Listening to in March 2011

[Barbie]

Just Finish Tough Customer From Sandra Brown! thanx Lea for the Recommendation!! I really loved Dodge and ski . But I wonder what is it about men who are big and imposing and flawwed. Basically the antihero why is it that we love to read them sooo much?

[Tara]

Thanks Vic & Brenda!

[Carrie]

I just finished Charlie All Night by Crusie. the narrator was quite good. I'd read it in print and enjoyed it, and liked it as much or more on audio.

I'm now listening to a hard-to-find audio of The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer, narrated by the great Eve Matheson.

[Tracy]

Hi Tara, welcome!! Glad you joined. This group is my audiobook heaven. *floats by on a cloud*

I echo the recommendations for Kate Daniels. Another series I am starting (today in fact) is the Ghostwalker series by Christine Feehan. It was recommended here and sounds pretty good. Last, but far from least, is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, which I see you have on your tbr. I read the story and loved it, but have heard great reviews about the audio version. Just a few thoughts...

[Vic]

Oh! You DEFINITELY have to listen to Outlander! I read it way back in 92, listened to the abridged version (don't waste your time) and THEN was able to listen to the unabridged by Davina Porter and it's ambrosia for the ears! The narration kicked the book up to a new level for me. This series is a go-to audio for me although I haven't done it in 2 years. To do whole series is quite the commitment though DEFINITELY worth it!

[Lea's Audiobooks]

For someone thinking about listening to Outlander for the first time, there is an entire Speaking of Audiobooks dedicated to the series. Needless to say it is a first place holder among many, many listeners.
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=3051

[D.G.]

Hi everybody! I'm new to the group. :)

I've gotten back to audiobooks now that I can download them from the library. :)

Right now I'm listening Glory in Death. The narrator's voice is very pleasant...but everybody sounds alike! I'm having trouble recognizing the heroine from everybody else.

[D.G.]

Thanks Krissie for mentioning the Fever series! I've been meaning to read it and now I see that my library has 4 out of the 5 books (for some reason they have 1, 3-5 but not #2.)

[Carrie]

Well, it's April now, but last night I finished The Corinthian and it was wonderful. It might be one of my top 5 Heyer books.

[Brenda]

Thanks for the reminder Carrie, I've got the April thread up now.

Congrats on another successful favorite listen for you.

[Lea's Audiobooks]

D.G. ~The Devil's Harlot~ wrote: "Hi everybody! I'm new to the group. :)

I've gotten back to audiobooks now that I can download them from the library. :)

Right now I'm listening Glory in Death. The narrator's voice ..."

Welcome to the group! You'll have a good time and we'll enjoying hearing from you!

[Lea's Audiobooks]

D.G. ~The Devil's Harlot~ wrote: "Thanks Krissie for mentioning the Fever series! I've been meaning to read it and now I see that my library has 4 out of the 5 books (for some reason they have 1, 3-5 but not #2.)"

If you are thinking about the Fever series, two Speaking of Audiobooks columns will probably be of interest to you.
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=554...

and then a take from narrator Phil Gigante:
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=5801

[D.G.]

Thanks so much Lea! I'll check those out!

[Vic]

Welcome DG!

[Carrie]

Right now I'm listening Glory in Death. The narrator's voice ..."

I just started High Noon by Roberts and I think it's the same narrator. Granted, I've only been listening for about half an hour, but I'm so far unimpressed with the reader. She has a very pleasant voice, an I don't have any quibbles with her timing, etc, but she sounds ordinary somehow. The distinction between characters isn't well defined, and there's nothing (so far) that makes her narration stand out for me. I want the narrator to add something to the book that you can't get in print. High Noon is one of my favorite Roberts' books, so I already like the story. I guess I want the reader to punch it up another notch.

I've been spoiled, I think, by the past four or five books I've listened to because the narrators were almost as much of a draw as the story itself. These include Eve Matheson, Phil Gigante, Tom Stechschulte, and Frances MacDormand.

ETA: Susan Erikson comes highly recommended, and I do like her voice. Plus she doesn't do anything to detract from the book. I don't want to sound negative about her. It's just not as engaging so far as some other narrators.

[Christina]

D.G. ~The Devil's Harlot~ wrote: "Hi everybody!

Right now I'm listening Glory in Death. The narrator's voice ..."

There are two audio versions of Glory in Death. Cristine McMurdo Wallis and Susan Ericksen both did one. I happen to love Susan Ericksen and I disliked the one title that I heard McMurdo Wallsi do. I think someone on here explained once that Susan Ericksen didn't start with the beginning of the In Death series. And she got better as she went along. But I think she went back and did Glory in Death after doing some of the later titles.

I have listened and relistened to many of the In Death series, but not Glory in Death. I think it's because I've read it so many times.

[D.G.]

I'm listening to the version narrated by Susan Ericksen. If I continue the series, I'll probably switch to the print books.

[Kaetrin]

I've read most of the print books and have all the in Death audios - I'm up to about bk10 or so in my listeniing. At first, I thought Ericksen's Roarke sounded "too Irish" (the books describe him as having a faint Irish lilt which comes out more when he's passionate about something) but I got used to it fairly quickly. The accent has the added advantage of making Roarke easy to identify. I think she gets Eve exactly right. Peabody's voice took a little getting used to and I wasn't expecting McNab (although he's not in GiD) to sound quite like that. Overall though, I think she does a great job of the in death books. The problem for me now is that if I hear Ericksen narrate, I hear Eve Dallas and Roarke and I find it hard to "accept" her voicing other characters - it's the audio equivalent of type-casting I think.

When I read High Noon, I thought at the time that it was similar in tone to the in Death books and so I accepted Ericksen reading that one much better than others - although I though Liz Alberta sounded a lot like Roarke which threw me a little! :)

Ericksen narrated Crusie's Anyone But You and also Stuart's Ruthless and they didn't work quite as well for me on audio even though I loved the print versions of the books -I put it down to that typecasting thing - it is very much me I think! *grin*

[Carrie]

I've finally identified why I'm not fond of Ericksen's narration. Not only do most of her characters sound alike, but she has a funny way up hanging her sentences on an up-note. Even when she drops her voice on the last syllable of a sentence, it's usually preceded by an upward note, giving her narration an unresolved feel. I don't mind it so much for the female characters, although it still doesn't feel right because it sounds too teenager-ish, but it definitely grates on my nerves for the male characters. Duncan in High Noon strikes me as very masculine, but the high, almost lilting delivery just doesn't fit that image.

It's interesting that I liked Ericksen's narration of Anyone But You quite a bit. I think I'll go listen to that book again and see why the narration strikes me differently than High Noon. I also have the first "In Death" book on audio, so I'll eventually try that one as well. But overall, if High Noon is representative of her narration style, I think I'll avoid her in the future.

[D.G.]

Carrie wrote: "I've finally identified why I'm not fond of Ericksen's narration. Not only do most of her characters sound alike, but she has a funny way up hanging her sentences on an up-note. Even when she drops her voice on the last syllable of a sentence, it's usually preceded by an upward note, giving her narration an unresolved feel.I don't mind it so much for the female characters, although it still doesn't feel right because it sounds too teenager-ish, but it definitely grates on my nerves for the male characters. "

You hit the nail in the head, Carrie. Those are EXACTLY my two big problems with her. To my ears, Eve sounds like a whiny teenager most of the time and it's driving me bonkers.

I like audiobooks when I can forget about the narrator and concentrate on the story. If I find myself paying too much attention to him or her, then this narrator is definitely not for me.