I dropped a book off at the library and decided to browse through the audio books - lots of them in cassette but not a big (romance) selection of CDs so I randomly chose a Coulter, I think it may be part of a series featuring the FBI agent named Savich.

Anyhow, it really didn't matter what I chose, I just wanted to give audio a try but I have a question re the reader: is it usual to have a male and female reader for the two sexes? For some reason I thought the reader, male or female, would do all the voices. I'm finding the switch from male to female voices very distracting. I mean when I was little my mom and dad didn't both read to me, she doing Snow White's voice and he doing the seven dwarves and whenever I've listened to someone reading it was just the one person.

I don't do a lot of long-ish driving so it's definitely going to be off-on listening, but this is my first car with a CD player so I'm excited about trying audio.

Gail

I find it more common in the romance books.  I've listened to a lot of the Coulter FBI books and they're mostly done that way.  Many of the Carpathian books by Chritine Feehan are done that way.  I'm listening to Dark Peril now and I don't find the switching distracting. 

I usually prefer to read romances in print and most of my audios are mysteries.  Or classics that I know I'd never take the time to get through in print.  But I like to get Nora Roberts and  books in audio.  Or any romantic suspense type books.  You can tell when I have a good audio going because my house will be super clean.

I think I might do that too, Mary - do non-romance in audio if I get the hang of them.

They had some Deavers, Sue Grafton, and authors like that, but I didn't bring my reading glasses in with me to read the information on the case so I just winged it.

I can get a lot of more current CDs with ILL so I might try that route eventually. I still like paper books so I don't see dropping them any time soon.

Gail

They vary.  Sometimes changing voices is helpful.  a couple series i have listened to changes female and male reader when the POV switched.  Other books just use one reader. the audiobooks list the reader(s) as well as the author in the credits.  you can search on audible.com by the readers name if you find a reader you do like.

A bad reader or a book that is not well written can seem much worse in audio than when you read it with your eyes.

A bad reader or a book that is not well written can seem much worse in audio than when you read it with your eyes.

To make matters worst, Ronda, I'm not a big Coulter fan so combine that with everything else and I'm striking out.

I may be just as OC with audio - wanting to listen to the 1st book in a series. There were some of that McCall author's books (not Dinah McCall), quite a few of them, but I needed to know which book comes first.

And there were two Virgil Flower books there but I've read those already. I'll give myself time to convert me.

Gail

I've been a recent convert to audio books while driving to work - can't believe I waited so many years to try it.  I find that I can't listen to a book too intricate because I daydream and miss parts and have to re-play... Jayne Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, and Quick  are a few of those that I can get do so  far and still remember to pay attention to driving. A friend has done all the Outlander books that way thought I'm  a little hesitant to try those that way.

I'm a major audio book fan!! (Join us at Goodreads where we have a Speaking of Audiobooks group that focuses on romance audio books) I think I prefer the 1-reader format, but I have enjoyed the use of 1 male / 1 female that changes when the POV changes - you know, the male reads all the voices in that part, female and male, and then the female reads all the voices in the next. The Time Traveler's Wife worked very well this way, since part was told from her POV and part from his. I don't like when one person reads everything except the voices, and someone else reads the voices - I listened to one where a woman read everything and all the women's voices, and a man chimed in with the men's voices.

I've also listened to all the available Outlander books at least 3 times! I listen while I knit, while I walk, while I drive, while I do what little housework I ever get around to doing... and sometimes I play solitaire and listen.

You can ask your library about NetLibrary and Overdrive - free downloadable audio and ebooks you get online using your library card to log in. I get a lot of my audiobooks that way. Some of them can be burned to disc, some you need an MP3 player for. I am also a member at Audible.com - when you're a member, you pay a monthly fee that includes 1 or 2 credits/month to use for audiobooks, plus they have a special member price for additional audiobooks and a lot of sales.

