Below is what I blogged last spring (2007) about my experiences in audio books. I didn't edit it b/c it's still pretty accurate but I have added comments below the text from 2007.
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When I used to commute between Fort Worth and Dallas, I tried audiobooks from my library. I tried to go for non-fiction but my mind wandered, so I gave it up and just did the radio-station-button-pushing thing every few seconds. I didn't drive every day, anyway (rode the bus or carpooled, ususally, but about once a week I needed to drive so I could go see a client).
Fast forward more years than I can believe and I've joined the 2006 reading challenge. It's January, and I know that I'm going to be in France for 6 weeks not reading books. I'm afraid that I won't be able to read 100 books during 2006 with that gap so I checked some fiction audiobooks out from my library. Some I just couldn't follow, so I put them back. But others were great fun.
I only have a cassette player in my car, so at first I limited myself to cassettes. (I also have an older cassette Walkman so there were no problems moving from the car to chores in the house and moving the cassette from one player to the other.)
Then I got bold and "stole" one of my kids' CD players so I could expand my listening pleasure. Actually, Cady gets some credit for me jumping into the late 20th century technology b/c she asked how CDs work and I wanted to be able answer her. (To answer that, some companies put a new track every minute or two, some every 5 or so, some bigger gaps than that even. Most start a new track at each new chapter, so the track just before might be a little longer or shorter than most of the tracks. I like it best when there are about 3 minutes between tracks. In my portable player, I have to write down where I've left off b/c it won't remember; in my dh's car, it does.)
I learned that some readers really make a book: they'll do great voices, accents when necessary, inflections that I wouldn't think of while reading. On the downside, they might be interpreting the phrase differently than I would have but I haven't had any problems with that -- it's never been to the extent that a character's personality or a plot point was affected.
Some readers had voices that I didn't like, so I put the book back into circulation without listening.
I've enjoyed driving and cleaning and gardening and easy chores while listening (okay, maybe I haven't enjoyed it all but it's made the time go more quickly).
And then, dh got me an iPod shuffle for Xmas (even though he wasn't supposed to get me anything b/c I was in France for 6 weeks last year). I couldn't listen to it right away b/c our Macintosh is several years old and was running on OS 10.2 and I needed at least 10.3. I finally bit the bullet and bought and upgraded to 10.4 a few weeks ago. It takes forever for my iPod to charge but I can remedy that by buying a dedicated charger.
Getting the book from audible.com was easy (I'll save details for another blog); listening was easy and the wonderfully small size was nice. I didn't like the earbuds that came with Mr. iPod, so I used the ones I've had forever. One thing that I didn't like was a couple of times my iPod somehow got off from where I'd been -- I mean many chapters earlier -- and I have no idea (yet) what I did or if there's a better way to get back to where I needed to be. The go forward fast button only takes you a few seconds, so I sat there holding it down for a bit. But overall, listening to the book was a good experience for the first time out of the gate.
So, now I've listened on cassette, CD and MP3 file. Wow, who'd a thunk 18 months ago that I'd be saying that?
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Comments that came about after I posted this included pointing out that in many cases, you can burn an audio book that is for an MP3 player onto a CD. There was some discussion on ways to add tracks but I've never needed to learn so haven't. I imagine that if you want to know, someone around here could tell you.
Reader and genre are personal preferences and can make or break the experience for you. Vince Plato swore by the non-fiction and I just tune it out. I also have a hit and miss experience with mysteries (and I know other people who just love them their mysteries in audio). I love the children's books and will start including them in my count. Probably 2-4 per book review to equal one full book. They tend to have chapters that are a perfect length for driving to-from school or activities, which is nice. I cannot tell you how often we pull into our street or driveway and we get to a new chapter and I say, "That's a good stopping place!" Sometimes we have to sit in our garage for a few minutes, though LOL, b/c we're NOT at a good stopping palce! We've had great success with
- THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE by Mary Pope Osborne (sp?)
- Several books and series by Beverly Cleary (Ramona, Ralph S. Mouse, Socks, Dear Mr. Henshaw off the top of my head)
- PADDINGTON BEAR by ???
I listened to THE LIONESS QUARTET by Tamora Pierce last year (YA) -- only let my kids listen to the first one. But I enjoyed all 4 and will get more of her books. She has several series.
We haven't listened to the HARRY POTTER books but people swear by the reader, Jim Dale (and not just critics but "real" people, like us here).
