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Footnotes 2017-2018
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Audio book recommendations for new, longer commute
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It really depends - I get so much from the library I can't keep up with audible, and I almost always have 5-6 credits available and I'm trying to hurry and grab something.Some great audios:
Freedom
Invisible Man
Just Kids
Beloved
The Nix
The Nightingale
A Brief History of Seven Killings
Lincoln in the Bardo
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
anything by Joshilyn Jackson
Oh lord, this is an impossible question! I listen to tons of audiobooks. I have an audiobook shelf here on GR, feel free to check it out. I also get 90% of my books from the library. I have a subscription to Audible for one credit a month for those books that I am dying to listen to but the library list is endlessly long. But, like Nikki D, there are many months I don't use it and I think I have 2-3 stockpiled at the moment.
For my car (I don't have bluetooth) I check out books on CD, I also listen to books on overdrive that I check out of the library. I haven't gotten an audible subscription yet because those two methods have worked so far for me (my commute is very short but I do listen to them in the car every time I drive somewhere without kids).I will 2nd the recommendation for The Nix. The audio is really great.
Also, anything by Neil Gaiman. He reads them and I've liked everyone I've listened to. I usually purposefully listen instead of read because he makes them more creepy. Probably you might already know this. ***I'm editing to add, that I think my favorite so far that I've listened to is The Ocean at the End of the Lane if you haven't read/listened to that. ***
And also The Passage series if you haven't read them yet. They are VERY long, I think the books are in the 700-800 page range, perfect for your commute.
I have an Audible subscription that I have had for years, I use Whispersync a lot usually getting a library book on my Kindle and then the matching audio -it is on the pricey side but worth it if you are planning to buy a lot of audios. I do use the Overdrive library for some audios, but there is often a wait list and I prefer to use my holds for ebooks. I have 296 audiobooks on my shelf here at Goodreads, most of them are read and have at the very least a rating if not a review. There are some that I haven't read yet; here is a link to the shelf:
My Audio Shelf
I solely use Overdrive (e-library) for my audiobooks, and I love it- and it's all free. It's all app based so super easy, you don't have to deal with CDs or anything. My audio bookshelf lives herelives here- if anything interests you let me know and I can tell you what I thought of the audio. Off the top of my head-
-I will second anything by Neil Gaiman, he narrates his own books and it's fabulous.
-The Goldfinch (like 32 hours long so will last a while!)
-All the Light We Cannot See
-A Tale for the Time Being (set around water)
I second The Goldfinch. Ready Player One is great, and I really enjoyed Freedom by Franzen. The Rivers of London series is fun. Others I've loved are Americanah and Behold the Dreamers, and The Signature of All Things is just stunning. Life After Life is up there with my favourite recordings. Oh, and A Spool of Blue Thread was great. I borrow through the library using BorrowBox which is the app we use here in Australia, but I also have an Audible subscription as the library doesn't have everything I want.
Susie wrote: "The Signature of All Things is just stunning"So, I just finished the audio of The Paying Guests, and looked up the audio reader- turns out she also did the audio of The Signature of All Things!! Looks like she does a lot of quintessential British books also- lots of Jane Eyre and Bronte sisters.
Isn't she a fabulous narrator? I loved her.
I recommend any of Tamora Pierce's books. Great YA fantasy books. I believe her book Melting Stones even made history by being released in audio format for a full year before the print copy was released. Though I admit, that one in particular isn't my favorite. I'd start with either the Lioness quartet, Immortals quartet or the Circle of Magic quartet. I believe most of her audiobooks are done by Full Cast Audio, which as the name suggests, has a full cast instead of just one narrator.
Joi wrote: "I solely use Overdrive (e-library) for my audiobooks, and I love it- and it's all free. It's all app based so super easy, you don't have to deal with CDs or anything. My audio bookshelf lives herel..."Yes, yes, yes, All the Light We Cannot See is excellent on audio. I wasn't as keen on the narrator for the Goldfinch only because of how he voiced women, but a lot of people liked it.
Mysteries--Jayne Entwistle reading the Flavia de Luce books, starting with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
British humour/classics - Jonathan Cecil reading Right Ho, Jeeves (or if he reads any others, but this is my favourite one).
Sissy Spacek reading To Kill a Mockingbird and also her memoir My Extraordinary Ordinary Life
Any audiobook narrated by Stuart McLean (all stuff he wrote)
Here's my audiobook shelf, but I don't have many listed there https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
I mostly use Overdrive via the library, as well. Just so you know, you can get Audible books without having a subscription. I signed up for the daily deal email and have found a few books that way for less than $5. Granted, if you are looking for a specific book through Audible, it could be a long wait! ;-)As for recommendations, I have a list that used to live on shelfari, and I moved to LibraryThing. This is my "Impressive Audio Books" list:
http://www.librarything.com/list/1071...
Highlights include a few already mentioned here: Ready Player One, Will Grayson Will Grayson. Also (if you haven't read it yet), The Help. Jeez, I have a bunch of YA there!
