tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post2323544388080632965..comments2024-03-29T04:41:10.099-05:00Comments on ***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: To Listen or Not to Listenstarryeyedjenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-21008347802805579292014-07-01T13:25:11.626-05:002014-07-01T13:25:11.626-05:00I'm sure I'll struggle with it at first be...I'm sure I'll struggle with it at first because I always do, but I have faith that you wouldn't steer me wrong. I agree with your sentiments regarding Kestrel and Arin, and I'm hoping that Justine as adequately portrays that in her narration as I feel I did when I read it myself the first time. I actually think I gave Kestrel an English accent and had a gruffer voice in my head for Arin, so I'm interested to see how Justine makes these characters sound, and I'm hoping they don't remind me of characters from past bad experiences with her narration.<br /><br />I LOVE Will Patton as the narrator for The Raven Cycle. It took a couple of chapters in the first book for me to acclimate to his seamless transitions between characters BECAUSE it was so well done, I think, and I'm not used to that, but he's been acting a long time, so it shouldn't have surprised me. I can't imagine anyone else narrating those books now. All of his voices are just perfection in those audiobooks.starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-20650401315655882152014-07-01T10:49:50.833-05:002014-07-01T10:49:50.833-05:00Well, hmm, yeah, I can't disagree that Justine...Well, hmm, yeah, I can't disagree that Justine has the breathy, moany vocal quality in TWC, and it was something I struggled with for the first chapter or so. But I came around to appreciating it as I got to know the characters, because I think Kestrel has a lot of pent up restless dissatisfaction (and sexuality), and obviously Arin has an undercurrent of anger (and was resisting his attraction to Kestrel), too, and I thought it lent a sort of urgent ennui to their points of view. <br /><br />My favorite narration job so far is Will Patton in the Raven Cycle. He may even improve the books, by seamlessly interpreting and adjusting to the changes in POV, which sometimes happen unexpectedly. And everything oozes southern, and hot, and dreamy, with a frank sort of mysticism I love. Elizabeth Famahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04931639156261179425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-56123045734215406892014-07-01T09:45:29.498-05:002014-07-01T09:45:29.498-05:00I am so glad to know that I'm not the only one...I am so glad to know that I'm not the only one. I get frustrated when books I've been waiting for ages to be released on audio turn out to be narrated by her. :( That's my number one complaint with her, too...that breathless, panting thing she insists on doing. Like that's supposed to make her sound sexy or whatever. It'd be fine if that's what the book called for, but she sounds like that on every audio. I'm going to take Beth's suggestion, though, and give her another try on TWC, but if that one doesn't work out, I'm done with her for good, lol.<br /><br />See, I can't remember WHY I thought I didn't like Kirby, but he did a fabulous job on TSoT. He's got a NA voice, not really YA, ya know? But then again, so does Zachary Webber. MacLeod would have been GREAT as Josh Bennett, though.<br /><br />I listed to Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover, but that's my only experience with Zachary Webber, I think? I've never read or listened to the Jay Crownover books, either. Hmm...you're giving me some great suggestions!starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-4015782059095488492014-07-01T09:41:05.171-05:002014-07-01T09:41:05.171-05:00The narrator can seriously make or break an audiob...The narrator can seriously make or break an audiobook. I'm glad my library has a pretty good selection and that they add to it pretty regularly. I haven't listened to all that many narrated by Nick Podehl, but I can definitely see his appeal as a narrator.starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-63192222452581587362014-07-01T09:39:59.204-05:002014-07-01T09:39:59.204-05:00Rebecca Lowman is pretty awesome for contemporary ...Rebecca Lowman is pretty awesome for contemporary audiobooks. She feels genuine in those roles. I do agree about Justine Eyre lending her voice to a ton of audiobooks...I can see how that would make it difficult to switch gears between books.starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-76128495607722517932014-07-01T09:38:50.802-05:002014-07-01T09:38:50.802-05:00Wow, twice? :) Between your comment and your subse...Wow, twice? :) Between your comment and your subsequent email, I'm convinced. I don't know when I'll get to it because my library doesn't have the MP3 version available yet, but I'll give it a chance, just because you loved it so much. I love when the accents seem relevant to the text, the history of the book itself, so maybe this will be the book that changes my opinion on the narrator. I sure hope so because she's done a ton of others that I've passed on simply because she was listed as the narrator. :(starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-60942066349299557322014-07-01T09:36:08.973-05:002014-07-01T09:36:08.973-05:00Aw, I'm so glad we're helping