I guess if I were going to try and get Sadhbh or Star to try audio since they don't really want to try it (LOL), I'd recommend they try kids' books and maybe YA. I think that there is something about kids' books that make them good choices for audio. Or maybe it's that I had teachers who read to us through the 4th grade, so maybe that genre is just imprinted in part of my brain to be listened to.
My biggest advice/opinion on audio (if you're willing to try it despite some reservations / reserves / hesitations) is to NOT judge based on just one or two listens -- get them free from the library and try a variety of readers and genres/authors. B/c some readers are great and some not, some are good but read the wrong book and some books are just more conducive (THAT'S the word I was looking for a couple of paragraphs ago!) to audio.
NFM=No Further Message
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Can't understand who posted this blog entry
when Penni was "gone offline" (dixit her precedent blog entry
)
If Penni has leprauchauns in the house, could she not put them to work doing the nasty stuff instead of her blogging
May's Member of the Month
Dream Team 2008 Challenge blogs
Audiobook readers
I agree with your comment that the person who reads the audiobook can make or break the experience. After listening to Jim Dale reading the first couple of Harry Potter books, we tried one of the Mark Twain stories on audio, and returned it to the library almost immediately because we didn't like the reader. So far, that's been our only bad experience.
By the way, Jim Dale is awesome! Another good reader is Nathaniel Parker, who does the Artemis Fowl series. We're listening to Eldest (written by Christopher Paolini) right now (the reader's not bad, but I don't know who he is, right off the top of my head).
Thanks for the Info
I've been wanting to try more audio books thinking maybe I can get some book time in while I'm at the gym, but can't find a lot of unabridged books in audio format and don't want to spring for an Audible membership until I know I'll use it. Today's library day for us, so I'll give the shelves another good going over.
Like the idea about starting with the YA audio books. That's a good way to preview them before the munchkins get a hold of them, too.
Lisa
Lisa,
At audible.com you can search for abridged vs unabridged. At my library, you can't but I have sometimes searched audible and then gone to my library's catalogue to see if they had some of the books I'd seen at audible. You can also search for kids' books by age at audible.
While you're at the library today, you might talk to the librarian.
Our downtown/main library had a whole display a few months ago showing all the Newbery (note the single "r" in the name if you google to get a list) award winners that are available as audio. As I told Cady in a different place around here, the older Newberys are probably okay for kids around 8-10 y.o. but at a glance, for the most recent 20 years they seem a little more intense and maybe for 12 at the youngest. Our library's catalogue can search by series but most of the Newberys aren't loaded into the catalogue that way, so it would be a title by title search.
Anyway, have fun at the library today!
Penn
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Lisa - You should check to
Lisa - You should check to see if your library lets you reserve on-line. Our library is connected to all the libraries in the county, so it gives us more to choose from and it is all available via online making life easy, just click and select. I just ordered my first children's audio - Dr. Seuss read by Jason Alexander and David Hyde Pierce, here's hoping the kids like it.
Cady
TBR--The Born Readers
Downloadable Audiobooks
I noticed in your post that you commute in the DFW area. You might be able to use the audiobook download service that is offered at the Fort Worth Public Library. The company that provides their content also provides content for my library here in Tennessee and the service so far has been top notch. You can download books from the library's website which makes it really convenient. This is a great way to catch up on last year's books that you may have missed at the bookstore. I'm not as familiar with downloading audiobooks as I am eBooks, so I'm not sure exactly which steps you'll need to take the first time you use this, but the online tutorial is pretty short and explains it pretty well. Hope this helps.
Heyduji, that's a good point for others but I can't
b/c I'm a Macintosh / iPod gal (and my Mac is too old to load Windows onto). I did get my mom set up at her library in Denver when she was here over Xmas and she LOVES not having to go back to return the "book!" It wasn't at all difficult -- she could have done it if she would READ. You start at the beginning of the instructions and follow them and voila! You can download!
So, those of you reading this should look into whether or not your library has downloadable audio and/or ebooks (msrb/sandi's library has both).
We are budgeting for a new Mac (that we can load Windows onto) but until we get one, I can't do the downloadable thing at the library (I'll either get a hand-me-down MP3 player from my nephew or buy a cheap one -- you don't need much memory to have audio books on it).
Penn
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Our library has both
Our library has both audiobook and eBook options. My favorite thing about the service is that they have added over 200 Harlequin backlist titles in eBook format so I'm getting to catch up on all that I missed. Since I read an average of 12 books a week (yes, I am an addict) new titles each month only last me a couple of weeks. As for the Denver library, I have "library envy" whenever I visit their site. They even have movies available for download. Wow. The things we can do in the 21st Century!
