Romance Audiobooks discussion

Shall we make a monthly What Are You Listening to Topic?

It can be a quick drop in spot with just at title and narrator, or you can add details.

I'm finishing up Nora Robert's The Hollow with Marie Caliendo narrating. I find her basic narration shrill and the volume fluctuation in production painful. But I'll make it to the end before moving on to finish up a historical.

Finishing up the Jane Jameson series by Molly Harper. It's been a light, fun listen. I read a comment on audible that someone found Amanda too nasal on her readings but I've liked her just fine for the most part. Her voice for Zeb's mom in book 2 grated on me a little but not too bad.

I really liked Amanda Ronconi. She nailed the two pack a day voice of Mama Ginger but was best when her scenes were short!

Have you reached the point where a Sean Penn movie reference was made? I laughed so hard I had to pause the book to get it out of my system before I could go on. :)

I am just finishing up with and have also been listening to

I just stocked up on several first in a series from the Audible sale...not sure what I will listen to next

I was tempted by the Larissa Ione book - I haven't read the series at all. I was also going to listen to Virals. My niece became addicted with the Maximum Ride series after I bought her the first audio and then the rest of the series. I thought she'd enjoy this one since it sounds very similar.

The Demonica series is a good one...I still need to read the last two but I did enjoy the first 3. I have not read or listened to the Maximum Ride series yet...I got Virals because I have liked the other books by Kathy Reichs. I am not to far into Virals yet (got side tracked with the other) but I like it so far

I just finished Blood Sins (kay Hooper)read by Joyce Bean.
I have Linda Howard's Veil of Night waiting and I've heard so much controversy about the audiobook version I think I'll check it out next!

Just finished Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, narrated by Paul Michael.

Started Karen Marie Moning's Shadowfever with Natalie Ross and Phil Gigante.

I just finished Outlander by Diana Gabaldon narrated by Davina Porter. It's over 800 pages, or 32 hours and 42 min long! Admittedly, I picked up a used copy of the physical book to supplement. I did about 1/2 written and 1/2 audio. Ms. Porter did an excellent job of making the hours fly by in the audio version though. She nailed the Scottish brogue :)

Just started Soulless by Gail Carriger.

@Amanda - glad to hear you enjoyed Outlander. It's one of my absolute favorite audios and I just added it as a Desert Isle Keeper on our group bookshelf!

I just started All Clear by Connie Willis. The entire Outlander series is probably my all time favorite.

I loved Soulless, I can't wait for the next two in the series to come out in audio. I've seen them as "coming soon" at Recorded Books.

I started The Pagan Stone, the third in Roberts Circle of Seven Trilogy. Dan John Miller narrating.

I'm just finishing up Amanda Quick's Ravished for the DIK challenge category. And I'm relistening to Singh's Angel's Blood in preparation for the release of Archangel's Consort.

Brenda wrote: "I loved Soulless, I can't wait for the next two in the series to come out in audio. I've seen them as "coming soon" at Recorded Books.

I started The Pagan Stone, the third in Roberts Circle of Sev..."

Changeless is available on Recorded Books - rental cost is $18.50. http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cf...

I might check library or read next 2. If I really like it, I just KNOW I won't be able to stand waiting for the audio. :)

@Lea - I actually re-listened to the Gunter Hunter series in EARLY Jan because I'm STUPID and then I was DYING for paperback that I had pre-ordered to come out. I'm also saving an audible credit for the audio this month and I'll probably listen to it cold. My first read was so-so on it. I think I was still a little number after Shadowfever and I did a zombie-read. Looking forward to the audio! This series is keeper shelf for me so had to have DTB version as well as audio.

Vic - There's a note for you in your inbox.

Ohhh, don't tell me Recorded Books released Changeless and Audible didn't pick it up??

I don't mind RB's rental prices, but the exorbitant fees they charge for shipping really tick me off.

At least with Archangels Consort and This Side of the Grave coming soon I can hold out for awhile and see if Audible gets Changeless.

Right now I think RB had "RB Exclusive" on the book. They tend to hold those books for a while...

... and don't forget new JD Robb!

Yeah, I went and saw that RB Exclusive sign, boo!

How could I have forgotten more Eve and Roarke by the end of the month? :)

And River Marked March 1st .... I wonder when the audio will release? This is my first wait for a Mercy Thompson so I'm not up on that end of things.

