I have only one Audiobook that I like to listen to and it is really nerdy. It is called Ready Player One. Will Wheaton narrates the book and he does a fantastic job. If you love the 80's or nerd culture in general you will love this book. I was born in the mid 80's so I dont remember much about them but this book was a good reason to ask my parents cool facts about the book that I didnt know off hand.
I did that as an audiobook as well, and I thought it was great. A really fun, clever story, and well-read by Wheaton.
It's funny- for me it was a big nostalgia trip, as I think I am the same age as the author, so the mythology of his childhood was the same as mine. But it is cool that, for you, it became something to ask your parents about.
I'm about an hour into Greg Rucka's Alpha, which is available through Audible.
I'm digging it so far. Lean, pulpy fun, and the setting adds a lot of interesting complexities and absurdities to the thriller story.
I am sure the log line for pitching it to movies is "Die Hard in Disneyland". Though it is actually set in a fictionalized competitor to Disney, called Wilsonville. And the section that gives the history of the success of Wilsonville Entertainments various IPs feels very, if not influenced, then at least INFORMED by the history of Marvel IPs.
Good stuff so far. I have never read Rucka prose before, but I know he has a love of process and the nuts and bolts of how systems of security and surveillance work (and I think he worked in corporate security himself before becoming a full time writer), and so far the book is infused with that in an enjoyable way.
I have a about an hour one way commute to work so if it isn't a podcast it is an audiobook. The first one I did was The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. There was a lot of set up time in that book. Arrranging characters and getting the dominoes into place. Once the dominos started to fall however it really took off. Next I did F. Paul Wilson's first Repairman Jack novel The Tomb which may be the most perfectly constructed adventure novel ever. Everything was there and in just the right amounts. I recomment Wilson to anyone.
Random, I listened to the Steig Larsson trilogy recently as well. The same narrator did the other two books, which are also quite good.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. My library doesn't have the audio for The Tomb, but they do have By the Sword, another Repairman Jack, and Ready Player One, so I will check those out eventually!
BetaRayBen, My copy of the Tomb was a wierd copy made for the library of congress originally on a cassette tape that somebody had converted to CD. I located it through what i think this site refers to as "alternate methods".
It is like Dotrice uses his natural, and best voice, to narrate, but then for every other character he picks one of the maybe six character voices he does, and about four of them sound like the sort of mush-mouthed, let's-make-fun-of-the-regions character you would expect in a Monty Python sketch. Including for Tyrion! Tyrion should probably be the most silver-tongued character in the whole series, and Dotrice makes him sound like a bad impression of a Leprechaun.
Yep.
And I'm still trying to come up with a description of the voice he chose for Daenerys... toothless crone maybe?
It really is shocking. It is like I wonder what the actor thinks it sounds like, or why the people producing the audiobook would want something that makes every character sound miscast.
Except the ravens, I suppose. Any shrill, annoying voice, like the ravens, or Hoedor, Dotrice is perfect for. Maybe he auditioned with those.
I didn't like Roy at first, but after a while I started to love his voice. I'm still on the fourth book and I don't like how he forgot how he did a few voices or pronounced a few names, but now I couldn't switch to anyone else; just couldn't do it. Maybe it's just me, but I like the old guy. He was in The Corsican Brothers after all.
It is like Dotrice uses his natural, and best voice, to narrate, but then for every other character he picks one of the maybe six character voices he does, and about four of them sound like the sort of mush-mouthed, let's-make-fun-of-the-regions character you would expect in a Monty Python sketch. Including for Tyrion! Tyrion should probably be the most silver-tongued character in the whole series, and Dotrice makes him sound like a bad impression of a Leprechaun.
Yep.
And I'm still trying to come up with a description of the voice he chose for Daenerys... toothless crone maybe?
It really is shocking. It is like I wonder what the actor thinks it sounds like, or why the people producing the audiobook would want something that makes every character sound miscast.
Except the ravens, I suppose. Any shrill, annoying voice, like the ravens, or Hoedor, Dotrice is perfect for. Maybe he auditioned with those.
I didn't like Roy at first, but after a while I started to love his voice. I'm still on the fourth book and I don't like how he forgot how he did a few voices or pronounced a few names, but now I couldn't switch to anyone else; just couldn't do it. Maybe it's just me, but I like the old guy. He was in The Corsican Brothers after all.
I do respect that he is a hugely successful and experienced actor with a hell of a history to him. I just think, for me, his reading takes a series of books that does a good job of challenging some of the conventions and cliches of the fantasy novel... and making it sound like the whole story is being told to us by a wizard in a floppy hat. You know what I mean? But that's me.
In a perfect world, the whole thing would be read by Peter Dinklidge.
Currently in the middle of C.Dulaney's Roads Less Traveled: The Plan.
Ask yourself this: If the dead rise tomorrow, are you ready? Do you have a plan?
The dead rose, and the living quickly realized that Hollywood-style tactics were the quickest way to find yourself one of the walking dead.
Kasey, a strong-willed loner from West Virginia, and Ben, a college student from Pennsylvania, have shared an unlikely friendship over the years. And their bond is stretched to its limits when society collapses under a tide of zombies. But Kasey has something she likes to call The Zombie Plan. While Ben sets out for West Virginia, taking with him a ragtag group of friends, Kasey prepares for their long-term stand against the deadheads at her home in the mountains.
