We Need More Shelves…
A Book Review SIte from Jan McClintock
  • Home
  • About This Site
    • Site Index
  • My Favorite Book Links
  • Contact Jan

Archive for audible

audiobook

All About Audiobooks

By Jan
 on August 14, 2019

audiobookListening to a book read by someone else is quite a different experience than reading it yourself. I’ll tell you why I love audiobooks and why you should try one.


A few years ago, my older brother, Dennis, died quite suddenly. I handled it well, I think, but internalized some of the feelings and had a lot of trouble sleeping. That is when I really started depending on audiobooks. They kept my mind occupied and entertained instead of dwelling too much on my sorrow.

I had listened to audiobooks before and enjoyed most of them. They are especially helpful during a migraine episode, when my eyes need a break but my mind still wants to stay active. Reading has always been a huge part of my life, and I grew tired of “wasting” the time when my eyes couldn’t help me.

Audiobooks can also make commutes and road trips go much faster and can greatly increase the edutainment value. The same goes for those who do repetitive tasks at work or at home; many audio buddies listen while doing housework and while working out.

THE RETENTION QUESTION

Before bed, I sometimes play an easy card game at the same time or browse Pinterest—visual-only pastimes that didn’t take my attention away from the book . . . much.

“People who say they can’t concentrate on an audio book as well as a paper one are likely overlooking the fact that we are more likely to multitask while listening to audio books than while reading regular books.”
~Olga Khazan, Is Listening to Audio Books Really the Same as Reading? Forbes.com, September 12, 2011

“Reading a physical book and listening to the audiobook are two different paths that lead to the same destination. Each creates differing experiences and memories, but neither is better or worse than the other.” ~Dana Lee, Audiobooks Vs Reading: The Rules Are, There Are No Rules, BookRiot.com, July 10, 2018

“However, a final factor may tip the comprehension and retention scales firmly in favor of reading, and that’s the issue of multitasking..” ~Markham Heid, Are Audiobooks As Good For You As Reading? Here’s What Experts Say, Time.com, September 6, 2018

REVIEWING AUDIOBOOKS

Needless to say, I’ve listened to quite a few books. Most were excellent, but just like print or e-books, some were flops. It’s very worthwhile to write a review so other potential listeners know whether you liked a book or not and WHY. I want to know, for instance, if a book contains a lot of sex, violence, or foul language; I’m no prude, but I choose books based on my mood (and I don’t like surprises).

No one expects a 3000-word masterpiece from us normal listeners. Even a short sentence that warns others is valuable, whether it’s about a poor narrator, a lack of character development, or bad sound engineering. On the other hand, if the book exceeded your expectations, that’s great to know, too. Maybe I’ll enjoy it for the same reasons.

It’s different—make that harder—to review an audiobook. Why? With a print book or an e-book, one normally reviews the story and plot, the skill of the writing, the character development, the pacing, the editing, and more.

When creating an audiobook review, the writing critique is the same, but a large part of the review should also be about the narrator’s work. It’s no exaggeration to say that no matter the quality of the writing itself, the narrator can make or break the enjoyment of an audiobook. Always—ALWAYS—listen to a sample of a book before purchasing; it might save you from a painful listening experience.

WHY I LOVE THEM

I continue to listen to books, although I also read both print and e-books. I still enjoy the audiobooks the most, however, because it’s kind of like a cross between a movie and a book. The narrator’s talent can bring stories alive, even more than you can in your imagination while reading.

Why? When you read text to yourself, you are using your own voice (See “prosody”), including the pitch, emphasis, and rhythm. While listening to the same text, however, you hear someone else’s prosody—their interpretation of that text using their voice.

That includes character accents, of course, which can be great or, occasionally, awful. Trained actors can be very creative and their use of accents for different characters is usually delightful.

Pacing, too, is different than your own reading speed. When a narrator reads slowly, it gives your brain more time to soak up the meaning of the words and create feelings from that experience. Never fear, however; most audiobook software allows some adjustment for speed. Also, you can easily “rewind” a digital audiobook if you need to repeat a particular passage.

FICTION VS NON-FICTION

Some people might think “lite” fiction is the ideal genre for audiobooks because they either don’t want to “work” while listening or they are afraid they wouldn’t comprehend heavier material. I would suggest you try an audiobook in the same genre as you would normally read. After all, how else can you compare what’s normal for you?

