this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
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Lemmy World Rules

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A pretty vague question I know, but I'm not looking for any specific answer. I'm just curious what peoples thoughts are on audiobooks. Perhaps how you think they compare to paper books or how listening compares to reading. Any thoughts you have on the subject is welcome.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I've gotten through almost all of the Dark Tower, books 11-13? Of WoT, stormlight archive book 1, all of Foundation?, All of Asoiaf, On audiobooks. I'd recommend them all as they each have great orators with unique voices for characters.

I used to work lawn care and it was perfect to basically read for 9 hours every day while getting paid.

These days it's way more desk work and unless I'm doing specific tasks which are rote, it's harder to do.

They have their place, but you'll read way faster than you'll listen.

Most books are in the 36-48 hours of listening range. Meanwhile I could bang out a book regular in about 24 pending distractions. I used to read a lot faster but found I was brimming a lot of content.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is there a version of Foundation on audiobook that isn't from forever ago with a guy that sounds like he is a 1950s radio host?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Not that I've found, that's the version I listened to.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Most books 36-48 hours of listening? Hmm?

So here are the ones I've done in the past few weeks:
Project Hail Mary: 496 pages, audiobook 16 hours 11 minutes
The Martian: 416 pages, 10 hours 53 minutes
We are legion (We are Bob): 308 pages, 9 hours 30 minutes

So say about 30-40 pages per hour, which would put 36-48 hours at about 1100-1900 pages.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Oooh the bobiverse is so much fun

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

As you could tell from the books I listed... I read high fantasy and epics lol. Foundation was the lightest of the bunch but had the slowest reader.

Add in time you have to rewind because something important came up which actually required your attention. Easily 36+ hours. Way of Kings was a monster at 45:30. - 1007 pages.

The Wheel of Time series is made up of 11,898 pages. This amounts to an average of 793.20 pages per book in the series.

Not doing them all. First 4 which are the least page #s: 28:57. 28:23. 24:48, 41:13,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Tower_(series) - 224. 400. 512. 787. 714. 432. 845.

Frank Muller RIP then George Guidall 7:20, 12:47, 18:14, 27:35, 26:20, 14:09, 28:50.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series - 255, 247, 210, 367, 356.

Via Audible Scott Brick: 8:37, 9:33, 9:21, 16:14, 18:44

The Way of Kings
The Stormlight Archive, Book 1
By: Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
Series: The Stormlight Archive, Book 1
Length: 45 hrs and 30 mins

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

If you like long audiobooks and high fantasy try Malazan. Fair warning that if you like it, it increases the effort you need to start your suspension of disbelief for all other books. At least it did so for me.