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2012 Listening Challenge - Details Here - Let's Go!
For the Listening to the Top Hits Challenge Track - here is a list of those 73 audio versions of those books in AAR's 2010 Top 100 and AAR's 2011 Annual Poll:Jennifer Ashley
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
Jane Austen
Persuasion
Pride and Prejudice
Mary Balogh
More Than a Mistress
Joanna Bourne
The Spymaster’s Lady
Suzanne Brockmann
Over the Edge
Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre
Meljean Brook
Here There Be Monsters
The Iron Duke
Kresley Cole
A Hunger Like No Other
Jennifer Crusie
Bet Me
Welcome to Temptation
Diana Gabaldon
Outlander
Voyager
Julie Garwood
The Bride
Honor’s Splendour
Ransom (abridged)
Saving Grace
The Secret
Georgette Heyer
Devil’s Cub
Linda Howard
After the Night
Cry No More
Dream Man
Mackenzie’s Mountain
Mr. Perfect
Open Season unabridged - abridged version
To Die For
Elizabeth Hoyt
To Beguile a Beast
Wicked Intentions
Judith Ivory
The Proposition
Lisa Kleypas:
Blue-Eyed Devil
Devil in Winter
Dreaming of You
It Happened One Autumn
Lady Sophia’s Lover
Love in the Afternoon
Married by Morning
Scandal in Spring
Seduce Me at Sunrise
Smooth Talking Stranger
Suddenly You
Sugar Daddy
Then Came You
Where Dreams Begin
Worth Any Price
Stephanie Laurens
Devil’s Bride
Judith McNaught (all abridged)
Paradise
Perfect
Something Wonderful
Pamela Morsi
The Bikini Car Wash
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Ain’t She Sweet
Dream a Little Dream
Heaven, Texas
It Had to Be You
Kiss an Angel
Match Me if You Can
Natural Born Charmer
Nobody’s Baby But Mine
This Heart of Mine
Amanda Quick
Ravished
Julia Quinn
Ten Things I Love About You
What Happens in London
When He Was Wicked
J. D. Robb
Naked in Death
Nora Roberts
Sea Swept
Nalini Singh
Angel’s Blood
Archangel’s Kiss
Slave to Sensation
LaVyrle Spencer
Morning Glory (Abridged - Unabridged is ISBN 1-4025-2253-3)
Sherry Thomas
Private Arrangements
J.R. Ward
Dark Lover
Lover Awakened
Lover Eternal
Lover Mine
Winning Narrators in Speaking of Audiobooks 2011 Favorite Romance Audiobooks Poll – for the Surprise by the Quarter trackAnna Fields
Phil Gigante
Natalie Ross
Davina Porter
Renee Raudman
Susan Ericksen
Victor Slezak
Jim Frangione
Tavia Gilbert
Xe Sands
Kirsten Potter
Tom Stechschulte
Anne Flosnik
Patrick Lawlor
Angela Dawe
Karen White
Tanya Eby
Kate Forbes
Deanna Hurst
Franette Liebow
Bernadette Dunne
Amanda Ronconi
Aasne Vigesaa
I'm choosing:Listening to the Top Hits
I listen to so many new books in preparation for the Speaking of Audioboks column that I thought it would be nice to have an excuse to relisten to some of my favorites. And since I have listened to 50 of the 73 hits, it will be a good deal of relistening. But I’m going to try at least 4 new-to-me Top Hits.
I’m relistening to my first book for my 2012 Challenge – Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Narrated by Anna Fields.
Not only does this one have a strong romance but its secondary romance is just as much fun – and I’m not one that favors secondary romances. And, Edward, the little boy! Who can listen to Fields’ performance of him without shedding a tear?!
I like the idea of the Quarterly Surprise categories so I think i'm going to do that...but might try for all 4 categories (for a bit more variety)...if that's ok
yeah, i'm looking for some cabin romances - hopefully my library or booksfree will come through for me
I'm starting a thread on Cabin Romances so we can hear from the larger group. I'll give a fuller description as well. This will be fun!
Dee wrote: "I like the idea of the Quarterly Surprise categories so I think i'm going to do that...but might try for all 4 categories (for a bit more variety)...if that's ok"Great Dee! I wanted to go the Surprise by the Quarter track just because I know how much fun it will be!! But since I'm the one planning the surprise, how fair is that?? But I made a decision just a few minutes ago. Although I'm going with the Listening to the Top Hits, I'm adding in the Surprise by the Quarter for me!
