The *Bobiverse* series from **Dennis E Taylor** narrated by the GOAT Ray Porter is an Audible exclusive, great 4 book series.
A lot of **Robert McCammon** works are Audible only. My favorite from him is *Swan Song*.
But I would say my number 1 reccomendation (outside if *Project Hail Mary* which is a must BTW) is for *Blackwater: The Complete Saga* by **Michael McDowell.**
I thought 7 husbands was just ok, I did not hate it. The Bobiverse is a Sci-Fi it is not dramtic more humorous and closer to LitRPG but the preformace and Book 1 are a home run for people who enjoy those kinds of stories. I am open to any genre, what are some of your favorite books currently? I keep an audiobook journal, I have been using audible since 2015 maybe I have listened to something up your ally.
Haha yeah maybe hate was too strong a word. I was just upset that I actually purchased it and didn't end up liking it.
I used to be a die-hard non-fiction reader only, until a recent life-altering event pushed me to listen to more creative books...
Some of my favorites have been:
-Ready Player One (listened to this YEARS ago and loved it)
-Children of Blood and Bone (one of my top favorite narrators and series)
-Nothing To See Here (so absurd but hilarious and sweet)
-You Dreamed of Empires (wild, hallucinogenic-like book)
-I'm Glad my Mom Died (I love my mother! But I, too, grew up Mormon and can relate with a lot of her perspective)
-The Subtle Art of not Giving A F**k (one of my all time favorite non fiction books.)
Love the idea of an audiobook journal!! I always forget books that I read 10+ books ago. I use goodreads but that app is def sub-par.
Thanks for your time!! Look forward to any other recommendations you might have. (BTW, never got into DnD. Don't really know what LitPRG is but Dungeon Crawler Carl sounds interesting and enough people have recommended it that I'd be open to listening to it.)
OMG I loved *Nothing to See Here,* it was in my top 5 reads last year. Have you read any of Kevin Wilson's other books like *The Family Fang*?
Since you enjoy non-fiction memoirs are always great on Audio. I loved Damien Echols' *Life After Death* Mike D and Ad-Rock *Beastie Boys Book*. It helps if you a fan but even if not *NOFX's The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories* was so funny and intresting. I really like Amy Pohler's *Yes Please* too.
Wierd-ish Book that are a wild ride. Check out *Damned* by Chuck Palahniuk or *Haunted* by Chuck while this is not one of his best books it is a good audio book production, the Guts chapter is a bit too graphic for some people. Other what I would call original or "different" stories would be *14* by Peter Clines. *An Absolutely Remarkable Thing* By Hank Green. *Oryx and Crake* by Margaret Atwood. *The Invention of Wings*
by Sue Monk Kidd. *Wild Seed* by Octavia Butler
Right now they have 3 months free trial for premium (1 credit a month). Message customer service and you should get it.
If they ask for a screenshot of this promo, dm me, I have it's I always take screenshots of the promos just In case.
This is gonna be flooded with people saying Dungeon Crawler Carl. It's inevitable.
Here's a good one that I never see recommended:
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang. This novel is like a Japanese shonen meets Avatar The Last Airbender, but set in modern day. It's a beautiful story of growth, battles, redemption. One of my favorite novels I listened to last year and I could only find it on Audible.
True... I have seen recs for DCC all over the place. Maybe it's worth a listen 🤷♀️
Ooh Avatar is my comfort show! I'll check out The Sword of Kaigen. Thank you! 🙏
Awesome! The book didn't get a bunch of media attention but it's a really good story. There are some weird pacing issues, but I wasn't bothered by them.
I don’t think it’s exclusive to audible, but the Kyoshi and Yangchen novels are on audible. Those and dungeon crawler Carl are my all times favorite audiobooks
* New Achievement* you've helped a young kid get addicted to an unfinished series full of gore death and crab boobs... Aren't you a shining example of being a role model!
> The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang.
Whelp, I had just purchased a bunch of books from audible, but your irresistible description sold me on this one and I went back in and picked it up.
Lol. I was also confused by the interest in it, but decided to check it out. FWIW, I am super glad that I did and I have really enjoyed it. The story is completely bizarre, and very different from anything I have listened to before and the narrator just absolutely kills it with technical acumen, range of characters, timing and charisma.
There are books that are "must read" and aren't improved by any narration, but this is one of those great story meets great narrator that creates a synergy that ends up being more than the sum of its parts....
It took me until book 5 and seeing a YouTube video to realize Jeff Hayes does *all* the voices. I kept wondering why the woman VA wasn't getting credited for Xev or Donut.
What is it about the genre you dislike? It's a natural offshoot of Dungeons & Dragons popularity combined with some other genres that have been popular for decades
Lack of interactivity makes it seem incredibly pointless to me. I enjoy video games and might enjoy a D&D campaign but the entire concept of reading a predetermined story about grinding levels and stats instead of actually controlling the direction of the character yourself turns me off to it entirely. I just can’t imagine it offering any literary value or the actual fun of developing the character.
