Both of us are big fans of audio books so we’re excited to participate in Audiobook Week 2013, organized by Devourer of Books.
Day 1 of June is Audiobook Month (JIAM) Audiobook week 2013 topic:
Monday: 2012-2013, Your Audiobook Year
Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is your chance to introduce yourself and your general listening experience.
Julie’s Thoughts
I’m not new to audiobooks this year, but I’ve definitely ramped up my use of audiobooks. I used to get them from the library from time to time to help with the long commute (I have about a 30 mile drive to work, but in traffic it takes about an hour, sometimes longer). Once I realized how much less awful the commute is when listening to a book, I started listening to audiobooks every drive to and from work, and even to someone’s house for book club if they live on the opposite side of town. I usually don’t bother if the drive is less than 15 minutes, but otherwise if I’m driving by myself, I’m pretty much listening to an audiobook.
Last fall I signed up for audiobooks.com, which is a site that has unlimited streaming of the audiobooks they have available. Their selection isn’t as great as audible.com, but unlike audible, which only allows 1 or 2 credits a month, I can listen to as many books as I can fit into my schedule with audiobooks.com. Also, Sync has been doing a YA book pairing during the summer, where they pair a current book with a classic for free download each week. So I’ve gotten some great listens from there as well.
There are times when a poor narrator will just about ruin a book, but for the most part I find audiobooks really enjoyable. An example of a poor audiobook but an excellent book when read is The Hunger Games. My favorite audiobooks are the Night Huntress series and the Outlander series. Both have excellent narrators. Also, the Harry Potter audio books are wonderful!
Rose’s Thoughts
I just signed up with Audible.com this year when I FINALLY got around to getting myself a smart phone. Prior to last summer I had no ipod and no smart phone. I know, I know. Welcome to the modern world. It is great to be here. I LOVE listening to audio books. Prior to getting my smart phone, I used to check out audiobooks on CD’s from the local library and listen to them on my long commute to work which is about an hour in light traffic. Since getting my smart phone, I can listen to audiobooks via headphones while I work!!! YAY! I love working now. Every Mon, Wed, Fri I am able to get in a good 5 hours of audiobook listening. It makes work so much more interesting since anything that takes me away from reading pretty much makes me grumpy (except for playing with my puppy and riding my horse). Sometimes I will listen to a book that I have just read because I liked it so much. Listening to a book brings on a whole new experience. My favorite audiobook would have to be Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, read by Davina Porter. She is amazeballs!!! Another really good audiobook is The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, read by Kate Rudd. In fact, I will give a listen to books I would not normally consider if Kate Rudd is reading. I absolutely love her narration. She also reads Tammara Webber’s Between the Lines series and I love it!
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I loved Outlander and the Fault in Our Stars on audio, too. And I use the Overdrive books from the library for most of my downloads, too – though working at a library makes getting physical CDs slightly easier than downloads.
I feel like the only person who doesn’t listen to audiobooks in the care, just everywhere else. I’ll have to go check out audiobooks.com.
I think the narrator of The Hunger Games is a good narrator, she was just so appallingly miscast for a 1st person narrative from a teenager’s point of view that I found her very distracting.
I love the SYNC program too and my local library which allows me to download via overdrive. I don’t know what I’d do without audiobooks!
I first started listening to audiobooks because of a commute as well. I never thought I would be as hooked on them as I am, but now I love them. I am really enjoying my audible account, and the discounts I can get through them. Downloading them on my smart phone means I always have a great audiobook with me.
thanks for sharing your enthusiasm!
I so very much agree on your assessment of The Hunger Games’ narrator, Julie. She was irritating – but not enough to make me stop listening to the first book. As soon as the first book was done, though, I went straight to print. I will have to check out audiobooks.com. It sounds like the Netflix of audiobooks a little bit. Rose, Outlander is one of my favorite audiobooks. Davina Porter is magic.
I have to check out Audiobooks.com as well! I mostly use my library and Audible, and love their selection. I LOVED the book of The Fault in Our Stars and want to listen on audio too.
Audiobooks are the best commuting companion. I use audible but only to get things I can’t find at the library. I’ll have to check out audiobooks.com.
Outlander was an early audiobook for me, back when I was still listening to cassettes! Tried the second in the series in print and it didn’t have the same magic. I don’t want to sign up for Audible, so will definitely look into Audiobooks.com. I find the library’s Overdrive service easy to use, but there isn’t always a great selection. It’s free, though, which is nice!
Outlander is going on my list of audiobooks to be listened to now!
So many of us discovered audiobooks as a way to make long commutes more manageable. Now that I don’t spend as much time in the car, I listen mostly on my iPhone. The Fault in Our Stars is downloaded and waiting for me!