I confess I don’t read books at the rate I used to. It makes me sad, but I just don’t have the time anymore. My non-work schedule is devoted to spending quality time with my son.
But recently I’ve been hooked on listening to books through Audible (which is owned by Amazon) where you can download audiobooks and listen on your smartphone, kindle, tablet, and computer. It has changed my life. I can now productively listen to books while commuting on a jam-packed train, driving, or strolling Franco around the neighborhood.
A couple weeks ago, I was stuck driving in insane traffic (talk about parking lot) and instead of getting frustrated and pissed, I was happy as a clam because I was listening to a great audiobook. It’s amazing!
So far, I have listened to two books.
Everything I Never Told You
Author: Celeste Ng
The narrator did a great job of altering her voice for the different characters, which I appreciated. Even though I didn’t really care for any of the characters (I felt they were all unlikable), I still found them entertaining and the plot good enough to hold my attention.
The book explores the tension surrounding mixed race couples and families in the 1970s by centering the plot around the death of a teenage girl who is half-white, half-chinese, and her struggle to fit in alongside her parents’ high expectations of her.
The Girl on the Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
This book draws a lot of comparisons to Gone Girl. It’s a suspenseful whodunit. About two-thirds of the way into it, I figured out the mystery. I was hoping I was wrong and there was a final twist in the end, but I guessed correctly! There are 3 narrators:
Rachel: a divorced alcoholic who has a few episodes of completely blacking out without any memory recall
Anna: former mistress and now current wife of Rachel’s ex-husband Tom
Megan: married but philandering missing woman who was the nanny to Anna’s and Tom’s baby
Fantastic thriller. Loved it.
Lolita
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
I’ve queued this up as my next audiobook. It gets rave reviews as an audiobook. And why wouldn’t it, with Jeremy Irons narrating!
Please recommend your favorite audiobooks in the comments!
Haven’t tried Audible yet, but just read The Girl in the Train and like you loved it. Oh and I read Lolita years back and still one of my favorites, too! 😉
I got hooked on audible because I fly a lot for work and it totally helps pass the time! I really enjoyed listening to Shantaram (though it’s REALLY long). I’m currently reading Everything I Never Told You and find it SO depressing! Maybe it’s because I am also half white and half Chinese..Anyway, I look forward to adding Girl on the Train and Lolita to my reading list – thanks for sharing! xo Lisa
http://www.strumsimmersip.com
Lolita is a great good. The writing is magical. A year or so ago I finally got around to reading Anna Karenina and loved it. Many Many years ago I read War and Peace. So would recommend both. I also love, Love in the Time of Cholera. Also any books by Milan Kundera – especially The Unbearable Lightness of Being. On the Road by Jack Kerouac and many of his other books. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and also How to be Alone. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace. There are really so many good books but these are a few.
I have issues with execution. I SAY I’m going to do something and it doesn’t happen. I’ve been trying to get into the habit of listening to audiobooks for months now and failed miserably. I should really join the bandwagon though! Do you have an account through Amazon? I believe I was given a free trial but never went through with it. Have a great one Catherine! -Iva
I listened to The Girl on the Train too! Right now I am listening to The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, and it is excellent. I listen any chance I get.
I’ve been wanting to get Audible for some time now but don’t really want to add one more subscription payment to the list. I saw that the subscription gets one book per month which is good, how long does it normally take you to listen to a book?