As I’ve blogged before, I’ve had a subscription with Audible for many years. I listen to audiobooks in my car, as well as while cooking, cleaning, and gardening. I’ve found that I much prefer to listen to fiction than to read it, because a good reader adds a rich layer of color to the text.
With my super-fancy “Platinum Annual Membership,” I receive 24 books per year for just under $10 per book. (I’ve used it so much this past year that I’m likely going to need to renew early, since I’ve almost run out of credits!) For the less devoted, you can try Audible for free, then choose your preferred type of subscription.
Audible is part of the advertising network to which I belong. By using any of these links to purchase a subscription, you support my work without costing yourself an extra cent.
Lately, I listened to pretty much everything by Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) available on audiobook. Some were merely so-so, but I’d definitely recommend A Rogue’s Life, The Moonstone, and The Woman in White. Here’s the full list:
- A Rogue’s Life by Wilkie Collins (5 stars, terribly witty and entertaining, very benevolent)
- The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (4 stars, wonderful mystery)
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (4 stars, very enjoyable mystery, fabulous heroine in Marian Halcombe)
- The Frozen Deep by Wilkie Collins (3 stars, worth hearing, but not fully satisfying)
- The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins (3 stars, enjoyable listen)
- Mr Wray’s Cash Box by Wilkie Collins (3 stars, okay)
- The Evil Genius by Wilkie Collins (2 stars, too-didactic story on the evils of divorce, and horribly read by John Bolen)
In addition, I just finished Middlemarch by George Eliot. I didn’t like that as much as The Mill on the Floss, because the plot never reached a proper climax. However, the story was engaging throughout, and the depth of insight into the characters was truly remarkable.
What’s next for me? I’m not sure!
