Audiobooks discussion

W is for Wasted had been on my TBR pile for months, so decided to tackle it. So far, better than Grafton's last book.

I've knocked off Middlesex, which was fantastic. I don't think I've owned it very long, but it's been on my TBR list for years, so I'm counting it. :)

I've scaled back my TBR list to stuff I have owned for quite awhile. They should all get read this year.

The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina
Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
The Talisman, Stephen King and Peter Straub
North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell
Theft of Swords, Michael Sullivan
Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer
Royal Blood, Rhys Bowen
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
Monster Hunter Vendetta, Larry Correia
The Persimmon Tree, Bryce Courtenay
The Twelve Clues of Christmas, Rhys Bowen
Four Fires, Bryce Courtenay

My goal is to listen to 35 of 79 unlistened audiobooks bought before 2012 and all 2014 purchases that are not out of order series. I knocked off 5 in January, so 30 left. My 2014 buys are piling up. Most are free novellas.

Audiobooks - 2012 and later
06. Death Masks - Jim Butcher
07. The Million Pound Note - Mark Twain (novella)

Audiobooks - bought after 2012
2. A Christmas story - Charles Dickens (Tim Curry)
3. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald.

For January, I had done 15 books. If the January thread was still open, I'd share the titles there.

For this month, I'm working my way through 82 books of various length that I got from the library.

Nice, I didn't notice this thread. Moved post from February thread to this one.

In January I knocked out the following books:
Finally finished up Atlas Shrugged - long, but very good.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - short, but great.
Nocturnal - One of Sigler's more disturbing works, but I enjoyed it.
Head of the Dragon - I really like this Star Trekish series, but I'm on book six of what I just found out will be a 75 part series...

Next up in the queue is:
The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle & The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution

For February, I’ll read the oldest unread book in My Library, Tom Jones Vol 1 by Henry Fielding
My 3 goals for the year were to keep current with the series I read, read at least 2 from the general backlog of books, and 1 from the list of TBR books older than 3 years before allowing myself to buy a new one as a reward. In January, I earned 5 reward books—yay me!
New Releases for February
Marissa Meyer: Lunar Chronicles: Cress (Book 3)
Larry Correia: The Warlock Sagas: Instruments of War (Vol. 1)
Monica Ferris: Needlecraft Mysteries: The Drowning Spool (Book 17)
Ben Aaronovitch: Peter Grant: Broken Homes (Book 4) (if audio released)
Suzanne Wright: Phoenix Pack: Carnal Secrets (Book 3)
Cassandra Clare, : Bane Chronicles: The Course of True Love and First Dates (Book 10)
Denise Swanson: Scumble River Mysteries: Murder of a Stacked Librarian (Book 16)
Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swenson: Blackberry Pie Murder (Book 17)
M. C. Beaton: Hamish Macbeth: Death of a Policeman (Book 31)

Well, the January thread is closed, so I can't post that I listened to 4 of the books in my audiobook backlog last month. Unfortunately, I think I bought 7. And, I bought another one today. I listened to two of the new ones.

Right now, I'm listening to Winter's Tale, a book that I purchased in February 2012.

Moderator note: I tend to be fairly compulsive about closing a thread and starting the next one, but that doesn't mean that early in the next month you can't dare mention stuff from the previous one. I'd rather have that than overlapping ones.

Well then, in January I read the new release in the Nodaway Falls series, That Touch of Magic, read by Amanda Roncone. I'm undecided about this series overall, but will get the next one when released to break the tie and continue or abandon it.

Speaking of which, I also finished Scarlet, a previously half-read book in a series I started--the Lunar Chronicles. The first book, Cinder, was a fun futuristic take on the Cinderella legend. Scarlet was a take off on Little Red Riding Hood. Maybe it was because it involved wolves, but this one was less fun and lots more bloody. Book 3 in the series--Cress, a Rapunzel story--comes out Tuesday. We'll see.

I realized that about 4 years ago I bought a bunch of classics so this month I'd like to get to at least some of them including:
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton narrated by, Barbara Caruso

Northanger Abbey by, Jane Austen narrated by, Mary Sarah Agliotta

The Tenant of Wildfell Hallby Anne Brontë narrated by, Mary Sarah Agliotta

Villette by Charlotte Brontë narrated by, Davina Porter

The first 2 narrators are new to me and of course you can't go wrong with Davina!

I liked Northanger Abbey when I heard it not that long ago, recall having liked Wildfell Hall, and House of Mirth has been on my TBR for a long time, too.

