Audio Books - What are you listening to?
Discussion
toasty said:
Just finishing another enjoyable Stephen King book - The Institute. Reminiscent of his earlier Firestarter and Dead Zone, this combines the two with an evil institute full of psychic kids.
Looking forward to another Evan Smoak book but have opted for (after another recommendation on here) Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy to keep me busy for the next year or so.
Just finished the fifth (and last) Evan Smoak. Great stuff. Really great stuff.Looking forward to another Evan Smoak book but have opted for (after another recommendation on here) Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy to keep me busy for the next year or so.
Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 2nd March 15:39
GetCarter said:
toasty said:
Just finishing another enjoyable Stephen King book - The Institute. Reminiscent of his earlier Firestarter and Dead Zone, this combines the two with an evil institute full of psychic kids.
Looking forward to another Evan Smoak book but have opted for (after another recommendation on here) Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy to keep me busy for the next year or so.
Just finished the fifth (and last) Evan Smoak. Great stuff. Really great stuff.Looking forward to another Evan Smoak book but have opted for (after another recommendation on here) Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy to keep me busy for the next year or so.
Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 2nd March 15:39
GetCarter said:
Just finished the fifth (and last) Evan Smoak. Great stuff. Really great stuff.
Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
I just finished the 3rd Evan Smoak book due to you mentioning them last year, fantastic. The 3rd is the best so far. Going to start number 4 soon.Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
bracken78 said:
GetCarter said:
Just finished the fifth (and last) Evan Smoak. Great stuff. Really great stuff.
Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
I just finished the 3rd Evan Smoak book due to you mentioning them last year, fantastic. The 3rd is the best so far. Going to start number 4 soon.Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
bracken78 said:
GetCarter said:
Just finished the fifth (and last) Evan Smoak. Great stuff. Really great stuff.
Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
I just finished the 3rd Evan Smoak book due to you mentioning them last year, fantastic. The 3rd is the best so far. Going to start number 4 soon.Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
You're in for a treat as the 4th was my favourite, listened to it last week.
Scott Brick could well be the best narrator of all the books I've listened to.
At the minute I'm listening to Kolymsky Heights (Thriller set in Siberia) by Lionel Davidson which is extremely good (I keep making excuses to go and do things for an hour).
Then, the latest Orphan X which I'm looking forward to.
I've downloaded a Bill Bryson audio book from my free local library service. 'The road to little dribbling'.
I'm enjoying it. I listen to it when I go to bed, and I fall asleep very quickly. In the morning I repeat the episodes that I've slept through.
It seems to take a lot more time to listen to the words that it does to read them, and it takes a lot longer to focus on what's being said.
I can see myself repeating the episodes a few times over when if I was reading the book I'd get it straight away.
Presumably it's practice - but how do you stop your mind from drifting and losing concentration?
I'm enjoying it. I listen to it when I go to bed, and I fall asleep very quickly. In the morning I repeat the episodes that I've slept through.
It seems to take a lot more time to listen to the words that it does to read them, and it takes a lot longer to focus on what's being said.
I can see myself repeating the episodes a few times over when if I was reading the book I'd get it straight away.
Presumably it's practice - but how do you stop your mind from drifting and losing concentration?
condor said:
I've downloaded a Bill Bryson audio book from my free local library service. 'The road to little dribbling'.
I'm enjoying it. I listen to it when I go to bed, and I fall asleep very quickly. In the morning I repeat the episodes that I've slept through.
It seems to take a lot more time to listen to the words that it does to read them, and it takes a lot longer to focus on what's being said.
I can see myself repeating the episodes a few times over when if I was reading the book I'd get it straight away.
Presumably it's practice - but how do you stop your mind from drifting and losing concentration?
We listen when driving... it occupies exactly the right part of the brain. According to Audible we are on book number 117! (I should point out that our nearest supermarket is a 128 mile round trip, so we get plenty of time to listen).I'm enjoying it. I listen to it when I go to bed, and I fall asleep very quickly. In the morning I repeat the episodes that I've slept through.