Another adult book on the list is Testimony by Anita Shreve.
Take a look at the list if you'd like. I have 11 books listed there. There's a spot to put an "explanation", so I think I put that for each of them, as well.
I Third the recommendation for the Nix. My friend listened to the CD's when we had the group read, and this is one of my top ten for the year.
I had to find my sweet spot for audio books. I tend to like contemporary, historical fiction or mysteries as well as narrative non fiction. I have a harder time with books set in very unfamiliar places (fantasy or some sci fi) because I can't keep people and places straight. I do love Katherine Kellgren as a narrator. She does a cozy mystery series Her Royal Spyness and the YA series Bloody Jack.
We have audible mostly because my husband loves audio books and mostly listens to sci-fi and fantasy. He doesn't find a lot of new books on Overdrive from the library.
Congrats on the new job!
Something else I will add...you will get "better" at audio the more you listen. Just a few years ago I had only listened to a couple of books. I had to stick with very straightforward contemporary fiction because I couldn't keep the details straight and my mind would often wander.
But, just like reading more improves comprehension, listening more does as well. There are still books I find difficult to listen to on audio and I prefer in print, but I have greatly expanded my listening horizons.
Now, probably 75% of my books each year are audio. And newer audiobooks are so well done!
btw, Hunger Games and His Dark Materials are both great series on audio if you have read and feel like an entertaining listen. I loved Testimony as well. I think I read it, but seems like it would be well-suited to audio.
I enjoy Sandra Brown's suspense when driving, particularly the ones read by Victor Slezak like Envy. WW2 fiction, Lilac Girls and The Nightingale. Get my audios either by CD or Overdrive through the library. And my current listen is Kitchens Of The Great Midwest which is really funny. I can't speak for the whole book as I am only 2 hours in, but the first chapter on making lutefisk is hysterical.
Joi wrote: So, I just finished the audio of The Paying Guests, and looked up the audio reader- turns out she also did the audio of The Signature of All Things!! Looks like she does a lot of quintessential British books also- lots of Jane Eyre and Bronte sisters."The narrator is Juliet Stevenson who is a British actress; she starred in one of my all time favorite movies - Truly, Madly, Deeply - which also starred the much missed Alan Rickman.
Nicole D. wrote: I loved Testimony as well. I think I read it, but seems like it woul..."I'll just add this about Testimony. It's been a while, but if I'm remembering correctly, there were multiple narrators, so that tends to usually be a good sign (at least for the ones I've listened to).
Did somebody mention the Signature of All things for audio. Same friend read/heard it that way too.
Nicole D. wrote: "btw, Hunger Games and His Dark Materials are both great series on audio if you have read and feel like an entertaining listen. I loved Testimony as well. I think I read it, but seems like it woul..."
Yes, the audiobook reader for The Hunger Games is excellent. If you've watched the movies, though, it will take a while to readjust to her voice.
I've been listening to audio books since they were out on cassette tape and most of them were created in England and were British readers. I remember listening to a Brit try to do a Mafia thug - it was really bad! There were so few of them at the time that I even listened to Westerns! I also had a long commute. When you find a good one, you'll find yourself sitting in the car when you reach your destination to get to a good stopping place in the story and then be happy to start your commute again so you can turn the story on again. It's a great way to make a commute pleasant. If you'd like, I always "tag" my books with audio and I rate and review. Feel free to check my page. I'd do what Linda did and create a link but I haven't figured that out yet!
I write a review of every book I read, and if it's an audio book, I include remarks on the audio performance as well. I have 477 audiobooks on MY audio shelf ... feel free to browse.
I can say that Ruby Dee's performance of Their Eyes Were Watching God is superb!
Barbara wrote: "I remember listening to a Brit try to do a Mafia thug - it was really bad! ..."LOL! Ok, that's funny!
Book Concierge wrote: "I can say that Ruby Dee's performance of Their Eyes Were Watching God is superb!.."Yes, she does a brilliant job.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Their Eyes Were Watching God (other topics)Bloody Jack (other topics)
Her Royal Spyness (other topics)
The Help (other topics)
Testimony (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Stuart McLean (other topics)Neil Gaiman (other topics)
Joshilyn Jackson (other topics)
I listen to audio books a little bit now, but not as much as I will be in a couple of weeks! I was just offered a job by a division of Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality that has a main focus of protection and restoration of the Great Lakes, and I accepted it. I'm really excited to start this new chapter, but my commute is about to get quite a bit longer - 90 minutes from my house to the state capitol in Lansing, MI.
I'm excited about the job, but I'm not planning to relocate, at least not yet. I'm looking forward to listening to some good audio books while I drive.
I like most all kinds of fiction - gothic, classics, mysteries, fantasy, YA, historical, anything set near or on the water. I also like non-fiction about the natural world (natural science), history, travel.
Right now I get all of my audio books from the library. Should I look into Audible?
Any suggestions regarding audio books would be greatly appreciated!