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  Favorite Books on Audio

  Does anyone have a favorite series, author, book on audio?
  
  Mine would have to be Jodi Picoult books. I started out lilstening to her books last year on audio. When I picked up a book to read, I found it didn't read right...lol...that it sounds better on audio.

  deactivated member started this discussion 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  theworleys 

  Definitely Phillip Roth - His books tend to be heavy in vocabulary, so sometimes helps to hear it in context. Ron Silver, the actor, read American Pastoral and it was beautiful. Roth is gifted at telling a story within the story. When someone is reading it to you, you can really get lost and imagine the trajectory. I also loved his book, The Human Stain, on audio (the movie really stank).
  
  For fun the Sue Grafton books are good on audio, also.
  
  I have been thinking about tackling some of the classics on audio this summer.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    Starlet  

    Let me know which classic you end up really enjoying...I want to do the same and will probably choose between Huckleberry Finn, Little Women, Jane Austen or Edith Warten Stories. But I would also like to reread some other classics like Brave New World, Fareheight 415, Animal Farm --there are just too many new books that interest me, however, and it's difficult to choose!!

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  unfinished woman 

  I prefer mysteries. I listen in the car for the most part, and use them to stay alert. I also can lose some of the book, for whatever reason, and listening to more in depth books doesn't work for me. Therefore, my favorite series/authors for listening are: Janet Evanovich. She is laugh out loud and the reader (except for a couple of recent ones) is terrific, varying voices for the characters. David Baldacci really keeps me riveted. Edna Buchanan, the Miami news reporter. P. D. James. Sue Grafton, Clive Cussler, Dick Francis. Most of these writers/books I have also read, and it is a totally different experience to listern to them. Nevada Barr is another and "Blind Descent" is riveting.
  

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    deactivated member 

    I am waiting for Janet Evanovich's One for the Money. Can you believe I haven't read any of her books yet? (lol) And ditto on David Baldacci for audio books.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    joelahey 

    Like the Clive Cussler and Evanovich books.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    susabw 

    I had stopped reading Baldacci for quite a long time, and then I started listening to "The Camel Club". I'm now listening to "The Collectors" (book 2 about the camel club). I must say they are good, also quite humorous. Caleb is a 'hoot'. Also, Lee Child's, 'Jack Reacher' series and Robert Crais's "Elvis Cole". I am thoroughly enjoying all of them, and wish I had more car driving time.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  Starlet  

  I just finished Lovely Bones, which is on CD and audible download as well as Last Town on Earth and they were both five star reads -- it's true, some books really do lend themselves to audio -- I felt that these two books did and another one that comes to mind is The Book Thief --

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    Aimeesue 

    I bet The Book Thief would be excellent to listen to! It's a fantastic book.
    

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    Robert of Ravenclaw 

    the Book Thief is Great on Audio book

    posted 8 months ago. ( reply )

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    Shelly W 

    I agree that The Last Town on Earth is great on audio! I listen while I drive to and from work, and couldn't wait to get back in the car to continue the story!

    posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

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  Rowan sees children eager to learn, not colors 

  We grabbed all of the Harry Potter books for when we travel. They are amazibg to have read to you.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    Kibbles 

    I agree. I also love Jim Dale's voice!

    posted 11 months ago. ( reply )

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  booter09 

  I love to listen to Bill Bryson's books. Especially the ones he reads himself.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    louby 

    I'll have to get those, I love Bill Bryson.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    miyurose 

    I have The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid on my mp3 player right now. I've never read him, so I've been delaying starting it.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    susabw 

    Have you listened to "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" Bryson is the reader, and it is about his childhood. Very good.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  miyurose 

  I loved listening to The Time Traveler's Wife. Wish You Well by David Baldacci was also a good listen.
  
  Audio format is also the only way I was able to get through King's Dark Tower series. And it's the only way my husband "reads" the Harry Potter books.
  
  Lately I'm also really enjoying the BBC productions of Agatha Christie's books. They're more audio-play than a straight reading, but they're well done and short and sweet. Most of them are less than 3 hours long.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  miyurose 

  Oh yeah, I also listened to the entire Lemony Snicket series (except the last one) on mp3. LOVED them. And the best part is that Tim Curry is the reader for all but 2 of them near the beginning, which Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) misguidedly read himself.

