Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

This is the kind of category I like to see sprinkled in with the hard ones as this one is a "gimme" for me. I've started listening to audiobooks regularly in the last year and have enjoyed it. I mostly get an audiobook when I have a long car drive ahead of me.

I know many of you are not audiobook fans. We have another thread for audiobooks that offers tips on how to get audiobooks for free. Here's a tip from me: if you are not an Audible.com member today, they offer a free 30-day trial with one book credit. That's enough to get in and get out with no hassle.

I love audiobooks! I am not currently an audible member, but I have been. I still pick up their $3.95 deal of the day books from time to time.

I am planning to use 11/22/63 for this prompt. Other audiobooks I have enjoyed include:

Harry Potter series
Outlander series
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
As You Wish
Gone with the Wind (narrated by Linda Stephens)
A Man Called Ove
Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel
Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist

This is going to be an easy one to accomplish for me! My co-worker and I listen to at least 2 audiobooks a week!

This is going to be a hard one for me - I am NOT an audiobook fan. I've tried guys, I promise!

I read a lot of romance (or books with a romance as a subplot) and for me a narrator kind of ruins the imagination in getting caught up in it.

I tried listening to Mindy Kaling's books but gave up pretty quick into it, I felt like I got more of her personality reading it than listening to her narrate.

I'm trying to prep for this category and downloaded I Am Malala today, but I've already had to rewind the first chapter a handful of times because I lost focus. To be fair, this might not have been the best choice for my first official audiobook listen. It is filled with places/terms/words I've never heard before, so it can get confusing at times.

I would really love to get into them, and I'm hoping by forcing myself I can. I would love to be able to read all the times I can't - while driving, cooking dinner, cleaning. Or just resting in bed with my eyes closed! We shall see. If anyone has any recommendations for audiobook haters/virgins please send them my way!

Perhaps if you don't really enjoy them, a short one? The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is read by Tom Mison, who plays Ichabod Crane on the show Sleepy Hollow. It's only an hour and fifteen minutes long. Audible also has a feature where you can adjust the play rate. If someone reads too slow or fast for you, you can tweak it.

Or perhaps the variation and drama of a full cast recording? I loved the cast in Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book: Full-Cast Production. Here you can get a taste of the performances.

Sometimes if you find a narrator you like, it helps. I particularly seem to enjoy books read by film/TV actors (and Britons), but I've found a few narrators I like also. I can't get enough Agatha Christie read by Hugh Fraser or, when I can find them, David Suchet. They played Captain Hastings and Poirot on the TV show. I am also on a mission to consume every P. G. Wodehouse book read by Jonathan Cecil. Delightful.

The longer I listened to Richard Armitage read David Copperfield, the more I enjoyed it. All 36.5 hours of it.

I am just about to finish listening to Trevor Noah read his book Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood and I've really enjoyed it. Not only is it interesting, I also like hearing him speak all the languages and add all the accents. If I read that it print it just wouldn't be the same.

The reader can really make or break an audiobook!!! And it's not always a good thing to have a book read by the author, some (many!) authors can NOT read a book well!!

Some of my favorites:
ALL the Cormoran Strike books. Robert Glenister is my audiobook boyfriend. He can do no wrong in my eyes. (ears?)

Lolita read by Jeremy Irons. Wow! My love for this version put me on a hunt for more books read by actors, but unfortunately Overdrive does not always carry the one I want, especially with the classics. (This is not just that my own library doesn't offer it - when I click on "recommend other books," the "celebrity" edition doesn't even show up as an option - such as Maggie Gyllenhall reading Anna Karenina, I want it! I can't have it. I also can't have Trevor Noah - Overdrive doesn't list his book /sad face/ ...)

Anything by Neil Gaiman. (You might need to LIKE Neil Gaiman for this option to work.) He is FANTASTIC reading his own books (Neverwhere), and as mentioned by poshpenny, the full cast production of The Graveyard Book was really really great.

The Percy Jackson series. The plot is simple, the action is swift, and even if your mind wanders a bit, that's okay, you'll still know what's going on. This is also a great family choice - my kids generally don't want to listen to the books I like, but we can all agree on these.

If you like YA fantasy/magic type stuff, The Raven Boys series read by Will Patton is good. I mean, the books themselves are not that great, but Will Patton is a fantastic reader. And the text repeats itself a good bit (as if often the case in YA books), so if you miss something, don't worry, it'll be told to you again.

If you like non-fiction NPR-type stuff, try David Sedaris (he reads them himself) or Bill Bryson (his books are read by others) or Aziz Ansari reading his book, Modern Romance, or Tina Fey reading Bossypants. (Personally, I wasn't that impressed with Bossypants. But Tina Fey does a great job reading her own book.)

