Books on Tape

[Tess des Baisers]

Because I commute an hour each way to work daily, I spend alot of time in my car. In lieu of reading, I listen to Books on Tape, which I check out, free of charge, from my public library. I prefer to listen to only the unabridged version so I don't miss a single word the author wrote.

I tend to read/listen to all books by a particular author. In the past 3 years, I've listened and enjoyed the following:

LOTR all 3, plus Hobbit
Terry Brooks "Landover" series
All the Clive Cussler-Dirk Pitt tapes
All 5 of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series (See my post regarding these!)
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati - similiar in style to D. Gabaldon
All of John Grishams books
Memoirs of a Geisha - excellent btw!
Jean Auel's prehistoric sagas
Innumerable bodice busters by numerous authors
...and too many more to remember!!!

IF you have time to exercise...or drive....or go shopping...you have time to listen to a book on tape!

Happy listening!

[Tempest_Gypsy]

When I was but a wee, wee wench in training it used to take my family six hours or so to drive to my grandparents. We took the trip about once a month. Since no one in my family likes the same type of music, we used to listen to books on tape, too!

This was how, at the tender age of six or thereabouts, I got intorduced to Tolkien, Lackey, McCaffery and lots of other great science fiction and fantasy authors. And my mother actaully wonders why/how I grew into the woman I am today!!! :king:

I totally agree with Tess. Books on tape are fabulous!

[Mairi Ulfsdottir]

I'm a big fan of "Books on Tape" too. They really help on long drives, in fact , sometimes the book is so good that you don't want to stop driving!

Tess, if you like Anne Rice at all, I highly recommend the Vampire books, the actor reading, is fantastic!! I began to feel like I was driving around with Lestat in the car with me!

The actor reading the story makes all the difference!!! And a bad one can mke a good book very boring! Some other good B.O.T.: "Practical Magic" (so much better than the movie!!) The "Wheel of Time" Series (uses a man and a woman to read the various parts), "Brother Cadfael" mysteries, "Pride and Prejudice", followed (of course) by "Bridget Jones' Diary!" (V. fun to see all the similarities in the two stories!)

I'm always happy to discover a new well read/acted book!
:D Mairi

[Tess des Baisers]

Tess, if you like Anne Rice at all, I highly recommend the Vampire books, the actor reading, is fantastic!! I began to feel like I was driving around with Lestat in the car with me!

Mairi,

Those books are there in the library, and are on my "TBH" (to be heard) list! With several there, I just have to figure out which one comes first. I hate to read (listen) to series non-sequentially! :lol:

I've taken note of the other books you've mentioned and will check those too! I drive anywhere from 2-5 hours a day, since I live in Jacksonville, teach at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL and take PhD courses at night in Gainesville. :augh: But as long as I have a tape to listen to, I actually look forward to the drives! :bananada: tee hee

I also agree about the reader. I've heard some good and some not so good. You may have seen the "Dirk Pitt" books on my list. These are just good action adventure tales set in current times, but I enjoy them. Anyway, the reader for most of the books was great! However, the reader was different for one of the most recent books, and I about took the book back! LOL Big difference even though the storyline was the same. Kind of like fingernails on a chalkboard!

[jmthane]

On band trips when we're driving to a Faire, the driver gets to choose what to listen to. On one occasion, Wendy listened to Neil Gaiman's "Coraline". I was in the back seat, asleep. She has no idea how I could sleep through something that creepy. She'd be like :shock: the whole way...

[PirateKisses]

My little one and I listen to Harry Potter books on disc when we travel. That was how she fell in love with the stories. Now, at 5 1/2, she's well versed in the world of Mr Potter and completely enthralled with Hedwig.

PK

[Bean]

I love books on tape, too!! I took wone with me when I went on vacation to listen to on the plane. If you like WWII stull, Flight of Eagles, I think it's by Jack Higgins. Unabridged is like 8 tapes!! I also have listened to several Star Trek books and Flight Of Pegasus by Anne McCaffrey. My family trades them back and forth when we visit eachother. I also agree about who is reading them, it makes a BIG difference!