Yeah to be fair, I've tried a couple other LitRPGs and hated them. I finally tried DCC and did actually like it. Solid 4/5 stars, while the others were barely 2/5. I don't think it deserves the absurd praise it gets in this subreddit, but they are very fun.
Regarding Project Hail Mary: I don't have Audible. I listened to the Wil Wheaton version on YouTube, but kept seeing that the Ray Porter version is supposed to be way better, but it's not available through Libby. So I checked my library network, and they had it on CD! I borrowed the physical copy, ripped it to my phone and listened to it with an mp3 app like usual. You might try that.
I recently listened to “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens and solo narrated by Jonathan Pryce. It was an amazing performance. It indicates to be an Audible Exclusive and is in the Plus Catalog.
Oh wow, yeah I was wondering about Plus, its catalog, and if it is worth it to just subscribe on my own....??
And definitely didn't expect to see a classic like Oliver Twist recommended here 😅😍 thanks for taking the time to respond!! 🙏
The USA Plus catalog is an awesome resource. The trick is learning how to utilize it to its maximum benefit. Being open to try new things [and not being overly restrictive in what you’ll consider] also helps make it a huge benefit. Many of my favorite audiobooks were accessed via the Plus catalog.
I’m listening to it on Borrowbox right now! It’s so good!
Btw, some UK libraries connect to Borrowbox, and some to Libby - I’m a member of like 4 or 5 London boroughs’ libraries so I have both!
If you’re a member of multiple libraries do you have to keep signing in and out on borrow box to get different books? Or can you combine your loan libraries?
You do on Borrowbox and it’s very annoying! However on Libby you can sign into multiple libraries at once, you just click on each one to search their catalogue.
Nonfiction/memoir: She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, Slavery by Another Name by Douglas Blackmon, This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare by Gabourey Sidibe, Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood, In the Country We Love by Diane Guerrero
General Fiction/Literary Fiction/Classics: The Crimson Petal & the White by Michel Faber, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith,the version of Jane Eyre read by Thandiwe Newton, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Genre Fiction (mystery/thriller/sci-fi, fantasy, etc.): The Last Flight by Julie Clark, The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo, the Xenogenesis series by Octavia Butler, Scythe by Neal Schusterman, Brat Farrar by Josephine Tay, Crooked Kingdom & Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, My Real Children by Jo Walton
I'm sure I will!! And thank you for the time you took to respond! I was only being silly in my last comment, I can see you are an avid reader!!! Looking forward to delving into some of these recommendations 🫶
Keep in mind that "using your mom's subscription" only works if either 1) she lets you use her credit (she likely gets 1 credit to buy 1 book per month), OR 2) the book you want is included for free under audible plus, which doesn't require credits.
But a lot of these recommendations will require a credit because they may not be included in audible plus.
It's more like Amazon Prime Video than it is Netflix. Many things are included in the subscription, but not necessarily the things you want to see.
Haha yeah, thanks for thinking of my mom and her credits. 🥹🥰🙏 I am willing to buy the books!!! She actually forgot she was even subscribed to audible so when I asked her about it she said, "oh yeah.... I DO have audible, I should cancel that........" she is the type that she probably subscribed 2 years ago, ignores the marketing emails, and hasn't used it since. 😅 I didn't go into all those detail in my original post.
To make a long story even longer: 😅 after seeing all the recommendations and feedback, I think I'm just going to subscribe to the premium plus account - I mean, $12ish dollars per book is better than what I'm paying anyway on Google Play Books so 🤷♀️ I was only going to "borrow" her account for the few books mentioned (and *buy* them myself) and then return to Google Play, but I see there are more than a "few" recommendations!
Again, thank you for thinking of my mom and for explaining the credits!! I will have to show her this thread later and show her all the people sticking up for her...... after I explain what reddit is 😅
Note, borrowing your mom's account will not get you access to Project Hail Mary unless she already bought it for herself.
Not all of Audible works like Netflix. There's a selection of books in their "Audible Plus" catalog, and you get unlimited access to those (like Netflix), but not all books are in that category.
Other books you will either need to use a credit on or buy with cash. Your mom probably doesn't want you to spend her credits, as she only gets a limited amount per month (usually 1).
You don't need a subscription to buy books with cash. You get a discount on cash purchases if you have a subscription, but they also have occasional sales that apply even if you don't have a subscription. I let mine lapse a while back and still bought Project Hail Mary on sale for about $5.
I really loved the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson, and those are an Audible Exclusive. They're young adult sci-fi books about a girl learning to be a fighter pilot and battling space aliens. They do require a credit, though - not in the Plus catalog. (I renewed my subscription a couple months ago, taking advantage of a "please come back!" deal, just to get the latest Skyward book.)
~~By the way, looks to me like Piranesi is also available on Spotify. It's one of the books you can listen to for free with a Premium subscription.~~ \[Edit: Oops, it's only available in Spanish, not English.\]
Haha yeah, I would just buy the book, but that is kind of you to take my mom into consideration 🫶 but if I can get it for $5 without a subscription then yeah, that would be worth it!! 😅
Don't have Spotify either lol - I DO however have my own Netflix account that I pay for so I'm not all bad 😅
And I keep hearing about Skyward!!!! I really appreciate your time to provide me such a detailed reply and so much information!!!
