I’m heading out on a road trip tomorrow morning - 8 hrs each way. I’m looking for a way to pass the time. I’ve had marginal success with audio books - mostly because I don’t know what to pick.
I’m into action/adventure/mystery/sci-fi and any combination of those. I need something to keep my interest.
I’m heading to the library in about 4 hrs to pick one out. Any suggestions would be great.
This late in the summer, my experience as a public librarian would lead me to say, “take whatever little crumbs you can find.”
Have to agree with KneadToKnow. Garb a handful and see which ones you like. I find that the reader is as important as the story. So you favorite book could suck if read by me, some people could make the phone book interesting.
I’m enjoying The Religion right now. Good action/adventure. It’s about 15 hours.
I’m scrounging about at my library website. I haven’t read this, but it’s a little over 12 hours long and read by George Guidall, one of my favorite readers: The Ghost War, by Alex Berenson.
Here’s another, a bit shorter, also read by Guidall: Protect and Defend, by Vince Flynn.
Am I barking up the right tree? I thought these might count as “adventure”.
Lord of the Rings – they do a pretty good job with the reading (rather than the performance one). They even do the songs.
Stranger in a Strange Land – the uncut Heinlein book. Definitely worth it.
The Odyssey – unabridged Robert Fagles translation, read by Ian McKellan
Any three of the Nero Wolfe novels on audio.
I don’t know if you can actually get any of these at the library. I’ve often taken what I could get at the library, and found some outstanding stuff I otherwise wouldn’t have read.
I guess I’ve never checked in the summer. But last time I went, they had a huge selection. I’m hoping I’ll get lucky.
shiftless, Thanks. I’ll see if they have it.
Dung Beetle, yep that’s the right tree. But, I was hoping for some personal experience. The last one I borrowed for a 10 hr trip was painful to finish. But, I had a good 8hrs dedicated, so I had to finish it.
CalMeacham , is there more than one version of LOTR? I tried to listen to this once, but it was the performance version. Trying to understand and tolerate Smeigal was difficult. I didn’t make it through the first disc. I’ll check out the others though, thanks.
Sarah Vowell’s “Assassination Vacation” made a darned good audiobook, as did Jon Stewart’s “America: The Book”.
My favorite audio book is Torpedo Juice by Tim Dorsey. It’s mystery, it’s comedy, it’s action/adventure, and it’s a wonderful performance by the reader.
Sounds like a euphemism for baby batter.
Yeah, that’s why I specified the one. I believe that the Performance version – by which I mean a dramatization – is marketed in a wooden box. The version that’s a literal reading of the book is , at least in my area, more common, and it’s in a cardboard box. I recommend the latter – I haven’t heard the former. I prefer to hear Tolkien’s actual words.
For something light, I enjoyed Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (around 10 hours)
For something a lot less frothy, I am Legend (read by Robertson Dean) did the trick for 5 hours. Don’t be fooled by the Will Smith film.
So what’d you wind up with, brewha?