Hi everyone,
I've recently rekindled my love for books through audiobooks. It's tough for me to find time to sit down and read, but I really missed consuming books. I was hesitant about audiobooks at first, but now I've embraced them and even look forward to my commutes because of it. I subscribe to Audible, and due to their pricing structure, I put a lot of effort into researching and choosing where to use my credits. However, I often end up using a credit only to find I dislike the book I'm now stuck with. I've tried reading reviews and looking for recommendations based on my favorites, but it hasn't always worked out.
I'm hoping the smart people in this sub can help me pin down some good books.
Right now, I'm listening to "The Scar" by China Miéville and enjoying it, though not as much as "Perdido Street Station" so far (I feel like Miéville is still getting started). "Gormenghast" by Mervyn Peake is probably my favorite book at this point, followed by "Perdido Street Station" and "Titus Groan." After those, there's a significant step down to "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" and "The Lies of Locke Lamora" (though I can't stand the rest of the Gentlemen Bastard series).
I struggle with recommendations like "Viriconium" and "American Gods," both of which I couldn't finish. The characters in both books seemed so uninteresting, and the stories felt lacking. Maybe I'm just missing the point.
I'd really appreciate any recommendations. I enjoy some sci-fi and horror but tend to read more fantasy. Maybe I just haven't found the right books in other genres. Sci-fi and horror have cool concepts, but I haven't found the quality of prose that I get from Peake and Miéville. I've never read mystery, but I'm not opposed to it. I prefer longer books but don't want to miss any short gems either.
Thanks in advance!
by _H_A_N_K
4 Comments
If you like some humor, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal is a good one.
My favorite of China Mieville’s is The City and The City. And while I didn’t really like Johnathan Strange, Clarke’s other books Piranesi is a favorite.
If you like sci fi or horror check out Hyperion or maybe A Fire Upon the Deep. The writing quality is pretty good. and Dune is held up as the greatest sci fi of all time.
For good prose in science fiction, you could Gene Wolfe or Ursula K LeGuin. A couple of times a year Audible has a huge sale with up to 80% off on most books. The next one will probably be around November or December.
If you end up disliking an audiobook on Audible they’ll usually refund the credit if it’s within a year- there’s a process on the website you can go through that’s pretty simple. Sometimes they just don’t work out.