June is Audiobook Month — Celebrate and Win!
Anyone who has visited here before knows I love audiobooks.
However, I wasn’t always the world’s greatest audio fan. Listening rather than reading was a gradual process for me. I first tried audio many years ago—and failed miserably with the format and avoided audiobooks for many years. Yes, me!
What happened?
Well, my first attempt at listening to a book was a Sue Grafton mystery, one of the alphabet murders, on cassette tape while driving to a business seminar from Chicago to Indianapolis. I was concentrating so hard on listening that I missed an exit ramp and ended up on the wrong expressway. I had to figure out where I was and how to turn around, all in the days before GPS. I thought, ugh, no more books in the car, this is dangerous. And that was that.
What changed?
I got an iPod, and I would listen to music while gardening. If I could do that, then why not a book? I could read a few more books a year that way. It was a start, but a little more complicated than that!
Audiobooks are an acquired skill.
The solution for me was to start with a few non-fiction books and some short stories. With a full length book my mind would wander and I’d lose the plot. Non-fiction is much easier to listen to at first. Memoirs are also great to listen to when new to the format. If I can “learn to listen,” anyone can!
And now …
Years later, not only do I listen to books on CD in the car (yeah, I’m OK with that now), I also download and stream audio from my smartphone using bluetooth headphones . . . and listen to about 60 books a year.
Here are a few favorite listens from last year, but there are many, many more that I enjoyed.
Win Audiobooks
In celetration of audiobook month, the Audio Publishers Association and Audiobooks.com are sponsoring a giveaway. The winner will receive three free audio downloads and a set of earbuds. There is an assortment of books to choose from and there is something for everyone, from seasoned listener to newbie and everyone in between.
For a chance to win . . .
Fill out the form below on or before midnight, June 28th. I will draw one random winner (US only) and they will be notified by email. That’s it. Easy!
For more chances to win, here is a list of other participants in the tour.
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I don’t listen to audiobooks. But I did read Dark Matter. A friend of mine read that and immediately read Crouch’s Pine trilogy. Said it was really good. I’ve got #1 sitting in my TBR pile. Don’t know when I will get to it.
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It is an acquired skill. I started with a David Sedaris book which was just perfect. I find I do better with fiction if it’s told in the first person.
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My first audiobook – I can’t remember the title – was a novel narrated by a famous actress. I found the production quality and her performance lacking and DNF’d the audio. I didn’t try another audiobook for quite a while after that experience. A few years later I listened to a wonderful memoir read by the author – so I agree that memoirs can be a great entree to listening. Now I’m quite comfortable listening to fiction of various genres. I have favorite narrators too 🙂
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My experience with audiobooks was pretty similar to yours. Although I had a harder time with the narrators than I did with paying attention to the story. (although I have been known to drive past the road I needed to turn on) I tried a few different audiobooks and then didn’t bother with them for 3 years. This year though I’m addicted to them. I’m listening more than I’m reading.
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Thanks Lesley. I could not live without audiobooks! I’m almost done listening to ALL the novels and short stories with Sherlock Holmes – awesome narrator Simon Prebble. it was a great project
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Leslie, I like to listen to audio books on CDs. I haven’t yet mastered the art of listening on my phone. But I should try to. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
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