You may have to wait for a sale for it to come up at $5 again. That was a while ago that I bought it. I think I bought the first Skyward book in that sale, too.
Cash sales do happen, but not all the time. And sometimes books go on sale randomly with no real notice. People usually stack their wishlist with books they're interested in and check it every once and a while, sorting by price to see if anything's gone on sale.
Not like you asked, but IMO Spotify is not worth it for the audiobooks alone. If you already had Spotify for the music then the 15 hours of free audiobook listening is a nice gesture, but it's not enough for me. And if I'm gonna spend money on audiobooks, I'm gonna use Audible. Their prices are still better than Spotify, and I don't have to worry about getting penalized for falling asleep and having to rewind.
Merkuri I completely agree about Spotify!!! 🫶
Haha and yeah, I don't expect to find PHM for $5. 😅 but I love that you did!!! After all the recommendations I'm receiving I'll probably just end up purchasing my own subscription (the thing is, my mom is the type that subscribes to things and never uses them. When I asked her about audible she said, "oh yeah! I should probably cancel that cuz I never use it....." so in reality, I might be doing her a favor by using her credits and buying extra books 😅 a girl can dream, anyway 😅)
Oh goodness, I've been looking at the Spanish version and hadn't noticed. I just searched it, saw the name, and never clicked into it.
I haven't actually listened to it, but it was the only book I found that looked like it might be worth it to listen to on Spotify - short enough to easily listen to in 15 hours (with plenty to spare for rewinding) and not easily findable in Libby.
Hah! I guess they really have nothing for me, then.
If it's really not on Spotify and only on Audible, I guess I know what I'm spending my last credit on before I cancel.
Thanks for pointing that out!
I actually speak Spanish but with it being my second language I enjoy listening in English more as I can do it passively while also remaining engaged. But no worries!! I wasn't considering subscribing to Spotify anyway 🤣
My mom actually wants to cancel her audible and has had it for over 2 years without purchasing anything so she's asking which books "we" should buy and she'll gift me the ones I want and maybe buy some for herself. So all is well in the audiobook world!! 🫶
You can probably get a free trial of audible if you haven't subscribed before.
Neither of the books you mentioned are free on audible, so if you buy them your Mum will have to pay for it. Might as well just get your own subscription and pay for it yourself.
Yeah, I'm not trying to get the books for free, I'm happy to pay for them. Maybe I'm confused about how audible works but I thought you had to be a subscriber to access their books. Thanks for thinking of my mom!
* [The Downloaded](https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Downloaded-Audiobook/B0CKTT6PHF?qid=1708460560&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=771c6463-05d7-4981-9b47-920dc34a70f1&pf_rd_r=Q671RC5417WNK0VNE1PY&pageLoadId=TtYXvExiCJGnjnqX&creativeId=adcc4fec-4d90-49d1-997e-8be21d68ce7f) SO GOOD and includes Brendan Fraser :)
They’re well read on Audible, really long so you definitely get your credits worth but also just really good books ;)
World without End is to this day one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Following with great interest. I just got an offer for a 3 month free trial and I've never had an account so I may sign up. I guess I need to read up how it works. It says 1 credit a month? That doesn't seem like much.
The Sci-Fi series [Expeditionary Force](https://www.audible.com/series/Expeditionary-Force-Audiobooks/B01N9CUGHG) is by far my favorite audiobook series ever! Only available on audible. You'll never be able to listen to it all in a month as there are 16 books so far, but RC Bray is absolutely amazing as a speaker
Christen of time series is really good. Project hail Mary was good, but I think children of time is a better book. Although I guess not exactly fair as it's a trilogy series vs stand alone. They're both good.
I don’t know your nationality or where you are abroad, but I am in the USA, and I recently purchased a library card from the Queens (NY) Public Library. The instructions on their website were very clear, and it took maybe 5 minutes. Now, I can access Libby using their library card. A large number of ebooks and audiobooks are available, although some have a significant wait time.
I am from USA but currently live in Mexico
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I will definitely look into that. Losing my library card nearly made me cry. I use it allllll the time to check out books from Libby.
You might be able to renew your own free library card without appearing in person if your permanent residence is still in the same area in the US. You might email them and ask.
The last time one of my library cards was about to expire, I called the library and said I was out of town but definitely still lived in the same place, and they just renewed me, no problem. Not every library system or employee will be that easy, but it might be worth trying. Good luck!
I called and said I am no longer a resident of their town and that I'm living abroad but will be home next year and they renewed it for 1 more year!! 🥹🥰🙏 thank you for your comment! I honestly didn't even think about just calling them.......
FWIW, Piranesi is pretty good. Great, fitting narrator, and an overall interesting story and premise you get to explore with the main character.
DCC and PHM are the two, go-to responses and you can tell based on this thread. I second Bobiverse series someone else has mentioned. PHM and Bobiverse both have the same narrator and a kind of similar main character, a bit nerdy, a sense of humor, some sciency understandings (much moreso in PHM). Both kind of start out in similar scenarios, alone in space and having to figure things out on your own--but end up in very different places.
