I now have a long commute, so I’ve been getting into audiobooks, catching up on books I should have read long ago but didn’t. The performance of the reader is crucial.
I also limit myself to audio books available from the public library, and avoid the subscription services and Librivox. I had good luck with Blackstone Audio.
Make sure the recording is broken into short bits so you can “go back a few pages” without going to the beginning. I definitely found my mind wandering at times and liked the ability to go back a bit.
One of my favorites was “A Confederacy of Dunces” read by Barrett Whitener.
“We Have Always Lived In The Castle” read by Bernadette Dunn.
“The Age of Innocence” read by Laural Merlington
(Age of Innocence makes a great pairing with The Great Gatsby)
For something more contemporary, try “Manhattan Beach” (author Jennifer Egan, not sure who reads the audiobook but there is probably only one version).
I am also a Thomas Hardy fan. I also really liked Patrick Tull’s reading of “Return of the Native” with its haunting and mystical imagery. Tull goes all out on the local accents, making them almost unintelligible to my American ears until I got the hang of it after a while, then I really got into it. I don’t recommend this unless you really want to commit; it’s an acquired taste.
Much more accessible was “Two on a Tower,” read by Michael Kitchen. A minor Hardy novel I hadn’t even heard of, but it was a lot of fun. Nominally a fluffy romance, being Hardy there was also his biting commentary on class and social conventions.
Fantasy:
The Dagger and Coin: The Dragons Path – Daniel Abraham (first of a series that i like more than SOIAF)
Sword of truth Series: Wizard’s first rule – Terry Goodkindi
Game Of Thrones- GRRM
Any Diskworld book – Terry Pratchett
Sci-fi
(comedy): Off to be a wizard – Scott Meyer
(comedy) Year 0 – Robert Reid
The Aeronaut’s Windlass – Jim Butcher
Retribution Falls – Chris Wooding
More
American God’s 10th anniversary edition W full cast – Neil Gaiman
Assassination vacation (nonfiction) – Sarah Vowell
Fear and Loathing on the campaign trail – HST ( yeah, I know it’s “political”, but the way he talks about Nixon is magical)
I’ll think of more. Long drives and audio books are my favorite
If you want ‘hard-boiled’ with the language, um cruder, there’s always James Ellroy. While I love him, I just couldn’t get through ‘Perfidia’. Might I suggest LA Confidential or White Jazz?
We drive to the Orlando area 2-3 times a year On the way back we can make it to emporia va in 8-9 hours where we stay in a red roof it’s also where you can cut over to Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel to 13/113 if you don’t want to fight 95 traffic the rest of the way btw. Red roof is pet friendly
The Devil In The White City is a great choice. A World’s Fair at the time that Chicago emerges as a world-class city, a fiendish serial killer who takes advantage of this unique time in the city’s history. And it’s all true.
A plane ticket
EL Doctorow
Billy Bathgate
The March
(Art – I was looking for a title like “Learning to Fly…)
Or… In honor of his passing… The Right Stuff or Bonfire of the Vanities
(I always likes A Man in Full, personally)
If you’d prefer some more contemporary fiction, anything by Sam Lipsyte.
I’m flying down the Florida to drive my parents dogs back up here, so they can fly. I’m not a long haul driver, so it will prob be two 8 hour drives.
Love me some E. L. Doctorow. Thanks.
Not politics, exactly. But Don DeLillo’s ‘Libra’ is a fascinating speculative fiction on the JFK assassination.
BTW, if you like Doctorow, I’m a fan of ‘The Book Of Daniel’, which is sorta about the Rosenberg trial. In reality, more than sorta.
Both books employ cinematic techniques that should keep you awake on your drive.
The Book of Daniel is a great suggestion as well. But I think driving back up through GA and SC calls for The March.
I now have a long commute, so I’ve been getting into audiobooks, catching up on books I should have read long ago but didn’t. The performance of the reader is crucial.
I also limit myself to audio books available from the public library, and avoid the subscription services and Librivox. I had good luck with Blackstone Audio.
Make sure the recording is broken into short bits so you can “go back a few pages” without going to the beginning. I definitely found my mind wandering at times and liked the ability to go back a bit.
One of my favorites was “A Confederacy of Dunces” read by Barrett Whitener.
“We Have Always Lived In The Castle” read by Bernadette Dunn.
“The Age of Innocence” read by Laural Merlington
(Age of Innocence makes a great pairing with The Great Gatsby)
For something more contemporary, try “Manhattan Beach” (author Jennifer Egan, not sure who reads the audiobook but there is probably only one version).
I am also a Thomas Hardy fan. I also really liked Patrick Tull’s reading of “Return of the Native” with its haunting and mystical imagery. Tull goes all out on the local accents, making them almost unintelligible to my American ears until I got the hang of it after a while, then I really got into it. I don’t recommend this unless you really want to commit; it’s an acquired taste.
Much more accessible was “Two on a Tower,” read by Michael Kitchen. A minor Hardy novel I hadn’t even heard of, but it was a lot of fun. Nominally a fluffy romance, being Hardy there was also his biting commentary on class and social conventions.
“Moonglow,” Michael Chabon. Latest by the author of “Kavalier & Clay”
Spy novels by Alan Furst. Europe around the time of World War II.
Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled mysteries set in and around L.A. 1930s/1950s. If only for the language and descriptions.
ok get ready….
Fantasy:
The Dagger and Coin: The Dragons Path – Daniel Abraham (first of a series that i like more than SOIAF)
Sword of truth Series: Wizard’s first rule – Terry Goodkindi
Game Of Thrones- GRRM
Any Diskworld book – Terry Pratchett
Sci-fi
(comedy): Off to be a wizard – Scott Meyer
(comedy) Year 0 – Robert Reid
The Aeronaut’s Windlass – Jim Butcher
Retribution Falls – Chris Wooding
More
American God’s 10th anniversary edition W full cast – Neil Gaiman
Assassination vacation (nonfiction) – Sarah Vowell
Fear and Loathing on the campaign trail – HST ( yeah, I know it’s “political”, but the way he talks about Nixon is magical)
I’ll think of more. Long drives and audio books are my favorite
Thanks for all the great recs. I knew crowd sourcing this was the way to go.
If you want ‘hard-boiled’ with the language, um cruder, there’s always James Ellroy. While I love him, I just couldn’t get through ‘Perfidia’. Might I suggest LA Confidential or White Jazz?
We drive to the Orlando area 2-3 times a year On the way back we can make it to emporia va in 8-9 hours where we stay in a red roof it’s also where you can cut over to Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel to 13/113 if you don’t want to fight 95 traffic the rest of the way btw. Red roof is pet friendly
Non-fiction:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Devil in the White City
Game of thrones is a suckers pick. At 33 hours, you’ll spend another month finishing it.
I’m coming from farther south, but good to know about Emporia. Thanks for the tip.
The Devil In The White City is a great choice. A World’s Fair at the time that Chicago emerges as a world-class city, a fiendish serial killer who takes advantage of this unique time in the city’s history. And it’s all true.
Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods”