What are we listening to? (audiobooks) - Page 200

Catlady · 10-19-2020, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

You guys are not encouraging me to push Jane Eyre up on my "classics I should have read already" list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

I already feel better for not having read it. I tend towards Charles Dickens which are long and often depressing, but you just get sucked into the story.

But you underestimate the feeling of accomplishment at finally having read a classic or, in my case, rereading a classic as an adult to see whether my opinion changed.

One of these days I'm going to listen to Anna Karenina--when it was assigned in high school, I only read the Cliff Notes, and I still feel just a little bit guilty.

Tarana · 10-20-2020, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

But you underestimate the feeling of accomplishment at finally having read a classic or, in my case, rereading a classic as an adult to see whether my opinion changed.

One of these days I'm going to listen to Anna Karenina--when it was assigned in high school, I only read the Cliff Notes, and I still feel just a little bit guilty.

I get that. My goal this year is to get through Moby Dick. I've been putting it off forever.

I have Anna Karenina in my library and haven't listened to it yet. Crimes and Punishment was actually a favorite of mine by Dostoevsky. Read for the first time in college, I think I read it in 2 days instead of doing other needed homework. Like Charles Dickens, even though the background is a bit depressing, he can really write a story that sucks you in. I'm hoping Anna Karenina is the same way.

ApK · 10-20-2020, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

I get that. My goal this year is to get through Moby Dick. I've been putting it off forever.

I really enjoyed Moby Dick. I recommend the version narrated by Frank Muller.

Quote:

Like Charles Dickens, even though the background is a bit depressing, he can really write a story that sucks you in.

Speaking of Dickens, A Christmas Carol is the only thing of his I've actually read. I have several books on tap, but haven't been able to motivate myself.
I also have the movies "David Copperfield" and "Oliver Twist" (BBC thing, not the musical) sitting on my DVR for the last two years and never seem to press play.....

I've been having a hard time picking a new book these last few weeks. I've started and stopped half a dozen mysteries and SF novels.
I think I'm finally settled on "Alone at Dawn: Medal of Honor Recipient John Chapman and the Untold Story of the World's Deadliest Special Operations Force," a non-fiction book about Air Force Combat Controllers.
I had started and stopped another special forces memoir a few months ago because the author was NOT a particularly good writer, and his first-person account was rather dull and pompous at the same time. I think he needed a better ghost.
But this one is not a first-person memoir, and the writer(s) so far seem like very engaging story teller(s).

Catlady · 10-20-2020, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

I get that. My goal this year is to get through Moby Dick. I've been putting it off forever.

I have Anna Karenina in my library and haven't listened to it yet. Crimes and Punishment was actually a favorite of mine by Dostoevsky. Read for the first time in college, I think I read it in 2 days instead of doing other needed homework. Like Charles Dickens, even though the background is a bit depressing, he can really write a story that sucks you in. I'm hoping Anna Karenina is the same way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

I really enjoyed Moby Dick. I recommend the version narrated by Frank Muller.

Speaking of Dickens, A Christmas Carol is the only thing of his I've actually read. I have several books on tap, but haven't been able to motivate myself.
I also have the movies "David Copperfield" and "Oliver Twist" (BBC thing, not the musical) sitting on my DVR for the last two years and never seem to press play.....

Moby Dick is on my "maybe someday" list--only because of audiobooks; I would not even consider it otherwise.

I want to have read Russian literature, but I don't want to actually read it.

A few years back I went on a Dickens mini binge, listening to a handful of familiar and already read titles--A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and a couple of others. I mostly enjoyed them; I made a point of listening to different narrators, and all were good. I plan to read Bleak House (new to me), but keep putting it off.

SeaBookGuy · 10-20-2020, 11:30 AM

More than halfway through The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne, murder mystery set in 1704 London. Slow start, but enough traction that I'd likely read a sequel.

issybird · 10-20-2020, 01:45 PM

In general, I think the Victorian novels are wonderful as audiobooks. I highly recommend Trollope for those who haven’t tried him or tried him in audio. Timothy West is especially good at reading him, but the usual suspects are fine also.

Tarana · 10-27-2020, 08:02 PM

Since I last posted, I completed Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold as well as the next, Ethan of Athos (free for me through Audible Plus). Love Grover Gardner! Cetaganda was great! Ethan of Athos was good, but lacked some of the humor in the stories with Miles.

Finished Wards of Faerie and BloodFire Quest by Terry Brooks. I thought the plot a bit convoluted in Blood Fire Quest. The characters and plot setup was needed, but just didn't go smoothly. Just started Witch Wraith which is the final book in the Dark Legacy Trilogy. Narrated by Roselyn Landor and she does a great job.

None of the novellas or short stories were remarkable.

CRussel · 10-28-2020, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

Since I last posted, I completed Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold as well as the next, Ethan of Athos (free for me through Audible Plus). Love Grover Gardner! Cetaganda was great! Ethan of Athos was good, but lacked some of the humor in the stories with Miles.

