Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Well, I'm listening to A Dangerous Thing for the second time. :D

"Lots of red meat. Lots of chilled beer. It was like feeding a lion with a drinking problem."

Bwahaha, Adrien, you are so funny. :D

Johanna wrote: "Vivian wrote: "M wrote: "Just FYI, if you're on Facebook, you still have a little bit of time to get in on a giveaway. We are giving away one of any of Josh's titles on Audible.com. It's a fun litt..."

You should join in with us. We're a friendly bunch. There are always room for more! We laugh. a lot!! I'm afraid I'm GR challenged and don't know how to make italics.

M wrote: "I'm afraid I'm GR challenged and don't know how to make italics. "

If you click "(some html is ok)" on the right above the comment box, you will see the options you can use. Italics look like this, except with angle brackets instead of square brackets:

[i]words you want italicized[/i]

That giveaway sounds awesome! Too bad I'm not on FB. Can't stand that place! Good luck to those who enter!

Jordan wrote: "That giveaway sounds awesome! Too bad I'm not on FB. Can't stand that place! Good luck to those who enter!"

Likewise on both accounts. I don't doubt the FB crowd is amazing, but I gave up FB 4 years ago, I don't plan on ever going back.

Mr. Lanyon knows I think he's the bees knees. :D

Yup, I gave it up when it was still just for college students! That's about ten years ago now I think. And now there are way cool people on there like Josh and the friends I've made since moving, but I'm still not going back. GR is enough for me with the occasional Tweet here and there.

Jordan wrote: "Yup, I gave it up when it was still just for college students! That's about ten years ago now I think. And now there are way cool people on there like Josh and the friends I've made since moving, b..."

I have a dislike of Facebook. Problem is my entire family, scattered as they are, are on there, so I have been checking in more regularly. I am sharing cat pictures with the rest of 'em.

It is nice to watch the author updates, though. I'm following many author pages and that's kind of cool. At some point something on FB will annoy me and I'll drop it for a while again.

I really dislike Facebook. People keep inviting me to play games, or like their pages, or "attend" some book publication non-event. Blech. (Yeah, I know, shame on me for not taking full advantage of social media promo ops, but I can't stand cluttering up my life with junk like that.)

Well, then we'll just have to run the occasional giveaway here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. :-)

I love my FB gang. Between FB and our GR group, I don't really have time or energy for more social media. I need to decide what to do with Twitter. Every so often I'm in the mood for it, but mostly I just set up pre-dated posts.

Juthi wrote: "Do you use any other social media K.Z?"

Aside from my own blog, I've grown rather fond of Twitter, and I enjoy visiting others' blogs as well as this group. Have a Pinterest page, too, but that site isn't very interactive.

I do get on FB occasionally, but I hate all the blabber and games and spam. Too much superfluous junk. (That's one of the reasons I rarely visit the m/m romance group here on GR. It's got a bazillion forums and discussion threads, which I find terribly confusing.)

Have y'all seen this? I think I'm in love. :)

K.Z. wrote: "Have y'all seen this? I think I'm in love. :) "

OMG! Thank you for posting this, K.Z.! Probably the coolest thing I've seen for a while. I'm in love, too!!! :-)

I guess not all Canadians are as boring as day-old white bread. :-D

Given that I've always hated the David Bowie original, it says a lot for Chris Hadfield that I actually enjoyed this video! I could hear many of the lyrics clearly for the first time, too.

I think he's been doing an amazing job generally - I love the photos of the Earth which he's been tweeting (since I'm not on Twitter I see them when someone else posts them). But he came back to Earth today.

I am listening to some 80s pop on my MP3 player at work. I have some long, boring work to slog through (which is why I've been here off and on all day).

Let me just say that Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax does not go well with Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

I need to adjust my play list a bit, eh? I wonder what DOES go with Relax?

I found something equivalent to the much-maligned literature map, put in Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and these came up:

Howard Jones, Propaganda, Art of Noise, Simple Minds, and Holly Johnson.

From what I remember of the ones I recognise, I don't think that's much help! But I think Relax! is so unusual that I'm not sure anything goes with it.

I have Simple Minds, but no, doesn't mesh well either. Too mellow. :)

I'll just have to move up Rebel Yell and White Wedding. Still doesn't mesh very well, but better than Jimmy Buffett.

K.Z. wrote: "Have y'all seen this? I think I'm in love. :) "

Oh, that's for real! (I went to check it though! ;-)

Thank you for the link!

IMO Canada is highly regarded by many people in Europe: lots of interesting writers/movie directors/musicians, and a reputation for being more tolerant and less weapon crazy than its southern neighbour.

Antonella wrote: "IMO Canada is highly regarded by many people in Europe: lots of interesting writers/movie directors/musicians, and a reputation for being more tolerant and less weapon crazy than its southern neighbour. ..."

I know a lot of cool Canadians, and I've threatened to move up there a few times due to our crazy politics. But then I'm smack in the middle of conservative country.

Lots of like minded knitters up there. :)

And I LOVED that video. The song is still going through my head.

Antonella wrote: "IMO Canada is highly regarded by many people in Europe: lots of interesting writers/movie directors/musicians, and a reputation for being more tolerant and less weapon crazy than its southern neighbour."

