LibriVox

[Steampunk]

Librivox accepts and appreciates everybody who volunteers in any capacity. We love accents; we love variety; we love books and voices. We embrace American Southerners who read Jane Austen and Scot Highlanders who read Zane Grey equally. All are welcome. There are no auditions. There are standards, but no barriers. All this and more has made Librivox one of the (or, THE, according to some) most prolific producer of audio books in the world. This is a direct result of the Librivox philosophy of openness and inclusiveness.

That being said, variety inevitably leads to variability, and there can be little argument that some recordings stand out for their excellence. While quality and enjoyment are subjective, even casual listening to the works in the Librivox catalog will reveal a recording or two that, for what ever reason, especially appeals to you. Maybe it’s just the story itself. Maybe it’s the voice, style, and characterizations of the reader that lets you close your eyes and transports you to the settings of the tale (hopefully you’re not driving when this happens). Or maybe--just maybe--it’s the background whine of the reader’s computer, or the hum of his air conditioner, or the timely barking of her neighbor’s dog that sets just that right tone you needed to really bring the story home for you. That experience, surely, should be shared. Well, here’s your chance.

The idea is to provide a way for those in the Librivox community to recognize outstanding works created by our volunteers. To accentuate the positive. To say, simply, “I liked this.”

My intention is to post these in the Wiki in as close to real-time as possible; real Life, etc. permitting.

Wiki link here:

http://librivox.org/wiki/moin.cgi/Steampunk/Favorites



If you like, of course, feel free to add a few words about why you liked a selection so much. Such comments will not be incorporated with the lists, but will be preserved in the discussion forum.

As always, suggestions and comments as to how to make this feature better are welcome. I hereby exempt myself from the “no criticism” policy. Though if you feel the need to be particularly vehement, a PM might be appropriate as there are kids about…

Let’s have fun with this!


Jim

[hugh]

Here are some of my faves:

NON-FICTION

* God and State, Mikhail Bakunin (solo)
seminal anarchist text, v well-read.

* China and the Chinese, Herbert Allen Giles (solo)
Wonderful exploration of Chinese culture, beautifully read.

* The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli
classic political text, still relevant.

* Poetics, by Aristotle (solo)
the great Greek gives you the low-down on how to write a screen-play. Wonderful idiosyncratic reading.

* Book of Tea, by Okakura Kakuzo (solo)
a meditative book on tea, flower arranging, art, life, zen, and more. published in 1906. beautiful.

FICTION

* The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells (solo)
Alex Foster’s great rendition of curious Wells tale of the nasty man who disappears.

* The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson (solo)
RLS’s cautionary story of scientific hubris.

* The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (solo)
dashing adventure in the age of the French Revolution.

* Parenticide Clube, Ambrose Bierce (solo)
very funny, but very very dark.

* Heart of Darkness (solo)
conrad’s tale read by a young woman w american accent. odd but it works, somehow.

* Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, John Cleland
very saucy Victorian pornography.

* War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells (solo)
the great sci-fi adventure.

*Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs (solo)
gripping tale of a young British lord raised among the apes of Africa.
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hughmcguire.net |bookoven.com

[hugh]

could I suggest we change the title of the post to something like: "what are your favourite recordings" ... or something, without the word vote? My hope would be that this thread can be a place where people post about and talk about recordings they like best, but I'd avoid the voting metaphor or mechanics, if possible.
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hughmcguire.net |bookoven.com

[hugh]

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hughmcguire.net |bookoven.com

[Steampunk]

[musicmaiden]

Favorites so far, though I haven't listened to very much compared to what's in the catolog. I'll post here as I find more! There's a lot that I like, but I think these are some of the best I've heard.

SOLO: Rilla of Ingleside, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, read by Karen Savage
The first book I burned on cd, a great reading. If anyone understands this, she reads the way Rilla talks (or at least the way I think she talks!). I like the other characters too: Susan, Mr. Pryor, Norman Douglas.
http://librivox.org/rilla-of-ingleside-by-lucy-maud-montgomery/

SHORT STORY: The Open Window, by Saki, read by Marc
As far as I could tell this is the only reading Marc did, but it’s awesome. I've always liked this story, and this reading makes me laugh every time. "Romance at short notice was her specialty."
http://librivox.org/short-story-collection-003/

CHAPTER: Chapter 6 of The Golden Road, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, read by Karen Savage
gypsygirl again! This chapter is a family favorite, my siblings love it! It’s a funny story by itself even if you don’t read the rest of the book.
http://librivox.org/the-golden-road-by-lucy-maud-montgomery/
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www.musicmaiden.wordpress.com
I feel more like I do now than I did when I first got here.

[Bigbuckhunter]

The Scarlet Pimpernel books, read by Karen Savage
I really enjoyed these books, as did my brother.

The O'Henry books, read by Marion Brown.
These came in handy on our familys trip to GA when I was sitting in the car. I downloaded them onto my Dads laptop, plugged in the headphones, and Librivoxed away.

I enjoy everybodys reading's, these are just a few of my favorites, taken from my very short-spanned listening. I appreciate everybody that takes the time to supply these books for the listening enjoyment of the rest of us. THANK YOU
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If at first you don't succeed, don't try skydiving.