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    booter09 

    I tried that series on audio. I couldn't get by the hacking cough Tim Curry did for one of the characters. I thought it was horrible to listen too. Perhaps I'll have to try them again. Enjoy the Thunderbolt Kid!

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    Aimeesue 

    Tim Curry is EXCELLENT!!! I haven't listened to the Snicket books, but I have Curry doing Barrie's Peter Pan. He has such a deliciously wicked voice!

    posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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  joelahey 

  "The Devil in the White City" stands out. I also liked "Darkly dreaming Dexter", "The Pirate Hunter". I loved the Neil Gaimon Books (American Gods, etc.) although you have to be a little twisted to like these and Christoper Moore is in the same vein. Other authors are Jeffry Deavers, Stephen King, Lincoln Child, Dean Koontz, Look for good narrators also. Barbara Rosenblat and George Guidall are tops in my "book".

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  Ashley51 

  Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
  This is not for "foodies", it is chicklit at it's finest.
  French background music and interview with the author add to the experience.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    deactivated member 

    I have heard of this book before, but without any comments. I just dumped a couple of slow books off my reading list...lol! I'll add this one.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  deactivated member 

  I just finished Next by Michael Crichton - great, great audio!

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  MaryB 

  I liked Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch. I am not a football fan, but there was more than enough other substantive thoughts in there to forgive him that obsession.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  birdsallhead 

  LOVED "The Devil Wears Prada". I think the audio version was excellent!! I didn't like "Finn" on Audible - it was such a deep accent & vocabulary, it lost me a lot.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  deactivated member 

  Harry Potter
  Stephanie Plum
  Diana Gabaldon's Outlander
  Sookie Stackhouse
  Linda Howard books
  
  The thing that makes these series my favorites is the color that is brought to them by the narration. I really like to hear all the different voices and accents.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    deactivated member 

    Just started on One for the Money - a Plum novel - it's great - great - great!

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  efitzy 

  I love books that are read by the author; not all are good readers, but I've hit on several that added so much to the tone of the book that I was so glad to have listened rather than read the book. Here's the one's I recommend highly:
  Eat, Pray, Love - by Elizabeth Gilbert (incredible spiritual travelogue/memoir)
  Teacher Man - by Frank McCourt (is his lovely Irish brogue!)
  Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris (his slight lisp absolutely clinches the reading of this book!)
  I Feel Bad About My Neck - Nora Ephron (you will laugh until you cry!)
  
  I'm always looking for suggestions. I'm so glad I found this group!!!
  

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    deactivated member 

    "I Feel Bad About My Neck - Nora Ephron"
    
    I am going to put this on my list of books I want to get. It sounds good!

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

• efitzy removed this reply 1 year ago.

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  Bri 

  These were not recent reads, but in checking out some other book shelves I remembered these books that I enjoyed on audio:
  
  The Reader (Read by Campbell Scott)
  Angela's Ashes and 'Tis (Read by the author Frank McCourt)
  Midwives (don't remember the reader's name specifically, but she was excellent).
  The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (read by Anne Heche), but I may have already mentioned this one...
  
  Also, I'm sure that I've already mentioned these as well, but they're worth mentioning again - any of the Harry Potter books read by Jim Dale.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  Dickter 

  I really liked The Company by Robert Littell read by Scott Brick and Company Man by Joseph Finder also read by Scott Brick

  posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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    deactivated member 

    Since Finder is my newest fave author, I would listen to any of his books! Have you had a chance to listen to his new book yet?

    posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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    Dickter 

    I haven't listened to his newest Power Play but I did receive the hardback as a birthday gift. I have listened to Company Man and Killer Instinct (both great, by the way) and I have read Paranoia (also great).

    posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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  Nonna 

  A few of my favorites:
  
  A Walk in the Woods - Bryson
  Intensity - Dean Koontz
  Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
  Beach Music - Pat Conroy
  Portrait of Sepia & Daughters of Fortune - Isabell Allende
  City of Beast - Isabell Allende
  Live Your Best Life- Joel Osteen
  
  This is just a few I have really enjoyed!

  posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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    miyurose 

    I just listened to A Walk in the Woods. I loved it!

    posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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  Graham 

