Didnt know where else to put this - Books on tape

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writingislife

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I was wondering about reading novels. I know I need to read as much as I can in the genre that I want to write in, but I drive all day (trucker) and cant read as much as I want to. Now, being that I DO drive all day every day, I was wondering if I can get the same out of books on tape (or books on CD) as I can with sitting down and flipping pages? I have several books on my iPod that I have listened to and enjoyed while driving. I am currently listening to Stephen King's "Lisey's Story" and am really enjoying it. It is LONG though.

Anyway, what do you guys think about books on tpe (or CD, or iPod)?
 

alleycat

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I listen to books-on-tape all the time (in the car and at work). I find it much more enjoyable than listening to the radio all the time.

I have found that some books and writers are better to listen to than others. A book with an extreme complicated plot, or with dozens of characters, is hard to keep up with just by listening to it. Stuff by King, Knootz, Agatha Christie, and that sort of thing are usually better candidates to listen to. I've had good luck listening to nonfiction as well. If you want to try it, listen to something by David McCullough, such as Truman or The Great Bridge.

Also, the narrator can make all the difference in a book-on-tape. A good narrator can bring the characters to life just with a slight inflection of his or her voice. Some of the best narrators are George Guidall, Frank Muller, Scott Brick, and even Stephen King himself. If I'm looking for something new to listen to, I will often search for something these narrators have done instead of a particular writer.

These days the "BOT's" I get are often actually digital downloads. My library offers quite a choice of these so I can browse and find something I want and immediately download it.
 
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Madisonwrites

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:hi:

I :heart: books on tape! Unfortunately, I only have one. :( But they're great to listen to when you're cleaning up or something. Of course, I don't think it should replace curling up with a good book, but it's a good option. :)

Good luck and happy writing! :D
 

Red_Dahlia

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I love books on tape. I grew up listening to them on family vacations. Now I mostly use them when I work out. I find they help me keep my focus much better than listening to music. Besides, then I can convince myself that I'm "Learning my Craft".
 

TheIT

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Love 'em. I love listening to books when I'm walking or trying to go to sleep. It's like having someone reading me a bedtime story. :D

The reader makes all the difference, though. I've listened to several books that I've also read, and while some readers add to the experience, others don't. If the reader turns me off but I still like the source material, then I'll try to read the book myself.

Books on CD tend to be expensive. For sources, try your local library. I've got an audiobook shop near me where I rent books like NetFlix.

If you like fantasy, I highly recommend anything by Terry Pratchett as read by Stephen Briggs. Great characterizations!
 

vixey

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I think they're a great way to spend all that dead time in the car.
 

stephenf

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I agree with everything that has been said so far.I also like dramatised versions of books as well .One of my favourites is Earthsearch, by James Follet.The cheapest way of buying talking books is to down load them from someone like, www.audioville.co.uk
 
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Kate Thornton

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I listen all the time - I have a condition that makes reading anything for longer than about 1/2 hour painful, so I listen to unabridged all the time.
 

Zelenka

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I love books on tape. My absolute favourites were the MR James ghost stories read by Michael Hordern, but my cassettes were lost in the move from London and that version is now out of print. I have a version read by David Collings which is the next best, but I do miss the old ones.
 

oneblindmouse

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I took to listening to BOTs after I became partially sighted, and it was a revelation! The narrator makes all the difference, and in my experience I've found that the books' authors don't read as well as professional actors. Having said that, Barbara Kingsolver is fantastic when reading her own books. The downside of tapes, and especially cds, is that you can't stop and start anywhere you please, or reread a paragraph or two. Nor can you tell how much is left before the end of the chapter, etc.
 

nevada

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Dissenting voice here. If all you want to do is "read" the books so you can say you've "read" them books on tape are fine. But if you want to learn from them, see how the author structures a sentence, a paragraph, how he uses words, I don't think they're any good. I don't care how much you pay attention. And if you're driving truck, you will most definitely be paying more attention to the road than to the CD (i hope to god) you will miss things. a word here a word there, a sentence, maybe even a paragraph as you're at the four way stop trying to deal with the moron who doesn't know how they work. Maybe two paragraphs, dealing with the idiot who's never merged before.