I think Americans joke about Canadians being boring precisely because Canada is such a sane, humane nation compared with U.S. It's humor born of envy. And shame.

So many, many times, as my SO and I watch the news or some reality TV show, we'll groan and say, "God, this is the image we're presenting to the world? No wonder everybody hates us!"

Sad to say, the phrase ugly American is all too often justified. Whenever I read the comments at CNN's site, for example, I want to petition for residency in another country. :(

K.Z. wrote: "So many, many times, as my SO and I watch the news or some reality TV show, we'll groan and say, "God, this is the image we're presenting to the world? No wonder everybody hates us!""

Talking of WTF reactions from the rest of the world to events in the US... I couldn't believe that a university professor was arrested for commenting in a rather colourful way (ok, she used the f-word) about graphic pro-life posters displayed in everybody's sight. The police should have arrested the people displaying such horrors!

See here:

I have just started listening to the CUTYS audio book, actually a gift from Johanna - thank you dear! Now I know what you all are talking about :). I love the narration, very warm voice. And like someone else commented, the first lines I was somewhat startled he read with an American accent. Duh!

I notice he drops his g's at the end of words ending with -ing, like talking, writing and so on. I guess that is part of the dialect? I like it, it makes the whole narration more alive, more like talking than reading, if you understand what I mean.

The lovely lovely language in the book comes so alive when I listen, I can never appreciate it enough when I read with my own clumsy, Norwegian accent.

Like I told Johanna, I have promised to knit my daughter a sweater which is going to be a looong project, so now I know what I shall listen to while knitting :)

Anne wrote: "Like I told Johanna, I have promised to knit my daughter a sweater which is going to be a looong project, so now I know what I shall listen to while knitting :) "

I'm glad that you like it, too! It's such a wonderful book and wonderful narration.

And in case your knitting project takes a while longer than CUTYS lasts you still have Adrien, Kit, Perry etc. pp. to look forward to. :)

Calathea wrote: "Anne wrote: "Like I told Johanna, I have promised to knit my daughter a sweater which is going to be a looong project, so now I know what I shall listen to while knitting :) "

I'm glad that you li..."

My thoughts exactly :)

Anne wrote: "I have just started listening to the CUTYS audio book, actually a gift from Johanna - thank you dear! Now I know what you all are talking about :). I love the narration, very warm voice. And like someone else commented, the first lines I was somewhat startled he read with an American accent. Duh! "

Ditto! That is, thanks to Johanna I also started to listen to CUTYS, and I was also a bit shocked at the beginning. But then I got used to it and I thought that in fact it my inner voice when I read it was ''wrong'', because Swift and Max are Americans!

Pity I don't knit though!

Glad to hear you two are enjoying the audio book. :-)

Anne wrote: "I love the narration, very warm voice."

Yes, I agree. Paul's voice is warm and nicely mature. And I adore the way he does Swift and Max... only with a slight, delicate difference between them, but enough to recognize their personality.

Antonella wrote: "Pity I don't knit though!"

LOL. But I remember you starting to exercise after Christmas, right? ;-)

Johanna wrote: "LOL. But I remember you starting to exercise after Christmas, right? ;-)

Yes, but I like to be ''present'' when I go jogging. I wouldn't use music or, now, an audiobook.

Antonella wrote: "Johanna wrote: "LOL. But I remember you starting to exercise after Christmas, right? ;-)

Yes, but I like to be ''present'' when I go jogging. I wouldn't use music or, now, an audiobook."

You could use the book to cheer up other things you do when you don't need to be "present" e.g. washing up dishes, dusting, even gardening maybe? Or driving.

So glad that you and Anne are discovering the joys of Josh's audiobooks. Thank you Johanna!!

Antonella wrote: "Johanna wrote: "LOL. But I remember you starting to exercise after Christmas, right? ;-)

Yes, but I like to be ''present'' when I go jogging. I wouldn't use music or, now, an audiobook."

That's interesting. You don't like music while you jog or walk? Granted, if you live in a place where the scenery is beautiful and you can listen to birds and the wind, you wouldn't need anything.

For the most part I love music when I walk. Unless I'm so stressed out that even soothing stuff doesn't work for me. I think I got over that recently and have gone back to listening to my MP3 player on my walk home at night. Then I got the flat tires fixed on my bike and have been using that to go to work. Can't have music on the road in the city!

When I used to drive the music had to be loud and singable. Interactive music kept me awake behind the wheel. An audio book definitely wouldn't, I'm afraid.

Speaking of walking, I do feel like getting outside after two days of cleaning and walking around the track for a bit. Maybe I can write when I get back.

My usual soundtrack for walking the track is Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron. It's good to right a depressing mood because it has happy songs, sad songs, angry and action sequence songs.

Today though, I might go with simple ocean waves. I think I need them.

Josh wrote: "You don't like music while you jog or walk? Granted, if you live in a place where the scenery is beautiful and you can listen to birds and the wind, you wouldn't need anything."

I live 15 minutes from the city centre (by bike, on foot + bus, on foot + train), but it looks like countryside. There is the noise of cowbells/river/wind in the trees/birds to be heard.

