Audiobooks! Who listens to them?

13-07-2015 03:24PM

I've actually singed up to Audible.com, which is the American version. There's no region limitations like with Netflix, so you can sign up to whatever region you want and access wherever. It costs about $14 per month (I think), which gets you 1 credit to go towards any audiobook of your choice. Outside of your credit, you can purchase other ones, which would cost anything from $5 - $20.

eternal · 13-07-2015 03:25PM

In the 80s they had audio cassette stories for kids. They were hugely popular. I was obsessed with them and you could get the book to read along with. Highlight of the week was when they came into the shop. Oh the innocence of the olden days

OldGoat · 13-07-2015 03:31PM

Abridged or unabridged?

/Worms/can/opens

13-07-2015 03:33PM

Two of my favourite narrations of all time are Ocean at the End of The Lane and Anansi Boys, both by Neil Gaiman.

Gaiman himself reads the former and Lenny Henry reads the latter. You can tell that Henry has the time of his life doing it.

Andy-Pandy · 13-07-2015 03:36PM

I listen to them in work. Mostly Sci first and fantasy. Been going through Iain M Banks Culture series at the moment. Very enjoyable.

SimonTemplar · 13-07-2015 05:02PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Genuine question, and probably a bit of a stupid one, but what are the voices like on them? I think I'd probably enjoy them on the go if they were voices I could listen to. If I was irritated by the voice then I obviously wouldn't enjoy the book.

I also think of them being read in the voice of a school teacher, rather than voices that suit the story.

I'm listening to The Girl on The Train at the moment and it is read by a professional actresses. It's great and she gets into character rather than just reading the text.

13-07-2015 05:06PM

SimonTemplar wrote: »

I'm listening to The Girl on The Train at the moment and it is read by a professional actresses. It's great and she gets into character rather than just reading the text.

Interesting, because I found that book pretty shyte, so I wonder if it would be brought to life more with the voices outside of my head reading it!

Ruu · 13-07-2015 05:08PM

Listened to the Harry Potter ones (Jim Dale, great voice!) also have tried a few playaways (like portable players).

Trond · 13-07-2015 05:11PM

Might not be everyone's cup of tea but "Detroit: An American Autopsy " by Charlie LeDuff is well worth a listen to.

http://www.amazon.com/Detroit-An-American-Autopsy/dp/B00CDVZIW4

Cienciano · 13-07-2015 05:17PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Genuine question, and probably a bit of a stupid one, but what are the voices like on them? I think I'd probably enjoy them on the go if they were voices I could listen to. If I was irritated by the voice then I obviously wouldn't enjoy the book.

I also think of them being read in the voice of a school teacher, rather than voices that suit the story.

I listened to all of the game of thrones books. Roy Dotrice did the first 3, read them amazingly well. He did different voices for everyone and different accents depending of where people are from. He even sang bits. Someone else recorded the last 2 books, but apparently when GOT got big everyone demanded that Roy Dotrice goes and does the last 2 books, which he did!

I find audiobooks brilliant for driving or on public transport with.

13-07-2015 05:20PM

I'm actually delighted that this is getting such a good reception. Was worried someone would go, "hur hur, audiobooks".

Have we convinced you, whoops? Gimme a sec, I'll send you a PM about something.

13-07-2015 05:22PM

Yep. I'm convinced, I've a bit of driving to do on Friday so I'll definitely give World War Z a go, I absolutely adore that book so it's definitely worth a go

armchaircoach · 13-07-2015 05:30PM

Before signing up for audible or other subscription services, try doing your toe in the water. Youtube has lots of audiobooks, just search "audiobook full". Would definitely recommend the godfather, jurassic park, and the Martian (film coming out later this year). For any fantasy nerds or there you can also get full versions of LOTR and wheel of time on there.

Only annoying thing is that youtube is one of the worst apps out there. Can't lock the screen or find your last stopping point, but it is free if you can refrain from smashing your phone everytime it randomly changes video in your pocket for no reason!

Dr Strange · 13-07-2015 05:30PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm actually delighted that this is getting such a good reception. Was worried someone would go, "hur hur, audiobooks".
.

Let me be the one then. I loved books as a child and love them as an adult. I couldn't imagine my life without books. I am also a book collector and the smell, feel and look of different books in their bindings from different times are just something I would miss too much.

Also, I create the "voices" in my head and they fit for me, it would destroy my experience of the narrative if read by someone else, no matter how good he/she is.

For me, books have to have substance and I have to have the better/favourite ones on my bookshelves. The look of the shelves filled with them also gives me pleasure, rows upon rows of delightful books. Yes, I can safely say that audio"books" would not be for me.

