topic Re: Audio books in Book Club

Audio books

Lilysmom1 — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 09:24:11 GMT

Good morning readers. I have never listened to an audio book and would like to start. Quilting season is soon upon us and I think listening while quilting is a good idea.

So...how do you download? What do you use? Please share any info you think might help.

TIA. LM

Re: Audio books

jlkz — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:05:15 GMT

@Lilysmom1

The first audio I did was while we were do the long drive down to Florida. It was Snow Falling on Cedars.

The voice was so calming and clear. The story was new history for me from the mid-1940's. The language was beautiful even when parts of the story weren't.

Peaceful....

Re: Audio books

Harpa — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:08:26 GMT

I love being read to!

Just want to mention that you can get many audio books on youtube!

Re: Audio books

Dusty1 — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:56:52 GMT

@Lilysmom1 Overdrive & Hoopla are free. You just need a library card. You download the app. Put in your library & library card number.

I never thought I would like it, but I listen to books while I do everything. Cooking, cleaning, driving, showering...when I go to bed I like to read a book & then when I turn off the light I set the timer on my audio book for 15 minutes & listen to that.

If I wake up in the night I may have to "rewind" it a few minutes, but I can listen to that when I can't sleep.

My favorite book of all time on audio is "The Help".

You can choose your books, but title or author & you can also look up the reader, if you really like them, & choose other books that they have read!

Re: Audio books

Mellyg — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 13:18:38 GMT

I absolutely love audiobooks. I tend to have one playing more often than not when I have the house to myself (and when in the car). As mentioned, Hoopla is free with a library card; and the app is user friendly.

I also use audible; however, it can get pricey fast (they have occasional specials).

Re: Audio books

Mellyg — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 13:19:28 GMT

@Harpa wrote:
I love being read to!

Just want to mention that you can get many audio books on youtube!

I did not know that; thank you for passing that information along!

Re: Audio books

catmama — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:39:52 GMT

I've been listening to audio books for years. In my car, gardening, walking, cleaning house, whenever I can. The narrator makes the book, so read reviews before you listen to a book. I use Audible and download from the library through Overdrive. But the library limits the amount of time you can borrow the audio so make certain you listen to shorter books through that resource.

Re: Audio books

Dusty1 — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:25:09 GMT

@catmama I have accounts with Overdrive & Hoopla, so I have never run out of borrows using both apps.

Re: Audio books

Lilysmom1 — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 08:02:46 GMT

@jlkz @Harpa @Mellyg @catmama @Dusty1 thank you for the excellent feedback. I have requested a book through Overdrive and am looking forward to it! LM

Re: Audio books

Mellyg — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 11:19:31 GMT

Are there any particular authors/genres you like? I d be happy to think of any narrators that I find especially engaging.

Re: Audio books

Dusty1 — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 14:30:32 GMT

@Mellyg I am all over the place. I love my "man" books like the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child, Joe Pickett by CJ Box, Ryder Creed by Alex Kava, Mitch Rapp by Vince Flynn, etc..

I love a biography, especially if it is read by the author. Alan Cumming, Val Chmerkovskiy, Bobby Bones, Chrissy Metz, Adam Rippon, Frank McCourt, etc...

I love a lot of YA, because they used to be all of the great stories with less violence & schmex. Recent YA books have gotten a lot more schmex.

I love Kami Garcia, Sarah Maas, Richelle Mead, Lisa McMann, Angie Grigalounas, Melissa Marr, Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, Jennifer L. Armentrout.

I love a good vampire, shapeshifter or werewolf-Patricia Briggs, Chloe Neill, Faith Hunter, Darynda Jones, Carrie Vaughn, Rachel Vincent, Jaye Wells.

I like a good novel, but sometimes they are just too "real" & depressing.

Some good ones though are-Alka Josh "The Henna Artist" & " The Secret Keeper Of Jaipur"

"Where The Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens

"The Dutch House" Anna Patchett read by Tom Hanks

Kristin Hannah "The Nighengale"

Kim Michelle Richardson & Jojo Moyes books are really good.