I think ol' Benjamin Franklin would be AMAZED
at what his library idea has become!
Penn
Join the 2008 Book (Reading) Challenge!!! It’s for a good cause and it’s FUN!
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Cady
I just ordered my first children's audio - Dr. Seuss read by Jason Alexander and David Hyde Pierce, here's hoping the kids like it.
I bet that will be hysterical. Those two are perfect for Dr. Seuss.
Penn - thanks for the suggestion about looking up on Audible then searching the library. I know Audible has unabridged audio books because I've searched there. My only hesitation with getting a membership is that I'm not sure many of the books would hold my attention enough to keep me from looking at how much
paintime I've got left on the treadmill/eliptical machinesWhen I saw they were
When I saw they were reading it, I thought it would be a great first entry into audio for the kids. They know I listen, so I think they would like to try it to.
Cady
TBR--The Born Readers
Do you have to pay for audio books at your library?
I went this afternoon and found an audio book that looked interesting. When I went to check out the librarian informed me that adult audio books are $1 per week to check out, but kids' audio books are free. Sorta disappointing.
Lisa
NO! That's outrageous!
Audio books are free just like everything else! Now, if I REQUEST it and it's already checked out, I have to pay 50 cents but no, it's a 3 week check-out with one renewal (unless someone else has requested it). And if it's available when I request it, free!
And my library system is like Cady's -- I can go online, find what I want, request it and it comes to my local branch. It's really nice.
I can't believe the patrons of your library system put up with that! Seems to me that they should be charging for movies if they're gonna charge for books! Do they charge for movie rentals?
Penn
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that is bad
My library does not charge for audiobooks but does for movies. I don't think any free library should charge for books even if they are audio books. I even took an audiobook to germany with me last year to listen to on the plane.
Karen
My goal in life is to survive. Everything else is just a bonus.
off topic
Thanks for pointing out the nonbook review for my Nauti Nights post, Penn. I don't know when I would have noticed otherwise, because I was very careful to click "book review." For some reason my blog has been glitching on me - not showing comments I've posted, putting that book review as a blog post, etc.
(So, maybe a gentle hint to people about how they're posting might be helpful.)
I think somehow I've angered the Harlequin gods, because I also ordered some books on Dec 4th, and haven't gotten them yet. And all my emails about the order have been lost/ignored.
What they charge you for
What they charge you for audio, that is very annoying. Ours doesn't charge for anything, but does limit us to 20 requests and won't let us request movies anymore. Not sure why, I guess it is a budget thing.
Cady
TBR--The Born Readers
Glad to know it's not just me...
who thought it was a little outrageous to have to pay for an audio book at a free library. If anything I would figure we'd have to pay for the kids' audio, not the adult, since kids tend to be harder on those kinds of things than adults and the audio would have to be replaced more often. And, yes, there is a similar fee for videos. They also charge a rental fee on the very hottest books for about the first 6 weeks after they're published. In spite of that, I do think we have a really great library system here (interlibrary loans and huge catalog) and the librarians are incredibly helpful.
On a similar note...came across an Audible ad on a web page I was perusing yesterday for 14-day free trial and one free credit, so I took 'em up on the offer. Had a good time at the gym with my new audio book today. Thanks for the inspiration, Penn!
I've nearly got DH convinced that we need to continue the membership after the 14-day trial is up.
Lisa
Enjoyed this thread
I listen to a lot of audios. I find I get more done and feel like I'm still reading while not just sitting around. I have a lot of YA audios. Penn you might want to borrow my Spiderwick Chronicles for the kids. They are really good. I've listened to Eragon and Eldest read by Gerard Doyle. They were really good the third is coming out in Sept. finally. Maximum Ride 3 books by James Patterson. Also the Percy Jackson stories which started with The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan the fourth will be out in early May. I've listened to the first 2 Artemis Fowl books need to get the others in that series. I enjoy the kids books a lot and find they're easier to follow without having to concentrate as much.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Lisa,
You and/or dh should TALK to a customer service rep (CSR) at audible before joining permanently. They have unadvertised "perks" regularly. For a long time they've had (I assume that they still do) a relationship with amazon.com and you can get a $100 certificate toward a device (a particular list but it was pretty long when I joined and was checking it out). I imagine that's at a minimum level -- I joined at the highest level for the first year but I think you can get it at the 12 credit level. I was also eligible for a subscription to the daily WALL STREET JOURNAL or NEW YORK TIMES (my choice of one or the other). The thing is, to get those perks you need to join over the phone and you need to be assertive about getting them. I knew about them b/c a friend had told me and I'd called and asked. You really need to just ask, "What specials and extras do y'all have going right now?" B/c when I called back to join the CSR didn't offer me ANYTHING and when I asked for my code for amazon.com she was a little annoyed and/or surprised and had to credit my credit card for the membership fee and join me up some other way. And then I had to ask for my subscription and she went, "Oh, do you want that?" So when she asked if there was anything else, I was going, "I don't know, is there anything you haven't told me about? B/c if there is, yeah, I want it!"
