Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2019 Weekly Checkins
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Week 28: 7/5 – 7/11
poshpenny wrote: "Clearly what audiobooks are missing is a proof-listener."I volunteer as tribute!
Mod
I've been surprised how often this happens! And EVERY time, I think to myself: "wow I've been saying that word wrong!!!" and I go look it up, and 75% of the time, nope, I had it correct.
poshpenny wrote: "Unpopular Opinion Time:
I can't listen to Jim Dale ..."
Oh, I am ALL about having the unpopular opinion!!! I can't stand Jim Dale's voice - I gave one of his audiobooks a try and just noped my way right out of there. I also hated James Marsters reading Storm Front, just UGH. (I LOVE Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I love Marsters as Spike, but I couldn't stand that audiobook.) And I see Bahni Turpin get praised all the time but I just don't get it - I've only listened to one book with her, though, so I need to give her a second try. And the two books I listened to with Robin Miles were thumbs down from me (it may have been the books, though - in one she had adopted a Nigerian accent and I know that accent well enough to know that hers was fake - I looked her up just to be sure, and yeah she's from NJ. I'm from NJ.)
I'm so behind with updates I don't even know where to start. But I just got home from a fortnight in Greece, and I can finally say that I have found my reading mojo (clearly, it ran away to Corfu in April when my marriage fell apart, and I've only just been reunited with it again). Hopefully that means I can claw back my progress in all my reading challenges (I'm currently 2 behind for PS), and engage more in this group again...I read four books when I was away, but I haven't got round to getting GR up-to-date so I'm going to just share about the two books I've logged since my last check-in (week 25).
The first was The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, which I used for prompt #40 favourite prompt from a previous PS reading challenge. I'm reading a book for each of the previous years, and this was for 2016's challenge prompt book 100 years older than you. I think my opinion of this book is jaded by its classic status and that I've come to it at a time in my reading where I'm just not very excited by the works of white, straight men. Even Scottish ones. My rating is based on my personal enjoyment, but I do appreciate that this has been massively influential and has stood the test of time. It's an interesting tale, short and to the point but with some important statements to be made on the fact that no one is either good or bad, or should be made to feel they have to suppress parts of themselves. I just...was expecting a bit more, given that I have heard references to this book for probably my whole life. More horror, more shock, more impact. But it was all just a bit too stiff.
My next read was for advanced prompt #10 set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent...though it turned out to only suit this very slightly. It was The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock. I have to be honest, it was the title that made me pick this book. I have always been really aware of the way other people's homes smell, in a way similar to the characters of this book who are aware of their outsider status. I hadn't realised that this was a YA book, and actually it doesn't read as young as some others in that category do. The issues of loss, painful family dynamics and teenage pregnancy were dealt with in a way I would expect them to be in a "grown ups" novel, but with just a little less depth, possibly. It was that depth that I did find lacking though, as there are so many complex issues that the characters face that I wanted to really feel the emotions with them, but I appreciate that would have made this book too heavy for the readers Hitchcock had in mind. I think my desire for a deeper dive says a lot about how well the characters came across, and the strength of their stories. For such an easy read there is a lot going on in this book, and I really enjoyed all the different relationships and journeys that the characters have. It all tied up a bit too cleanly for me, but I think that is again a reflection of the fact that at 35 I'm not exactly the target audience for this book, rather than a criticism of the book. Because really, I have no criticisms - this is a compelling read that trusts a YA audience with complex issues, explored with some beautiful writing through the stories of believable characters.
QOTW - Do you have any favorite audiobook narrators?
Short answer (which I really should stop at as it's nearly midnight and I only got 3 hours sleep last night thanks to a delayed flight and young children), no. Long answer is that I don't think I have enough experience to have a favourite. I listen to less than five audiobooks a year, and don't think I've ever had the same narrator twice. Except maybe Lorelei King, I think she did both the Margaret Atwood audiobooks I've listened to. She was good. The narrator for The Book Thief stands out as being very well chosen (cast?), I believe my version was Allan Corduner. And I thought David Tenant was a good choice for a young boy narrator in My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece. I also like it when an author reads their own work, particularly if it's a memoir. I do think a narrator can make or break an audiobook. I don't know if I'd have been crazy about Brave New World anyway, but I really didn't enjoy the accents Michael York used in the version I listened to, or when he tried to do a woman's voice. Sometimes I think it's ok to just not do accents/voices...
