I have a ten hour drive tomorrow and I've crushed out most of my podcasts. Recommendations for audiobooks? I would prefer something in the fiction genre, sci-fi/fantasy is ideal, but something I can actually follow just listening. For example, ASOIAF can get fucked in this situation because there's no way I'm following along. Also, if anyone has any dl'ed already and wants to e-mail them to me... PM me I guess. Thank you, Sers.
The Passage and The 12 are good. So is The Strain trilogy. Ron Pearlman does the first book but fucks up the main character's name the entire thing. Leviathan is an awesome sci-fi podcast. It's a great story with multiple voice actors and they use sound effects and music. If a character is walking down the hall of a ship, it sounds like their footsteps are falling on a ship's hall of that makes sense. Haven't finished the series because of the "Passage" books but it's really good. They're over 30 mins a piece, but there's 38 of them.
The Passage/ The 12 and The Strain trilogy are all vampireish stories. They revolve around that concept but are both completly new ideas about "vampires".
I believe it was Gin Buckets that was raving about the Dresden Files audiobooks. I've never read or listened to any of them but I've heard great things about the series. I don't think they're too long or difficult to follow. I mainly listen to classics on Audiobooks and read sci/fi fantasy on my kindle so I don't have too many recs for you. I did listen to IT and really enjoyed it, the reader was great, but it was like 48 hours long. I'm a glutton for punishment for long audiobooks as I've also listened to Atlas Shrugged and am currently listening to War and Peace.
I've listened to all of the audiobooks. The Blackfish is right about the Dresden files by Butcher. Very enjoyable and not too long (most are about 10 hours), so if you listen the whole time you'll almost be done on arrival. Ender's Game is a good one if you haven't read it. Not Sci-Fi but anything by Don Winslow is awesome and not too long (I'd start with Savages or Kings of Cool). Elantris by Sanderson if you don't want to start a series. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell -- I've not listened yet, but heard it was amazing from someone I trust Lords of Discipline -- Great book, but not sci-fi Ready Player One -- This is your choice if you haven't read it. Amazing. 11/22/63 by King Also, if you want a sweet podcast that is essentially a "podio/paudio book" that uses actors and sound effects check out Leviathan Chronicles it's cheap, entertaining, and will help pass the time. It's also Sci-Fi and free.
Ready Player One is a high quality audiobook that's pretty short. I fully endorse Gin Buckets recommendation. The Martian is a very short book/audiobook, and it's very interesting/well reviewed. Also, check out Ender's Game if you've never read it before. It's a short read, and the audiobook is one of the best I've encountered.
Thanks for all the recommendations. Ended up giving Leviathan a shot. It was pretty entertaining and I got through Chapter 10. The voice acting is kind of shit-tastic, but I'm fine with a little bit of cheese with my "audio adventure." Probably going to check out Dresden Files next.
Also, I've read Ready Player One, Ender's Game, 11/22/63, and Dune, so those weren't options. That being said, for anybody looking for entertaining stories, I would also highly recommend those.
There's a ton of non-fiction gold out there on audio too, if you are into that sort of thing. I have listened to a bunch of WW2 books, moving onto Revolutionary War stuff now.
I was with you on the acting, but over the years they picked it up and it got better. Will you keep listening?
Yea, I think so. It was enjoyable enough. I don't go on long drives that often, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to finish it up, but it'll happen over the course of time.
Yeah, the sound effects were just really cool and different. Hearing footsteps, and doors opening and the water and everything was really entertaining.
Agreed. I liked the sound effects and all that. Some of the voice acting, especially the "villains" were just laughable. The person doing Macallan's part wasn't bad, so that helped a lot.
I started doing non-fiction audio books from the library since I hate reading nonfiction and talk radio sucks for my commute. Have done Killing Lincoln and Dad is Fat. Enjoyed both.