Judy wrote: "I'm going to give this challenge a try, but I haven't decided which track yet. A couple questions -Is there a way to determine when an audiobook was produced (such as for track 3)? Audible li..."
Judy - so glad you are joining us!
We're going to be a little loose on the exact date since release dates of hard copies and digital copies often vary. Let's use Amazon (usually the most reliable source for hard copies - plus they have links to all Audible books) to check and, if you are a digital listener, go with the digital date and if you listen to CDs, go with the hard copy release date.
How's that?
And I am starting a thread for Cabin Romances in case you didn't see my above comment.
how do you want us to track these? start our own thread, or just in here?
Let's track here. I want it to be easy for Speaking of Audiobooks regulars (who aren't familiar with Goodreads) to drop in and talk with us as well.I'm almost done with my first - Dream a Little Dream. I think I'll go looking for a Cabin Romance next.
i'm starting my first book for the
Surprise by the Quarter
Choice #1 - Listen to a romance narrated by one of the winning narrators in the Favorite Romance Audiobooks Poll - Breathless narrated by Susan Erickson
I have chosen Track Four - Spread your Listeningfor my challenge. I almost done with Jennifer Ashley's Pride Mates
(one for the paranormal/fantasy/time-travel category), but have to admit I can't wait for it to end. The narrator's male Irish accent (of which there are at least 3) is--um--interesting... Which is sad, considering I've enjoy this author and the premise is an interesting take on shapeshifters.
Finished Dream a Little Dream by SEP for my first in the Listening to the Top Hits. Since I also decided to go with the Surprise by the Quarter, I am listening to a choice in that group now: Listen to a romance narrated by one of the winning narrators in the Favorite Romance Audiobooks PollTavia Gilbert - Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Diana N wrote: "I have chosen Track Four - Spread your Listeningfor my challenge. I almost done with Jennifer Ashley's Pride Mates
(one for the paranormal/fantasy/time-travel ..."
Not a good way to start the Challenge! Surely it will only get better. :) Glad you are joining in.
Track Four - Spread your ListeningUp next, one for the historical category: Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue.
I don't normally listen to male narrators but this one has been fun so far. I think it helps that the heroine is feisty and the hero doesn't know what to do with her.
@ Diana N - I ended up really liking Jennifer Ashley's Pride Mates after a rough start. I thought the Irish accents used for Liam and his family made each of them distinctive - thus good - as I knew who was talking every time. Then again I wouldn't know a genuine accent if it hit me in the face / ear. :) I was just happy to enjoy what I heard and to know who was speaking each time with what I considered a very good story/ start to a series.
I am signed up for the Mix "Em Up Firsts" challenge and I will most likely be adding the surprise Quarterly Challenge as well.
The Stephanie Laurens I'm looking forward to is the recent release with Steven Crossly narrating - I've listened to him twice (Julie Garwood and Judith Ivory) and he was excellent.
@Brenda--I guess my problem was that the narrator didn't sound like the voice of the characters in my head. This is one of the reasons I try not to listen to books I've already read unless it's a narrator that I absolutely love (ex. Justine Eyre and Anne Flosnik). Unfortunately I read one of Ashley's other books before this one and was introduced to Liam that way. But I'll try to keep a more open mind about character accents from now on.
I finished Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue and am now moving on the second in the series--another historical for Track Four - Spread your Listening:
In Pursuit of Miss Eliza Cynster.
I am determined to have this finished in time for the release of the third book at the end of the month.
i know we have a mini-review on it, so i thought i'd clarify - do you guys think the hero in Breathless is tortured enough for the surprise me category 3?
@Diana N - I know where your coming from about reading first which means you're going to understand my comments in the full review of Pride Mates (when it comes out in the SOA column) perfectly. :)I tried to start
for my first new release of 2012 category. I usually enjoy both JAK and narrator Tanya Eby but neither one of them were clicking so I'll have to come back to it.
Dee wrote: "i know we have a mini-review on it, so i thought i'd clarify - do you guys think the hero in Breathless is tortured enough for the surprise me category 3?"Lucien qualifies as tortured. His stepmother abused him in the extreme. But he is also one of the most embittered heroes I've read even considering his background.