Mod
Yes I usually enjoy ensemble audiobooks, when there are multiple POVs in the book - multiple voices gets weird when it's just used for dialogue (and I also usually don't like sound effects). The Innocent & The Hit have a woman for the woman's dialogue and a man for the rest, and it's weird and jarring every time her voice pops up, because it's not a separate POV section. But The Thirteenth Tale has two voices for the two different POVs, and it works (and one is Lynn Redgrave so OBVIOUSLY it works!)
Some good ensemble audiobooks:
The Smell of Other People's Houses
A Brief History of Seven Killings
One of Us Is Lying
Broken Monsters
I'm also not usually a fan of sound effects. I think I accidentally listened to a graphic novel once*, which was spooky, and it may have pulled out a sound effect I thought was fine... I'm more accepting if it's spooky. The thing I want least is a 30 second musical interlude between chapters. Just no. Stop now. I only want music if it's part of the story. Luckily I haven't noticed this in a long time.
*I listened to it intentionally, I didn't know it was a graphic novel for over a year
We finally hit our hot and dry summer season in Utah. We had an unusually wet and cool spring, which I loved. I do like the sunshine, though.I finished one book this week, not for the challenge.
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (fits a few categories that I've already used) - 5 stars
This is so good! It broke my heart over and over. I will never understand how people can treat other people so terribly. I'm a sucker for books about terrible hardship and love and suspense, especially when based on a true story.
GoodReads: 41/90
PopSugar: 24/40 regular, 3/10 advanced
QOTW: I listen to many audiobooks as I always have one going in the car, but except for the ones that are read by the authors I have no idea who the narrators are (even if they are exceptionally great or unbearably awful). Too much for my brain to remember.
Ali wrote: "Hi everyone and happy Thursday! I took time off to visit my friend in NYC and had such an amazing time. We're always swapping romance book recommendations with each other, so I was happy to have so..."I am listening to the Rob Inglis reading for LOTOR and was very surprised and beyond impressed that he actually sings the songs!
poshpenny wrote: "Unpopular Opinion Time:I can't listen to Jim Dale reading Harry Potter. Most of it is lovely and wonderful, until Hermione speaks. She's supposed to be a know-it-all, but he makes her whiny. I jus..."
I am totally with you Poshpenny. I dislike Jim Dale's Harry Potter for the exact same reason.
Jackie wrote: "Well, it's been a rough couple of weeks. Last week we moved, so that was crazy and stressful enough, but then I got the news that my uncle had died. He was struggling with Alzheimer's and some brea..."I'm sorry for your loss Jackie.
Read this week-The Pigeon Summer (ghost story)- It has been such a bear to find a book for this prompt that I ended up just picking a Tor.com original short story just to get it over with. It was just okay but at least it was mercifully short and not too scary. 2 stars.
QOTW-
I feel like I haven’t been listening to audio-books regularly enough to have any favorites. Maybe in the future!
poshpenny wrote: "Unpopular Opinion Time:I can't listen to Jim Dale reading Harry Potter. Most of it is lovely and wonderful, until Hermione speaks. She's supposed to be a know-it-all, but he makes her whiny. I just can't listen to whiny Hermione again. I really wish I could get Fry's version, I like it much better."
I was hesitant to say this exact same thing because I have a need to be liked. haha! I listened to the series this past year, and I loved it. However, I was quite grateful when it was done and I audibly expressed my pleasure (to my car) at never having to hear Hermione say "Haaarrrryyyy" again.
I like audio dramas, where each role is cast and there’s sound effects and all that. But the one regular audio book I listened to with a full cast was Lincoln in the Bardo. They had something like 150 narrators and it was Too Much. I liked the parts where it was pretty standard dialogue, but then it’d go off into a long list of quotations and every one of them had a different voice, plus yet another voice to read the direct of the quotation. Left it really choppy and hard to follow. So probably in a more reasonable setting it’d be fine but sometimes less is more.
