Looking for a new Audiobook for long runs!

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  • Cat52169
    Cat52169 Posts: 277 Member
    I have Becoming a Better You by Joel Osteen. Pretty good read/listen :smile:
  • salgalruns
    salgalruns Posts: 83 Member
    I spend 70 min/day listening to audiobooks on my commute and pretty much pull out my iPod from the car to use on my runs. It generally works that way because I'm already into the story. Thus, I have a lot of audiobooks that have held my interest:

    1. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall started my audiobooks via running scenario... (Running while listening to an audiobook about running. LOL)

    2. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - this one is 40 hours but is my all time favorite. Narration is spectacular.

    3. Janet Evanovich books are fantastic - very light, very easy to follow, don't take much focus. Plus, they're shorter.

    4. Love Jillian Michaels' podcasts - hers are fantastic to listen to, and highly engaging. You've got a good mix of information meshed in with some snark. My cup of tea.

    I never have a problem stopping a book either. If it doesn't grab me by audio, then I might switch to eBook instead. No biggie. I DID listen to Alex Cross (James Patterson) novels, but I tend to run outside and night and was freaking myself out, so that stopped pretty fast. ;)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    1. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall started my audiobooks via running scenario... (Running while listening to an audiobook about running. LOL)
    I forgot about this one- I listened to it about a year ago and it really is fantastic and motivating!
    2. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - this one is 40 hours but is my all time favorite. Narration is spectacular.
    This is one of my all time favorite books- I could totally listen to this story even having read the book!

    Thanks for the suggestions! I have a feeling we have similar tastes in books. :happy:
    I'll have to give Jillian's podcasts a try.
  • Tina0807
    Tina0807 Posts: 212
    The Michael Connelly books. We get them from the library. He has tons of them and they keep you on your toes. They are crime/mystery novels.
    Here is the link to his books in their series order. Hope you enjoy.
    http://www.michaelconnelly.com/extras/series/
  • tracyface399
    tracyface399 Posts: 83 Member
    I loved the Outlander books on audio! Very long, but I think awesome.
    Also, ADdiscovery of Witches
  • poshcouture
    poshcouture Posts: 610
    You've come to the right place! I'm the audiobook guru! Okay, that's self proclaimed...but still. May I suggest Jeffrey Deaver, Catherine Coulter's FBI crime series, Robert B. Parker?
  • Tina0807
    Tina0807 Posts: 212
    Janet Evanovich's "Plum series" is also very good. I am addicted to her!!!! :love:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    For non-fiction: Consider In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Well written, and very educational.
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Bag of Bones by Stephen King is a WONDERFUL, long book read by Stephen King.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    And don't forget about podcasts too. They are great to listen to while running.

    Do you have any suggestions? I listen to a couple different ones, but mostly science nerd stuff that is better suited for sitting at my desk.

    Radio National (Australia) has great free podcasts - I'm a fan of Life Matters - they have all kind of stories and it's rare I don't find them interesting. Check them out.
  • PicNic00
    PicNic00 Posts: 269 Member
    Bag of Bones by Stephen King is a WONDERFUL, long book read by Stephen King.

    AMAZING BOOK! Creepy too
  • ssbarfarkle
    ssbarfarkle Posts: 150 Member
    Good call on podcasts. I like the Old Time Radio Shows like The Shadow, Dragnet, Have Gun Will Travel, Boston Blackie, Suspense, The Whistler, and the list goes on. They are usually about 30 minutes long.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    I just finished listening to Special Topics in Calamity Physics in my car. It is LONG but really holds your interest. Kind of dense at times. It's a mystery of sorts so don't read too much about if if you're going to read it but here is the amazon link:

    http://www.amazon.com/Special-Topics-Calamity-Physics-Marisha/dp/067003777X
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Kate White (who also the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan) has a really fun series of murder mysteries with a female journalist as the protagonist.

    I've listed to all of her books on long walks/hikes.

    I've had an audible membership for years! I love audiobooks!
  • Purple_Orchid_87
    Purple_Orchid_87 Posts: 517 Member
    i would really like audiobooks for my ipod for when i walk, but i cant find any free downloads - are there any? im only looking a couple
  • elf618
    elf618 Posts: 317 Member
    Unbroken was a great biography that I listened to on a long drive. The story is engaging about a runner turned WW2 POW. Highly recommend.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    The Help was a very good audiobook. I listened to the unabridged version which is 18 hours on my drive from NC to MN and it really made the time go by.

    I have been thinking about using audiobooks for my runs so it is nice to see others that do it as well.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    i would really like audiobooks for my ipod for when i walk, but i cant find any free downloads - are there any? im only looking a couple

    check your library. Most allow for checking out of audiobooks now.
  • txlissa62
    txlissa62 Posts: 128
    i would really like audiobooks for my ipod for when i walk, but i cant find any free downloads - are there any? im only looking a couple

    Try your public library. Ours has lots of audiobooks for loan. There are also web sites where you can get books that are free from the public domain (meaning no longer copyrighted). You can also get a free 30-day trial from audible.com, which includes one free audiobook. Here's a link: http://www.audible.com/t1/PBRP0349RA040209?source_code=PBRP0349RA040209

    I usually listen to podcasts. My absolute favorite is Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me. It's a funny weekly news quiz on NPR with a rotating panel of celebrity (though not A-list) panelists. When Paula Poundstone is on, it's usually comedy gold. I also like Car Talk and This American Life. This American Life also has a smartphone app (cost 2.99) where you can have access to their entire archive. There are some fascinating stories on there. www.thisamericanlife.org.

