Audiobooks discussion

African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan by Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard - 3 stars - My Review

I had never heard of Yasuke before, and his life was fascinating. He was born in Africa, stolen by slave traders, and eventually ended up in Japan in 1579 as part of a Jesuit missionary expedition. He became a samurai for Nobunaga, leader of powerful Oda Clan. Yasuke fought in series of battles with Nobunaga and (perhaps) witnessed his death. The authors took license with parts of the narrative due to lack of documentation. There are segments of fabricated dialogue and descriptions of what people are thinking, which contribute to a sense of adventure, but fall into the category of historical fiction. I'd give this 4 stars for historical fiction, but it is billed as a "true story" so I cannot go higher than 3.

The audio is read by Gary Furlong. I am not convinced he is pronouncing the Japanese correctly, at least it is much different than others I have heard (I don’t speak Japanese so I am not 100% sure).

Joy D wrote: "African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan by Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard...

I am not convinced he is pronouncing the Japanese correctly, at least it is much different than others I have heard..."

I don't speak Japanese but I have friends who do. From what I understand there are different dialects of Japanese, some rather similar to each other, others more different.

I finished a different audio version of Persuasion by Jane Austen, and I think I liked this one even better than the Juliet Stevenson recording. Greta Scacchi had wonderful voices and made me laugh out loud.

Now I'm going back a few years to try the audiobook of Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings, the first in The Belgariad fantasy series, which I first read in the 1980s in paperback. Just started this but not terribly fond of the narration by Cameron Beierle. We shall see.

My review of Surviving the White Gaze: A Memoir by Rebecca Carroll follows here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am now reading Mary Webb's Gone to Earth.

I love Mary Webb. I was introduced to her by a wonderful audio of Precious Bane. There was a lot of dialect but the narrator made it really alive. That was in the cassette days and I doubt that recording is still around. Webb has amazing descriptions of the natural world from the point of view of those living among it. She does a great job of keeping the voice of her characters, generally uneducated rural people, really authentic to their time and place.

Robin. I totally agree with what you say about Webb's writing.!

Rachel Lintern's narration at Librivox of Gone to Earth is heavy on dialect too, but it is well done.

There is an audiobook of Precious Bane read by Justine Eyre at Audible. Thanks for mentioning it. I will read it soon.

Finished Heft byLiz Moore

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3878284166

I've notched Courting Mr. Lincoln up to 1.3x (any more would be chipmunk territory), otherwise it drags too much.

John, I seem to be fann of slow talking--I just about always set the speed to 90%..

Chrissie wrote: "John, I seem to be fann of slow talking--I just about always set the speed to 90%.."

I very rarely adjust the speed. Probably fewer than 10 books total since my first adjustable device. In this case, it's my determination to finish the story that is honestly dragging for me.

If I adjust the speed faster, that's a bad sign because it means I am not enjoying the book and want it to be over with. I haven't gone past about 1.3%.

Barack Obama said that when Michelle listened to his book A Promised Land, she speeded it up to 1.5 because he is such a notoriously slow talker! I don't think I will mind his deliberative style myself.

Fran wrote: "Just started The Yellow House and while it's a lot to take in the geography and family lineage I'm enjoying the personality of the memoir. The narration is also great.

I listened to the Yellow House recently. I thought the way the location shaped the family was beautifully conveyed. The neighborhood and the way the place evolved was as much represented by the house as the people within and around it.

Interesting--how each of us chooses differentaudio speeds!

Robin, your thoughts resonate with me, but then of course we all have different abilities.

Jan wrote: "I finished a different audio version of Persuasion by Jane Austen, and I think I liked this one even better than the Juliet Stevenson recording. Greta Scacchi had wonderful voices and made me laugh..."


As regards the narration of The Belgariad, if you let it, it grows on you. I also found it a bid odd or even off-putting at first, but over time it grew on me and the voice was actually addictive. It's sort of like Ralph Coshem's voice for the Three Pines series... a little strange at first but eventually the only voice possible for the series.

Robin P wrote: "If I adjust the speed faster, that's a bad sign because it means I am not enjoying the book and want it to be over with. I haven't gone past about 1.3%.