So listen to it for the story, so you can say, oh yeah i read that book, but if you're planning on learning anything from it, i would say you won't.
 

ABekah

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I had never listened to books on 'tape' until this past June, when we moved from Texas to Maryland. I drove and followed behind my husband in his vehicle. My mom came with me to keep me company, and we needed something to listen to while in the car. I bought The Ex Debutante by Linda Francis Lee, a delightful southern lady comedy/romance. It was the perfect distraction and lasted half the drive. *It also helped that she was able to take care of the CDs in the disc changer. I wouldn't want to try to do that myself while driving.*

FYI, the Amazon Kindle II (newly released version) will read books to you in a very computerized voice. There's a video on Amazon if you want to hear how it sounds.

Honestly, other than a long drive somewhere where music might get old, I prefer to actually read the printed word.
 

Polenth

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I couldn't analyse the written structure of a book by hearing it read. The real question is whether you can. Perhaps try listening to a short piece, then see if you can write down anything meaningful about the story structure.
 

TheIT

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I agree with the comments about books on tape not being useful for in-depth analysis of structure, but I think they're great just for immersion factor. If the OP is trying to broaden horizons by exploring the genre, books on tape would be a good opportunity. For further research, though, I would recommend finding the hard copy of the stories which appeal the most and read them thoroughly.

And I second the comments about keeping your concentration on the road while driving... :D
 

Kate Thornton

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I have to disagree on a personal level here - I listen very carefully to spoken word books - having to do so makes it easier for me to see plot, structure, repetitive devices and author's voice. I can listen for enjoyment, but I can also listen for analytical reasons as well. I don't find it difficult to do so any more. I think if you lose one ability, it's possible to hone other abilities to get what you need. And sometimes I just "read" for the sheer pleasure of it.

If OP is able to read, I say do it - it certainly is easier to see words on a page for analysis of things like paragraph breaks. But if OP wants to enjoy stories, sample genres, get a feel for the differences between writers and in general absorb writings in his truck, the spoken word should do just fine.

Lots of commuters in my area listen to spoken word books in their cars and many of them learn quite a bit. Got lots of language-learners around here...
 

Clair Dickson

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Being exposed to the stories told and how they are told (without delving into sentence and paragraph structure) is never a bad thing, IMHO. When I read a book for the first time, I often race through it because I want to see what's going to happen. While that won't help me craft individual scenes, it will expose me to what others have written, including their narrative voice.

It's not a substitute for actually reading, but I don't think there's any harm in reading to expose oneself to other writers and stories. Not everything has to be in depth analytcial-- I'm sure many of us watch movies for enjoyment, (though we may pick the movie apart.) Or we watch movies for the story and muse over how to apply what we gained from watching the movie to our own storytelling.
 

Zelenka

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As someone writing in a historical setting too, it just occurred to me that I've been using audio books not just to hear the stories but also because I find it a good way to get into the rhythm and feel of period language, get my brain into thinking that way. I've got a fair few audio versions of books from the period I write in and tend to have those on when I write.

Just thought of that. Thought I would add. :)
 

IceCreamEmpress

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People who are looking for free audiobooks should check out Librivox.org--it's a group project of public domain books read and recorded by volunteer readers. Some of the readers are better than others, but it's a really useful resource. I just downloaded and listened to these stories, and the reader was excellent.
 

tehuti88

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I don't do books on tape (or whatever format). I prefer to read, not listen to somebody else reading. That's just how I am. I want to do the reading, mentally, in my own voice(s) and at my own (rather slow, I admit) pace. I think I've always preferred reading over being read to, even when I was a child. Being read to just seems...passive, somehow.

Plus I haven't an iPod, and lugging around CDs to listen to a book would get tedious to me...