I'm working my way through them all again starting with Shards of Honor, but I skipped both of these as being ones I didn't really care about. Cetaganda never worked for me -- not sure why. And Ethan wasn't really a Miles story, so I decided to pass on by. I'm currently on Komar, where Ekaterina first appears. And you're right, Grover Gardner is very good.

taosaur · 11-02-2020, 01:18 AM

I'm well into the third Farseer book, and they are hitting the spot. I'm still seeing echoes of a lot of Wheel of Time's better qualities, but Hobb's characters act their ages and even when they are obsessed with the opposite sex, it's a bit more nuanced. The magic system is very, shall we say, narratively convenient in getting around the limitations of a first person telling. One could make the case that the POV is first person limited omniscient. I'm not usually a fan of prophecy as a plot device, but Hobb is clever with it and doesn't lean on it too heavily. The characters are believably admirable, believably villainous, and believably confused, according to their natures and circumstances. Here and there the romance elements are a bit much for my tastes, but they only dominate the story for short stretches.

Tarana · 11-03-2020, 10:24 PM

Finished Witch Wraith by Terry Brooks and narrated by Roselyn Landor. The best of the 3 books, some of the awkward plot from the 2nd book was planned that way. I'll forgive the writer.

Listened to Cooking is Murder by Elizabeth Spann Craig and narrated by Judy Blue. This series is getting a bit formulaic, but does have some fun stuff. Features an elderly sleuth and her decade younger side-kick Miles. Gnomes are seen again.

Tangle Box by Terry Brooks wasn't one of my favorites of this series, but it did have an interesting presentation. Narrated by Dick Hill, I love his version of Strabo the Dragon. Two more books in this series. Unfortunately, this series is no longer available at Audible.

Short stories - mentioning both because they were good! First was a zombie story - Deadlocked by A. R. Wise and well narrated by Brian Sutherland. This is about 2 hours long and follows a man trying to get back to his family. Fair amount of violence, but for zombie stories, I actually liked this one. Book 1 of a series, it finishes off - you can continue if you wish.

Suicide Run by Michael Connelly and narrated by Len Cariou was excellent. I whine about how bad Connelly is at short stories, but these were excellent and prove he can do it when inspired.

Next on is Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold and narrated by Gardner Grover. I was going to start Moby Dick but I needed something upbeat.

issybird · 11-04-2020, 10:09 AM

I’m listening to what is probably one of the most popular Jeeves books, Wodehouse’s The Code of the Woosters.

It was next up on the Wodehouse bibliography for me. I listen to Wodehouse when at all possible and my options were the version read by Jonathan Cecil at Hoopla, available immediately, or the Simon Prebble, where I’d have been third on hold at my OD library. I’ve listened to a lot of Cecil reading Wodehouse in part because of Hoopla so I went with that happily enough, but got on the hold list for Prebble out of idle curiosity, since I’ve noted especially with audiobook holds your turn can come up much faster than anticipated. Sure enough, after a couple of days in, I got the Prebble. So I decided to give it a try, and I have to say I’m enjoying it more. Cecil is fine, but his women’s voices in particular leave much to be desired.

CRussel · 11-04-2020, 12:01 PM

Interesting. I've often gone with the Cecil narrations, but I'll have to give the Simon Prebble ones a try.

And it's been too long since I've listened to a Jeeves and Wooster. Or watched any of the old Fry and Laurie TV versions, for that matter. Might be a good antidote to what's happening in the real world...

issybird · 11-04-2020, 06:49 PM

Wodehouse is the perfect distraction. In fact, last night it was my means of sanity. Turn off the screen and screw in the ear buds. Much better! I’ll have to go for a repeat tonight.

I like Cecil, but I was glad to discover that I like Prebble, too.

CRussel · 11-05-2020, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

I like Cecil, but I was glad to discover that I like Prebble, too.

I've listened to Prebble before, though not a Jeeves & Wooster. But since my library had The Code of the Woosters, I've downloaded it and will listen when I finish my marathon listen to the entire Vorkosigan Saga.

issybird · 11-06-2020, 01:29 PM

I’ve started Trollope’s The Last Chronicle of Barset read by Timothy West. I highly recommend his Trollope narrations.

There’s a slightly melancholy aspect to this for me. In the past few years I’ve worked my way through Trollope’s two great hexalogies (I read them in reverse order, the Parliamentary books before the Barsetshire) and this is the last of them. I’ve still got plenty of unread Trollope, but it won’t be quite the same.

11-03-2020, 10:24 PM	#2995
Tarana Wizard Posts: 3,991 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	Finished Witch Wraith by Terry Brooks and narrated by Roselyn Landor. The best of the 3 books, some of the awkward plot from the 2nd book was planned that way. I'll forgive the writer. Listened to Cooking is Murder by Elizabeth Spann Craig and narrated by Judy Blue. This series is getting a bit formulaic, but does have some fun stuff. Features an elderly sleuth and her decade younger side-kick Miles. Gnomes are seen again. Tangle Box by Terry Brooks wasn't one of my favorites of this series, but it did have an interesting presentation. Narrated by Dick Hill, I love his version of Strabo the Dragon. Two more books in this series. Unfortunately, this series is no longer available at Audible. Short stories - mentioning both because they were good! First was a zombie story - Deadlocked by A. R. Wise and well narrated by Brian Sutherland. This is about 2 hours long and follows a man trying to get back to his family. Fair amount of violence, but for zombie stories, I actually liked this one. Book 1 of a series, it finishes off - you can continue if you wish. Suicide Run by Michael Connelly and narrated by Len Cariou was excellent. I whine about how bad Connelly is at short stories, but these were excellent and prove he can do it when inspired. Next on is Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold and narrated by Gardner Grover. I was going to start Moby Dick but I needed something upbeat. Last edited by Tarana; 11-03-2020 at 10:35 PM.

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10-20-2020, 11:30 AM	#2990
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	More than halfway through The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne, murder mystery set in 1704 London. Slow start, but enough traction that I'd likely read a sequel.

10-20-2020, 01:45 PM	#2991
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,445 Karma: 224000000 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	In general, I think the Victorian novels are wonderful as audiobooks. I highly recommend Trollope for those who haven’t tried him or tried him in audio. Timothy West is especially good at reading him, but the usual suspects are fine also.

10-27-2020, 08:02 PM	#2992
Tarana Wizard Posts: 3,991 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	Since I last posted, I completed Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold as well as the next, Ethan of Athos (free for me through Audible Plus). Love Grover Gardner! Cetaganda was great! Ethan of Athos was good, but lacked some of the humor in the stories with Miles. Finished Wards of Faerie and BloodFire Quest by Terry Brooks. I thought the plot a bit convoluted in Blood Fire Quest. The characters and plot setup was needed, but just didn't go smoothly. Just started Witch Wraith which is the final book in the Dark Legacy Trilogy. Narrated by Roselyn Landor and she does a great job. None of the novellas or short stories were remarkable.

11-02-2020, 01:18 AM	#2994
taosaur intelligent posterior Posts: 1,562 Karma: 21295618 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohiopolis Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro	I'm well into the third Farseer book, and they are hitting the spot. I'm still seeing echoes of a lot of Wheel of Time's better qualities, but Hobb's characters act their ages and even when they are obsessed with the opposite sex, it's a bit more nuanced. The magic system is very, shall we say, narratively convenient in getting around the limitations of a first person telling. One could make the case that the POV is first person limited omniscient. I'm not usually a fan of prophecy as a plot device, but Hobb is clever with it and doesn't lean on it too heavily. The characters are believably admirable, believably villainous, and believably confused, according to their natures and circumstances. Here and there the romance elements are a bit much for my tastes, but they only dominate the story for short stretches.

11-04-2020, 10:09 AM	#2996
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,445 Karma: 224000000 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	I’m listening to what is probably one of the most popular Jeeves books, Wodehouse’s *The Code of the Woosters*. It was next up on the Wodehouse bibliography for me. I listen to Wodehouse when at all possible and my options were the version read by Jonathan Cecil at Hoopla, available immediately, or the Simon Prebble, where I’d have been third on hold at my OD library. I’ve listened to a lot of Cecil reading Wodehouse in part because of Hoopla so I went with that happily enough, but got on the hold list for Prebble out of idle curiosity, since I’ve noted especially with audiobook holds your turn can come up much faster than anticipated. Sure enough, after a couple of days in, I got the Prebble. So I decided to give it a try, and I have to say I’m enjoying it more. Cecil is fine, but his women’s voices in particular leave much to be desired.

11-04-2020, 12:01 PM	#2997
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,190 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	Interesting. I've often gone with the Cecil narrations, but I'll have to give the Simon Prebble ones a try. And it's been too long since I've listened to a Jeeves and Wooster. Or watched any of the old Fry and Laurie TV versions, for that matter. Might be a good antidote to what's happening in the real world...

11-04-2020, 06:49 PM	#2998
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,445 Karma: 224000000 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	Wodehouse is the perfect distraction. In fact, last night it was my means of sanity. Turn off the screen and screw in the ear buds. Much better! I’ll have to go for a repeat tonight. I like Cecil, but I was glad to discover that I like Prebble, too.

11-06-2020, 01:29 PM	#3000
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,445 Karma: 224000000 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	I’ve started Trollope’s *The Last Chronicle of Barset* read by Timothy West. I highly recommend his Trollope narrations. There’s a slightly melancholy aspect to this for me. In the past few years I’ve worked my way through Trollope’s two great hexalogies (I read them in reverse order, the Parliamentary books before the Barsetshire) and this is the last of them. I’ve still got plenty of unread Trollope, but it won’t be quite the same.

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