A little light reading listening

I'm very fortunate to be able to carpool to work with a couple of good friends mosts days, so I get to bookend the workday with a good visit. But for the days I do the half-hour commute alone, or have to drive into Calgary, I was excited to find a selection of free audiobooks available for download.

Librivox has a massive collection of some great out-of-copyright works. I'm particularly interested in the selection if Victorian novels - my subject at University. No idea what the quality of the reading is like, but it's certainly going to be worth finding out.

Simply Audiobooks also has a selection of free works, as well as a huge commercially-available library. I think I'll start with Call of the Wild. The Wasteland might be interesting too.

When I was in University, I did some book recording for blind students - both course texts and pleasure reading. I used a special tape recorder (like a deluxe Walkman) although now, I'm sure it's all dictated into a computer. I've been thinking it would be fun for both my nephews (twins!) and me if I read some books onto CD's for them, then sent them both to read along with.  Maybe I should check back in with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to see if there's something I could be doing for them?

I find it's actually really tough to read aloud well, especially if you're 'sight-reading' (no pun intended) but I've been told by knowledgeable folks I've got a pretty good delivery. My nephews certainly enjoyed the couple of chapters of Roald Dahl (warning - annoying flash intro) I read for 'em when I was home a couple of weeks ago. That's some tough stuff to read - all the wixed up mords he uses. The guys especially like "catastrophous disastrophy".

So, any of you folks using audiobooks?

Comments

[Rivrdog]

I tried them, but found that they take a bit too much concentration to use while driving.

They are marvelous during power failures. They are excellent when you want something to fall asleep by, but since I can semi speed-read (and have been able to since my brainy Sis taught me to read at age 3), I can actually read a print book about twice as fast as someone can read it to me.

Also, a pet peeve about talking books: why does every narrator who reads them to us have to think he has to sound like Orson Welles? Instead of a basso profundo voice, how about a tenor? And how about some real tonal inflections in the voice, not just a monotone designed to make the words the most understandable.

Studies have shown that if your ears receive a few missing or garbled words in a voiced passage, your brain will fill in the correct word almost all the time (mental "autocomplete"?), so the calculated monotone is un-necessary.

It IS good to have your references so as NOT to have to use the clunky lending library system for the times I do want to listen to the books.

[Light & Dark]

Mike, I should have thought of the library! I'll have to check out (nyuck,nyuck) what ours has available.

Thanks for the suggestion.

P.

[Mike]

Welcome back!

I listen to audio books whenever I know a drive will take 30 minutes or more. They are a godsend on long trips, even when I'm flying. Our public library has thousands of fiction and non-fiction books on tape and CD. (Taped books are no longer being sold so all of the new titles are on CD.)