Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - October Audiobook - Update October 2, 2020 - Second Update - October 7


October 7 -  Those of you that follow Armitage news on Twitter and Facebook already know that both of the Christie books narrated by Richard have now suddenly and mysteriously appeared in Audible Plus.

Initially it seemed purchasing the audiobooks was not a possibility.  Thanks to other Armitage fans with the same problem, the solution seemed to be to uninstall and then install the Audible App on your phone or tablet.  I unfortunately was able to purchase only Book #2 since I made the mistake of adding Book #1 to my library and downloading it on my tablet before I knew the trick. Very weird all around by Audible.

Why purchase the books since they are "free" on Audible Plus?  Because on Audible Plus they have an expiration date.  It's like borrowing from a library, except you are paying for your membership. I don't really understand how Audible Plus is a good business  move for Audible?  I'm missing something.

Anyway,  I'm now happy to have the two books back with Richard Armitage narrating and have started to listen to Book #1, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.  


        OCT 2 - PLEASE READ MY UPDATE AT THE END OF THIS BLOG POST.  I'M TOO DEPRESSED RIGHT NOW TO MAKE ANOTHER OCTOBER SELECTION.

 


October Audiobook Challenge 

An Audiobook Narrated by a Famous Narrator

My Choice 
Two audiobooks narrated by my favorite narrator

RICHARD ARMITAGE


I have been waiting for the October challenge since I started this in January.  I was really hoping Richard would have one new audiobook out just in time.  Imagine how happy I was to find out he would have two books out on October 6.

Both books, The Mysterious Affair at Styles and The Murder on the Links are Book #1 and #2 of the Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie.  

The release of both books this October commemorate 100 Years of Agatha Christie Stories: 





As a mystery lover, Agatha Christie reader, and admirer of Richard Armitage I am very much looking forward to listening to both books in October.

Thank you Audible.

📚📖📱💻


Another wonderful thing about the October Audiobook Challenge is that Listening Books has selected an audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage as one of their "October Listening Challenge - Listen to a Book With a Famous Narrator" suggestions:



Sylvester by Georgette Heyer



Click below to find out more about this audiobook:




"Richard Armitage turns in a stellar performance of the lovelorn and hasty hero of Heyer's Regency romance. Even better, Armitage creates wonderful voices for the female characters--from the stern society matrons to the giddy debutantes. Armitage moves the narrative along at a breezy, gossipy pace that is perfectly suited to the novel's action and scene descriptions..." 
"The charm of Heyer's characters and Armitage's skillful performance will have the listener longing for more." R.F. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine



Update October 2, 2020

So today I received a mysterious email from Audible (see below) and contacting them today they can't tell me what has happened, or even when the two audiobooks, scheduled for October 6, will be published.  

Below is their email:

Dear

We have good news for you. The Agatha Christie title(s) you pre-ordered will now be available in the Audible Plus Catalog on their release day. That means they will be available for free. With that, we are canceling your pre-order, you won’t be charged.

Remember, you can keep your Audible Plus titles for as long as your membership is active and they remain in the Audible Plus Catalog. If you’d like to keep them forever in your library, you may purchase them on the day they become available.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.

Happy Listening!
The Audible Team

10:34pm -
Another message from Audible tonight.  The two audiobooks have been "postponed indefinitely" 

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Stages of Retirement - What Stage Am I In?

 



I  found out today that researcher Robert Atchley identified the stages of retirement:


Stage 1: Planning. ...

Stage 2: Excitement. ...

Stage 3: Honeymoon. ...

Stage 4: Disenchantment. ...

Stage 5: Reorientation & Stability. ...


I am at the final stages of Stage 1 Planning and waiting to feel the Excitement of Stage 2 soon, very soon.  

What a strange time to retire.  I can't pursue several activities that I had planned in my mind that I could start at this moment.  Right now the pandemic makes going out in the world a dangerous act.  

To be truthful I feel more relief than excitement right now. Maybe there should be an interim stage between Planning and Excitement. 

Stage 1.5: Relief.

At this stage in my life I know several people, family, friends, and colleagues, who have reached retirement before I have. I get a mixed bag of advise from them.  A mixed bag of feelings too.  What different stages are they in at the moment?  

I'll have to see as I progress through the early days and months of retirement if I can relate to the five stages. 

                          

I'm still filling out forms, seeking guidance, making decisions, trying to put things in motion, so that I can finally feel, several days from today, that I am RETIRED.













Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Richard Armitage Introduces Us to Ken Follet's New Book

 



Richard Armitage greeted us today with a lovely video introducing Ken Follet's new book The Evening and The Morning. 

So good to see his handsome face. 

Research by several RA fans found out Richard is not narrating this book.  I wish he was.  But Richard gives us the news that he's working with Follet as a TV/film producer for one of his books, though he doesn't tell us much more.  

Searching on Audible I found that John Lee is the narrator of the book.  Lee is a very good narrator.  I know and enjoy his work, especially Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series.

Still,  I would prefer if Richard Armitage was the narrator.  I would certainly buy the audiobook if that was the case.  

So, is Richard producing The Man from St. Petersburg for TV or film?  Or a different Follet book?

Saturday, September 5, 2020

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - September Audiobook



September Audiobook Challenge is

An Audiobook of a Classic Novel

My selection is Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
Narrated by Emilia Fox

When I was a teenager the Bronte sisters were my favorite authors.   And my favorite book of the Bronte's was, and still is, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

But I've never read Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do so with the Listening Books Audiobook Challenge.

In September I will have a second classic to listen to.




I never read the tales of Beatrix Potter when I was a child. I'm looking forward to the audiobook,  






Friday, September 4, 2020

WONDERFUL NEWS - UNCLE VANYA PLAY WITH RICHARD ARMITAGE AS ASTROV COMING TO CINEMA AND BBC SCREENS


Richard also tweeted the following - good news for those of us outside of the UK:





 Feels so glorious to have Armitage fans excited and looking forward to seeing this production on screen.  

-------------

One other bit of news in the announcement, Roger Allam replaced Ciaran Hinds in the production.  I'm a fan of both actors. But we can be happy that Roger Allam is a great actor and it's good news for fans of Endeavour.




Thank you Richard and all the Cast and Crew