Barack Obama said that when Michelle liste..."

i did promised land at 1.0; i wish overdrive (as I borrowed it from the library) had more refined speed divisions like audible (1.1, 1.2 etc) - i use 1.1 as my normal

I've been listening to The Forty Proof series by Shannon Mayer and have finished Midlife Bounty Hunter, Midlife fairy Hunter, and Midlife demon Hunter with the most recent available, Midlife Ghost Hunter, in the queue. These are more action than romance but can be funny and interesting. While these are Paranormal Women's Fiction, I find the humor and relationships in the two previous series I've recently read to be better escapist fun. This series has a forty-one year old MC who is just entering a job requiring strenuous physical action and her moans and groans over getting her body into shape or actually running and fighting might be realistic, but it gets old fast... there's a reason this kind of kickass heroine is usually found in books that feature a twenty-something MC. There are some really interesting side characters like a skeleton and a Bigfoot, but I'm bad at remembering names and the expanding cast of characters sometimes leaves me lost trying to remember who belongs to the name that just popped back into the story... but that's on me.

Dee wrote: "i did promised land at 1.0; i wish overdrive (as I borrowed it from the library) had more refined speed divisions like audible (1.1, 1.2 etc) - i use 1.1 as my normal"

When that happens with OverDrive I download the book to my computer and listen using VLC media player.

Robin, you don't seen to have read Gone to Earth! You absolutely MUST. I just finished it and totally loved it. Really impressive writing. I am going to give it five stars. A free download is available at Librivox with a very good narrator --Rachel Lintern!

Now I have to write a review.

Hi Jan, thank you so much for introducing me to another wonderful narrator, I've never listened to Greta Scacchi, and when I saw your message quickly went over to have a listen. You are right her voice is wonderful. I will be listening to more books read by her. Thank you very much!!

Jan wrote: "Now I'm going back a few years to try the audiobook of Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings, the first in The Belgariad fantasy series, which I first read in the 1980s in paperback. Just started this but not terribly fond of the narration by Cameron Beierle. We shall see..."

Good luck. I bounced off the Belgariad on audiobook HARD. The narrator is absolutely awful. He gives everyone's names a cheesy/bizarre "Count Dracula" pronunciation that was like nails on the chalk board. I was so distracted by his terrible overacting that I couldn't even listen to the story. And just wait until you hear the voice he gives Belgarath. *shudder* The first audiobook I ever returned.

If you check the audible reviews you'll see that the reader is universally disdained, but for some reason no one has seen fit to re-record the series. It's baffling, as this is one of the best known series in Fantasy. It's a travesty.

Everything is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

Jeanie wrote: "As regards the narration of The Belgariad, if you let it, it grows on you..."

Thanks, Jeanie. I am a good way into it now, and even though it's still annoying, I love the story so much I'm dealing with it (she says, grinding her teeth).

Josh wrote: "Good luck. I bounced off the Belgariad on audiobook HARD. The narrator is absolutely awful...

Yeah, I was so excited to see these in audio that I told myself I could put up with it. You would think these would be updated, as you said, because they are so popular. Ugh.

An interesting article you might enjoy: https://www.npr.org/2017/12/30/573832...

Persis wrote: "thank you so much for introducing me to another wonderful narrator..."

You're so welcome, Persis! I will also be looking for more from Ms. Scacchi.

Chrissie wrote: "Robin, you don't seen to have read Gone to Earth! You absolutely MUST. I just finished it and totally loved it. Really impressive writing. I am going to give it five stars. A free do..."

I must have missed entering it into GR, I did read it some years ago in print so I've just added it to my Read category. But I'm sure the audio adds a lot, so I'll keep that in mind.

I had some work to do around the house this weekend so I hit play on The Movie Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained not knowing what to expect. It was as dry as a documentary, but the history of movies was so interesting. And I could miss a sentence or two and not get lost.

I have a few more of these "Big Idea" books in my queue that I'm more eager to listen to now.

