[coalshed]

Just noticed this thread while looking for opinions on Audible.com.

I've enjoyed lots of audio books and have benefitted from the selection on offer for free to members from South Dublin Libraries.

http://digitallibrary.southdublin.ie...en/Default.htm

It might be an idea to check the libraries in your area, they may well offer free Audio and e-books which you can read on your phone, ipad, laptop etc.

I listen while commuting and particularly enjoy the experience while running.

[jackthelad321]

I love audiobooks but also suffer from many problems already mentioned here. They are most useful to me when I am pottering about the house cleaning on some nonsense, even doing the dishes. Much will be missed of course, and your understanding or enjoyment will probably depend on you being an auditory listener. It appeals more to some than others. I listened to Shawn Achor's Book on Positive Psychology whilst at the gym and I missed bits and pieces but got the whole gist and loved it keep spitting facts out at people. I have listened to One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest twice. Absoloutely loved it, even better than the book; the narrator voices are so engaging. You'll be lost in the story. Some lectures work great as audiobooks. (though they may not technically be audiobooks).

So, what am I saying. If you like audiobooks you'll probably move to loving them. But they are clearly flawed for comprehension and it is very boring to sit down and listen to a book, as opposed to simply reading it, but listening whilst doing something mundane it's great and good audiobooks can be wonderful and a rich experience. (A large part will probably depend on how much you can tolerate the voice: some are dreadful and some are hypnotic).

[MrsD007]

I have become a big fan of audio books in recent times as I simply don't have the time I once had to sit and read a book.

I have an account with Audible UK and my local library provides a decent selection too. Like previous posters have said, they are great if you are on the move, in the car or doing housework etc. They are also wonderful for people who are ill or have sight problems. I purchased an iPod for my 85 year old Grandmother a couple of years ago and she loves listening to her audio books on it

[saraocallaghan]

Can anyone suggest where to buy good quality up to date audio books? Would iTunes be a good choice or would somewhere like Audible be a better choice?

[Agent J]

Originally Posted by saraocallaghan

Can anyone suggest where to buy good quality up to date audio books? Would iTunes be a good choice or would somewhere like Audible be a better choice?

Audible run a subscription model and automatically syncs in with iTunes..Work work out cheaper than iTunes in my experience.

You can stop anytime and all your books are kept on Audible for redownload at anytime

(For full disclosure purposes i have 2 audible accounts at 2 credits a month each. I am a heavy user : ) )

[r3nu4l]

Originally Posted by r3nu4l

However, I also downloaded all of the John la Carré giveaways from the Guardian and I can't get into them at all, I find the narrator really boring and my mind keeps drifting away to other things.

I figured out what it is I don't like about these books! The way the narrator voices the dialogue is really not how I would imagine the voices of those characters to be. When I'm reading a book I have my own 'pace' for the dialogue and this narrator voices his dialogue far too slowly for me, even in the urgent conversations.

So my opinion hasn't really changed. These books are good but the narrator has pretty much ruined them for me...

The narrator is vitally important to an audiobook and therefore a preview is vital too imo.

[calex71]

Love auidobooks while I'm out for a walk or on the bus, the reader is important though not a deal breaker as you usually get used to them ..... except when Stephen king reads wind through the keyhole

There seems to be a major snobbery towards audio even more so than towards kindles but here is some science the human eye is lazy, and skims text recognizing patterns and not actually reading every letter or even every word of text it sees , where as with audio you are forced to hear every word said.

My last 20 or so books have been audio because it fits my needs, love to hold a book but I really don't care what medium the tale is told through as long as it;s a good one

Edit: Pet hate though is when you listen to a series of books back to back and they change the readers Someone mentioned Game of thrones / song of ice and fire earlier, the change of voice from Storm of swords to feast for crows was most unpleasant.

[Dades]

Originally Posted by calex71

Edit: Pet hate though is when you listen to a series of books back to back and they change the readers Someone mentioned Game of thrones / song of ice and fire earlier, the change of voice from Storm of swords to feast for crows was most unpleasant.

There were two versions of Feast for Crows originally recorded without Roy Dotrice - with an American, and an Englishman. I loved Roy but the English guy's version of FFC was also excellent.

As an aside, I believe Roy has since recorded a new version of FFC, as well as A Dance with Dragons.

[calex71]

Originally Posted by Dades

There were two versions of Feast for Crows originally recorded without Roy Dotrice - with an American, and an Englishman. I loved Roy but the English guy's version of FFC was also excellent.

As an aside, I believe Roy has since recorded a new version of FFC, as well as A Dance with Dragons.

Ah it wasn't the voices themselves I minded it was the fact you get used to one over the 1st 3 books and then the change is hard as you've been with characters for 150 hours or so at that point. I wasn't aware Roy did a version of FFC and DwD but a quick google informed me other wise. John Lee does a great job but........ he's not Roy

Just checked my copy of DwD as I'm only half way through FFC and it's got Roy reading that one, now it's going to be another adjustment changing back to him lol,

[Agent J]

Originally Posted by calex71

Edit: Pet hate though is when you listen to a series of books back to back and they change the readers Someone mentioned Game of thrones / song of ice and fire earlier, the change of voice from Storm of swords to feast for crows was most unpleasant.

Try 10+ books of the Dresden files with James Marsters as the Narrator.
Then on book 13 they change to John Glover(No disrespect) but i want Spike back!

[dr gonzo]

I'm quite fond of librivox as a project (I even recorded a story myself) but the issue of voices is particularly noticeable here, completely understandable of course, they are all volunteers. You can get some excellent readers who sound professional (listening to Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the moment which is fantastically read) but then others are sadly so badly recorded or recorded by people who dont have the voice for it that its completely unbearable.

[Isard]

Originally Posted by r3nu4l

The way the narrator voices the dialogue is really not how I would imagine the voices of those characters to be.

And in fantasy books they are forever pronouncing the names not the way I would imagine
Actually I listen to audio books only when I'm ill and feel too bad to read a normal book.

[dekeed]

I've just started listening to audio books in the car. I do a lot of driving and I just got sick of "the recession" and all the other misery being blasted out constantly over the airwaves while I'm captive in the car. Best thing I ever started... you'd forget how pleasant it is to be read a story. For most people the last time anyone would have read you a story would have been before you could read your self. Totally recommend it - will check out 'Audible'. Tx