    I had a membership for Audible.com for a while, but usually downloaded comedy and/or memoirs. David Sedaris is a favorite, as is Tom Bodett (the voice from the Motel 6 commercials). Carol Burnett's career memoirs (This Time Together) was a wonderful listen as well. All of these books were read by the author, which made it even better.

    A guy I work with listens to a lot of audiobooks, and he said The Help was one of the best he had listened to recently. Not just because of the story, but he said the actors were fantastic.
  • nwhitley
    nwhitley Posts: 619
    Unbroken was a great biography that I listened to on a long drive. The story is engaging about a runner turned WW2 POW. Highly recommend.

    Ooooo!! I read this book and it is SO GOOD!!! Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to download it for my next long run. Everyone needs to read this book!!
  • ayshamc
    ayshamc Posts: 226 Member
    Thank you....I wanted to get back into double Gym sessions and am so so bored with the same old music to work out to and I had never thought about Audio Books! :flowerforyou:

    I just downloaded a 19 hour audio book - not free unfortunately, £14.95 (iTunes is so expensive :frown: !!) but for 19 hours it means that I will hopefully keep up the double's in the Gym and away from the Wine/Nights out where I would spend a whole load more :laugh:
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Thank you....I wanted to get back into double Gym sessions and am so so bored with the same old music to work out to and I had never thought about Audio Books! :flowerforyou:

    I just downloaded a 19 hour audio book - not free unfortunately, £14.95 (iTunes is so expensive :frown: !!) but for 19 hours it means that I will hopefully keep up the double's in the Gym and away from the Wine/Nights out where I would spend a whole load more :laugh:

    Yeah, they are kind of expensive to buy- but like you said- 19 hrs of entertainment is a bargain! Just think about how expensive it is to see a 2-hr movie.

    P.S. I started on the first book of the Dresden files, and logged 70 happy minutes on the treadmill yesterday with it. I kind of wish I could speed up the narration a little bit- I know you can do that on an ipod- but my current phone is a WP7 w/ zune interface- anyone know if you can speed up playback with zune?
  • ayshamc
    ayshamc Posts: 226 Member
    Yeah, they are kind of expensive to buy- but like you said- 19 hrs of entertainment is a bargain! Just think about how expensive it is to see a 2-hr movie.

    Exactly!! I am going to go in the morning so hopefully it will keep me entertained on the Elliptical for a while - I tend to "day dream" into the story when I am reading a book so I hope it will be the same with the Audio Book....and my legs remember to keep moving :laugh:
  • LPCoder
    LPCoder Posts: 404 Member
    If you don't mind bursting out in laughter try the Nice Girls Don't series by Molly Harper. I LMAO listening to it.
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
    Love audiobooks so I want to see what the responses are. I listen to kid friendly audiobooks mostly because my son listens to them with me. So I don't have one for you.
  • Rurouni_Kou
    Rurouni_Kou Posts: 180 Member
    Two series that I love on audiobook are Harry Potter (DON'T JUDGE ME!) and A Great and Terrible Beauty and it's two follow ups (also young adult, but great fun)

    The only connections between the two is that they involve magic and are read by British people, haha.

    Not judging you! 'Cause I also recommend the Harry Potter audio books. Jim Dale, the narrator for them, is one of the BEST voice actors I've ever listened to. Those audio books are outstanding! The HP books in are outstandingly written, too!

    I'd also recommend anything by Terry Pratchett, particularly the Diskworld series. Good books!
  • Blozzer
    Blozzer Posts: 6 Member
    If you go to GOODREADS.COM you can build up play lists and it will recommend books on you favorite author, genre or anything really.
    I have found some real gems that i thought were not my style at all but really enjoyed them.

    Good luck
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
    You can also check them out through Library 2 Go if your local library is signed up with them. You download it and your ready to go. You can choose how many days up to 21 I believe then when it is up you delete it and have get a new book.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Thank you....I wanted to get back into double Gym sessions and am so so bored with the same old music to work out to and I had never thought about Audio Books! :flowerforyou:

    I just downloaded a 19 hour audio book - not free unfortunately, £14.95 (iTunes is so expensive :frown: !!) but for 19 hours it means that I will hopefully keep up the double's in the Gym and away from the Wine/Nights out where I would spend a whole load more :laugh:
    Do you have access to audible.com? 9.99USD a month for one "free" book, and discounts on others.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I love listening to the Harry Dresden books - the author is Jim Butcher. I also like listening to Janet Evanovich books on tape. They are funny and cute.
    What are the Harry Dresden books about?

    They are about a wizard in Chicago. He is the only practicing wizard and helps the police solve supernatural crimes. It doesn't sound terribly interesting but there are some moments of great wit and humor. The story lines are captivating. I'll admit- I only started listening to them because they are read by James Marsters (he played Spike on Buffy). He does such a fantastic job with the books. I am on the 4th book and they just get better and better.
    I downloaded Storm Front!! I'm really enjoying it. It's great fun on a run! Thanks!
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