Happy Thursday! I was able to finish 3 books this week, but only one was for this challenge so I'm now 35/50. I'm trying to convince myself that I still have plenty of time left...Finished:
About the Night by Anat Talshir for AtY and the GR summer challenge.
My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris for a "choose-your-own-adventure" book.
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han for A Game of Booksathon.
Currently reading:
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
The 18th Abduction by James Patterson
QOTW: I just started listening to audiobooks this year, but I definitely love listening to Richard Armitage. Shortly into The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I started searching for every book he has narrated. I also liked Rosie Jones' narration for The Belles Series.
Happy Thursday!Finished:
Artificial Condition Sadly not as good as All Systems Red. I assume the later books get better again.
My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton The audiobook was very good, pertinent to this week's QOTW.
The Calculating Stars
Currently reading:
Like Water for Chocolate
The Last House Guest
QOTW:
So many. I thought Robert Glenister did an amazing job with Career of Evil.
I have only listened to one Louise Penny book, but Ralph Cosham was great.
I really enjoy hearing Jim Dale narrate the Harry Potter books, but can't get the Hermione whining out of my head after it being discussed here a few times.
Dan Stevens (Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None)
Just recently listened to The Quiche of Death read by Penelope Keith. She was really good, as I would expect.
I haven't seen Cassandra Campbell mentioned yet. She's a very frequent narrator. I don't know whether she's really good, or she is given the opportunity to narrate really good books. Some of my favorites by her are My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton and Where the Crawdads Sing.
I have a column on my tracking spreadsheet for audiobook narrator. Anyone else keep track of this?
Milena wrote: "I have a column on my tracking spreadsheet for audiobook narrator. Anyone else keep track of this?"I do! There is a column for that on the one I use also.
Teri wrote: never having to hear Hermione say "Haaarrrryyyy" again."
I haven't listened in well over ten years, and I can still hear that! haha!
poshpenny wrote: "Although every time I hear his voice, the first thing I think of is my very favorite TV show ever, my BELOVED Pushing Daisies! His narration on that show was the first thing that made me love it..."I LOVED Pushing Daisies! Now I want to go and rewatch it haha!
Hi everyone! Do you ever reach that point in the summer when you're sick of the heat and just want it to be autumn already? I have officially reached that point. It's really humid in the UK at the moment and I hate it! (Sorry to all the UK members who are loving it, I'm just not made for hot weather lol).Anyway, I finished one book this week so I'm now at 23/50 for the challenge.
Books finished:
The Lie by Helen Dunmore for my first of 'two books with the same title'. I liked this, but never felt really compelled to pick it up and I think I'm going to find it pretty forgettable in the long run.
Currently reading:
Northanger Abbey for 'a book that was published posthumously'. I'm not very far in but I'm enjoying it so far. I'd forgotten how much I genuinely like Jane Austen's writing.
QOTW:
I don't listen to enough audiobooks to really have favourite narrators, but I did really enjoy Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter and Michael Sheen reading La Belle Sauvage.
Josie wrote: "Michael Sheen reading La Belle Sauvage"Just pulled up the clip, and Ooooooo. *adds to wish list
You should totally rewatch Pushing Daisies! In the air conditioning, or at least with a fan and cool beverage. And some pie. Perhaps knitting and a pop-up book OH HOW I MISS IT
Mod
Yes! I have a whole tab on my reading spreadsheet where I list the narrator(s), and note whether I liked them or not. That's how I know whom to seek out and whom to avoid in future.
Cassandra Campbell read the very first audiobook I listened to (not counting some book-on-tape 45 years ago when I was a child, because I can't remember those), The Glass Sentence. My kids and I all did not care for her, she has a fussy way of enunciating that got on my nerves.
39/50! Slowly but surely getting there :)
Yes, I listen to audio books but it is slow going. I seem to read faster.
