I bring this up every time this series is mentioned, but my biggest problem with this "trilogy" is that it isn't written like a continuous story, it's written like he wanted to turn it into a TV series. It's sooooooo episodic (or "side quests" as you say) instead of an epic narrative. Reading about Rothfuss shopping it around constantly makes me think that he purposely wrote it to turn it into television, and since he isn't getting a deal, he's not going to bother finishing it. It's an interesting story, but it grates on me a bit.

The first book is still a favorite of mine. While the second book (Black House) is good, the first 100 pages of it are more like "place/scene setting" and is a slow go.

Yes, there is some great exposition about the Dark Tower mythos in the second book. The first book doesn't involve any crossover with Dark Tower but the flipping between worlds is indicative of different "levels" of the Tower.

My biggest problem with it was that it seemed like he was covering ground in the second half that he already did in "The Talisman," and I liked that previous book better.

Some good ones:

Modern Romance read by author Aziz Ansari. I know the controversy surrounding him - this was before the revelations. It's funny and insightful and pokes fun at the listener.

The Expanse series - the narrator, Jefferson Mays, does an excellent job with the whole series.

Star Wars books read by Saskia Maarleveld. I am a big Star Wars fan, BUT the novels are often boring compared to the wide range of scifi you could be reading. So now I only listen to the audiobooks of the new releases, and not only do they have musical cues and sound effects, but Saskia has a great range for all characters, human and alien.

Out of print now, but Star Wars: Chronicles by Deborah Fine. Big, cool slip-case cover, nice full-color pictures and descriptions of everything from the original trilogy, including those cantina aliens that may have been onscreen for a split second.

My other go-to is The Complete Far Side (a 2- volume set, 2003). I think the Far Side has been collected a few time over, but this has a gorgeous slip-cover with full-color "paintings" and two nicely bound volumes.

Yes, Night Shift is one of the best short story collections I've ever read, in addition to Shock by Richard Matheson.

I thought Later was okay, but WOW are you picking the wrong books to represent an author's work (and reading "parts" of The Shining?). Try The Gunslinger, The Stand, or Salem's Lot.