But every plan has its weaknesses, and the youths are unaware that a freight train of tragedy is bearing down on them all. In the darkness that follows, Kasey’s Plan slowly unravels: friends lost, family taken, their stronghold reduced to ashes.
So far, it's fantastic. Much better than I expected.
I decided after a lot of lighter/ more genre books to go back to one of my favorite literary authors, so I am in the middle of Russell Banks Lost Memory of Skin, which is excellent and well-read.
And I noticed that Audible, finally, has an unabridged read of Chabon's Kavalier and Clay, one of those novels I've long wanted to read but never got to. So that is definitely next.
I tend to listen to a lot of audio plays especially Doctor Who ones. Big Finish range is quite good. I find listening to a 7 hour audiobook quite a daunting thought. Here's a question though. If you've listened to the audiobook can you claim that its a book you've read? (If you see what I mean)
@Monkey010101: oh yes. I definitely count it as having read a book, although I pretty much will always make the distinction and say that I "listened" to this or "read" that. I can tell you that I had to learn how to listen attentively to audiobooks as opposed to music. I feel like I retain audiobooks now as well as I retain a print book.
@Monkey010101: oh yes. I definitely count it as having read a book, although I pretty much will always make the distinction and say that I "listened" to this or "read" that. I can tell you that I had to learn how to listen attentively to audiobooks as opposed to music. I feel like I retain audiobooks now as well as I retain a print book.
i hate when i'm listening to something and 5 minutes go by and i realize my mind was wandering and i'm lost, it is almost as much commitment as book in hand reading for sure
i hate when i'm listening to something and 5 minutes go by and i realize my mind was wandering and i'm lost, it is almost as much commitment as book in hand reading for sure
I find this happens more with audiobooks than paper books. I guess if you're mind wanders when reading the narrative just stops until you start reading again, whereas an audio book keeps on going.
I tend to listen to a lot of audio plays especially Doctor Who ones. Big Finish range is quite good. I find listening to a 7 hour audiobook quite a daunting thought. Here's a question though. If you've listened to the audiobook can you claim that its a book you've read? (If you see what I mean)
I count it either way, sure. Btw big finish has recently started some Blake's 7 audios for us über geeks.
Just finished A Clash of Kings this past week. I read Game of Thrones in book form. I disagree with the Dotrice-haters for the most part. It's not as bad as all that. There are a couple of voices (Melisandre and Brienne) that are pretty bad, I admit, but they don't have a lot of dialogue. Overall he does a good job.
If you're considering listening to the series I say give it a try.
Catching up on World of Warcraft lore, downloaded the Stormrage and Wolfheart books. I really wish they would put out audio version of the Arthas and Thrall books and hope the same for the upcoming Jaina book.
I decided after a lot of lighter/ more genre books to go back to one of my favorite literary authors, so I am in the middle of Russell Banks Lost Memory of Skin, which is excellent and well-read.
And I noticed that Audible, finally, has an unabridged read of Chabon's Kavalier and Clay, one of those novels I've long wanted to read but never got to. So that is definitely next.
Kavalier and Clay is a great read. Was surprised when I found it on the shelves of my local library. Mainly cause it is a tiny library that doesn't have much modern books in it.
Comments
Taken from TvTropes: Joe Ledger is the protagonist of a series of military/Horror/Speculative Fiction thrillers written by Jonathan Maberry.
It's funny- for me it was a big nostalgia trip, as I think I am the same age as the author, so the mythology of his childhood was the same as mine. But it is cool that, for you, it became something to ask your parents about.
I'm digging it so far. Lean, pulpy fun, and the setting adds a lot of interesting complexities and absurdities to the thriller story.
I am sure the log line for pitching it to movies is "Die Hard in Disneyland". Though it is actually set in a fictionalized competitor to Disney, called Wilsonville. And the section that gives the history of the success of Wilsonville Entertainments various IPs feels very, if not influenced, then at least INFORMED by the history of Marvel IPs.
Good stuff so far. I have never read Rucka prose before, but I know he has a love of process and the nuts and bolts of how systems of security and surveillance work (and I think he worked in corporate security himself before becoming a full time writer), and so far the book is infused with that in an enjoyable way.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. My library doesn't have the audio for The Tomb, but they do have By the Sword, another Repairman Jack, and Ready Player One, so I will check those out eventually!
In a perfect world, the whole thing would be read by Peter Dinklidge.
And apparently, it's the first of a trilogy,
And I noticed that Audible, finally, has an unabridged read of Chabon's Kavalier and Clay, one of those novels I've long wanted to read but never got to. So that is definitely next.
Here's a question though. If you've listened to the audiobook can you claim that its a book you've read? (If you see what I mean)
If you're considering listening to the series I say give it a try.
Kavalier and Clay is a great read. Was surprised when I found it on the shelves of my local library. Mainly cause it is a tiny library that doesn't have much modern books in it.
Enjoy. You're in for a surprising ride.
Good news: part one was awesome.
Bad news: this appears to be the last DC offering from Graphic Audio.