Last (2 - I think) Mercy audio has been released same day as HB. *dance* And I think YOU need a time out for forgetting Eve & sexy Roarke!

I'm listening to Amanda Quick's Ravished narrated by Flosnik. It's my "give a narrator a second chance" audio for the Challenge and it's actually going quite well. She's narrating at a natural pace and not the measured pace I've DNF'd before.

Soulless was a big disappointment for me. Couldn't get past the first chapter, and I was really looking forward to it.
Just didn't work for me. When Audible gets CHANGELESS maybe I'll try again.

Changeless continues on with the same characters and the same narrator. So if Alexia Tarabotti's character or Emily Gray's narration didn't interest you in Soulless, I'm thinking Changeless won't change your mind. :)

MaryK - Ravished was my first Flosnick success. Glad your enjoying it.

Vic - if I admit that Bone's distracted me from Roarke (blasphemy, I know!) I may never be released from time out. So we'll keep it between the two of us, OK?

Krissie wrote: "Soulless was a big disappointment for me. Couldn't get past the first chapter, and I was really looking forward to it.
Just didn't work for me. When Audible gets CHANGELESS maybe I'll try again."

That's too bad. I liked it, but I've heard complaints about the narrator's interpretation.

One thing that really tickled me was when you get to the end where the villian is onstage he's got Uncle Dursley's voice! I'd love to know if that was accidental or intentional. Whichever, it's very effective. Sort of benignly malevolent if that makes sense.

Brenda wrote: "Vic - if I admit that Bone's distracted me from Roarke (blasphemy, I know!) I may never be released from time out. So we'll keep it between the two of us, OK?"

I got the first book in Audible's sale, and I'm really looking forward to listening to it. I'm pretty sure I need to read it first, though. That really slows me down.

I'm a read before listen person myself. Authors should love me, buy the book, then buy the audio. :) We don't have a progressive library here.

I'm really glad I came into the Nighthuntress series as a reader. Bones packs a bigger punch that way.

Then the audios can be appreciated as they take you back into the world. Speaking only for my OCD "read first" personality only of course.

just finish sandra browns " the switch"

I'm listening to right now. I bought it awhile back and now of course my library has it...never fails. Previously I listened to and wasn't sure I liked the narrator but I do, she's grown on me.

I have the second one already and the 3rd and 4th requested from the library. I would like to finish them before the 5th book comes out on the 22nd. I already read them but it's fun to listen to your favorites.

Barbie wrote: "just finish sandra browns " the switch""

How did you like The Switch?

I'm relistening to SEP's Nobody's Baby But Mine. Love this one - I always laugh a lot. I'm also listening to Nora Roberts' Sea Swept. And I'm going for THREE books at a time - I'm starting Anne Stuart's Ruthless as soon as it arrives today. No Audible release yet so I gave in and purchased through Amazon.

I just saw Anne Stuart's Ruthless has arrived on the scene at Audible! I'm downloading now and returning those CDs to Amazon!

Lea's Audiobooks wrote: "...No Audible release yet so I gave in and purchased through Amazon."

I wonder if this is what some of the audio publishers are doing or start doing... holding back from audible to see if people will buy from them direct. Probably looking to do their own EXCLUSIVE digital download. Audible still doesn't have Keri Arthur's Bound to Shadows yet and Tantor released that at the end of Jan as well. In fact, I ended up getting 2 of Keri's MP3 CDs straight from Tantor in early Dec because audible didn't have them. Then Audible released them a few weeks later.

I'm an instant gratification type a gal. I want it and I want it NOW!

If I didn't have a really good deal at Audible (because I joined when they were new and my price is grandfathered in), I'd be buying them on CD so I could rip and back them up. No way am I buying an exclusive download directly from a publisher.

Well, HarperCollins has already made a decision to go mostly to digital download (I put link to article in news worthy section) and it makes you wonder what the other big publishing houses are looking to do for their business model. I'm sure they'd still release library audio editions but we're pretty much at the mercy of the audio editions provided for retail.

Even though it is a digital version, you can still back up your files and I STRONGLY recommend that every IS doing that.

@Mary - I hate you and your good deal! OK, I don't hate you but pffffffft :P

Oh, and I prefer the MP3 CDs!!

I do back them up, but if Audible goes out of business I'm going to lose them anyway, right? I mean I can't put them on a device without my computer talking to Audible first (I'm pretty sure anyway).

