Author |
Message |
Newman
Member
09-25-2004
| Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 10:14 am
I still don't read much but my little audio bookclub has just finished it's 20th book, "Reading Lolita in Tehran", which I talked about in a different thread. Some of my recent favorites were: Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. An Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. I am such a slow reader but books on tape has brought me back to "reading". I tried reading the DaVinci Code but kept falling asleep at night. Found it on tape and it was a great "listen". The women in my audio bookclub love Nicholas Sparks. I like the issues he brings up but find him too "schmaltzy". I never found love like he describes. However, one of my favorite books was "3 Weeks with my Brother" a non fiction memoir of his life and an around the world trip with his brother Micah. I would recommend it.
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 11:13 am
Right now I am listening to a series of short stories by Jeffrey Archer called "To Cut A Long Story Short." I love Archer's writing....I enjoy the way his mind works. Lots of twists and turns. My only regret is that he didn't develop a few of these stories into novel. One of my all-time favorite books on tape is "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt. He reads it himself and with that Irish accent he tells the story and sings the songs. Depressing in a lot of ways since it deals with the poverty of his family growing up in Ireland, but it is always compelling. It gripped me.
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Scout
Member
01-20-2005
| Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 6:56 pm
Yes, I've read, "Angela's Ashes" many times - it really is a powerful story. I did not like his sequel, "Tis" at all. For some reason, it didn't have any of the charm and humor the first book had. I think I'd like to hear him narrate his own story. I think the chapter where he talked about making his first Communion was one of the funniest passages of the book. I can vaguely remember his brother's appearances on the Tonight Show. He always had a funny story to tell.
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 8:08 pm
Be sure to check your library and see if they have the books on tape. I just finished Half Blood Prince and it was great to listen to. Housework is so boring and listening to a book makes it easier!
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Newman
Member
09-25-2004
| Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 8:27 pm
I'm trying to get out of the habit of talk radio, replacing that with books on tape. Also taking a walk after dinner with a book on tape. It makes it even a better experience if you can find other people to talk to, who have also listened to the book. Thanks for the tip on Angela's Ashes. It's going to be our next book.
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Angus4us
Member
08-19-2005
| Friday, August 19, 2005 - 1:02 pm
Hello, I have just discovered Audio Books and I’m hooked, Unfortunately Audio Book websites seem to be in short supply or perhaps I’m not looking in the right place, Anyway if someone will please post some address’s I would be grateful.
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Friday, August 19, 2005 - 5:22 pm
Please check your local library. Even the smallest will usually have the audio tapes or cds. I have also been using otrcat.com for the old time radio shows. They are mp3's recorded on cds so there can be as many as 48 shows on one cd. They are $5 each and reasonable shipping. I've made several purchases from them and I'm very satisfied. You will be amazed at the selection. Right now we are listening to the "Escape" radio shows. My husbands favorites are the Gunsmoke series.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Friday, August 19, 2005 - 8:59 pm
Angus -- I'm an audiobook fanatic...here's a list of some great audio sites. I don't "download" books for an Ipod or anything, so these are just sites that actually sell tapes or CDs. In order they are: Recorded Books Audio Partners Books a Million Books on Tape Audio Book Club http://www.recordedbooks.com http://www.audiopartners.com/alpha.cfm?userid=31411571 http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books/audiobooks_main?id=3245078564298 http://www.booksontape.com/index.cfm http://www.audiobookclub.com Hope that gets you started. I just noticed last week that I can download books through Itunes, so I may be trying that next -- just download and burn to CD. 
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Newman
Member
09-25-2004
| Tuesday, August 23, 2005 - 9:00 pm
Just finished listening to "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. Thumbs way up. On the surface it may not seem like your cup of tea, but it's topical, and well crafted. I cared about the characters. There's humor and angst. It's about a little girl having leukemia and then the parents, thru modern science, develop a new baby, embryonically structured to be the donor for their sick kid. They hope they can use the new baby's umbilical chord blood to help cure the 3 year old's problems. It spirals from there. Good character development. You can't help but ask what you would do in the parent's position, or if you were the siblings, the lawyers, the service dog, the judge. It's one of the best ones I've ever listened to. 6 or 7 different narrators made it unusual too. Got it from the library where I get all my books.
