Audiobooks discussion

A bit of an audio slump for me right now, but yesterday I started the final book in a five-part historical mystery series: Agony in Amethyst. Western characters in a colonial setting doesn't really count much as multicultural to me.

John Adams by David McCullough has been on my Amazon Kindle book wish list for a long time and it had a price drop today, so I added the Audible narration that comes with my Amazon Music subscription for an immersion read my tablet.

I was in a bit of an audio slump as well, having two books going for a while that actually don't work well in audio, so I end up reading along with the audio. I may just give up the audio for those two.

Then last week I got a library hold came in Virgil by George Saunders. It was fairly short and I was able to quickly listen to it. It's a similar style to his Lincoln in the Bardo. Honestly, I'm surprised I enjoyed it.

Next up is one of the three books that came in from my library holds and I accepted them all instead of suspending them.

how the bleep is it February???

I finished up Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America this morning - I honestly didn't know much about the history of NYC in general - so this was interesting but narrated by the author which i'm not a fan of

now listening to Heart of Night and Fire - as well as still working From Here to There: The Art and Science of Finding and Losing Our Way and Iron Lake

I finished the fantasy/romance/monster story The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, an ARC that was a bit of a mixed bag for me, although it's getting rave reviews by other early reviewers. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Unfortunately, I gave up on I, Medusa by Ayana Gray at 37 percent, so I gave it a good chance, but I didn't realize it was a YA.

Dee wrote: "how the bleep is it February???"

LOL - I feel you.

I started listening to Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I'm enjoying the book and the narrator, but I had to put it down for a bit. I'm reading it along with my kiddo, and she is way behind me - like WAY behind me. I'm on chapter 31, and she's on 9. LOL. So, I'm letting her catch up. I'm starting Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo tonight.

How are you feeling Doug?

Misty wrote: "I started listening to Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I'm enjoying the book and the narrator, but I had to put it down for a bit. I'm reading it along with my kiddo, and she is way behind me - like WAY behind me. I'm on chapter 31, and she's on 9. LOL. So, I'm letting her catch up. I'm starting Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo tonight.

How are you feeling Doug?"

I really liked Red Rising although I have yet to finish the series, I stopped after book 3 and need a refresher as to what was going on.

As for me, I am much better, although I need oxygen at night (I understand this is normal after severe pneumonia and I may need it for another month at night) and after some periods of activity. Usually I am not using it. I'm progressing a lot but it seem so slow to me. I have to go get my bloodwork drawn this morning and I will take my portable tanks, it may be a bit much activity to keep my saturation above 90%? I don't know yet, so I will bring it. A follow-up appointment next Thursday will be 4 weeks out of the hospital and at this rate I may not need to bring the oxygen to that appointment? I can hope. It may be a few months before I recover my strength and stamina with work on exercise. Thanks for asking!!!

4 stars to my third read of The Eyre Affair, as narrated by Susan Duerden. Not to say she's a bad narrator, but I find her delivery relatively monotone and I'm not sorry that they switched to Emily Gray from the second book onwards.

i finished up From Here to There: The Art and Science of Finding and Losing Our Way today - pretty interesting on how we navigate without technology - about what kids and also adults with dementia do when they get lost etc - also fairly short (I think like 6hrs total)

Dee wrote: "how the bleep is it February???

I finished up Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America this morning - I honestly didn't know much about ..."

I hope you like Iron Lake. William Kent Krueger is one of my favorites along with the narrator.

Really enjoyed the mystery The Boy Who Cried Bear. It is the second book in a series.

Started X Marks the Haunt by, Lindsay Currie narrated by, Titus Colton

Pure entertainment: Santa, Sunrises, & Suspicions

Dee wrote: "how the bleep is it February???

I finished up Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America this morning - I honestly didn't know..."

I just heard Russell Shorto
and this book recommended on the Open Book podcast. I've added it to my tbr.

I just finished The Boys in the Light: An Extraordinary World War II Story of Survival, Faith, and Brotherhood a very specific and personal history of WWII. Well worth the read.

I finished Antihero a few days ago. Great narration by Scott Brick.

my Antihero review

I'm currently listening to both Murder at Gulls Nest and Daughter of Egypt.

I am well into Empire of Grass by Tad Williams. Is there anything he has written that isn't extremely long? Epic fantasy. The best.

Kristie wrote: "I'm currently listening to both Murder at Gulls Nest and Daughter of Egypt."

