UK Book Club discussion

I've just started to get into Audiobooks and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for well-read stories or just good stories?

Also has anyone tried Audible from Amazon and know if it's worth the money?

Thanks :)

I didn't go through Amazon but straight to audible and love it. I pay £7.99 and get an audio book a month. I usually get unabridged ones which are over 10 hours long and some I have got have been £40 to buy normally but you only pay the £7.99 a month and earn a credit to buy which ever book you want. I often buy extra ones in the sales if something catches me eye.

The programme you need to download is simple and you can link it to itunes and load onto an ipod too or various other gadgets and phones etc. Its also simple to download and if you have a problem which hasn't been often in the two years I have been a member the staff are very helpful and knowledgeable too.

I love audiobooks, started to listen to them this year. I use audible.com and booksonboard.com, audible looks expensive at first but they usually have some good discounts every so often and also earning credits help a lot :) I liked Water for Elephants, Room, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Graveyard Book a lot on audio (not only because of the story but also the narration was briliant) I also prefer listening to Jane Austen books instead of reading them, because of the huge sized sentences.

The Diana Gabaldon Crosstitch/Outlander series is wonderful and the audiobooks are superbly read by Davina Porter. I highly recommend them.

Oh! I have the first two books of Outlander series,looks like I should move the books up in my pile :)

I used to listen to them on my commute (before kindle), I have bought through itunes, although Lynne's membership sounds good. I enjoyed Host, Her Fearful Symmetry and Time Traveller's wife. Despite enjoying reading Labyrinth I couldn't listen to it. I'm currently enjoying Wurthering Heights.

I am listening to this months download from audible - Catch-22 - I am finding it hysterical - not sure it is supposed to be humourous though!

Tugce Nida wrote: "Oh! I have the first two books of Outlander series,looks like I should move the books up in my pile :)"
Many people, I and my three daughters included, think Outlander and the series are our favourite books ever. It's years since I read them, but I keep rereading or listening to them and when a new book in the series arrives, we order it and I buy one for each daughter the minute it hits the store.
The characters all 'live' and every woman I've ever know to have read the books consider Jamie the ideal man in every way. We all fall in love with him.
The lovely thing is that the audio books, read by the wonderful Davina Porter, seem to bring these beloved characters to life.
Yes, Tugc Nida, I would definitely read them - now!

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "I didn't go through Amazon but straight to audible and love it. I pay £7.99 and get an audio book a month..."

Thank you Lynne, that does sound good.

Helen, I really enjoyed reading the Time Traveller's Wife so I'll definitely add Her Fearful Symmetry to my 'to be listened to' pile.

Thank you everyone for the recommendations :)

Like Lynne - I use audible and love it. I'm currently listening to The Other Side of the Bridge, for my drive to work. I notice The Shadow of the Wind now has an unabridged version, which may be my next use of a credit.

I had a voucher for audible for two free weeks, I went and had a nosy after reading this last night, signed up and had 'One Day' (16+ hours, normally £25)free. Presumably it'll be £7.99 a month after that.

Helen - I really enjoyed One day, I have it on audio from audible. I hope you too enjoy it

Chris wrote: "Helen - I really enjoyed One day, I have it on audio from audible. I hope you too enjoy it"

i have read the book last year and loved it, became one of my fav. so is the audiobook good? sometime this year i want a reread but different type (like listening) would be a lot better cos i am not very good in rereads.

Tugce Nida wrote: "Chris wrote: "Helen - I really enjoyed One day, I have it on audio from audible. I hope you too enjoy it"

i have read the book last year and loved it, became one of my fav. so is the audiobook goo..."

If I find I like a book I look for it on audio, then I can re-read by listening while doing housework or the dreaded ironing. On audible you can listen to the preview of how it will sound before you buy.

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "Tugce Nida wrote: "Chris wrote: "Helen - I really enjoyed One day, I have it on audio from audible. I hope you too enjoy it"

i have read the book last year and loved it, became one of my fav. so..."

I actually use audible a lot but never try the listening guess my brain stops working at times, thanks Lynne :)

It was Lynne that introduced me to One Day, its about to come out as a film too.

