ReadKnitHoard’s Comments (group member since Jun 19, 2013)

ReadKnitHoard’s comments from the Romance Audiobooks group.

Big Listen Challenge
Duration: 1 January, 2019 - 31 December, 2019
Level: Hard
Progress: 1/12

1. The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer 5* (18 hrs and 15 mins) 26-27.1.2019

A-Z Title Challenge
Duration: 1.1.2019 – 31.12.2019
Progress: 5/26

A: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells 9.1.2019
B: The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer 26-27.1.2019
C: Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra 3-5.2.2019
D: Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews 11.1.2019
E:
F:
G:
H:
I:
J:
K:
L:
M:
N:
O:
P:
Q:
R:
S: The Spies That Bind by Ally Carter 11.1.2019
T:
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

1. What challenges did you participate in?
A-Z Title
Big Listening

2. Which Challenges did you successfully complete?
A-Z Title
Big Listening

4. Which were you most proud of having completed?
The A-Z Title challenge—I had to fiddle with my TBR some and dig around to make it happen.

6. Any others you’d like to see in 2019?
I would like to hear if people have Audible-Originals-of-the-month recommendations, as Audible members also get AO credits with our membership. (In January 2019 I snagged the Gallagher Girls prequel, but can't decide on a second pick. I'd like to know if I'm missing out on something spectacular if I don't make a second pick!)

Jonetta wrote: "Everyone okay with this change? I know I am. We should include the letter Q as well. That would make it Q, X & Z."

I was thinking that the "Q and Z amendments" should be included in the 2019 challenge rules, unless they were only meant for 2018?

And done!

I enjoyed the challenge, it required some finessing but wasn't impossible.

Jonetta wrote: "A-Z Book Title Challenge …"

Proposed amendment:

For the letter "Z", any book title with a word beginning with the letter Z is acceptable.

Audible is having a members-only Fiction Favorites 2-for-1 Sale.

For once, there seems to be a decent selection. Plenty of Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, and other popular authors.

I've pinpointed three books I want, so the eternal question is: What do I pick for my fourth book?!! o_O

Slouch Witch by Helen Harper is free https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...…

…but the whispersync is more than I'll be willing to pay ($10ish for me), even though I really enjoyed the book. But it's there. Maybe the w/s price will drop later? One can hope!

…so it's a deal, though not a very good one, audiobook-wise. But I can recommend the ebook for giggles!

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden Universe contains many delightful romances. Agent of Change begins an adventure romance arc that spans several books. More standalone (though part of the series) are Local Custom or Conflict of Honors.

(Just be warned that the series has four different narrators. I delight in the ladies' narrations…and listen to the gents at triple speed for the story. But that's just me. :/)

Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga contains a multitude of genres, romance included. For romance, listen to the Shards of Honor and Barrayar duology, the standalone Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, or the romantic arc consisting of Komarr (meeting), A Civil Campaign (courtship), and Winterfair Gifts (wedding viewed by outside observers). And if you don't mind reading the very last book in the series first, Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen is totally a romance.

Big Listen Challenge
Duration: 1 January 2018 - 31 December 2018
Level: Hard
Progress: 12/12

1. Come Sundown by Nora Roberts 5* (17 hrs and 17 mins) 22-23.1.2018
2. Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh 5* (15 hrs and 40 mins) 25-26.1.2018
3. Written in Red by Anne Bishop 5* (18 hrs and 32 mins) 24-27.2.2018 (annoying story-related mispronunciations by narrator—author has pronunciation guide on her website!)
4. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop 5* (16 hrs and 9 mins) 28.2-1.3.2018
5. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop 5* (15 hrs and 21 mins) 1.3.2018
6. Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop 5* (16 hrs and 21 mins) 2.3.2018
7. Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh 5* (15 hrs and 47 mins) 28-30.5.2018
8. Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh 5* (15 hrs and 45 mins) 30.5-1.6.2018
9. Silver Silence by Nalini Singh 5* (16 hrs) 12-13.6.2018
10. Neogenesis by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller 3* (17 hrs and 16 mins) 10-13.9.2018 (usually awesome narrator didn't do homework on her past pronunciations and character voices in the series and ruined some of the joy of the book for me)
11. Black Hills by Nora Roberts 4* (16 hrs and 51 mins) 5-8.11.2018
12. Montana Sky by Nora Roberts 4* (16 hrs and 40 mins) 8-20.11.2018

