Last week I mentioned my rapidly expanding TBR list. And I bet a lot of you are like me: you’ve got lots of things to read, and not enough time to read them.
Until now.
I have the solution to your reading dilemma. (Drum roll here): Audio books!
Benefits and Drawbacks
With an audio book, you can “read” a new book while you are doing something else- like driving, cleaning, running, etc. In the past year, I’ve started shuttling my kids to sports practice in another town. That translates to four-five hours of car time, at least, each week. I could listen to music, or I could listen to books! (I love it when I can accomplish two things at once!)
However, you are at the mercy of the reader. Most of the performances I’ve heard are excellent (everyone always raves about the Harry Potter audio books), but sometimes a reader can throw you off. I did NOT like Maximum Ride when I listened to it; my kids swear it’s the narrator. (I still think it’s the story, more action than characterization. Sorry James Patterson.)
Also, with an audio book, it’s hard to go back and “reread” key passages. I wish you could somehow make voice notes, like how you make notes on a Kindle.
Audio Options
Where can you find audio books? Here are some options:
- The Library. (The cheapest option). I first started on the audio kick when I found Artemis Fowl on CD at our public library. Unfortunately, that was on the only book in the series that my library owns on CD; in general, our branch doesn’t have a huge selection of audio books.
- Overdrive (Another cheap option). This system is linked to our public library and allows patrons to borrow e-books and audio books. However, it doesn’t support all listening devices (you can use an iPod touch but not a Nano, which I have), and, again, it has limited titles. If your library doesn’t use Overdrive, it probably uses a similar system. Ask at the circulation desk.
- iTunes This worked because I own an iPod Nano, and I have lots of iTunes gift cards. However, for some reason, iTunes doesn’t have Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception available in audio book, so I had to look elsewhere.
- Audible.com This site, owned by Amazon (what isn’t anymore?), has the biggest selection of audio books I could find, as well as reasonable prices. They offer various membership plans. See below.
Audible Basics
If you want to start listening through that TBR list by using audible.com, there are three simple steps to follow:
- Choose a plan. They offer a variety membership options, based on how many books you think you’ll listen to over a month or year. First time users can benefit from discounts, like the first month free. I tried Audible in the fall, thought I wouldn’t use it enough, and cancelled my plan without hassle. Now that I’m back, I’ve signed up for the Gold Annual membership. That’s twelve credits (one credit = one book) over one year, at about $12 per book. Most recently published audio books cost $20 or more, so that’s a pretty good deal.
- Download the software. It just takes a few minutes to get the necessary software. Choose your preferences. Once you buy and download a book, you have it forever.
- Start listening!
I recommend the Artemis Fowl series. Nathaniel Parker reads the story with style, using Irish, British, Scottish, and American accents to distinguish the characters. It’s also safe for all the ears in my car. I’ve also enjoyed The Giver and Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.
My friend Leslie wants to try to listen to The Lord of the Rings; I advised that it might put her to sleep. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tolkien, but it’s dense stuff. Next on my list: Wonder!
Honestly, Audible is not paying me to publish this post. I just want to help my fellow word nerds find ways to enjoy great books.
Have you ever used audio books or audible.com? Can you recommend any similar services or any other great books to listen to?
Thanks for stopping by!
I haven’t tried Audible yet. Thanks for sharing this. I always get my books at the library (I live in a decent-sized city, so if my branch doesn’t have it, they’ll ship it from one of the other branches). But…like you said, there’s a lot the library doesn’t have on audio. Sometimes I’ll listen to the first in a series on audio, only to find the library doesn’t have the second.
I’ll have to look into Audible. What do you listen to it on? Ipod? Phone?
Thanks for your always-relevant posts, Julia!
All great tips, Julia! I love audiobooks for the exact reason you mentioned: I can “read” while doing other things. I don’t have a ton of time for them (about 30 mins commute time, 3 days/week) but that’s 90 extra minutes of reading per week–not bad! I use the library a lot for my audiobooks, as they have a great selection. I’ve also gotten a few review copies through Macmillan Audio, which is fun.
I used to commute 45 minutes each way to work, and I flew through audio books (although I found that I could only listen to them in the morning, after teaching all day, my mind could not focus on books in the evening). Luckily, our library system had tons of options on CD and I had a CD player in my car, so it worked out great. I think audio books would be a great solution for my husband and I if we have to go another road trip. Why didn’t I think of this before!?
Great summary Julia. A while back I blogged about whether listening to an audio book counted as reading it. (Relative to this, I would love to find an easy-to-understand article about how the brain processes visual vs auditory info!) It’s really a question of semantics I guess. I do like listening to podcasts while I do housework but haven’t tried Audible.com.
Thanks Brandy. Listening is a different experience, and sometimes I don’t like it that I can’t go back and revisit passages. I will look for your post, and I agree, it would be interesting to compare visual vs auditory processing. Hmmm. Future post idea?
Thanks for the great reminder post! I used to listen to books on tape when driving back and forth to VT, but I haven’t listened to one in years! Think this will be great when the girls are a little older and we can listen to some books together. I’ve read all of the Harry Potter books but want to share them with the girls too. Long road trips to Grandma and Grandpa’s house might be the perfect opportunity!
Have a great weekend!
Thanks Nicole! I used books on tape with my kids when they were younger during “quiet time”. They could follow along in a book- Curious George, Thomas the Train, Angelina Ballerina, etc.
I don’t spend much time in my car anymore. When I did, I listened to the old books-on-tape which were usually abridged, but better than nothing. (To this day, I’m not sure whether I should say I’ve ‘read’ House of Mirth’. Does it count?)
Anyway – I understand that audio books are much better now, and I’d love an MP3 player to wear around the house while I work. I guess I need to get into the twenty-first century. 😉
Thanks for the tips!
Debbie, Audio books are great if that’s a medium that works for you. I still prefer just sitting down and reading, but with four school aged children, I spend a lot of time in the car.
We love audio books!!
Thank you for sharing other options too besides the library. 😉 Have a great weekend.
Hester, 😉
Julia: My husband is hooked on audio books! Mostly checks them out at the library. You are right about being at the mercy of the reader – can sound a bit funky at times!
Hello Millie! Thanks for stopping by! Yes, unfortunately an audio book depends on a good reader- fortunately, I haven’t had too many bad experiences yet.
Great tips, Julia. For years, my dad has rented books from Cracker Barrel. Another good option for travelers — you can return them at any location!
I’ve done that too! I didn’t know if that service is still available. Thanks!