It seems to take a lot more time to listen to the words that it does to read them, and it takes a lot longer to focus on what's being said.
I can see myself repeating the episodes a few times over when if I was reading the book I'd get it straight away.
Presumably it's practice - but how do you stop your mind from drifting and losing concentration?
Of the recent listens, I highly recommend Stephen King's 'Mr Mercedes'. Fantastic performance by Will Patton and a very exciting plot.
blingybongy said:
bracken78 said:
GetCarter said:
Just finished the fifth (and last) Evan Smoak. Great stuff. Really great stuff.
Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
I just finished the 3rd Evan Smoak book due to you mentioning them last year, fantastic. The 3rd is the best so far. Going to start number 4 soon.Now on The Outsider (Stephen King). About 10 times better than the Sky TV version.... not that that is particularly bad.
You're in for a treat as the 4th was my favourite, listened to it last week.
Scott Brick could well be the best narrator of all the books I've listened to.
At the minute I'm listening to Kolymsky Heights (Thriller set in Siberia) by Lionel Davidson which is extremely good (I keep making excuses to go and do things for an hour).
Then, the latest Orphan X which I'm looking forward to.
I Listen to a lot of Peter May books with my favourites so far being the Enzo Macleod series and The Lewis Trilogy. Tony Parsons DC Max Wolfe series is also a good listen, i think my favourite listen over the last year or so is Robert Whites Rick Fuller series.
"Me" by Elton John, read by Aaron Egerton. I got it from the library for something to listen to when out my for daily Covid walk.
This is the first time I've tried an audiobook (I read the book proper last year) and am thoroughly enjoying it. As noted above, I'm surprised how much longer it takes to listen to than read though... But Egerton's delivery adds an extra dimension. It is very pleasant being "read to" for the first time since I was a child..
The book itself is wonderful and I would highly recommend it - even if you're only a casual fan of Elton John's music. Parts of it are laugh out loud funny, and he speaks honestly and movingly about his difficult upbringing and various struggles over the years.
This is the first time I've tried an audiobook (I read the book proper last year) and am thoroughly enjoying it. As noted above, I'm surprised how much longer it takes to listen to than read though... But Egerton's delivery adds an extra dimension. It is very pleasant being "read to" for the first time since I was a child..
The book itself is wonderful and I would highly recommend it - even if you're only a casual fan of Elton John's music. Parts of it are laugh out loud funny, and he speaks honestly and movingly about his difficult upbringing and various struggles over the years.
a said:
Also, I've never used it, but heard great things about https://www.overdrive.com/
It's a system for "borrowing" audio books from libraries. Many libraries are members, so check your local ones.
Definitely worth popping into your library to find out about borrowing audio books and e-booksIt's a system for "borrowing" audio books from libraries. Many libraries are members, so check your local ones.
My library uses Borrowbox and RB digital...
I'm now on my 6th audiobook courtesy of my local library ( they use RBdigital). The quality of narrator is so important and I wonder if the authors realise how their work is being portrayed. I'm currently listening to a well known golf pro's autobiography and the narrator can't pronounce 'th' properly , so we have bruvver instead of brother, ovver instead of other, wevver instead of weather etc. It's a book I would prefer to read rather than listen to because of the poor diction.
A book based on beer making in France, which surprisingly had lots of good reviews. The narrator read very quickly and phrases got lost as there wasn't enough time for the brain to process unfamiliar French names or beer making terminology. At the end the narrator read out the Glossary, which would have been better if it had been an optional chapter at the start of the book. It would also have been good if someone had told him to slow down. There was a lot of unnecessary swearing as well, which if you're reading you can gloss over. Having someone shout offensive swear words in your ear as you're dozing isn't that relaxing.