A-Z Title Challenge
Duration: 1.1.2018 – 31.12.2018
Progress: 26/26

A: Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede 13.1.2018
B: Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh 4-5.1.2018
C: Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews 16.1.2018
D: Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller 3-4.9.2018
E: Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop 2.3.2018
F: The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede 13.1.2018
G: Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller 30-31.8.2018
H: Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh 3-4.1.2018
I: Illusion Town by Jayne Castle 3-4.2.2018
J: Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone 2-5.10.2018
K: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh 20-22.1.2018
L: Lake Silence by Anne Bishop 6-7.3.2018
M: Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop 27-28.2.2018
N: Neogenesis by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller 10-13.9.2018
O: One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews 19.1.2018
P: Play of Passion by Nalini Singh 10-12.1.2018
Q: Not Quite a Lady by Loretta Chase 11.12.2018
R: Radiance by Grace Draven 2-4.12.2018
S: Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews 16-17.1.2018
T: Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede 12.1.2018
U: The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer 7-8.2.2018
V: Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop 28.2-1.3.2018
W: White Hot by Ilona Andrews 15.2.2018
X: Dragon in Exile by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller 5-6.9.2018
Y: Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase 19-28.9.2018
Z: Zero G by Dan Wells 9-10.12.2018

Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "makes you wonder if Amazon scans the threads in Goodreads to see what the "consumer" sentiment is - in a way I hope they do so they will know this new whispersync price is NOT agreeable to most of us."

Here's my 2 cents: I'll be buying fewer audiobooks, fewer impulse buys "just because," fewer whispersynced novellas. $7.49+VAT for a 3-4 hour audiobook I've already read digitally/in print? I don't think so. (I might even take a break from my audible membership for a while. Because my credits do tend to pile up waiting for a buying decision…and the audio TBR will keep me entertained for months now that I listen less…)

D.G. wrote: "Have you guys noticed that there aren't as many Whispersync bargains as there used to be? Before I used to find lots of $3.47 audios but now most of them are $7.49 and when you add the Kindle price..."

Yes. I can see it in my Audible wishlist. Many/most whispersynced audiobooks that I had listed (that I hadn't clicked on because I was pretty ambivalent about them) that used to show w/s price $1.99+VAT are now showing w/s price $7.49+VAT. Ilona Andrews' Innkeeper 3 is what I'm most peeved about… (I hadn't grabbed the kindle book so obviously it hadn't whispersynced the audible deal, and now I'm wondering if I want the audiobook enough to use a credit… Woe.)

So yeah, whispersync bargains are disappearing. :(

Lee wrote: "Audible's use three credits by Monday- get $10 coupon- by June 26. Gah- as always- THE PRESSURE (in a good way) :-)"

Where does Audible inform of this? Email? Twitter? Website? Not finding the info anywhere.

Thanks.

Maybe the mods will make a thread for KU?

When I use the link below, it takes me to a page that shows it as free. Not sure why it isn't showing for you...."

Different asins. The link shows me a free Outlander also. Without the link, typing into search, I get shown the edition I already own.

Today's KDD is Katherine Neville's The Eight for $1.99 (+ whispersync $4?) https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

A romance reader friend described it as "a longtime favorite: part thriller, part adventure, some romance" … and it's 25 hours of audiobook.

Thought if you want the audiobook, grab it immediately! Last time, when the kindle sale went away, so did the reduced whispersync!

UK/European Audible listeners, rejoice! Orion is finally releasing the rest of Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter audiobooks that we've been jonesing for for ages. Woo hoo!

February 16: Archangel's Blade, Archangel's Storm, and Archangel's Legion
March 16: Archangel's Shadows and Archangel's Enigma

(I guess this is why I've been hoarding credits…)

Added April 2: The Psy-Changeling series releases April 13 onwards. Yay!

Check your Audible wishlist! I found several price drops on the whispersync prices of audiobooks that I didn't want to use a credit on, but that felt too expensive to justify buying, before. (Frex, from $16.11 —> $6.81. YMMV.)