Mod
Josie wrote: "Hi everyone! Do you ever reach that point in the summer when you're sick of the heat and just want it to be autumn already? I have officially reached that point. It's really humid in the UK at the ..."Ooh, I love Michael Sheen.
It was a stormy night last night and It’s turning into a beautiful day. I can’t wait for summer to be over because I want to run outside for once. It’s just too hot. I didn’t realize that my JULY TBR was so filled with Thrillers. I guess that is the mood that my anxiety is getting me in. I don’t know if any of you have bookstagrams, but I’m starting to feel a weird pressure to read newer books and try to like books that I can’t get to. Also holding myself up to an impossible standard. I still wanted to take a book picture as I’m doubling over in pain getting to the doctor’s office. I almost made my boyfriend go back for Daisy Jones and the Six so we could stop at a record store so I could take a picture of the book, but I didn’t even like the book, so why am I going out of my way to take a picture and post it on the gram? (Longest sentence ever). So I didn’t end up posting yesterday and the world didn’t end. That’s what’s going on with me. Anyway….
Finished:
The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda - 7/5/2019 - this was way too slow in the beginning but the twist was well worth it. I didn’t empathize with Avery at all.
Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim - 7/6/2019 - this was about food, so naturally I loved it, but it was about family and magic. I’m so in love with this story. - 33. A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in title
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella 7/6/2019 - It’s good and trashy. - 16. A book with a question in the title
Unverified: A Novel by Kristin Giese 7/8/2019 - The perfect little rom-com with social media / fashion commentary.
The Dead Ex by Jane Corry 7/8/2019 - This book was insane too. I think I’m just doing the absolute most to blow my own mind. A lot.
Daisy Jones & The Six Taylor Jenkins Reid 7/9/2019 - I think I just need to stop reading TJR books.
Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle 7/9/2019 - Amazing read that completely wrecked me.
The Sleeping Beauty Killer Mark Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke - 7/11/2019 - Pretty typical procedural but better. I love alafair burke.
PS: 44/50 ATY: 44/52 GR: 70/50
Currently Reading:
Dear Mother by Nova Lee Maier - So far it’s pretty good. I do think that the letters to the mother are a little out of place and I’m so disturbed by the subject matter that I want it all to go okay but I know the other shoe is about to drop and drop hard.
The Confession by Jo Spain - Can I call it currently reading if it’s just on my desk waiting for me to open it?
QOTW: I love January LaVoy. My all-time favorite - she’s just so stinkin’ talented.
Also I love it when authors read their own works.
Nadine wrote: "And speeding up the audiobook just makes it sound like The Chipmunks. Audiobooks are great for situations where you can’t read with your eyes, such as driving. "Maybe this only works for me, but I found that I had to "practice" listening at faster speeds. I used to only be able to listen at 1x, but I'm up to 1.75x and no one sounds like a chipmunk to me. I increased the speed by .10x per month for several months. Even if that .10x sounded too fast, I stuck it out for about 10 minutes and found that my ears and brain adjusted to that speed. 1.75x sounds normal to me now.
I have mixed feelings about trying to get through books quickly. I like the idea of reading being a nice, leisurely activity. But in practice, my attention span only stretches so far ;) It's difficult for me to stay engaged with an audiobook that I'm listening to for a long time. (Listening to Les Miserables is an exercise in focus that I don't always win.) I've found a sweet spot for audiobook length and sometimes I adjust my listening speed to meet it.
Late check-in as my parents were visiting this week and I've been so busy.I did finish Killers of the Flower Moon: Oil, Money, Murder and the Birth of the FBI for ATY (National Book Award) and Animal Farm for idiom (and ATY 1001 Books).
I haven't really listened to any more of The Time Traveler's Wife.
QOTW:
I do make a note of people who do a good job (Dion Graham and Maya Lindh come to mind) but I wouldn't say I have favourites. I have a much bigger list of people to avoid, haha! I hate fake accents and I like having someone from the place where the book is set to read the book. I don't like YA books read in a childish voice or men who do squeaky women's voices.
