So a response to my post about The 6th Target got me curious. KimP said she listened to it really fast, and I wondered where she listened to it. That made me decide to ask...do you do audio books? If so where do you listen? What do you use to listen to them? Where do you get them? Do you have a favorite reader?
Before I got my MAC I got a lot of audio books from the library as downloadable reads. I could burn them to CD and then import those CD's into my IPOD. Now, I can't do that because the system the library uses isn't compatible with Apple products, but I hear rumors that maybe soon.
I now have a subscription to Audible, and love how easy it is to just download things to ITUNES, and be ready to go! I can't say as I have a favorite reader, but do realize that some are easier to listen to than others
If I use my IPOD I connect it to my car stereo and listen to and from work and whenever I might be in the car alone. If I'm grocery shopping and using my IPOD I have started taking it into the store with me. If I'm close to the end of the book I will bring it into the house and do those last few minutes.
If I'm doing the CD's I just listen in my car. I find myself much more distracted in the house than in the car. I guess I can wander more in the house than in the car. Who knows.
So got answers for me?
Sandi
Outside of a dog a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
Hi Sandi!
I love audio books...as I have quite a commute to work. Or at least I did, I am a teacher and was driiving an hour to work and home...but it is summer now and I'm at home. I listen to CDs in the car, and have an IPOD shuffle that I wear around the house sometimes. I like to wear it when I'm exercising. I subscribe to two different CD rentals through the mail, and love it. I have found that I'm not listening to nearly as many CDs since I'm not driving now. I have been popping one into the computer while I'm working at it, but find my mind wandering more here at home too.
Chy
"Love, true love, is all about giving of yourself, without regard to what you may or may not get in return." --Kate McCabe (A Texas Wedding Vow)
Sandi - For me, it is 90%
Sandi - For me, it is 90% in the car, with the occasional listen at work. However, I have to be careful what I am doing otherwise, I can miss an entire section, while working on something.
Cady
TBR--The Born Readers
Lean Mean Thirteen
I wouldn't survive my commute without an audio book....the thought of being without makes me weebly. I just started Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich....lovin' me some Stephanie Plum, but as much as I like her, I have to say my favorite character is LouLa
Jayne
Community Manager
"We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh"—Agnes Repplier
Listening to books on CD or
Listening to books on CD or tape is for me the absolute best way to get my housework done. It is mindless work and allows me to do something I enjoy while doing something I don't enjoy.
Bonsal
We listen in the car!
My almost 9 year old DD is currently listening to "Dragonsdale" about a Dragon Riding Academy. My DH is listening to either a "Dirk Pitt" book or a "James Bond" one...I don't know which. We borrow them from the public library. No long commutes, but we listen on trips or just around town.
Audio books have totally changed my DH's reading life. He's an extremely slow reader (I'm guessing undiagnosed dyslexic or some other reading problem) but he LOVES to read. With audiobooks, he goes through about four in the time it'd take him to read a 300 or 400 page novel.
We're so into audiobooks that I did my Big Finish story about an audiobook reader! :-)
JodieG
Prepublished and workin' to change that!
A winner of the Big Finish 2 Contest, March 2008!
Participating author in Pass the Plot, Summer 2008
I listen to audio CD's
I listen to audio CD's in the car and on my personal player while grocery shopping working around the house, gardening. I got an ipod for mother's day and download to itunes to that and have listened to Luna'a and some MIRA's. I go to audible for those. I know I can download CD's to the computer and then transfer them to my ipod just haven't done it yet. I love listening when I can't read. But Jayne's reminded me I almost ran off the road listening to one of Janet Evanovich's though. Laughing and driving is not a good combination.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
I listen in the car like
I listen in the car like Jayne, I could not imagine commuting without it!
I borrow from the library and just pop them in my stereo and listen away. Right now I am listening to The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella - making me laugh a lot. I get a lot of strange looks from other drivers.
TBR--The Born Readers. Visit the 100,000 challenge blog of my team! See you there!
Hmmm
I have only ever listened to one story -- Star Wars way back when I was young and it was on the radio. I can still remember cleaning the house and stopping to listen really carefully to a certain part. :-) But I've not had an interest in listening to any since.
For my own curiosity, do you listen to them because of 'sight' issues? Or simply because you like to? I love to read the books I guess and am wondering why one would listen to it...hear it in someone else's voice rather than the ones I have in my head. I can see it I guess if I were having to do a lot of driving, that would help pass the time but... I'm just curious. :-)
Cole
Nicole Reising
www.nicolereising.com
www.nicolereising.com/blog
Imagination... the magical whispers from within.
In my case
In my case I'm so addicted to books that I want to read every minute I can so listening when I can't read is a great way to get through more books. Also some of the narraters have really good voices such as Susan Ericksen who does in In Death books. She changes her voice for each character and does them really well so it's very enjoyable to listen to. Maybe you should give them another shot.
The Undomestic Goddess was hilarious, I really enjoyed that one and Can You Keep a Secret and another funny one Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews. Manhunt, Rocky Road to Romance, & Smitten by Janet Evanovich are all funny too.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Audios
It seems as though a lot of us use audio books for our commutes to work. I wonder how many people listen to an audio while actually working. I don't. I have the radio playing, and that's one of the reasons I've moved to audios for the commute. After at least 8 hours a day of the radio I really want something different in the car.