I bought The Tenant of Wildfell Hall in one of those sales where the narrator isn't listed and ended up with a Frederick Davidson narration. I listened to a couple of hours and then took a break... a long break... so long a break I still haven't resumed. *sighs* This TBR challenge will eventually correct that, but I won't fully enjoy it given the narrator.

Hammered by Kevin Hearne, narrated by Luke Daniels - This series is always enjoyable.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, narrated by Anton Lesser - The narration is truly excellent. I highly recommend this version if you're thinking about tackling Little Dorrit.

I finished The Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon. This is one of my general backlog books, but I have to read one more in this series to get to the seventh oldest book on my TBR list. Before Audible offered to take books back, I bought a much later book in the series that had been misnumbered and it has taken a while to acquire the missing ones and find time to read them. Fortunately, working at catching up on this series isn't too much work... feels more like fun.

And BTW, this completes a set of books from each stated goal so I've earned a reward! (shhh, don't tell anyone, but I've actually already read my reward book, or "preward" as I call it... I just can't let an unread Nero Wolfe book sit there for any length of time)

Kristie wrote: "I've knocked off Middlesex, which was fantastic. I don't think I've owned it very long, but it's been on my TBR list for years, so I'm counting it. :)

I've scaled back my TBR list to s..."

Oh man - next up on your list is "The Talisman". Are you in for a treat.

Forney_bill wrote: "Kristie wrote: "I've knocked off Middlesex, which was fantastic. I don't think I've owned it very long, but it's been on my TBR list for years, so I'm counting it. :)

I've scaled back ..."

Oh good! I'm reading a few others before I get to it, but glad to reaffirm it's a good one! I bought it awhile back and just forgot to get it onto my running list of books TBR, so it fell through the cracks. Looking forward to it!

Kristie wrote: "I've knocked off Middlesex, which was fantastic. I don't think I've owned it very long, but it's been on my TBR list for years, so I'm counting it. :)

I've scaled back my TBR list to s..."

I have North and South, Theft of Swords, and Rebecca on my oldest TBR list, too. We must have succumbed to the same sale a few years back!

Jeanie wrote: "Kristie wrote: "I've knocked off Middlesex, which was fantastic. I don't think I've owned it very long, but it's been on my TBR list for years, so I'm counting it. :)

I've scaled back ..."

Yep. I'm sure we did. :) '

I'm not sure when I'll get to Theft of Swords. I recently read Name of the Wind, and since I only have brain space to follow one fantasy series at a time I might not start it until after I've read the 2nd in the NotW series. (Not sure when the 3rd in that trilogy will finally come out.)

Yesterday I finished Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost. When the TBR Challenge began, it was the 27th oldest unread book in My Library.

I finished my second "off my shelf" audiobook, Interpreter of Maladies (although it just barely qualifies as I acquired it in Dec. '13!). I loved the short stories but found it disruptive to have short segments of music occuring in the middle of the stories (not in between different stories) -- I think it must be a hold-over from the CDs (occurring at the beginning and end of the discs) but I had a digital edition.

Yesterday and today I finished:
Sherrilyn Kenyon: Dream Chaser (Dream Hunter Book 13) which clears the way for me to get to the seventh oldest book on my TBR list.
M. C. Beaton: Sir Philip’s Folly (Book 4) which is backlogged from the wonderful Poor Relations series.
Larry Correia: The Warlock Sagas: Instruments of War (Vol. 1) which is new, short, and--drat Larry Correia--well done. It isn't my usual genre and there's virtually nothing but war and violence, but it was quite well done and ends on a freakin' cliffhanger! *aaaaargh!*

I just finished Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. I think it's been in my library for two years now. I was/am really torn on a rating for it. The language is beautiful and Oliver Wyman reads it like it's poetry. But, the story itself is a hot mess. In my mind, I'm comparing it to a fresh-baked apple pie. It looks wonderful, but it falls apart when you cut it. It taste delicious, but is essentially empty calories.

Now, I'm going to listen to Glamour in Glass. It's not in my backlog because I picked it up during a recent sale.

Sandi wrote: "I just finished Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. I think it's been in my library for two years now. I was/am really torn on a rating for it. The language is beautiful and Oliver Wyman..."

What a hilarious description, Sandi! :) Winter's Tale has been on my Audible wish list for awhile. I forgot Oliver Wyman narrates...he's really good. Maybe I'll wait for a sale. As much as I love empty calories in my diet, I am not as big of a fan of it in my literature.

