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.
I have been an ardent audiobook fan for over ten years and have participated in Audiobook Week since its inception.
Audiobooks became part of my life during a major home renovation project in 2002. What should have been a three month remodel turned into a nearly complete rebuilding (don't ask!) and prompted us to move in with my parents two towns away for nearly a year. Trying not to disrupt my children's lives, I spent hours in the car each day driving to and from school, sports practices, and other activities. And then there were those countless miles/hours logged shopping for fixtures, etc...
Audiobooks literally saved my life that year. I listened to anything and everything available at our public library - on cassette tapes back then. When we moved back into our home, my listening slowed down, but audiobooks had become a permanent part of my life.
Since then, cassette tapes gradually gave way to CDs and eventually digital downloads were added into the mix. The biggest change over the past year is that I now have an iPhone. Since it's always with me, so are my audiobooks. Now if I could only remember the earbuds!
My Favorite Audiobooks 2012 - 2013
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
narrated by Bahni Turpin and Lorna Raver
by Anna Quindlen
Narrated by the author, listening was like talking to an old friend
by Graham Greene
narrated by Colin Firth
by Junot Díaz
narrated by the author
by David R. Gillham
Narrated by Suzanne Bertish
Click over to Devourer of Books and see who else is talking about audiobooks today.
I always have at least 2 audios going - one in the car and one on my iPod. I love listening while I walk - either outdoors or at the gym on the treadmill.
ReplyDeleteI do a fair bit of driving to visit family and audios are a godsend when I'm by myself...just this past March I drove from NY to NC and was able to finish 2 audiobooks!
I'm going to see if my library has Calling Me Home and City of Women - they both sound really good!
My Audiobook Year
Kristin - Before my iPhone, I always had 2 audiobooks going at the same time too. Now that I listen to my iPhone in the car, it's down to one. Somehow it feels like I'm less productive.
DeleteI think more than once audios have saved me from insanity. Love your audio choices!!!
ReplyDeleteSandy - Audios have definitely saved me. ... well, maybe audios and a little wine ;-)
DeleteI have a few of these titles on audio, and seeing them on your best of list makes me even more eager to listen. I love listening on my iphone too, via the audible app especially.
ReplyDeleteHappy listening!
readingdate - I have the audible app on my phone, but haven't started using it yet. Maybe that should be my goal for the week.
DeleteI remember the days of cassette tapes! They used to be so bulky and expensive too. I'm so glad the technology has changed.
ReplyDeletebarklesswagmore - Technology has definitely been good to audiobook lovers!
DeleteCity of Women! After hearing your recommendation and Lisa's I keep meaning to get my hands on this one. I also really enjoyed The End of the Affair (also your recommendation). Audiobooks do make unbearable tasks seem a bit more bearable, huh? I have the looming chore of painting my laundry room ahead and of me and am looking forward to at least getting in some listening time while I paint.
ReplyDeleteTrish - City of Women was a unique, but very unsettling audio experience. Lots of tension and yelling... may not be the best for you right now, but definitely worth listening!
DeleteI agree, it is really wonderful to always have an audio book with us on our smartphones. Even though I mostly listen in the car, it is on my phone :)
ReplyDeleteJulie S - I'm still trying to figure out how to get my phone to play through the speakers in the car. It definitely has that capability, but I can't seem to get it to work correctly.. the book keeps starting from the beginning every time. Will ask the sales people for help at my next service appointment.
DeleteI love listening on my iPhone. I have started carrying my earbuds in my purse for that reason. Had to purchase extras because I kept leaving them at home. :)
ReplyDeleteMelissa - That's a great idea! Going to purchase extra earbuds this week - thanks!!
DeleteI recently finished This Is How You Lose Her and now I'm wishing I had listened to the audiobook! And what an audiobook history!
ReplyDeleteTanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
Tanya - Did you like it in print? I never expected to enjoy that book so much... SO glad I listened!
DeleteI regret having read recently The End of the Affair, it would be fun to listen to it with that narrator. but have too many books to read right now to take time to a re-listen of a recent read. thanks for sharing your reading habits. I transfer audiobooks from my library on my ipod touch, that's how I listen to them
ReplyDeleteBahni Turpin sounds familiar, but I'm not sure from what audiobook. Did you ever listen to The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao? That is a truly incredible audiobook!
ReplyDeleteLaurie - Bahni Turpin was one of the narrators of The Help. (Bet you listened to that one.) So happy to have your endorsement of Oscar Wao - downloaded it recently, but haven't started listening yet. Now I can't wait to get started!
DeleteI'm thinking Colin Firth will be what finally gets me to read Graham Greene!
ReplyDeleteStacybuckeye - Colin Firth could get me to read anything ;-)
DeleteAudiobooks seem to have saved the sanity of a lot of us!
ReplyDeleteMichelle - They sure have!! Now I listen to them on my (all to frequent) sleepless nights.
DeleteLove that The End of the Affair is on your favorites list. I have that one on my wishlist, only because of Colin Firth!!! :)
ReplyDeleteBella - I read the book years ago, but didn't love it until Colin Firth read it to me ;-)
DeleteI think my new audiobook obsession is here to stay with me too just because my life is so hectic and it's such a good way to listen to books I would otherwise never get to.
ReplyDeleteLaura - I think audiobooks are a great obsession! They let us fit so many more books into our lives.
DeleteI love audiobooks too, I always have one in the car (should download some for my iPhone as well while walking!) . The radio here in San Antonio is particularly dire, except NPR, and I can't listen to news that much.
ReplyDeleteI really find audiobooks help me get into a book I might otherwise put off, like last year's Barnaby Rudge and my most recent listen, Lady Chatterley's Lover. And I'll usually have a print copy as well, though I find I sometimes end up spending more time finding my place on the audio than actually listening! I'm usually too impatient to just listen in the car.
I've just started listening to Call the Midwife and it's quite wonderful. The reader is excellent.
Karen K. - It's pretty much NPR or nothing for me as far as the radio goes around here, too. I'm going the print and audio route much more frequently now, too. It helps me get through books a little faster. Glad to hear you're enjoying Call the Midwife... it's on my audio wish list.
DeleteEvidently I am in the minority on Colin Firth's narration, everyone else seems to really have enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteJen - Listening to Colin Firth was actually a reread of The End of the Affair for me. My initial reaction to the book was 'meh' but I loved it with Firth's narration. Now I want to read it in print again.
DeleteAdding Lots of Candles to my audio TBR!
ReplyDeleteMelissa - You're probably not old enough to fully appreciate Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, but it should be required reading for every woman's 50th birthday.
Deletegreat audio book save on that building fiasco! and glad you're now back home...
ReplyDeletethx for the recommendations and intros
Faith Hope Cherrytea - Audiobooks were definitely my savior that year... and I still love them.
DeleteI can't wait to listen to End of an Affair and Calling Me Home!
ReplyDeleteStaci - Those two books are SO different, yet each amazing in their own way.
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