(Part 2) Best products from r/audible

Lock In is phenomenal! I keep wanting to gift it to people. It's got kind of a police procedural feel, but what it does best is to slowly reveal its world -- a fascinating, imaginative, well-flushed-out near future. I wish Scalzi would write another in this universe. Fun, witty, innovative, satisfying.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was surprisingly brilliant, all Hathaway's voices! But the same edition is cheaper via Whispersync ($2) than on this deal ($6).

I've been enjoying this book a lot:
Reality Unveiled

Someone in this subreddit recommended it awhile ago. I'm just starting the Spirituality section, but t doesn't seem to have a religious slant, but more focused on scientific positive energy and quantum physics. I take it in bits, and then process it for a few days. Read the Amazon reviews, if it hits you at the right moment, it can make the big picture of life easier. I'm finding that it is giving me a centered calmness, which is helping me during a truly challenging time.

*Buy the Kindle version first for $0.99, and add the audio that way, for $1.99 - excellent price!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N392E8N

If you don't get the Kindle version, the Audible price is $19.95 (or $17.95 for just the audiobook via Amazon).

• We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is a hilarious trilogy that is a bit cheaper to buy the kindle and then add on audio narration. Ray Porter, the narrator, makes his series amazing.
  
  
  
• Off to Be the Wizard is a great series with good humor and can be less expensive if you buy the kindle and then add on the audio narration. I liked books 1-3, with 4 and 5 being not as great. The first books is well worth the purchase though!
  
  
  
• Super Powereds Year 1. This is one of my favorite series. Kyle McCarley does an amazing job narrating this saga (4 in the main story and 1 side story that could stand alone). Probably the worst covers and really made me not want to read the series, but Drew Hayes has become my favorite author. Every series he does is pure gold.
  
  
  
• Expeditionary Force: Columbus Day. RC Bray, sci-fi and lots of hilarious dialog when Skippy shows up (about halfway through the book). The series is great, and book 6 is coming out next week. Great starter price 0.99+7.49 for the kindle and audiobook.
  
  
  There are so many more options like this, but I don’t want to overwhelm you! These may not all be your cup of tea. But they are some of my favorites for a somewhat reasonable price.

Be sure to check the buying options! The Count of Monte Cristo, Written by: Alexandre Dumas, Narrated by: Bill Homewood caught my eye. It's $4.95 along with everything else, but you can also get it for $2.99 if you buy the Kindle version first. Checked Amazon, and the Kindle edition is only $0.99 (so a total of only $3.98). Additionally, I noticed that Amazon lists a different Audible Edition, Narrated by: Alan Munro, which is only $1.95 (and doesn't require the Kindle edition). Point is, just check to make sure the sale price is the best price.

This does lead me to a question though, which of the two version of The Count of Monte Cristo mentioned above is narrated better? Both have good ratings, and about the same number of reviews. Both were released in the past 5 years, and it looks like the Munro narrated version clocks in a few hours longer (57 hrs vs 52). Anyone listened to either or both?

TL;DR:

Check to make sure you are getting the best price.

Which version of The Count of Monte Cristo is better?

Edit: I've just realized that the reviews I though I was seeing for the Munro narration were actually the Amazon book reviews (seems Amazon doesn't show you individual ratings/reviews when you are flipping between different formats/editions). When I looked up the Munro version on the Audible site, the ratings were significantly worse, so I'll think I'll pay the $4 for the Kindle/Homewood combo.

Barely any mentions of Steelheartand Firefight? Two awesome Brandon Sanderson super hero / villain novels! This is the first instance ever where someone (besides a big comic publisher) created super powereds that were actually interesting and pretty awesome. The ending to Steelheart, and how things play out is truly genius in my opinion. You have to read it to know what i'm talking about...

The Three Body Problem is absolutely incredible. Especially as an audiobook; the narrator performs different voices for different characters and emotional states. It's written in Chinese and the translation is outstanding, and I found it really refreshing and interesting to see sci-fi from an eastern cultural perspective.

I think what this series does well is it incorporates science as an idea, philosophical framework, and social institution. It also has an interesting take on what interactions between civilized species might look like. It does great at taking these elements of hard sci-fi and making them meaningful and compelling.

Some downsides to be aware of to stave off any disappointment: the pacing can be a bit slow, especially in the first 25% (true of every book of this series, I think), and the dialogue between characters can feel a bit stiff (perhaps due to translation). Speech is fine, but casual conversations don't always feel smooth. But if you feel like you'd be okay with that and you're craving something fresh, I can't recommend this enough. The following books are great as well.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Three-Body-Problem/dp/B00P00QPPY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

I love short stories! I have a quite of books that are short story collections from a mix of genre (namely horror/fantasy/sci-fi). I'd highly recommend checking out the podcast "LeVar Burton Reads" for free readings of short stories from a variety of authors and genres. I think he does an awesome job reading the stories! I frequently look up the authors after listening to a story and reading more of their works.

For audiobooks I've listened to and recommend:

Octavia E Butler's Bloodchild (and other stories)

Ken Liu's The Paper Menagerie (and other stories) (LeVar Burton reads a short story from here in his podcast)

Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology

A couple of authors I can think of off hand that I've purchased (and enjoyed) short story collections (but didn't listen to) are: Stephen King, Charlie Jane Anders, Haruki Murakami, and Ursula K. Le Guin

Maybe I should propose a solution. I'm shocked that many people don't seem to understand why anyone cares about this. I guess if you don't realize what technology is capable of, you would think this is just complaining.

Amazon Music has "x-ray lyrics" for popular songs, but not all songs. (This is the only video I can find of them https://youtu.be/oNPh7AQRHTg?t=81) Why not all? Because the publisher doesn't provide data files that include the lyrics. Amazon takes a songs and processes the audio to recognize the lyrics using the same tech that Alexa uses to recognize your voice say "Alexa, volume down" while music is playing. They cross-reference the detected lyrics with textual lyrics from other sources and are able to calculate with very high accuracy when every line of lyric begins. They scroll the textual lyrics based on those time signatures.

If they can do that with this song https://music.amazon.com/albums/B06XNVXMQ9?trackAsin=B06XP1FJN6&ref=dm_sh_dm_wcp_share_tr_up_op they can do it with this book https://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-Dark-Tower-I-Audiobook/B019NNU7XE

They have the full resources of AWS at their disposal. They only improve what the consumer demands they improve. If we say "we're happy with a terrible User Interface, keep taking our money." That is exactly what they will do.

At my first glance I noticed a bunch of books I already had kindle copies of that I knew also had the narration option for $1.99

Found books I was interested in getting and I noticed the same thing skipping the sale and buying the kindle book + narration is cheaper than using a credit.

Check before you use a credit you can possibly get 3 books for the cost of 1 credit. I started pulling books at random to check prices

True Porn Clerk Stories ~ kindle price .99 audible narration $1.99

Dead Man's Debt Kindle $3.99 + $1.99 audible narration = $5.98

Smoke ~ kindle $4.99 + $1.99 narration =$6.98

Lovecraft's Monsters kindle $4.68 + audible $2.99 = $7.67

Descent kindle $8.30 + audible $3.99 = $12.29

Emergence: Dave vs. the Monsters kindle $1.99 audible $2.99

Amazon has a Prime Reading edition with free narration. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BTHW4BQ

That being said, I have this version in my wish list because I think Rosamund Pike's voice is worth it!

I would think about a radio transmitter like this:

[](Bluetooth FM Transmitter for Car, QC3.0 Wireless Bluetooth FM Radio Adapter Music Player Car Kit with Hands Free Calling and 2 USB Ports Charger Support USB Flash Drive https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F2RTN5Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_r-vxCbEZJNJH1)

As long as your radio works

This looks like a good spot to share this gem!

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Today I found an audiobook for $0.66 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HKC3TMB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o00aud_?ie=UTF8&psc=1 after looking up a book that someone was recommending.

Yep, I do this all the time. I set a marker where I am when I settle down so I can rewind easily.

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I have one of these too which helps massively https://www.amazon.co.uk/CozyPhones-Headphones-Speakers-Meditation-Relaxation/dp/B014T3QLBA/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1543401203&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=sleep+headband&psc=1

TaoTronics Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones HiFi Stereo Wireless Over Ear Deep Bass Headset w/CVC Noise Canceling Microphone 30 Hour Playtime Comfortable Earpads for Travel Work TV Phone https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-Cancelling-Headphones-Microphone-Comfortable/dp/B07CGMG3V7/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Like others have said bluetooth fm transmitters are the way to go. Here’s what I have in both my cars

Book 1 is also on sale .