Commuting and audio books

ChemFanatic25 · March 2015

Hi Ladies! So I have a decent commmute (less than my old job but still a little more than half an hour). I normally talk to my friend on the way there and home but I'm going to try and cut back on that.

So, my question is - what are some good audio books you would recommend? Also, do you know of any sites where I can get these books for not too much money? I have an ipod so I can fit a decent size on there.

I was thinking about Mindy Kalling's book -Is Everyone Hanging out with Me? (And other concerns). I was also considering Game of Thrones but honestly I just cannot get into the series (I might have a problem). So what do you recommend?

Also, I've noticed there have been some discussions of podcasts. Is this something I download to my ipod or listen to on my phone? Does it eat up a lot of data? Is the podcast set at a specific time so I may not be able to listen to it on my commute?

Thanks!

emmaaa · March 2015

I have over an hour commute, so I feel your pain. I try to check out audio books at the library...free. The best ones for me are those that are typically easy reads, Hunger Games, Gone Girl, Divergent, Harry Potter, Nicholas Sparks' books, James Patterson's books, etc.

arrippa · March 2015

A podcast is a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or portable media player, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically. So yes, you can download it to a smartphone if you have the app and listen to it anytime.

I have been listening to the Hunger Games while I run. I have read all the books and enjoyed them. I have a subscription to Audible, but I usually buy my books during their sales.

southernbelle0915 · March 2015

Rosetta Stone or other language audio CD. I second the library. Ours has a huge selection - may as well take advantage of the tax dollars you're paying!

redoryx · March 2015

I would not recommend GoT in audio book format, at least not while driving. don't get me wrong, I love the books but they are dense and require full attention with all the characters and families and subplots.

Definitely easy reads. I listened to a lot of chick lit when I had a longer commute, like the Shopaholic series. David Sedaris reads his own books and they are hysterical in his own voice.

And, as a librarian, I wholeheartedly suggest checking your public library for books on CD or to see if they provide access to something like OverDrive which will allow you download them straight to your phone.

flyingfoxes · March 2015

Agree with PP about getting them via the library. I love listening to books on my commute. Stephen King is a favorite but they are looooong and I sometimes run out of time before I have to send them back, lol.

larrygaga · March 2015

The only audiobook I could ever stand was harry potter!

I like to download stand up comedy!

redoryx · March 2015

mobride2015 said:
Agree with PP about getting them via the library. I love listening to books on my commute. Stephen King is a favorite but they are looooong and I sometimes run out of time before I have to send them back, lol.

Super library secret: next time you're checking out a long audio book or long regular book, ask if they offer a Vacation Loan. It's a longer checkout period meant for people going to be away for an extended period of time, but when it's a big book like that it helps having the extra time.

There are often rules attached, like you might not be able to use it for books just published or if there is a hold list or whatever, but it never hurts to ask

ChemFanatic25 · March 2015

These are all awesome suggestions! I'm so excited :-D I am going to see what I can get a hold of tonight.

I didn't even think of the library! Thanks! These are all great suggestions. I've already read the Hunger Games series and Harry Pooter but maybe it would be a good idea to listen to them again. Reminisce.

I am going to check out the podcasts as well. I'm glad I just have to download it and can listen any time.

@southernbelle0915, the language thing is a great idea as well. I mean that is maybe a little more than an hour a day that I could set aside for learning. I want to learn Japanese because I'd like to go to Japan at some point. I'll check out my local library and see what they offer.

@larrygaga, where do you get your standup comedy from? I love listening to comedy and it's easy to pay attention to the road while listening.

flyingfoxes · March 2015

redoryx said:

mobride2015 said:
Agree with PP about getting them via the library. I love listening to books on my commute. Stephen King is a favorite but they are looooong and I sometimes run out of time before I have to send them back, lol.

Super library secret: next time you're checking out a long audio book or long regular book, ask if they offer a Vacation Loan. It's a longer checkout period meant for people going to be away for an extended period of time, but when it's a big book like that it helps having the extra time.
There are often rules attached, like you might not be able to use it for books just published or if there is a hold list or whatever, but it never hurts to ask

@redoryx - you.are.awesome! I'm totally going to try this on my next huge book!

amelisha · March 2015

I love audiobooks - I walk to and from work about an hour a day and they're awesome both because they're more stimulating than music and because I can still hear what's going on around me, unlike when I'm blasting 80s power ballads.

I get mine from, uh, various downloadable sources, lol, and I agree that pulp/fluff is better with audiobooks. I prefer to actually read more "literary" stuff and give it my full concentration. So I like stuff like Stephen King, the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris (the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries that True Blood was based on - they are a ton of fun.) I'm listening to "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman right now, which is great too. Some of the performers are obviously better than others, but I think most of the ones from the big publishing companies are high-quality and well-read.

PamBeesly524 · March 2015

This American Life is a great podcast, it comes out weekly. Serial was a great series... It's between seasons right now but you could listen to the first season! I also recommend the Moth podcast.