Helen wrote: "It was Lynne that introduced me to One Day, its about to come out as a film too."

I loved the book and been recommending it to whoever i can ever since. And looking forward to the film ( I will be in London when it is on and I am planning to see it there) I got the audiobook today, will try the re-read (well listen in this situation)before the movie is out.

Love one day. I wasn't sure about the casting as Anne Hathaway didn't seem right for Emma to me.

But having seen the trailer she looks perfect.

I've not seen a trailer yet. Planning to listen when reading becomes too much whilst lying on the beach or by the pool in Tunisia.

Helen wrote: "I've not seen a trailer yet. Planning to listen when reading becomes too much whilst lying on the beach or by the pool in Tunisia."

Have fun - I'm not going away this year :( I think I need to find a book about somewhere hot and sunny instead :(

Dave wrote: "Love one day. I wasn't sure about the casting as Anne Hathaway didn't seem right for Emma to me.

But having seen the trailer she looks perfect."

i was thinking the same about Hathaway but loved the trailer. You can see it from www.imdb.com search for One day then there is a link for official trailer.

I saw one on tv earlier, it looks worth a watch. I generally like her.

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "I am listening to this months download from audible - Catch-22 - I am finding it hysterical - not sure it is supposed to be humourous though!"

I think it probably comes under the category 'black comedy/satire' as well as the more obvious 'war' Hey, so good for this month's genre challenge!

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "I am listening to this months download from audible - Catch-22 - I am finding it hysterical - not sure it is supposed to be humourous though!"

Hi Lynne, Catch 22 is definitely supposed to be humourous, it's generally regarded as satire :)

I only recently got into audio books... I have a 50 mile round trip to work... since I started listening I've slowed down and my fuel consumption has gone from 52 mpg to 60 mpg! I've listened to "Deep Fathom" and "Eye of the Needle" which were both great :)

does anyone know if you can purchase from audible US...there seems to be more choice on their site...

i tried listening to 'the lion the witch and the wardrobe' whilst driving...ummm seems i'm not a multi tasker lol

I can't drive without an audio book now!

Adrienne wrote: "does anyone know if you can purchase from audible US...there seems to be more choice on their site...

i tried listening to 'the lion the witch and the wardrobe' whilst driving...ummm seems i'm no..."

You can unless there is a sales restriction special for the book, I live in Turkey and getting most of my Audiobooks from Audible.

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "I can't drive without an audio book now!"

Oh That's definitely me!

I'm both a member of the UK and the German Audible and get downloads from both websites in my audible manager. So you can use your Audible manager for several accounts. I do however use my amazon account for both the German and English Audible; I don't think it will work using different accounts.

Just like Lynne, I pay monthly and download one book every month. I listen to both abridged and unabridged audiobooks and I mostly - but not always - search on narrators rather than authors. In this way I download books I would not have normally picked or that I wouldn't bother to read in my own mother tongue (Dutch).

On the German Audible the choice isn't as big as on other German sites that sell audiobooks. But they seem to work more with exclusive downloads.

With regards to English audiobooks I only download books read by British narrators, since I have a hard time understanding American narrators.

A few of my favourite narrators are:
Colin Mace; the books by Dan Waddell The Blood Detective and Blood Atonement)

Carole Boyd (The Franchise Affair and A Different Kind Of Courage: Gretel's Story)

Jonathan Keeble (The Calling of the Grave)

Hugh Fraser - the Agatha Christie books featuring Hercule Poirot.

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is an awesome narrator (Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London trilogy & others)

My book The Amulet is now available in audiobook at Audible (both .com and .co.uk), joining my Watchers series there

I've created a wee page for my audiobooks on my site if anyone is interested

http://www.williammeikle.com/audioboo...

I'm also a £7.99 audible customer and the next credit is one of the high lights of my month. I do a lot of sewing, patchwork and quilting and I love to have someone read to me while I work.
I really like the "mistake" service, where if you realise you have bought a book you can't get on with, they allow you to cancel it and chose another.
I've just listened to Timothy West romp his way through "Flashman's Lady". Impailed myself at least twice with the needle because I was laughing so much.