I do tend to listen sped up to 1.25x or 1.5x, I find most narrators read too slowly and the Audible speed adjustment doesn't sound at all chipmunky!
Nadine wrote: "Yes I think most people read with their eyes faster than they speak (thus, faster than an audiobook). And speeding up the audiobook just makes it sound like The Chipmunks. Audiobooks are great for ..."When I'm alone I tend to read out loud because it focuses my attention better. I used to pretend I was reading to my cat, but the cat I have now is usually nowhere to be found during book time.
I typically listen on Axis360 (one of the library audio and e-book apps available here), and listen on 1.5x speed. I think I could work my way up faster BUT the next jump is all the way to 2x speed! I've wished so often that 1.75x was an option...1.5x feels about right to me, and doesn't sound odd (except for things like certain musical interludes and the beginning of The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well--the laughing just sounded down right creepy!).
I have very little to report this week. I'm hoping to get more reading done in the next couple of weeks because I'll be house/dog-sitting, and I always feel less inclined to get up and work on other things when I'm not in my own home!Completed:
Bunny: This book was utterly bizarre. I'm not using it for PS, but I did decide to place it in Modern Mrs. Darcy as my "book outside your (genre) comfort zone." I don't even know what genre to call this. Some mixture of magical realism + horror + chick lit. It was definitely different. I don't even know if I can say I liked it. I thought it was very well done and I was certainly intrigued by the story--I liked how it ended--but I feel like saying "I really liked it" just feels wrong somehow. Like this wasn't a book that was MEANT to be liked, if that makes any sense.
Currently Reading:
Ivanhoe: I'm actually hoping to finish this while dog-sitting, since I'm going to keep listening to the audiobook while walking the doggos.
The Grey Fairy Book
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle: I couldn't find any other "takes place in a day" books that sounded interesting, so I figured I'd join in (late) with the group on this one!
QOTW:
I love audiobooks! I agree with everyone saying Richard Armitage and Jim Dale (I, too, have a soft spot for him from Pushing Daisies).
I listened to several of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place books by Maryrose Wood. They were narrated by Katherine Kellgren and she just WAS Penelope Lumley. I LOVED her narration. It's incredibly sad because she passed away before the series was finished. The author gives a lovely tribute to her in the last or second-to-last book (I can't remember off the top of my head).
Another favorite is George Guidall. He did all of the The Cat Who... books and I love his voice. I bought an audiobook of Don Quixote because he does the narration and I'm so excited!
I love Christopher Timothy's narration of the James Herriot books (it's even better since he played James Herriot in the show). And Simon Prebble, who reads a lot of the Dick Francis novels.
There are a lot of them I like but I'm tired, so I'll stop here.
Good day all. It’ts Hot and humid here in WI which I hate. When I go out of the house I feel buffeted by the heat. Yesterday I joined the YMCA so I can begin working on building muscle strength again. Both of my knees have worn down to almost bone and so aqua exercise is the best I can do. I plan on doing water walking which will give me an opportunity to get back into audiobooks. This week I only finished two books. I was so disappointed because I had The Map of Salt and Stars on my list to read and I finally had room for it. I’ve renewed it 3 times and then I got to it and I just lost interest. I don’t relate this to the book. I think I’m just in the mood for lighter fare.
Finished:
Me Myself & Him by Chris Tebbetts an ARC. I used this for PS prompt #46 a book with unusual chapter headings. This had potential but Really read YA male to me.
Under Currents by Nora Roberts not for the challenge. I won a physical copy of the ARC through the Nora Roberts group. I really usually enjoy Nora but this book needed to be trimmed by 100 pages and one death threat. 3 stars
I have two ARCs to read:
Turbulence by David Szalay
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar
And I have to finish
Wild Beauty: New and Selected Poems by Ntozake Shange because it is due back in a week.
Current stats:
PS. 35/55. RH 15/24. RW. 20/26. B2C. 2/12. TRIM. 2/12
QOTW:
I loved audiobooks. I used to listen to them all the time when I worked. Since I’ve retired on disability I haven’t listened much. I hope to return as described above. I love when a narrator is of the same nationality as the characters. I love the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I started out reading them and then when I listened to them it just opened up that series to a whole different level. I did recently listen to The Song of Achilles on audio and it helped because I would have tripped over how to pronounce all those names and that takes me out of the story. I love Jim Dales reading of the Harry Potter series and would love to hear Stephen Fry’s version.