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on both of these, Kristie. Waiting for the release of the latter.

Doug wrote: "I am well into Empire of Grass by Tad Williams. Is there anything he has written that isn't extremely long? Epic fantasy. The best."

I look forward to starting this series! Since it's been a while since I read the original series, do you recommend I reread those first?

I am back in Rome with Fronto and the gang in #8 Marius' Mules VIII: Sons of Taranis: Marius' Mules, Book 8 of this historical military fiction series by S.J.A. Turney.

With that adventure happening, I am losing interest in Your Brain is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time by Dean Buonomano. It's a bit heavy, not really for the layman.

I'm listening to The Children of Húrin narrated by Sir Christopher Lee and it is glorious .

(view spoiler)[though I'm oddly disappointed by his dragon Glaurung voice, I confess (hide spoiler)]

I just started listening to Silas Marner, read by Margaret Hilton. It was issued by Recorded Books in 1987. The Reader is terrific. I immediately thought I recognized the voice of Lisette Lecat, who reads the McCall-Smith books about Botswana. I wonder if they could be the same person. I know readers often have more than one name, e.g., Grover Gardner used to be Tom something, David Case and Frederick Davidson are the same person (and I can’t stand him).

It’s hard to find information on readers.

Jan Mc wrote: "With that adventure happening, I am losing interest in Your Brain Is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time by Dean Buonomano. It's a bit heavy, not really for the layman."

Oh, that's too bad about this book, as I own an audio copy of the book, and I'm certainly a layman. Thanks for sharing the info Jan.

Jan Mc wrote: "Doug wrote: "I am well into Empire of Grass by Tad Williams. Is there anything he has written that isn't extremely long? Epic fantasy. The best."

I look forward to starting this series! Since it's been a while since I read the original series, do you recommend I reread those first?"

I hadn't read Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn in a while either and this is a sequel series but it fills in the details of the previous one quite well. It takes place some time after the first one and starts right off really good. I don't want to spoiler anything for anyone interested in reading the first series by giving details of the second one; Tad Williams is long but really great epic fantasy and he was one of the inspirations for Patrick Rothfuss, George R.R. Martin, and Christopher Paolini according to the blurb for book one, The Witchwood Crown.

Missclimpson wrote: "I just started listening to Silas Marner, read by Margaret Hilton. It was issued by Recorded Books in 1987. The Reader is terrific. I immediately thought I recognized the voice of Lisette Lecat, wh..."

I probably listened to that Silas Marner not long after it was released!

I was disappointed in Blob: A Love Story. The narration was fine, but I found the main character annoying. She was whiny, insecure, lazy and irresponsible and a virtual alcoholic. She dropped out of college (without telling her parents), had a dead-end job and couldn't get over a breakup of months before.

Starting Meet the Newmans By, Jennifer Niven
Narrated by, Marin Ireland & Tim Campbell

i finished up Iron Lake - enjoyed it enough that i want to continue the series I think

also listening to Passions in Death and Out of Time

Finished yesterday The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann. Quite the gripping tale.

Finishing today is Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America by Trent Preszler. Not quite as interesting as I hoped, more focused on Christmas trees and meanders quite a bit as well.

I’ve been in a bit of an audio slump too, so I decided to reset with something short. I’m listening to a 1-hour nonfiction/ethical essay-style audiobook I wrote called If a God Needs Blood, He Is Not God nor Saint. It’s a calm, reflective listen about responsibility and the protection of vulnerable beings (more philosophy/ethics than debate).

If anyone here enjoys shorter nonfiction between longer reads and would like a US/UK promo code for an honest review, feel free to DM me.

As a Midwesterner for most of my life, I am enjoying The Midwest Survival Guide: How We Talk, Love, Work, Drink, and Eat . . . Everything with Ranch - read by the author, who has been a news announcer, standup comic and YouTube presenter, mostly on this subject. His portrayal of the accent and intonations is a big part of the fun. There is an associate PDF that has a lot more material.

I finished Pro Bono by Thomas Perry. I enjoy his mysteries. They are quite clever.

So many people have recommended Remarkably Bright Creatures that I'm giving it a try. I hope it lives up to the hype.

I finished The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue. A rare 5* from me. Helped by the fact that I didn't already know what happened in this historical fiction. A lot of reviews say there are too many characters, but I felt that was it's strength.

Doug wrote: "I am well into Empire of Grass by Tad Williams. Is there anything he has written that isn't extremely long? Epic fantasy. The best."

