Audiobooks

[Jugglah]

Being a very audio-minded group on this board, I'm wondering what you guys think of audiobooks. I can only think of one that I've ever listened to: "Wayside School is Falling Down" by Louis Sachar. I was a lot younger, but I remember enjoying it...though maybe because I love that series. I don't really have any desire to listen to audiobooks, partly because I read very fast, and I get annoyed by how slow the narrators talk, and partly because I'm probably spoiled by AIO heehee. But maybe some of you really like audiobooks, and I'm interested to know why and maybe which ones you've really liked listening to.

[Trent DeWhite]

I was actually introduced to Ted Dekker and his Circle Trilogy through the audiobook version about four years ago. I appreciated the way the narrator, Rob Lamont, altered his voice ever so slightly for each character. Most narrators can get rather tiresome to listen to after a few hours, but Lamont spoke at a pace that was fast enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, but not slow enough to make you fall asleep. As far as recent years, I can't think of many audiobooks I've heard - although I have some rather fun memories of borrowing numerous audiobooks (along with the book itself) at the library when I was only six or seven. Amelia Bedelia, anyone?

[Danielle Abigail Maxwell]

I don't listen to many audiobooks... okay, none for that matter... I do have a Magic TreeHouse book as an audiobook, but I've never listened... I like reading the book. Listening is... blah.

Wait, I guess I have listened to a Tony Hillerman book on Audio... it was really good!

[Irwin]

I have tons of AIO "auidobooks" if you can call them that

[Laurie]

I don't use audio books. I have a couple (Lincoln related) that were given to me as gifts. I would rather read the book than listen. I love the feel of a book in my hands and you can't get that feeling from a tape or CD. Audio dramas like AIO and DGL, yes, but books no.

[KODY 105]

I can only think of one that I've ever listened to: "Wayside School is Falling Down" by Louis Sachar.

I do not listen to audiobooks (probably due to time), but I enjoyed reading this book!

[Laura Ingalls]

Amelia Bedelia, anyone?

Ha! I used to love Amelia Bedelia! Good memories.


As for audio books, I do enjoy listening to some. Mostly I prefer real books, because sometimes I like to stop and flip back to check a point earlier in the book etc. which is hard to do when you're listening to a CD.
But if it's a book I've read before and basically know, it's good to have something to listen to while working.

It's been especially nice to have going while I've been working on some sewing or cleaning projects....it makes the time pass a whole lot faster. Of course, I could listen to RT or AIO, but since I only own a small portion of albums, I quickly exhaust my supply.

Sometimes I try to watch a LHOP video while working, but since you have to keep glancing up, it's not as good as an audiobook. Heh heh. As I wrote in the books thread, I've really enjoyed the Redwall audiobooks, recorded by Brian Jacques and a full cast. It has music, and they sing the songs, and all the characters have different voices, so it's nicer than a plainly narrated version. My library has a great selection of books on CD, and they've started to collect a sizeable portion of books on MP3 as well. Of course that doesn't help me, as I don't own any MP3 player.

I've listened to some of the Artemis Fowl books, the Anne of Green Gables series, and other classics like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm etc. most all of which I've read at least a few times in normal book form.

[xiao]

Have any of you guys seen that big audiobook set that's the entire Bible? It's voiced by a bunch of famous people like Samuel L. Jackson.

[Dr. Watson]

The only audiobook I consciously remember listening to was Messerschmitts over Sicily: Diary of a Luftwaffe Fighter Commander by Johannes Steinoff. That was pretty cool.

[Jugglah]

I can only think of one that I've ever listened to: "Wayside School is Falling Down" by Louis Sachar.

I do not listen to audiobooks (probably due to time), but I enjoyed reading this book!

Now that I think about it, I believe it was actually "Sideways Stories from Wayside School", because it had one of my favorite characters - Mrs. Waloosh.

[Taq]

Amelia Bedelia, anyone?

Ha! I used to love Amelia Bedelia! Good memories.

I was once a fan of Amelia, too!

The only audiobook I remember using was a book that teaches you how to count. A guy read it, and a woman sang it. Run across the playground, run and have some fun, run into the wading pool, half past 1! Run around the sidewalk, run around the zoo, run into the monkey house, half past 2!

[Pirate Oriana]

Well if you would count the productions by FTFRT then yes I think they're awesome.

[Trent DeWhite]

Well if you would count the productions by FTFRT then yes I think they're awesome.

