What are we listening to? (audiobooks)

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by issybird

Hoopla is your friend.

Yes. I have to check and see if my complimentary Stark Library eCard has expired yet. As a resident, I only have so long before I need to visit a location and upgrade (still free) to a full-fledged card.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by ApK

Doesn't audible still let you return or exchange books, particularly if you bought by mistake?

Not sure, really. But I'm sure I'm past any "no questions asked" grace period by now. I'll certainly check for next time, though.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I think there are both good and bad narrators of every gender. That being said, I would say there's a slight advantage to the female narrators. But I much prefer the subtle approach of a Grover Gardner rather than those who try to completely change their voice for each character. (And I especially hate really BAD "American" accents from English narrators, who just don't get it right!)

My candidate for worst voice characterization ever is a double whammy, female voiced by male and American accent (Southern, too, which tends to be worst of all) voiced by a Brit. And it's by my favorite narrator of all time.

Spoiler:

Mrs. Wogan in Patrick O'Brian's Desolation Island, read by Simon Vance

It's... painful.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Not sure, really. But I'm sure I'm past any "no questions asked" grace period by now. I'll certainly check for next time, though.

It's six months, just as an FYI. So if it's one of the credits you bought in the past month or so, you should still be good. If you look at your library, the books that still qualify have a return button.

Yeah, I know you probably know this.

ETA: Oops, I should qualify this to say that it used to be six months, but it might have been changed.

[Catlady]

I'm not nearly as picky about narrators as many of you seem to be. When there's a book by an unfamiliar author that seems like a maybe from the description, the narrator might influence me one way or the other. But that doesn't happen much.

Although I do have a few favorites and a few dislikes, most narrators just fade into the background for me.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by issybird

Yeah, I know you probably know this.

ETA: Oops, I should qualify this to say that it used to be six months, but it might have been changed.

I did NOT know this, actually. Thanks! I'll check it out.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I did NOT know this, actually. Thanks! I'll check it out.

Still a year, according to this link, which has the return instructions:

https://help.audible.com/s/article/c...language=en_US

The biggest catch for me, IIRC is that you need to have an active membership (either trial or paid) to return stuff.
IOW, IIRC, Last time I was on a 90-day, three credit trial, during the 90 days, I had the option to return books, but once the 90 day trial lapsed and I didn't renew, I lost the return buttons.

ApK

[DiapDealer]

Thank you both! I was able to return the mistaken purchase and get a credit back. I had to log into Audible's website and go to Account->Purchase History (which presented its own temporary issues) but I finally got there.

EDIT: and having done all that, I managed to find my way to my Purchase History withIn the Audible app.

I've seen no return buttons anywhere in my library. Only links to return this item from the purchase history in the account submenu.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I've seen no return buttons anywhere in my library. Only links to return this item from the purchase history in the account submenu.

Yes, the linked instruction specify going to purchase history, not library. I think Issy was using the term "library" loosely.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ApK

Yes, the linked instruction specify going to purchase history, not library. I think Issy was using the term "library" loosely.

Sorry. Glad it worked out.

[DiapDealer]

No worries. Happy for the pointers.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

My candidate for worst voice characterization ever is a double whammy, female voiced by male and American accent (Southern, too, which tends to be worst of all) voiced by a Brit. And it's by my favorite narrator of all time.

Spoiler:

Mrs. Wogan in Patrick O'Brian's Desolation Island, read by Simon Vance

It's... painful.

Yeah, not my favourite. But I've never been as big a fan as you of Simon Vance, though I generally like him. My absolute least favourite narrator is Ulli Birvé after being forced to listen to her intolerable Georgette Heyer mysteries. No inflection at all, totally s l o w and monotone. I actually returned it.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yeah, not my favourite. But I've never been as big a fan as you of Simon Vance, though I generally like him. My absolute least favourite narrator is Ulli Birvé after being forced to listen to her intolerable Georgette Heyer mysteries. No inflection at all, totally s l o w and monotone. I actually returned it.

Like you, my favorite was also my first. Or vice versa. There are several narrators who objectively are as good as my top three, but the top three established themselves by being early and several. They couldn't be dislodged.

And sometimes the voice, which in other situations is great, just isn't a good fit. I wish, for example, that Patrick Tull had read more of Cornwall's Sharpe books. He was excellent. Frederick Davidson read most of them and his voice wasn't right for either Sharpe or Sgt. Harper (and in fact, his Sgt. Harper* runs a close second to Mrs. Wogan as worst voice characterization of all time). I prefer Timothy West reading Trollope to Vance, although Vance is fine.

*On reflection, given that Harper was in almost all the Sharpe novels and Mrs. Wogan was one and done, he may beat her out at that.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

Like you, my favorite was also my first. Or vice versa. There are several narrators who objectively are as good as my top three, but the top three established themselves by being early and several. They couldn't be dislodged.

And sometimes the voice, which in other situations is great, just isn't a good fit. I wish, for example, that Patrick Tull had read more of Cornwall's Sharpe books. He was excellent. Frederick Davidson read most of them and his voice wasn't right for either Sharpe or Sgt. Harper (and in fact, his Sgt. Harper* runs a close second to Mrs. Wogan as worst voice characterization of all time). I prefer Timothy West reading Trollope to Vance, although Vance is fine.

*On reflection, given that Harper was in almost all the Sharpe novels and Mrs. Wogan was one and done, he may beat her out at that.

I completely concur. Though I didn't find Davidson (real name, David Case) quite as annoying for Harper as you did, I agree that Tull did a superb job with the one's he did.

And yes, one's first is often one's favourite. Part of that, I suspect, is that those early books were such a joy. My first real memories of audio books (the old Books on Tape) were of Donada Peters reading West with the Night, and Tull reading the Aubrey/Maturin series. Definitely 5 star books and performances.

[issybird]

Based on a highly laudatory recommendation for the audiobook in the Washington Post, I'm listening to Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris, a novelization of the 17th century manhunt in New England for the regicides. It's read by Tim McInnerny (Captain Darling!) who does an excellent job with the various voices.

But between the glacial narration and the glacial prose, the book as produced is an approximation of eternity. Bumping up the speed (a lot) fixes the narration, but it only tangentially helps with the constant drip of overwhelming detail in the story. I shall persevere, however; one of those situations where an interest in the setting and the events will keep me going.