If you like the old-time radio plays, look for full-cast productions like The Graveyard Book, or The Golden Compass (which I am partway through now, it's my "family trips" book for this year, I keep borrowing it before each road trip ... and to be honest, I'm not loving it, but it's a well-done audiobook and a lot of people do love this story), or mysteries or thrillers. I've found i really really like those "espionage/thriller" type books on audio, such as Vince Flynn and David Baldacci. But I also like stupid action movies, so I think I'm pre-disposed to enjoy these.

I tried a romance novel once in audio (I think it was Elizabeth Hoyt), and that was just disturbing. From now on, I'll stick to reading my romances!

So, anyway, like Juanita, this is a "gimme" for me - I listen to audiobooks all year long, so I'm not even bothering to plan which one I'll use for this Challenge.

I'm also planning to use an audiobook for my 800+ pager. For me, audio is the only way to struggle through a long one!! (I'm planning on 11/22/63.)

I have no idea what to choose for this one. I'm not really a fan of audiobooks because I have trouble keeping focused on them. I'll probably go for something short.

It might be worth noting that you could come across some books listed as a Dramatization. This is different from a Full Cast Recording, which is the entire book with "he said" and "Susie shouted" taken out, because you can hear that. If you see a Dramatization and it's between an hour and 2.5 hours in length, it is most likely adapted for BBC radio. The Beeb still do a ton of radio dramas. They are usually quite good, but be aware they are basically the audio version of watching the movie instead.

Nadine, I had no idea Robert Glenister read those! There is my pseudonym book! I also agree Gaiman is a good reader. Douglas Adams can also be trusted to read his own books, but I have also enjoyed Hitchhikers books read by Stephen Fry and Martin Freeman.

Another actor/narrator I enjoy is David Tennant. He does several short Doctor Who books, (for example, Doctor Who: The Stone Rose) so if you are missing the Tenth Doctor you can get a fix. He also does all of the How to Train Your Dragon and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang books, some Shakespeare and a James Bond.

Narrators I also recommend: Stephen Fry, Jim Dale, Simon Vance and Katherine Kellgren.

In fact, audible has a kind of narrator sampler, and it's free. For April Fools Day they released a short recording of some of it's most popular narrators reading Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica. Katherine Kellgren's reading of Blunderbuss is how I found her.

I recommend the audiobook of Beauty Queens. Libba Bray does the reading of her book and does a fantastic job. She has different voices for the characters so it's easier to follow and it makes the book really come to life because there are footnotes, commercials, and confidential reports. It sounds complicated, but trust me, this book is hilarious and she does a great job. It's Lord of the Flies with Teen Beauty Queens.

Charlotte wrote: "I recommend the audiobook of Beauty Queens. Libba Bray does the reading of her book and does a fantastic job. She has different voices for the characters so it's easier to follow and..."

I listened to that one. I agree, Libba Bray does a good job reading it. But I didn't love the story - it was funny at first, but then it just got to be too much for me.

Not a big fan either. I have trouble following when it's in English and there's not so much french versions available. I guess I'll go with a kid book and listen to it with my sons.

I used to be a long haul truck driver and listened to books on tape/CD all the time. The truckstops have a system where you can rent them very cheaply and return them within 2 weeks at any other truckstop on the very extensive list.

Now, I am retired and unless my significant other is on the golf course audio books are impossible as he WILL interrupt every 5 minutes. I had to do one for a challenge this year and chose a "Murder She Wrote" book.

I will tell you that many audio versions of Michener's books are abridged since his books tend to be so wordy. NEVER get a book read by Isaac Asimov. His voice almost made me throw one OUT the window of my truck. Ed Asner is not very good either. On the other hand, Rene Auberjois (ODO from Star Trek) does an excellent job of reading audio books. Mary Crosby is not bad.

I'm jealous of all you avid audiobook fans!

I'm leaving this one open for now and will come back to it later. I'm going to have to choose something short or a re-read so I don't lose focus.

Lindi wrote: "I'm jealous of all you avid audiobook fans!

I'm leaving this one open for now and will come back to it later. I'm going to have to choose something short or a re-read so I don't lose focus."

I know some people don't like re-reading, but I think the audio prompt is a great exception to that rule. That way you can think of it more as someone reading to you before you go to bed, rather than absorbing something new - like maybe Harry Potter or Matilda. They are good in audio format.