[Steampunk]

Excellent! Excellent! The unintended consequence of monitoring this thread closely is my list of must-listens will quickly expand beyond what I can reasonably expect to get around to. Oh well, I guess there are worse problems to have...


Jim

[Speculaas]

I have too many favorites! Here they are, grouped by reader:

Solo reads:
Andy Minter: The Prisoner of Zenda (Anthony Hope), Rupert of Hentzau (Anthony Hope), The Card (Arnold Bennett)
Kara Shallenberg: Heidi (Johanna Spyri), The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
Mark Nelson: Right Ho Jeeves (P. G. Wodehouse), My Man Jeeves (P. G. Wodehouse), Love Among the Chickens (P. G. Wodehouse)
Adrian Praetzellis: Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson), The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame)

The most recent ones I listened to are the stories by P.G. Wodehouse. They actually made me smile while listening . That's not for a small part the result of Mark's reading. The way that he reads the text always fits perfectly with the characters and the situation they are in.


Dutch solo reads:
Anna Simons: Majoor Frans (A.L.G. Bosboom-Toussaint), De lotgevallen van Ferdinand Huyck (Jacob van Lennep)

Ferdinand Huyck was fantastic (once I got past the boring introduction). Not only is the story full of entertaining adventure and mystery, but I also love hearing the old language and reading about the customs in those days. Plus I actually know most of the places and streets that are mentioned in the story It's great to be able to listen to a Dutch audiobook once in a while; sometimes I suffer from an English language overdose.


Short German:
Kara Shallenberg: Struwwelpeter (Heinrich Hoffman)

[kayray]

Oh, I have so many favorites. I'll have to post a few at a time, I think!

To start:

(solo, adventure, humor) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, read by Annie Coleman (LibraryLady)
http://librivox.org/the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn-by-mark-twain/

(solo, adventure) The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, read by Karen Savage (GypsyGirl)
http://librivox.org/the-scarlet-pimpernel-by-baroness-emmuska-orczy/

(collab, humor) Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K. Jerome
http://librivox.org/three-men-in-a-boat-by-jerome-k-jerome/

(solo, humor) The Awful German Language, by Mark Twain, read by Rainer (raynr)
http://librivox.org/the-awful-german-language-by-mark-twain/
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Kara
http://kayray.org/
--------
"Mary wished to say something very sensible into her USB MacMice MicFlex, but knew not how." -- Jane Austen (& Kara)

[PaulW]

My top four (completed) solos (to this point in time)

1. Laurie Anne Walden (chocoholic), The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

1. Mark Nelson (sjmarky), The Cosmic Computer, by H. Beam Piper.

1. Andy Minter (ExEmGe), Four Max Carrados Detective Stories, by Ernest Bramah.

1. Mark Smith (Kaffen), The Mysterious Island, by Jules Verne.

Yep, they're all tied for Number 1 in my book. Well done all!

(edited 17 May '08 to add Mark Smith...I have no EARTHLY idea how I missed him on my first post....)
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Paul
DPL: Brigands of the Moon; Brain Twister

[russiandoll]

I'm in two minds whether to post here or start another thread, as I'm not actually about to nominate specific recordings - but, hey, here I am.

I'd like to give a little cheer for two relatively new readers who may not have the volume of contributions under their belts, or solo projects, or long-standing completed works in the catalogue to have been heard by many yet, but whom I think are doing a really nice job. Now, I speak as someone, by the way, who hasn't done much Librivox listening at all - odd sections here and there, really, mostly from projects I'm involved with myself. But of the very limited amount I've heard, these are two 'Oh, I like listening to that voice' people.

So thank you to icyjumbo and geoffcowgill, and please carry on!
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English is the lingua franca par excellence

[Steampunk]

[EllCee]

I love this place.
I would makes some recordings except I have a speech impediment which limits me to some extent. , so prolly the only thing I can do here to be worthwhile is to send a money time to time and to participate on the boards as much as I can.

I love the classics, the really long ones, and the short sci-fics are great too. I also DL the adventures that I read when a child. Example: the lost world, Robinson Caruso, Swiss family Robinson. I also like the short horror tales. I enjoy all i have DL so far.

Thank you for being here
Ell

[knotyouraveragejo]

Ell,

Glad to hear you have enjoyed what you've listened to from the catalog so far. All our books need proofllistening before they are cataloged which is an area you can help with even if you don't do any recording. We have a number of dedicated prooflisteners who do this already. Prooflistening to projects in progress gives you a bit of a sneak preview of the new books if you'd like to think of it that way.

If you think you might be interested, have a look over in the Listeners Wanted forum. The whole prooflistening process is described in the Announcement thread at the top of the that forum:

http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=724

Once you've been around for a bit and become more familiar with the whole process, you can also consider coordinating a book for others to read if you'd like to be more involved. As I hope you can see from this post, there are opportunities to volunteer without actually recording.

Jo
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"Where the human mind cannot explain or prove, there it invents; preferring a semblance of knowledge to its total absence." - Ribot