I've heard both. Charming Grace had male and female narrators, which made sense since there were many, many different characters. (Though that was also true of Good Omens, which was done fabulously well by one man, but he must be the world's best voice actor.)

I highly recommend the Sandra Brown books naarrated by Victor somebody, he has such a sexy voice...

I like to listen to nonfiction; am listening to Animal, Vegetable. Miracle right now, which has totally changed my life. :-)

The Sookie Stackhouse books are great on audio.  So are the Harry Potter books.  Jim Dale is the king of audiobook readers. 

I've also enjoyed some of the Ladies #1 Detective Books and the Isabelle Dalhousie books by Alexander McCall Smith on audio.

I'm alone at work today and listening to Dark Peril by Christine Feehan while update pricelists on the computer. 

I have a long commute so I listen to audiobooks frequently. 

My favorites so far are the Outlander books and Lisa Gardner's books. 

Ladies #1 Detective Books and the Isabelle Dalhousie books by Alexander McCall Smith

Those were the McCall books I referred to in my original post - I forgot the Smith at the end of his name.

I think I could listen to those books, haven't been really interested enough in reading them but listening would be good.

If I worked alone here in the records room I'd listen to books but when you share fairly close quarters with a co-worker you have to be considerate. But there's always vacation weeks. :)

Gail

I'm a major audio book fan!! (Join us at Goodreads where we have a Speaking of Audiobooks

I'm not at Goodreads yet but the group sounds interesting. I'll check it out, Melinda.

Gail

I'm also a major audio book fan and I love them!  I've listened to hundreds of them now, but I've always got a book that I'm reading also so I haven't quit the printed format.  I listen to Fern Michaels' VIGILANTES series; lots of Sandra Brown, James Patterson's ALEX CROSS series; Debbie Macomber's books; Suzanne Brockmann's BODYGUARD series; Linda Howard; Lisa Scottolini;  Greg Iles; Mary Alice Monroe, etc., etc. 

Seems like most audio book readers do all of the voices for one book, and I sort of prefer that.  But it doesn't bother me when, for example, Nora Roberts'  Catherine Coulter's characters,  Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich, (thanks, MsRight) are read by both female and male readers.

Don't forget that you can find lots of audio books here on PBS, both on CD and MP-3 CD format.

Sherlock and Savich are the Coulter FBI characters not Nora Roberts. 

I would read the Alexander McCall Smith books in order.  The 1st Ladies Detective Agency book is The #1 Ladies Detective Agency. The 1st Isabelle Dalhousie book is The Sunday Philosophy Club. 

Check your libraries website. If they have interlibrary loaning, Overdrive.com or C/W Mars-you can probably get more online or from other branches.  Actually I just remembered that you live near me. I can go online to the Agawam public library and request books from all over Western Massachusettes and CW Mars.  You have to have an MP3 Player to use the online ones away from your computer. Unless it's one that you can burn to CD.  Sometimes I burn them to rewriteable CDS.

Actually I just remembered that you live near me. I can go online to the Agawam public library and request books from all over Western Massachusettes and CW Mars. 

The inter-library system in the area is fantastic, isn't it, Mary? Well over 50% of the books I request are ILL and it's all still free - and fast!

I think I'll bring the Coulter audio back to the library tomorrow. As I said, I'm not a big Coulter fan and this book is really boring me to death. I'm hoping it isn't the readers but I don't think so. The story is pretty blah. I'll have someone with me tomorrow so I won't be able to spend a lot of time browsing the audio books section but if they have The 1st Ladies Detective Agency I'll grab it.

Gail

We do have an excellent library system. 

Update on audio book - brought the Coulter back this morning; they didn't have #1 Ladies Detective Agency so I decided on "N Is For Noose"/Sue Grafton; what a big difference in both the reader and the prose - I wanted to just drive around and listen. I don't know who the reader is - left the CDs & pocket in the car - but she has a lovely voice.

Gail