Big Chief Toffee Teeth Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Is there an Audiobook thread? If so couldn't see one. Great for long walks or driving. I have just finished Louis Theroux's audiobook "got to get Theroux this" and really enjoyed it. Before this I listened to "Hitler" but Ian Kershaw, bit dry in parts and a monster at 44hours, as you can imagine it picks up a bit in the 2nd half. Anyone any non fiction recommendations, Biography, history or science?There are hundreds of great audiobooks on YouTube for free and read by some of the greatest voices of stage and screen. As a general rule, though, avoid those on the free American service ( can't remember what it's called ), as the reader - and, consequently, the quality - changes from chapter to chapter.There are also some fantastic radio adaptations from the 1940s to 1970s of modern classics : a favourite of mine is Damon Runyon Theatre, which covers one short story in each of the 50 or so episodes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandon Par Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Had an Audible subscription for a while now and end up looking for a particular narrator as well as authors. For American crime fiction, Will Patton is yer man. Some voice. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
get_the_subbies_on Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Huge fan of audible. Used to travel up and down to Norwich loads and would rattle through book after book. Easy listens are good and got into some good Scottish authors. Peter May, Stuart MacBride and James Oswald. Also Clive Cussler and Lee Child are also an easy listen. Some good self read autobiographies from comedians like David Mitchell and Johnny Vegas. Alan Partridge is absolute class though. It’s got me so lazy that I can’t even be bothered taking a book on holiday because my arms get “tired” holding it up. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint dave Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Frankie Boyle Prometheus in YouTube , read by himself is good. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) Alan Partridge's "autobiographies" are worth a listen - voiced, of course, by the man himself. Edit: What get_the_subbies_on said. Edited January 20, 2020 by Cardinal Richelieu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotgun Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 4 hours ago, Big Chief Toffee Teeth said: As a general rule, though, avoid those on the free American service ( can't remember what it's called ), as the reader - and, consequently, the quality - changes from chapter to chapter. Librivox? Those are read by volunteers rather than professional...whatever the profession is called. It sounds like they just allow anyone to have a go if they want, and while some of them are pretty good, others are ear-bleedingly bad. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Man Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 For anyone exhausting different companies free trial offers before eventually having to pay for a subscription, be wary of audiobooks.com. Their smallprint set alarm bells ringing when I read they take a full month's subscription from your bank as soon as you register to "test you account" or words to that effect, which they claim will be returned if you cancel within 30 days. When I went to read reviews as soon as I read this, I wasn't surprised to find that it's a nightmare, bordering on impossible, trying to get your money back. I did a free trial with Kobo Rakuten which I cancelled as soon as I had finished the book. A painless experience. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Man Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 20 minutes ago, Shotgun said: Librivox? Those are read by volunteers rather than professional...whatever the profession is called. It sounds like they just allow anyone to have a go if they want, and while some of them are pretty good, others are ear-bleedingly bad. Narrator? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotgun Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Dee Man said: Narrator? I'd assumed it was something more highly technical like "book reader" but you could be right. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Chief Toffee Teeth Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Librivox? Those are read by volunteers rather than professional...whatever the profession is called. It sounds like they just allow anyone to have a go if they want, and while some of them are pretty good, others are ear-bleedingly bad. That's the one. They do provide a service, much like the "Reading for the Blind" schemes that run over here, but some readers often don't seem to get nuance in texts and there are lots of mispronunciations. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 2 hours ago, Big Chief Toffee Teeth said: 11 hours ago, Shotgun said: Librivox? Those are read by volunteers rather than professional...whatever the profession is called. It sounds like they just allow anyone to have a go if they want, and while some of them are pretty good, others are ear-bleedingly bad. That's the one. They do provide a service, much like the "Reading for the Blind" schemes that run over here, but some readers often don't seem to get nuance in texts and there are lots of mispronunciations. "Let him have it, Chris." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saigon Raider Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 My mate was extolling the virtues of Audible the other night. I might give the free trial a go.I have done the free trial and then got the vastly reduced monthly subscription for three months. Downloaded all my credits and then cancelled. I am now getting more emails offering basically the same deal again.I got Sherlock Holmes collection read by Stephen Fry which are very good around 6 hour listens.Also got a Brief History of the World from the BBC series - 27 hours worth!!Final recommendation is David Sedaris reading Calypso - I find him hilarious but might not suit everybody.Books are fantastic to listen to while running especially if doing proper long runs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Audible is great. Recently finished an H.G. Wells compendium. Now starting on The Cold War by Odd Arne Westad. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fratelli Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) Just started listening to 'The Sun King' on Audible which is a wee documentary series about Rupert Murdoch and his rise to power, and how he influenced the US Elections and Brexit. Features a lot of folk who worked with him and is narrated by David Dimbleby so it's worth a listen, interesting and infuriating in equal measure. Edited January 21, 2020 by Fratelli 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbitterandgrumpy Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 On 19/01/2020 at 09:54, Shandon Par said: Alexi Sayle’s autobiography (read by him) is quite funny. Odd childhood with militant trade unionist parents who would drive to Czechoslovakia on holiday. His parents allegedly thought Leeds was 'exotic'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbitterandgrumpy Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 On 20/01/2020 at 21:43, Shotgun said: Librivox? Those are read by volunteers rather than professional...whatever the profession is called. It sounds like they just allow anyone to have a go if they want, and while some of them are pretty good, others are ear-bleedingly bad. It's free and legal, but you're right, some of them are bad. In fact most of them are bad compared to the actors or professionals that usually do the readings on Audible. They're volunteers though, giving up their time, so cut them just a little slack. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandon Par Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Just finished Calypso, a collection of short memoirs by David Sedaris. Very dry, funny American guy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musketeer Gripweed Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 I am listening to Billy Connolly's Made in Scotland at the moment. Whilst it's not read by the great man himself, Gordon Kennedy does a great job. The section in one chapter about about his swearing is probably the best advert for audiobooks around. Reading that just wouldn't have had the same impact. If you are listening to in in public, try and make sure no-one is near you or they will think you are going mad, just bursting out laughing randomly. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandon Par Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 3 minutes ago, Musketeer Gripweed said: I am listening to Billy Connolly's Made in Scotland at the moment. Whilst it's not read by the great man himself, Gordon Kennedy does a great job. The section in one chapter about about his swearing is probably the best advert for audiobooks around. Reading that just wouldn't have had the same impact. If you are listening to in in public, try and make sure no-one is near you or they will think you are going mad, just bursting out laughing randomly. If you’ve not already heard it, the recent Adam Buxton podcast has Billy on it talking about this book and it’s just a perfect platform for him. Very funny but also some darker stuff too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genuine Hibs Fan Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 13 hours ago, L'immortale Par said: If you’ve not already heard it, the recent Adam Buxton podcast has Billy on it talking about this book and it’s just a perfect platform for him. Very funny but also some darker stuff too. Had this podcast downloaded for a few weeks, will give it a go today 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.