Discussion Question #1
Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is your chance to introduce yourself and your general listening experience.I was new to audiobooks last year. It took some persuading and some really excellent audiobook reviews from Mickey @ I'm a Bookshark for me to finally take the plunge. I think my hesitance was because when I was a kid, my parents made me and my brother listen to classics on audiobook (THE CASSETTE version...) on our family vacations. I tell you all...do NOT make Charles Dickens or Jane Austen your first audiobook experiences. Even with what I am sure were excellent narrators...my young mind was literally bored to tears and the experience turned me into kind of an audiobook hater. Still...I would always get an itch when I was walking past the listening library section at my hometown's library...and lots of other bloggers would rave about certain narrators so much that eventually I had to break down. My first audiobook (other than those craptastic classics from years ago) was one of the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. I tell you what, my world was opened! Lorelei King became, and has since remained, one of my all-time favorite narrators. The way she brings each character to life, particularly the hilarious Stephanie Plum, made me love audiobooks forever. Now I listen to them all the time. When I work out...when I'm cleaning the house/apartment...even at work sometimes when the boss is in a kind mood. I go into much more detail about when/where I listen in that post I talked to you about...again the link is HERE if you'd like to check it out. I would just copy and past the post, but it's a bit long and full of fab photos so I'd rather not....still audiobooks are a huge part of my bookish experience now and I am SO grateful to those bloggers who gave me that push into listening! Thanks guys!
Thanks for stopping by and checking me out for audiobook week! I'd love to meet new followers/bloggers who love audiobooks as much as I do so feel free to leave a comment saying Hi! I can't wait to see what else audiobook week has in store for us! :)
Jane Austen was actually one of my first audio experiences as an adult, and I think the narrator made me appreciate her more, but yeah, for kids on a car trip? Not the best of ideas.
ReplyDeleteI have really been wanting to get audiobooks, particularly for traveling purposes. When I drive alone, I really want to still read.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely need to get my hands on something soon.
Classics don't really do it for me on audio format either - but I do love them in print!
ReplyDeleteI have to chime in and thank our fellow bloggers as well. It was this celebration, Audiobook Week 2010, that got me listening, and now I too am hopelessly addicted!
ReplyDeleteI am a big Stephanie Plum fan, by the way, but I could never listen to the audio...because I am stubborn and hear my own Stephanie, Lula, Grandma Mazur, etc. I want to do an audio myself just for my friends!
Stephanie Plum is a great way to get started in audiobooks. I agree that they are well narrated and so easy to listen to. I'm glad you didn't let a less than stellar experience with the Classics keep you away forever.
ReplyDeleteAh! I could not imagine listening to the classics as a kid. I mean, I love classic literature, but the free audios are not my cup of tea. I'd much rather read them on my own.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried classics on audio yet. But... I think it's the next frontier for me. And I love finding narrators that really make the story come to life. I have a few of my favorites. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL! Even after listening for a few years I'm not sure I could do Dickens or Austen on audio. Way too much brain power. I like fun/light reads as well and also non-fiction works well for me.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for a fast-paced listen, I recommend Ready Player One. So much fun!
Now I've been listening to the Stephanie Plum books but they've been narrated by CJ Critt, who I am loving. I've listened to books 2 and 3. Which ones did you listen to? Maybe there's a change in the later books? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteSince figuring out how to get audios onto my iPod, I've been listening to them while walking on the treadmill and it's great - I feel like I'm killing 2 birds at once - getting a little reading in and exercising!
Kristin @ Always With a Book
Glad you overcame your childhood audiobook horrors! I love classics now, but that sure would have been torture as a kid.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you gave audiobooks another go because now you are here celebrating AudioBook week!
ReplyDeleteHappy AudioBook Week!
Dorothy - The Alaskan Bookie - Squeak
Blog ~ http://alaskanbookie.blogspot.com/
Twitter ~ http://twitter.com/AkChocoholic
I just listened to my first Lorelei King narrated book and can't believe it took me so long.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to meet a family of characters that beats Stephanie Plum's for dysfunction by a mile, you have to try Lisa Lutz's books narrated by Christina Moore (Recorded Books edition)!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried too many classics on audio, but I did download the free audio version of Sense and Sensibility that's the YA SYNC selection (www.audiobooksync.com) this week. I think Jane Austen novels would be good on audio, because they're short and have a lot of conversation, and actually listen to A Christmas Carol on audio every few years, but that's shorter than a lot of other Dickens!
I don't think I could even do Classics now as a grown up! That is too funny. I have to check out Stephanie Plum. Thanks for the recommendations.
ReplyDeleteGood points! The first audio is an important commitment. It's good to choose something interesting, short, and exciting. I think one of my first was Neil Gaiman's Coraline.
ReplyDelete