Betsy

[Ariyana Dragonwagon]

Hey PK!!! We listen to the Harry Potter books on tape as well. Last year Alexander who is 6 1/2 now was the only one in his whole class who had any idea what the older kids were talking about!! He was soo ready to see the movie!!
We tend to listen to books on tape on longer drives... keeps everyone quieter... a god send with 4 kids of varying ages...

[PirateKisses]

Rhiannon is the only one in her preschool class that has seen both Harry Potter movies and blows off the scary parts. She thinks the other kids are a bunch of weenies for not being able to watch them. But hey, what else would you expect from a kid who has been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer since she was a wee bairn? Much like her mommy, she thinks Spike's a major hottie!

PK
who must now go put on one of her Buffy dvd's to get a Spike fix.

[Bonnie]

mmmmmmmm......Spiiiiiike.........mmmmmmmmm


drool.

[AllieSutherland]

One of my favs was "Wake Up! I'm Fat!" by Camryn Manheim. She even talks about her Ren faire experiences! :)

XOXOXOX
Allie

[Nevada]

"The Color Purple" is an excellent choice also

[Morte]

mmmmmmmm......Spiiiiiike.........mmmmmmmmm


drool.

i concur

:hearts: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm :hearts:

the naughty ones are always the yummiest!

next long trip i may try books on tape! you gals make a hard sell!

[PamJB_66]

Because I commute an hour each way to work daily, I spend alot of time in my car. In lieu of reading, I listen to Books on Tape, which I check out, free of charge, from my public library. I prefer to listen to only the unabridged version so I don't miss a single word the author wrote.

I tend to read/listen to all books by a particular author. In the past 3 years, I've listened and enjoyed the following:

LOTR all 3, plus Hobbit
Terry Brooks "Landover" series
All the Clive Cussler-Dirk Pitt tapes
All 5 of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series (See my post regarding these!)
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati - similiar in style to D. Gabaldon
All of John Grishams books
Memoirs of a Geisha - excellent btw!
Jean Auel's prehistoric sagas
Innumerable bodice busters by numerous authors
...and too many more to remember!!!

IF you have time to exercise...or drive....or go shopping...you have time to listen to a book on tape!

Happy listening!

Well I'm way late on getting in on this thread but just wanted to add that books on tape are great! I definitely recommend them. My mom and I drive from West Virginia to Pittsburgh, PA each weekend for the Pittsburgh ren fest and we listen to audiotapes each time. They are a great way to pass the time especially when you are passing by the same scenary over and over again.
I agree that John Grisham's are great to listen to. I really enjoy listening to any kind of mystery. Mary Higgins Clark's books are good ones too.
Since our local library doesn't have great books on tape, what we do for a change of pace is go to Cracker Barrell. They have a great selection and have a nice exchange system. You buy the first tape. Then if you return it within a week, you can rent a new one for just a couple of dollars. Then when you are done you can sell the last tape back for most of the money. It's a good deal if you travel back and forth within the week. It's perfect for us with the rennie festival.

[purple stars]

I was never really able to listen to "books on tape" They just don't have any thing to them when they are being read! Maybe it is jsut me

[Holly]

Cameran Manhiem was a rennie?!?!?!?!!?!

[Daelyn]

I was never really able to listen to "books on tape" They just don't have any thing to them when they are being read! Maybe it is jsut me
ah, then you haven't found any read by a nice, deep, yummy voice like Leonard Nimoy's or Sean Connery's yet... I wish I could remember what booktape I got from the library where that guy was the reader... or even what his name was *angry at my own memory for failing me*
He sounded delicious. There was so much feeling put into the words. I was doing a hands/eyes intensive project, and that voice kept my brain from getting bored. It helped that it was a good book... think it was one of the Pegasus books, by Anne McCaffrey...

[purple stars]

I think that you are right hun!! must find the right book on tape!! I need passion when I am going to listen to them!! will have to take a little looklsy at my local lib