Audiobooks discussion

I'm starting the month juggling two carryover titles:

The Mandelbaum Gate by Muriel Spark

and

Night and Day by Virginia Woolf

Are you still liking Spark's? And you haven't yet gotten fed up with the narrator Frederick Davidson?????????????

Should I pick up a book, in this case The Mandelbaum Gate, which I DO want to read but know that the narrator's voice will irritate me??????????????????????

Other audio listeners, what do you do in such a situation?

Chrissie wrote: "Are you still liking Spark's? And you haven't yet gotten fed up with the narrator Frederick Davidson?????????????

Should I pick up a book, in this case The Mandelbaum Gate, which I D..."

I am a fan of Frederick Davidson; for me, his narration is a plus. The story, however, has honestly not grabbed me at all.

Hmmmmm. Thanks for the update. My problem is that I never know how I will react until I test it myself. I see myself as unpredictable.

I have started A Brightness Long Ago read by Simon Vance. Years ago, when I first read books by Guy Gavriel Kay, I thought, "These deserve to be read out loud". His language is wonderful (he is also a poet.)

I am somehow STILL listening to the fourth Wheel of Time book. I should be able to wrap it up today. Then I plan to start Survivor by the author of Fight Club.

how is it february already??

i'm listening to Mexican Gothic and redownloaded The Light in Hidden Places to finish up...

I just finished Red at the Bone byJacqueline Woodson. I love this author she writes so beautifully.

To me, January was continuation of 2020, so February is actual 2021 :)

I'm still listening to Shuggie Bain and A Promised Land. I'm reading The Sound and the Fury but got the audiobook version also so I hope it gets easier a bit.

My hold for Hamnet came in! I'll finish Shuggie Bain and The Sound and the Fury then listen to it.

Just about finished with Not My Boy by Kelly Simmons narrated by, Morgan Hallett & Suzanne Toren it's a good thriller, neither of these two sister is a reliable narrator so still not sure how it will work out and I only have an hour and 20 minutes left!

Here follows my review of Philip Roth's first book in his Zuckerman series--The Ghost Writer:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have begun The Price of Salt, known also as Carol by Claire Morgan, which is the pen-name of Patricia Highsmith.

Still working on David Copperfield. Down to 7:30 hours left. I'm also reading Clavell's Gai-Jin, part of the Asian saga, which is over 1,000 pages but set in the same time period. When the mail arrives in Japan, some of the characters are looking forward to reading the lastest Dickens installment.

Robin P wrote: "I have started A Brightness Long Ago read by Simon Vance. Years ago, when I first read books by Guy Gavriel Kay, I thought, "These deserve to be read out loud". His l..."

I would listen to Simon Vance read anything. And yes, Kay has some lovely prose to go along with Vance's narration!

As for me -- I finished Fable yesterday. It was entertaining, if not outstanding. It's a low-magic tale set amongst seafaring traders in an islander culture. Although it's sold as YA, the narrative voice isn't excessively obvious as some YA is, and there's no romantic triangle as so much YA has. Unfortunately the author didn't make me believe a couple of important worldbuilding elements, which was a serious distraction, but I wouldn't mind reading book 2 (it's a duology).

Then I started Cemetery Boys. The story seemed like it was going to be sweet, but once again I couldn't stand the narrator. He was sooooo slooooooow that I actually tried speeding up the playback, which I never do, but even that couldn't save it. Either I'm running across an excess of bad narrators lately or I'm just being extra sensitive. But life is too short to waste time irritating my ears!

So then I started the latest Alex Verus book, Forged, and that's going swimmingly so far. Speaking of narrators, Gildart Jackson is easy to listen to.

Now starting The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman narrated by Rachel Botchan

Into the Light
authors David Weber and Chris Kennedy
narrator Ralph Lister
25hours 38minutes

Enjoyed this but I've been reading Science Fiction for decades and have admittedly odd sense of humor.

Narration is okay but I want to listen to this again when I have a print copy available. It can be difficult to follow who is speaking in discussions with multiple people and occasionally terms were not understandable.

Longer comment posted in Genre Discussions Science Fiction and Fantasy.

My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished up Big Lies in a Small Town and it was GOOD! It was a good story - which sometimes I like to have. No crime, no romance, no super natural - just a good story. I really enjoyed it. It alternates between current time and 1940's and I always enjoy that. Really do recommend for something just solid to read.

I'm doing 28 Summers next. Nothing like a little beach read in the cold of February!

I'm currently listening to Cicely Tyson's brand-new Just as I Am: A Memoir, beautifully read by Robin Miles. Cicely herself read the introduction and Viola Davis read the foreword.