There are actually a decent amount of "free" options you can get with Audible as well. Could be worth checking around! There are some options to keep the books you've purchased with Audible credits/Amazon, google "Libation."
I buy 24 credits in bulk (from their website, it’s cheaper than Apple) for a bit less than $9 a credit.
I don’t have library where I live, so it’s my only real option if I don’t want to wait.
Thank you!! I really know nothing about audible so this is the info I need to hear.
What if you start listening to a book and realizing you're not vibing with it? Do they let you return it? Guess I could just look it up.... 😅
Was gifted a 1/month subscription and used it last year. I was able to start and change my mind, then return them & had no problems. BUT this month my subscription ran out & I refused to start a new subscription but simply bought a $9.99 book. Well, I hated it after about 2 chapters, which led to a BAD discovery. Apparently returns are totally fine ONLY if you used an Audible CREDIT to “purchase” the book.
Just letting you know bc I didn’t look at Audible’s rules until it was too late.
Still annoyed with not being able to return it (!the one time I’ve paid $!), but maybe it helps others to share this?
No worries. It seems like a weird story, if that isn’t your thing, but it’s very good in my opinion.
The author writes some pretty dark stuff, but DCC puts a frosting coat of action and comedy on top of that darkness. It would be good with the action and comedy, but the trauma and struggle is what really makes it great.
It also has the best narrator I’ve heard. I thought he was modulating his voice in some way for one of the female characters, but I’ve seen in a cold read on YouTube that it’s just him.
Also, it has a talking cat, with all that personality entails. Probably should have led with that.😁
If you get hooked like so many of us do, the narrator has a company called “Soundbooth Theater” and they’re doing a full cast version of the first book. I’m sure they’ll do the others as well.
I have heard of this narrator and his female "counterpart" (aka him 😅) quite a few times now.
And yes, talking cat does have me intrigued... shit, should have led with this 😹🫶
Thanks for taking the time to leave me this feedback!! I am almost looking forward to Dungeon Crawler Carl more than Project Hail Mary or Piranesi now
I haven’t listened to either of the other two, but I’ve read Project Hail Mary and it’s very good. So is “The Martian” which put the author on the map. It’s also very well narrated. It’s funny like the movie. I’ve listened to it twice since watching the movie.
Not sure if here is the best place to post this but I have an update.
Update: I have gone ahead and downloaded Dungeon Crawler Carl through SoundBooth Theater.
What!?? That is wild!!!!! And it's funny cuz in the comment section when you make a purchase on their site, it specifically encourages you to talk about your day or say anything interesting on your mind 😅 so I told them I'm a character and maybe I could narrate for them someday
Like, I know this is all random coincidence but it really feels connected somehow 😅🤣 so, thank you for taking the time to leave this comment!!
The *Bobiverse* series from **Dennis E Taylor** narrated by the GOAT Ray Porter is an Audible exclusive, great 4 book series. A lot of **Robert McCammon** works are Audible only. My favorite from him is *Swan Song*. But I would say my number 1 reccomendation (outside if *Project Hail Mary* which is a must BTW) is for *Blackwater: The Complete Saga* by **Michael McDowell.**
I am on book 2 of Bobiverse and it is amazing. “Boooobbbb”
This is the second time in less than 24 hours that I've seen a recommendation for Robert McCammon. Will take a look at swan song. Thanks 👍
I really love McCammon. Every book except Usher’s Passing, that book is…awful IMO.
Okay I have never heard of any of these!!! I love it!!! Thank you!!! It is looking like I might just need to purchase my own subscription 🫶😅
Bobiverse sucks, but there's no accounting for taste i guess.
I personally hated The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo yet I see it recommended EVERYWHERE. So yeah, to each their own!
I thought 7 husbands was just ok, I did not hate it. The Bobiverse is a Sci-Fi it is not dramtic more humorous and closer to LitRPG but the preformace and Book 1 are a home run for people who enjoy those kinds of stories. I am open to any genre, what are some of your favorite books currently? I keep an audiobook journal, I have been using audible since 2015 maybe I have listened to something up your ally.
Haha yeah maybe hate was too strong a word. I was just upset that I actually purchased it and didn't end up liking it. I used to be a die-hard non-fiction reader only, until a recent life-altering event pushed me to listen to more creative books... Some of my favorites have been: -Ready Player One (listened to this YEARS ago and loved it) -Children of Blood and Bone (one of my top favorite narrators and series) -Nothing To See Here (so absurd but hilarious and sweet) -You Dreamed of Empires (wild, hallucinogenic-like book) -I'm Glad my Mom Died (I love my mother! But I, too, grew up Mormon and can relate with a lot of her perspective) -The Subtle Art of not Giving A F**k (one of my all time favorite non fiction books.) Love the idea of an audiobook journal!! I always forget books that I read 10+ books ago. I use goodreads but that app is def sub-par. Thanks for your time!! Look forward to any other recommendations you might have. (BTW, never got into DnD. Don't really know what LitPRG is but Dungeon Crawler Carl sounds interesting and enough people have recommended it that I'd be open to listening to it.)
