We're Reading and Writing but no 'Rithmetic

You know I believe I said it before but it bears repeating - I HATE ABRIDGED Tapes.

I thought I would give one a try this week and I barely made it through. Maybe it works for non-fiction, but for fiction books I can not see myself ever listening to an abridged tape again.

but once again I was subjected to once of the worst narrations ever. I've mentioned doing the Left Behind series. Well the last two books I've done have had narrations that made it an effort to get through them. I can't remember who narrated the last one. But for The Remnant it was read by Jack Sonericker and I absolutely hated it. I do hope to get a better narrator for the next installment. I so wonder what happened to the original voice.

Just finished listening to a book on tape of this. It was performed by Ed Begley, Sr. and I thought it was worth the hour worth of time I devoted to it.

Just wanted to share. (It was a library loan - LAPL)

JOHN'S STORY. I finished it a bit ago and it was an Audiobook I checked out from the library (my favorite place). It is about the John in the New Testament and it written as him telling his story. Pretty interesting. I listened to it at bedtime and found it better than watching the news.

Life has been keeping us busy. It seems that we've had so many library videos to try to get through we haven't had time to get back to our book on tapes. I miss that because it is something we usually do as a family and I value family time.

Anyway, today was able to finish up #6 in the Left Behind series: ASSASSINS, Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist. The middle part lagged for me but by the time I was at the end I was kicking myself for not having #7 ready. So I'm about to head to the library website and put it on hold and hope it comes in sooner rather than later.

We've finally finished up Book 2 of the Genesis of Shannara Trilogy. I am looking forward to Book 3. Imagine my dismay when I went to the author's webpage and found out that the 3rd book - The Gypsy Morph is not expected until August of this year. Luckily we have two other audiobooks here to listen to during family listening time. We started My Sister's Keeper and so far it sounds like it will be good.

Just finished another audiobook - Raymond Chandler's Trouble is My Business. Have you ever read or listened to a book and afterwards still couldn't say if you like it or not? Well that is me with this one. Not sure if I will try any more of Chandler's stuff. It has been a blah period lately so I may give it another shot after I shake these blahs which are overdue to leave

-Love2Read

I've recently listened (and relistened) to Langston Hughes Reads. This was an audiobook of him reading his poetry. It also included commentary and reflections. I think I like his work even more now (and I really liked it before). Once again Thank You Los Angeles Public Library!

We've started another series (well actually completed book one). This one is part of The Malloreon series by David Eddings. We just completed Guardians of the West. It was enough to have me try to get book two. I want to see how some of the storylines turn out

This week we've been really busy. We've accomplished much but haven't found much time for blogging.

We were able to finish up another Radio Show series on CD. This one was Great Detective Radio Shows. I notice they did a lot of liquor and cigarette commercials in those days.

The 6 Classic Radio Programs included on the set we checked out from the library were
1. The Adventures of Sam Spade
2. Boston Blackie
3. Ellery Queen
4. Gangbusters
5. Richard Diamond
6. The Saint

We're currently listening to a new CD (while still reading up a storm). I've said it before but I am really glad my family is reconnecting with books/tapes/cd's this year. We also have two budding writers in the home and I hope to blog about their progress soon.

-Love2Read

We finished up another another set of Radio Shows on CD. They were pretty good. It was the History of Radio collection of "Great Suspense Radio Shows". There were 3 CDs with each having 2 episodes running about 1/2 hour each - including commercials.

Here are the classic programs we heard with the description from the back of the case

1. "Circumstantial Terror " Ronald Reagan
March 8, 1954: A man witnesses a crime and is ultimately blamed for it (29:27)

2. "Uncle Henry's Rosebush" Agnes Moorehead
June 29, 1943: Uncle Henry is missing (7:40)

3. "The Face is Familiar" Jack Benny
January 18, 1954: A man is tricked into robbing a bank (29:22)

4. "Woman in Red" Hans Conried
April 6, 1944: A murder is planned by a group of spies in Germany during World War II (28:28)

5. "The Name of the Beast" Vincent Price
April 11, 1946: An artist used his art to cover up a murder (28:28)

6. "The Signalman" Agnes Moorehead
March 23, 1953: A railroad station is haunted (28:07)

-Love2Read

Looks like we'll be finishing up this series tonight or tomorrow. I do wish they would have included some of the older commercials on them. It was nice that the case includes the day it aired (all of them from before I was born).

The programs included on this collection (with air dates) were

The Jack Benny Program 04/14/1946
The Burns & Allen Show 11/08/1945
The Abbot & Costello Show 04/25/1946
The Bickersons 03/30/1947
The Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy Show 06/11/1953
The Life of Riley 11/18/1949
Fibber McGee & molly 02/12/1952
The Great Gildersleeve 10/08/1947
Our Miss Brooks 05/05/1955
The Milton Berle Show 03/30/1948
Duffy's Tavern 01/05/1951
My Favorite Husband 02/24/1951

If you plan to do the Book On CDs, know that they are each a bit over 1 hour. I truly believe that it was well written to be thought provoking for both Christians and non-Christians.

Here is also the information from the back of the case:

Left Behind
A Novel of the Earth's Last Days
#1 in the Left Behind

What would happen if millions of people around the world suddenly disappeared one day? In this fascinating apocalyptic thriller, best-selling Christian inspirational authors LaHaye and Jenkins pool their considerable talents to answer that question. Narrator Richard Ferrone's unusually deep and hypnotic voice will keep you right in the middle of this not-unimaginable end of the world nightmare.

Pilot Rayford Steele is contemplating adultery with a young flight attendant when over 100 of his passengers simply vanish, leaving vacated clothes and bewildered companions. Rayford and the others left behind must deal with mass chaos on top of personal loss.

Among the passengers still left is star reporter Cameron "Buck" Williams, who just got the assignment of a lifetime: find out what happened and why. Theories abound, from Christian Rapture to alien abduction. Buck suspects secret meetings between international power brokers are somehow connected. And rising political icon Nicolae Carpathia seems to be at the center of it all.

Last night after LOST and ELI STONE we chose to do more of the tapes so we listened to #7. With only 10 in the set we're quickly coming to an end.

Tape 7
Stretch Snodgrass' Big Game 30:25
Le Frog 29:53

Well our 2nd CD player only got through track 8 (out of 25) before it decided it would take a rest so we're sticking with the Our Miss Brooks radio shows. We're really enjoying it.

Yesterday we listened to Tape 2. The episodes were

The Workhouse (which I really thought would be Workhorse) 29:20
Babysitting for Three 29:40

Eve Arden is doing a great job. I'm loving the cast and the good, clean, but actually funny -
fun.

-Love2Read (who may have to change to Love2Listen)

Lately I've been doing more self-help, self-improvement non fiction books. I haven't kept track the way I once did but hope to once again. Currently I am listening to YOU on Book on CD. I checked it out from the library. I usually listen to it while I am taking a bath.