My review of Julian Bond's Time to Teach: A History of the Southern Civil Rights Movement by Julian Bond

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - 4 stars - My Review

Ursula Todd is born in 1910 to an English family. She experiences multiple versions of her life. The use of a single character allows the author to shed light on many aspects of WWI and WWII without having to introduce numerous characters. I will not go into too many details since this is a book best experienced. It will likely inspire “love it or hate it” reactions. It portrays the randomness of life. I listened to the audio book, beautifully read by Fenella Woolgar. She reads distinctly and does an excellent job of voice acting. (4 stars for the audio)

In case anyone wants trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[deaths of children, rape, abortion, people blown apart by bombs, domestic abuse including murder of spouse. (hide spoiler)]

Joy D wrote: "Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - 4 stars -

I don’t always remember books I read many years ago, but this one I do remember. The bombing of London was a horrific experience, and it is the experiences in it that I keep coming back to. Thank you for sharing.

Here is what I thought of Patricia Highsmith's Carol written under the pseudonym Claire Morgan. It first came out with the title The Price of Salt.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It is good to test different authors.

I have begun The Railway Station Man by Jennifer Johnston, another new author for me. I like the Irish seaside setting.

I finished The Persimmon Tree which was a reread from 8 years ago. I gave it 5 stars then. This time around I gave it 4 stars. I found certain aspects of it annoying.

I will start The Garden of Letters later today.

Joy D wrote: "Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - 4 stars - My Review

Ursula Todd is born in 1910 to an English family. She experiences multiple versions of her life. The use of a ..."

The sequel was good as well.

New here. I have a 2 hour walk every day for work so I’m getting back into audiobooks after years of not listening to them. My choice for this month is working through the Big Finish Doctor Who Monthly Releases. They’re only 1h30-3h each so great for a new adventure every day. Currently on Sirens of Time.

A.J. wrote: "Hi all, AJ Anthony here with Fab Media. Please take a look and listen to my new audiobook Barsoap - Life Behind Bars Vol. 1. It was written and narrated by yours truly. It is filled with many of my..."

Sorry, but this isn't the thread where such promotions should be posted. Please check the group page for the Commercial Area and follow the guidelines our Moderators have set. Thanks.

I finished Bunburry 1-3 by Helena Marchmont. There are three stories in this compilation while the rest of the series is available one story at a time. Since the first one costs under $5 at Audible it is a very good deal. Like Cherringham, it is a mystery series told in short stories that are a little less than three hours each. Bunburry does, not coincidentally, provide an Oscar Wild tie-in through a character who is only ever heard over the phone who provides appropriate wild quotes whenever he can. This series is set in the small village of Bunburry in the Cotswolds where the MC Alfie has inherited a cottage from his aunt plus her two Miss Marple wannabe friends. The first story, Murder at the Mouse Trap, had the best set up and litteral cast of characters--they are putting on the play The Mouse Trap when one of its members dies from accident, suicide, or possibly murder.

These stories are as much slice of life as murder mystery and are easy little stories to slip in between other books. So far, I think Cherringham does a better job of creating complex mysteries with numerous suspects in a short period of time. But Bunburry is a nice little diversion. Nathaniel Parker does a great job with the narration... except maybe for the one American female, but that's a small quibble.

Jeanie wrote: "I finished Bunburry 1-3 by Helena Marchmont. There are three stories in this compilation while the rest of the series is available one story at a time. Since the first one costs under $5 at Audible..."

Thanks! This one has been on my wishlist for a while.

I finished Forged by Benedict Jacka. I can't show you the regular booklink, because GR's search engine appears to be screwed up today. It insists that the book doesn't exist, even though I can find its GR page by first searching for a different Verus book and then following the Verus series links. Like this: Forged. Sheesh!

Anyway, if you like the series you'll probably like this one. Lots and lots of fighting, Verus gets darker, and some big foes are conquered. Cliffhanger ending!

I just started A Deadly Education. It's got a good opening!

Contrarius wrote: "I finished Forged by Benedict Jacka. I can't show you the regular booklink, because GR's search engine appears to be screwed up today. It insists that the book doesn't exist, even though I can find..."

i was having the same issue trying to post in another group - i opened up a separate window and copied the ISBN from the book page i wanted into the text book for the group and that seemed to work

I finished Just as I Am: A Memoir today and adored it.

Now listening to Mikki Kendall read her own Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot

I definitely enjoyed The Railway Station Man by the contemporary Irish author Jennifer Johnston. I will be reading more by her soon.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have begun the Russian classic Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov.

Cara wrote: "New here. I have a 2 hour walk every day for work so I’m getting back into audiobooks after years of not listening to them. My choice for this month is working through the Big Finish Doctor Who Mon..."
2 hours walking every day! You must be in great shape. Nice to have audio to go along with it.