Re: Audio books

Mellyg — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 17:37:08 GMT

@Dusty1 wrote:
@Mellyg I am all over the place. I love my "man" books like the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child, Joe Pickett by CJ Box, Ryder Creed by Alex Kava, Mitch Rapp by Vince Flynn, etc..
I love a biography, especially if it is read by the author. Alan Cumming, Val Chmerkovskiy, Bobby Bones, Chrissy Metz, Adam Rippon, Frank McCourt, etc...
I love a lot of YA, because they used to be all of the great stories with less violence & schmex. Recent YA books have gotten a lot more schmex.
I love Kami Garcia, Sarah Maas, Richelle Mead, Lisa McMann, Angie Grigalounas, Melissa Marr, Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, Jennifer L. Armentrout.
I love a good vampire, shapeshifter or werewolf-Patricia Briggs, Chloe Neill, Faith Hunter, Darynda Jones, Carrie Vaughn, Rachel Vincent, Jaye Wells.
I like a good novel, but sometimes they are just too "real" & depressing.
Some good ones though are-Alka Josh "The Henna Artist" & " The Secret Keeper Of Jaipur"
"Where The Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
"The Dutch House" Anna Patchett read by Tom Hanks
Kristin Hannah "The Nighengale"
Kim Michelle Richardson & Jojo Moyes books are really good.

I am all over the place with what I read and go in spurts with some genres. I have found the narration can have a huge impact (for me).

You mentioned you liked Alan Cummings biography. He's narrated a good number of audiobooks, and since you like vampire books, he was a narrator for Dracula.

I enjoy Andi Ardnt narrations; she narrates a handful of YA (I *think* she has a lot more in romance). My niece was listening to a YA series, while I wasn't paying attention to the story, the narration was wonderful! Lauren Fortang is another great narrator that narrates a lot of YA books.

Scott Brick is a wonderful narrator for a lot of "action" books (I think he did the Jack Reacher series, or at least a good part).

I hope that helps you sort through some books to listen to based on narrator. I'm sure more will come to mind (at least narrations that I find particularly captivating, for whatever that's worth)!

Re: Audio books

AuntG — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 00:35:40 GMT

All my audio books come from the public library. I just search them out on the library's website. Then I download them to my little Amazon Fire device. Two weeks later, they automatically are returned.

One important thing is to make sure you like the voice of the reader. Sometimes I narrow my search to those readers who voices I like.

Re: Audio books

Lilysmom1 — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 10:01:10 GMT

@Mellyg , i like mysteries, true crime, fiction, family sagas. LM

Re: Audio books

BornToShop — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 16:31:09 GMT

I am a diehard physical book reader and have only listened to an audiobook when relocating out of state. Some of my Book Club buddies do the audiobooks. Their biggest complaint is the narrator can be the deal breaker at times. That would annoy me big-time!

Re: Audio books

proudlyfromNJ — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 16:34:38 GMT

I can't do audio books as my mind starts to wander and I keep missing parts. I stick to books or reading them on my IPad.

Re: Audio books

Etoile308 — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 16:47:48 GMT

@Lilysmom1, I think most libraries also still have the physical CDs you can borrow.

Re: Audio books

Lilysmom1 — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 09:07:02 GMT

Thanks everyone. I have put a few on hold at the library.

Does anyone listen on their iPhone? I think that is what I would like to do. LM

Re: Audio books

lork — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 02:44:44 GMT

@Lilysmom1 wrote:
Thanks everyone. I have put a few on hold at the library.

Does anyone listen on their iPhone? I think that is what I would like to do. LM

I often listen to audio books on my phone, it's so handy! Since I live alone, I don't use earphones; sometimes I even play it over a portable speaker. I especially enjoy "southern" readers, ie Fanny Flagg (who often reads books she's written). The Miss Julia books are read by a "southern lady", and if you really want a hoot, listen to "The Sweetpotato Queen's Book on Love". I have only used the public library's service and found it to suit my needs perfectly.

Re: Audio books

Lilysmom1 — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 10:49:42 GMT

@lork , thanks for your reply. I have requested some from my library and look forward to trying this. I think I will use my phone also through Bluetooth. I plan to do it while quilting. Almost finished cleaning up the garden so as it cools I will begin quilting. LM