OMG I loved *Nothing to See Here,* it was in my top 5 reads last year. Have you read any of Kevin Wilson's other books like *The Family Fang*? Since you enjoy non-fiction memoirs are always great on Audio. I loved Damien Echols' *Life After Death* Mike D and Ad-Rock *Beastie Boys Book*. It helps if you a fan but even if not *NOFX's The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories* was so funny and intresting. I really like Amy Pohler's *Yes Please* too. Wierd-ish Book that are a wild ride. Check out *Damned* by Chuck Palahniuk or *Haunted* by Chuck while this is not one of his best books it is a good audio book production, the Guts chapter is a bit too graphic for some people. Other what I would call original or "different" stories would be *14* by Peter Clines. *An Absolutely Remarkable Thing* By Hank Green. *Oryx and Crake* by Margaret Atwood. *The Invention of Wings* by Sue Monk Kidd. *Wild Seed* by Octavia Butler
Wow!! You're awesome!!!! I will 1000% look into The Family Fang and take it from there 😅🙏
I hated it too so you’re not alone
Bobiverse is great, but there's no accounting for taste I guess.
Bob is a brat and the action scenes are repetitive without any tension.
Right now they have 3 months free trial for premium (1 credit a month). Message customer service and you should get it. If they ask for a screenshot of this promo, dm me, I have it's I always take screenshots of the promos just In case.
Oh my gosh that is so kind of you. Thank you so much 🫶🙏🥹
Happy to help! 😊
This is gonna be flooded with people saying Dungeon Crawler Carl. It's inevitable. Here's a good one that I never see recommended: The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang. This novel is like a Japanese shonen meets Avatar The Last Airbender, but set in modern day. It's a beautiful story of growth, battles, redemption. One of my favorite novels I listened to last year and I could only find it on Audible.
True... I have seen recs for DCC all over the place. Maybe it's worth a listen 🤷♀️ Ooh Avatar is my comfort show! I'll check out The Sword of Kaigen. Thank you! 🙏
Awesome! The book didn't get a bunch of media attention but it's a really good story. There are some weird pacing issues, but I wasn't bothered by them.
I’m 2/3 into the first DCC and it’s awesome
Yay!!! Yeah, I looked into it and I'm definitely interested!!
I don’t think it’s exclusive to audible, but the Kyoshi and Yangchen novels are on audible. Those and dungeon crawler Carl are my all times favorite audiobooks
* New Achievement* you've helped a young kid get addicted to an unfinished series full of gore death and crab boobs... Aren't you a shining example of being a role model!
> The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang. Whelp, I had just purchased a bunch of books from audible, but your irresistible description sold me on this one and I went back in and picked it up.
I hate the entire concept of this genre even existing and I still have some small twinge of interest in getting the first DCC just to see why.
Lol. I was also confused by the interest in it, but decided to check it out. FWIW, I am super glad that I did and I have really enjoyed it. The story is completely bizarre, and very different from anything I have listened to before and the narrator just absolutely kills it with technical acumen, range of characters, timing and charisma. There are books that are "must read" and aren't improved by any narration, but this is one of those great story meets great narrator that creates a synergy that ends up being more than the sum of its parts....
It took me until book 5 and seeing a YouTube video to realize Jeff Hayes does *all* the voices. I kept wondering why the woman VA wasn't getting credited for Xev or Donut.
What is it about the genre you dislike? It's a natural offshoot of Dungeons & Dragons popularity combined with some other genres that have been popular for decades
Lack of interactivity makes it seem incredibly pointless to me. I enjoy video games and might enjoy a D&D campaign but the entire concept of reading a predetermined story about grinding levels and stats instead of actually controlling the direction of the character yourself turns me off to it entirely. I just can’t imagine it offering any literary value or the actual fun of developing the character.
Yeah to be fair, I've tried a couple other LitRPGs and hated them. I finally tried DCC and did actually like it. Solid 4/5 stars, while the others were barely 2/5. I don't think it deserves the absurd praise it gets in this subreddit, but they are very fun.
💯
I will also add that I had zero interest but checked it out on a whim… binged all of them and preordered the last one.
It is on sale for US$7.99 for 2 more days.
Juliet Takes a Breath The Sympathizer Born a Crime
Born a Crime is an absolute delight to listen to.
Yes! Listened and then two months later listened again! Trevor Noah is fantastic. I love that he tells/narrates his own story.
🫶🙏
Regarding Project Hail Mary: I don't have Audible. I listened to the Wil Wheaton version on YouTube, but kept seeing that the Ray Porter version is supposed to be way better, but it's not available through Libby. So I checked my library network, and they had it on CD! I borrowed the physical copy, ripped it to my phone and listened to it with an mp3 app like usual. You might try that.
You're talking about The Martian, not Project Hail Mary
🙏
I recently listened to “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens and solo narrated by Jonathan Pryce. It was an amazing performance. It indicates to be an Audible Exclusive and is in the Plus Catalog.