Yes, but it's a novella! LOL. The Heart of What Was Lost I'm glad you're improving. Be gentle with yourself. When my husband had pneumonia, it took him a long time to recover. He kept getting frustrated that his recovery took so long, but that crap is vicious. Take care of yourself.

I find it a little frustrating when books in a series are narrated by different people. I love Swedish author Camilla Läckberg. I just finished her book The Golden Cage and immediately started the sequel Silver Tears. They have two different authors. It wouldn't be as big a deal if I wasn't listening to them back to back. Oh well. I just saw that book three is coming out in April with yet another narrator! Jeez.

Misty wrote: "Doug wrote: "I am well into Empire of Grass by Tad Williams. Is there anything he has written that isn't extremely long? Epic fantasy. The best."

Yes, but it's a novella! LOL. [boo..."

Oh yes, I read that too. It was the size of a "normal" book, 9 1/2 hours... A novella for him.

I went for an Xray and still have pneumonia through both lungs so I got more antibiotics. I'm still fighting, I'm determined to win. I know it will take a long time, that is disheartening because I want things to return to regularly scheduled programming and it is going on 2 months since I got sick in December. Thanks for the encouragement.

I finished Murder at Gulls Nest. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't a favorite. I figured out the who-done-it a little early, but there was still a surprise or two. 3.5★

I also finished The Girls Before. I had the audio and listened to the whole thing in 4 days, which is fabulous because I had been feeling a little slumpish and this helped. 4.5★

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

I'm now listening to Whiskey in a Teacup and trying to get back to both Keeper of Lost Children and Daughter of Egypt. I have a few (too many for me) going at the moment.

I finished Passions in Death - needed an eye/rourke palette cleanser

nearly done with Out of Time

I read A Love Song for Ricki Wilde for a Goodreads challenge and it was good! Ties in some great Harlem history with a little mystical love story. Not one I would have normally picked up so glad for the challenge to make me read something different!

Kristie wrote: "I finished Murder at Gulls Nest. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't a favorite. I figured out the who-done-it a little early, but there was still a surprise or two. 3.5★

I also finished ..."

There were aspects of Gulls Nest that didn't resonate with me, though I'm a fanboy.

Finished up Out of Time

Now working on Heart of Night and Fire and The Dark Maestro

John wrote: "Kristie wrote: "I finished Murder at Gulls Nest. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't a favorite. I figured out the who-done-it a little early, but there was still a surprise or two. 3.5★

...There were aspects of Gulls Nest that didn't resonate with me, though I'm a fanboy."

This was the first I read by this author. I'll have to give her another try.

Kristie wrote: "This was the first I read by this author (Jess Kidd). I'll have to give her another try...."

I recommend Himself for the humor. Or should I say "humour"?

Thanks, Jan. I'll check it out. :) And "humor" works for me. lol

I finished up Empire of Grass which took some time because it was a complicated book with many characters and stories going on, like a lot of epic fantasy novels that are of any length. It was only 36 hours but it seemed longer, at any rate it was 5 stars for me.

I wanted a simpler story to switch to so I picked a Star Wars novel, Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes. These novels are hit or miss and this one doesn't rate very high on here, but I didn't read the reviews to spoil the fun for myself. It is only ok, meh, I will finish it for sure but I can see why I didn't get high marks, it is a bit weak.

Finished 28 Summers this morning. The book had entertainment value.

I just finished The Correspondent. It was wonderful. A real book lovers book. The audiobook was amazing with a full cast.

I finished Whiskey in a Teacup. I thought it was a fun little memoir. I'm finally back to Keeper of Lost Children and really enjoying it.

My goodness, where is everyone? (wink)

I just finished the first of a series of historical fiction set in Ancient Greece, Killer of Men by Christian Cameron. Four stars from me, and on to the next book.

I also started The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, which I'm enjoying so far.

I finished Keeper of Lost Children and thought it was great. I'll be back with my review soon.

I'm now listening to Daughter of Egypt. It's been an interesting read. I plan to finish tonight or tomorrow.

Finished It's Not Her by, Mary Kubica narrated by , Jennifer Jill Araya, Brittany Pressley, Gary Tiedemann I liked that they had 2 narrators for the 2 main female leads however as much as I love bot of these narrators their voices were way to similar so there were times I still wasn't sure which chapter we were on. Good book and the end makes it worth the ride!

Now starting the upcoming book Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson Releases March 3rd