Other than that, my experience at audible has been great. I just felt like they want to be able to say that they have these perks but don't want to give them out to everyone.
Just a heads up,
Penn
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Deb,
If you think that some of yours aren't "too old" for my kids, I'll borrow whatever the library doesn't have. I think I'll do a blog for kids' and YA audio . . .
The dh and kids have been reading THE BEST SCHOOL YEAR EVER by ???Barbara Robinson??? and laughing their heads off. I found the other books in the series on audio at the library, so have requested one of them.
Penn
Join the 2008 Book (Reading) Challenge!!! It’s for a good cause and it’s FUN!
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Spiderwick
I think they'd like the Spiderwick and don't think it's above them. It's going to be a movie. They're pretty short too. There's five books and then one Beyond the Spiderwick.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Libraries
I work at a library, so maybe I can help a little with the outrage that some readers experience over having to pay for checking out certain items.
First, I live in Georgia (USA), and most of the public libraries (over 260) within the state are members of the PINES system, with certain borrowing privileges available from the state university library system for a small fee. Everyone who uses their public library should take the time to see if their local library is part of a larger system, because the benefits of such systems are amazing!
Now, as to libraries charging for services: policies differ from library to library, and a lot of this has to do with how much local and state funding a library has. Our library charges only for certain services that require a cash outlay on our part (like copies, faxes and loans from libraries that require a fee for borrowing items) and for lost/damaged items; holds are free, borrowing from within the PINES system is free (for the moment; we're in negotiation with our courier service, who wants more money for less work), Internet/wireless usage is free, and (as far as I know) there is no fee to borrow any item within our collection.
We are, however, one of the better funded and managed libraries. It is a sad fact that most libraries are losing funding, or are in danger of doing so. Many are just poorly run. Some have no choice but to ask patrons to pay for the privilege of using certain items or services, because the money to run the library just isn't there. Chances are that if a library charges a patron to borrow certain items, the money is used either to purchase new items or to pay for staffing or overhead.
Educate yourself about these issues! Publicly-funded libraries are required to keep their books open, so ASK why you must pay fees for borrowing privileges when you already pay taxes to keep the library open (only, I wouldn't put it that way). If there is a funding shortage in your area, join the friends of the library, start a letter-writing campaign or do SOMEthing that will help your library obtain more funding so that as many services as possible are free.
Dawn, you make valid points
and I imagine that we could have thought of the funding issues ourselves. I know that I appreciate all the services that my library offers b/c when I moved here it did not offer the services that I was used to having. It has since managed to get more money both through bonds and an active Friends group. (And now you've made me feel guilty for letting my membership lapse . . .)
AFWife has not been in her area for very long and won't be there for very long, either. So she as one person might not have time and resources to change that particular system but others of us on the boards can do something in our own communities.
Have you blogged about library funding here? You could start a whole movment across the US, Canada, Oz, NZ and the UK! Romance readers for their libraries!
Penn
Join the 2008 Book (Reading) Challenge!!! It’s for a good cause and it’s FUN!
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Dawn, thanks for the info...
I guess I wasn't so much outraged as surprised that I had to pay for my audio book but not for my daughters'. It also surprised me because the library district I patronize is in a high-income/high-tax bracket area, so I assumed they would have more services available at less cost than the major metropolitan area that surrounds us. (that sounds snobby, but you have to see the geographical income distribution around here to understand--it's very odd and I'm not sure I could explain it well)
All that said, I try to do what I can for the library because the folks that work there are fabulous. For example, they have a deal with Amazon that if you buy books from Amazon via the link on the library's web page then the library gets a cut of that sale. I've passed it on to our homeschool group on base to encourage people to use that link and I know they've passed it on to other homeschool groups.
Penn - thanks for the tip about Audible special offers. I'll be sure to ask when I call them.
Lisa