Antonella wrote: "Josh wrote: "You don't like music while you jog or walk? Granted, if you live in a place where the scenery is beautiful and you can listen to birds and the wind, you wouldn't need anything."

I liv..."

That sounds lovely, Antonella :)

I don't use music when I am out of doors walking either (I don't run). If I am in the countryside/mountains I want the sound of nature. If I walk or bicycle in the city, I am so afraid of not hearing any bicyclist or car coming after me, I don't dare using my I-pod. I live so much inside my head so I need all my senses to ensure I don't just walk into traffic and get hit...

When I exercise indoors on the other hand, loud music helps a lot. :)

And looky here! Look what's live!

Josh wrote: "And looky here! Look what's live!

"

YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) A perfect way to start a holiday.

ETA: Oh wow. What a voice this David guy has. Wow.

Josh wrote: "And looky here! Look what's live!"

Congratulations on getting it released, Josh. From listening to the sample I am in love again with another one of your narrator choices. Well done!

Josh wrote: "And looky here! Look what's live!

"

And here I am sitting on a shiny pile of credits. Got it. :)

I was unfaithful to Josh with this month's Audible credit and I'm currently listening to Patrick Ness's The Knife of Never Letting Go. Which is I love and it's great to be experiencing it in a new way.



Am I the only one who tends to go for audio books of books I've already read? Or does anyone get books that are new to them? If so do you end up reading them afterwards?

Becky wrote: "Am I the only one who tends to go for audio books of books I've already read? Or does anyone get books that are new to them? If so do you end up reading them afterwards? ..."

I also look for old favorites in audio, but I've also gotten books that are new to me in audio only, and have enjoyed them. So a bit of both.

Becky wrote: "Am I the only one who tends to go for audio books of books I've already read? Or does anyone get books that are new to them? If so do you end up reading them afterwards? ..."

You're not the only one - I tend to do this too. I discover new things about books when I listen to them.

I don't tend to get new books, partly because audiobooks are more expensive and so I save my credits for books I know I want. When I have done it, I've been frustrated when I've subsequently searched for them on Kindle, forgetting that I don't have a written copy!

I do buy new books on CD on eBay or secondhand i.e. when they're not so expensive that I'll resent it if I don't like them. I've listed to several by Jennifer Crusie that way - I prefer it to reading her books!

Becky wrote: "I was unfaithful to Josh with this month's Audible credit and I'm currently listening to Patrick Ness's The Knife of Never Letting Go. Which is I love and it's great to be experiencing it in a new ..."

I am a novice with audio books, but thanks to Johanna I have now listened to Cutys after read it myself twice. And the other day I broke down and bought the audio version of Fair Game, which I have also read before, and had planned to re-read anyway. Now I will listen in stead of read. The only other audio book I have tried is the Hunger Games, which I will not read by myself. It is ok to listen to while knitting, but not interesting enough to re- read.

As a non- native English speaker, it is easier to listen when I already have seen the words visually, I miss some nuances when the audio is my first impression of the text. On the other hand, while listening to the text after having read it first, I get more details and nuances.

I guess this is my rather long winded way of saying that reading and listening are very different experiences and by doing both, I get more out of the story than by only doing the one or the other. The funny thing is, I only realised this when I started to write about the experience now :).

It also became clear that not all books "deserves" to be both read and listened to.

A good audiobook reader must be a rare gem. It's like an actor having to play all the parts in a play, maybe including those of opposite sex characters and child characters without resorting to silly voices (and I've heard that done. :shudder:) Got to make all the voices distinctive again without slipping into making them sound silly. No sound effects or music like they'd have doing audio drama, so they have to create the atmosphere themselves. There can't be many actors with this particular skillset!

Josh wrote: "And looky here! Look what's live!

"

Congratulations with the release!

Becky wrote: "A good audiobook reader must be a rare gem. It's like an actor having to play all the parts in a play, maybe including those of opposite sex characters and child characters without resorting to sil..."

I agree, it is amazing what a good reader can create just with his or her voice.

Great for persons who don't understand musical notation (=me):

Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #4, Visualized by the Great Music Animation Machine

Josh wrote: "And looky here! Look what's live!

"

Yay! I got it. I'd been checking every other day or so. Interesting voice.

Yes, Johanna, what a great way to start a holiday... except I've got one more day of classroom packing up to do. Well, I'm set for tonight and the weekend.

Josh wrote: "And looky here! Look what's live!

"

Yeeeees! Congrats on the release, Josh!
Got it first thing this morning! And perfect timing, too. Now I know what to listen to while driving home tonight.

I finished listening to Strange Fortune today. It's even better in audio. Somehow this kind of adventure story lends itself very good to be narrated. Very much like cinema in my head. :)

Calathea wrote: "I finished listening to Strange Fortune today. It's even better in audio. Somehow this kind of adventure story lends itself very good to be narrated. Very much like cinema in my head. :)"

I liked the classic narration style for this one -- to me the story has that kind of feel. And I loved Lazarus's voice for Strange.

Devotion by Cheb I Sabbah. Love this album. His best, I think.