2014 Audiobook Challenge - FINAL UPDATE

It's hard to believe that 2014 is almost over, which means it's almost time to say adios to the 2014 Audiobook Challenge, hosted by The Book Nympho and Hot Listens. I'm afraid I'm going to fall just short of my goal. But, it's totally not my fault! My work situation changed a few months ago, and I no longer have an hour to spend in the car every day. So, I've been stealing moments with my iPod when I can, here and there. It's not as often as before, but it's something.

So, where do I stand?

Challenge Level:  My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) - 30+

1. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
2. Unbroken (Beachwood Bay #1) by Melody Grace
3. The Perfect Game (The Perfect Game #1) by J. Sterling
4. The Game Changer (The Perfect Game #2) by J. Sterling
5. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
6. Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #1) by Stacia Kane
7. Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) by Stacia Kane
8. City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #3) by Stacia Kane
9. Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8) by Patricia Briggs
10. Through the Zombie Glass (White Rabbit Chronicles #2) by Gena Showalter
11. The Naturals (The Naturals #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
12. Not a Drop to Drink (Not a Drop to Drink #1) by Mindy McGinnis
13. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson #1) by Molly Harper
14. Sacrificial Magic (Downside Ghosts #4) by Stacia Kane
15. Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson #6) by Darynda Jones
16. Winter's Heat (Titan #1) by Cristin Harber
17. Real (Real #1) by Katy Evans
18. Mine (Real #2) by Katy Evans
19. Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson #2) by Molly Harper
20. Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (Jane Jameson #3) by Molly Harper
21. Chasing Magic (Downside Ghosts #5) by Stacia Kane
22. Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors (Jane Jameson #4) by Molly Harper
23. Suddenly Royal (Suddenly #1) by Nicole Chase
24. Tangled (Tangled #1) by Emma Chase
25. Primal Law (Alpha Pack #1) by J.D. Tyler
26. Come Away With Me (With Me in Seattle #1) by Kristen Proby
27. A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark #2) by Kresley Cole
28. Fight With Me (With Me in Seattle #2) by Kristen Proby

It seems that I've been on a romance kick lately, both contemporary and paranormal. I've listened to a lot that I've liked. I've read a lot of first books in various series. I actually do plan to continue those series. I'm looking forward to it, really.

And, because I've been dabbling in different series, I've experienced a few different narrators too, which has been a lot of fun. Of the most recent batch of books I've listened to, my favorite was Robert Petkoff, narrator of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series. The accents that man can do... He's good.

So, there you have it. I may knock out one more book before the end of the year, which will leave me at one shy of my goal. Still - it's more audiobooks than I listened to last year, so that's something, right? I'll definitely be participating in the 2015 Audiobook Challenge. Will you?

2014 Audiobook Challenge Update

It's been two months since I last updated you on my audiobook challenge progress, and I've taken a few business trips since then. Business trips for me usually mean some extended time in the car, since most of my trips are to either Philly (1.5 hours away), Baltimore (2 hours away) or Pittsburgh (3.5 hours away). That's some good quality time spent with my iPod there.

Challenge Level:  My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) - 30+

1. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
2. Unbroken (Beachwood Bay #1) by Melody Grace
3. The Perfect Game (The Perfect Game #1) by J. Sterling
4. The Game Changer (The Perfect Game #2) by J. Sterling
5. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
6. Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #1) by Stacia Kane
7. Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) by Stacia Kane
8. City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #3) by Stacia Kane
9. Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8) by Patricia Briggs
10. Through the Zombie Glass (White Rabbit Chronicles #2) by Gena Showalter
11. The Naturals (The Naturals #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
12. Not a Drop to Drink (Not a Drop to Drink #1) by Mindy McGinnis
13. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson #1) by Molly Harper
14. Sacrificial Magic (Downside Ghosts #4) by Stacia Kane
15. Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson #6) by Darynda Jones
16. Winter's Heat (Titan #1) by Cristin Harber
17. Real (Real #1) by Katy Evans
18. Mine (Real #2) by Katy Evans
19. Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson #2) by Molly Harper
20. Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (Jane Jameson #3) by Molly Harper
21. Chasing Magic (Downside Ghosts #5) by Stacia Kane
22. Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors (Jane Jameson #4) by Molly Harper
23. Suddenly Royal (Suddenly #1) by Nicole Chase (currently listening to) 

Over the past few months, I've kind of stuck with what I know. I finished off both the Downside Ghosts series and the Jane Jameson series. Bahni Turpin and Amanda Ronconi continue to be among my most favorite narrators ever. Their work on the Downside Ghosts and Jane Jameson series, respectively, has blown me away, book after book after book.

Now that those two series are taken care of, I have a few new series I'm so excited to start, starting with Nicole Chase's Suddenly series. I only just started this book today, so I'll be able to report on this one more next time. I also have the first book in the Drew & Fable series by Monica Murphy waiting on deck.

I'm torn as to what to spend this month's Audible credit on. There's the next Charley Davidson book, Seventh Grave and No Body. That comes out later in October. The Young Elites by Marie Lu is a book I've had my eye on for awhile now, but it may be tough for me to find the time to get to read it anytime soon. And then there's Tangled by Emma Chase. I've been wanting to read this book for AGES, but haven't gotten to it yet. On top of that, I've heard amazing things about the narrator of Tangled, Sebastian York.

So, which one should I choose? Help me decide!