Breathless worked for me (I gave it 4 stars).
thanks Lea...I figured but want to ask ;) better safe than sorry and then I can hopefully put the 4th one in, if I get it in time for the narrator choice
Diana N wrote: "@Brenda--I guess my problem was that the narrator didn't sound like the voice of the characters in my head. This is one of the reasons I try not to listen to books I've already read unless it's a ..."Wow this series is a lot more successful for you than it is for me. The only reason I didn't throw it against the wall was because I didn't want to ruin my iPod and the only reason I finished it was because it was a review copy and I promised. Poor Lea has the task of editing down my rant (er, review) for the SOA column one of these days.
Be sure and comment when it goes up - obviously my experience isn't the only experience to be had and it will be important for readers/listeners to know that what didn't work for me may well work for them! :)
I'm glad you're enjoying the series, but I've broken up with Stephanie Laurens on audio now. I'd rather have root canal.
I'm listening to Animal Magnetism narrated by Karen White so that will count to my Listening Challenge. Yay!
Which track of the challenge did you choose Kaetrin? I'm finishing up
I have absolutely loved it, the story and the narration both. I've cried - I've laughed - and been so hungry while listening to the descriptions of the cooking and the meals - oh my - true love! :)
PS... You get an HEA with Angelina's Bachelors: A Novel with Food though it is far from the focus of the storyline/book and doesn't play a real part which keeps you wondering until the end.
I just finished
and now am torn what to start next. For my challenge (Spread Your Listening), I've completed 2 of the 4 in the historical category and 1 in the paranormal one. I have
Maybe I should take a break. Or, even better, start looking for a tortured hero or new romance for the Quarterly listen.
On The Edge gets my vote, I loved it and the rest of the series. :)I enjoyed Faking It but I had read the book so I knew what was going on. I think it could be very confusing at first, trying to keep track via audio.
finished listening to Breathless which was my choice #3 for the quarterly surprise challenge - loved Susan Erickson's narration and while I should have hated the hero for some of the stuff that he did, there was also something about him that attracted me
Dee wrote: "finished listening to Breathless which was my choice #3 for the quarterly surprise challenge - loved Susan Erickson's narration and while I should have hated the hero for some of the..."I totally understand what you are saying!
and i'm starting my second book, which is my Narrator one - listening to The Apprentice (rom/sus/thrill) which is narrated by Anna Fields
I decided on:Track Four - Spread your Listening
Listen to four contemporary/romantic suspense, four historical/western, and four paranormal/fantasy/time travel.
I've listened to one historical:
.I'm now listening to my fist paranormal of 2012:
.
I am going to do this thing. I'm going to go with Mix It Up Firsts. I may have to get very creative. : )
My first by author Stephanie Tyler Lie With Me is also first in a series. Definite win. Review coming at SOA.
Diana wrote: "I am going to do this thing. I'm going to go with Mix It Up Firsts. I may have to get very creative. : )
My first by author Stephanie Tyler Lie With Me is also first in a series. Definite win. R..."
I really wanted to do the Mix It Up Firsts, but I when I tried to come up with enough categories, I found I'm not very creative! :-) I picked the Spread Your Listening, but I think I'll finish that pretty early in the year.It's a pretty easy category since just about everything fits. After that I'll jump into where ever the Surprise by Quarter is at that time.
Kaetrin wrote: "I'm listening to Animal Magnetism narrated by Karen White so that will count to my Listening Challenge. Yay!"LOVE Jill's writing - hope you enjoy the narration!
Update on my Challenge(s):I chose Listening to the Top Hits as well as Surprise by the Quarter.
DONE - SEP's Dream a Little Dream - reported it finished earlier.
DONE - One of the choices in Surprise by the Quarter - just listened to an audio by a winning narrator in last year's poll - Tavia Gilbert. Jeaniene Frost's Halfway to the Grave. Total success - I'll be talking about it in tomorrow's column as well as talking with Tavia.
Is it allowed for me to start a thread where I just fill in the ones I've completed? I like to see what I've accomplished. I would still come here and discuss my experience, but I think the listing would keep me on track better than the sheet of paper I can never find.
Let me think on this. You can start a thread - most certainly but there may be a really great way to organize it. Maybe we will start an entire new section titled something along the lines of Individual Reports for 2012 Listening Challenge and then anyone who wants to can add a thread beneath.I'm on the road today but I'll put more thought into the organization tonight.
Great idea!