I have listened to quite a few non-fiction audiobooks and haven’t had any trouble understanding and/or remembering the material. There have been studies, especially with children, that insist some people are visual learners while others are auditory learners. But I found just as much research (in an admittedly quick search) saying that it seldom matters; most people tend to comprehend at the same level regardless of the input medium.

I do have a bunch of The Teaching Company’s The Great Courses in audio, and a recent one included a lot of historical names that I would have had to research in order to pronounce them correctly. In this case, I didn’t have to; the professor did it for me, which was an added benefit.

WHERE TO GET THEM

Audible logo

There are several great sources of audiobooks that I have used a lot. The “big guy” is Audible, now a part of Amazon. The main ways I obtain audiobooks from Audible are:

  • Whispersync for Voice on Amazon.com
  • Audible Daily Deal
  • Audible membership

Whispersync Whispersync examplecombines Kindle ebooks and Audible audiobooks into one package. You can read the ebook and switch to the audiobook and back again, never losing your place in the book. Many (but not all) Kindle ebooks include this option.

Add the audiobook

Purchase the Kindle ebook at Amazon.com and check the box to add the audiobook. Prices for the narrations range from about $2 to $15. However, that is usually much less expensive than purchasing the audiobook alone at Audible, and thus can be a great way to try some audiobooks.

Daily Deal at Audible.comThe Audible Daily Deal is a wonderful feature. Sign up for a (FREE) account at Audible and then choose to receive the Daily Deal email message (every morning) in your account preferences. Prices range from $1.95 to $7.95 each and they offer quite a variety.

Memberships at Audible.com come with some nice benefits. With a monthly Gold membership, I get one audiobook per month for my $14.99 membership fee, but also have taken advantage of some wonderful sales. Additionally, member prices to purchase more audiobooks are 30% lower. There’s a free trial, too.

Using the above methods, I have acquired quite a collection of audiobooks. As of this writing, I have 742 audiobooks in my Amazon Audible library (and that doesn’t include the ones I’ve borrowed from the library or gotten from other sources).

MORE SOURCES

LibriVox logo

Another way to get audiobooks—this time for free—is from LibriVox. These are books in the public domain that are read and recorded by volunteers. Obviously, you won’t see any new bestsellers here, but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the benefits of the classics. I have found some wonderful reads here that I would not normally have seen. However, the quality of the narrators varies widely; use that caveat wisely.

Other membership sites like Audible:

  • Audiobooks.com
  • Apple iTunes Audiobooks
  • Google Play Audiobooks (Android, iOS, and computers)
  • Simply Audiobooks (rent books on CD)
  • Audiobooks Now
  • Scribd
  • Downpour
  • Kobo (Rakuten kobo)
  • BookLender (rent books on CD)

And don’t forget about your public library! Start with Overdrive, Libby, or Hoopla and find audiobook-lending libraries near you. I’m saving quite a bit of money this year by using the local library—completely online, from home—to borrow audiobooks (and ebooks).

Please let me know if you know of other sources for audiobooks and/or relate your experience with audiobooks. I also look forward to hearing from you after you listen to your first audiobook!

In categories Audiobooks, Reading Tagged with amazon, audible, audiobook, librivox, public library
The Crown Tower cover

Review: The Crown Tower (Riyria Chronicles #1)

By Jan
 on January 12, 2017

The Crown Tower coverThe Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles #1)
Author: Michael J. Sullivan;
Genre: Fantasy;
Format: Audiobook (Paperback at Amazon.com);
Publisher: Recorded Books (2013).

This is one of those fantasy books that you hear about for years and wonder if it’s really worthwhile. It’s been on several “top” lists of fantasy book and I finally purchased it from Audible and took a chance. I’m glad I did.

This is the first book of what is actually a prequel series to Sullivan’s “The Revelations.” I’d heard that you can read the two series in either order, chronological or published, and still enjoy them. However, most of the reviews I’ve seen have been by those who’ve already tasted the pleasures of Riyria in the first series. I started the adventure with this one. Maybe I thought I’d be different, but mostly it was because this one was on sale first.

There are many interesting characters in this book, but the two biggies are Royce and Hadrian. They’re very different personalities. It’s easy to like bad-boy-with-a-good-heart Royce, but Hadrian is another story. He’s secretive, dark, and deadly, and I didn’t really like him at all until the end of the book. It took Royce that long to get used to him, too. That speaks well of Sullivan’s writing talent and his ability to develop characters.