Another autobiography, this time the narrator was good. Although there were some 2 way conversations when the narrator would say who was speaking ie Peter, Yes, me , that's right. Peter, what's right, me, what you just said. Peter....you get the idea. I think 3 whole chapters were like that, or it felt like it!
I've only listened to 6 books so far!
The other 3 have had good narrators. 'The money that never was' by David Luddington had an entertaining narrator who used lots of different voices in his story telling, which made it fun to listen to. The Bill Bryson book was read well to, as was Roger Moores' diary from filming 'A view to a kill'.
I'm sure others will have their pet hates too. Would be interesting to hear more views on the narrator's skill or lack of..
A book based on beer making in France, which surprisingly had lots of good reviews. The narrator read very quickly and phrases got lost as there wasn't enough time for the brain to process unfamiliar French names or beer making terminology. At the end the narrator read out the Glossary, which would have been better if it had been an optional chapter at the start of the book. It would also have been good if someone had told him to slow down. There was a lot of unnecessary swearing as well, which if you're reading you can gloss over. Having someone shout offensive swear words in your ear as you're dozing isn't that relaxing.
Another autobiography, this time the narrator was good. Although there were some 2 way conversations when the narrator would say who was speaking ie Peter, Yes, me , that's right. Peter, what's right, me, what you just said. Peter....you get the idea. I think 3 whole chapters were like that, or it felt like it!
I've only listened to 6 books so far!
The other 3 have had good narrators. 'The money that never was' by David Luddington had an entertaining narrator who used lots of different voices in his story telling, which made it fun to listen to. The Bill Bryson book was read well to, as was Roger Moores' diary from filming 'A view to a kill'.
I'm sure others will have their pet hates too. Would be interesting to hear more views on the narrator's skill or lack of..
condor said:
Would be interesting to hear more views on the narrator's skill or lack of..
On audio book number 118 and there are three narrators that stand out IMHO:Michael Sheen (Who reads Philip Pullman novels)
Scott Brick (Who reads Gregg Hurwitz novels)
Will Patton (who reads Stephen King novels)
Peter Forbes (who reads Peter May novels) is also worth a mention.
GetCarter said:
condor said:
Would be interesting to hear more views on the narrator's skill or lack of..
On audio book number 118 and there are three narrators that stand out IMHO:Michael Sheen (Who reads Philip Pullman novels)
Scott Brick (Who reads Gregg Hurwitz novels)
Will Patton (who reads Stephen King novels)
Peter Forbes (who reads Peter May novels) is also worth a mention.
Mostly modern day stuff relating to covert operations from the side of police, and other operatives, as well as stuff relating to gangs and the underworld from street level, to Mr 'Bigs.'
Good books with good narrators,
Crack House, by Harry Keeble/Kris Hollington, narrated by Damian Lynch
Terror Cops, as above
County Lines, by Jason Farrell, narrated by Paul Thornley.
Soldier Spy, by Tom Marcus, narrated by Jason Langley.
toasty said:
Absolutely nothing at the moment. No commute, no audio books. 
I know - sort of got out of the habit.I had the Steven Levy book "Facebook: The Inside Story" lined up and I really haven't cracked it yet, because there's so much dross to watch on YouTube, or plenty of Music to consult with....
But "Facebook:TIS" is - well frankly, it's bit boring, so if I sit down with it I'm probably going to fall asleep, and then wonder where I was!!!
There are some audio books that are so bad that I have to give up on them.
I don't want to, I listen to the early chapters at least twice to make sure I'm not missing meanings - but sometimes, the books have no appeal, no humour, zero interest.
I then wonder, why would someone bother to recite something so boring/banal that no one would want to read or listen to it? Why would a library list it?
I've downloaded a couple more, so not a big deal
I don't want to, I listen to the early chapters at least twice to make sure I'm not missing meanings - but sometimes, the books have no appeal, no humour, zero interest.
I then wonder, why would someone bother to recite something so boring/banal that no one would want to read or listen to it? Why would a library list it?
I've downloaded a couple more, so not a big deal
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