Audiobooks discussion

Finished the second book in the Ceepak series last night: Mad Mouse. I am from New Jersey, but never really went Down the Shore much at all, so this setting is kind of new to me. I'll confess that I was a bit unsettled by a scene of a group of idiotic young men terrorizing a little kid (Downs Syndrome perhaps?) in a wheelchair. All these high profile crimes, one after another, in a specific small town, kind of reminds me of the Booktown series, where the protagonist regularly stumbles over corpses.

Finished The Secret Keeper and was pleasantly entertained by Kate Morton and Caroline Lee. I had pretty well figured the ending about 3/4 of the way through but it was still a delightful listen. Gray Mountain is up next. I'm a couple of chapters into it and Caroline Lee is a tough act to follow. I moved it up to 1.25x speed which means I have to concentrate just enough on the story that I don't have time to consider the drawbacks of the narration.

I can't imagine listening to a Grisham novel right now. Maybe in a few months...right now, I just can't. And I've read quite a bit of Grisham.

I'm not judging you, Fran. I'm just not in a place where I can support his work without feeling I'm condoning his views.

Jennifer (President, Chronic Complainers Not-so-Anonymous) wrote: "I can't imagine listening to a Grisham novel right now. Maybe in a few months...right now, I just can't. And I've read quite a bit of Grisham.

I'm not judging you, Fran. I'm just not in a place..."

I haven't read or listened to Grisham in quite awhile and I have read a few over the years too. But then if memory serves me correctly - you're a lawyer ;-). I tend to keep work related stuff out of my reading as a rule! And no worries - not feeling judged.

I am! I'm flattered that you remember :-)

You're also a Canuck, eh? My home away from home in the summer.

I'm listening to The Flight of the Silvers. I'm enjoying it much more than I expected to.

That too, Fran :-)

I got into An Echo in the Bone late last week. Kind of like reuniting with an old friend. It takes me a while to get caught back up but I do so love Davina Porter and all the Outlander characters.

Am just sad that I'm out of town this week and won't get to listen any!

i need to get into MOBY Nancy - but I know when I start, that I'll end up having to wait 5-6 years for a new one :(

Ok - I give... MOBY?

I have been trying to stretch the Outlanders out knowing that they take forever to get published. Thus the reason why I usually forget what happens between them!

written in my own heart's blood - the book after Echo - Diana shortened it to My Own Heart's Blood - MOHB - which turned into MOBY while waiting for release

In January, I listened to David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, The Children Act, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life, and Americanah

I'm currently listening to Fairest on audible, and I just checked out the CD's for The Grapes of Wrath from my library for a book club in April.

I'm listening to I Capture the Castle

Finished Ready Player One, it was a fantastic listen!

I finished the BBC audiobook adaptation of The Foundation Trilogy. I finished it, but I wouldn't really recommend it -- it had some sound quality issues (volume varied widely) plus some annoying sound effects. And it was abridged :(

Now I am starting The Picture of Dorian Gray narrated by Michael Page.

I am listening to The Flight of Gemma Hardy and really enjoying it.

I saw the movie Austenland last night and liked it far better than I thought I would since Rottentomatoes hated it. Should I listen to Austenland?

I finished The Providence Rider and immediately started The River of Souls. I've really enjoyed this series. I wonder if there will be more.

Leslie, re: foundation trilogy. You lost me at "abridged". :)

Janice, McCammon speculates there will be 10 volumes in the series. I hope Ballerini narrates them all.

Hunchback wrote: "Janice, McCammon speculates there will be 10 volumes in the series. I hope Ballerini narrates them all."

Awesome! Ballerini is the voice of Matthew Corbett in my opinion. Anyone else will be a major disappointment.

I can only agree.

I can only agree.

Dave wrote: "I saw the movie Austenland last night and liked it far better than I thought I would since Rottentomatoes hated it. Should I listen to Austenland?"

I loved Austenland, both the book and the movie. If you think you'd like the movie if it was a bit less ridiculous and didn't paint Jane as a total Austen loon at the beginning (seriously, in the book the only outward indication that she loves P&P is that she owns a copy of the 1995 mini-series), then you should definitely try the book. I loved the narration of the audio book as well. Ugh, talking about it makes me want to relisten right now.

I did think the movie was ridiculous, but in a good way, i.e. Jennifer Coolidge. Keri Russell is a good actress to pull off the obsessed part of the performance. Okay, you sold me, I'll put Austenland on the list and will let you all know what I think.

PS I listened toThe Jane Austen Book Club and saw the movie years ago, but probably liked the movie of Austenland better even though it's far less "probable." :-)

Dave wrote: "I did think the movie was ridiculous, but in a good way, i.e. Jennifer Coolidge. Keri Russell is a good actress to pull off the obsessed part of the performance. Okay, you sold me, I'll put Auste..."

Jennifer Coolidge was magnificent in it. I watched an interview with some of the cast and they said she won't even watch the movie because she doesn't want to watch her performance! She was the best part and I loved all the other parts. "Shut up, Fartwright." So juvenile yet so funny. You can definitely tell that the movie came from the same minds as Napoleon Dynamite.

