MP3 audio books

[SkywardShadow]

iTunes should be able to convert them easily for your iPod. Noise-cancelling headphones should work wonders for the gym's ambient music.

I'll agree with what the others have said regarding the reader. I've heard some great ones, and couldn't stand others.

I mostly commented to also recommend radio dramas, especially the Star Wars ones. A New Hope has a lot of fun extra scenes, and I enjoyed all the expanded universe dramas as well.

 

[steven65]

It is under the hands of narrators to rise interest in audio books. The other day I read possession which is downloaded from hear-now-audio-books
and believe me narrator had done awesome job.

 

[paranoid marvin]

An audio book is not a replacement for a book , simply another way to enjoy the story in the same was as watching a film version . The experience you get from listening to an accomplished storyteller reading a novel can be an extremely enjoyable one ; but as others have mentioned , it can very much ]eply on the narrator

Tony Robinson ratchett books
Stephen Fry : Harry Potter
Sean Bean : Sharpe stories

are all brilliant , and really enhance the enjoyment . It's amazing how much you miss when reading a book , whch you then pick up by listening to it

Also worthy of note are CDs with radio adaptions of novels

The BBC radio adaptions of the Hitchikers Guide series , and LOTR and The Hobbit are ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS , and really should be purchased if you have any interest in the books. Being adaptions , they arent verbatim versions of the novels , but instead plays without pictures and were excellent productions

 

[GOLLUM]

I'm a fn of audio books from the Net. Also CDs are good. I can recommend audio book for Shadow Of The Wind. It's the best adpatation from book to CD I've ever come across!

 

[sassy1]

I like listening to audio books on my MP3 player. I usually listen to the stories:

when I'm walking the dog (though people give me wierd looks when I'm walking along grinning or laughing or looking like I'm going to burst into tears ),
when I go to bed (it's quite odd listening to books in the dark... and there's always a problem when you fall to sleep listening, you have to find out when you fell to sleep without listening to later parts of the story),
on my lunch break at work (i find it's easier listening than reading when eating lunch - it leaves your hands free for using knifes and forks, or just using your fingers lol)


I agree with what you're saying about the person reading the story - theres nothing worse than listening to the dullest, most monotonous person DESTROYING a book you absolutely LOVED when you were reading it...

My most recent audio books I've listened to (I get them off audible.com) were Wolf Brother, which was read by Sir Ian McKellen. It was strange listening to him reading a story to me to start with, but I think he's actually a good storyteller, and The Hobbit (Unabridged). I was quite... embarassed when the reader started singing the songs that Tolkien wrote... but once I got over that, it was all good

 

[anthorn]

I got Armageddons children reas by Nick Landrum

 

[mandy86]

I always listen to audiobooks when I'm going by bus/train/car (I get motion sickness if I read regular books), and also when I take walks alone.

But I’ve stopped a mere hour into many others because the readers are so poor – boring, bland, and totally lifeless. It’s really hit or miss; if you can’t sample them first, they can be sketchy buys.

At audible.com you can listen to a sample of the book before you buy it, which is great!

The BBC radio adaptions of the Hitchikers Guide series , and LOTR and The Hobbit are ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS , and really should be purchased if you have any interest in the books. Being adaptions , they arent verbatim versions of the novels , but instead plays without pictures and were excellent productions

Ooh, I've listened to the radio adaption of the Hitchhiker's Guide, but not LOTR... They have it at my library, though, so I think I'll borrow it! I agree with you that the adaption of HHGTTG is awesome.

 

[Sheryl22]

On the flip side, I'm still struggling through GRRM's A Game of Thrones. Everyone keeps telling me it's an awesome book (and series), but I'm still struggling. I just got to the point where Ned get's a dagger shoved into his chin. Well, I guess what they say is true, when Martin gets tired of a character, he kills them.
_____________________
I have downloaded my copy from im-listening-audio-books

 

[kcs_hiker]

I recommend Jonathon Stroud's Bartimaeus series read by Simon Jones (available from audible.com).

I've also enjoyed Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I listen while walking and I'm sure that the folks driving by think I must be mental seeing me laughing.

 

[ScottSF]

hey Elvet! welcome to Podworld you have been assimilated No really there's lots of interesting stuff and lots of FREE stuff. If you get into podcasting I started a thread on recommended podcasts but it didn't generate a lot of interest. There is a podcast called Escape Pod that does Sci-fi short stories and I recently found another short fiction podcast that I liked so far. There are some FREE audio podcasts like Michael Stackpole's Fortress Draconis and each podcast is a different chapter. Also there is a site called Gutenberg.org that actually has audio books for free that are public domain. I've only listened to some Sherlock homes on that one but I was listening on my computer but I think some of them have itunes versions. Also you should check out Slice of Sci-fi and Dragon Page podcasts they are not fiction but they talk about the same stuff we do at the forum. Have fun and lemme know how it goes!

 

[ScottSF]

also sometimes setting the EQ to spoken word helps for hearing in noisy places

 

[Junomidge]

I just upgraded my car stereo deck to listen to audiobooks. I tried the radio frequency type of connection but I cannot handle any sort of static. Now I have a cord that goes from my ipod into the deck. Along with my sirius satellite radio, I am pretty connected.

I travel for a work a lot and recently I have been listening to the Chronicles of Narnia. I am halfway through the Magician's Nephew. They are quite interesting to listen to as they are read by English voice actors (one by Jeremy Northam) and quite well done.

I am a member of Audible.

 

[ScottSF]

ps. The other audio short story podcast that I couldn't remember at the time is called StarShipSofa

 

[hodor]

Does audible.com have a good variety of fantasy?. I'm specifically looking for unabridged LotR and The Silmarillion.

Have you read The Silmarillion? I personally could not torture myself in actually listening to it. However, I think I would enjoy listening to LotR more so than I did reading it.