Author Topic: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!  (Read 3235 times)

lexde

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Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« on: June 12, 2017, 05:18:16 AM »
I drive a lot for work and find that my time goes by MUCH faster when I'm listening to something interesting, rather than just the radio. I've been listening to audiobooks, and really enjoy the "efficiency" of being able to do something productive while I'm driving.

Right now, I'm on book 5 of 14 (plus another 13 peripheral books that I may or may not read) of the Wheel of Time Series. And while that's awesome, it's hard to listen to for the entirety of longer drives (anything over 2 or 3 hours at a time). So I like to have other, lighter books in there, too.

I'm looking for recommendations for any audiobooks! Whether it's about personal finance, fantasy, nonfiction, whatever. :)

What have you listened to/read and enjoyed?

Lan Mandragoran

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Re: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2017, 05:08:15 AM »
Ahh Randland :-). I've heard of that series (checks name). Wonderful books don't let books 9-11 drag you down. They are ok but the end of the series is glorious.

If you like that kind of fantasy, way of kings and the book the name of the wind are MUST MUST reads :-P. Sooo many good words!

Vindicated

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Re: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2017, 07:18:54 AM »
I second the recommendations for The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  Those are great series.  Any other Brandon Sanderson fantasy is great too.  Elantris is my favorite.

If you want something still Fantasy but a little lighter, I really like the Lies of Locke Lamora series by Scott Lynch, and the Cycle of Arawn series by Edward W. Robertson.  They've got good magic and battles, but also a good deal of humor and wit.

For something more Sci-Fi, if you haven't read it, you need to read Ready Player One.  It's possibly the best book ever written.  I can't get over how good it is, and I've listened to it three times.  It's also narrated by Wil Wheaton, so that's a plus.

Lan Mandragoran

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Re: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2017, 07:46:24 AM »
I've heard of rdy player one but never read it. Keep meaning to, ill get on that! Haven't read locke lamorra either.. i feel like a failure :P.

Also some amazing books(some obvious some less so).

Blood Song (the first one only), by Anthony Ryan. The audibook reader is just sooo good.

Mistborn Final Empire - Slightly Dark, but Brandon Sanderson is great :).

Alloy of Law - Same Mistborn world as Final Empire, just a much lighter almost westerny book thats kind of awesome.

A Promise of Blood.

Obviously books like Ender's game and Game of thrones (not rly my cup of tea) are great. Some of Game of Thrones side books are great to, generally lighter and more interesting to me somehow.



Heres a name of the wind tip.

 I love name of the wind but the best narrator BY FAR (ive listened to all 3) is a guy named Fred Major. Almost no one has heard of it and it took me 10 minutes to find the narrator, he did the narration for blind and dyslexic people.

It's my single favorite audio book performance and makes the whole feeling of the book like a older man remembering a time past, just google it you may have to look for a minute but its well worth it IMO :). (also stick with it, his voice is a bit different and less mainstream but it's oaky and vibrant once you get used to it)

https://www.reddit.com/r/KingkillerChronicle/comments/1zipsy/the_name_of_the_wind_actually_has_a_third/
« Last Edit: June 13, 2017, 07:52:17 AM by Lan Mandragoran »

Vindicated

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Re: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2017, 08:03:29 AM »
I've heard of rdy player one but never read it. Keep meaning to, ill get on that! Haven't read locke lamorra either.. i feel like a failure :P.

Also some amazing books(some obvious some less so).

Blood Song (the first one only), by Anthony Ryan. The audibook reader is just sooo good.

Mistborn Final Empire - Slightly Dark, but Brandon Sanderson is great :).

Alloy of Law - Same Mistborn world as Final Empire, just a much lighter almost westerny book thats kind of awesome.

A Promise of Blood.

Obviously books like Ender's game and Game of thrones (not rly my cup of tea) are great. Some of Game of Thrones side books are great to, generally lighter and more interesting to me somehow.



Heres a name of the wind tip.

 I love name of the wind but the best narrator BY FAR (ive listened to all 3) is a guy named Fred Major. Almost no one has heard of it and it took me 10 minutes to find the narrator, he did the narration for blind and dyslexic people.

It's my single favorite audio book performance and makes the whole feeling of the book like a older man remembering a time past, just google it you may have to look for a minute but its well worth it IMO :). (also stick with it, his voice is a bit different and less mainstream but it's oaky and vibrant once you get used to it)

https://www.reddit.com/r/KingkillerChronicle/comments/1zipsy/the_name_of_the_wind_actually_has_a_third/

That sounds fun!  I'll have to look him up.  Is there a version of him reading A Wise Man's Fear too?

I've listened to every other series you listed except for A Promise of Blood.  I'll add it to my list.

Blood Song is a great series too!

Of course Mistborn, I've listened to most of the 7-8 (including the short stories) multiple times now.  Oh, and my dog is named Ender. :)

Lan Mandragoran

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Re: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2017, 01:43:14 PM »
Sadly not for wise man's fear. He passed away I believe :(. But its still surely worth listening to!

haha nice on the dog name :), is it a nice dog or a scary one lol? My wife lets me name any kids we have with a fantasy char middle name :P.

The cosmere is awesome(this is going into some seriously nerdy territory, which is awesome, I'm about to start cursing in the old tongue)

I actually got Promise of Blood from Brandon Sanderson, id call it slightly less serious than the others on this list but really good in a fun way.

Disc World/HitchHikers are other's I should have mentioned. Very different though, British humor is great.

Also Vindicated I love your quote :). Eclectic rambling complete.

« Last Edit: June 13, 2017, 01:50:08 PM by Lan Mandragoran »

Vindicated

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Re: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2017, 01:53:52 PM »
Sadly not for wise man's fear. He passed away I believe :(. But its still surely worth listening to!

haha nice on the dog name :), is it a nice dog or a scary one lol? My wife lets me name any kids we have with a fantasy char middle name :P.

The cosmere is awesome(this is going into some seriously nerdy territory, which is awesome, I'm about to start cursing in the old tongue)

I actually got Promise of Blood from Brandon Sanderson, id call it slightly less serious than the others on this list but really good in a fun way.

Disc World/HitchHikers are other's I should have mentioned. Very different though, British humor is great.

Also Vindicated I love your quote :).

Ender (my dog) is the sweetest dog I've ever met.  Very gentle, and allows me 2yo to hug him, step on him, pull his tail, etc.  Of course, we redirect this behavior, but the kid loves the dog.

I had forgotten about the Disc World books.  I only ever listened to one, and it was enjoyable, but barely memorable.  Perhaps it wasn't one of the better ones.  I don't even remember the name.  Do you have a recommendation of a "best" of Disc World?

If we have another Boy, I'll push to name him Calvin.  I like the nickname Cal (like Kal, short for Kaladin, but that wouldn't fly).  We could even go with the middle name Elon, or a middle name that starts with an "L" so he could be Cal El / Cal L.

----

lexde,

If you're looking for non-fiction options, I highly recommend Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.  It's based around the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, and the serial killer, H. H. Holmes, who was active in the city during that time. 

Lan Mandragoran

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Re: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2017, 02:51:47 PM »
Yeah, i read them a long time ago so I dont remember them terribly well. More of a HHikers fan myself :).

sultee

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Re: Audiobook Recommendations, Please!
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2017, 09:19:41 AM »
As a believer that we all need variety:
Extreme Ownership - just listen
Rendezvous with Rama
The Last Safe Investment
Elon Musk
Doctor Sleep
The Untold History of The United States