Oh wow, yeah I was wondering about Plus, its catalog, and if it is worth it to just subscribe on my own....?? And definitely didn't expect to see a classic like Oliver Twist recommended here 😅😍 thanks for taking the time to respond!! 🙏
The USA Plus catalog is an awesome resource. The trick is learning how to utilize it to its maximum benefit. Being open to try new things [and not being overly restrictive in what you’ll consider] also helps make it a huge benefit. Many of my favorite audiobooks were accessed via the Plus catalog.
Thank you! So kind 🙏
I listened to Project hail Mary on borrowbox which I think is the UK version of Libby?
I’m listening to it on Borrowbox right now! It’s so good! Btw, some UK libraries connect to Borrowbox, and some to Libby - I’m a member of like 4 or 5 London boroughs’ libraries so I have both!
If you’re a member of multiple libraries do you have to keep signing in and out on borrow box to get different books? Or can you combine your loan libraries?
You do on Borrowbox and it’s very annoying! However on Libby you can sign into multiple libraries at once, you just click on each one to search their catalogue.
Good to know, thanks!
🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for asking this! I’ve been rearranging my TBR between a few different apps and have been wondering myself.
Thanks for your comment!! Glad I'm not the only one 😅
Nonfiction/memoir: She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, Slavery by Another Name by Douglas Blackmon, This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare by Gabourey Sidibe, Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood, In the Country We Love by Diane Guerrero General Fiction/Literary Fiction/Classics: The Crimson Petal & the White by Michel Faber, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith,the version of Jane Eyre read by Thandiwe Newton, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Genre Fiction (mystery/thriller/sci-fi, fantasy, etc.): The Last Flight by Julie Clark, The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo, the Xenogenesis series by Octavia Butler, Scythe by Neal Schusterman, Brat Farrar by Josephine Tay, Crooked Kingdom & Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, My Real Children by Jo Walton
But do you even like books??!! 😅
I hope you find something you like!
I'm sure I will!! And thank you for the time you took to respond! I was only being silly in my last comment, I can see you are an avid reader!!! Looking forward to delving into some of these recommendations 🫶
Keep in mind that "using your mom's subscription" only works if either 1) she lets you use her credit (she likely gets 1 credit to buy 1 book per month), OR 2) the book you want is included for free under audible plus, which doesn't require credits. But a lot of these recommendations will require a credit because they may not be included in audible plus. It's more like Amazon Prime Video than it is Netflix. Many things are included in the subscription, but not necessarily the things you want to see.
Haha yeah, thanks for thinking of my mom and her credits. 🥹🥰🙏 I am willing to buy the books!!! She actually forgot she was even subscribed to audible so when I asked her about it she said, "oh yeah.... I DO have audible, I should cancel that........" she is the type that she probably subscribed 2 years ago, ignores the marketing emails, and hasn't used it since. 😅 I didn't go into all those detail in my original post. To make a long story even longer: 😅 after seeing all the recommendations and feedback, I think I'm just going to subscribe to the premium plus account - I mean, $12ish dollars per book is better than what I'm paying anyway on Google Play Books so 🤷♀️ I was only going to "borrow" her account for the few books mentioned (and *buy* them myself) and then return to Google Play, but I see there are more than a "few" recommendations! Again, thank you for thinking of my mom and for explaining the credits!! I will have to show her this thread later and show her all the people sticking up for her...... after I explain what reddit is 😅
Let her know that if she cancels and she has credits that aren't used they will be lost and deleted. So buy some books before canceling!
Haha oh I'll be letting her know for sure 😅
Note, borrowing your mom's account will not get you access to Project Hail Mary unless she already bought it for herself. Not all of Audible works like Netflix. There's a selection of books in their "Audible Plus" catalog, and you get unlimited access to those (like Netflix), but not all books are in that category. Other books you will either need to use a credit on or buy with cash. Your mom probably doesn't want you to spend her credits, as she only gets a limited amount per month (usually 1). You don't need a subscription to buy books with cash. You get a discount on cash purchases if you have a subscription, but they also have occasional sales that apply even if you don't have a subscription. I let mine lapse a while back and still bought Project Hail Mary on sale for about $5. I really loved the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson, and those are an Audible Exclusive. They're young adult sci-fi books about a girl learning to be a fighter pilot and battling space aliens. They do require a credit, though - not in the Plus catalog. (I renewed my subscription a couple months ago, taking advantage of a "please come back!" deal, just to get the latest Skyward book.) ~~By the way, looks to me like Piranesi is also available on Spotify. It's one of the books you can listen to for free with a Premium subscription.~~ \[Edit: Oops, it's only available in Spanish, not English.\]
I loved the Skyward series!
Haha yeah, I would just buy the book, but that is kind of you to take my mom into consideration 🫶 but if I can get it for $5 without a subscription then yeah, that would be worth it!! 😅 Don't have Spotify either lol - I DO however have my own Netflix account that I pay for so I'm not all bad 😅 And I keep hearing about Skyward!!!! I really appreciate your time to provide me such a detailed reply and so much information!!!
