Audiobook Recommendations

[NightBird]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I would do that, however I use three different audio players, and don't know right now which one I want to listen to which book with.

As long as you have them downloaded to your computer you can put them on any compatible player from there. You don't need to install from the website to each player.

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by NightBird

As long as you have them downloaded to your computer you can put them on any compatible player from there. You don't need to install from the website to each player.

I suppose so, but two of the devices are Format 4 and one is Format 3 only.

At any rate, as long as I have access to everything I've ever acquired whether I'm a paying member or not, I'm fine with leaving the books at Audible. I'm willing to gamble that the publisher isn't going to yank books back, nor the company suddenly go out of business before I can download stuff.

If I were THAT concerned, I get Tunebite (or similar software) and convert the unread books (and any I might want to hear again) to mp3, and put them on a storage card.

[Care]

Originally Posted by orlok

Well I haven't heard the Jim Dale version, but I can't imagine it's better than the esteemed Mr Fry.

I have both versions and I think Jim Dale does the different voices better, IMO. When I listen to Fry I sometimes get who is speaking mixed up and it detracts from the experience.

I am listening to Kate Daniels - Magic Slays (urban fantasy series), and the narrator for these books is amazing.

There was a great free audiobook offerend on iTunes called The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan (action/adventure fantasy), I think it was listed as a podbook or some kind of mix between a podcast and a audiobook. The narrator wasn't the best, but the story was good enough that I purchased the next 4 ebooks (and they just got better).

Other great audiobooks are:
- The Wheel of Time (epic fantasy)
- Beautiful Creatures (YA fantasy)
- The Hunger Games (YA dystopian)
- The Mortal Instruments (YA fantasy)

I read a lot of YA and fantasy. These were all great though. Especially The Wheel of Time since they have a man, Michael Kramer, do the male POVs and a woman, Kate reading, do the female POVs.

[Traciinaz]

Originally Posted by Ivy

My favourite audio books are The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher.

The story follows life and cases of Chicago's only wizard for hire, Harry Dresden. Dresden works as a P.I. and a consultant for Chicago PD. He introduces you to the world of magic he lives in, a world with vampires, werewolf, ghosts and other creatures we ignore so we can sleep at night.

There are 12 books with the 13th coming out this summer. All books are made into audiobook and narrated by James Marsters. Marsters is a professional actor and he doesn't just read the books -- he acts them. If a character is running up the stairs, you will hear it in Marsters' breathing, when a new character says something, you will hear the voice change. He's brilliant.

An interesting story to read was made much, much better in the audiobook version.

Highly recommended.

I agree. I just started the first Dresden book yesterday and I think James Marsters is doing a great job narrating it.

[Traciinaz]

For the people who listen to audiobooks from Audible: does the site have a large selection of unabridged books? I try to stay away from abridged books. I always wonder what I'm missing out on.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Traciinaz

For the people who listen to audiobooks from Audible: does the site have a large selection of unabridged books? I try to stay away from abridged books. I always wonder what I'm missing out on.

Yes, most are unabridged, though they do have abridged as well. I would personally never listen to an abridged version.

[Traciinaz]

Originally Posted by orlok

Yes, most are unabridged, though they do have abridged as well. I would personally never listen to an abridged version.

Thanks! I may sign up for them then.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I thought others here were saying that if you stop paying a monthly fee altogether (for good, not just "suspended"), you lose access to ALL of your purchased books? I was under the impression that you could still download those, as well as purchase new ones ... at the whopping "non-member" rate?

There are very few books I want to purchase that I can't get through my own library, but I have a dozen or so books that I've spent credits on, but haven't listened to at all yet. Are you saying that I'll have to keep shelling out at least $15/month (for one credit) to be able to access those?

If you try to cancel your membership, you'll eventually get a screen that offers you a cheap ($9.99? Don't remember) annual membership that still allows you access to all the sales, etc., and keeps your membership "active". But even without that you'll still be able to use your books. (Though I always keep a copy on my Windows Home Server, just in case.)

[SeaBookGuy]

I'd be willing to pay $10 for a year to get the lower price on a few books each year, but I don't need nearly 12 credits at this point.

[odiakkoh]

I would give Shit My Dad Says a 3.5 (out of 5). 4 for the story, 3 for the narrating.

[RDaneel54]

Here's a place I ran across, donation in lieu of payment: http://www.podiobooks.com/index.php

I listened to a book called Double Share by Nathan Lowell, read by the author. He does a good job. I bought the first 3 ebooks in the series from Amazon and when I searched for the 4th ran across this site. Excellent Science Fiction series, by the way.

Dean

[DianNC]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (narrated by Jeff Woodman) was a joy to hear. Woodman does a spectacular job!

[Xanthe]

I'm listening to Stacia Kane's Chess Putnam series, read by Bahni Turpin. She does an excellent job with all of the voices. This is one series where I definitely think that hearing it enhances the story.

The books in the series to date:
Unholy Ghosts
Unholy Magic
City of Ghosts

A review that I think encapsulates why I enjoyed these audiobooks:

I had no expectations going into this book. At first I thought the reader sounded a little young for the main character but then realized that she needed the vocal range for all the other characters. This is a very dark, very gritty urban fantasy series. The basic set up is that in 1997 all the dead's spirits rose and started killing people...lots of people...almost all the people. The few practitioners of magic in the world eventually managed to prove themselves as true witches and banished the ghosts to the City of Ghosts under ground and a whole new post-apocalyptic world began. The main character, Cesaria Putnam is a Church Witch who debunks false hauntings. She's also a functioning drug addict. She's a powerful witch but ultimately as a drug addict hiding her addiction she's vulnerable to anyone who decides to blackmail her. The story is basically a mystery in an unexpected world with some wonderfully colorful and sometimes very cruel characters. I found the world building to be fantastic and the depiction of the life of a functioning drug addict was pretty harsh and exceedingly accurate. I personally fell in love with these characters (a stand out is Terrible, the local drug dealer's enforcer who is a whole lot more than he seems at first) and quite specifically the whole Downside patois and vibe. I have to say the reader for this audio book absolutely knocked it out of the park. I honestly don't know if I would have found the books (I have actually listened to all that are available now...BRILLIANT) as affecting if I hadn't been listening to Bahni Turpin's interpretation of the various characters. Really stellar work. - Tantris

[Lizzie in Ma]

Originally Posted by Pickering

I really like the way Jim Dale reads the Harry Potter books

Absolutely, the Harry Potter series read by Jim Dale are utterly fabulous.

Also, the Rob Inglis versions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy are not to be missed. They are the only unabridged ones and are truly exceptional.

[Rtturvwsxmavpduc]

Superb Male Narrators:

Frank Muller
John Lee
George Guidall
Simon Vance
Dion Graham
Will Patton
Simon Prebble
Jonathan Aris
Humphrey Bower
Edward Herrmann
Bronson Pinchot
Neil Gaiman
Tom Stechschulte
Jim Dale
Stefan Rudnicki

If there's interest, I'll post a 'Superb Female Narrators'. Keep in mind, a narrator is part personal preference. All the individuals listed above have won numerous awards including an Audie (the audio book equivalent to an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Tony, etc.) so they have been judged as the "best of the best". I did not include any narrators for which there's strong negative reaction from listeners.