Jayne, I'm way behind in my Plums. I have them all in book form, but I did listen to the 9th book, and maybe even the 8th. Listening might be the way to get caught up. I have listened to the entire Women's Murder Club books by Patterson, and can't wait to listen to the 7th and then I'll be caught up there!
Bonsai, you're the first person I know who can listen while cleaning. I tried but having the earbuds in is annoying while trying to clean and be moving, and having it play in one room as I wander just didn't work for me! How do you do it?
Jodie, I was hoping to change my non readers into readers through audio books, but it didn't work for me! Like you whenever I'm in the car alone I have my audio going. Right now I'm doing one on CD, but if I'm doing one on my IPOD, then I've taken to taking my IPOD in the store with me, and listening while I shop. I do stop it while I talk to the cashier, and pay.
Deb, you have great kids! A Kindle for Christmas and an Ipod for Mother's Day. Yes, you do have to be careful about being emotional and driving. We want you safe!
Kim, I used to borrow CD's from the library, but then I got my IPOD, and discovered Audible. I also stopped with CD's when the library went to downloadable books. The library or Audible are two great ways to get books! I think I did The Undomestic Goddess last year on audio. I love Kinsella!
Nicole, I do it because I get tired of listening to the radio. Some of my friends only listen to books that they've already read. I listen to books that I might someday have wanted to read, and it's my way of getting to read just a bit faster.
Deb, I'm listening to The Started Wife, and Ericksen is the reader in that one. There's a 3 year old girl in the story, and how Ericksen does her voice is so funny! I can just picture the little girl talking just like that!
Thanks for answering everyone!
Sandi
The Born Readers
Outside of a dog a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
I don't like audiobooks, and there are three of us in the car
on the way to work, two of whom wouldn't understand, so that's out
Besides that, I just don't like the accents, voices reading books don't work for me at all - it might also have something to do with the fact that they read so slowly compared to my normal reading rate
I don't really like ebooks either, though I'm getting better on that score I just don't like being tied to a device that depends on electricity
Can't listen to the radio or anything else at work, so that's not an issue
why would I want to do housework just so I can listen to an audiobook?
Hugs
Sadhbh
Dream Team 2008 Challenge blogs
I've just recently starting
I've just recently starting listening to audio books while I'm working. Prior to this I've always listened to music CDs, but I'm thinking I like listening to stories better. It helps pass the time, and given my job is waaaaayyyy booorrrinngg, I need all the help I can get.
The one down side I've noticed about audio books vs. music is with the music I can semi-ignore it if I'm involved in something, whereas the book I have to really listen or I miss something.
What have I been listening to? Harry Potter 7. I've read the book probably three or four times already and will probably read it a few more times. Can't help myself. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Harry Potter. I'll probably go to the library and get the other books to listen to at work as well. Although I've read them so many times I can probably quote a few of them. sigh Yeah, it's probably a sickness.
Oh, and a tip for you parents. If you're take a long car trip I've found putting in an audio book really helps keep the peace with children in the car. Unlike music, as previously discussed, you have to listen closely to hear the story. My kids - all four of them - don't say a word when I'm playing an audio book. Makes car trips so much more pleasant. LOL
It was the children's audio books that got us addicted first
and then we moved on. Well, the kids didn't. For example, right now if the kids are with me, we're listening to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and if I'm alone, I'm listening to one of my romances. Dh doesn't really like listening.
I listening on iPod, CD or cassette. I prefer cassette or iPod to CD just b/c I don't have a CD player in my car, so I have a piece of tape on the portable CD player that I stole from one of the kids and I write down which track I'm on when I stop b/c it won't remember. With the cassette and the iPod, it remembers where we were when we stopped.
I listen in the car but I also listen when I'm doing boring chores. I can't even sort the mail and listen at the same time, so obviously a lot of activities for me aren't conducisive to listening. But a lot are.
I got my mom addicted last year, too, and she bo't an MP3 player that she downloads from the library on. She was listening to nonfiction but needed a break, so last night I "went" to her library and downloaded some fun books -- Crusie and I forget who else, but authors who are always a good, light read.
I don't download from my library (yet) b/c we still haven't bo't the stuff plus Windows for our Macintoshes and you have to use Windows and non-iPods for the library downloads. But one day soon. I subscribed to audible.com last year and have loved it. Since my mom and sister's dh are both addicted to audio books (dear b-i-l commutes at least 1.5 hours each day, no public transport), I can gift them books from my account. It's great.
DH and the kids got me a great software for Mother's Day. It's only for Macintosh computers but it will convert a CD or MP3 file to an audiobook, including being able to bookmark your spot. It's great, I absolutely love it.
Penn
Join the 2008 Book (Reading) Challenge!!! It’s for a good cause and it’s FUN!
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Recent convert
I'm a recent convert to audiobooks and I love them. I listen on CD in the car during my commute to work. It's not a very long commute so it takes me a long time to get through a book.