ChemFanatic25 · March 2015

redoryx said:

mobride2015 said:
Agree with PP about getting them via the library. I love listening to books on my commute. Stephen King is a favorite but they are looooong and I sometimes run out of time before I have to send them back, lol.

Super library secret: next time you're checking out a long audio book or long regular book, ask if they offer a Vacation Loan. It's a longer checkout period meant for people going to be away for an extended period of time, but when it's a big book like that it helps having the extra time.
There are often rules attached, like you might not be able to use it for books just published or if there is a hold list or whatever, but it never hurts to ask

I missed this post! This is really helpful. Most definitely going to keep that in mind :-)

levioosa · March 2015

I used to have Audible, which is an app that costs like $15 a month and gives you 1-2 credits. The credits also roll over if you don't use them that month. I loved it, and they had a ton of options. They didn't offer Harry Potter though. =( I think the Harry Potter books have an exclusive contract (but if you're getting library books on tape, they are definitely worth listening to). On Audible, the books "cost" 1-2 credits, but I honestly never downloaded a book that was more than 1. I'm a little scared how long it would have been, since GOT was only 1 credit and like 35 hours, I can't imagine how long a two credit book would be.

anjemon · March 2015

I really love listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks. I've read the books too, but I like listening to them at work because they are interesting/fun, but something I've already read so if I get interrupted or too focused I don't miss the action. I've also listened to some older series I read when I was a kid (Tamora Pierce, PERN series) which was really fun. Also I could spend my free time reading new books.

For podcasts, I like poking around the itunes store. There are a lot of them on there, in just about every genre. I listen to one that discusses reality tv and a couple of review-type ones. I really like the chance to get more in depth about stuff I like. I know my roommate likes NPR ones because she finds that stuff fascinating. There's a podcast for everything if you just start looking. The hard thing is finding someone you want to listen to for hours.

wandajune6 · March 2015

The Mindy Kaling book was my first audiobook!

Also, I vote for checking out your library. Free is good -- and hurts less if you don't get into the book.

I'm more of a podcast fan myself. I just discovered the Dear Sugar podcast and am in love, though I'm a big fan of hearing about other people's dysfunction.

FiancB · March 2015

I'd start with exhausting your library. I had a 2 hour commute at one point so that didn't take long. I did and then I got audible. I went to cancel my trial and then it offered it for cheaper, so there's that. Sometimes the voices on audiobooks drive me nuts. I've enjoyed listening to Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk and The Time Traveler's Wife (book is waaay more interesting than the movie). Oh and The Darkest Night of the Year by Dean Koontz.

I listen to a photography podcast and one for Ted Talks. The Moth and This American Life are good as well. Jay and Silent Bob Get Old are hilarious in the beginning but start to get a little repetitive eventually.

mrsk616 · March 2015

id love to try some audio books but i miss having an actual book in my hand. i read most of my books on my kindle.

ChemFanatic25 · March 2015

FiancB said:
I'd start with exhausting your library. I had a 2 hour commute at one point so that didn't take long. I did and then I got audible. I went to cancel my trial and then it offered it for cheaper, so there's that. Sometimes the voices on audiobooks drive me nuts. I've enjoyed listening to Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk and The Time Traveler's Wife (book is waaay more interesting than the movie). Oh and The Darkest Night of the Year by Dean Koontz.

I listen to a photography podcast and one for Ted Talks. The Moth and This American Life are good as well. Jay and Silent Bob Get Old are hilarious in the beginning but start to get a little repetitive eventually.

So I started searching yesterday and I found some books I would like to listen to. The annoying part is that I needed to download an app for my computer (I have Windows 8 - I hate it) and I needed to download some other program. Then when I went to open the book, it said I needed to update Media Player. I couldn't find a way to do that so I finally gave up because it was late and I was tired :-( Going to see if I can tackle it tonight because I'd really like to listen to some books and today they were talking about eating on the toilet on the radio so I'm kind of done with radio. lol

Sugargirl1019 · March 2015

I have a free app called "LibriVox" and it has all the classics on it. I have listened to Pride and Prejudice probably 10 thousand times on my drive out to college and back!

edit: apparently you can pay for the more popular, new books. So you have free options and not free options.

TNDancer · March 2015

I vote for podcasts. They are shorter so you do not have to keep up with the same story for days (or weeks). I just keep them on my ipod. They are added on itunes constantly, but you can just download every few months if you want. One of my favorites is How Stuff Works.

princessleia22 · March 2015

ChemFanatic25 said:
These are all awesome suggestions! I'm so excited :-D I am going to see what I can get a hold of tonight.

I didn't even think of the library! Thanks! These are all great suggestions. I've already read the Hunger Games series and Harry Pooter but maybe it would be a good idea to listen to them again. Reminisce.

I am going to check out the podcasts as well. I'm glad I just have to download it and can listen any time.

@southernbelle0915, the language thing is a great idea as well. I mean that is maybe a little more than an hour a day that I could set aside for learning. I want to learn Japanese because I'd like to go to Japan at some point. I'll check out my local library and see what they offer.

@larrygaga, where do you get your standup comedy from? I love listening to comedy and it's easy to pay attention to the road while listening.