Hello. This was a good catch-up week for me, after a few busy weeks. All but one of the books I read were rereads, I was just feeling very nostalgicBooks finished:
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary - for another challenge, it was fun to revisit this one and it reminded me that I want my nephews to read it
Living Free by Joy Adamson - another reread, for another challenge. This is one I think I enjoyed more as a child, as an adult my mind is too much into whether I think they were doing the right thing or not.
The Littles Go Exploring by John Lawrence Peterson - book 8 in The Littles series, very cute
More Dog Stories edited by A. L. Furman - a collection of well-written short stories about girls and their dogs, this remains a favorite for me
Be a Change Champion- Mastering Momentum: 10 Factors for Sustaining the Boom and Avoiding the Bust of Change by Steven Gaffney - read for another challenge, a concise guide to embracing change
Peter And Veronica by Marilyn Sachs - this is a really good book about a friendship, I always liked how well the author presented a boy/girl friendship where the biggest problems they faced had nothing to do with gender
The Phantom Roan by Stephen Holt - the main character in this book sometimes frustrates me, but I enjoy the story and the sincerity of the characters' actions
QOTW: I don't do well with audio books, so I don't have any favorite narrators
I subvocalize when I read, so audiobooks are not slower for me. I was surprised when I found out everyone doesn't do it. Apparently I'm a bit of a slow reader. I don't really care to change it though. I've tried skimming but it's just not any fun.Shannon wrote: "narrated by Katherine Kellgren and she just WAS Penelope Lumley. I LOVED her narration. It's incredibly sad because she passed away before the series was finished.
I was so sad when she passed. She was my favorite Transatlantic narrator. (She could do both American and British accents well.)
Another favorite is George Guidall. He did all of the The Cat Who... books and I love his voice. I bought an audiobook of Don Quixote because he does the narration and I'm so excited!"
He is my friend's favorite, he narrates her favorite series. His Quixote sounds nice, but I chose Roy McMillan because his was 3.5 hours shorter! I did enjoy him.
Good evening. Finally getting round to check-in.No life news this week since I was ill and couldn't do much. Watched some good TV though - the finale of Gentleman Jack and season 3 of Stranger Things. ([character] cannot be dead, they are not allowed to be dead, I will not permit it.)
Only 4 things completed this week. Miraculously I even managed to fit one of them into Popsugar. 🎉
Of Mice and Men - I like John Steinbeck, but this one did not sit well with me. I was too disturbed by the treatment (view spoiler) of a disabled person to appreciate much of the rest.
Used for Popsugar prompt #5, a book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads
The Red Pony - Felt like another Steinbeck after OM&M. This is also not a happy read, lots of bad things happening to animals, but I enjoyed the writing, esp. descriptions of landscape and wildlife. Unsatisfied with the ending though.
The Court Magician - Very good short story.
Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach - Pretty indifferent to this one unfortunately. Felt the beginning was too confusing and wasn't gripped by the plot, which is surprising considering it's about time travel.
Temp-DNFed An American Marriage and Now We Shall Be Entirely Free. Both are good, just a case of bad timing.
Currently reading The Bedlam Stacks. About to finish it - only a few dozen pages to go. It's very different than I expected, but I like it a lot.
Might reread The Watchmaker of Filigree Street soon - ooooh, especially as I've just this moment found out there's a sequel releasing next year.
QOTW: I've only listened to a couple of audiobooks. Tried out Audible, it wasn't for me. However I did enjoy Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece narrated by Stephen Fry (who is also the author, of course).
Mod
I just refuse to "skim"! I think it is disrespectful to the writer/author. If they bothered to write it, I should bother to read it, IMHO! I feel that if I dislike the book that much, I should probably just DNF it.