I prefer everyone commenting on a single thread where we're all sure to see the posts. Last year there were great conversations sparked by the individual updates to the common thread. I know I won't check 10 or 15 individual threads to keep track of everyone.I keep my audio listens updated on my own SOA Listening Challenge 2012 shelf here on goodreads. That way I can easily keep track of what I've listened to for this challenge. At the beginning of every review for the challenge I put the Challenge and the category the book fulfills. For example, I'm doing the Spread Your Listening challenge (four of each category):
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole
SOA Listening Challenge 2012: Paranormal 1/4
Diana N wrote: "Is it allowed for me to start a thread where I just fill in the ones I've completed? I like to see what I've accomplished. I would still come here and discuss my experience, but I think the listi..."Create a SOA Listening Challenge 2012 shelf here on goodreads and track your challenge listens that way. At the top of the review for each book just make a note of the challenge and which part that book fulfills. Then at the end of the year, any books you listened to for the challenge are listed in one place. I have a shelf for each challenge I join each year (SOA, Sci-Fi Romance, TBR Challnge, etc.).
you could have both - an individual one for tracking and then a more conversational one - what challenge book are you listening to right now?
Dee wrote: "you could have both - an individual one for tracking and then a more conversational one - what challenge book are you listening to right now?"I've listened to two challenge books so far. An historical: Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas and a paranormal:A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole.
Right now I'm listening to Dying to Please by Linda Howard. I'm not counting that towards the challenge. Since I haven't listened to all that many audiobooks, I'm only counting books that I've never read or listened to before for my SOA Challenge. It's my own way of making myself stretch a little. ;-)
ETA: If people want to do both types of threads, that's fine, of course. I just hope they'd still list their books here as well, because I won't go to all the individual threads. I don't have the online time.
This sounded like so much fun I had to delurk and join in! I just started with audiobooks this last October so I am having a great time making my first choices.
I think I have decided on the Surprise by Quarter Track and am going to try and do all four options. Should be loads of fun!
First up - Option 1 - Renee Raudman narrating On The Edge by Ilona Andrews. On chapter 6 and I am hooked. Renee's voices for Georgie and Jack just make me smile!
Therese - so glad you came out of lurker mode to join us!I'm looking forward to listening to On the Edge - I've heard so many good things about the writing and the narration.
If you need help, just ask away and I'm sure you will receive many recommendations here if you are looking for a particular type of book to fill a category.
I'm almost finished with another category - the tortured hero for the Surprise by the Quarter which I have chosen along with the Listening to the Top Hits. That means a total of 20 books for me.My tortured hero choice - Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone. It's my first Featherstone and so far (three hours from the end), it has proven to be a big success for me. I'll provide more of my thoughts when I've finished listening.
So, that's 3 books out of 20 for me.
Diana N wrote: "Is it allowed for me to start a thread where I just fill in the ones I've completed? I like to see what I've accomplished. I would still come here and discuss my experience, but I think the listi..."After reading the comments and putting some thought to it, I do agree with Diana N that organization is important. I went a little crazy toward the end of 2011 trying to track everything I had completed in the 2011 Challenge and also, committed to in writing at the column! But I also think that keeping a Challenge Bookshelf on our personal bookshelf (let me know if you need help establishing) is probably the best avenue for keeping track. Goodreads bookshelf is an excellent tracking vehicle plus you can easily recognize a book by its cover.
We use the SOA bookshelf for our reviews from the column. I place reviews in the works on a shelf named Upcoming Reviews and move those books to the Mini Reviews shelf (very easy - one click) once we have published the review. I then add in our reviews under the comment area.
But, I want to be sensitive to everyone's needs so, once the big Goodreads change happens in a few days (the removal of Amazon info from our shelves) and I see everything is running smoothly again, I'll set up a section within this group titled - Individual Worksheets for 2012 Listening Challenge. Anyone who wants to can start their own thread for their record keeping.
THE MOST IMPORTANT thing (and Diana N mentioned it in her original post on the subject) is to report your updates to the group. The Listening Challenge is to enrich your listening experiences but it also is a group activity in that we love to see how everyone else is doing. So, whether you use your personal bookshelf or a thread in the category I will set up in a few days, just keep reporting back to us - please!
I love the enthusiasm I see in this group and it has made me more excited than I thought I would be. And I already knew it would be fun!
After thinking through it some more while I wrote the above note, I will probably utilize a thread myself. I'm going to play around with the bookshelf first but a thread may be easier for me and my haphazard way of doing things.I will also report in my progress on this group thread and at the column as well.