SimonTemplar · 13-07-2015 05:32PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Interesting, because I found that book pretty shyte, so I wonder if it would be brought to life more with the voices outside of my head reading it!

I think so. The first person narrative, the style of writing and the actor's performance all sound like you are listening to someone recording their diary.

13-07-2015 05:33PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Yep. I'm convinced, I've a bit of driving to do on Friday so I'll definitely give World War Z a go, I absolutely adore that book so it's definitely worth a go

Great! If you like post-apocalyptic books, then these would definitely be worth the listen:

The Last Policeman trilogy - how the world and society crumbles when a meteorite is headed straight for earth, without any way of stopping it.

One Second After - an attack on the US generates an EMP blast that covers the whole country. Tells of the ensuing collapse

Bird Box - Something is driving people insane when you look at it, forcing survivors to live in a world of darkness, forced blindness.

Girl With All the Gifts - this.. I don't want to really go too much into as it's better if you listen to it for yourself.

The Remaining (series) - A 28 Days/Weeks Later-type plague spreads across the world and it is up to one soldier to try and rebuild society.

There, that should keep you going for.. maybe around 50 hours or more.

Preusse wrote: »

Let me be the one then. I loved books as a child and love them as an adult. I couldn't imagine my life without books. I am also a book collector and the smell, feel and look of different books in their bindings from different times are just something I would miss too much.

Also, I create the "voices" in my head and they fit for me, it would destroy my experience of the narrative if read by someone else, no matter how good he/she is.

For me, books have to have substance and I have to have the better/favourite ones on my bookshelves. The look of the shelves filled with them also gives me pleasure, rows upon rows of delightful books. Yes, I can safely say that audio"books" would not be for me.

For the longest time of my life, I was the same as you. But then I was unemployed for a long period of time, which involved a lot of walks and exercise and, during these times, physical copies of books were just too.. awkward to carry around with you.

Right now on the Audible cloud, I have 24 books in my collection, which can be taken with me everywhere I go, listened to across multiple devices - I can listen to it on my laptop and then if the internet is turned on on my phone, it will detect where I stopped listening and bring me straight to that point.

I still have a collection of books, but right now most are just sitting there, gathering dust. And for someone that moves quite frequently, they become a hassle to lug around.

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you, because if someone loves their books as much as you, then that might be impossible.

Dr Strange · 13-07-2015 05:43PM

Deleted User wrote: »

For the longest time of my life, I was the same as you. But then I was unemployed for a long period of time, which involved a lot of walks and exercise and, during these times, physical copies of books were just too.. awkward to carry around with you.

Right now on the Audible cloud, I have 24 books in my collection, which can be taken with me everywhere I go, listened to across multiple devices - I can listen to it on my laptop and then if the internet is turned on on my phone, it will detect where I stopped listening and bring me straight to that point.

I still have a collection of books, but right now most are just sitting there, gathering dust. And for someone that moves quite frequently, they become a hassle to lug around.

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you, because if someone loves their books as much as you, then that might be impossible.

Are you implying I am fat?

Just kidding.

Yes, that certainly plays a role, I don't have to move any more in my dotage

BlaasForRafa · 13-07-2015 05:54PM

MrWalsh wrote: »

I just started listening to the Game of Thrones audiobooks read by Roy Dotrice which are excellent, although there is a sound in the background like people speaking in another room or a tv on in another room (or maybe someone else in a studio recording another audiobook) that is driving me a bit batty - actually I havent noticed it so much since I got onto book 2. I googled and saw quite a few mentions of it online.

Aye after reading A Game of Thrones in paperback I listened to the subsequent books via the audio books read by Roy Dotrice (except 1 was read by some other guy) and they were very good. Plus while GRRM's basic story and plots are great, reading page after page of descriptions of people eating blood oranges and the like is a bit much, life is too short for that. Which is where the audio books are great, you can be doing other stuff while the waffly boring bits are going on.

The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkein read by Martin Shaw is magnificent and well worth a listen,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc6yzxcv0Ps

El Weirdo · 13-07-2015 06:35PM

Big audiobook fan here, too.

+1 for WWZ. Brilliant stuff.

If you only listen to one audiobook though, make sure that it's We Need To Talk About Alan, by Alan Partridge. It's read by the man himself.

_Whimsical_ · 13-07-2015 06:49PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Same here. Even if the story is good, if the narration is terrible I just can't finish it.

Tina Fey's Bossypants and Amy Poehler's Yes Please are also well worth the listen. Fey's especially - she's fantastic throughout.