I finished the first "season" of Leviathan, and then I realized that they never finished the series. It was supposed to be 50 episodes, and they stopped at 38. It's been ~2 years since the last one was uploaded. Allegedly, they're going to finish it...but...
The last update was in November... They said they were putting them out at the beginning of 2015, so we'll see. Super entertaining anyway.
Just got Jim Gaffigan's Dad is Fat, Bear Grylls book, and Command Authority (in the jack ryan series) for my flights the next couple of weeks. Might pick something else too
We're Alive is fantastic. It's like Leviathan with the sound effects and different voice actors only it's a spin on the zombie apocalypse. Long as shit too and they just released a spinoff as well. Been listening the the first Dresden Files book and it's really good as well.
Finished Storm Front and almost finished with Fool Moon. Really enjoyed them. Nothing mind blowing but solid fun.
I'm probably going to need to find a way to pirate some of these things. I had six credits on my Amazon Prime account for audible books, but once those are gone, I can't justify spending 25-30 bucks for each book...
If you have an audible account you get a credit a month for $14. I think it maxes out at six so once you start using them you'll go back to one per month
Yea, but I like to listen to them on my phone. I suppose that would work too though and I could just suck it up.
The reader does a great old cop voice. His women and kid voice isn't nearly as good but you get used to it. Enjoyable read, as I said in the other thread I took a long break in the middle of it (my wife's fault as we were listening together) but overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to listening to the 2nd book
Just finished the first book in The Dresden File series. Really good. Starting the next one. Also found out the actor that played Spike on the Buffy the Vampire tv series is the narrator (Dresden).
I'm listening to The Tapestry series, which was mentioned above. I'm on Book 3, and it's pretty awesome all the way through. Starts off A LOT like Harry Potter, but it gets its own identity by the middle of the second and definitely the third book. Strongly recommend.
Working on Jeff Shaara's The Glorious Cause, after listening to Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick. Going to take a break from the historical stuff for a bit, so I downloaded Dark Places and I'm going to pick one of Ender's Game or The Stand. Thoughts?
You can finish Ender's Game in a weekend. Id knock that out and then read The Stand which is the better of the two books. They're completely different though so it's hard to compare. Dark Places is really good as well but again you can knock it out in a weekend. The Stand is very very long
idk if anyone still reads this thread, but i'm looking at listening to an audiobook on my ~16 hour drive soon. according to this thread ender's game is a pretty good choice so i might go with that. any suggestions?
I would also highly recommend Lonesome Dove on audiobook. It's about 40hrs long, but it's magical. One of those you feel sad when it's over.
I've recently been consuming more audio books. Usually listen in transit, where I left off reading. On the iOS book app, you can increase the speed. I'm loving I can listen to books in half the time. Although it's an acquired skill for me. I find myself thinking about what I just heard (like a plot point or about the character it involves) and missing what comes after.
You can increase reading speed on audible too. I'm not a big fan but a co worker of mine listens to everything at like 2x speed. 1.5 is too much for me.
Currently listening to The Gates of Rome, the first book in a historical fiction series about Julius Caesar
I've listened to a couple Dan Brown books on my last two long car trips. They're good books for long drives. They often reference paintings, sculptures, or buildings, and it would be nice if you could see them or look them up, but you're just fine without seeing them and just continuing to listen in the car.
Almost done with the December Book Club pick Off to be the Wizard by Scott Meyer, narrated by Luke Daniels who does a fantastic job. Quick easy fun listen.
Just went with this. Had a friend highly recommend it as a book, and I'll have an hour commute every day for two weeks beginning in a week.
So I have an hour long each way commute to work every day. I'm going through audio books like it's nobody's business. I have an Audible account, and I've blown through all my credits. I have a library card and have borrowed a couple books from the library's audio book app (but their selection is complete shit). Anyone else have any thoughts or use some other source to get quality audio books that I should know about? I crush out a ton of podcasts too, so it's not like I could just switch from audio books to podcasts unless I found a whole bunch of different podcasts I wanted to listen to.