Yes, it's a good deal; good enough to overcome my DRM hate and media preservation instincts. But I still think about it off and on and console myself that I'd pay that much to rent them.

MaryK - I'm new to this backing up business but I have all my Audible books backed up on my hard drive. They are mine to keep - not like my Kindle eReader.

Someone else - am I wrong on this?

Lea - I don't know. I think it's a lot like Kindle. I'm pretty sure you can't open an Audible file without involving the Audible Manager program. IOW, you can back them up but if the program is gone or unsupported you can't open them.

I'd love to be wrong. Maybe Vic can enlighten us.

Audible keeps a copy of all the books you purchase on their server as long as you have an account with them...if you keep a copy (download) of the files on your computer via the audible software/iTunes/other MP3 software even if Audible goes out of business you can still listen to the audio/burn copies...although I don't think you need to worry about audible going out of business.....it is now an Amazon company and would imagine that if they "shut down" your current digital files would be made available to you via your amazon account

When I get home tonight, I'm going to play around with it and see how much I can do without an internet connection.

I finished today and have started .

I'm re-reading because I'm going to listen to the Alpha & Omega books and for some reason this is not an audiobook.

Carolyn F. wrote: "I'm re-reading because I'm going to listen to the Alpha & Omega books and for some reason this is no..."

I know! I wish they could have had Holter record it while he was doing Cry Wolf!

Well, I finished Changeless and really enjoyed it so went ebook for Blameless.

MaryK Audiobook wrote: "Lea - I don't know. I think it's a lot like Kindle. I'm pretty sure you can't open an Audible file without involving the Audible Manager program. IOW, you can back them up but if the program is ..."
Hmm, I'm not sure about audible and I convert them to MP3s. But I think you're pretty safe since amazon owns audible.

You can burn CD's from your iTunes files just like you can with music. I download all my audible books into iTunes and then onto my iPod. I'm pretty sure you can also back them up on an external hard drive.

Well, I was able to drag and drop an audible file to my mp3 player, but the file wouldn't play. It popped up a message that said I have to activate the device w/ Audible Manager to play the title. AM has to connect to Audible.com to add a device.

listening to or have just finished this month

MaryK Audiobook wrote: "Well, I was able to drag and drop an audible file to my mp3 player, but the file wouldn't play. It popped up a message that said I have to activate the device w/ Audible Manager to play the title...."

When you download a file from Audible...before it transfers it to any other program like Itunes, it puts in in the Audible Manager Software. You would then transfer the file to your mp3 player from the Audible manager program.

Nichole wrote: "MaryK Audiobook wrote: "Well, I was able to drag and drop an audible file to my mp3 player, but the file wouldn't play. It popped up a message that said I have to activate the device w/ Audible Ma..."

I was trying to see if I could manipulate the Audible files on my hard drive without involving Audible. My point is that Audible files, even if they're backed up, are tied to Audible.com. They have to be played on an authorized device. It's unlikely, but if Audible went out of business, there'd no longer be a way to authorize devices.

I was able to drag and drop then successfully play a file on a device that's already authorized.

It worries me that my Audible books are drm'd so that I can't listen to them if the device isn't authorised of if there's too many computers or (in the admittedly unlikely event that Audible go out of business). I'm investigating how I can take off the drm for personal use only so that I can have a fully functional back up no matter what. And, by investigating, what I really mean is that I've been thinking I really must do something about it.... :)

Help me understand this. I've downloaded all my books from audible into iTunes and then onto several different iPods from there. I keep everything on at least one iPod because in the past iTunes has screwed up and my iPod then acts like a back-up copy of everything and I can restore it all to the computer. So you're saying that if audible want out of business, I couldn't use the books I have loaded into iTunes anymore? (The ones on my iPod are good at least until the iPod dies.)

Since even iTunes must be authorized by Audible, in order to initially activate the books through them, in the very unlikely event that Audible/Amazon were to go out of business, then even the books in iTunes would eventually end up unplayable.

Books already on MP3 players or iPods would still work, so if your entire library was on your iPod you'd be OK, until it died or had a Firmware update or some such.

At a bit of loose ends listening-wise. Tried to listen to Ruthless but wasn't in the mood so I listened to parts of Naked in Death and am now on Glory in Death by J.D. Robb.