[JPK]

I figure enough of us have been getting pretty deep into audiobooks lately that they deserve their own thread. So, what is your current listen? Are there any audiobooks that you would recommend? Find a narrator that you particularly love?

My current listen is The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan, narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. They do a great job with such an important series.

My favorite narrator thus far is John Lee with The Count of Monte Cristo, and Perdido Street Station by China Mievelle, as well as Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space series. He has a rich voice with an english accent that is super easy to listen to. He also is slightly quicker in the narration, making it sound more natural (imho).

This post has been edited by The Incredible Kitsu: 08 March 2015 - 02:23 PM

[Dadding]

I'm about halfway through Dresden book 8 - Proven Guilty. They're a good mindless listen when I'm walking to school or taking the bus, but I don't particularly love them apart from the humour every once in a while. I picked up a copy of The Black Company series on audiobook for when I'm done this book, and I'm more excited for that!

[JPK]

Dadding, on 08 March 2015 - 03:47 PM, said:

I'm about halfway through Dresden book 8 - Proven Guilty. They're a good mindless listen when I'm walking to school or taking the bus, but I don't particularly love them apart from the humour every once in a while. I picked up a copy of The Black Company series on audiobook for when I'm done this book, and I'm more excited for that!

aren't those narrated by James Marsters?

[Dadding]

The Incredible Kitsu, on 08 March 2015 - 04:01 PM, said:

Dadding, on 08 March 2015 - 03:47 PM, said:

I'm about halfway through Dresden book 8 - Proven Guilty. They're a good mindless listen when I'm walking to school or taking the bus, but I don't particularly love them apart from the humour every once in a while. I picked up a copy of The Black Company series on audiobook for when I'm done this book, and I'm more excited for that!

aren't those narrated by James Marsters?

They are indeed! Which is great, but I still can't shake the feeling of mediocrity surrounding the series, it just doesn't get me that interested.

[Baco Xtath]

I usually listen to about two a week; I'm a solo contractor so I've got plenty of time for it. This week I'm listening to Lies of Locke Lamora (which I read about 5 yrs ago) and Steel World by Brett V. Larson (Imagine Starship Troopers the movie made into a book - cause the book by Heinlien is nothing like the movie). Also started listening to Touch by Claire North - Peter Kenny narrates and is fantastic.

Favorite narrators? My tops are Nick Podehl, George Newbern, Will Wheaton, and Kobna Holbrook-Smith. I also have some least favorites that I won't listen to at all including William Dufris, Celeste Ciulla, also not a fan of Macleod Andrews or Michael Kramer (not always but sometimes).

Great audiobooks that I think everyone should check out:
The Martian, John Dies at the End, Ready Player One, the Golem and the Jinni, American Elsewhere, Crooked Little Vein, Thirte3n, Midnight Riot .....I could go on and on but these really stand out as writer/narrator combos.

[JPK]

I'm really happy to see Ready Player One as a recommendation Baco. Especially since i just picked it as one of my credits yesterday.

[Baco Xtath]

The Incredible Kitsu, on 08 March 2015 - 05:25 PM, said:

I'm really happy to see Ready Player One as a recommendation Baco. Especially since i just picked it as one of my credits yesterday.

It's awesome. One of my favorite listens. I'm going to listen to it again as soon as it becomes available at my local library.

[Rictus]

The Lies of Locke Lamora. It's incredibly atmospheric -- now I speak like Father Chains all the time -- not to mention hilarious. I often just burst out laughing on the train.
Also, every Black Company narrated by that Veetor guy is pure gold.


And since the thread is all about audiobooks: what do you all think about Graphic Audio a.books? I understand they're quite good, but I'm not sure if I can countenance the omission of descriptions and the like. Then again, there's music and stuff?

[Abyss]

Currently have Grossman's THE MAGICIANS on a direct audio-feed to the thinkymeatz. Great narration by Mark Bramhall. I have the rest of the trilo in audio as well so that's a few weeks worth at least.



Of recent audiobookage...


CRESCENT by Phil Rossi. Great setup, mediocre payoff. Read by the author... some of his accents were iffy but overall he has a good voice and it worked for the grim gritty setting.

