Books Blog : audiobooks

Read By the Author

Shh_ImReading@evpl — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:30:00 GMT

I love to listen to memoirs read by the authors that wrote them. Not so long ago, I was quite skeptical of all audiobooks. I viewed listening to a book as cheating, unless it was a matter of poor eyesight. I have, however, warmed somewhat to audiobooks, and memoirs read by their authors have become a favorite of mine. When it comes to memoirs, what could possibly be better than someone's story in his or her own voice?

Here are some of my favorite memoirs read by their authors that I've had the pleasure to listen to so far:

Haven Kimmel's memoirs about growing up in Mooreland, Indiana, A Girl Named Zippy and She Got Up Off the Couch. These two are good enough I recommend listening to them, even if you've already read them.
Kate Braestrup's Here if You Need Me, about being chaplain for the Maine Warden Service and her part in their search-and-rescue missions, plus her second memoir, Marriage and Other Acts of Charity.
Advice columnist Amy Dickinson's The Mighty Queens of Freeville, about the strong women in her family, including her mother, sisters and daughter.
Tina Fey's wildly popular Bossypants.
Anna Quindlen's recent memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake. I don't think I'm the target audience for this one, but I enjoyed it very much anyway.
Craig Ferguson's American on Purpose, the story of how he became a musician, then a comedian, the drugs he did and the hearts he broke along the way, and his decision to become an American citizen (he was born & raised in Scotland), might be a bit heavy on foul language for some people, but it charmed me.
Bill Bryson's memoir of growing up in Iowa in the 1950's, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is most amusing read in his slight British accent-- he lives in England now.
A. J. Jacobs' The Year of Living Biblically details the year he attempted to follow the Bible really, truly literally. Unfortunately, this is an abridged audiobook, meaning some parts of the original text are not included.

Do you have a memoir read by the author to recommend to me?

Harry Potter eBooks, downloadable audiobooks now available

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:27:00 GMT

Harry Potter eBooks & downloadable audiobooks are now available in our OverDrive collection!

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone: eBook | MP3 Audiobook
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets: eBook | MP3 Audiobook
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban: eBook | MP3 Audiobook
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire: eBook | MP3 Audiobook
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix: eBook | MP3 Audiobook
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince: eBook | MP3 Audiobook
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: eBook | MP3 Audiobook

Why did it take so long? The Harry Potter titles haven't been available in digital formats until now. They released to the general public on Tuesday, with availability to libraries starting yesterday.

Now that they're available in digital formats, will you be reading/re-reading these books?

Visiting Another World - Welcome to Westeros

kiya@evpl — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:57:00 GMT

Lately, my reading time has been spent in Westeros, a world created by George R. R. Martin for his series, A Song of Ice and Fire. My son is a longtime Martin fan, and many library customers are as well: all are anxiously awaiting Book 5 in the set. Meanwhile, HBO is producing a TV series based on Martin's works. Called A Game of Thrones (also the title of the first book), the first episode airs April 17, and the first season is supposed to roughly correspond to the first book. I decided it was time to read the books - before the TV show airs. I'd been putting it off, because these are big books, and I have to be in the mood to read fantasy. I was soon captivated by the world of Westeros, and the intrigue and complications of life in a somewhat medieval society.

Martin has lots of realistic, complicated characters. It isn't easy to tell the heroes and villains apart. The heroes have flaws and make mistakes, and even the worst villains have some redeeming qualities (well, maybe not one of them...). Entranced by the first book, I started the second as soon as I finished the first. I enjoy piecing together bits of information to figure out something, and that happens in these books.

When I finished reading the books, I listened to the audiobooks and caught some details I had missed. Roy Dotrice, who performs the first 3 audiobooks, is marvelous; he brings the characters to life. Realistic characters I can care about are very important to my enjoyment of a book, and Martin's books are well and intricately plotted, too. There is profanity in the books, as well as graphic violence and sex. If that isn't a problem, then I highly recommend these books for folks who like to spend some time in another world.

Writing this, I‘ve remembered some of the other worlds I have loved to visit. I was in junior high when I discovered Sylvia Louise Engdahl, and her 3-book Children of the Star series, as well as her Enchantress from the Stars/The Far Side of Evil set. These are favorites which I reread every few years. Mercedes Lackey has written several related series taking place in a world she calls Valdemar. Marion Zimmer Bradley created a world called Darkover, and even invited readers in to play. Along with Bradley's books, there are collections of short stories by other writers which take place in the world Bradley created.

I love getting immersed in another place and time, and seeing the world from that different point of view. J. K. Rowling created a wonderful magical world with her Harry Potter series. In his Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer created another magical world, just as wondrous, and completely different from the Potter world. I enjoyed Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, and am hoping that the sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, will be just as wonderful when it comes out this week.