Even though I get my credit every month, I do keep an eye on their sales and special offers, since anything in my catchment list that falls below £7.99 is obviously better to buy rather than use a credit on it. (I'd rather spend £8 on a £25 quid book than £8 on a £7 book... ;))

Tim wrote: "Even though I get my credit every month, I do keep an eye on their sales and special offers, since anything in my catchment list that falls below £7.99 is obviously better to buy rather than use a ..."

I do that too!

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "Tim wrote: "Even though I get my credit every month, I do keep an eye on their sales and special offers, since anything in my catchment list that falls below £7.99 is obviously better to buy rather..."
Me too:-)

I've always said that I couldn't get into audiobooks as I preferred to read them.

However having just listened to the BBC's new audio play of Neverwhere and loving it, I may have to change my mind.

Dave wrote: "I've always said that I couldn't get into audiobooks as I preferred to read them.

However having just listened to the BBC's new audio play of Neverwhere and loving it, I may have to change my mind."

You need to listen to the sample before you buy, sometimes the wrong "voice" can ruin a book. Good readers add something to any story.

I've never tried audio books but heard about audio go recently , I fancy trying some dr who but don't know what to start with any recommendations, I'm not really into sci fi but loving dr who at mo!

Andrew wrote: "I've never tried audio books but heard about audio go recently , I fancy trying some dr who but don't know what to start with any recommendations, I'm not really into sci fi but loving dr who at mo!"

Try Ben Aaronvitch's "Rivers of London". He used to write for Dr Who.

Thanks bev, would be good for car journey to work.

If you're interested in Dr Who, you should check out Big Finish - http://www.bigfinish.com They do full cast audio dramas and narrated audiobooks from the 'classic Dr who' era -- Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, all new stories from top writers and the original cast. Also other genre stuff from Stargate to Sherlock Holmes.

Nick Briggs, the man behind it was the announcer at the start & end of Neverwhere (see above) and is the voice of the Daleks on the current BBC show.

Ta Tom will look it up.

Bev wrote: "Andrew wrote: "I've never tried audio books but heard about audio go recently , I fancy trying some dr who but don't know what to start with any recommendations, I'm not really into sci fi but lov..."

Absolutely second this suggestion. The books are performed by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who is absolutely perfect for these fast paced and funny books--well, there is a bit of gore, too.

Dave wrote: "I've always said that I couldn't get into audiobooks as I preferred to read them.

However having just listened to the BBC's new audio play of Neverwhere and loving it, I may have to change my mind."
I just read the book and loved it. Have you heard NG's reading of _The Graveyard Book_? Fabulous. I think it won a big prize. I think my all time favorite is the BBC version of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass trilogy.

Tugcenin wrote: "I love audiobooks, started to listen to them this year. I use audible.com and booksonboard.com, audible looks expensive at first but they usually have some good discounts every so often and also ea..."


Which version of the Jane Austen books do yuo like?

K. wrote: "Dave wrote: "I've always said that I couldn't get into audiobooks as I preferred to read them.

However having just listened to the BBC's new audio play of Neverwhere and loving it, I may have to c..."

You mean the version read by the author and som Londno actors?

Someone mentioned The graveyard book. I've just started listening to it, and yes, it's fantastic!

Dora wrote: "K. wrote: "Dave wrote: "I've always said that I couldn't get into audiobooks as I preferred to read them.

However having just listened to the BBC's new audio play of Neverwhere and loving it, I ma..."

It was a full audio play not a reading of the book - done by the BBC staring James mcavoy and Benedict Cumberbatch

I have found many of your comments regarding audiobooks interesting. I self-published my autobiography in November last year (2012) as an e-book only. Naturally, as a new, inexperienced, first time author I have taken note of advice given to people like me on how to promote our books and how to get them noticed. One person, whom I respect for their professionalism, suggested having audio versions is something we indie authors should consider. I was not totally convinced especially as it would appear to be rather expensive to do and I have little in the way of resources. Consequently I have not pursued the point. However, having now seen how much you all enjoy audio books I will have to reconsider. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions here.