Audio Books

[Ramo]

Does anyone listen to them? What are your favorites?

I just got a trial subscription to audbile.com, and am trying to figure out what to get (not having listened to any before).

[Boris Godunov]

The original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book on tape (not the radio show, mind you) is the only such book I've ever owned. I think Peter Jones did the narration. I still have the cassette tapes buried somewhere in a box in my closet. It was awesome.

[SlowwHand]

On many p2p programs, such as WinMx, one can get audio books galore.
For instance, I got Lord Of The Rings.

As far as I know, not even the big, bad RIAA is disputing audio books.

[Ramo]

Limited selection on p2p...

[Zkribbler]

I've alway have an audio book in my car to keep me from going crazy during rush hour. It pretty much has to be novels, so that you don't need to pay close attention. "How to" books are trouble because you're busy dodging oncoming cars.

Check your local library to see if they have a selection. Library books are free!

Best I ever heard was Edward Hermann reading Accordian Crimes by Annie Proulx.

Anything read by Tim Curry.

The Sharpe series of books by Bernard Cornwell and his Warlord Chronicles

Anything written by Walter Mosley except his science fiction...but his series on Easy Rawlings (Devil in a Blue Dress), Socrates Fortlow ( Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned) and Fearless Jones (Fearless Jones) are terrific.

The Harry Potter books, read by Jim Dale.

William Shatner has recorded a half dozen of his Star Trek novels. The series starts out a little ho-hum with
Ashes of Eden but each book after that is much better than its predecessor.

Terry Prachett audio books are wonderful.

Dilbert audio books are hilarious. I almost crashed on the freeway once I was laughing so hard.

Blackstone Audio books are horrible, as are most books from Books on Tape

[Ramo]

Thanks.

[ajbera]

I like them, but have limited exposure to them. My wife & I listened to Holes by Louis Sachar on a drive to Buffalo once (she's a librarian), and it was excellent.

I do a lot of driving for my job, and I'm tiring of FM and talk radio, so I got my first audiobooks from the library. Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, read by Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone, and A Wizard of Earthsea, read by Harlan Ellison (awesome!)

My library's selection is rather sparse, but they have some good ones, including the 13 CD BBC adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, with Ian Holm as Frodo, and a cast of about 25 people.

My friend and I often listen to old time radio programs on Saturday nights, particularly old episodes of Escape, Inner Sanctum, X-1, BBC programs, etc. Good stuff.

Anyway, I'm likin' the audiobooks, and will listen to more.

[Bkeela]

I've found everything I've wanted via p2p. I like listening to philosophy lectures more than novels, but I found the Iliad a good audio book to listen to, for with my Stephen King/Wilbur Smith sensibilities, it was hard going to read.

Likewise I find Shakespeare too much like work to read, but listening to it is music to my ears. Same with Milton's Paradise Lost. Basically anything that isn't written in contemporary prose, I prefer to digest as an audio book.