Books you're currently reading??? - Page 108

Sundae · 10-20-2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pie

Clinging to the Wreckage, John Mortimer

One of my favourite books of all time!

Am I being horribly patronising to wonder whether some of it baffled you due to your age & nationality? Profound apologies if that is so. I read it as an 18 year old Brit with a fondness for tales from my Grandparents, I just don't know if it travels well.

Please let me know what you think of it.
I used to carry that or Orwell's Homage to Catalonia with me in stressful situations, knowing I could dip into it and find comfort. Later on I revered Barry Humphries' More Please and David Niven's The Moon's A Balloon in the same way.

Pie · 10-20-2009, 06:41 PM

Yes, I was hopelessly lost with many of the references, especially to playwrights, actors, etc. As a nerd-child growing up in the 80s, my taste in reading material ran mostly towards American science fiction, leaving me very out of touch. I was similarly confused by a piece a friend of mine did on the life of Alistair Cooke a few months back.

I did pick up quite a bit about England, pre-WWII, from the Dorothy Sayers novels. It seemed like such a romantic period to me. I went so far as to buy and read "Conundrums for the Long Week-End: England, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Lord Peter Wimsey" to flesh out my understanding.

I'm heading back to the USA for my next book -- Boom!, Tom Brokaw.

10-22-2009, 04:06 AM

Just finished: Eclipse by S. Meyer
Reading now: Breaking Down
Reading next:vampire diaries series

wolf · 10-30-2009, 09:42 PM

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War - Max Brooks

Alien Hand Syndrome - Alan Bellows

Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran - Robert Spencer

Marley & Me - John Grogan

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

Taking the Leap - Pema Chodron

DanaC · 10-31-2009, 10:22 PM

Hi Melini

welcome to the cellar!

Cloud · 11-03-2009, 08:43 PM

Geez. Audiobooks are a ripoff. Itunes wants $50 for HP and the Half Blood Prince.

Fifty dollars!

That would be a No Fucking Way.

DanaC · 11-04-2009, 04:54 AM

Itunes is an expensive way to buy audiobooks. Audible is way better.

Cloud · 11-04-2009, 09:31 AM

but how would I get it on my ipod, then?

Cloud · 11-04-2009, 11:15 AM

okay, I looked at Audible.com. You have to sign up for a monthly plan.

Oh HELL NO.

DanaC · 11-04-2009, 12:09 PM

True. But the first 3 months are only 3.99 a month (for which you get a credit exchangeable for pretty much any audio book) and after that 7.99. (or whatever the dollar equivalent is). given that the credits now carry over (they didn't used to) that basically means you are paying 7.99 a month for one audiobook. Any month you dont get a download, you can carry that credit to a maximum of 6 months. So you can just store up a few credits and then go on an audiobook bonanza when you fancy. That credit per audiobok is excellent value. If you want to buy other books on top of the one you pay for with your monthly fee, they're significantly cheaper than anywhere else. You can download them in various formats: mp3, enhanced CD, etc. You can download straight to your ipod, or to your computer. And your purchases are stored on your 'bookshelf' so if you want to redownload them at any time you can in a different format if you wish. It's waaay cheaper than any other way of getting audiobooks and there's a bunch of freebies too (podcasts and interviews with writers, reviews free sample chapters to help you choose etc). You can also cancel at any time, so you're not tied in for a contract.

Worth doing, I thought, just for the three months trial (at the lower price) it basically means you're getting three full price audiobooks for £12. That's what i decided to do anyway :P I may decide to keep it going at the full price (£7.99) when the trial runs out next month. I haven't decided yet.

Cloud · 11-04-2009, 12:13 PM

I just have an aversion to "signing up" for anything that costs monthly money. Netflix, for instance, pisses me off royally because of their constant popup ads which don't seem to be avoidable, plus the monthly charge. I just want to rent ONE movie at a time; buy ONE audiobook, etc. Plus, I don't listen to many audiobooks anyway.

But I admit that for some people it looks like a good deal.

DanaC · 11-04-2009, 12:44 PM

The other option, of course, is to buy audiobooks on cd from amazon or ebay. They can be a bugger to get onto the ipod, but if you set up a playlist folder then have each cd as a playlist within that folder it works just fine.

lumberjim · 11-04-2009, 01:00 PM

i have 2 audible accounts

lumberjim · 11-04-2009, 01:07 PM

i just checked, and I have 158 books on one account and 244 on the other. 402 books.

wow

Cloud · 11-04-2009, 01:08 PM

wow, indeed. Great for commuting, but since my entire roundtrip commute is 5 miles . . .

10-20-2009, 06:41 PM	#1607
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	Yes, I was hopelessly lost with many of the references, especially to playwrights, actors, etc. As a nerd-child growing up in the 80s, my taste in reading material ran mostly towards American science fiction, leaving me very out of touch. I was similarly confused by a piece a friend of mine did on the life of Alistair Cooke a few months back. I did pick up quite a bit about England, pre-WWII, from the Dorothy Sayers novels. It seemed like such a romantic period to me. I went so far as to buy and read "Conundrums for the Long Week-End: England, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Lord Peter Wimsey" to flesh out my understanding. I'm heading back to the USA for my next book -- Boom!, Tom Brokaw. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

10-30-2009, 09:42 PM	#1609
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War - Max Brooks Alien Hand Syndrome - Alan Bellows Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran - Robert Spencer Marley & Me - John Grogan The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson Taking the Leap - Pema Chodron __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

11-03-2009, 08:43 PM	#1611
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	Geez. Audiobooks are a ripoff. Itunes wants $50 for HP and the Half Blood Prince. Fifty dollars! That would be a No Fucking Way. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

11-04-2009, 09:31 AM	#1613
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	but how would I get it on my ipod, then? __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

11-04-2009, 11:15 AM	#1614
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	okay, I looked at Audible.com. You have to sign up for a monthly plan. Oh HELL NO. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

10-22-2009, 04:06 AM	#1608
Melini Guest Posts: n/a	Just finished: Eclipse by S. Meyer Reading now: Breaking Down Reading next:vampire diaries series

11-04-2009, 12:13 PM	#1616
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	I just have an aversion to "signing up" for anything that costs monthly money. Netflix, for instance, pisses me off royally because of their constant popup ads which don't seem to be avoidable, plus the monthly charge. I just want to rent ONE movie at a time; buy ONE audiobook, etc. Plus, I don't listen to many audiobooks anyway. But I admit that for some people it looks like a good deal. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

11-04-2009, 01:00 PM	#1618
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	i have 2 audible accounts __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

11-04-2009, 01:07 PM	#1619
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	i just checked, and I have 158 books on one account and 244 on the other. 402 books. wow __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

11-04-2009, 01:08 PM	#1620
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	wow, indeed. Great for commuting, but since my entire roundtrip commute is 5 miles . . . __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

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