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While the weather has been so hot, I decided to do some inside cleaning and decluttering. While doing so I started to listen to some audio books instead of turning the radio on or putting a CD in the player. Maybe it is just me, but I found them to be very annoying.

I have no problem with the chosen books as they are from authors that I like. I do have a problem with the way the "actors" were reading the books. Why can't they just read the book instead of making the different characters have different voices. I don't assign different voices or accents to the characters when I read a book. In another book, Clive Cusslers' Treasures of Kahn, the "actor" was assigning the characters accents that sounded like they were Boris and Natasha from the Rocky and Bullwinlke cartoon. One of the main characters is of Italian decent, so the actor chose to have him sound like a character from the Sopranos. This character was born and raised in California, no New Jersey in him at all. If you can't do the accent, then jut don't do it. What's up with this?

I listened to about 10 CDs and tapes and all had this scenario going on. Very annoying. I do have a few more CDs left to listen to. I bought a bunch from a used book store that was going out of business and thought it would be great to listen to them when traveling. Are there any audio books out there that you have listened to that are just read and not "acted in"? If not, I don't think I will be buying any more audio books.

What are your thoughts? Linda

I borrow my Books on Tape from my local library. Some have character "voices" but many many just have a narrator reading. Some of the really good "readers" or several with distinctive styles you may find again and again across several different authors. If you read the "jacket" so to speak you can usually get an idea of who is reading the selection and if more than one reader is being used for different characters. I also have found some authors that read their own non-fiction selections are difficult to listen, too......

I so agree, I think some very good books have been ruined by the reader/readers!! I want them to just read me the book and spare me the dramatics! Also if you read the Amazon reviews a lot of people feel the same.

I've been a listener for years....When I was still working I had an exceptionally hard drive coming out of the mountains into work...super busy highway...lots of sand trucks & crazy drivers...was white knuckle every AM ... Anyhow, started borrowing the Books on Tape from the library & listened to them while making that horribly tense drive every day. It was wonderful...kept my mind off the crazies on the road. So now being retired & being a solo RVer...I'm still enjoying the audio tapes...Agree with you that a 'reader' can either make or break a novel....I have my favorites & when ordering online from my library I always check out to see whose reading my choices....My absolute favorite is Will Patton....He reads almost all of the James Lee Burke novels (my favorite author)...& I like the gal who reads the Patricia Cornwell novels...can't remember her name...Anyhow, just adding my 2 cents. I don't travel without audios....makes my day to relax & listen while I'm driving.....