I loved those two, listened recently when I was really sick and it was like having someone in the room talking to me, both brilliantly read and very funny, I'd definitely recommend them to anyone.

Deleted User wrote: »

Interesting, because I found that book pretty shyte, so I wonder if it would be brought to life more with the voices outside of my head reading it!

Definitely the narration can make a huge difference. I find that I follow good narrators as much as good authors now, some narrators can make nearly anything good. Strange but true!
Recently while being sick also I listened to a book called Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. It is a story of friendship and love between two teenagers. It's something I would never have read but the narration had me utterly hooked, it was more compelling and more touching than any film I've seen in the last few years because of the way it was done. It wouldn't be my favorite book but it definitely has earned top spot in my heart as my favorite audiobook. If you're new to audiobooks or know anyone sick, depressed,in need of complete escapism and being engrossed I'd recommend it as a great one to start with.

Conall Cernach · 13-07-2015 07:40PM

Not an audiobook but I'm going to mention the BBC Radio play adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. It is really great and features such actors as Michael Hordern as Gandalf, Robert Stevens as Aragorn, John LeMesurier as Bilbo, Ian Holm as Frodo and Bill Nighy as Sam. Peter Woodthorpe's Smeagol/Gollum is spot on in my opinion and much superior to Andy Serkis' version from Peter Jackson's movie adaptation. I heard it first back in the early 80s and these are the voices I hear when I'm reading the book.

MrWalsh · 13-07-2015 08:20PM

Preusse wrote: »

Let me be the one then. I loved books as a child and love them as an adult. I couldn't imagine my life without books. I am also a book collector and the smell, feel and look of different books in their bindings from different times are just something I would miss too much.

Also, I create the "voices" in my head and they fit for me, it would destroy my experience of the narrative if read by someone else, no matter how good he/she is.

For me, books have to have substance and I have to have the better/favourite ones on my bookshelves. The look of the shelves filled with them also gives me pleasure, rows upon rows of delightful books. Yes, I can safely say that audio"books" would not be for me.

Yes, I could have written this post just 2 years ago. But Gods! The joy of having an ipad FULL of books to bring on holidays and NO extra weight in the suitcase! The joy of having literally a library of hundreds of e-books that I can choose whatever I like from at any time - ooooh, Im a convert alright!! Audio books was a natural step forward for me. I can see the same pattern, initially only trying out books I already have a paper copy of, but Im hoping it will explode the way e-books did for me.

Im still happy with the 3000+ that sit on shelves, but I was genuinely running out of space......

MrWalsh · 13-07-2015 08:29PM

After all the votes for WWZ I have acquired it. However, I still have about 150 hours of GoT to get through first! So I will report back in 6 months

lizzyman · 13-07-2015 08:40PM

I've listened to almost all of the Ian Fleming James Bond novels on audiobooks.

Buona Fortuna · 13-07-2015 08:41PM

lizzyman wrote: »

I've listened to almost all of the Ian Fleming James Bond novels on audiobooks.

I always enjoyed the books, so much more than the films.

Who reads them?

lizzyman · 13-07-2015 08:46PM

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

I always enjoyed the books, so much more than the films.

Who reads them?

Simon Vance I believe.

Agree btw, he really comes across as a brutal and damaged burn-out in the books. Much edgier than the movies.

take everything · 13-07-2015 08:51PM

I’m signed up for audible but I've forgotten about it the last few months (other commitments like study etc).
Was half way through Female Chauvinist Pigs and Thinking:Fast and slow.
Great use of commuting/down time in fairness if you are organised enough.

13-07-2015 09:01PM

Balmed Out wrote: »

I get the cd's from the library and listen every day on the commute

The library is brilliant, especially now that we can renew online. I'm not sure if all libraries are following Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown but, while they still have audiobook cds, they have a superb new feature on their website this year where you can download audiobooks (and books) at any time. A fantastic service:

DLR: Downloadable Books & Audiobooks

Sonics2k · 13-07-2015 09:02PM

I get pretty bad cases of insomnia every few weeks that can last a few weeks. I tend to pass the time listening to Terry Pratchett audiobooks from over the years.

Only thing I know for sure will help me sleep is a good audiobook, regular books just keep me awake all night.

13-07-2015 09:20PM

Sonics2k wrote: »

I get pretty bad cases of insomnia every few weeks that can last a few weeks. I tend to pass the time listening to Terry Pratchett audiobooks from over the years.

Only thing I know for sure will help me sleep is a good audiobook, regular books just keep me awake all night.

Would you consider making your move on to the likes of Neil Gaiman?

Audiobooks! Who listens to them?

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