2014 Audiobook Challenge Update

When I updated last in mid-June, I had made some decent progress on my rather ambitious audiobook challenge. It's the end of July, so it seemed like a good time to give an update on my progress.

Challenge Level:  My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) - 30+

1. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
2. Unbroken (Beachwood Bay #1) by Melody Grace
3. The Perfect Game (The Perfect Game #1) by J. Sterling
4. The Game Changer (The Perfect Game #2) by J. Sterling
5. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
6. Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #1) by Stacia Kane
7. Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) by Stacia Kane
8. City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #3) by Stacia Kane
9. Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8) by Patricia Briggs
10. Through the Zombie Glass (White Rabbit Chronicles #2) by Gena Showalter
11. The Naturals (The Naturals #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
12. Not a Drop to Drink (Not a Drop to Drink #1) by Mindy McGinnis
13. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson #1) by Molly Harper
14. Sacrificial Magic (Downside Ghosts #4) by Stacia Kane
15. Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson #6) by Darynda Jones
16. Winter's Heat (Titan #1) by Cristin Harber
17. Real (Real #1) by Katy Evans
18. Mine (Real #2) by Katy Evans
19. Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson #2) by Molly Harper (currently listening to)

New (To Me) Narrator Love

Amanda Ronconi - A few months ago I listened to Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper, which is the first book in her Jane Jameson series. It takes place in the tiny hick town of Half Moon Hollow, Kentucky where Bubba is a popular name and there's a Shenanigans on every corner. I think it would be very easy to overdo the southern drawl to the point of cringe-worthy ear pain. Amanda Ronconi's adaptation, though, couldn't be more perfect. She is exactly as I imagined Jane would sound - southern but not twangy. Sarcastic but not caustic. And, her delineation of characters is done so nicely. I never have trouble figuring out who is speaking. Best of all, her delivery of Molly Harper's classic one-liners is absolutely incredible. I will definitely be seeking out more of her work, although in my head, she's always going to be Jane.

So, how are you coming with your audiobooks? Listen to any good ones lately?

2014 Audiobook Challenge Update

June is Audiobook Month 

I love audiobooks. I have a 30-minute commute, plus I go on business trips on a semi-regular basis. I found myself getting rather bored with the radio, so on a whim, I decided to give audiobooks a go. I was worried I wouldn't be able to concentrate on them or on my driving. As it turns out, audiobooks have saved me from boredom in my car. They also have made mundane household chores like folding laundry or doing the dishes a lot more fun too.

I find audiobooks to be very much like watching TV without looking at the screen. Narrators do a fantastic dramatic presentation of the book they're reading from, and I find it makes the characters and situations explode to life.

I signed up for the 2014 Audiobook Challenge, hosted by The Book Nympho. We are nearly halfway through the year, and I thought it was time to update everyone on my progress. I'm currently about 1/3 through my 15th audiobook, so at this pace, I should finish a minimum of 30 books. I have a few business trips coming up (which means 4+ hours in the car at a time), so I might get through a few more than that. 

Challenge Level:  My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) - 30+

1. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
2. Unbroken (Beachwood Bay #1) by Melody Grace
3. The Perfect Game (The Perfect Game #1) by J. Sterling
4. The Game Changer (The Perfect Game #2) by J. Sterling
5. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
6. Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #1) by Stacia Kane
7. Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) by Stacia Kane
8. City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #3) by Stacia Kane
9. Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8) by Patricia Briggs
10. Through the Zombie Glass (White Rabbit Chronicles #2) by Gena Showalter
11. The Naturals (The Naturals #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
12. Not a Drop to Drink (Not a Drop to Drink #1) by Mindy McGinnis
13. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jamison #1) by Molly Harper
14. Sacrificial Magic (Downside Ghosts #4) by Stacia Kane
15. Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson #6) by Darynda Jones (currently listening to)

Favorite Audiobook Narrators

1. Rebecca Soler - Rebecca narrates Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles series, and she is absolutely my favorite audiobook narrator ever. Her dialects are wonderful, her expression is perfect - she absolutely made this series come to life for me.

Read my interview with Rebecca Soler here.

2. Bahni Turpin - I know I wouldn't love the Downside Ghosts series as much as I do without Bahni Turpin reading them for me. The Downside lingo that Stacia Kane has created would be really rough to read it right off the page. But, Bahni's delivery of it is flawless, and because of her, Downside is a real, live place with these amazingly beautiful flawed characters. She is truly brilliant.

3. Kristine Hvam - Kristine Hvam has narrated a number of series, but I fell in love with her work when I listened to Jeri Smith-Ready's Shade series last year. OMG - it's awesome. I mean, they're incredible books in their own right, but Kristine's narration took them to the next level. Particularly, her rendition of Scottish hottie, Zachary.

4. Tavia Gilbert - Tavia Gilbert has narrated all of Jeaniene Frost's books, of which I've listened to nearly all of them (and those I haven't listened to, I've read hard copies). Although it took me awhile to warm up to her voice for Bones, eventually, that was all I heard in my head for him when I was reading the hard copies. Her female voices are great - I think I could listen to Tavia read to me all day long.

5. Lorelei King - Lorelei King narrates two of my most favorite urban fantasy series - the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs and the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. She's got such a nice reading voice and she always does the male and female voices so well. My only problem is that I can't listen to Mercy books and Charley books back to back because I confuse myself when I hear the same voice reading!

Do you listen to audiobooks? Who are some of your favorite audiobook narrators? Which book series do you LOVE in audio?