Great Scot! (aka, Grateful American)

myzticrhythmz@evpl — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:11:00 GMT

Many celebrity biographies possess certain similarities: ambition, failed relationships, struggle, and frequently, addictions and/or abuse. So much of the success of the book depends not only on how the author has dealt with these situations in real life, but also on how they are able to share the details with their readers.

For me, American on Purpose: the Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by late-night talk show host Craig Ferguson is a success.

Born into a middle-class family in Glasgow, Scotland, Ferguson was pudgy boy who was beaten up pretty frequently. A lifelong passion for the United States was kindled by a letter exchange with NASA and a visit to the U.S. as a teen. Along the way, he discovered music (with a brief career as a punk rock drummer), alcohol and drugs, and eventually stand-up comedy and acting. Following a failed suicide attempt (he was diverted by a friend's offer of a drink) he eventually entered rehabilitation, and has been sober since 1992.

Throughout it all, Ferguson remains refreshingly gracious and unpretentious. He recounts the events and people in his life without malice, but instead with candor, equanimity, and a large dose of humor.

A bit of a warning here: the language may be offensive to some readers. Listening to the audiobook, which Ferguson narrates with that lovely brogue of his, probably made things a bit easier on the ears.

Okay; I'll admit it. I don't think I've ever stayed up to watch The Late Late Show. School nights, household duties--the usual reasons. But after reading American on Purpose, I just might.

A Road Story that nearly wasn't published

kiya@evpl — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:01:00 GMT

The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty tells the story of Smithson Ide, a fellow who sort of let life get away from him. After his world is drastically shaken up by the unexpected deaths of his parents, Smithy almost accidentally finds himself riding his bicycle cross-country. What began as a short, drunken bicycle ride becomes a transformative journey that allows Smithy to rediscover himself and America.

That explains the "Road Story" but what about the "that nearly wasn't published"?

For most of his adult life, Ron McLarty has made his living as a character actor, but never quite made it into the big time. He also worked as a performer of audiobooks, which became a steady gig. McLarty is also a prolific writer, but his ten novels were ignored by publishers, though. These days, many publishers won't take a chance on an unknown author, especially an older author. In 2000, McLarty showed one of his bosses at Recorded Books his manuscript of The Memory of Running, which began life as a play before growing into a novel. She liked it, and decided to produce it as an Audiobook Original.

In 2003, Stephen King listened to the audiobook, and loved it. Then he wrote about it in his Entertainment Weekly column, calling it the "best book you can't read," and encouraging readers of the column to buy or rent the title from Recorded Books. It wasn't long after that the agents and publishers started calling. The book was edited a bit more, and then published (which is why the audiobook version is different from the print version) to good reviews. Since then, the book has been optioned for a film, with a tentative 2010 date. McLarty has had two other books published as well: Traveler and Art in America.

There will be a book discussion of The Memory of Running at Red Bank Branch on Wednesday, August 12th, at noon. Join us to talk about this thought-provoking book!

More MP3 audiobooks available for download

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:11:00 GMT

The Library has added 89 new MP3 format audiobook titles to our OverDrive@ EVPL downloadable collection, many of them spiritual and new age titles from ChristianAudio, Zondervan, Sounds True, and Hay House publishers. We've also added several new titles from Books in Motion, Blackstone Audio, Tantor Media, Weston Woods, and the AudioBookshelf.

In addition to new MP3 format audiobooks, several new Windows Media Player audiobooks have been added, many of them recent Bestseller titles that are not available in the MP3 format, such as 3 Willows, Agincourt, The Associate, Beat the Reaper, Dark of Night, Mounting Fears, The Piano Teacher, and What I Did for Love. We've also added several new eBooks in the PDF format, including The House of Mirth (a book discussion title at the North Park Branch), The Breakthrough, Broken Open, Devil of the Highlands, Fireside, The Inheritance, and Wicked Game.

Check out the Library's http://evpl.lib.overdrive.com/ site to see all the media available for download to your computer or handheld device.

Monster of Florence

wag.mado@evpl — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:20:00 GMT

Wow! That was what I was saying most of the way through Douglas Preston's bestselling book. To think I wandered around Florence in the dark four years ago without ever knowing of these crimes. It gives me goose-bumps. If you didn't pick it up while it was on the NY Times Best Sellers list last year, it's not too late.

This is a true-life crime story like no other. A serial killer began a killing spree in 1968 murdering young lovers all around the Tuscan countryside. It ended 20 years later with a total of 16 victims. Douglas Preston became fascinated with the story after moving to Florence in 2000, and soon became involved in writing a book about the mystery, after spending countless hours with crime reporter and co-author, Mario Spezi. The tale weaves, twists, zigzags, and finally turns you upside down, when the authors become part of the story itself.

