The world will end next Saturday

Photo by Jared Murray on Unsplash

Jaws was the first memorable talking book I listened to. 

I stumbled upon it on the BBC Sounds website and l loved it. Not only did it have sound effects and that classic 'der der' two note music, it was also well read, and had a different ending to the film. It made the train journey I was on fly by!

So why am I talking about audio books you may wonder.

Because I've recently discovered Audible - an audiobook company from Amazon. A friend at church had recommended it ages ago, talking about Bono's autobiography - Surrender - 

The way it works is on credits. You pay a monthly fee and get one credit which you can then use for a book. I got a month free, but then unfortunately forgot to cancel meaning that it ran on for two more months, but I did get two more credits. 

When you cancel, you do get to keep the books, but not the credits. So I had by the 8th of October to use them up. 

But what books should I choose? 

I tried asking people on Twitter, that didn't work. I didn't try Facebook as I've had times that my posts have been hidden, so I asked Google and that led me to a Radio Times article 40 best audio books 

Lots of them didn't appeal to me but on the list was one that certainly did, and that was Terry Pratchett BBC Radio Drama collection. I'd heard lots about the Discworld series, and even tried reading one of the books that was in a friend's holiday cottage, but didn't get very far, but when I listened to the five minute sample - I was hooked. How can you not be, when you hear of Death taking on an apprentice? I've just now reserved The Discworld companion in order to better understand this strange new world. 

Then on the Audible site, I saw Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers as read by Andy Serkis, who played Gollum so magnificently so that definitely had to be added to my library.  

Next from one classic novel to another - Sherlock Holmes - another BBC collection - 56 short stories and 4 novels - 48 hours of listening, so that was certainly a bargain!

And now we come to my final purchase, which for those of you who may be familiar with this piece, will have recognised by the title of my blog post - Good Omens - a celebrated apocalyptic comic novel. I've heard lots about it, especially the TV series with David Tennent and Michael Sheen, but not really paid much attention, but when I read the blurb:

Events have been set in motion to bring about the End of Days. The armies of Good and Evil are gathering and making their way towards the sleepy English village of Lower Tadfield. The Four Horsepersons of the Apocalypse - War, Famine, Pollution and Death - are assembling. Witchfinder Shadwell and his assistant Newton Pulsifier are also en route to Tadfield to investigate unusual phenomena in the area, while Anathema Device, descendent of prophetess Agnes Nutter, tries to decipher her ancestor’s cryptic predictions.

Atlantis is rising; fish are falling from the sky; everything seems to be going to the Divine Plan. Everything, that is, but for an unlikely angel and demon duo, who have been living on Earth for several millennia and have become rather fond of the place. If they are to prevent Armageddon they’ve got to find and kill the one who will bring it about: the Antichrist himself. There’s just one small problem: someone seems to have mislaid him…

What a tremendous hook!  And with a listening time of four hours and 19 minutes, I should be able to get it finished before the real apocalypse happens. 

I'd love to hear what audio books you've enjoyed or would recommend or if you've already discovered the joys of the Discworld series or any other work by Terry Pratchett.

Martin is a writer, baker, photographer and storyteller. He's been published in the ACW Christmas anthology and Lent devotional. He's currently honing his craft at flash fiction and you can find him on Twitter here.