others disco...Aw, I'm so glad we're helping others discover great audio! That's how I found out about audiobooks, too, so I shouldn't be surprised, I guess, but still...thanks for that! :) I hate it when I don't like a particular narrator, too, because it means I'll probably miss out on a lot of good audiobooks because of it, but there's no point in suffering through an audiobook if you don't like the narrator(s). I can't believe I forgot to list Emma Galvin as one of those that I can barely tolerate, though! I hate, loathe, DESPISE her narration in the Arcana Chronicles series. I might actually like those books, but I started with them on audio and I can't find anything I really like about the books now. I remember thinking she was okay on the Divergent series audio, but now that I've gone back to listen to it after The Poison Princess, I realize that I only barely tolerated it before. I have the worst habit of forgetting to see who the narrators are on audiobooks when I'm borrowing them from the library, and a lot of times, it's her and I just have to suffer through. I haven't listened to The Book Thief, but I remember liking Along for the Ride on audio...though it was one of my very first purchased audiobooks, so that's been a few years now. April liked it, too, though, if I remember correctly. When I see an audiobook is 12 hours long, I immediately advance the speed to at least 2x normal, as long as the narration doesn't sound like a chipmunk at that speed, lol. :) I hope you continue to find awesome audio and that the SYNC program continues to provide you with plenty of amazing listens. Already this year I've loved Cruel Beauty and All Our Yesterdays.starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-62844725507239337602014-07-01T08:53:41.345-05:002014-07-01T08:53:41.345-05:00I listen to audiobooks any chance I get...exercisi...I listen to audiobooks any chance I get...exercising, cleaning, driving, etc. It makes really tedious tasks so much more fun. Plus, it really helps knock out some of the books on your TBR pile. :)starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-58800130098437281772014-07-01T08:52:43.072-05:002014-07-01T08:52:43.072-05:00The Lunar Chronicles are AWESOME on audio. I have ...The Lunar Chronicles are AWESOME on audio. I have them in physical form, as well, but I've continued the series on audio because the narration is so perfect for the story.<br /><br />I read the entire Legend series, so I'm not familiar with the audio version. Sometimes the narrators do make the difference, so I can see why others would rave about those books but you'd have a totally different experience if you didn't like the narrators.starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-40084938369105331852014-07-01T08:46:25.554-05:002014-07-01T08:46:25.554-05:00Audiobooks are such a time-saver, especially when ...Audiobooks are such a time-saver, especially when you add in the ability to speed up the playback. I didn't think I'd ever be a fan of audiobooks, but once I gave them a try, I was hooked. Now I probably listen to more books than I actually read. It's just such a convenience, plus it's helping me work on that massive TBR pile of mine!starryeyedjenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15841350560201331032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-70093212196179255672014-06-29T16:39:13.495-05:002014-06-29T16:39:13.495-05:00I can't stand Justine Eyre! I get so upset wh...I can't stand Justine Eyre! I get so upset when I see a YA book from her. I hate how she sounds so panty and breathless and horny all the time. No thanks! I wante dThe Winner's Curse on audio but said no way after I saw she narrated it.<br />I don't like Kirby. BUT, he did do a really good job in the Sea of Tranquility. I hate him in anything else though. I don't think he's a good YA voice. Oh man, I wish Zachary Webber or MacLeod would have narrated TSoT. That would have been beyond epic!<br />I'm right there with you on crushing on MacLeod. Have you heard anything by Zachary Webber? You must! I also like Sebastian York (duh), Jason Carpenter and the guy who narrates Rule by Jay Crownover. <br />Rebecca Soler is amazing! I have so many female narrators I love.<br />Awesome post!Nereyda @Nick and Nereydas Infinite Booklisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05068688280866239189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-65303807325707348782014-06-28T20:21:06.712-05:002014-06-28T20:21:06.712-05:00I love audiobooks but sometimes I just can't g...I love audiobooks but sometimes I just can't get into a narrator. I sit there for an hour and realize I have no idea what is going on! LOL I am lucky my library has a wide selection because I can just return it and read another. Nick Podehl is my favorite narrator so far but sadly my library only had a few of his narrated books so I joined audible to get the rest. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10702366874779315384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-71976796213795815572014-06-28T20:07:29.586-05:002014-06-28T20:07:29.586-05:00I am big fan of Rebecca Lowman. I don't mind J...I am big fan of Rebecca Lowman. I don't mind Justine Eyre but not real big fan. She seems to have too many and it gets harder to distinguish between the characters between books. JennReneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15278066926315928070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-54130766518185026242014-06-28T18:07:08.987-05:002014-06-28T18:07:08.987-05:00*Raises hand* I can vouch for Justine Eyre's p...