This pairing is definitely an odd couple relationship, and the bickering is part of the fun. Yes, there’s plenty of humor, even some laugh-out-loud sections, but there is also death and oppression; after all, the two main characters are thieves and assassins. The author makes an effort to equalize the environment, and in my case, he succeeded. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the dark side.

One part of the story in this volume that I thought was too long and involved was that of Gwen, a prostitute with a heart of gold. It didn’t seem to mesh with the rest of the book, and it takes a very long time indeed until we see any interaction. I assume this story will continue in future volumes.

The book ended well enough and yes, it does compel you to read the next one. However, it is NOT a cliffhanger, which seems so prevalent these days. I do intend to continue the series and may even skip to “Theft of Swords,” the first volume of The Revelations.

The audio book was exceedingly well paced, and Tim Gerard Reynolds is now on my list of top narrators. I love that my introduction to this author was so well done in audio format, as I now have voices to go with the characters, no matter which format I choose.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Fantasy Tagged with audible
The Martian cover

Review: The Martian

By Jan
 on December 26, 2014

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian coverGenre: Science-fiction
Format: Audio

This is a great adventure story that includes lots of technical language and scientific explanations. Astronaut Watney has been accidentally left on Mars when the rest of his crew leaves during an emergency. He must survive by reworking equipment that was meant for the short term, using his engineering expertise and optimism. Throughout the story, he keeps a surprisingly positive outlook and his smart-ass attitude helps him stay entertaining, both to himself and the reader.

We also learn what NASA is doing to help him, once they realize he is still alive. However, those characters mostly come across pretty flat. One funny character is quite diverting, however.

The most important character in the book is Mars itself. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrifying, the planet is a huge, malevolent host. It constantly reminded me that space travel is a very tenuous enterprise.

The book is very exciting and the tension runs high, especially toward the end. Nothing is guaranteed and the conclusion may not be what you expect.

I listened to the Audible book read by R. C. Bray, who did an excellent job.

Very highly recommended for any adventure-junkie.

In categories Book Review, Science-fiction Tagged with audible, science-fiction
Earth Abides cover

Review: Earth Abides

By Jan
 on December 26, 2014

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

Earth Abides coverGenre: science-fiction, apocalyptic
Format: Audio

This book starts out like many other end-of-times novels. A terrible disease has quickly wiped out most of humanity, leaving very few alive. The technique the author uses to lead the main character to discovery is very clever, and I was hooked.

The book is a little dated, as it was first published in 1949. Just keep that in mind when you read about the technology and language from that time.

The hero, Isherwood Williams—“Ish”–is no superman, but rather an academic with little practical knowledge of how to survive. Most of the characters in the book are the same. Fate is fickle and some are better suited than others to make it. Ish is not particularly lovable, and I wondered whether I would care enough about him to make the story worthwhile. He shows, in fact, little emotion over the deaths of his own family. He has been a loner and observer and those traits will serve him well.

The beginning of the story was very good, and as we travel with Ish as he explores what used to be America, it was exciting. The middle of the book became quite slow and drawn out, however. It happens in one location and over a period of many years. Ish becomes the founder of a family dynasty, and although this is very important to the plot, I felt it was too long. By the end of the book, however, as Ish reflects on history, his family, and the current world, it was very moving. This isn’t an action story, but rather contains a lot of introspection on how the world has changed and how the people adapted to it, from a man who lived before and after and who has given it a tremendous amount of thought.

The writing was beautiful and Stewart uses his powers of description to perfection. First person narratives succeed as long as the reader can relate to the character. Ish, as a keen observer of others and of his environment, is a great narrator.

The story is neither tragic (though tragedies occur) nor joyful (though happiness is shown), overall. Rather, it is a story of normal people living through an unstable time. The end was a little sad, but not for the usual reasons. I can say no more without spoilers.

I listened to the Audible version of the book, and narrator Jonathan Davis did an excellent job. The introduction from Connie Willis was very interesting, too.

Highly recommended for those who don’t need superheroes to carry the story. The intellectual aspects will stay with me for a long time, I’m sure.

In categories Book Review, Science-fiction Tagged with audible, audiobook, science-fiction