A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS, Marie Brennan... read by the author. As a fictional autobiography of a high society lady, the author's narration works very nicely. My problems with the book have nothing to do with that.

SHATTERED, by Kevin Hearne, narrated by Chris Ragland... his accents were ok, his female voice were... decent... his animal voices made me want to punch a schnauzer on general principal.

[Baco Xtath]

Abyss, on 08 March 2015 - 10:33 PM, said:

SHATTERED, by Kevin Hearne, narrated by Chris Ragland... his accents were ok, his female voice were... decent... his animal voices made me want to punch a schnauzer on general principal.

I actually quit listening to his stuff because of the dog's voice. Another horrible narrator is the guy who does Brent Weeks's Black Prism - dude sounds like a freak'n surfer.

[worry]

That might be the proper accent in a fantasy world, you don't know!

[Puck]

I'm not really an audiobook person (extremely reliant on my eyes to understand things, so I drift off mentally if I only listen to something), so I mostly listen to either rather easy to follow books or those that I already have read with my own eyes and really want to revisit but have no time to reread.

So, atm it's Forge of Darkness. I probably listened to the prelude about five times in a row because the narrator is just that perfect in making the antics there come alive for me.

Next audiobook will be Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which I read almost nine years ago, and with the BBC series based on it about to air sometime soon-ish I really want to revisit that one.

[Baco Xtath]

I broke 3 ribs today at work and spent 6 hrs in the ER - listened to B.V. Larson's Steel World the whole time; pure popcorn goodness. I definitely stand by my earlier assessment that this is the novelization of Starship Troopers (except add a galactic empire and replace the bugs with lizards). And, yes, I know the movie is based on the book (Starship Troopers that is) but as anyone who's read the book and seen the movie will tell you, they are nothing alike. Anywho, helluva lot of fun.

[JPK]

I will look into that Baco. I also want to wish you a speedy recovery. even though I know that's obviously not the type of thing that you heals quickly.

As for myself, I have 20 minutes left on The Path of Daggers. I'm beginning to understand what people mean by the slump. I mean there were a couple really cool scenes in this book but nothing happened for the vast majority of the book. a ton of filler. I will be starting Ready Player One on my bike ride home tonight.

[JPK]

well, ready player one was pretty much amazing. they really could not have gotten a better narrator. I'll be checking out his narration of Redshirts later.

for my current listen, I started Children of Dune. excited for some of the stuff that I know is involved in this book.

[Baco Xtath]

The Incredible Kitsu, on 17 March 2015 - 09:04 PM, said:

well, ready player one was pretty much amazing. they really could not have gotten a better narrator. I'll be checking out his narration of Redshirts later.

for my current listen, I started Children of Dune. excited for some of the stuff that I know is involved in this book.

I started listening to Ready Player One for the second time this morning. Redshirts is fun - not great but fun.

I'm currently listening to RPOne as mentioned, Touch (still), the Beam Season 2, and Dust World. Dust World, like Steel World, is pure popcorn goodness. I'm sure most well-read types would cringe at this book but it is a helluva lot of fun.

[JPK]

I just finished CHILDREN OF DUNE. Things got nuts there at the end.

WINTER'S HEART is next up.

[Puck]

Cook's The Silver Spike, because I wanted to revisit some of my favourite characters but cannot be bothered to trudge through the.. less interesting parts of this installment. The narrator manages to make it sound even more hilarious. Perfect.

[Baco Xtath]

Currently listening to the Mechanical by Ian Tregillis; he's a fantastic author, everything (to me) unique and original (yes, both). He's now apart of my, will-always-read/listen-to authors (and, yes, that's a category I have). He's there with Robert Jackson Bennet, Felix Gilman, China Mieville, Jeff Vandermeer, and a few more I'm forgetting. Anyway, good shit.

Also listening to A Feast for Crows, Beam Season 2 (still), and the Peripheral (kind of). All good.

[JPK]

Just about to finish Winter's Heart and I am torn about what I am going to start afterwards. On one hand, I have Crossroads of Twilight. It's tempting to push straight through and get to the other side of the slog. On the other hand, I have Storm Front ready to go and I'm itching for some Dresdencrack.

Also, Baco, what is a good place to start with Vandermeer?

This post has been edited by The Incredible Kitsu: 08 April 2015 - 12:52 AM