Audiobook Challenge Mid- Year Accounting

I didn't make my goal in 2017 but I hope to in 2018 ... but am on track. Most likely I need to get a move on! Yes sure I am half way to 20 but really I need to be further into the 20's to be satisfied! Like 28 would be good. However the good thing about doing the mid-year accounting is that I had forgotten to add two books to my total so now it is looking a little healthier!

The Challenge Details can be found at Caffeinated Reviewer   and Hot Listens.

This year I am going  for the Binge Listener Level which is the 20 -30 level, and hopefully it will be closer to 30 than 20.  

1. The Sea of Tranquillity   Katja Millay. Book 5 stars Narrated: Kirby Heyborne and Candace Thaxton.  5 stars    Length 13hrs 10 min 
    
2. A Grown Up Kind of Pretty   Joshilyn Jackson 4 stars  Narrated: Joshilyn Jackson     5 stars Length: 12 hr 25 min  
   
3. The Secret Hour  Luanne Rice. Story 4.5 stars Narrated: Christine Traister  4.5 stars Length 10hr.53 min  
   
4. The Pearl Sister.  Lucinda Riley. Story 5 stars Narrated: Stephanie Racine; Rehanna MacDonald  5 stars. Length  19hr 55min 
   
5. Sweet Tea and Sympathy.  Molly Harper. Story 4 stars  Narrated by Amanda Ronconi.  4 stars. Length 9hr 27 min 
   
6. Still Me   Jojo Moyes. Story  4.5 stars Narrated by Anna Acton  4.5 stars  Length 13hr 27 min
   
7. The Denim Blue Sea   Joanne Demaio  Story  4 stars  Narrated by Nick Cracknell 3.5 stars Length 10hr 25 min  
   
8. The Endless Beach  Jenny Colgan Story  5 stars   Narrated by Sarah Barron   5 stars Length 10hrs  
   
9. The Secret to Southern Charm Kristy Woodsen Harvey  Story  5 stars Narrated by Janete Metzger; Candace Thaxton.  5 stars  Length 10 hr  
   
10. Meet Me at The Cupcake Cafe   Jenny Colgan Story  4.5 stars   Narrated by Penelope Rawlins 5 stars  Length 14hr 33 min  
    
11. Beard Science  Penny Reid  Story 4 stars Narrated by Joy Nash; Chris Brinkley  4.5 stars   Length 13hr 55 min  
    
12. Promise Me Dad.  Joe Biden (Memoir) Narrated by Joe Biden.  5 stars   Length 8hr 53 min
    

Last month - Audiobook Month I did mean to write a post but life got in the way! So a little more about audiobooks!

Have I always listened to audiobooks and when did I begin?

As I thought about this I realised it began as a child. Yes... on the radio, there were always books and stories read. I grew up without TV (can you believe it!) TV didn't arrive in my house until I was a teen. So we sat around the radio. ( Talking 1950's here). I remember still listening to Nevil Shute's  A Town Like Alice. Magical, I waited every Saturday night for the next episode!

Then many years later I discovered Audible and I am talking early days. Soon after it started I guess.  When it took forever to download a book. And then I had to convert it to CD. Were iPods invented then? I am not sure!  Then I got tired of the slow download and cancelled.

In 2008 I came back. Downloading was a little faster but not much! However so much faster now and of course I have an iPod and an iPad. I don't like listening on my iPhone but I could. Yes I am Apple through and through. Blame it on a Principal at school, my colleague, in the late 1990's who was big time Apple.

My favourite audiobook in the above list?

I pick my audiobooks carefully - well I am paying for them! So I rarely have a dud. Out of this list I have to say I really loved The Sea of Tranquillity.  I guess its YA or maybe New Adult. Who cares, I am neither of those! Heh! Heh!

What's My Least Favourite Thing About Audiobooks?

I hate a narrator that spoils a book. There are some books I'd like to listen to but the narrator is weak so I read them, I love that I can pre-listen to a little bit.  The other thing is I am not an audio person, I like an enormous amount of quiet so I don't have the urge when I am doing housework etc to pick up my iPod.

Oh and I should add a huge pet hate! Lack of world book rights so that we can't listen to a book we want to because ... yes we don't live in a certain part of the world. I know! It happens to us all, right! 

Yes I hate this in my wish list. And how do I get rid of it anyway. Now that I can't have it!!

Do I speed up the listening?

Anathema! Didn't I tell you I pay for these books. I want the whole experience. Yes listening to a book is a little slower than reading it but so what. The narrator has had to read it at normal speed after all! I want to savour it all.  Savour! 

A book from this list I think is better listening to.

The Pearl Sister for sure. It's a long book and the narrators do a fantastic job of keeping you on focus and besides they just nail it!  They send it up a notch. It's also the longest book on this list! The longest books on audio that I have listened to are the Outlander books (I've read them all and listened to many of them) The narrator of those in a class of her own. Superb. Yes that would be Davina Porter.

What! An author narrating her own book.

Yes well most of them I hate when they try that. Was going to name but won't. Let's just say if they narrate their own book I won't buy the audio version. But......  Joshilyn Jackson - she nails her own books every time. Perfection. Nobody else should narrate them.

Hmm okay. A little listening today, I better get on to it!