I'm sticking to non-fiction in audiobooks. I've tried a few novels and have had to abandon them pretty quickly because of the reader, whereas with non-fiction the reader is not an issue.
I've decided this is a good balance for me because in print books I'll always choose fiction over non-fiction. This way I get to read both.
Current audiobook: Bill Brysons's autobiography. Loving it!
Claire
The Single Dad's Patchwork Family, Harlequin Romance, Apr 08
Pregnant: Father Wanted, Harlequin Romance, Dec 08
http://www.clairebaxter.com
Audio
I don't have kids in my car much anymore, and if I do they're older and depending on what sort of book I'm listening to I'll ask if I can play it when they're with me.
Last night at book club I was asked what audios I would recommend.(Knew I should have taken my book list with me, and didn't) The person who asked me has an audible account with a credit on it, and she wants to cancel her account. My first thought was WHY!!!! My second thought was transfer the credit to me! Does Audible even do that?
Then I started searching and found a book which I loved, but it was abridged. She said it didn't bother her, so that's the one I wishlisted for her. I wouldn't listen to an abridged book, but to each their own.
Welcome to all the converts!
Sandi
The Born Readers
Outside of a dog a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
Reading while cleaning
I HATE cleaning house. Not just a little but lots. I love a clean house, but HATE cutting into my reading time to get there, thus the audios. I have to clean house. I live in the desert (lots of dust) and I have 4 dogs who believe it is their sacred duty to leave white hair EVERYWHERE! I also have my office in my house and sometimes have to meet with people here - really embarassing if I haven't vacuumed in weeks. I get around the earpieces by running the cord down my shirt then the line is out of the way and the tape or cd player is in a pocket. In my case it helps as I would otherwise ignore the hair and dust and read, then be irritated at the mess. So it is a good comprimise. Also, I often listen to books that I might not otherwise pick up. I have done a lot of biographies, history and classics this way
Bonsal
Echoing what Bonsal said about "reading" books you wouldn't
have. I also get more books read b/c of the audio -- if a book is available in audio, I will try that first as my print tbr is so big. My audio tbr really doesn't exist as I get them read fairly quickly.
Penn
Join the 2008 Book (Reading) Challenge!!! It’s for a good cause and it’s FUN!
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Thanks!
Thank you Bonsai...never thought of running the wiring under my shirt. Great idea. It was one of those simplistic solutions that you just don't see because of the forest for all the trees! Going to try this solution when I finish the CD book I'm listening to, and go back to my IPOD.
Penn, my audio TBR is larger than I'd like, but lots smaller than my print or ebook one!
Sandi
The Born Readers
Outside of a dog a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
A while ago someone did a
A while ago someone did a review on the Lord of the Rings audio book. I tried reading the book but couldn't get past the first page because of all the strange words. That's one of my reading pet peeves. If I have to struggle to pronounce a bunch of words, I usually won't bother. It's even worse if I can't pronounce the main characters' names. One of the reasons I'm not so big on historicals. No offense anyone. They're just not my thing. Anyway my point being is I realized that audio would solve that problem. I wouldn't have to struggle to read a story with words I'm not familiar with.
Maybe once I finish with this Harry book I'll give the Lord of the Rings another shot.
Unfamiliar words
Another blogger here lent me her CD's of Wicked and Son of a Wtich, and for that I was eternally grateful, because as SandiSue said there were so many words that were not in my vocabulary that I know I would have struggled with the books, and by being able to listen, and just enjoy the story.
That's another good plus for audio books!
Sandi
The Born Readers
Outside of a dog a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
Reading and Listening
Uusually the only time I start an audiobook is if I am going to be driving for awhile on a trip. I have done a few otherwise but they are definetly in the minority. I'm sure someone else has tried this but I have gotten audiobooks to listen to where I have already read the book. It is an interesting difference there. Sometimes, especially if it's been awhile, the book seems totally new with brief patches that are familiar and sometimes the audiobook matches almost exactly what you thought when you read the book. Even if it does match your thoughts just having it read changes something it seems.
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Use the talents you have, for the woods would by silent if no birds sang except the best. (from a flip inspiration book-'Thoughts for my daughter')
Sandi,
I enjoyed meeting your son yesterday. Didn't realize you got off so early. I got off at four thinking that was early as I usually don't get off till six. Sorry I missed you but wanted to get the audiobook to you. Your son was very nice and has a great smile. Hope he's still doing okay, he came out and didn't look the least bit frazzled from the kids and working with kids is not for everyone.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Blake and Deb
Blake I like to do books I haven't read yet, but that's my personal preference. Some are easier to stay focused on than others. I know a lot of people who will only do books that they've read previously so they don't have to focus as much.
Deb, what a great compliment! Thank you so much! I'm about 2.5 discs from the end of my current listen, and then I will listen to 7th Heaven, and make arrangements to get it back to you. Thank you for letting me borrow it.
Sandi
The Born Readers
Outside of a dog a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
You're welcome
You're welcome and no hurry! I didn't think 7th was quite as good as the others so I'll be curious as to what you think. I enjoyed it but I think something was missing can't quite put my finger on it. Anyway take your time.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog