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Recommend some Audiobooks?


Anna Begins

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I have about 3 or 4 more audiobooks to come up with to convince me I need Amazon's Audible.

 

I know it's a small percentage of us that are interested in them (and if you are, come out!), so could you please tell me about one or two of your favorites?

 

The more drama, the better (in the recording :P )  I also prefer when an author reads their own books, or the book is read by a well known actor/ narrator.  One of the best I've listened to was Sissy Spacek reading Carrie.

 

Convince me!  :)

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I don't know what sort of thing you like, but I have recently listened to, and loved, two novels by Nancy Mitford - The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate.  They're rather dated now, I suppose - they're both about English society in the years between the first and second world war and are both satirically funny but also touching.   They are both narrated (the character, not the narrator of the audio book) by Fanny.  Her mother, known as The Bolter - has been married lots of times and when Fanny was a baby she dumped her with an aunt and has sporadic contact with her.  The character of Fanny's Uncle Matthew is so funny!  They're not very politically correct, but weren't written to be.  They're not narrated by the same person - the first is by the actress Emilia Fox and the second by Patricia Hodge, but both have the right 'cut-glass' British accent for the stories.   I'm not sure if they'd be your thing but I think you can listen to a sample?  Or you could read the first pages on Amazon's 'Look Inside' feature to see what you think?

 

I've also listened to lots of Agatha Christie books - mostly all Poirot detective novels.  However, the one I would recommend is And Then There Were None.  I listened to a version narrated by an actor who is now dead (Norman something... Barr, maybe) and that was excellent and would be a good place to start.  :)

 

Two more are by Matt Haig - The Radleys (I don't want to say too much about the subject matter) and The Humans - both of which were excellent (but not narrated by the author).  I forget the narrator's name, but he had just the right voice for both stories. 

 

I have only started listening to them in the past 18 months.

 

I'm sure other people will have much better suggestions - Kay listens to a lot of audio books.  :)

 

Edit:  I shan't be offended if you say "what are you on about, woman - they're not my kind of thing at all!"!  :giggle2:

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Interesting, I haven't read any Agatha Christie as of yet- I will check out And Then There Were None.

 

The Radley's is on my TBR list for 2016 already, so I might do the audiobook of that! 

 

 

Edit:  I shan't be offended if you say "what are you on about, woman - they're not my kind of thing at all!"!  :giggle2:

:giggle2:

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer :)

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Not audio books per say, but the BBC have released a number of audio plays over the years and some of them are very good indeed.

 

I can recommend The Kraken Wakes, The Midwich Cuckoos (with Bill Nighy) and The Day of the Triffids all based on John Wyndham books and The 50's version of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.

 

As well as doing a cracking range of full cast Doctor Who stories, Big Finish have done some great full cast adaptations of a number of other stories (such as Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes and Survivors, to name but a few).

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Like Raven, I love the BBC Audio plays as they are wonderful. Their Philip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy production was very good. I would suggest throwing 'BBC' into Audible's search box and having a look.  :smile:

 

My favourite of all time though is Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children read by the late but glorious Lyndham Gregory. He brings the story completely to life, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy/listen to anything he has narrated.  

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Not audio books per say, but the BBC have released a number of audio plays over the years and some of them are very good indeed.

 

I can recommend The Kraken Wakes, The Midwich Cuckoos (with Bill Nighy) and The Day of the Triffids all based on John Wyndham books and The 50's version of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.

 

As well as doing a cracking range of full cast Doctor Who stories, Big Finish have done some great full cast adaptations of a number of other stories (such as Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes and Survivors, to name but a few).

 

Like Raven, I love the BBC Audio plays as they are wonderful. Their Philip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy production was very good. I would suggest throwing 'BBC' into Audible's search box and having a look.  :smile:

 

My favourite of all time though is Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children read by the late but glorious Lyndham Gregory. He brings the story completely to life, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy/listen to anything he has narrated.  

I will totally check out the BBC!  Thanks for that tip, Chrissy and Raven. 

Chrissy- It's good to hear some praise for Midnight's Children, it was so mixed on here when the group read was done.  But I like Rushdie. 

 

I ve never tried audiobook before! How is it? Can you really understand the characters, and follow the plot??  :dunno:  :coffee1:

Yes, it is very easy, depending on the narrator.  Amazon will let you listen to 4 minutes of a sample.

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I will totally check out the BBC!  Thanks for that tip, Chrissy and Raven. 

Chrissy- It's good to hear some praise for Midnight's Children, it was so mixed on here when the group read was done.  But I like Rushdie. 

 

Yes, it is very easy, depending on the narrator.  Amazon will let you listen to 4 minutes of a sample.

Thanks Anna!! I ll definetlly give it a try! :)

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Thanks Anna!! I ll definetlly give it a try! :)

Do you buy from Amazon?  You can try the Immersion reading, where you buy the book and the audio (at a discounted price) and it will read along with the text of the book.  Also, look for shorter audiobooks to start :)

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Do you buy from Amazon?  You can try the Immersion reading, where you buy the book and the audio (at a discounted price) and it will read along with the text of the book.  Also, look for shorter audiobooks to start :)

Not really! I mean I sure use amazon to buy books but only rear or expensive ones, because the shipping here takes up to 2 weeks , and i am really impatient!!! :D I prefer to go to a local bookstore and feel the books! :) But I think i will try what you said! I really want to see if audiobooks are nice to. Also I am planning to buy an e reader so amazon will be my top priority bookshop !!!!! :)

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Have you read The Secret History Anna?.. if not, Donna Tartt does an excellent job of narrating.

Also brilliant (but not narrated by the authors) are Our Endless Numbered Days, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Golem and the DjinniThe Girl on the Train, The Invention of Wings, The Goldfinch and Disclaimer. Oh and the Harry Potter's of course.

I absolutely love listening to audiobooks .. such a boon when you're out walking or doing chores etc because you can read a book at the same time .. genius! :D 

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My favourite audiobooks tend to be classics or books I already know well.  I'd definitely recommend all the Jane Austen books on audiobook.  My favourites have been read by British actresses ... Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park and Persuasion read by Juliet Stevenson, Sense and Sensibility read by Susannah Harker and Pride and Prejudice read by Lindsay Duncan.

 

Recently, I've also really enjoyed A Room With A View read by Joanna David and The Enchanted April read by Eleanor Bron. :)

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Have you read The Secret History Anna?.. if not, Donna Tartt does an excellent job of narrating.

Also brilliant (but not narrated by the authors) are Our Endless Numbered Days, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Golem and the DjinniThe Girl on the Train, The Invention of Wings, The Goldfinch and Disclaimer. Oh and the Harry Potter's of course.

I absolutely love listening to audiobooks .. such a boon when you're out walking or doing chores etc because you can read a book at the same time .. genius! :D 

Good news :)  Both The Secret History, The Girl on the Train and The Invention of Wings are all Immersion Reading and that is totally what I am looking for.  I already own Girl on the Train, so the audio is cheaper :)  Thanks!

 

My favourite audiobooks tend to be classics or books I already know well.  I'd definitely recommend all the Jane Austen books on audiobook.  My favourites have been read by British actresses ... Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park and Persuasion read by Juliet Stevenson, Sense and Sensibility read by Susannah Harker and Pride and Prejudice read by Lindsay Duncan.

 

Recently, I've also really enjoyed A Room With A View read by Joanna David and The Enchanted April read by Eleanor Bron. :)

I have never gotten into Jane Austen, maybe now is the time :)

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