I'm amazed at the amount of people who do skim. Honestly, it just never even occurred to me to do that... :)
- The remaining 1/4 of Odd One Out for my book with alliteration in the title for ATY Top Picks- Always and Forever, Lara Jean for my book that includes a wedding for PopSugar
- 99 Percent Mine for my book with a number in the title or on the cover for ATY
- Just under half of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue for a book I've lied about reading for Bookish 2018 (I never lied and said I'd read it, but I'd posted on my blog that I was going to read it last year and never did, so I took that as close enough to the prompt)
QOTW:
I don't listen to audiobooks enough to have a valid answer for this question, but I really enjoyed Lolita narrated by Jeremy Irons.
The only times I even try to skim read are when I'm not really enjoying a book but want to find out the end anyway, or am just close enough to the end to not want to give up, and even then I usually realize it's better to just give up entirely than keep skimming. I am however a pretty fast reader who doesn't subvocalize. I definitely agree that there's no reason to push yourself out of your reading speed comfort zone if it keeps you from enjoying the process as much. Just had to throw in the comment that not all of us who are naturally fast are 'skimming'. :-)
Mod
Raquel wrote: "I am however a pretty fast reader who doesn't subvocalize."HOW? I honestly have no idea how to read without hearing each word in my head. Which of course means, I can't read faster than I speak.
Josie wrote: "poshpenny wrote: "Although every time I hear his voice, the first thing I think of is my very favorite TV show ever, my BELOVED Pushing Daisies! His narration on that show was the first thing that ..."I floved Pushing Daisies. I would watch with my niece who is now 22 and she is (and I am) bitter about it's early cancellation. It was a show ahead of its time.
Heather wrote: "Nadine wrote: "And speeding up the audiobook just makes it sound like The Chipmunks. Audiobooks are great for situations where you can’t read with your eyes, such as driving. "Something about the content made the narrators of The Mueller Report: Presented with Related Materials by The Washington Post sound like angry chipmunks. (Or angry Munchkins.) That one worked better at 1x speed, but that's 19+ hours. I don't like starting and stopping longer books, though. I read Mueller over a weekend while I knitted: Volume 1 on Saturday, Volume 2 on Sunday on a rainy weekend. I kept the Kindle up on the screen of my laptop and followed along because that made it easier to keep up with the names of the Russians. (Without a visual version of the name, the spoken names all sounded alike.)
poshpenny wrote: "Raquel wrote: "I am however a pretty fast reader who doesn't subvocalize."HOW? I honestly have no idea how to read without hearing each word in my head. Which of course means, I can't read faster..."
I really don't know how I read the way I do, to be honest. I learned to read when I was almost 4 and spent most of my free time for my entire childhood reading, just because it was my favorite thing to do. I had long reading slump in early adulthood where I only read off and on, but picked it back up seriously a few years ago.
I didn't even realize I was a fast reader until my husband commented on how quickly I can read. (It does slow me down if I'm reading a 'heavy' book that I have to think about the meaning of, but for light fiction, I can absorb it pretty quickly unless I'm very tired or having brain fog issues.)
I found this article that says some interesting things about subvocalization, but all the tips are aimed at 'speed reading' which is not a good way to enjoy reading a book: https://www.irisreading.com/speed-rea...
This article against speedreading actually (if accurate) breaks down subvocalization a bit more in the second point. I wish I could find a whole article on that point as there's just a little bit of really fascinating information there: https://www.wired.com/2017/01/make-re... Maybe I'll have to read the book the article is excerpted from.
Hi All. I finished one book not for any book challenges. Finished Leaving Everything Most Loved #10 in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. I have read this series for years. I always enjoy it.
poshpenny wrote: "Raquel wrote: "I am however a pretty fast reader who doesn't subvocalize."HOW? I honestly have no idea how to read without hearing each word in my head. Which of course means, I can't read faster..."
I also hear all the words in my head. I didn't even know it had a name. Do you find yourself hearing your voice in an English accent when you're reading a book set in England? I hate that, it's so annoying.
