Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I was very happy to hear that Ricochet is being sponsored by Audible.com. Since they're giving away a free credit, if I recall correctly, I thought it was worth discussing what people might buy with it, and whether audio books are for them.
When I was regularly flying back and forth from Baghdad, the endless hassle of the airports was greatly relieved by being able to listen to podcasts or history while I was standing in line, waiting for my visa to be processed, for baggage, walking around the large airports (Istanbul, London), security... There's a lot of time that it's very difficult to use productively without an audiobook. Now, I listen while I work out, while I take the subway, and when going for walks.
And what audiobooks they have! Personally, my favorite book so far has been What God Hath Wrought. It's just an amazing tour de force through American history (1815-1848), encompassing its military, religious, technological, economic, social, legal, biographical, political, literary, artistic, ethnographic and intellectual developments. Daniel Walker Howe makes it all simply fascinating, and had me on the edge of my airplane seat wanting to find out the results of elections whose outcomes I already knew. I'm pretty keen on US history, and particularly political history, but this book stood head and shoulders above the rest. Plus, at 32 hours, you get a lot more book for your free credit than you will if you purchase a shorter work.
My Mother, though, thinks that if you're going to listen to an audio book, you should get one with voicework that adds to the experience. One great example of this is Mark Steyn's After America, which is, indeed, even better with the author reading it (although with a really good book that I know I'll want to refer to later, I tend to think it's worth getting a hard copy as well, as audible.com books don't yet have indexes). Unfortunately, After America is not available from Audible.com, so you'll have to get the CD version and then take the time to rip it into poorly labelled mp3s. My mother's favorite voice acting in an audio book is Nigel Planer's and Stephen Briggs' in the Terry Pratchett adaptations: This is Pratchett's most recent work, this is the start of the currently 33 part series. I haven't listened to enough fiction/ travel to gainsay my mother here, and do think the Pratchett adaptations are quite good. A word of warning if you start on the books; they're fantastic, thoughtful, and surprisingly conservative. Do not, however, be taken in by this and persuaded to listen to or read his stupid, urban legend believing, terrible, terrible, non-fiction.
Finally, the books I have planned for when I'm done with rereading Steyn are Why Nations Fail and Priscilla Buckley's String of Pearls. If you have views on either of these, I'd be interested to hear them. Or you can offer your own suggestions about what books people trying out audible.com should start with. Or you can explain how Rubio's endorsement of Mitt proves that Rubio isn't a conservative, simply doesn't understand politics as clearly as you do, or knows Mitt less well.
- Comment (36)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (6)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments:
May '10
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I've been listening to Witness over and over. The narrator, John MacDonald, is just right for my taste.
Apr '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
Whittaker Chambers is not on the UK Audible; pah! Still, something to look forward to for the fall, so thank you. :-)
Mar '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I believe these were mentioned on the podcast, but I second the recommendation of any of the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series, but especially the ones narrated by Patrick Tull. Also, those wishing a taste of George V. Higgins and his unique writing style should consider Bomber's Law or A Change of Gravity.
Edited on March 29, 2012 at 2:09pmMar '12
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I have 200 odd Audible books. Here's what I've enjoyed lately: Operation Mincemeat, Hunting Eichmann, Citizens of London, Race and Culture, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Radical Son, Civilization: The West and the Rest, Born to Run, The Power of Habit, The Ascent of Money, The Family that Couldn't Sleep, Brandwashed and The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England. That's what I've listened to in the last couple months.
Apr '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I'm listening to Ron Chernow's 'Washington: A Life' for the 2nd time. I heartily recommend it. It was my free audiobook when I joined audible.com.
May '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Great story and 40 hours long.
I just added "What God Hath Wrought" to my wish list. I was trying to find my next book to listen to.
Aug '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
The Company by Robert Littell.
If you enjoy golf, Tales from Q School by John Feinstein is great.
Anything by P.J. O'Rourke
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
Totally agree with earlier review of the Aubrey/Maturin series!!
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
Shameless plug/reminder: Get your free audio book for the device of your choice at http://audiblepodcast.com/ricochet
Jun '10
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
What Hath God Wrought is wonderful history about a period that's a black hole for most of us (1815-48). It's one of the top five American history books out there. And, as a Mormon, Howe does a superb job of telling the story of the early days of Mormonism in the context of the time. I was most impressed.
Other suggestions:
Ditto Basil's recommendation of The Master and Commander books (make sure it's the version with Patrick Tull as reader: it's simply the best marriage of narrator and books ever).
