That’s a vague one isn’t it? Right, I’m plumping for the audiobooks that have become an essential part of my sewing routine. I can’ settle down to an extended task without listening to a damn good story. It has to be LOOOONG. The narrator has to be good- some accents just drive me mad. I’ve found that some voice actors have a wonderful range of character voices, but regularly mispronounce some words. This drives me NUTS, and breaks my concentration. Sometimes it’s a UK/US thing, sometimes more regional, but I do twitch every time an American reader says ‘shone’ to rhyme with ‘stone’ instead of rhyming with ‘gone’. Aaargh!
Anyway, I sometimes even choose my next Audible purchase by the length of the recording. More than twenty hours for preference. The nice thing about Audible is that you get your money straight back, no questions asked, if you don’t like the recording. Some get listened to many, many times, and some get abandoned partway through, and cashed in again.
I started watching Game of Thrones without reading the books, as I’m very picky about Fantasy as a genre, it’s so ruddy predictable! Unfortunately, Roy Dotrice’s narration drove me mad. Such a posh, Shakespearian voice, such awful reading, so many mispronounced words. Dire. [See what I did there?] NB if you haven’t seen them before, these videos about GoT costumes are really interesting, despite irksome background music and occasional mispronunciation…
My absolute favourite narrator is Stephen Pacey, who I only ‘found’ by my purchase of Joe Abercrombie’s ‘First Law’ series. Amazing stuff, I’ve listened to all of them several times over, AND bought them and read them all several times, AND converted my dad to them.
I didn’t even realise that Stephen Pacey used to be in Blake’s Seven, which I loved as a kid [and had a heavy crush on Servalan, grrr-owl]
Stephen King writes good long yarns of course, and as long as he doesn’t narrate them, they’re great. My favourite is probably 11/22/63, which I’ve played through half a dozen times, [and yes, I weep every time lol]
I must admit, I’ve never listened to an audiobook. But I am sort of considering it. I can’t imagine sewing while listening to one though – I would end up putting the needle through my finger 😂 big Stephen King fans here in my household too – I’ve just finished my second read through of the Dark Tower, and the husband has pretty much read everything!
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I really really want to avoid the Dark Tower film though. The trailer made me wince
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Haha… just don’t even entertain it. I’ve seen it and I think it’s one of the worst films I’ve ever seen!!
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I have never listened to an audiobook either, although I have listened to audio poetry. My friend loaned me a tape (TAPE!!!!!!) of Richard Burton reading the poetry of John Donne. It was fabulous. Reading shopping lists or football results he would have been just as listenable. 🙂 Must give an audiobook a bash. Xx
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Another Blake’s Seven fan here! I fear the costume design in that still influences me today.
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You do have the whole space age thing going…
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I love audiobooks while I work! I can recommend PD James, Elizabeth George, Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, Louise Penny, anything read by Lorelei King.
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