I'm about to embark on the 6th book on my TBR challenge list for 2014...The Talisman. I hear it's really good, and I've been excited about listening to it, but somehow it just didn't get on my running TBR list, so it sat in limbo for a long time. Time to rectify that.

Sandi wrote: "I just finished Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin."

I've read others by Helprin that I enjoyed but I gave up about 5 hours in on "Winter's Tale". Just knew it wasn't going to be my thing.

Kristie, as wonderful as Oliver Wyman is, he cannot redeem this book. It's 27 hours and 48 minutes that feel like 48 hours 27 minutes.

I finished Christine Feehan's Dark Wolf, newest release in her Dark/Carpathian series, which finally clears the series from my TBR pile *phew*
I finished Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue, fifth book in the Poor Relations series--only one to go until I've finished that series, too. I'm about an hour and a half into the last one and my relief at finishingthe the series will be tinged with sorrow to see it end.
I'm about two hours into Cress, the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series--Rapunzel is the fairy tale this one takes off on. It's okay so far, but so was Scarlet at this point and it wasn't a fun read.
I'm still screwing up my courage to start Tom Jones, Vol. 1, the oldest book on my TBR list. I've started it three times over the past several years and never got far or very interested. Maybe this time.

Sandi wrote: "Kristie, as wonderful as Oliver Wyman is, he cannot redeem this book. It's 27 hours and 48 minutes that feel like 48 hours 27 minutes."

Good to know, Sandi and Javasapien. I've taken it off my wish list. Life is short, and my wish list is still very long. :)

While stalling on beginning Tom Jones, I started another of the oldest books on my TBR shelf--Dream Warrior by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I bought this in 2009 but couldn't get to it because it was actually much later in the series than Audible's misnumbering indicated. After working hard to catch up, I wish I could leave this one on the shelf--dreadful narration, can't tell about the story. But this challenge will get it off the shelf one way or another!

3rd off my shelf done - one of the SYNC offerings from last summer, Letter from Birmingham Jail. This is short (under an hour), but so well done! Dion Graham was a wonderful choice as narrator, as his voice has a very similar pitch and timbre to King's own voice, so you can almost feel like King is reading this letter himself. I am not a nonfiction reader, so I am glad that SYNC offered this - I would never have gotten it otherwise.

I may have finished my 4th off the shelf as well, if listening to an audiobook of a book previously read in print counts. I have been listening to Piccadilly Jim narrated by Frederick Davidson. I didn't much like Davidson's narration - his normal voice is fine but some of the characters' voices were annoying. I would suggest looking for another narration if you are interested in this book.

Having read the print book earlier is a bit ... iffy, but it is technically knocking off an item.

I knocked off Here, There Be Dragons which I bought from audible in 2011 (I think during the first in series sale) - but I will be checking out the rest of the series

now listening to Across the Nightingale Floor which I also bought in 2011

I finished the first Feb book Heir to the Shadows and loved it as much as the other 2 in the series (The Invisible Ring which is a prequel & Daughter of the Blood book 1). Narration is spot on, and the story is compelling. I've got book 3 ready to go, but I'm going to knock off a few more of my TBR before I reward myself with it.

I started Breakers and couldn't get past the 4th hour of a 12 book. I'm calling it "DNF"'ed and will cross it off my TBR list.

I finished Dream Warrior because the story was okay and I like the series, but the narration was melodramatically awful and his attempt at a Cajun accent should be outlawed.
I finished the two last books in the Poor Relations series and am sorry to see it end.
I finished the new release from the Lunar Chronicles, Cress. Very good narration, decent story--one moment actually made the rest of the book worthwhile... involving being kissed before one dies... *sighs*
This qualifies me for a reward book according to my own system and I'm thinking of the first book in the Wichcraft Mysteries series, Secondhand Spirits. It's not only a cozy paranormal mystery, but it's on sale for $4.95!

Dee wrote: "I knocked off Here, There Be Dragons which I bought from audible in 2011 (I think during the first in series sale) - but I will be checking out the rest of the series

now listening to..."

I think we both hit that same First-in-Series sale. I really liked Here There Be dragons, and really loved Across the Nightingale Floor. I'm eager to hear your reaction to that one. I immediately bought the next two, which completes the trilogy though not the series and then decided to leave great enough alone and not get the fourth one.