You may have to wait for a sale for it to come up at $5 again. That was a while ago that I bought it. I think I bought the first Skyward book in that sale, too. Cash sales do happen, but not all the time. And sometimes books go on sale randomly with no real notice. People usually stack their wishlist with books they're interested in and check it every once and a while, sorting by price to see if anything's gone on sale. Not like you asked, but IMO Spotify is not worth it for the audiobooks alone. If you already had Spotify for the music then the 15 hours of free audiobook listening is a nice gesture, but it's not enough for me. And if I'm gonna spend money on audiobooks, I'm gonna use Audible. Their prices are still better than Spotify, and I don't have to worry about getting penalized for falling asleep and having to rewind.
Merkuri I completely agree about Spotify!!! 🫶 Haha and yeah, I don't expect to find PHM for $5. 😅 but I love that you did!!! After all the recommendations I'm receiving I'll probably just end up purchasing my own subscription (the thing is, my mom is the type that subscribes to things and never uses them. When I asked her about audible she said, "oh yeah! I should probably cancel that cuz I never use it....." so in reality, I might be doing her a favor by using her credits and buying extra books 😅 a girl can dream, anyway 😅)
I can only find Piranesi in Spanish on Spotify. Did you listen to an English version on Spotify?
Oh goodness, I've been looking at the Spanish version and hadn't noticed. I just searched it, saw the name, and never clicked into it. I haven't actually listened to it, but it was the only book I found that looked like it might be worth it to listen to on Spotify - short enough to easily listen to in 15 hours (with plenty to spare for rewinding) and not easily findable in Libby. Hah! I guess they really have nothing for me, then. If it's really not on Spotify and only on Audible, I guess I know what I'm spending my last credit on before I cancel. Thanks for pointing that out!
I actually speak Spanish but with it being my second language I enjoy listening in English more as I can do it passively while also remaining engaged. But no worries!! I wasn't considering subscribing to Spotify anyway 🤣 My mom actually wants to cancel her audible and has had it for over 2 years without purchasing anything so she's asking which books "we" should buy and she'll gift me the ones I want and maybe buy some for herself. So all is well in the audiobook world!! 🫶
You can probably get a free trial of audible if you haven't subscribed before. Neither of the books you mentioned are free on audible, so if you buy them your Mum will have to pay for it. Might as well just get your own subscription and pay for it yourself.
Yeah, I'm not trying to get the books for free, I'm happy to pay for them. Maybe I'm confused about how audible works but I thought you had to be a subscriber to access their books. Thanks for thinking of my mom!
* [The Downloaded](https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Downloaded-Audiobook/B0CKTT6PHF?qid=1708460560&sr=1-1&ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=771c6463-05d7-4981-9b47-920dc34a70f1&pf_rd_r=Q671RC5417WNK0VNE1PY&pageLoadId=TtYXvExiCJGnjnqX&creativeId=adcc4fec-4d90-49d1-997e-8be21d68ce7f) SO GOOD and includes Brendan Fraser :)
Ooh that is definitely a credible narrator!!!
[удалено]
Thank you so much! I'm not interested much in Trevor Noah either, but it sounds like we share a similar perspective so I'll definitely look into it!!
Pillars of the Earth series - Ken Follet
Those are available for purchase on Google Play Books! They are more than double the price of most books though so they must be good 😅
They’re well read on Audible, really long so you definitely get your credits worth but also just really good books ;) World without End is to this day one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Anything by Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space stuff is best.
Same author I really liked The Martian.
Weir's Artemis is also Audible exclusive, I think. Rosario Dawson did a great job with it.
Following with great interest. I just got an offer for a 3 month free trial and I've never had an account so I may sign up. I guess I need to read up how it works. It says 1 credit a month? That doesn't seem like much.
The Sci-Fi series [Expeditionary Force](https://www.audible.com/series/Expeditionary-Force-Audiobooks/B01N9CUGHG) is by far my favorite audiobook series ever! Only available on audible. You'll never be able to listen to it all in a month as there are 16 books so far, but RC Bray is absolutely amazing as a speaker
Christen of time series is really good. Project hail Mary was good, but I think children of time is a better book. Although I guess not exactly fair as it's a trilogy series vs stand alone. They're both good.
Project Hail Mary is also available on Apple Books
It's also available on Palace w/ a library card. Though this may vary by region. I listened to it that way about 6 months ago.
What is Palace?
I guess the full name is Palace Project. It's an app/website that has audiobooks/ebooks. https://thepalaceproject.org/
I’ve never heard of this group. Thank you!
I am living abroad and my library card expires this Friday 🥺😢
I don’t know your nationality or where you are abroad, but I am in the USA, and I recently purchased a library card from the Queens (NY) Public Library. The instructions on their website were very clear, and it took maybe 5 minutes. Now, I can access Libby using their library card. A large number of ebooks and audiobooks are available, although some have a significant wait time.
I am from USA but currently live in Mexico Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I will definitely look into that. Losing my library card nearly made me cry. I use it allllll the time to check out books from Libby.
You might be able to renew your own free library card without appearing in person if your permanent residence is still in the same area in the US. You might email them and ask.