And I don't know what anyone uses to listen, but my galaxy buds+ were so convenient this weekend. I could just tap the side to pause instead of pulling out my phone with my paint covered hands. (I suck at painting)

L J wrote: "Joy D wrote: "African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan by Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard...

I am n..."

Thanks for the info, LJ. It's possible the reader was following a dialect and I just was not aware. I didn't enjoy the audio as much as I normally might because I was distracted by the pronunciation.

In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen - 4 stars - My Review

This book is set at Auschwitz in 1996, where protagonist Clements Olin is attending a week-long spiritual retreat with a diverse group of people. Olin is an American born in Poland during WWII. During the retreat, Olin comes to terms with a family secret. Each participant has his or her own reasons for attending, and these reasons are gradually disclosed. At the heart of the book is an attempt to understand a horrific tragedy. There is little that resembles a traditional plot. People see things differently and tempers flare. Some are vocal and others reticent. Themes include faith, identity, guilt, remembrance, and the search for truth. The tone is sad and reflective. The writing is expressive. As I read the book, I almost felt like I was part of the retreat. I think each person reading this book will take something different away from it.

The audio book is narrated by Mark Bramhall. He does an excellent job of clearly articulating, pacing, and providing distinct voices to the characters. (5 stars for the audio)

The classic Gone to Earth by Mary Webb is fantastic. I must give it five stars.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have begun Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains by Cassie Chambers

Robin P wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Robin, you don't seen to have read Gone to Earth! You absolutely MUST. I just finished it and totally loved it. Really impressive writing. I am going to give it five..."

I'm going to listen to Precious Bane soon. I have recommended it for a Classic Group read. I will listen to it next month, no matter what!

Started the new Charles & Anna book from Patricia Briggs Wild Sign narrated by, Holter Graham

About Love and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov- 4 stars - My Review

After reading this collection of Chekhov’s short stories, I understand why he is considered one of the best. Anton Chekhov lived from 1860 to 1904, so he was writing prior to the Russian revolutions. Most of these stories are slices of life in the Russian countryside in the late 19th century. A few contain elements of fantasy. Common themes running throughout these stories are love, religion, hypocrisy, materialism, and leading a meaningful life. My favorites are Fortune and The Black Monk.

The three narrators (T. Ryder Smith, Adam Grupper, and Henry Strozier) read well, enunciate well, and their voices are pleasing to the ear. (4 stars for the audio)

My review of Tom Stoppard: A Life by Hermione Lee

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm currently working my way through Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings books, which is Fantasy. At 16 main books and a variety of short stories, I imagine I'll be working on these for a large portion of 2021. I'm on the last book of the second trilogy, Ship of Destiny. Incredibly rich storytelling! The Complete Liveship Traders Trilogy: Ship of Magic, The Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny

Josh wrote: "I'm currently working my way through Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings books, which is Fantasy. At 16 main books and a variety of short stories, I imagine I'll be working on these for a large po..."

That was one of my favorite fantasy series ever read. It is well worth your time to finish the series. I hope Robin Hobb writes more set in that world, I read a blog post by her saying that she is considering it.

I’m planning to read all of RotE this year. They are great books but a bit emotionally tiring, so I’ll be reading some novellas and stand alones in between RotE series. Great stuff though! Looking forward to getting back to stories centered on Fitz and the Fool.

I finished Wild Sign, latest in the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia briggs. I really liked this one and wish these books came out more often... and that we would also get a Mercy Thompson book this spring! My only real problem with the story was that it's been so long since I read the others in the series that I didn't remember all the people or events referred back to in this one so I just had to accept the reference and go on. Maybe I'll try a re-read of both series someday soon.

Jeanie wrote: "I finished Wild Sign, latest in the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia briggs. I really liked this one and wish these books came out more often... and that we would also get a Mercy Thompson book t..."

I had the same problem when I first started it today I thought maybe I needed to re-read Burn Bright but now I am just enjoying it. I agree too I would like to go back to the beginning and read these and the Mercy books in chronological order.

I'm re-listening to one of my favorite audios with my two favorite narrators: The Landscape of Love by Sally Beauman. Narrators: Robert Glenister and Sophie Ward. Love it!!