A lot (not all) of my favorite audiobooks are read by actors. I like their inflexion and often they do different voices - Ben Barnes, Alan Cumming, David Tennant, and Tim Curry, for example. Yes, I have a thing for men from Great Britain, clearly.

Lindi wrote: "I know some people don't like re-reading, but I think the audio prompt is a great exception to that rule. That way you can think of it more as someone reading to you before you go to bed, rather than absorbing something new - like maybe Harry Potter or Matilda. They are good in audio format."

I don't mind re-reads, and I think this will be a good idea ;)
I have trouble focusing when listening and in the case of HP I won't really need to focus, since I've already read them so many times.

I am a fan of Audio books because I had to admit there is never going to be enough time to get to all the books I want to read but I can increase that number by listening while I drive, do dishes and fold laundry. I am lucky to have a wonderful public library system with lots of books on Overdrive. I agree that the Narrator will determine if you like it. I have one Narrator that it took me a while to get used to and others I still do not enjoy.

If someone is new to Audio books and likes mystery series, I love how Jayne Entwistle narrates the "Flavia du Luce" series by Alan Bradley....she does a great job with an 11 year old girl who loves chemistry and likes to solve murders.

Cassandra Campbell is another excellent reader.

Hoping a few folks catch this post.

Audible.com has a super sale going on and they have 400+ books on sale for $4.95-$6.95.

These include a lot of the books we've been talking about. There are also two David Sedaris books which can be a great introduction to audio. He narrates his own which are humor essays so you can ease your way through by listening to one story/chapter at a time.

Not sure if the sale is available outside the U.S.

I don't know if it'll be available this year but apparently Rachel McAddams is doing an audio version of Anne of Green Gables. I would love to use that! I'm not a big audiobook fan because I have trouble focusing so I'll likely do a reread. Stephen Fry does some of the Harry Potter ones and he is great.

Juanita wrote: "Hoping a few folks catch this post.

Audible.com has a super sale going on and they have 400+ books on sale for $4.95-$6.95"

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

I'm either going to go with Binge because I like Tyler and he does the audio of his book or finally read Carry On. I wasn't in to Carry On when I tried to read it in physical form so switching to the audio version just might help me push through.

For me, audiobooks almost always have to be humor, so I put Anna Kendrick's new book Scrappy Little Nobody on hold-- she reads it and I think she's pretty funny.

If you want to try one that might be out of your usual genres, this year I listened to The War that Saved My Life on audio and ended up crying a couple times.

Three ways I get my audiobooks:

(1) I have been a member of Audible.com since before they were part of Amazon and love it!

(2) Downpour.com: recent discovery. They have many audiobook deals every week where you can get one for under $5. They also have a nice app to listen to them.

(3) Does you library have Overdrive? Great resource.

I love audiobooks for these reasons:

(1) Does the book have lots of foreign words?

(2) Does it have a great narrator? I have gotten so I prefer to "read" the In Death series by J.D. Robb as performed by Susan Ericksen and the Lady Georgie series by Rhys Bowen as performed by Katy Kellgren. Many of the narrators "perform" the work more than narrate.

(3) I suffer from migraines and sinus headaches where I have trouble opening my eyes much less focusing them, and that is when I always fall back on my audiobooks.

(4) My dog likes to spend a lot of time outside so I take my audiobook there as my sunglasses are not prescription.

(5) I have discovered that listening to an audiobook at the dentist's reduces my stress. I no longer need to take valium before my visits.

I used to dislike audio books but then I got a job that required me to drive a lot across a couple of states so I got in the habit of listening to a few books a week. Now I drive 12 minutes to work so I've gotten in the habit of listening to audio books while I clean the house or while I sew or work on my other crafting. I love my audible membership! lol

I've never listened to an Audiobook, but I've always wanted to read this book (It's in the 50s of over 500 on my TBR list), and since he narrates it, I will be "reading" Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life.

Lindi wrote: "This is going to be a hard one for me - I am NOT an audiobook fan. I've tried guys, I promise!

I read a lot of romance (or books with a romance as a subplot) and for me a narrator kind of ruins th..."

I have listened to a few audiobooks however I feel that it is easier to listen to easy books. I tried to listen to the girl with the dragon tattoo and that was hard because I had to keep going back. However, the best audio book to listen to is Bossypants by Tina Fey because, it is actually her reading it and it makes the book that much better. I have tried reading it myself and did not like it but it is a must in the audio book!! Try that for this prompt next year and I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Lindi wrote: "I'm jealous of all you avid audiobook fans!

I'm leaving this one open for now and will come back to it later. I'm going to have to choose something short or a re-read so I don't lose focus."

Try Bossypants or Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Both are great and easy to listen to!!