*Raises hand* I can vouch for Justine Eyre's performance in THE WINNER'S CURSE! I grew to love that audiobook, and listened to it twice. At first you might be put off by the accents, and then Justine will win you over, and you'll devour it. So give it more than a few minutes. The Valorians have somewhat guttural accents, while the Herrani have American accents. At first that threw me off, but I soon got used to it. It's actually quite an interesting choice--highlighting the fact that the Valorians are, historically, the invaders. (I learned later that when the audio producers talked about giving the Valorians accents, Marie Rutkoski herself suggested something with old Germanic roots and rolled r's.)<br />Elizabeth Famahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04931639156261179425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-13900043051636700072014-06-28T15:28:17.283-05:002014-06-28T15:28:17.283-05:00I feel awful saying that I don't like a partic...I feel awful saying that I don't like a particular narrator - almost worse than saying I don't like a particular author. Basically, I feel like I'm saying I hate someone's voice rather than a story someone came up with and I feel so mean saying that. I haven't been listening to audiobooks long enough to have a clear favorite or a list of those I won't listen to. But having said all that, I have recently found a narrator that I really dislike named Emma Galvin. I started the recent SYNC YA title Confessions of a Murder Suspect and realized immediately that I didn't love her voice. And last week I had picked up an audio Playaway of The Probability of Miracles and I just started listening to it yesterday and realized it's the same girl. I'm about 20% through The Probability of Miracles, and I'll most likely read what I can on my kindle copy and switch to audio when I'm not able to read. I would consider trying another of her books, but I'd definitely need to hear a sample of it first. Her accent came off to me as "b*tchy Jersey girl" in both books, so I can only assume that's what she always sounds like, but I could be wrong. Anyway, another I didn't like was the audio of The Book Thief - please don't hate me!! I know a ton of people LOVE the audio of this book, but it just wasn't for me :( I didn't like his accents and I especially hate a male doing a little girl's voice. It especially bothered me every time he had to read "Yes, Papa" in Liesl's little girl voice. It was just creepy for me and I couldn't even finish it. I also didn't particularly love Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. I loved the story, but for me the narrator's voice was too "fake girly", if that makes any sense, and she read way too slow for me. It was only a 383 page book and it was over a 12 hour audiobook! Anyways, thanks so much for this post! I've already started to look into all of these narrators and I can't wait to listen to some of these! I never thought I'd be an audiobook listener, but now I can't get enough of them, and you are the one who I found out about SYNC YA from last year and when some of those titles didn't work out for me, reading your blog updates every day in my email convinced me to try again, and again - and I am SO glad I did. So just know that your blog is definitely helping people discover how awesome audiobooks are!!! Thanks :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06869912926768194358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-91258554094959965672014-06-27T14:27:22.155-05:002014-06-27T14:27:22.155-05:00I never thought about audio books, but I'm thi...I never thought about audio books, but I'm thinking that it would be a fantastic way to get through books while at the gym or walking places! I'm definitely going to give them a try. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-18495563244547034962014-06-27T04:47:03.343-05:002014-06-27T04:47:03.343-05:00I love audiobooks - I actually started off 're...I love audiobooks - I actually started off 'reading' the Lunar Chronicles on audiobook and loved it so much I went out and bought the paperback. I deifnitely credit the audiobook to helping me fall in love with the series!<br /><br />Similarly, I read Legend on audiobook after everyone raved about how good the book was and I just hated it. And I KNOW that the biggest reason was that I couldn't stand the voices of the two main characters. Especially June. I think if they were narrated by different people then I may not have disliked it so much lol.Allie @ Little Birdie Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05368572335905353234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773985780576975329.post-83140549928811688062014-06-27T02:31:35.334-05:002014-06-27T02:31:35.334-05:00I've never listened to audiobooks because I...I've never listened to audiobooks because I'm a visual person, but I am curious about it because I know a lot of book bloggers enjoy it and find it a time-saver especially when on the go. But I don't think it would be good for me!Goldie @ My Book Musingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448908735074750224noreply@blogger.com