Milena wrote: "Do you find yourself hearing your voice in an English accent when you're reading a book set in England? I hate that, it's so annoying."I can start that way, but the longer I read I usually revert to my normal American white lady voice. Why do you hate it? I want to hear it the way the character would be saying it. Hence my love of audiobooks.
Speaking of those, I'm a bit vexed. I have not been reading many print books lately, but I've had this week off and I'm trying to change that. Tonight I sat down with a nice middle grade space book (for my space marathon). It's about a kid inspired by the Voyager Golden Records and he wants to record and launch a Golden iPod. The thing is, the book is written as the transcript of the recordings. There is no narrator, just what the kid is telling the aliens he hopes will find it. There are sounds and people walking by and I kept thinking, this would be a fun audiobook if they did it like it was the real recording. 65 pages in, I try the clip and yup. People counting down, rocket sounds, announcer on a speaker in the distance and all. Normally this doesn't do it for me, but since the book is a transcript of the audio, it's cool. So I was so happy I had picked up a print book and was actually reading it. but how I want to ditch it for the audio. AUGH! haha
Edit: Oh man, it's narrated by Kivlighan de Montebello, who did Only Child. He is the best actual kid narrator I've heard.
Oh, I love when I can hear accents in my head as I read. To me it's a sign that the author has evoked the setting and characters amazingly.
Milena wrote: "poshpenny wrote: "Raquel wrote: "I am however a pretty fast reader who doesn't subvocalize."HOW? I honestly have no idea how to read without hearing each word in my head. Which of course means, I..."
I hear the voices in my head, too! And if they are British I hear the voices in a British accent. (Same for other countries.) I'm not sure if this has always been the case or if it is a recent thing due to my increase in audiobook listening. In my case I have a feeling it is due to audiobooks because I used to read much faster than I do now.
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Hello all,I missed last weeks check in (I think) but my reading has completely slacked off due to the summer and being out in the garden, I had my first fresh off the vine tomato yesterday, so yummy and we have been eating fresh salad for weeks now. Can't wait for the carrots, potatoes and peppers.
I finished Moon Shimmers and have decided to continue the series as there is only two left. So I am currently reading Harvest Song. Which I can use for the prompt a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature, as it is full of dragons, fae, unicorns, vampires etc...
QOTW
I have only actually listened to one audio book and I have no idea who narrated it.
But I have always though that it would be a fantastic idea to listen while cross stitching (another Hobby some say I have too many) But I have not had time to get around to organizing myself in order to make that happen.
Also it seems like you have to pay for most audio books and I am very cheap so if someone has a line on free ones like the bookbub website for my Kobo. That would be awesome.
Cheers everyone
Happy Reading
Sherry wrote: "Hello all,I missed last weeks check in (I think) but my reading has completely slacked off due to the summer and being out in the garden, I had my first fresh off the vine tomato yesterday, so yu..."
Librovox! Only if you like classics and are willing to weed through some terrible narrators to find the good ones though--it's all volunteer readers reading out-of-copyright books, so some are better than others. There are some really good ones though, so it can be worth it.
Also, check and see if your local library has an app for audiobooks and ebooks. Overdrive/Libby (older and newer versions by the same people) is a really common one, but there are others, just depending on your library system.
Edited to add: Also Kindle Unlimited on Amazon has some audio books available. It's normally $10 a month, but if you just wait for deals and only sign up when it's really cheap (99 cents for 3 months comes around a couple times a year, and right now Prime members can get three months free) it's a very inexpensive source of both e-books and audio books.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
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Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, & Baking Biscuits: it was the fluffy happy book I needed in the moment, but it's not very good. It's mostly recipes with some personal anecdotes thrown in, whereas I went in expecting it to be the other way round. If you're from the South most of this will come off as familiar but also very surface-level.
I've also been making some progress on Notre-Dame over the past few weeks. I got through the section in which he talks about how books replaced architecture as the dominant art of societal expression, and was rewarded with more backstory for Quasimodo. I think I'm about on schedule to finish it this year? Possibly?
QOTW: I'm not an audiobook person. I'll give one a shot every once in a blue moon, but I just plain don't like being read to.