Audiobooks discussion

I'm starting the year carrying over the novel The Go-Between, a bit slow but good narration.

I did not get The Stand: Complete and Uncut finished by the New Year so it is my first book of 2026. I am about half finished, it is 48 hours long. Ironically, I was calling my lingering cough "Captain Trips" (from the book) and it became double pneumonia so now I am out of commission for at least a week. It gives me time to read my audiobook.

Hope you feel better soon Doug. Nice that you have a good long audiobook to help you through.

Kicking off the new year with First Frost from the Longmire series. Expertly read by George Guidall.

Michelle wrote: "Kicking off the new year with First Frost from the Longmire series. Expertly read by George Guidall."

Yes, I only do that series on audio. I have liked Guidall since the 1990's.

I am starting Buckeye, which is a good, old-fashioned story, tracing several people over decades. The narration is very good.

I'm carrying over The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer. I haven't gotten very far into the book, but so far seems more of a thriller type book than I realized.

I'll be starting off the new year by continuing Life as Planned.

I finished the year with The Raven Scholar. It started out strong and then lost momentum. I've started Cajun Fried Felony. Nothing like a wild turkey wrangling to bring laughter to New Year's Eve.

I've just started The Woman in the Photo by Mary Hogan, narrated by Cassandra Campbell & Tavia Gilbert. So I will be carrying over with that as my first book for 2026.

Robin P wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Kicking off the new year with First Frost from the Longmire series. Expertly read by George Guidall."

Yes, I only do that series on audio. I have liked Guidall since the 1990's.

..."

Guidall's reading the Jim Chee stories (via cassettes!) brought the Southwest "alive" for me long before I first visited.

Excited to start the new year with Taylor Jenkins Reid's Atmosphere, for my IRL book club!

I'm starting the year with The Dream Hotel which sounds like an updated Minority Report.

Husband and I are carrying over Imperium. A big hit with him for Robert Harris' storytelling and Simon Jones' narration. A re-listen for me.

John wrote: " ...Guidall's reading the Jim Chee stories (via cassettes!) brought the Southwest "alive" for me long before I first visited.

Early in my audio days (on cassette) I listened to one of the series read by the author Tony Hillerman. He was so flat! Then I listened to George and it was a whole different experience. That's when I realized that great authors aren't necessarily great narrators.

Brenda wrote: "... Husband and I are carrying over Imperium. ..."

An excellent way to start the new year, Brenda and hubby.

I am carrying over Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear, another feminist ancient historical fiction tale, this one about the mother of Romulus and Remus. Almost finished.

Doug wrote: "... and it became double pneumonia so now I am out of commission for at least a week..."

I am just getting over a lost week of my own, Doug, thanks to a nasty flu thing that ate my Christmas break. I hope you feel better very soon and get a lot of listening in while you can.

Finished the wonderful mystery The Night Woods

Sadly, I did not complete my megre challenge for 2025 (one book). so I continue to listen to The Push by Ashley Audrain, narrated beautifully by the author.

I admit that a novel about postpartum depression is an odd choice for the beginning of the year, but I am really enjoying this book. There are many good reasons why I didn’t have children. All of them are depicted in stark and shattering detail in The Push.

i carried over three books into the new year:
The Soulmate Equation - contemp romance
Murder with Macaroni and Cheese - cozy mystery
Unravel the Dusk - YA fantasy/retelling

Finished Night Soldiers: A Novel by Alan Furst | read by George Guidall (one of my favorites)


Now reading The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa | read by Traci Kato-Kiriyama | enjoying it quite a bit.

I was hoping to finish Mark Twain by Ron Chernow before the end of the year. I still have 18+ hours left. At this rate maybe I'll get it finished by the end of January. It is well done and very interesting as I would expect from Chernow.

Finished The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa | read by Tracie Kato-Kiriyama | Review

I'm starting the new year with The Gunslinger by Stephen King. It's only 7 hours, lucky me!

Rena wrote: "I'm starting the new year with The Gunslinger by Stephen King. It's only 7 hours, lucky me!"

My first Stephen King book! I read the Dark Tower series, thinking incorrectly about his writing and that I didn't like it. I loved it. I have now read all but 12 of his books and just this minute finished the uncut version of The Stand. Enjoy!!!

Doug wrote: "just this minute finished the uncut version of The Stand."

Your comment made me question if I’d read a cut version, but the kindle version I read has the same cover. I’ve listened to a bunch of King’s books but he is very prolific. I just wandered thru Audible’s listing of them and am surprised, and a bit stunned, to discover that I own a few that I have not listened to.

Kudos to you for sticking with such a long audio, and to Fran for the long Mark Twain bio. That’s another listen I want to take time for.

Kathleen wrote: "Doug wrote: "just this minute finished the uncut version of The Stand."

Your comment made me question if I’d read a cut version, but the kindle version I read has the same cover. I’ve listened to ..."

