Author Topic: audio books (Read 16912 times)

CGFxColONeill · **on:** February 25, 2008, 04:11:31 AM

What are some good audio books
I drive for about 7 to 8 hrs a week so I have a lot of time to listen so I want some recommendations

thanks in advance for the input
also links would be appreciated

CammoBlammo · **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2008, 07:47:00 AM

I haven't got time to make specific suggestions, but you could do worse than trying PodioBooks.

Plenty of stuff there, and you choose what to pay, if anything. Most of the books are available serially or can be downloaded all at once, depending on how you want to receive them.

stePH · **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2008, 02:00:15 PM

Quote from: CGFxColONeill on February 25, 2008, 04:11:31 AM

What are some good audio books
I drive for about 7 to 8 hrs a week so I have a lot of time to listen so I want some recommendations

thanks in advance for the input
also links would be appreciated

I used to drive from Seattle to Portland and back every week, and I started by checking out the library. After trying a couple that were available right there, I started seeking out CD books by authors I already like (King's "Dark Tower" series, Gaiman's American Gods and Anansi Boys to name a few examples), and looking for SF in general, and ordering them into my local branch.

CGFxColONeill · **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2008, 04:07:24 PM

ya podiobooks is good I have some of their stuff ( arewn was really good I thought)

thanks for the tip on the library also

AarrowOM · **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:10:02 PM

I recently finished some stuff at Podiobooks.com (Star Surgeon, Badge of Infamy, Taken Liberty) that led me to Prometheus Radio Theatre, where I've been working through the other Arbiter Chronicles episodes.

Russell Nash · **Reply #5 on:** February 26, 2008, 10:07:44 AM

If you get CDs from the library, you can use iTune to put them on your iPod. Then you have the best of both worlds. If you're a good boy and erase them after you listen to them, you're not even doing anything illegal.

eytanz · **Reply #6 on:** February 26, 2008, 10:57:15 AM

Quote from: Russell Nash on February 26, 2008, 10:07:44 AM

If you get CDs from the library, you can use iTune to put them on your iPod. Then you have the best of both worlds. If you're a good boy and erase them after you listen to them, you're not even doing anything illegal.

That depends on where you live, actually. I think that in the UK, for instance, it's illegal to make electronic copies of anything you borrow from a library, whether or not you keep it.

CGFxColONeill · **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2008, 10:45:05 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on February 26, 2008, 10:07:44 AM

If you get CDs from the library, you can use iTune to put them on your iPod. Then you have the best of both worlds. If you're a good boy and erase them after you listen to them, you're not even doing anything illegal.

ya as I understand it here in OK where I live it is legal to change format of media as long as you have it in your possession
as long as you get rid of it when you return it

Planish · **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2008, 02:55:41 AM

From podiobooks.com I really enjoyed Singularity, by Bill DeSmedt.

Also the "Golden Age of the Solar Clipper" trilogy - Quarter Share, Half Share, and Full Share, by Nathan Lowell. The POV character might be a bit too much of a Wesley Crusher, but it kept me engaged.

Brave Men Run by Matthew Wayne Selznick. Sort of a "Breakfast Club" meets young X-Men

The Plitone Revisionist was an entertaining sort of space opera.

People go on about Earthcore, but I couldn't make it past episode three. Just didn't do it for me, but I might go back to it a couple of months from now.

If you like the classics, there's always Librivox, if you don't mind that some of them have uneven recording and reading quality. All from public domain texts, usually pre-dating 1923, but there are a few PD SF works that were originally published in pulps.

sayeth · **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2008, 03:03:39 PM

The blog www.freelistens.blogspot.com reviews freely downloadable audiobooks. My recommendations are all there.

Holden · **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2008, 03:36:31 PM

Librivox.org has a huge selection of free downloadable audiobooks, but the recording quality is hit and miss.

Liminal · **Reply #11 on:** March 10, 2008, 08:48:11 PM

You can't go wrong with any of Neil Gaiman's audiobooks - especially the ones he reads himself!