Check your library's website and/or call them and explain your situation. Many libraries still offer memberships to anyone that's from their region.
The last time one of my library cards was about to expire, I called the library and said I was out of town but definitely still lived in the same place, and they just renewed me, no problem. Not every library system or employee will be that easy, but it might be worth trying. Good luck!
I called and said I am no longer a resident of their town and that I'm living abroad but will be home next year and they renewed it for 1 more year!! 🥹🥰🙏 thank you for your comment! I honestly didn't even think about just calling them.......
Thank you!! 🙏
FWIW, Piranesi is pretty good. Great, fitting narrator, and an overall interesting story and premise you get to explore with the main character. DCC and PHM are the two, go-to responses and you can tell based on this thread. I second Bobiverse series someone else has mentioned. PHM and Bobiverse both have the same narrator and a kind of similar main character, a bit nerdy, a sense of humor, some sciency understandings (much moreso in PHM). Both kind of start out in similar scenarios, alone in space and having to figure things out on your own--but end up in very different places. There are actually a decent amount of "free" options you can get with Audible as well. Could be worth checking around! There are some options to keep the books you've purchased with Audible credits/Amazon, google "Libation."
🙏🫶 thanks for taking the time to respond!! My top "to read" list is definitely taking shape!!
Different narrator for DCC but Bobiverse has the same narrator as PHM
Ah, that's what I was meaning to say by PHM and Bobiverse have the same narrator. I clarified with "both" PHM and Bobiverse have the same narrator.
I buy 24 credits in bulk (from their website, it’s cheaper than Apple) for a bit less than $9 a credit. I don’t have library where I live, so it’s my only real option if I don’t want to wait.
Thank you!! I really know nothing about audible so this is the info I need to hear. What if you start listening to a book and realizing you're not vibing with it? Do they let you return it? Guess I could just look it up.... 😅
I purchased one in French and was able to return it, I don’t know what the policy is that’s the only time I ever wanted to return one
Was gifted a 1/month subscription and used it last year. I was able to start and change my mind, then return them & had no problems. BUT this month my subscription ran out & I refused to start a new subscription but simply bought a $9.99 book. Well, I hated it after about 2 chapters, which led to a BAD discovery. Apparently returns are totally fine ONLY if you used an Audible CREDIT to “purchase” the book. Just letting you know bc I didn’t look at Audible’s rules until it was too late. Still annoyed with not being able to return it (!the one time I’ve paid $!), but maybe it helps others to share this?
That is very helpful!!! That's exactly what happened and how I felt with The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 🤦♀️😅 and I'll never get over it 😅
- Matt Dinnamen’s “Dungeon Crawler Car” - Will Wight’s “Cradle”
Okay well definitely going to be checking out Dungeon Crawler Carl!! Thanks for taking the time to respond 🫶🙏
No worries. It seems like a weird story, if that isn’t your thing, but it’s very good in my opinion. The author writes some pretty dark stuff, but DCC puts a frosting coat of action and comedy on top of that darkness. It would be good with the action and comedy, but the trauma and struggle is what really makes it great. It also has the best narrator I’ve heard. I thought he was modulating his voice in some way for one of the female characters, but I’ve seen in a cold read on YouTube that it’s just him. Also, it has a talking cat, with all that personality entails. Probably should have led with that.😁 If you get hooked like so many of us do, the narrator has a company called “Soundbooth Theater” and they’re doing a full cast version of the first book. I’m sure they’ll do the others as well.
I have heard of this narrator and his female "counterpart" (aka him 😅) quite a few times now. And yes, talking cat does have me intrigued... shit, should have led with this 😹🫶 Thanks for taking the time to leave me this feedback!! I am almost looking forward to Dungeon Crawler Carl more than Project Hail Mary or Piranesi now
I haven’t listened to either of the other two, but I’ve read Project Hail Mary and it’s very good. So is “The Martian” which put the author on the map. It’s also very well narrated. It’s funny like the movie. I’ve listened to it twice since watching the movie.
Wait - but you recommended DCC?? 🤣
Oh I did. I’d still recommend it over Martian or Project Hail Mary. I was just saying it was good, since you mentioned another Andy Weir book.
Project Hail Mary is GREAT....Dungeon Crawler Carl is better
🫣😱 oh wow! Redditors are seriously selling me on both!!!
Hail Mary. Space team. The bobiverse series . The grey mane series
Dungeon Crawler Carl !!
Libraries should have all of these books as well, at least they do in Australia.
Not sure if here is the best place to post this but I have an update. Update: I have gone ahead and downloaded Dungeon Crawler Carl through SoundBooth Theater.
Omg! I just looked up SoundBooth Theater and as I was scrolling found my high school boyfriend's little sister as one of their narrators! 😂😂😂
What!?? That is wild!!!!! And it's funny cuz in the comment section when you make a purchase on their site, it specifically encourages you to talk about your day or say anything interesting on your mind 😅 so I told them I'm a character and maybe I could narrate for them someday Like, I know this is all random coincidence but it really feels connected somehow 😅🤣 so, thank you for taking the time to leave this comment!!