I had a $30 iTunes gift certificate to spend and sadly, the music selections looked quite unappealing -- I either already have all the music I like or I just don't connect to modern music anymore. Can't quite decide, but that's a whole separate discussion. Instead, I decided to go for an audio-book. An international best-seller is usually a semi-safe bet (only semi, after all, Grisham of the-same-book-over-and-over-again is on that list) and I purchased Dan Brown's The DaVinci code (correct, I have not actually read it yet).
I like this audio-book thing. I listened in the car, at the gym, while doing the dishes. This really works out great for me. It took a little bit to get used to the reader's style of faking accents and making women characters sound like fainting transvestites.. but once I got over that part I was able to really get into the book (it's a fast paced triller filled with semi-historical data so it was entertaining) and actually enjoy it.
It's only too bad it costs more to get an audio-book in an mp3 format than it is to get an actual hard cover copy.. I think I'll mostly stick to the free selection. That is unless I get more iTunes certificates (actually, audible.com is cheaper). I envision being able to read, err... listen to more books with this whole book-on-iPod thing -- for me that's a good thing, my free time is about nil.
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$31.95? Wow. Just... wow.
#I started this year with the goal of reading 50 books in 2004.
I *thought* I could include audio books in my tally, but my friends insist that listening to an audio book doesn't count as reading it.
(without hijacking your website...) How would you (and other folks) weigh in on this?
#I guess that depends on the book? I would say, something like, say, Dickens or Steinback requires reading because you will not fully appreciate the skill of the writers by listening to an audio of it. At least in my view.
On the other hand, if all you want is entertainment (like the Da Vinci code -- you'd have to be braindead to consider this great-writing, but it is entertaining) or information (like say, The fall of the Roman Empire which is my next audio book) audio books are fantastic.. for all those times when you can't read but your brain is idle.
#I've been really getting into Audiobooks lately myself. I love reading, but these days I just don't seem to have quite as many free cycles. But I'm in the car a lot and they really make the time just skip by. I should check out the Da Vinci Code eventually though.
I also don't think listening is any less valid a way of experiencing a story than reading it. Now I just have to make it through the rest of the Dark Tower books in time for the last one to come out.
I actually think The Da Vinci Code is an excellently entertaining book. If you aren't a religious scholar, you'll actually learn some pretty cool things you might not have thought about before.
But, just as a sidenote, don't leave Dan Brown out of the Grisham category; all of his books (Digital Fortress, Deception Point, Angels & Demons) are pretty much the same, sans actually giving each character identical names and jobs. Read two and you'll see. It doesn't mean they're not interesting, it just means they're predictable to a certain point.
You should definitely post your opinion of The Da Vinci Code though when you're finished.
#Many libraries carry audio books - it's like Napster and Kazaa without spyware. If you really want to MP3 those books, you can - or you can just listen to them and return them when you're done. Seriously, how MANY books to you read more than once? (compared to those you don't).
The one catch though is that audio books (like movie versions of books) are usually modified (i.e. shorter) so you might miss out on a few things. As you pointed out though, for certain books (like light fiction) that doesn't make a difference.
Nice to hear someone's experience with audio books.
I read on my commute, which is 45 minutes but I can only read for ~20, the others spent walking, waiting, switching etc. Have often thought about trying an audio book as a way to maximize the entire commute.
#Audible has a nice subscription where for 19.95/month you can get two books every month. It's not a bad deal, if you think you'll use them that much. I had it, but decided to save the money for a while.
#I love audio books. I listen to them while driving home to VT. It passes the time and i get to sneek in some "reading" that i haven't got to yet.
#Audiobooks are definitely the way to go. I listen to them all the time. It is the best way to make use of idle or travel time to learn. I'm not talking about fiction, but non-fiction. Listening to the history of saturday nght live right now for example.
#One of the best things that I've discovered about Audiobooks lately is finding unabridged versions that are narrated by the author. I just finished off the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy 'trilogy' narrated by Douglas Adams himself. It was in many ways better than the book, catching both the author's intended inflection and the original voices. Also I can't imagine reading Jon Stewart's "America" when there's a perfectly good version performed by the cast of the Daily Show.
Autobiographies also gain a lot from having the author narrate. I thouroughly enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" and Richard Clarke's "Against All Enemies". Also notworthy was the very abridged version of "My Life" narrated by Bill Clinton which was pretty cool. (It was a mere 6 hours as opposed to the 55 and 1/2 hour biograthon narrated by some other shmuck.)
#I have an hour commute each way by car and I have been listening to audiobooks for about 5 years. I LOVE them--and you can get many in the unabridged format which includes the entire book with no edits. I get most of mine at different libraries; sometimes buy from e-bay or used on Amazon, etc. or from used bookstores. My sister and I both listen to them so we trade off a lot when we've bought them. I actually look forward to the commute and I'm up on the latest titles. It's great entertainment, and I'm not trying to win any prizes for how many BOOKS I've read--if you enjoy audiobooks, go for it!!!
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