Andrew Robert's new one-volume history of WWII, The Storm of War. I'm listening to it and the narrator is superb--and it may be the new gold standard single-volume history of the war.
P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves/Wooster books. They are written to be read aloud.
Planer and Briggs doing Pratchett are priceless.
Mar '12
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
tabula rasa:What Hath God Wroughtis wonderful history about a period that's a black hole for most of us (1815-48). It's one of the top five American history books out there. And, as a Mormon, Howe does a superb job of telling the story of the early days of Mormonism in the context of the time. I was most impressed.
Other suggestions:
Ditto Basil's recommendation of TheMaster and Commanderbooks (make sure it's the version with Patrick Tull as reader: it's simply the best marriage of narrator and books ever).
Andrew Robert's new one-volume history of WWII,The Storm of War. I'm listening to it and the narrator is superb--and it may be the new gold standard single-volume history of the war.
P. G. Wodehouse'sJeeves/Woosterbooks. They are written to be read aloud.
Planer and Briggs doing Pratchett are priceless. · 40 minutes ago
The Jeeves and Wooster TV series is also fantastic. It has a much younger Hugh Laurie (Doctor House) and Steven Fry.
Jun '10
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
Madcap
tabula rasa:What Hath God Wroughtis wonderful history about a period that's a black hole for most of us (1815-48). It's one of the top five American history books out there. And, as a Mormon, Howe does a superb job of telling the story of the early days of Mormonism in the context of the time. I was most impressed.
Other suggestions:
Ditto Basil's recommendation of TheMaster and Commanderbooks (make sure it's the version with Patrick Tull as reader: it's simply the best marriage of narrator and books ever).
Andrew Robert's new one-volume history of WWII,The Storm of War. I'm listening to it and the narrator is superb--and it may be the new gold standard single-volume history of the war.
P. G. Wodehouse'sJeeves/Woosterbooks. They are written to be read aloud.
Planer and Briggs doing Pratchett are priceless. · 40 minutes ago
The Jeeves and Wooster TV series is also fantastic. It has a much younger Hugh Laurie (Doctor House) and Steven Fry. · 2 minutes ago
And the graphics and music in the credits are worth the price by themselves.
Aug '10
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
Aubrey- Maturin- Tull, but the other guy is cool too, the one who does the voices in character, I found that guy endearing.
The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling. It is a wardrobe to Narnia, if Narnia was the world of boxing before the age of television.
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
Yay! I just downloaded my first Audible.com book. After America by Mark Steyn. So excited about listening to it while I run.
Apr '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
While I posted this as a way of saying thank you to Audible, hopefully encouraging people to join, I also thought it was a good idea to encourage people to try out the site on its own merits, as I think it is a life and erudition enhancing innovation.
For the first, it's best to try out the site using the above link, as that way they know that we're being sent from Ricochet. For the second, it may be that it is better not to accept the Ricochet offer; if you do like the service, the standard offer of three months at half price is better value than the Ricochet specific offer of one month for free. Of course, if you don't much like it, you're better off with your free month than having to pay $7.something for a single half price month.
Nov '10
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I have 100s of audio books from Audible. Listen to them while I am on the tractor. My recent favorites:
Andrew Breitbart: Righteous Indignation
David Mamet: The Secret Knowledge
Burton Folsom's: New Deal or Raw Deal
David Berlinski's: One, Two, Three
Mar '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I haven't gotten a book from Audible yet, but I'll try one of the ones above.
My favorite audio books so far have been Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fisher and Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign by Stephan Talty.
May '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I love Pratchett. His Making Money and Going Postal are two of the best of his fantastic series.
Jun '10
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
And for a slightly different subject matter, How Your Brain Works by David Rock has been a game changer for me. I haven't mastered my brain director yet but I have stopped some really tough screw-ups before they happened.
This was one of my first Audible purchases and it sold me.
When we drive (and we do a lot), we have a Percy Jackson on for our daughter. Rick Riordan modernized the Greek myths to the current day. Mt. Olympus is on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. It requires a special elevator, of course. The entrance to Hades is in Los Angeles, specifically in DOA Records. The word plays are phenomenal.
Dec '10
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
I love love Audible and I am glad to hear they are sponsoring Richocet.
My favorite book so far has been Black Rednecks and White Liberal's by Thomas Sowell. The book is really good by the reader just makes it amazing.
Jun '11
Re: Audible.Com Book Choices: What Would You Recommend?
My wife and I are listening to Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas... top notch. Also, O'Reilly's book about the Lincoln assasination was entertaining. However, he reads it himself, so if you can't stand him, be forewarned!