Periodically we will have a Challenge update on the SOA column. When that occurs, I will ask for you to consider duplicating your update there. I hope some are up for the double task. Won't be often but we reach such a large group there and those readers who rarely comment really appreciate it. So, please think about it.
I'm in, too! Am doing Track 4, Mixing Em Up.So far, I've listened to The Welcoming (thumbs down) and Just Like Heaven (thumbs up).
Rosalyn Landor, whose narration in previous listens has at times jarred me with her veering-to-monotone renditions, actually worked well for me in Just Like Heaven. Maybe because the hero is the shy and quiet type?
Romance Audiobooks
Books mentioned in this topic
'Twas the Night after Christmas (other topics)Angels at the Table (other topics)
Angels at the Table (other topics)
'Twas the Night after Christmas (other topics)
Unveiled (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jennifer Crusie (other topics)Nora Roberts (other topics)
Jennifer Ashley (other topics)
So, we're starting the Listening Challenge here as well. You can commit, report in, and discuss here entirely if you wish. Here we go!
Our 2012 Listen Challenge Objective - Listen to 12 romance books in 2012
We’re simplifying our Challenge this year by giving you more choices and simplifying the requirements of each. We have four tracks to follow for a 12 book challenge and one track for an 8 book challenge. Just choose one and let the fun begin!
Track One - Listening to the Top Hits
Listen or relisten to 12 audios from AAR’s 2010 Top 100 Romances Poll and AAR’s 2011 Annual Reader Poll. These are lists of print books but there are 73 audio versions to choose from!
You will find a list of these titles in the next post.
Track Two - Mix ‘Em Up Firsts
Listen to 12 books of firsts - first time listening to a narrator, your first book by a specific author, the first book in a series, the first of a new-to-you romance sub-genre. You can also define your own firsts such as your first listen of a 2012 audio or the first audio your borrowed from a friend, etc.
Track Three - Listen by the Number
Three romance audios produced in 2012, three from 2011, three from 2010, and three from 2009.
Track Four - Spread your Listening
Listen to four contemporary/romantic suspense, four historical/western, and four paranormal/fantasy/time travel.
We also have an 8 book Challenge if you are a little shy about committing...
Surprise by the Quarter - 4 categories to choose from each quarter. You only need to listen to two books a quarter but you won’t be advised of your choices for the next quarter until the end of the previous quarter! Example - the choices for the second quarter (April - June) will be announced the last week of March.
First quarter’s choices (January - March):
Choice #1 - Listen to a romance narrated by one of the winning narrators in the Favorite Romance Audiobooks Poll. This includes not only the winners of the Narrator Favorites categories but a narrator of any winning book - first, second, third, and honorable mention in any category. There are 23 narrators to choose from and you can find a list of those narrators two posts down.
Choice #2 - Listen to a romance produced in the first three months of 2012
Choice #3 - Listen to a romance with a tortured hero. What is a tortured hero? One who is dark, moody, and fights any kind of love or softer emotions.
Examples of audios with tortured heroes - To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt, Prince of Dreams by Lisa Kleypas, Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Black Ice by Anne Stuart, and Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward.
Choice #4 - Listen to a Cabin Romance
In a Cabin Romance, the hero and heroine are isolated for large section(s) of the book. They come to grips with one another and their attraction in a relatively small space.
Examples of Cabin Romance audios - The Indiscretion by Judith Ivory, Nobody’s Baby But Mine and This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Wild Rain by Christine Feehan, and Calypso Magic by Catherine Coulter.
It should be noted that although we focus on the romance genre with its many sub genres, we also include Chick Lit, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Sci Fi genres if the book includes a romance thread.
Reporting In
Reporting for the Challenge will take place in two areas either here at our Goodreads group or in the discussion area of any Speaking of Audiobooks column during 2012 as our Challenge will be an ongoing discussion throughout the year. We are encouraging non Goodreads Speaking of Audiobooks regulars to use our Goodreads group to check in if a recent column isn't up. The same goes for your check-in. You can choose to check in at the column at any time.
Since I plan to keep our larger Speaking of Audiobooks audience updated on the overall progress of the Challenge, I may share comments from our Goodreads Challenge thread from time to time at the column.
What track are you choosing for your Listening Challenge?
What will be your first audio to fulfill the Challenge?