I don't normally read books about Jane Austen fans, I don't know what inspired me to pick this one up. So I can't compare it to the Jane Austen Book club.

I recently finished Flowers from the Storm (solid story, characters weren't my thing, narrator was outstanding) and Landline (characters annoyed at first but then were OK, nice to read a story about marriage, narrator was very good). Now I'm listening to The Big Sleep.

Listening to The Broken Eye and Help for the Haunted.

I started the latest Hamish Macbeth story, Death of a Liar, by M. C. Beaton and narrated by Graham Malcolm. It's been over 15 books now, but I miss Davina Porter's narration. Sigh.

Finished As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes if you are a fan of the movie I would recommend this audio it's pretty much all the stars (that are still alive) recounting their time on set was nice to find out that the filming was as magical as the the film itself.

Now trying to figure out what I am in the mood for I tried a little bit of The Missing Place by, Sophie Littlefield but not sure if I like narrator Joyce Bean's voice has anyone else listened to her should I give her more of a chance?

I had to watch the movie again as soon as I finished the book. It was interesting watching the movie with all the new information I had.

I believe I heard a Princess Bride reference in Monsters University last night.

J. wrote: "I had to watch the movie again as soon as I finished the book. It was interesting watching the movie with all the new information I had.

I believe I heard a Princess Bride reference in Monsters Un..."

Was thinking I need to watch it again too and watch how he holds his leg after breaking his toe lol.

I seem to be in a reading funk...nothing is holding my attention for very long. I started Euphoria on Jan 30 and liked the first few chapters, but it's suddenly uninterested me. For now, I'm blaming brain fatigue after long days of work. :P

MissSusie wrote: "J. wrote: "I had to watch the movie again as soon as I finished the book. It was interesting watching the movie with all the new information I had.

I believe I heard a Princess Bride reference in ..."

Funnily enough, I remember being struck back in the eighties when I first watched this--still had vision back then--that the way Westly sat down was very cool, even elegant. Who knew? And now I know it wasn't great acting when the character got knocked out--lol. But I'll never experience Westley's re-awakening from being mostly dead without absolutely cracking up at what happened when they first tried to shoot that scene! What a joy both the movie and book are... together is even better.

starting That Touch of Magic - narrated by the fabulous Amanda Ronconni (even if it isn't a Molly Harper book) ;)

I know I'm showing my age but I read The Princess Bride in print when it came out. I thought it was terrific at the time and recommended it to my family (I was probably a pre-teen). Has anyone listened to the audiobook of that?

Heart-Shaped Box great so far. Excellent narration by Stephen Lang

1Q84 has me totally sucked in. That said, the book really could have benefited from some significant editing. Lots of repeating phrases. The narration is well done,and the plot is unfurling in a compelling way, though.

After hopping around from book to book I decided I needed a tried and true author/narrator combo so am now listening to Hold Tight by, Harlan Coben narrated by, Scott Brick

I enjoyed The Princess Bride audiobook, Dave. I don't really recall the narration quality, but I did not leave myself a note which I usually do for really bad narrations.

I listened to Hold Tight a couple of months ago. Can't go wrong with Scott Brick, and Harlan Coben I tend to like because you don't get courtroom scenes or really too much police work. It's more like Hitchcock, i.e. normal people thrust into abnormal circumstances.

Ellen wrote: "I seem to be in a reading funk...nothing is holding my attention for very long. I started Euphoria on Jan 30 and liked the first few chapters, but it's suddenly uninterested me. For now, I'm blamin..."

I get like that sometimes too.... I just ditched 3 books in a row...

J. wrote: "I enjoyed The Princess Bride audiobook, Dave. I don't really recall the narration quality, but I did not leave myself a note which I usually do for really bad narrations."

Last time I checked, Audible doesn't have the full text of The Princess Bride. I really want to read the book and hope they get the full copy someday soon.

I finished reading The River of Souls and (view spoiler)[ it's a cliff hanger, with no buzz online as to whether he's even writing the next book in the series! I'm not happy! (hide spoiler)]

I'll be starting A Land More Kind Than Home tomorrow.

I just finished The Goldfinch and it was an amazing audiobook. Definitely the longest one I've ever listened to, but it actually went pretty fast for 32 hours!

I then started Food: A Love Story and it is so hilarious!!!! I wish this one were 32 hours also!

Well, I've gotten over my dislike of Euphoria. I'm around 60-some% through it now and will probably finish it sometime in the next day or two.

Today, I finished Dad Is Fat and Fairest.

I finished The Angel's Game By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Wonderful prose, and the narration is excellent.

As for the story itself? Well, things get progressively stranger and more chaotic as the book nears its conclusion, and to be honest, I don't know whether I really understood the ending. Although I have strong suspicions.

I'm not sure what else to say without revealing things best not revealed. I finished the book appreciating it greatly, but not necessarily enjoying it. I would recommend it, though.

Now reading Ready Player One (for a complete change of pace).

Hunchback wrote: "I finished The Angel's Game By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Wonderful prose, and the narration is excellent.

As for the story itself? Well, things get progressively stranger and more chaotic..."

You describe The Angel's Game perfectly. I felt exactly the same way about it.