UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

I always struggle to pick an audiobook so I thought I would create a topic specifically for audiobook recommendations to make my decisions a little bit easier.

I'll start.

I loved this version of Rebecca http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Classics/...
The narrator was excellent and it suited the story perfectly since it is written in first person narrative.
I'm currently listening to My Cousin Rachel http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Classics/...
I recommend this too, Jonathan Pryce is an excellent story teller, I could listen to him all day :o)

I am new to audiobooks so haven't yet found one I bought and didn't like, there have been a couple of samples I listened to where I thought I couldn't possibly listen to an entire book with the chosen narrator, I think The Passage was one of them http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Fiction/T...

Stephen Fry narrating the Harry Potter books is magnificent.

Oh yes! I had forgotten about those, I love them

Listed in alphabetical order by author, not preference. I'm fairly certain that you will find at least one that suites your taste.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (Narrated by Erik Singer) (5 hours listening time.)

Flight Lessons by Patricia Gaffney (Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck) (6 hours listening time.)

Angel Light by Andrew M. Greeley (Narrated by David Dukes) (3 hours listening time.)

Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Narrated by Debra Monk with Leland Gantt, Enid Graham, Michael McGlone, Liam Norton, Anne Pitoniak, Sharon Quinn and Gordon Weiss) (4 hours listening time.)

Nothing But the Truth by John Lescroart (Narrated by Dylan Baker) (6 hours listening time.)

The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard (Narrated by Dana Ivey) (3 hours listening time.)

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (Narrated by Richard Thomas) (3 hours listening time.)

Levels by Jim Vuksic (Narrated by Stephen Rozzell) (8 hours listening time.)

In no particular order:

The Chronicles of St Mary's (7 novels plus several free shorts) by Jodi Taylor, narrated by Zara Ramm. Whispersync* http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fa...

The Dresden Files (15 novels plus shorts) by Jim Butcher, narrated by James Marsters. Some are Whispersync* http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fa...

The Martian by Andy Wier, narrated by R.C. Bray. (11 hours listening) Whispersync* http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fa...

In the Blood (5 novel series, Jefferson Tate Genealogical mysteries) by forumite Steve Robinson, narrated by Simon Vance. Whispersync* http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thr...

Rivers of London (6 novel series) by Ben Aaronovitch, narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Whispersync* http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thr...

American Gods by Neil Gaiman (full cast, 19 hours 40) http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fa...

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, narrated by Lenny Henry (10 hours) http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fa...

The Thursday Next series (6 novels) by Jasper Fforde, narrated by Gabrielle Kruger. Whispersync* http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fa...

Ready player One by Ernest Kline, narrated by Will Wheaton (15 hours 40). Whispersync* http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fa...

The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Nigel Planer (1-24) and Stephen Briggs (25-41)


* Whispersync: Buy the kindle book and get the audiobook for incredibly cheap. Often the combined price is less than a credit.

Never spend a credit on something that costs less than a credit!

Also, Stephen Fry narrating his own autobiography is good.

My nephews seem to like the Roald Dahl selection ready by David Walliams, Kate Winslett, Stephen fry and Chris O'Dowd.

Wah! I still can't decide!

Which genres do you like, Jud?

I listen to loads of audiobooks and it is very important who narrates them. Bill Bryson narrated one of his and, bless him, it's terrible. When his usual narrator is employed, it's great, so funny.

I'll have a look through mine and dig some out. A lot of mine have been bought for me (Christmas pressies!) and so not always quite what I would have bought.

I finally decided on a Neil Gaiman one, I can't remember which now, it wasn't American Gods and it wasn't the Graveyard Book, does that help?
Of the 4 audiobooks I have they are all different genres

Tim wrote: "In no particular order:

The Chronicles of St Mary's (7 novels plus several free shorts) by Jodi Taylor, narrated by Zara Ramm. Whispersync* http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fa......"

I've read 4 of the Chronicles Tim - fab and I really enjoyed them, but I don't think I would like them read to me. I've tried other books in audible and it doesn't matter how good the reader is, I still prefer to immerse myself in peace and quiet to read it for myself.

I had a look, I got Neverwhere

Jud (Disney Diva) wrote: "I had a look, I got Neverwhere"

His best book! But also the most sadistical, violence wise.

Oh, just as well I don't mind that kind of thing!

