivity, the first one I read of his, which was a locked room mystery set in an Italian POW camp in the war. Smallbone Deceased is set in a lawyer's office and is very reminiscent of Sayers' Murder Must Advertise in its depiction of office life in this era. I found it both well-written and intriguing and am looking for more by Gilbert. That said, he really was both a POW and a lawyer - so what happens when he writes about something he doesn't have first-hand knowledge of?
OK, you have made me push Death in Captivity to the top of 'have to be read right now' list.
It's excellent. Enjoy it. In my top three war stories alongside Where Eagles Dare and Ice Cold In Alex. And I don't particularly like war stories usually.I'm now reading Murder In the Bookshop by Carolyn Wells, another in the seemingly endless series of vintage but overlooked crime stories now emerging from obscurity as reprints. I fell in love with the cover but so far it's proving quite a charming, if quirky read.
I forgot to say that the murders in Smallbone Deceased are committed using picture wire! This is clearly the go-to weapon for Golden Age murders. I found myself wondering whether we had any in the house and if so, whether I should get rid of it straightaway...
Annabel wrote: "I forgot to say that the murders in Smallbone Deceased are committed using picture wire! This is clearly the go-to weapon for Golden Age murders. I found myself wondering whether we had any in the ..."Yes, seems the wise thing to do unless you have a mind to use it or perhaps even then.
Looks like I haven't posted recently. No golden age stuff currently.Earlier this month I finished:
Just Desserts by G.A. McKevett.Currently reading:
Killer Jam by Karen MacInerney
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton
Hospitality and Homicide by Lynn Cahoon
I have just started An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and have been struck by the opening of the author's note: "A crime novelist, by virtue of his unpleasant craft...". I wonder whether in her later years she would still have used 'his'.Coincidentally, all the three books which the group are reading are written much after the Golden Age with this being the earliest. I found it surprising that as early as 1972 cremation was already a serious option: "“Cremation every time. There’s no private insurance, you tell me? Then get it all over as quickly, easily and cheaply as possible. Take my word, that’s what the deceased would want nine times out of ten..."
The attitude towards religion is also noticeable: "The cremation service had been spoken by the priest with carefully controlled speed and with a suggestion of apology in his tone as if to assure his hearers that, although he enjoyed a special dispensation, he didn’t expect them to believe the unbelievable."
Expression of such sentiments in popular fiction, I think, would have been impossible in an earlier era.
Cremation in the UK has been around since mid to late 19th century as even then burial space was running out in the cities. It became part of the law as early as 1902. I think in the UK some religious groups like the Jewish faith don't do it, but otherwise for decades it has probably been the preferred option for the majority.
Same in Australia as far as I know. My grandparents all chose cremation so far and a number were born pre 1900s. It is definitely the most popular except for some of the more orthodox religions and Catholics commonly choose burial. But it is a lifelong headache for their ancestors. We are spending our big to preserve the grave of my MIL’s mum who died giving birth to her. If we don’t pay up the grave gets removed. Big business obviously.
Jemima wrote: "Same in Australia as far as I know. My grandparents all chose cremation so far and a number were born pre 1900s. It is definitely the most popular except for some of the more orthodox religions and..."Jemima that’s horrible, I’d never heard of that! I am sorry, and I do know cremation was still somewhat controversial when my mom chose it for my dad in 1989 when he died. She made it clear when she had cancer four years ago that she wanted cremation, her and dad’s ashes mingled, and poured out to sea - and that’s what we did!
She figured with kids scattered all over the East Coast, there was no central burial spot anymore- her family are all buried in a Catholic cemetery back in Chicago, and her unmarried sisters plan to be there, but none of us live back there anymore.
Jemima wrote: "If we don’t pay up the grave gets removed. Big business obviously. "Back when I was doing family history, another researcher had deep Norwegian roots. She said that was common in Norway, that if you weren't able to keep up the burial payments they just moved someone else in. And that policy went back more than a century.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jemima wrote: "If we don’t pay up the grave gets removed. Big business obviously. "Back when I was doing family history, another researcher had deep Norwegian roots. She said that was common in N..."
Wow - I guess if burial space is at a premium it makes sense, but if sincerely held religious beliefs dictate you must bury the dead, it puts the faithful, who may not have the endless wealth to maintain the burial plot, in a hell of a bind...thank you, ladies, I learned something today!
Interesting. See how wrong you can be when your knowledge is based solely on fiction! And yes, one did learn something.I guess, my comment was ill-informed but in fiction burials have still been going on. Does anybody care to point out when cremation became common in fiction in UK and Australia etc.?
Both of my parents chose cremations - ten years apart. We tried to remember where we had put my father's ashes so that hers could go at least nearby.In Chicago some years ago there was a big cemetery scandal - not sure if they were moving people out/burying people on top of them. But it was a big scandal. Multiple people paying for the same spot.
Jan C wrote: "Both of my parents chose cremations - ten years apart. We tried to remember where we had put my father's ashes so that hers could go at least nearby.In Chicago some years ago there was a big ceme..."
Oh, wow, I don’t remember that - I’m surprised I didn’t hear about it from my aunts, they’re the only ones still living up there.
Started reading An Aegean Prophecy which seems appropriate as the first murder occurs on the Sunday before Easter. Love this series, no idea why it has taken me so long to get back to it.
Thanks, Carolien, neverheard of that series, but it sounds intriguing *tosses another title on to the tottering TBR pile...*
Finished An Accidental Death by Peter Grainger. 5*A police procedural which is witty, clean and has no gore. First published in 2013, this is the first book of a series which already has seven more books.
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Reading the Detectives
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