Yes, they are amazing - we listened to a couple Father Gilbert mysteries yesterday, in fact. But I don't think they really count as audiobooks... Focus' Radio Theatre produces audio dramatizations.

[LizzieG]

I've listened to several audiobooks in my time, though the only one that's on my ipod is Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, narrated by Peter Coyote and with some music and effects. That scared me like none other when I was younger, and there are still parts of it that I would rather not listen to at night.

I've also heard The Hobbit and part of Lord of the Rings in audiobook-form, but considering that when I read The Hobbit a few years later it was an almost-entirely new story to me, I apparently didn't absorb those books too well.

[Chandler]

As people have reminded me, I did have some audiobooks when I was little, though I also had the books so I could follow along with them. Make Way for Ducklings anyone?

Now I have really gotten into audiobooks! My most recent interest has been books written by Agatha Christie. Have been enjoying those a lot.

Amelia Bedelia, anyone?

Ha! I used to love Amelia Bedelia! Good memories.

I was once a fan of Amelia, too!

I was too! Used to read them at school. My mom wouldn't buy them for me because she thought they were too silly.

[Laura Ingalls]

I'll always remember her literally dusting the furniture and dressing the turkey.

[Chandler]

Or stealing second and running home during the baseball game.

[Robyn Jacobs]

I was actually introduced to Ted Dekker and his Circle Trilogy through the audiobook version about four years ago. I appreciated the way the narrator, Rob Lamont, altered his voice ever so slightly for each character. Most narrators can get rather tiresome to listen to after a few hours, but Lamont spoke at a pace that was fast enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, but not slow enough to make you fall asleep.

That's funny Trent because the Ted Dekker Circle Trilogy was one of the first Audio Books that I listened to. Ted's books are a little crazy, but this series got me hooked and I also thought the narrator was outstanding.

Since then, I check out Audio Books from the library all the time! (Inter-library loan is amazing) I work full-time, and am in the car at least 1 1/2 each day, so these are a great way to pass the time, and good for listening while I am cleaning the house.

I have listened to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Karen Kingsbury books, and a whole bunch more. It is a great variety with AIO mixed in there too.

Great Thread (And I loved Amelia Bedelia too! I also will also remember the Turkey and the baseball memories. You can still buy them in the kids section at Wal-Mart. I have given them as gifts for my friends kids.

[LizzieG]

I also used to listen to abridged audiobooks of the Chronicles of Narnia series (yes, that was my only interaction with the series until the radio theatre versions came out ). I remember most of them were quite close to the RT versions except for Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which I discovered had left out a substantial amount of their adventures. That's probably why that is one of my favorite CoN dramas.

I was actually introduced to Ted Dekker and his Circle Trilogy through the audiobook version about four years ago. I appreciated the way the narrator, Rob Lamont, altered his voice ever so slightly for each character. Most narrators can get rather tiresome to listen to after a few hours, but Lamont spoke at a pace that was fast enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, but not slow enough to make you fall asleep.

That's funny Trent because the Ted Dekker Circle Trilogy was one of the first Audio Books that I listened to. Ted's books are a little crazy, but this series got me hooked and I also thought the narrator was outstanding.

I actually got the audiobook version of Ted Dekker's Thr3e for my dad a couple Christmases ago (since he's in the car at least an hour every day for work), and he has yet to listen to it.

I don't know if anyone here has listened to the radio drama version of the Left Behind series, but narrator Rob Lamont also plays one of the characters (Walter Moon) in that, so I'm not sure I would be able to effectively separate the two "roles."

Amelia Bedelia, anyone?

Ha! I used to love Amelia Bedelia! Good memories.

I was once a fan of Amelia, too!

I liked Amelia Bedelia too!

[Trent DeWhite]

I actually got the audiobook version of Ted Dekker's Thr3e for my dad a couple Christmases ago (since he's in the car at least an hour every day for work), and he has yet to listen to it.

I was first introduced to Thr3e through the audiobook version - I've never actually read it.

I don't know if anyone here has listened to the radio drama version of the Left Behind series, but narrator Rob Lamont also plays one of the characters (Walter Moon) in that, so I'm not sure I would be able to effectively separate the two "roles."

Ooh, good one! I remember finding Left Behind on Oneplace and recording a ton of episodes back int he day - but I only listened to the first book. After reading the whole series and being rather underwhelmed by the latter two books, I basically lost all interest in the series.