Audiobooks discussion

I'm nearly 2/3 of the way through The Small House at Allington ($2.99 after "buying" a free Kindle copy) read by Timothy West. I suppose jilting was a big deal back then, but still in an era with such abject poverty the protagonist has an awful lot going for her.

There was a minor disruption that has been resolved, with all posts relating thereto deleted.

listening to The Pagan Stone (Nora Roberts) in the car (sorry, on a crappy computer connection and can't do links) - almost done with it - about 2.5 hours to go; and listening to The Lotus Eaters (tatiana Solji) at work - just shy of half-way through it

next up is Pardonable Lies (maisie dobbs, book 3)

The Pagan Stone
The Lotus Eaters
Pardonable Lies

There's the links for you, Dee.

I am about 50% done with The Firebirdby Susanna Kearsley love how this author can mix so many genres into one book seamlessly, it is narrated by, Katherine Kellgren who never ceases to amaze me with her accents.

Can you tell I'm loving it?

thanks Janice...ever since GR went to their new HTTPS I've had nothing but problems...

I'm listening to Greywalker

** Barnaby Rudge Spoilers follow **

I just finished Dickens' "Barnaby Rudge" (audiobook).

Because I was listening rather than reading, I can't go back to the specific page about which I have a question. In any event, at one point after Barnaby and his mother are discovered, they run into a country gentleman who wants to buy Grip, but Barnaby refuses to sell him. After this distasteful episode, the narrator says this incident will be important later in the story, but as best I can tell, it never comes up again!

Did I miss it someplace?

[please forgive a newbie if there is a better forum in which I should post my question. If you can refer me, I will be happy to repost it in a more appropriate place]

Welcome, Fred! Unfortunately, I can't answer your question :( but I know we can find an expert to assist you :)

Do any of you have weird quirks about choosing books? My wife and daughter admit to judging books by their covers and will rarely read a book with cover art they don't like. I find it near impossible to make myself listen to a book with less than a 3.5 Goodreads rating, as if that is some kind of magic standard. I'm just wondering if we're the only oddballs or if everybody has a strange mental standard books have to meet.

See, this is why I like GR. i'm so picky about books that I can't commit to particular genres (I'm like this with everything - movies, music, TV). I used to hate recommendations - now I seek them out, especially from trusted sources like those in this group.

Fred wrote: "** Barnaby Rudge Spoilers follow **

I just finished Dickens' "Barnaby Rudge" (audiobook).

Because I was listening rather than reading, I can't go back to the specific page about which I have a ..."

Did you maybe pick up an abridged copy?

I'm about 80% finished with Four Fires and it's not my favorite Bryce Courtenay book to date. However, it is a solid story about a 5th generation Australian Irish Catholic family trying to make a better life for themselves. Humphrey Bower makes the story just come alive and the characters and dialogue are so well done. I would absolutely recommend it.

J. wrote: "Do any of you have weird quirks about choosing books? My wife and daughter admit to judging books by their covers and will rarely read a book with cover art they don't like. I find it near impossib..."
I used to review children and YA books for publishers and cover art is the first thing that the buyer sees. So for marketing purposes the publishers need to make it as appealing as possible especially for buyers such as your wife and daughter. However, there were quite a few great books I reviewed that had astoundingly bad art on the covers or, in some cases, covers that somehow missed the point. As the publishing industry moves over to digital format I find it increasingly difficult to judge covers anymore! Recommendations on Goodreads, Amazon and Audible are a good way to go these days (in addition to covers).

J. wrote: "Do any of you have weird quirks about choosing books? My wife and daughter admit to judging books by their covers and will rarely read a book with cover art they don't like. I find it near impossib..."

J., I am similarly particular about consulting ratings, maybe a little more so. I won't purchase a book from Audible unless it gets at least a 4.0 rating there. I won't listen to any books from the library unless they get at least a 3.5 rating from Audible. Life is too short to listen to average to below-average books. :)

While I will peruse the reviews on Goodreads, I don't consult Goodreads ratings as closely, since they are not always specific to an audiobook.

Maybe I'm going to need to lower my standards if I start running out of books on my TBR pile, but there's no danger of that happening for quite some time.

I tend to not look at ratings closely because I realize how subjective they are - I'll read reviews - I typically look to audiobook jukebox or one of the blogs I know that does audiobooks - but there are narrators I like that others hate and vice versa

for a library book, i'm more apt to give it a chance

Maybe I 5 star you 1 star. Everyone's interests are so different I don't pay much attention to ratings. I randomly pick a lot of books without ever reading a description. Maybe it has a curious title maybe the book cover a good narrator will lead me to new genres. Similarly a bad book cover can make me not even try a book. I really just prefer spontaneously picking a book keeps the mind always wondering.

We are listening to Remember Me by Sophia Kinsela, and the hubby is enjoying The Bat by Jo Nesbo.

J. wrote: "Do any of you have weird quirks about choosing books? My wife and daughter admit to judging books by their covers and will rarely read a book with cover art they don't like. I find it near impossib..."

If I'm going to spend more than $2 or so for an ebook (I already have hundreds), I check Goodreads, and unless it's a book from an author I know and trust, I check for audiobooks as well, plus checking the Audible reviews and sometimes the comments at AudioFile Magazine.

I don't think it's helpful that Amazon has now started putting Amazon reviews up on Audible when there are no Audible reviews for a particular audiobook; comments about a print or ebook don't necessarily carry over to an audiobook.

CatBookMom wrote: "J. wrote: "Do any of you have weird quirks about choosing books? My wife and daughter admit to judging books by their covers and will rarely read a book with cover art they don't like. I find it ne..."

