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Reading Books with Your Ears

June 5th, 2012
Jennie · Staff Recommendations

Do you feel that it is getting harder and harder to find time to read? You are not alone. There is so much to do in so little time. Yet, you can’t suppress the little voice that is constantly urging you to pick up that best-seller. What should you do? Check out audiobooks from your libraries and read with your ears!

While there are thousands of CD, cassette, and the preloaded audiobooks (also called Playaway) at your local library, it is now also possible to download digital audiobooks to your iPod, smartphone, or MPs player from our online digital media catalog.

There are more than three thousand digital audiobooks in either MP3 or WMA format on the catalog. Log in with your library card and your pin (the last four digits of your phone number) to browse the catalog by genre or search by keywords, then check out or reserve any items you would like to borrow. If this is your first time borrowing a digital audiobook, you need to download the free software OverDrive Media Console to your computer, tablet or smartphone. Then, you may transfer the audiobook to your MP3 player or other devices. You may also listen to the audiobook by plugging the device into the auxiliary port of the stereo system in your car. I have listened to great audiobooks on CDs, cassettes, Playaway and my MP3 while walking, doing household chores, or driving long distances to vacation areas with my family.

A few of the audiobooks stand out in my mind as the most memorable ones. Marley & Me (CD audiobook,Cassettes Audiobook) by John Grogan is one of them. My whole family enjoyed listening to it. It is a true story that will warm your heart whether you are a dog owner or not. You will have a good laugh and a great time listening to it.

Listening to The Glass Castle (CD audiobook, Preloaded audiobook) by Jeannette Walls is a totally different experience but nonetheless memorable. We suffered along with Jeanette and her siblings as the result of a series of bad decisions made by her parents. We cried out “Oh, no, not again” several times and lived through Jeanette’s childhood to see her survive and thrive in this courageous memoir about a dysfunctional family.

The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride Book 1) (CD audiobook, Digital audiobook, Preloaded audiobook) by James Patterson is an action packed, fast moving fantasy story of six kids (98% human, 2% bird) who escape lab, overcome many obstacles, and eventually triumph over their killers. The story captured the attention of my entire family. Mr. Patterson has the amazing ability to make you part of his story. We flew with the kids and battled their enemies alongside them. It is a captivating story for both teenagers and adults.

Of the many audiobooks I have listened to, The Help (CD audiobook, Digital audiobook) by Kathryn Stockett is the only one casted with four voices. They each handle a variety of southern accents with aplomb. The actors portrait the characters so vividly, the drama unfolds right in front of my eyes. They took me back to 1960’s and to Mississippi.

In Safe Haven (CD audiobook, Digital audiobook, Preloaded audiobook), Nicholas Sparks turned an ordinary small town love story into a testimony of the power of love. As the story unfolds, love grows, and the past of a young beautiful lady starts to catch up with her as her abusive detective husband tracks her down. A disastrous clash is waiting just around the corner. The characters in the story seem so ordinary, yet their story is so real, convincing, and compelling. It felt intimate, like a true story told by a friend rather than read in a novel.

Listening to How to Win Friends and Influence People(Cassette Audiobook, Digital audiobook) is like hearing my mentor talking to me. Published in 1936, it is a classic self-help book that teaches timeless people skills used not only in corporations, but also in daily life. I, along with millions of others, have benefited from the book. Applying a few of the techniques has made my life better. Give it a try and see if it helps you.

There are so many wonderful audiobooks on different formats for you to choose from. Let the great writers accompany you and their audiobooks enrich your life.

Following are the top ten digital audiobooks downloaded by Harrison patrons.

  1. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games Series, Book 1) by Suzanne Collins, narrated by Carolyn McCormick
  2. Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Series, Book 2) by Suzanne Collins, narrated by Carolyn McCormick
  3. The Friday Night Knitting Club (The Friday Night Knitting Club Series, Book 1) by Kate Jacobs, narrated by Carrington MacDuffie
  4. The 7 Habits of Highly Defective People And Other Bestsellers That Won’t Go Away: A Parody by Cathy Crimmins, narrated by Tom Maeder
  5. Too Big To Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin, narrated by William Hughes
  6. 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
  7. Bossypants by Tina Fey
  8. The Shadow Market: How a Group of Wealthy Nations and Powerful Investors Secretly Dominate the World by Eric J. Weiner, narrated by John Allen Nelson
  9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald, narrated by Scott Brick, Paul Michael Garcia, Jeff Cummings, Grover Gardner, and Ray Porter
  10. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, narrated by Polly Stone
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