Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Favorite Librivox voices

Audiobooks once seemed a little weird to me (uh, listening in the car, or while working out?  I'd miss something important!!!), but motherhood has made me a convert of sorts.  While that fear of "missing something" still makes me hesitate to tackle fresh material via audio, I find that listening to Jane Austen makes the dishes fly and the laundry fold itself.  All right, overstatement-- but you get the idea.

Librivox offers public domain audiobooks for free; and I hear that public libraries lend audio online, too, although mine would require me to download and install a separate application.

The catch to audiobooks, of course, is that you have to find a voice (as well as text) that will agree with you for hours on end.  Weeding through the samples can be frustrating... So far my favorite Librivox readers are Karen Savage and Elizabeth Klett-- each so clear and pleasant!-- who have recorded a great many comfort classics, such as Burnett's A Little Princess, Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series, Charlotte Bronte, and (oh yes!) Jane Austen.

What is your favorite source for audiobooks?  In your opinion, is an Audible membership worthwhile...?  I've considered it, although the price makes me balk.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Rae, I posted about some of the better Librivox recordings on my blog (http://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com.br/2014/03/recommended-librivox-recordings.html) and the comments had some good referrals for fine readers. I'm glad you asked about Audible because I avoided it forever (cheapskate is part of my DNA) and recently discovered some good deals there. I'll be writing about it next week at worthwhilebooks. Blessings!

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  2. Thank you for the recommendations! I think I'll especially enjoy hearing _Turn of the Screw_ and _Woman in White_ read aloud, as actual human voices must accentuate the creepiness... I'll check next week for your Audible update! Thanks again.

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