I couldn't agree more about the Amazon reviews on Audible! They're not helpful at all and actually make me mad as I hate Amazon anyway, and remind me that I'm doing business with Amazon every time I buy an Audible book. Blooey!

I hardly ever look at book covers. I get all my recommendations from Goodreads, or Barnes and Noble, as I have a Nook, or from Audible.

Finished The Firebirdit was good and great narration I was going to start a re-listen of Outlander but Firebird had Murray's & Fraser's and had parts set during the Jacobite revolution so need to put something else between the two!

Decided to do a mystery I've been curious about especially since the tv show King & Maxwell so starting Split Second by David Baldacci narrated by, Scott Brick

I think the Amazon reviews look ugly, but can be useful. I'm not interested in buying a book that has comments such as, " ... all the tension of watching paint dry" etc. Then again, I listen to a lot of non-mainstream stuff where I'm the first (and often only!) Audible reviewer.

I think i'd prefer an Amazon review over no review...but audiobook ones shoudl take precedence...I really wish that you could select the format on amazno - so you could review for kindle; audiobook etc...show them all, or be able to search by a specific type

I just finished 14 and rated it a 3.5 star. I found the narrator to be good when reading dialogue but quite stilted and bland when reading the narration.

I've started Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.

I have friends who absolutely adored CeeCee!

I don't have any set methodology in selecting a book. I can be influenced by the cover, title, ratings, reviews, or the synopsis. I prefer Goodread's reviews to Amazon's mainly because I have friends here whose tastes are similar to mine and I trust their ratings.

My quirk would probably be that I prefer Goodread's reviews simply because my inquiries aren't tracked. I really dislike going to Amazon to find that some scummy book I briefly looked at because I was intrigued by the title has now become the book on which they base all recommendations.

Jennifer (Obsessive, compulsive and TBR) wrote: "I have friends who absolutely adored CeeCee!"

I love the narrator - Jenna Lamia :)

I'm listening to Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr and narrated by Paul Hecht. The narrator has a resonant voice and good flexibility in doing the characters. The story also keeps one's attention.

So far, I have been selecting audiobooks by the offers from Audible and Amazon make when I have the ebook already. I never thought about listening to the sample, but it sounds like something I need to be doing.

It's a good idea, Bill. You'll discover which kind of voices are most melodious for your ears :)

I finished In Dog We Trust by Neil Plakcy who is one of our authors. I thought it was a good mystery. I was sure I had it figured out when, suddenly, I did not. My only minor problem with the book is that the main character rehashes his divorce and ex-wife more than I wanted to hear. I enjoyed the dog and how the main character went from not really liking dogs to being nuts about his dog.

Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "Jennifer (Obsessive, compulsive and TBR) wrote: "I have friends who absolutely adored CeeCee!"

I love the narrator - Jenna Lamia :)"

It's an enjoyable book and, I agree, a great narrator.

I'm about to finish A Game of Thrones. I certainly have enjoyed it but I may need to take a short break before I start the next book in the series and listen to a few shorter books.

Janice wrote: "I don't have any set methodology in selecting a book. I can be influenced by the cover, title, ratings, reviews, or the synopsis. I prefer Goodread's reviews to Amazon's mainly because I have fri..."

you can go into your amazon account and remove recently viewed books from recommendations...I do all the time - my mom shares my kindle account and reads amish romance, and I go the opposite end of the spectrum...lol!

Yeah, I know. If I can avoid that extra step, I will. I can see why you would need to weed out your mother's choices, Dee. LOL! I'm in your camp.

What's wrong with some hot amish romance?

;)

I'm finding The Brontës Went To Woolworths an incredibly strange book!

J. wrote: "What's wrong with some hot amish romance?

;)"

is there such a thing...lol!

Dee wrote: "J. wrote: "What's wrong with some hot amish romance?

;)"

is there such a thing...lol!"

ROFL!

I think I remember seeing an Amish Paranormal Romance somewhere recently on GR. I found it an odd combination.

Shell wrote: "I think I remember seeing an Amish Paranormal Romance somewhere recently on GR. I found it an odd combination."

That's an understatement! LOL

I've listened to a Loon Lake mystery - the first. Someone mentioned them in this club. Anyway, I liked it well enough, but found the narrator a bit annoying as she delivered everyone's lines with bright enthusiasm as if they were at a garden party or something. Dead Angler. I may try another one later to see if she grows on you.

Finished The Ocean at the End of the Lane in no time. It was nice. A metaphor of life, I think. Am now listening to The Lotus Eaters. Just started.

Every time I decline to put a book on my TBR, it is recommended by multiple friends, and places itself (*wink*) on the list. So it is with The Lotus Eaters. Mount TBR thanks you!

Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "Jennifer (Obsessive, compulsive and TBR) wrote: "I have friends who absolutely adored CeeCee!"

I love the narrator - Jenna Lamia :)"

one of my alltime favorate narrators too,... must give this book a try

I very much enjoyed: A Thousand Sighs, A Thousand Revolts: Journeys in Kurdistan
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I will start To the End of the Land.

Lol - I'm abt halfway thru The Lotus Eaters and really enjoying it

Listened to A Tale For The Time Being - read by author - I loved it!!

Started Red Seas Under Red Skies Michael Page does this series so well as a narrator

Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning - do I have that right?

Yep red sky at night sailors delight; red sky in morning sailors take warning

Yay! I haven't lost my mind yet!

And I saw several of both while in the navy - nothing like sunrise in the middle of the ocean