So basically we can pick any book for this which is awesome because, I have so many books that I have yet to get to!!

I have a hard time getting into audiobooks but this list looks pretty decent https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...

Scrappy Little Nobody read by Anna Kendrick is hilarious on audiobook.

I'd like to recommend a few for those of you who are not into audiobooks.

These two are long, so I recommend starting them when you have enough time to get into the story.

Lonesome Dove This was so good--I hated for it to end! I googled for a list of characters because in the beginning it was hard to keep the cowboys straight.

The Golem and the Jinni This is like a fairy tale that your grandpa is reading to you at bedtime. The reader is George Guidall and he is one of my favorites.

Two short books are:

One for the Money

The War that Saved My Life young adult

Some others I listened to recently and enjoyed:

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

When the Moon is Low This would also fit the immigrant category.

Dark Matter

I used to only listen to audiobooks on long drives. Then I started finding narrators that I loved to listen to, and it makes all the difference! Now I, too, listen while walking, doing chores, crafting.

The Invention of Wings was the first audiobook I really fell in love with. Listened to it for "Book from Oprah's Book Club" last year.

The Handmaid's Tale narrated by Claire Danes was also very good.

The Girl with All the Gifts is my latest favorite. The narrator is EXCELLENT. I want more! Luckily she narrates another by the same author, which I want to listen to this year. WARNING: This is a zombie book. You can't tell by reading the blurb, so I was surprised. Zombies aren't really my thing. But I couldn't get enough of her voice.

I have discovered that I prefer women narrators. I can't stand when a man tries to fake a woman's voice. Kinda gives me the creeps.

I use both audible and overdrive, depending on how long I want to wait to listen to the book. Overdrive can take weeks or months to get to the top of the hold list, especially for new releases. In addition to my monthly audible credit, I buy their deals of the day. If an audiobook costs less than buying one credit (14.95) then I pay for it instead of using my credit, and save the credits for the expensive books. Audible lets you listen to a sample before you buy, so you get an idea of what the narrator is like.

I still prefer the feel of a real book in my hand, but technology is great, too. I like that I can fit in audiobooks during otherwise mindless tasks. Makes chores less tedious.

Michele wrote: "... The Girl with All the Gifts is my latest favorite. The narrator is EXCELLENT. I want more! ..."

Well you got ME interested! I listen to a lot of audiobooks and I'm always looking for good ones to add to my "to listen" list. So I looked her up, the narrator is Finty Williams. Unfortunately, she reads a lot of children's books (and I've already read TGWATG and Fellside) so I am having a hard time finding an audiobook that she's done that I'm interested in! Citadel looks interesting, but that's part 3 in a series and I haven't read the other two. The The Child's Child is a possibility, but it gets poor reviews. I haven't yet read Virginia Woolf's The Years, but (a) that seems like it might be tough to follow in audiobook, and (b) my Overdrive doesn't carry it. And finally there's I've Got Your Number - every time I try "chick lit" I walk away telling myself "never again!" but maybe it will be okay as an audiobook? Or perhaps I am fated to never hear Finty Williams read a book to me.

90% of the books I read are on audio. I can't possibly finish this many books without listening as I drive, do dishes, fold laundry, etc.

I just finished listening to Thandie Newtons's performance of Jane Eyre, and I think I fell in love. Actor recitation is 100% the way to go for this category, especially for those who struggle with audiobooks.

I'm definitely into the "not a fan" category - mostly I guess because I don't have much time for them. I don't spend a lot of time in my car or in mass transit and most of my working day is made of meetings and phone calls...

I actually found a few audiobooks in the corner of our library which I could use... but they're on audiotape! I'll see if I can find an old walkman somewhere that is still willing to play them. As an alternative, I've found a CD of experimental poetry mixing readings, sounds and vocal ad-libbing. Not sure this fits into the audiobook category stricto sensu, but then again, why not?

Christophe wrote: "I'm definitely into the "not a fan" category - mostly I guess because I don't have much time for them. I don't spend a lot of time in my car or in mass transit and most of my working day is made of..."

I often listen to them while I'm at home cleaning or washing dishes, folding laundry, sewing, etc.

I have downloaded a lot of classics through Librivox. They are all free and have used an app on my phone for them.

I put them on when driving or doing my housework or yardwork.

I also have it on instead of music when out walking. It is just like someone telling me a story while walking along.

I have tried a couple of times to listen to audiobooks, but I get distracted. I also don't have any way of listening to them, at least not that I know of, but a friend told me I could get someone YouTube. I will get one that way and follow along on my Kindle.