Jeanie - what did you think of the ending of Here, There Be Dragons with who the 2 main characters were? I'm going to be continuing that story for sure

enjoying Nightingale right now - i'm about halfway through - I may continue i'm not sure...doing an audiobook challenge in another group that revolves around linking books - through common elements (position in a series, authors name, word in the title etc) - so I linked Dragons and Nightingale (both #1 in a series); Nightingale and Killing Floor (word floor in title); Killing Floor to another Dick Hill as narrator etc...its making for an interesting experience

Oh, that sounds like a fun challenge!

it is and its making me look at audiobooks I normally wouldn't

I knocked off one of the Amazon freebies I picked up last year - L. Ron Hubbard's Spy Killer. I found it surprisingly enjoyable spy story of an American caught up in a power struggle between China and Japan set in the 50s in Shanghai.

Dee wrote: "Jeanie - what did you think of the ending of Here, There Be Dragons with who the 2 main characters were? I'm going to be continuing that story for sure

enjoying Nightingale right now - i'm about ..."

I had already heard who the two main characters were before I read the book, but it made all the references to their books all the more meaningful as I encountered them in HTBD. It will be a little while before I can get to a sequel so I'll look forward to hearing what you think of the next one.

And I hope you like Across the Nightingale Floor... I didn't think I'd care about something set in Medieval Japan but did, and I really enjoyed the subtle magic system employed In this world. I found it interesting that a little-known but true fact about persecution of Christians there in that time period was encormporated as an element in the tale--they are the Hidden.

I just finished listening to The Good Earth narrated by Anthony Heald. It was very good, if a bit heart-breaking in places. This was an audiobook I got from Downpour last year...

Leslie wrote: "I just finished listening to The Good Earth narrated by Anthony Heald. It was very good, if a bit heart-breaking in places. This was an audiobook I got from Downpour last year..."

I agree, it was good. The same version is on the Audible sale for $4.95 now.

Just finished The Talisman. It got missed while creating my TBR list, so it languished in a black hole for awhile. I'm really glad I found it back. Great book, and Frank Muller was the perfect storyteller.

I probably won't get back to my TBR list this month. I have several others I want to listen to first.

The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina
Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
The Talisman, Stephen King and Peter Straub
North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell
Theft of Swords, Michael Sullivan
Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer
Royal Blood, Rhys Bowen
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
Monster Hunter Vendetta, Larry Correia
The Persimmon Tree, Bryce Courtenay
The Twelve Clues of Christmas, Rhys Bowen
Four Fires, Bryce Courtenay

I am listen to and

I finished Revelation Space on Thursday. I'm now halfway through The Scar by Sergey & Maryana Dyachenko, narrated by Jonathan Davis. It's my third try and it's finally clicked.

I just wish Audible would stop having sales. I bought Libriomancer today on their $4.95 sale.

I love Alastair Reynolds. I usually end his books on a "meh" note, but then can't stop thinking about it for days afterward.

J. wrote: "I love Alastair Reynolds. I usually end his books on a "meh" note, but then can't stop thinking about it for days afterward."

I was really happy with the ending of this one. Since it's part of a series, I expected a cliffhanger. Instead, there was an awesome epilogue.

I just have a really hard time with his book in audio because John Lee is a difficult narrator to listen to, especially for books that are so complex. Unfortunately, I have 4 more in my backlog because Tantor had them on sale for $6.99 one time last year.

Sandi, I like Reynolds a lot, and would recommend some of his other books in that universe. I've only read Chasm City and Redemption Ark, but both are well worth your time, if you liked Revelation Space. John Lee narrates those audiobooks, too.

I just finished Dust, the latest Scarpetta novel by Patricia Cornwell. It was a bit meh. Not much plot, and all the facts Scarpetta needed to solve decades old murders just fell into her lap over the course of 24 hours story time. Scarpetta was whiny and self absorbed, the other characters only existed to fulfill their role in the story, and everyone was a victim of nefariousness in one way or another.

Having said all that, there were some things I enjoyed about it - most of all Kate Redding as narrator. Her voices define these characters for me now, and she gives a great performance. I will probably listen to the next one, perverse as that sounds.

HBJ

Oh, I forgot to mention - now listening to The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I've heard good things about this novel, but I'm unsure whether it's bleak tone and lack of chapter breaks will make for a good audiobook. We'll see.

HBJ

ARRRGH!!!!! I just realized that I posted the wrong Alastair Reynolds book! I actually listened to Redemption Ark. I listened to Revelation Space months ago. I've also listened to The Prefect, House of Suns, and Blue Remembered Earth. The last was the one I liked best because it wasn't narrated by John Lee.

I really think I should be reading the text of his books rather than listening, but I already have three or four more in my audiobook backlog.