An industry-wide celebration

Audiobook Month is celebrated industry-wide during the month of June with the goal of increasing awareness of this growing format. In celebration of audiobook month, the Audio Publishers Association and Audiobooks.com are sponsoring a giveaway. More on that below.

For those still hesitating to try the format, summer is the perfect time to try an audiobook. All of my audio listening is while multitasking: Doing boring household chores, driving, walking, gardening.

Audiobooks are an acquired skill

Don’t be disappointed if listening to a book doesn’t work on the first attempt. It took me several tries and failures before I embraced the format. Start with something easy like non-fiction or short stories.

Things to avoid for new listeners

Too long, complex plot, too many characters or changes in point of view, or multiple jumps in time and place. Having to constantly press the reverse button and listen again can get very frustrating.

How to find a good audiobook

The best way to find a good audiobook is to read reviews or ask for recommendations. When I review an audiobook I’m now including a difficulty rating ie Easy, Intermediate or Difficult. The narrator also makes a difference. Some are such a pleasure to listen to that they could read the phone book and I’d enjoy it!

Recommendations For New Listeners

A favorite of mine from several years ago is Bossypants, Tina Fey’s memoir. Entertaining, interesting, and funny. Laugh-out-loud funny! The book is narrated by the author and she does a superb job. This is the perfect book for non-audio folks to try an audiobook. No complex plot lines, one narrator, and no problem staying interested.

A recent read that I found engaging and delightful was Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson. He is a pleasure to listen to and he makes astrophysics sound easy. At only a few hours long, I was wishing for more.

Why Dinosaurs Matter by Kenneth Lacovara is a short, interesting look at dinosaurs. This was read with enthusiasm by the author and is a book the entire family will enjoy. At only four hours long, it’s a good choice for a long ride in the car.

A Few of My Many Favorites

Win Audiobooks

In celebration of audiobook month, the Audio Publishers Association and Audiobooks.com are sponsoring a giveaway.

The winner will receive a fantastic selection of 8 audiobooks that have been generously donated by Blackstone Publishing, High Bridge Audio, Hachette Audio, LA Theatre Works, Macmillan Audio, Post Hypnotic Press Audiobooks, Scholastic and Tantor Audio. The books will be available on Audiobooks.com for download. (US only)

For a chance to win . . .

Fill out the form below on or before midnight, June 30th. I will draw one random winner (US only) and they will be notified by email. That’s it. Easy!

The Eight Titles

1. Seven by Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna Deavere Smith, and Susan Yankowitz
2. Gone to Dust by Matt Goldman, narrated by MacLeod Andrews
3. Bring Me Back by B. A. Paris, narrated by Kevin Hely and Cathleen McCarron
4. Wings of Fire Book One: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland, narrated by Shannon MacManus
5. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan, narrated by Todd McLaren
6. Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan, narrated by David Shih
7. A Girl Stands at the Door by Rachel Devlin, narrated by Robin Miles
8. Torn from Troy, Book 1 in the Odyssey of a Slave Trilogy by Patrick Bowman, narrated by Gerard Doyle

For more chances to win, visit the other participants in the tour.

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