Although it costs some money, I have become addicted to Audible.com and highly recommend trying it out. At the very least you can get a free book through many of the podcast's that they sponsor (such as TWIT, Macbreak Weekly, and the Maccast to name but a few).

stePH · **Reply #12 on:** March 11, 2008, 01:02:23 AM

Quote from: Liminal on March 10, 2008, 08:48:11 PM

You can't go wrong with any of Neil Gaiman's audiobooks - especially the ones he reads himself!

Seconded. Fragile Things and Coraline are read very nicely by Gaiman; I'm also fond of George Guidall's reading of American Gods (the first book I heard read by Guidall, who also does right by Herbert's Dune and Shelley's Frankenstein.)

But the high-water mark in Gaiman's audiobooks is set by Lenny Henry's reading of Anansi Boys.

Planish · **Reply #13 on:** March 12, 2008, 12:17:23 AM

Quote from: Liminal on March 10, 2008, 08:48:11 PM

You can't go wrong with any of Neil Gaiman's audiobooks - especially the ones he reads himself!

I certainly enjoyed his Hugo-nominated short story How To Talk To Girls At Parties (free mp3 download).

stePH · **Reply #14 on:** March 12, 2008, 12:55:04 AM

Quote from: Planish on March 12, 2008, 12:17:23 AM

I certainly enjoyed [Neil Gaiman's] Hugo-nominated short story How To Talk To Girls At Parties (free mp3 download).

Also available in Fragile Things. I wonder if the download is the same reading as on the audiobook?

Ocicat · **Reply #15 on:** March 13, 2008, 11:56:47 PM

If he's got a free audio version, why couldn't Escape Pod run it along with their other Hugo noms?

DKT · **Reply #16 on:** March 14, 2008, 03:17:14 AM

I'm pretty sure I remember hearing that an offer was made, but that it wasn't accepted.

I'd imagine it has to do with, as you said, there already being an audio version of the story read by Neil himself. (Who else would you get to follow up Neil?) Still, that seems like kind of a funny reason for an author to not get it out to a group of people who haven't heard/read the story.

bad_andy · **Reply #17 on:** March 18, 2008, 10:59:23 PM

Neil Gaiman's A Study in Emerald is available as a free audiobook. If you are looking for non-fic, I'd heartily recommend Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. It's a great book that traces a broad circle about what we know, scientifically speaking, and also chronicles the history of the sciences themselves. It's an absolutely riveting piece of writing that balances humor with insight.

DKT · **Reply #18 on:** March 19, 2008, 04:26:37 PM

Bad_Andy...you have a link for the Gaiman story? Or is it just on his website?

bad_andy · **Reply #19 on:** March 19, 2008, 06:23:52 PM

Quote from: DKT on March 19, 2008, 04:26:37 PM

Bad_Andy...you have a link for the Gaiman story? Or is it just on his website?

I found it at BoingBoing: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/26/gaimans-cthulusherlo.html

Liminal · **Reply #20 on:** March 19, 2008, 06:31:13 PM

Quote from: stePH on March 12, 2008, 12:55:04 AM

Quote from: Planish on March 12, 2008, 12:17:23 AM
I certainly enjoyed [Neil Gaiman's] Hugo-nominated short story How To Talk To Girls At Parties (free mp3 download).

Also available in Fragile Things. I wonder if the download is the same reading as on the audiobook?

It is the same version.

DKT · **Reply #21 on:** March 19, 2008, 08:15:04 PM

Thanks!

Talia · **Reply #22 on:** March 20, 2008, 07:03:35 AM

Walter Mosley put out a rather wonderful little sci fi novel called 'The Wave,' which I enjoyed on a playable audio thing from the library (not a tape; the library near me rents out these one-book audiobook players now). Looks like it's also available as a download. I quite enjoyed it and thought it was neat he branched into sci fi.

Sentient puddle · **Reply #23 on:** March 25, 2008, 06:19:08 PM

I have used Podiobook as well and can recommend many of the same books listed in previous posts. I also have listened to some of Scott Siglers work and find him entertaining if you don't mind the ads. One thing I do on my drives (4 to 5 hours ensconced in my F250) is to make my podcasts playlists, in this way you don't need to constantly play the next episode, it happens automagically.

FNH · **Reply #24 on:** March 25, 2008, 10:05:58 PM

Plug for my site , where I'm (slowly) reviewing the back log of free audio books I've listened to.

http://freeaudioreview.blogspot.com