<p>In addition to audiobooks, I’ve enjoyed listening to some of The Teaching Company lectures on CD.</p>
<p>Another fan, though only when I can’t read with my eyes. For driving or walking or puttering around the house they’re wonderful. Agree with others that the narrator makes a huge difference. </p>
<p>If my library offers an audio version of a book I’ll occasionally opt for that. Last year I wanted to read Ken Kesey’s “Sometimes a Great Notion”, which was suggested on the massive book recommendation thread. I reserved the audiobook…which was massive, something like 30 CDs. :eek: It was incredible. Or the time that both the spouse and I were listening to Alfred Lansing’s “Endurance”, about the Shackleton Antarctica expedition. The spouse was 1 CD behind me, and we agreed to listen to the final CD together. Even knowing that everyone survived, we were both convinced multiple times that they were all about to die.</p>
<p>I do love certain readers–as an example, Bill Bryson reading his own books is HUGELY different than a different reader. I wanted to re-listen to a book of Bryson and with another reader (A Walk in the Woods) I just couldn’t get through the first few chapters. Amazing to me because I’d already read the book and listened to it earlier and really loved it.</p>
<p>^^
I can’t imagine listening to a David Sedaris book with anyone reading it but him</p>
<p>Slivey</p>
<p>You recommend the Endurance book? I saw a documentary about it</p>
<p>I drive 6+ hours to visit my mom and I like to listen to a book while driving. I think they are great.</p>
<p>Agree about Sedaris. The same is true with Tina Fey’s book - added bonus that she narrated. I haven’t read a hand held book in quite some time, and probably won’t go back to them unless I can’t find the audio version. Listening is a much richer experience and taps much more deeply into my emotions.</p>
<p>Ive read several books about the Endurance, its a fascinating story.
Unbelievable that Sir Ernest would even think of going back to the Antarctic after that.
My heart broke when Hurley was forced to leave the photographic plates.
Ds biology teacher wrote an epic poem, that is quite good.
[What</a> the Ice Gets: Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition, 1914-1916 by Melinda Mueller](<a href=“Loading interface...”>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/144101.What_the_Ice_Gets)
She should make an audiobook!</p>
<p>I have to have a book playing in the car when I’m driving more than a very short distance. I am a nervous driver, and an even more nervous passenger, and a book keeps me calm. The radio’s not the same, because I keep changing channels and it’s annoying.</p>
<p>I’m a visual learner, so I always prefer a book or an ebook to one on tape.</p>
<p>I’m a total addict too, and it works out given I commute close to two hours a day. While I get all the novels from my library, it’s actually through downloads from Overdrive or OneClickDigital - very rarely do actual CDs since I usually listen when I go to the supermarket on the way back home.</p>
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<p>I have an equal aversion to abridgements, but unfortunately there are times where it’s that or nothing. Not a great fan of Guidall, but I like the Robin Cook books. Actually dislike Scott Brick more and keeps me from listening to some of the Steve Berry novels. </p>
<p>While I really like Dick Hill, my favorite is “Anna Fields” - Kate Fleming, and listening to her narrate Lisa Gardner’s “Gone” stirred such strong emotions when she was reading the section of Raine trapped in the basement as it was getting flooded. What a dreadful dreadful tragedy in real life.</p>
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<p>I’m a visual learner as well. I need to see it, not hear it, before anything sinks in. I never thought I could pay attention to an audio book. However, over the last several years, my sit-down-and-read time was diminishing. I was quite busy and I also had too much on my mind to focus on a book. I have aging parents and I make the 4 hour round trip to check on them at least once a week. I started to dread the drive, even though I have satellite radio. I decided to try audio books and I love them. I can pay attention to the road and follow the story at the same time. I “read” many more books in the car than I do on the couch. Its become a big stress reliever for me.</p>
<p>Audiobooks are great! I’m an artist, and I listen while I paint. I find that it turns off the critical voice in my brain. And because I’m a book addict, it allows me to fit a lot more books into my life. (I love my Kindle, too.) I cannot, however, listen to an audiobook and do anything that involves math skills. Listening to a book and doing math must involve the same part of the brain.</p>
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I too really have a lot of problem getting a handle in some non-fiction books. I thought I’d use the opportunity to get a handle on DNA by listening to the book by James Watson, and I just couldn’t get whole chapters when he talked of things like “base pairs” and C A G T or whatever sequences. Similarly I was way too much of an idiot for “The complete idiot’s guide to string theory” to make any sense, and there were times I had to replay chapters of “Why does E=MC2 and why should we care” three or four times, and I still don’t think I got everything that Forshaw was trying to articulate. Fiction is easier, but even here I miss not being able to jot down unfamiliar words and the sentences they were used in for reference.</p>
<p>I’m a visual learner as well, but that doesn’t seem to diminish my enjoyment of audiobooks. I would not depend on listening to a textbook, however, if I were studying for a test or reading something that I had to really figure out, because I would want to read and re-read. The only downside to audiobooks is the inability to skim. I was listening to a book recently that I just couldn’t get through. When I read the reviews, many people admitted they skimmed several parts of the book. I got bogged down instead or kept falling asleep. I haven’t run across any abridged versions.</p>
<p>Normally, I don’t like listening to fiction on audiobooks. However, I recently discovered a new feature on the Kindle. After you buy a book on your kindle, you can buy the audiobook for a few more bucks. It automatically syncs with your Kindle. So I can read on my Kindle and then get in my car, plug in my iPhone and the audiobook book picks right up where I stopped reading on the Kindle. I love it because it keeps the momentum going. BTW, it’s the same audiobook you buy at Audibles (not a mechanical voice. It’s a real narrator).</p>
<p>It’s not available for every book (it’s called Whispersync) and when I downloaded Wolf Hall on my Kindle, they wanted another $12 for the audiobook (I passed on that one) but I used it for Beautiful Ruins and A Sense of the Ending.</p>
<p>I want to start a new audiobook tonight so I’m browsing right now. Thinking I will choose one from the “One of the best books I’ve read in the last six months” thread.</p>
<p>veruca, I’d absolutely recommend “Endurance”, yesyesyes!!!</p>
<p>I love audio books. I agree any book by David Sedaris is wonderful. I also recommend any James Lee Burke books narrated by Will Patton. What a fabulous voice to listen to while doing yard work.</p>
<p>I just looked to see what ibookstore has & Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett & Betty White all have memoirs out ( that theyve narrated)</p>
<p>Good reminder momlive, I have a few kindle books that I cant get through,perhaps a narrator would help.</p>