Could depend on when you read it. According to King, in his intro, the publisher in 1978 decided that the maximum price of the book could be $12.99 or something and either they would delete some of the material to make it fit that category or he could. He did the editing himself. He updated the book and rereleased it in 1990. I had the cut version (narrated by Grover Gardner) that I had previously read in 2011, it was about 33 hours I think, I checked the cassettes out from my library. This one I just finished was also narrated by Grover Gardner and contains scenes I don't recall because of age or because they weren't there the first go-around. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the reread.

4.5 stars to Atmosphere - Julia Whelan is fantastic as always, and pairs well with Kristen DiMercurio. Knocked off half a star because I demand an epilogue after an ending like that lol

I finished up The Soulmate Equation and Murder with Macaroni and Cheese over the weekend

Really enjoyed Soulmate Equation - Murder with Macaroni and Cheese was interesting because its set in the same part of Maryland that I live, but I find the characters fairly obnixious - even more than normal for a cozy mystery

started Bearer of Bad News (contemp romance) and Lost Man's Lane (mystery suspense)

I finished my first audiobook of the year, Cajun Fried Felony. I appreciate the lightheartedness and humour.

Tomorrow, I will be starting The Unmaking of June Farrow.

A Particular Kind of Black Man was well narrated but disappointing. The first section about the hero's childhood and his father's moneymaking schemes was interesting. But then it jumps to various times of young adulthood without much explanation. And in one chapter he tells us that he is an unreliable narrator, then he puts one chapter in 3rd person, while the rest is in 1st person, which is just confusing.

Jen (Sad Books Say So Much) wrote: "Sadly, I did not complete my megre challenge for 2025 (one book). so I continue to listen to The Push by Ashley Audrain, narrated beautifully by the author."

Stick with it...such a good book.

Ashley Marie wrote: "Excited to start the new year with Taylor Jenkins Reid's Atmosphere, for my IRL book club!"

Enjoy!

Started the year strong...group reading challenges speak to my competitive soul. Finished:



Currently reading:
.

Audiophile Archives wrote: "Started the year strong...group reading challenges speak to my competitive soul. Finished:

[bookcover:Tel..."

You might like the Seasonal Reading Challenge group here on GR. It has brought out my competitive side.

Robin P wrote: "You might like the Seasonal Reading Challenge group here on GR. It has brought out my competitive side."

yay SRC!!!

Audiophile Archives wrote: "Started the year strong...group reading challenges speak to my competitive soul. Finished:

[bookcover:Tel..."

Interesting about Hilderbrand ... there was a loooooong queue down the block for a signing on Nantucket when I was there last.

I’m so glad you enjoyed The Push, Audiophile! I’m enjoying it too.

I am also reading 1001 Ways to Calm, which was a Christmas gift from my sister (and a pointed message 😬😜)

I started out by using it as a reference tool, but it wasn’t helping, so I am now reading it in the traditional way.

I should point out that 1001 Ways to Calm is not an audiobook (yet?) so this is a rare departure for me into the printed word.

2.5 stars to Gwen & Art Are Not in Love - cute, just not for me

The second audio for 2026 was Beg, Borrow, or Steal
I enjoy this author!

Starting the year with the Graphic Audio Storm Front Dramatized Adaptation by Jim Butcher Full Cast narration.

Finished:


Currently reading:

Robin P wrote: "Audiophile Archives wrote: "Started the year strong...group reading challenges speak to my competitive soul. Finished:

[bookcover:While It Was Snowi..."


Sounds fun, Robin P, can you please share the group link?

Audiophile Archives wrote: "Sounds fun, Robin P, can you please share the group link?"

here you go:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

Thanks, Dee, I wasn't back on line to answer.
Although the challenges go by seasons, you can join anytime.

I just finished Sunrise on the Reaping. If you liked the Hunger Game series this prequel is really good.

Nancy wrote: "I just finished Sunrise on the Reaping. If you liked the Hunger Game series this prequel is really good."

this did a good job of showing why haymitch was as f***ed up as he was - i can't wait to see the movie

I'm listening to Lab Girl. So good. Why have I never read this before?

The 44+ hours of Mark Twain was well worth it. I really didn't know much about his life and what a life he had. It was definitely a 4 - 4.5* listen for me. The NYTimes review was not as favorable and I wonder if it's because the other biographies Chernow has written were not about a writer's life. There was quite a bit of surmising about how his writing was influenced by his life. With more than 40 biographies and Twain's autobiography, I have no idea how much this attempt by Chernow added to the canon. What I did come away with was his stature as possibly the first pop culture icon. Anyway, I found it interesting but then I was a nerdy English teacher.

My husband and I have some traveling to do so I hope to finish a few more listens a bit more quickly. I'm not sure what's up next.

I'm excited to finally be listening to Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd!

Fran wrote: "The 44+ hours of Mark Twain was well worth it."

This sounds really good, Fran, and I've added it to my TBR mountain.

I finished two non-fiction listens: Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life by Helen Czerski (5 stars from me) and Populus: Living and Dying in Ancient Rome by Guy de la Bédoyère.

4 stars to Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth. Well researched and well told, but seems a tad bloated by the end, even for this LOTR nerd.