Oh yes. And most of the stuff I read isn't on tape or anything anyway! :eek:
 

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I don't see book versus audio books as interchangeable any more than say TV and movies, or movies and plays. I do listen to them but not in substitution for reading. they are good brain food when walkign the dogs or when my eyes just can't take any more. I prefer non-fiction audiobooks, when well read (especially if by the author) they are like a cross between a good university lecture and a PBS documetary.
 

dirtsider

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I'm weird in a sense - I do like listening to BOT but can't stand listening to them while I'm driving. I prefer to listen to them while I'm crocheting. Crocheting sort of puts me in an almost meditiative mood so listening to BOT's is really cool. I generally try and find stuff that I want to read but don't want to take the time to read them. (Mostly non-fiction it seems.)

Barnes and Noble had an "Audio Professor" series that was really cool. It mostly had history and philosophy stuff but it was still interesting.
 

oneblindmouse

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I don't do books on tape (or whatever format). I prefer to read, not listen to somebody else reading. That's just how I am. I want to do the reading, mentally, in my own voice(s) and at my own (rather slow, I admit) pace. .. Being read to just seems...passive, somehow.

:eek:

I, too, would prefer to read and would love to be able to do the reading, mentally, in my own voice and at my own pace. And, yes, BOT's are 'passive' and often what one would like to read is not always available on tape. But some of us have little or no choice, having sight problems, while others choose to listen to BOT's in certain circumstances, such as in the car or when performing manual work. To just knock BOT's out right misses the OP's original question, and it strikes me that someone who "doesn't do books on tape (or whatever format)" is hardly qualified to judge them or to post on this thread.
 

tehuti88

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I, too, would prefer to read and would love to be able to do the reading, mentally, in my own voice and at my own pace. And, yes, BOT's are 'passive' and often what one would like to read is not always available on tape. But some of us have little or no choice, having sight problems, while others choose to listen to BOT's in certain circumstances, such as in the car or when performing manual work. To just knock BOT's out right misses the OP's original question, and it strikes me that someone who "doesn't do books on tape (or whatever format)" is hardly qualified to judge them or to post on this thread.

Excuse me?? The OP asked Anyway, what do you guys think about books on tpe (or CD, or iPod)? and I answered. I did not "miss the original question," I just gave my own particular answer. Simple as that.

Where did I "judge" books on tape or denigrate anybody who might need or want to use them? I said why *I* myself don't use them. AFTER looking at others' posts and seeing their equally valid reasons why they DO use them. Just because I myself don't use them and have no need for them doesn't mean I think they serve no purpose or are useless. Where did you get the impression that I was "knocking" them?

I think I have the right to post in a thread which is asking for our opinions. I guess I made the common mistake of not adding "This is my opinion and it's neither RIGHT nor WRONG," but I thought my post was harmless enough to not need to do that for once. I'm frankly astonished that anyone could have found any insult in my opinion on books on tape!
 

writingislife

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oops, didnt mean to cause an argument. To each his own. I am enjoying it because I spen so much time on the long, boring interstates of this country. Try driving across Texas, NM, and Arizona just listening to the radio...IF you can get anything on the radio besides country music. Believe me, Im paying attention to my surroundings, whether im listening to something or not.
 

oneblindmouse

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Excuse me?? The OP asked Anyway, what do you guys think about books on tpe (or CD, or iPod)? and I answered. I did not "miss the original question," I just gave my own particular answer. Simple as that.

Where did I "judge" books on tape or denigrate anybody who might need or want to use them? I said why *I* myself don't use them. AFTER looking at others' posts and seeing their equally valid reasons why they DO use them. Just because I myself don't use them and have no need for them doesn't mean I think they serve no purpose or are useless. Where did you get the impression that I was "knocking" them?

I think I have the right to post in a thread which is asking for our opinions. I guess I made the common mistake of not adding "This is my opinion and it's neither RIGHT nor WRONG," but I thought my post was harmless enough to not need to do that for once. I'm frankly astonished that anyone could have found any insult in my opinion on books on tape!

Of course everyone has the right to express an opinion on something, though never with sarcasm, but I still think it odd that someone who states that they choose NOT to practice a particular activity then chooses to express rather a negative opinion on said activity.

But let's not derail this thread any further.

The OP is familiar with the 'mechanics' of BOT's, having already listened to some, and I think he will greatly enjoy listening to more during the long trips that make up his working day. He's well aware that it's not the same as hands-on reading, but feels he can still get something positive out of it, which I agree with.
 
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