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Newman
Member
09-25-2004
| Monday, September 05, 2005 - 9:38 am
Just finished Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. Awesome. This is one book which must be better to hear than to read. He sings the songs. His Irish brogue takes you to Ireland in the l940s. You feel you are there. It took one entire tape for me to get into this book on tape, but once I got in I think it is the best one my little club has read so far. The descriptions of the poverty was overwhelming. It makes it easier to understand what the people of New Orleans must be going thru right now. Q: Does anybody understand the title of this book? Why was it called Angela's Ashes? Angela was his Mom, but ashes?? The talk of religion, Catholicism, why do people believe...lot's of issues...life was so hard and yet Frankie prevailed. Triumph of the human spirit...
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Monday, September 05, 2005 - 10:42 am
I've listened to Wizard of Oz in German...Der Zauberer von Oz and will probably get more audio books in German to help my listening skills. That was my first audio book and the reader did great voices. I usually listed to the books on NPR...Dick Estelle, etc.
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Tuesday, September 06, 2005 - 11:48 am
Newman, I'm so glad that you liked Angela's Ashes! I bought it for my parents several years back and they said that when they listened to it on a trip, they were so engrossed that they didn't even want to stop for bathroom breaks. My mom said when they finally did stop they ran to the bathroom and back...probably people were wondering about the senior citizen track stars. Not sure why the title was what it was. Maybe because out of the ashes of his mom's life came him and his brothers and their successes. That would be my guess. Hadn't thought about the parallels to New Orleans, but you are probably right.
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Westtexan
Member
07-16-2004
| Thursday, September 08, 2005 - 7:51 pm
I read Angela's Ashes and was mesmerized. Saw the movie and was not mesmerized. I'd love to listen to it on tape and hear the Irish accent. The question concerning the title choice of the book is one about which I have often wondered as well, and after reading these posts, I became curious again so I googled the question and this is what I discovered... WHEN THE REAL-LIFE Angela McCourt died, her sons carried her ashes back to Ireland to be scattered on the family plot in Limerick where her twin babies lay. That gesture gave her son Frank the title for his memoir, and he didn't drop it even after his editors persuaded him to end his book at a point in time long before Angela's funeral. Just read Memoirs of a Geisha. Has anyone listened to this one on tape? I think it would be very appealing if read with an accent.
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Newman
Member
09-25-2004
| Saturday, September 10, 2005 - 6:12 am
Westtexan, thanks for that bit of googling. What a great invention the internet can be. Can't wait to report back to my little reading club, which has temporarily broken up (hope it's just temporary). Right now I'm just watching and listening to the Katrina tragedy. It is an epic in and of itself. Geisha is on my list for the future. I read "An Unfinished Life" by Spragg, awhile back. Listened to it. Next week the movie should open up starring Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman? The book was very good. Thumbs up.
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Newman
Member
09-25-2004
| Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 6:58 am
Finished listening to The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. I don't recall liking our heroine, Jessie, that much. I found that odd. Who among us can take off from a marriage and go help an ailing parent and not worry about money? Discussion anyone? Currently listening to The Kite Runner. Highly recommend it.
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Newman
Member
09-25-2004
| Sunday, December 18, 2005 - 7:17 pm
Since I last posted I listened to the rest of the Kite Runner, which I highly recommend. My little bookclub voted and I picked Kite Runner my second favorite book we did this year, after Angela's Ashes. I put Reading Lolita in Tehran 3rd. I read the Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith. It was good, but not great. I was hoping to learn a little philosophy the easy, entertaining way, and I can't say that I did. Then we listened to Stephen White's "The Best Revenge". One of our members voted that book his favorite of the year. I liked it too. It's a mystery/detective type story that takes place in Colorado, where I live. It was fun to have our hero drive in Boulder or Denver, name streets I've driven on, go by landmarks I know well. The narrator gave a good Minnesota accent to Sam Purdy, the cop friend of psychoanalyst Alan Gregory. I like psychology and like it that the main character was a shrink/detective. I'll read more from Stephen White when I'm in that mood.
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Thursday, January 19, 2006 - 8:29 pm
Fawlty Towers is now on audio tapes. John Cleese talks about each episode. It is so much fun. I have every episode on VHS and I know every word but still getting the audio tapes and listening...I have been laughing so hard. This man is a genius.