I find it easiest to do audio of books I've already read (Harry Potter & Twilights series were good), because I don't need to focus on it so much. If it's a new book, I tend to get more distracted and have a hard time focusing on the story.

For the standup comedy, check your local radio stations too. A couple months ago DH discovered that we have a standup comedy station on AM radio. It's quite entertaining during commutes.

[Deleted User] · March 2015

I have a 1.5-3 hour commute depending on the day, so I deeply feel your need to make use of the time. I am going to back up the Podcast discussion. I personally don't like audiobooks, so I thought I would hate Podcasts, but I gave them a try and now I am HOOKED.

Podcasts I recommend:

Serial (everyone is/was talking about this when it came out, and it made me addicted to podcasts)

This American Life (weekly stories that are thought-provoking, interesting, and often inspiring)

Stuff You Should Know (From the How Stuff Works people, but adapted for Podcasts.)

My favorite thing about podcasts is I feel like I am learning something rather than sitting in a brain-dead stupor behind the wheel...perhaps better for my fellow road companions as well.

larrygaga · March 2015

ChemFanatic25 said:These are all awesome suggestions! I'm so excited :-D I am going to see what I can get a hold of tonight. I didn't even think of the library! Thanks! These are all great suggestions. I've already read the Hunger Games series and Harry Pooter but maybe it would be a good idea to listen to them again. Reminisce. I am going to check out the podcasts as well. I'm glad I just have to download it and can listen any time. @southernbelle0915, the language thing is a great idea as well. I mean that is maybe a little more than an hour a day that I could set aside for learning. I want to learn Japanese because I'd like to go to Japan at some point. I'll check out my local library and see what they offer. @larrygaga, where do you get your standup comedy from? I love listening to comedy and it's easy to pay attention to the road while listening.

.....I get them....how you say............................underground

buttercup1958 · March 2015

Has anyone ever been afraid of hating the characters voices in an audiobook? I don't know why but I feel like if I didn't their voices it would ruin the book. Talk about FWP. But I think lighter books would be a better idea than things like Lord of the Rings.

beethery · March 2015

Welcome To Night Vale is an interesting podcast that you can download and subscribe to for free. It's been going on long enough that there are a TON of back episodes to listen to.

anjemon · March 2015

buttercup1958 said:
Has anyone ever been afraid of hating the characters voices in an audiobook? I don't know why but I feel like if I didn't their voices it would ruin the book. Talk about FWP. But I think lighter books would be a better idea than things like Lord of the Rings.

This was one of the reasons I thought I would dislike LotR. I had read The Hobbit a bunch of times and then I decided to listen to it on audiobook. It was really fun! So I decided to keep going with the LotR series, and holy crap were those terrible audio books. It was so generally boring I would tune out and then have to rewind so I didn't miss anything. I hated them. Eventually my (ex)boyfriend said I "had" to read the books to go to the movies with them, so I go them in paper. Turns out that was a much better option for me because I could stay more engaged.

ChemFanatic25 · March 2015

anjemon said:

buttercup1958 said:
Has anyone ever been afraid of hating the characters voices in an audiobook? I don't know why but I feel like if I didn't their voices it would ruin the book. Talk about FWP. But I think lighter books would be a better idea than things like Lord of the Rings.
This was one of the reasons I thought I would dislike LotR. I had read The Hobbit a bunch of times and then I decided to listen to it on audiobook. It was really fun! So I decided to keep going with the LotR series, and holy crap were those terrible audio books. It was so generally boring I would tune out and then have to rewind so I didn't miss anything. I hated them. Eventually my (ex)boyfriend said I "had" to read the books to go to the movies with them, so I go them in paper. Turns out that was a much better option for me because I could stay more engaged.

I've actually stopped listening to some audio books where the voices have bothered me, but then again I've stopped reading books where the characters put me through emotional turmoil (I get very into my fiction reading).

One audio book I absolutely loved is the Martian by Andy Weir. It was amazing! The guy who voiced the book did a great job and his voice really pulled me into the book. I recommend it. :-) I want to find other books similar to that but reserve those for extra long drives when I'm not the one driving.

[Deleted User] · March 2015

buttercup1958 said:
Has anyone ever been afraid of hating the characters voices in an audiobook? I don't know why but I feel like if I didn't their voices it would ruin the book. Talk about FWP. But I think lighter books would be a better idea than things like Lord of the Rings.

That is the reason why I can't do audiobooks. The readers' voices drive me mad.

FiancB · March 2015

So I just started listening to Stiff by Mary Roach. The voice doesn't drive me nuts, yay! If you have a morbid curiosity, you aren't grossed out easily, and it doesn't need to be fiction, do recommend (I think. Only on chapter 3 so far).

ChemFanatic25 · March 2015

beethery said:
Welcome To Night Vale is an interesting podcast that you can download and subscribe to for free. It's been going on long enough that there are a TON of back episodes to listen to.

Currently at work on a Saturday again. I can actually listen to this podcast on my computer! Thanks for this suggestion, breethery!

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