My review of What Could Be Saved Liese O'Halloran Schwarz

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Joy D wrote: "Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - 4 stars - My Review

Ursula Todd is born in 1910 to an English family. She experiences multiple versions of her life. The use of a ..."

This has been on my "to read" list forever - am kicking it up the list now. Thanks!

My review of Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finally! David Copperfield is all grown up and happy. Took a long time to get there with quite a few unsavory characters. I liked it, but then I like Dickens.

Now I'm listening to The Paladin by David Ignatius. Who new 'paladin' was so widely used in book titles. There's no link because I gave up looking through the 100s of pages. I had to look up the definition of paladin after that. So, I learned a new word today.

The Origins of Creativity by Edward O. Wilson - 4 stars - My Review

Entomologist Edward O. Wilson traces the origins of human creativity back one hundred thousand years. Wilson proposes that humankind needs “a third enlightenment,” a new philosophy that unites the humanities and the sciences to achieve a more meaningful existence. This book reads like a script for a documentary. The scientific sections may be dry for those without a keen interest. Wilson occasionally ventures off topic, but I did not mind. He offers appealing anecdotes on literary works, metaphors, archetypes, music, great films, and the natural world. Wilson introduces a number of thought-provoking questions, but suggests we do not yet have the answers and that by combining forces, in the humanities and the sciences, we can leap forward, breaking through current barriers and advancing civilization. Definitely worth the time.

The audio book is read capably by Jonathan Hogan. It is rather typical non-fiction reading in a documentary style - not spectacular but not terrible, either. (3 stars for the audio)

My review of Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov follows:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have begun another Russian novel, but this one is contemporary--Solovyov and Larionov by Eugene Vodolazkin.

Chrissie wrote: "My review of Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov follows:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have begun another Russian novel, but this one is contemporary--[b..."


You are right that there is a real problem with Oblomov. We are about to start reading it in another GR group for classics. We found that most of the English translations are the very short ones. Those are unfortunately listed as "unabridged" because that's how the original book came out in English way back in the 19th or early 20th century. I don't know why, there were long translations of other Russian authors. It was a big challenge for us to find a rare long translation in either ebook or print form.

Robin, bad news that readers are not properly informed.

As I stated i my review, there IS an audiobook lasting 20 hrs+ which most probably is unabridged. It is read by Leighton Pugh.

I finished A Deadly Education last night. I liked it a lot -- I thought the characters, the political scheming, and all the ways Novik explored the idea of privilege were great. And I say this as someone who is sick to death of the magic-school trope. I never did believe the worldbuilding, though. In audio, the narration by Anisha Dadia was okay but not outstanding -- her delivery style was abrupt, and her accents were subpar.


I'm now about 1/3 through The Book of Koli by MR (Mike) Carey. Interesting story, though slow-moving. The narrator, Theo Solomon, sounds sooooooo much like Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (one of my favorites) that I had to look him up to be sure he wasn't Kobna recording under a different name.

Chrissie wrote: "Robin, bad news that readers are not properly informed.

As I stated i my review, there IS an audiobook lasting 20 hrs+ which most probably is unabridged. It is read by Leighton Pugh."

I had not heard of this narrator until very recently, adding his reading of Mortmain Hall to my wishlist. It's a sequel to Gallows Court, which I liked, but was not read by Pugh!

I listened to one audiobook last week Dry Bones by Peter May https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hurray for finishing The Sound and The Fury! I gave myself a star for not giving up! What a torture, none of the characters was likeable.

I'm going to read Hamnet I head a lot of great things so I'm looking forward to it.

I just finished a fast listen audio book I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives and really enjoyed it. The audio switches between the two voices.

The Mandelbaum Gate by Muriel Spark

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have listened to two Nelson DeMille novels. He is a wonderful storyteller and his books are perfect for the pandemic. Start with Gold Coast. Then go to the John Corey series. Highly recommend for escape.

About halfway thru A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders. Really well done so far. Guest readers narrate 7 Russian short stories and Saunders does the analysis of each. It's basically a writing course he's taught at Syracuse for years in book form. Fascinating. Highly recommend.

I finished Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher, narrated by Khristine Hvam, and enjoyed it. It's basically a heist fantasy, with a misfit bunch of rogues, and the characters are fun. The writing is a bit iffy, with lots of repetition, but I'm listening for entertainment.

I'm listening to the second one in the series now.

In between, I was glad to listen to the audio version of the third in the Amelia Peabody historical mysteries by Elizabeth Peters, The Mummy Case. These are available from my library and I'm enjoying them the second time around, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.

John wrote: "The Mandelbaum Gate by Muriel Spark

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Than you, John. I read your review and left a note there.