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Thursday, February 09, 2006 - 5:04 pm
I just finished "Velocity" by Dean Koontz on unabridged CD. It was over 10 hours long I think. Anyway, I had started reading the hardcover and didn't get past page 50 because of something that came up, but before I could get back to the book, I was given the audio. OMG, am I glad. I had listened to CD 1 and 2 on Monday, and was planning on only listening to CD 3 and 4 on Tuesday evening (There are 8 cd's). The way that guy told the story I couldn't even fall asleep until I had finished listening to it ALL, when I had only planned on listening to a couple more of the cd's as I dozed off for the night. So I was up until about 4 AM..LOL
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 7:33 pm
I'm so excited -- we're heading south for Spring Break, so tonight we ordered not one, but NINE audiobooks! All "family friendly": one Brian Jacques (Mossflower) --he narrates w/ a full cast of characters; Peter and the Starcatchers -- narrated by the amazing Jim Dale who reads the Harry Potter series, and finally the new entire Narnia series (7 books -- all unabridged in a box set). It also has a "full cast" including Lynn Redgrave and Kenneth Brannaugh. I'm also listening to Wicked on audio. The narrator (John McDonough) took a little getting used to, but I'm really enjoying it now! Wish gas wasn't so expensive so I could just drive around listening! LOL It's the only time I'm not grading papers when I can pay attention -- and I've got HOURS of listening to do now! 
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Snuffles
Member
07-17-2005
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 10:59 am
I just stumbled onto this thread and I love audio books as well, have been listening to them just for a five months and have loved several. Listened to Wicked and as Teachmichigan states, it does take some getting used to. For me it was the reader that I was getting used to and some of the story, but it took a whole CD of perseverence to start getting into it and then ended up LOVING it. Loved the following as well, for story and reader: -The Secret Life of Bees -Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns -Bel Canto by Ann Patchett -The Call of the Wild by Jack London -David Sedaris - Live at Carnegie Hall -Interruption of Everything by Terry McMillan I'll give more info later if anyone wants any. I belong to a club online (like netflix for audiobooks at simplyaudio.com), but I just realized I can listen for free from the library, so I'll be looking there next. I'm currently listening to Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie which is entertaining.
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 2:30 pm
My library just got the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova for me. 22 cd discs. With my bad eyes I would have never gotten to read the whole thing. I am really excited and have two quilts to work on while listening to it...life looks good!!
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 5:12 pm
Now, if I could just figure out a way to grade papers while listening, I'd be all set! Somehow "reading" two items at the same time never seems to work for me. LOL Our CDs arrived today!! Peter and the Starcatchers should get us through the first day, and Mossflower should get us the rest of the way to TN and then at least partway back. Our only disappointment -- the Narnia books will take 31 hours of listening. We don't have a long enough trip planned! LOL Oh yes, and I'm also listening to A Breath of Snow and Ashes on unabridged audio in the mornings. I listen to Davina Porter while I'm getting ready for school. Definitely a more enjoyable way to start the day than by listening to the news. 
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Friday, April 14, 2006 - 11:19 am
Back from vacation. Peter and the Starcatchers was WONDERFUL! It's the "prequel" to the Peter Pan we all know. Listening to Jim Dale is always a treat, and we've already put his version of "Around the World in 80 Days" on our wish list. The Narnia books are good, but not the "full cast" I was expecting. There are just different narrators for different books. Kenneth Brannaugh reads The Lion, Witch, etc. -- he was good but I had one complaint: His narration was so soft you had to turn up the volume, but anytime he'd read dialogue his volume would increase at least twice the volume and about blow our ears out! We finally ended up leaving it a bit too soft for narration which meant the dialogue was loud but not earsplitting. Lynn Redgrave reads Prince Caspian, and although she's quieter w/narration, too, her dialogue isn't extremely loud, so we just turn it up a bit. Good readers, though, the both of them. VERY enjoyable way to spend 28 hours in a car. 
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 5:07 am
Just finished The Kite Runner. Loved it. Especially loved the author reading it.
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Chewpito
Member
01-04-2004
| Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - 6:15 pm
Listening to The Testament right now, ..I was looking for somthing to listen to while I walk on the treadmill and the library was low on audio books, I grabed this cause the pickings were slim, but Im loving it and glad I gave it a chance..
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