  Does anyone know if a full length version of Virginia Woolf's 'The Waves' exists as an audio book? All I seem to see is the abridged Frances Jester version.

  posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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  Aimeesue 

  I'm working my way through Diane Duane's SO YOU Want To Be A Wizard series. Fantastic stories and good for those who are having Harry potter withdrawal! The narrator, Christina Moore, is just wonderful -- pitch perfect.

  posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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    Robert of Ravenclaw 

    I am working my way throw them too , I love how she does the voice of Kit Dog.

    posted 8 months ago. ( reply )

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  lauralia 

  I just bought an Audible.com plan where you get one credit (book) per month for a very reasonable (in my estimation) price. My first book was Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs, which I liked a lot. It's a good mystery with lots of forensic detail and plenty of romantic angst/family relationship sidelines. The only part I didn't like were the many phrases in French or places/names pronounced with a French accent. It got a bit confusing listening to that. Seeing them written would have been better (for me).

  posted 12 months ago. ( reply )

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  merv545 

  I really dug A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. Hearing the book actually made for a more interesting read, in that there were four different actors reading the four characters, which brought the flavor of the book -- both the humor and the more melancholy bits -- to life nicely.

  posted 11 months ago. ( reply )

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  cowgirl-up 

  I read the Chronicles of Narnia as a child. I've recently started re-"reading" them on audio and I really enjoy them.

  posted 10 months ago. ( reply )

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  Readingrat 

  MIddlesex is a great audio. The reader hits all the character's voices spot on and transmits the mood perfectly.

  posted 9 months ago. ( reply )

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  Scarlett 

  My favorite series to listen to are "The Cat Who" books narrated by George Guidell and the Anne George cozy mysteries narrated by Ruth Ann Phimister. I would never read these books, enjoy the audios too much.

  posted 9 months ago. ( reply )

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  Robert of Ravenclaw 

  The books in the Ender Quartet
  by Orson Scott Card are great On Audible Books. They did them right , first they have more then one person reading the book . It is more like listoning to one of those old radio show . If you like SciFi or want to hear a great Audible Books pick up the Ender Books
  Ender's Game
  by Orson Scott Card
  Speaker for the Dead (Ender, Book 2)
  by Orson Scott Card
  Xenocide (Ender, Book 3) (Ender Quartet)
  by Orson Scott Card
  Children of the Mind (Ender, Book 4) (Ender Quartet)
  by Orson Scott Card

  posted 8 months ago. ( reply )

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    Scarlett 

    I love listening to Bradbury's short stories for the same reason. And you get sound effects.

    posted 8 months ago. ( reply )

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    Robert of Ravenclaw 

    Scarlett , You may like the ender books

    posted 8 months ago. ( reply )

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    Scarlett 

    Thanks Robert, I'll try one. : )

    posted 8 months ago. ( reply )

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    Robert of Ravenclaw 

    they do a great job with the books.

    posted 8 months ago. ( reply )

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  Isabelle S 

  If anyone is into Pullman and disappointed by the movie, the His Dark Materials audios are full-cast productions produced by Pullman and they're very, very well done. I particularly liked whoever voiced Will in the second book- exactly the right note of determined weariness, he just squeezes your heart every time he speaks.
  
  I just finished Naomi Novak's Temeraire series to date read by Simon Vance and can recommend them to fantasy lovers as well.

  posted 8 months ago. ( reply )

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  Mark S 

  Balcacci's "Camel Club" series is my all time favorite series - I wish he would get another one out. Vince Flynn's "Mitch Rapp" series runs a very close second. W.E.B. Griffin's "Presidential Agent" series is probably third; there just isn't enough of them. I am also warming up to James Lee Burke's "Dave Robicheaux" series and other threads in this group have me tempted to try another "Nevada Barr" novel. I read "Blind Descent" because it is about a cave I dream of exploring (wild caving is another hobby of mine), but was less than thrilled with the story-telling.

  posted 5 months ago. ( reply )

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  simonswalker 

  Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood read by Campbell Scott. This was my first Atwood book and I thoroughly enjoyed it - the fact that it was read by Campbell Scott didn't hurt since he's one of my faves. Unfortunately I found out that there was another that could be a prequel to this - not sure if that will change my feelings about it, but as is - I liked it!

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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