Hard to go wrong with a Neil Gaiman. :)

T4bsF (Call me Flo) wrote: "I've read 4 of the Chronicles Tim - fab and I really enjoyed them, but I don't think I would like them read to me. I've tried other books in audible and it doesn't matter how good the reader is, I still prefer to immerse myself in peace and quiet to read it for myself. "

I get so little time to sit and read these days, it takes me months to get through a book that way. But audiobooks I can listen to on the go, in the car, on my daily walk etc. It's the only way I can get much reading done. And after a while you just associate those voices with those books.

There's been a few narrators I didn't get on with, so I make a point of listening to the samples before I try anyone new, but otherwise it's all bee pretty good.

Tim wrote: "There's been a few narrators I didn't get on with"


I have a mental picture of you getting iunto a furious argument with the narrator about how to pronounce a name or something!

Haha. But imagine someone with a really slow bored-sounding voice narrating a thriller . . . Or someone continuously mispronounces a common word . . .

Gingerlily - Mistress Lantern wrote: "Tim wrote: "There's been a few narrators I didn't get on with"


I have a mental picture of you getting iunto a furious argument with the narrator about how to pronounce a name or something!"

That would be me..... with the few audiobooks I have had read to me, I find that I do that. I can't remember who the narrator was - but in a few places - she had put the inflections on the wrong parts of words etc. and I told her off!!! In my own head, when I'm doing the reading - of course - everything is perfect !!!

Initially, while listening to the chapter-by-chapter audio downloads during approval process of developing the audio book format of my novel, I would notify the professional narrator of any errors, of which there were seldom any.

At the beginning of the process, I would have a small list of words that I felt had been mispronounced. Each time, the narrator would remind me that in Oklahoma, where he was born and raised, and the surrounding region, the inhabitants would feel that I, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the one mispronouncing those words. I was humbly reminded that sometimes there is no absolute standard for what is correct or incorrect.

I like listening to Rumpole of the Bailey books so long as they are read by Bill Wallis. Gentle humour and astute observation. They grew on me.

Jud, one of the best narrators is Hugh Laurie, especially for comic creations. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Finer-Points...

I really enjoyed his narration.

Also this one by Lexi Revellian is a good contemporary mystery/thriller.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Remix/dp/B00...

I can't listen to audio books at all as they aren't quick enough. I remember this being a problem at school when we used to have to listen everyone taking turns to read the book and I had read to the end days before we reached it in class. My blind friend has a gadget that speeds up recorded reading material without 'chipmunking' it - this may be the answer!

That's a good idea Rosemary wtcoth - let's get some audiobooks read by Alvin and friends!! :-)

They are a bit slow but I find it quite relaxing to be out for a wander at lunchtime listening to it at the slower pace

Some of my adult children and grandchildren occasionally accompany me on a road trip. When they do, I always bring along the audio book format of a novel that I have already read. When the book ends, I pass out a copy of several questions pertaining to various aspects of the story line and characters to each of my travelling companions.

Whoever answers the most questions correctly wins $50, 2nd. place $20, 3rd. place $10 and last place $5. It makes time pass rapidly on the road and all of the particpants enjoy a book they may have never read otherwise.

Great idea! Do you think £1, 50p, 10p and 5p will provide sufficient incentive?

Anna wrote: "Great idea! Do you think £1, 50p, 10p and 5p will provide sufficient incentive?"

Anna,

Definitely. It's the fun-filled, friendly competition that matters, not the incentive. I started the tradition years ago (though with much smaller awards) to keep the children from getting bored. Now, those children are middle-aged. Not only do they still enjoy it, they now conduct the audio book competition with their children, my grandchildren.

Then I guess a lot of parents would willingly pay £1.65 max for a quiet journey.

We usually play traffic snooker on long journeys.

I was really bored driving back north the other day and suddenly remembered I'd got some audio books on my ipod. Listened to the first part of The Complete Chronicles of Narnia: The Classic BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisations , the entirety of the Magician's Nephew and it was brilliant and really made the time enjoyable. If I'm going to be having a longer commute in the future, I might have to look at getting some more.

in the old car, with a tape recorder, I used to listen to the BBC's 13 part dramatisation of Lord of the Rings for long journeys

With Bill Nighe as Sam, Ian Holm as Frodo and John Le Mesurier as Bilbo. Remember it well, although it's a long time since I listened to it (don't think I even have anything to play the cassettes on now . . .)

T4bsF (Call me Flo) wrote: "We usually play traffic snooker on long journeys."

Traffic snooker?

First you have to spot a red car then a yellow car - then another red, then a green - back to red etc, etc. We find we usually get really stuck waiting to spot a pink car and have to wait until we get to the services where there is sometimes a child's ride car that is pink

Ah... thank you!