Therese wrote: "I have tried a couple of times to listen to audiobooks, but I get distracted. I also don't have any way of listening to them, at least not that I know of, but a friend told me I could get someone Y..."

Your library may loan out devices to listen (mine does, anyway, but they also loan out ukeleles, so perhaps they are "different") - check with them.

Therese wrote: "I have tried a couple of times to listen to audiobooks, but I get distracted. I also don't have any way of listening to them, at least not that I know of, but a friend told me I could get someone Y..."

If you have a kindle you can listen to audiobooks on your kindle. A lot of kindle unlimited books come with a free audiobook option as well.

Currently listening to and here to recommend We Are Legion (We Are Bob). Alone during my lunch break yesterday I burst out laughing in the middle of a pizza place. Loving this book!

Lindi wrote: "This is going to be a hard one for me - I am NOT an audiobook fan. I've tried guys, I promise!

I read a lot of romance (or books with a romance as a subplot) and for me a narrator kind of ruins th..."

I am totally with you on this, my mind tends to wander when I am listening to something - it simply becomes background noise, and half an hour later I remember that I'm actually supposed to pay attention to it. However, I have decided on Bruce Springsteen's "Born to run", read by the man himself. I was going to read it anyway, so might as well try listening first - he does have a nice tone of voice when talking too.

I'm really looking forward to this one as I have I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan read by Alan Partridge. If you see a crazy guy on the metro in the morning, laughing his head off while having his headphones plugged in... that'll be me!

For anyone who likes Sara Bareilles, I listened to her autobiography narrated by her (Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song) for this year's challenge and I really liked it! Very soothing speaking voice. Plus, she sings between chapters.

I have trouble focusing on audio so I will be sticking to the celebrity reading their own memoir for this category and going with As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride narrated by Cary Elwes. If anyone else is like me about audio, I've heard great things about Amy Poehler narrating Yes Please!

I highly recommend Rosemary's Baby read by Mia Farrow! It's perfection, especially if you save it for Halloween season. The story is familiar, the narrator is perfectly cast, and it's only 6 hours long. It's available for free if you have access to the Hoopla app via your library. (I also highly recommend Hoopla!)

I think I'll listen to the Harry Potter series on audio next year, possibly both narrators (I've got both), and maybe read along so keep focused. It's the only one I'm familiar enough with that I feel comfortable doing an audio version.

I'm another of those people who will wander off five minutes in only to come back an hour and a half later and realize I forgot I had a book going. Or I'll zone out completely, fall asleep, etc.

I travel for work and listen to a lot of audiobooks while I drive. The best ones I listened to this year were:

Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (narrated by Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame)
Sara Bareilles' Sounds Like Me (if you like music, narrated by the author)
Lisa Genova's Inside the O'Briens
Jes Baker's Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls (narrated by the author, if you don't mind foul language and love body positivity)
Betty White's If You Ask Me (narrated by the hilarious author)
Jodi Picoult's Small Great Things

I hope somebody finds this helpful.

I have an audible subscription and I LOVE it. I'm listing my fave books to listen to here, they would probably also apply to other categories, since you can only list one under audio book.

American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot Read by the author, and a truly wonderful memoir, also tackles his issues with drug addiction.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir Also read by the author. Hilarious book, could be used for book about an interesting woman (or eccentric character, though she is a real person so does that count?), as Jenny Lawson is definitely interesting. (Be warned if you plan to listen either in the car or in public, I had to pull over I was laughing so hard driving became slightly dangerous.)

Ready Player One Read by Wil Wheaton (who does an amazing job). Is a sci-fi book so if that's not a norm for you you could read it for that. Also being made into a movie currently, no release date yet, but I suspect it will come out in 2017.

Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation Read by the author. Hilariously funny, and by/about a woman of color.

The Spellman Files Really funny mystery novel, love it in print, but the actor reading the first few books in the series is wonderful, much prefer her to the actor who reads the later novels. Book is chock-full of eccentric characters, though Izzy Spellman definitely qualifies as eccentric (she could also fall into the book about an interesting woman category).

I know this is a lot of suggestions, but these are all books that are on my phone ready to be listened to at ALL times. That's how much I love them.

Just now Audible is having a 2-for-1 sale, 2 books from the list for one credit. Not much of interest to me until I saw The Sellout! I was about to get that one anyway so hey, free book. I chose to also get The Book of Harlan.

https://www.audible.com/sp/2for1

A few ideas:
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Go the Fuck to Sleep - Adam Mansbach
Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation - Aisha Tyler
Bossypants - Tina Fey
The Awakening - Kate Chopin