I finished The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa yesterday. I think it was someone here who mentioned that it was free (at the time) on Audible.

I started The Last Colony. It was a couple of years ago that I read the first 2 books in the series and I was worried that I'd be lost, but I've picked up the thread quite easily.

I have liked Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains by Cassie Chambers. The author, being also a lawyer, reads the audiobook and does it well.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have begun and am enjoying the classical noir mystery The Fallen Sparrow by Dorothy B. Hughes. It starts in a prison cell during the Spanish Civil War and then flips to NYC.

Jeanie wrote: "I finished Wild Sign, latest in the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia briggs. I really liked this one and wish these books came out more often... and that we would also get a Mercy Thompson book t..."

i normally wait for my library to get these in audio, but since i have like 5 credits just waiting to be used...

I have been testing noir mysteries, so I tried The Fallen Sparrow by Dorothy B. Hughes.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm no expert, but I wouldn't classify it as noir.

Back to non-fiction! I have begun Borges and Me by Jay Parini. I am hoping it will be more about Jorge Luis Borges and less about Jay Parini.

Jan wrote: "Trying to go through some of my Audible oldies. Listened to two classics:

Emma Thompson narrating The Turn of the Screw. Outstanding narration - story was just okay.

Also listened ..."

I recently listened to Emma, also narrated by Emma Thompson (supported by a full cast for the dialogue), and she did a phenomenal job. I could listen to her all day. Adore her!

I finished up the Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb, and wow, it was great. I am now working on shorter books. Liveship Traders was such a long series and so immersive, I need some time for my brain to cool down.

I read Six Months, Three Dasy by Charlie Jane Alders, which was OK, and Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin, which was quite good.

Currently working on Breach of Peace by Daniel B. Green, and so far so good.

I am listening to The Girl with the Louding Voice and the narrator is phenomenal. There are scenes with a lot of emotion the part of the 14-year old main character and they are wonderfully delivered.

The only thing is that I keep hearing that accent in my head even when I am thinking of something else. I had that with the Scottish accent in Outlander, Irish accent in other books, etc.

I bailed on Frankenstein (sorry, Simon Vance!) after an afternoon; the writing is poetic but the story itself is dull, dull, dull - just as I remember. So instead I jumped back on my audiobook of Jade War (4.5 stars) and now I'm through books 3 and 4 of Murderbot -- it's been a productive week!

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez - 3 stars - My Review

Protagonist Antonia Vega, originally from the Dominican Republic, is a retired professor of literature living in Vermont. She has recently experienced multiple losses, including the sudden death of her husband. Her three sisters arrange for a birthday gathering, but one of them, suffering from mental health issues, disappears. She is also asked to intervene in a case of an undocumented migrant worker. There is a lot going on in this book - too much for my taste. I had previously read In the Time of the Butterflies, which I much preferred and recommend.

The audio book is well read by Alma Cuervo – she pronounces Spanish properly and does a nice job with the interaction among the sisters. (4 stars for the audio)

I finished The Bone Shard Daughter and Hench. I thought they were both good; The Bone Shard Daughter is much more sweeping and epic, but Hench is really very sharply and intelligently written. Both are enjoyable reads.

My review of Bone Shard Daughter
My review of Hench

Ashley Marie wrote: "I bailed on Frankenstein (sorry, Simon Vance!) after an afternoon; the writing is poetic but the story itself is dull, dull, dull - just as I remember..."

I remember falling asleep several times during this one, so I can relate. I am glad I listened, however, because so much of it is referenced in other works.

Jan wrote: "I remember falling asleep several times during this one, so I can relate. I am glad I listened, however, because so much of it is referenced in other works."

When we had to read it in high school we actually listened to the audiobook in class, and that put me to sleep -- one of the few times I fell asleep in class lol

Finished up Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. Glad I stuck with it and ended up enjoying it. The fragmented narration, switching between POVs and time lines didn't help for getting into the book and connecting with the characters, but after a while it sticks.

Started up Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten. Still early in the book, but going okay so far. Likely will take me the rest of the month with this one.