Audiobooks Update (Part 2)

So, I've had my Audible subscription for over a year now, and I'm still really enjoying it. I have also continued to supplement my Audible downloads with Audiobooks from the library. Since my last Audiobook update last July I have listened to a stack more, so thought that I'd post a couple of updates here. Since I have listened to a fair few of audiobooks since last July, I thought I'd split this into two posts, one of Audible audiobooks, and the other of library audiobooks.

So, first up, the Audible Purchases...

The Accidental Wife by Rowan Coleman. After listening to Jilly Bond narrating "A Perfect Proposal" I downloaded this audiobook purely because she was the narrator. I wasn't disappointed. The performance was great, and the story enjoyable.

Belles by Jen Calonita. I downloaded this audiobook with a $10 voucher that Audible emailed me, so the principal factor in the choice was that it was less than $10 ($9.95 infact). However, after listening I discovered that it was a good choice.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum. I had spotted this performance of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and decided to give it a go. Anne Hathaway was amazing. You could definitely tell it was her, but she did great voices for each of the characters. I haven't read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz before, so listening to the original story was interesting, I didn't realise how many changes there were in the film.

Breakfast at Darcy's by Ali McNamara. As I think we've already established that I'm a big fan of "Chick-Lit". Now, I know that some of you have issues with the use of the phrase "Chick-Lit", but when I use it please disregard any negative connotations of the phrase, and just imagine that I'm saying "Rom-Com in (audio)book form". This audiobook slots perfectly into that genre, and I really enjoyed it!

Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. This was the first time I've listened to a play in audio-only form, and downloaded it because it was free. I have loved the story of The Importance of Being Earnest since watching the Colin Firth/Reece Witherspoon movie version. While I thoroughly enjoyed it, I found the audio dramatisation a little confusing in parts as it was a bit hard to tell some of the characters apart.

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. I absolutely LOVED this book. I initially downloaded it because it was 30 hours long and had 4.5 stars. I really enjoy well-researched historical fiction books; I love that I can enjoy the story along with learning some history at the same time. This book was a prime example of that kind of book and as I already said, I LOVED it.

Winter of the World by Ken Follett. After listening to Fall of Giants, I was thrilled to discover that it is the first in a trilogy (although only the first two are out so far). So, upon discovering it's existance I instantly downloaded Winter of the World. It was just as good as the first, and a really great way of having a sequel; the characters in the book were the children of the characters in the first book. Therefore there was a certain amount of familiarity in the characters, but also novelty in discovering the new characters, and also finding out more about the original characters. While not essential to listen to both, I highly recommend them.

Love the one you're with by Emily Giffin. I got this Audiobook back in October, and I can't actually remember what happened or what I thought of it. I'm not sure if this says more about the book or me...

Goodbye, Jimmy Choo by Annie Sanders. Another audiobook in the "chick-lit" genre, and exactly what I was hoping for. Nice and light-hearted, a great story.

Winter White by Jen Calonita. I was pleased to discover that there was a sequel to "Belles", and really enjoyed it. Again, not high-level literature but a nice story, and I always enjoy hearing more about characters that I liked.

Love in the Afternoon by Alison Packard. This audiobook was offered for free by Audible as a special Valentines offer. I don't think I would ever have chosen this book normally, but I did enjoy reading it. It also let me realise that while I enjoy romantic storylines in books, I'm not such a fan of these 'racy' books with sex scenes. I mean, a half hour long sex scene was a bit much for me. Thankfully there weren't actually too many in this book, and otherwise the story was enjoyable.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Lastly, there's been one failure. I downloaded this version of Jane Eyre narrated by Josephine Bailey. I then returned it. Did you know you can return audiobooks you don't enjoy on Audible? I tried listeining to this many times, and just could not get into it, the narration was just too monotonous for me.


So, that's got you up to date with my Audible downloads. What have you been reading or listening to lately? Do you have any recommendations for me?