"Monster" has all the hallmarks of a modern work of fiction - mystery, murder, body parts, police corruption, deception, satanic cults, revenge, and madness. Will the real killer be revealed? Preston and Spezi give us a final twist at the end and plenty to think about.

United Artists and Tom Cruise have acquired the movie rights to "Monster of Florence" and we'll see if the movie is as good as this book.

Recently added bestsellers available for download

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:56:00 GMT

We've recently added the following bestseller titles to our OverDrive collection:

WMA audiobook format - Brass Verdict, Christmas Grace, The Fire, Here's the Story, Mother Angelica's private & pithy lessons, Shadow Factory, Tried by War, Wallflower Christmas, Bones, Against Medical Advice, Cross Country, Dark Summer, Divine Justice, Gate House, Longest Trip Home, Rough Weather, Salvation in Death, Testimony (Shreve), American Lion, Buyology, Call Me Ted, Ender in Exile, Every Now and Then, Gold Coast, Good Woman, John Lennon, A Mercy, Swallowing Darkness, Ten Roads to Riches, Too Fat to Fish

Juvie WMA audiobook format- The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, Paper Towns, Inkdeath, Nation, Runaway Dolls

eBooks (PDF and MobiPocket formats) - Wicked, Who, Shadow Factory, Lion Among Men, The Fire, Christmas Grace, Bones, Longest Trip Home, Time of My Life, American Lion, Buyology, Cold Pursuit, Destiny Kills, Gears of War: Aspho Fields, Gold Coast, Graveyard Book, Nation, Rigged, Suite 606, Swallowing Darkness, Ultimate Weapon, World According to Bertie

There were no new MP3-format audiobooks available to purchase. This continues to be frustrating, especially now that OverDrive has released their OverDrive Media Console for Macs (see ProfessorKnows-It-All's blog post). Nora Rawlinson, who was a Library Journal editor editor-in-chief of Publishers Weekly for 12 years, recently posted about this issue in her EarlyWord blog:

Unfortunately, there are fewer titles available from OverDrive in Mac's MP3 format than there are in the Microsoft format (Windows Media Audio, or WMA), which is often difficult to explain to library customers.

In order to make titles available in MP3, publishers must be willing to offer titles without Digital Rights Management software (the software that puts limits on how the audio can be used). This is because Apple software can only read titles encrypted with Apple's DRM, available exclusively on titles downloaded through iTunes and Audible. Thus, OverDrive cannot encrypt DRM on titles in MP3 format the way they can titles in the Windows format.

Many publishers have been reluctant to give up DRM for fear of piracy (true, publishers don't seem overly worried that CD's can be ripped and downloaded, but that takes a bit more effort). Random House recently made their titles DRM-free, so they could be sold to iPod users through more vendors than Audible and iTunes. However, they specifically excluded libraries from this arrangement, because, they said in their press release, without DRM, there's no way to limit "borrowing privileges."

Until Apple makes its DRM software available to other vendors, or until all publishers make their titles available DRM free to libraries, you will have to continue to try to explain why iPod users can only download a limited number of titles.

New Downloadable eAudiobooks and eBooks added to EVPL's OverDrive Collection

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:07:00 GMT

Recently added to the EVPL OverDrive collection:

Windows Media Audiobooks - White Tiger, Snowball, Sense of Urgency, Secret Life of Bees, Passion Test, Lucky One, Letter to my daughter, Cedar Cove Christmas,

MP3 Audiobooks - Cold Sassy Tree, Confident public speaking, Elsie Dinsmore, Nailing the job interview, Passion Test, Scarlet letter,

eBooks (PDF & Mobi-Pocket) - Cedar Cove Christmas, Deadly Night, It Happened One Night, Letter to my Daughter, Mr Cavendish I presume, Rogue Hunter, Rustler, Snowball

If you're looking for something appropriate to play at your Halloween party, note that some Halloween music has also been added to the collection.

"Central Staff Picks" you can download!

wag.mado@evpl — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:36:00 GMT

Staff at Central Library are currently sharing some of their favorite picks on a book display in the lobby through October 19. These titles are going fast and many have already snatched them off the shelf to enjoy. If you are one of those who do not visit Central on a regular basis - do not fear. You can download some of these popular titles from our website. Simply visit our Downloads tab and choose Books & Audiobooks to view OverDrive @ EVPL. Search for your favorites or choose one of the following non-fiction titles from Central Library Staff Picks.

Marley and Me by John Grogan

Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Daily Show with Jon Stewart presents America by John Stewart

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

World War Z by Max Brooks

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton

This I Believe by Jay Allison

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

Enjoy. And stop by Central Library the next time you are in the neighborhood!

New Bestseller Titles added to OverDrive @ EVPL

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:58:00 GMT

Remember to visit the OverDrive Digital Bookmobile at St. Joseph and the Lloyd when you go to the Fall Festival Friday, October 10^th! The Library has added a tremendous amount of new downloadable content with the addition of video, music, and MP3 audiobooks.

New titles are added every week or two. In the ebook and audiobook formats, these are often current bestseller titles. eBooks come in PDF format or Mobipocket (MOBI) format; downloadable audiobooks come in MP3 (but very few new bestsellers are available in this format) or Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. This week we added:

TITLE AUTHOR FORMAT(S)

A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity Bill O'Reilly PDF, MOBI

A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity Bill O'Reilly WMA

Darkfever and Faefever Karen Moning WMA

The Given Day Dennis Lehane PDF, MOBI

Hot Mahogany Stuart Woods WMA

Mother Warriors Jenny McCarthy WMA

One Fifth Avenue Candace Bushnell PDF, MOBI

One Fifth Avenue Candace Bushnell WMA

Pieces of My Heart Robert Wagner WMA

Sunset Karen Kingsbury WMA

Three Cups of Tea Greg Mortenson WMA

Tsar Ted Bell WMA

When the Soul Mends Cindy Woodsmall PDF, MOBI

We only purchased one copy of each of these, but we'll be watching the holds and purchasing additional copies as needed. So don't hesitate to place a hold if the title you want is not currently available!

Digital Bookmobile visits Fall Festival this Friday!

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:10:00 GMT

As part of a nationwide tour, the Digital Bookmobile, a 74-foot state-of-the-art tractor-trailer, will be visiting the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival on Friday, October 10, 10:30am to 6:00pm. Visit the Bookmobile, at the northwest corner of the Lloyd & St. Joe, to find out more about the EVPL's recently-revamped OverDrive collection: featuring downloadable audiobooks, eBooks, video, and music!

OverDrive Media Specialists will be on-hand to lead visitors through the various rooms of the bus. You'll learn how to browse our collection of digital titles; download & play audiobooks, eBooks, & videos; and get hands-on time with compatible MP3 players. If you own an MP3 player, bring it; you'll receive personal instructions on transferring titles to it!

Full information can be viewed on the event page. See you Friday on the bookmobile!

More Information

Event Page: View all the details, including info about the different areas of the Bookmobile.
OverDrive @ EVPL: Our revamped OverDrive collection launched last week. In addition to the downloadable WMA audiobooks we previously offered, we now offer downloadable MP3 audiobooks, videos, & music!
DigitalBookmobile.com: OverDrive's official website of the Digital Bookmobile. Find out more about their nationwide tour and upcoming tour stops.

"House at Sugar Beach" by Helene Cooper

wag.mado@evpl — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:41:00 GMT

I just finished one of those books that will stay with me for a long while. Helene Cooper's memoir, The House at Sugar Beach: in Search of a Lost African Childhood is remarkable and haunting. Her journalistic expertise opens the reader up to a privileged Liberian childhood, which ended in 1980 when she turned 14. The coup took place and the civil war began at a horrific cost to all of Liberia. Cooper, her mother, and sister fled their beloved country, leaving behind much bloodshed and many relatives - including an adopted sister.

This tale, although personal, is historical. Cooper sets the stage by relating how Liberia was settled by her ancestors, who were freed American slaves. It's filled with many vivid images of a pre-revolutionary lifestyle that was full of "American" possessions, humor, and close family ties. It all ended with post-war bloodshed, heartache, misery and poverty for Liberians. The book ends with Cooper's revealing return to her homeland, in search of the adopted sister she left behind.

I listened to this book on CD and would highly recommend the book in audio format. Helene Cooper narrates the book herself, at times speaking Liberian English ("Congo" style) - making the story come to life. I will be looking for more from the gifted Helene Cooper in the future.

MP3 Players for Downloadable Audiobooks

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:16:00 GMT

As the Library moves towards providing more materials as downloadables, questions about devices to play them on arise. We can't recommend devices, but we can point folks towards reviews and recommendations by others. On our OverDrive site, you can find a list of compatible devices. The editors at cNet.com also recently (August 18, 2008) had an article, Library-worthy MP3 players and review dates. Because publishers have concerns about pirating downloadable files, most insist upon Digital Rights Management (DRM) as part of any downloadable files available through the Library. This means that any device you use for these downloads needs to be Windows Media DRM compatible. Recently a few publishers have loosened their rules and a few MP3 format audiobooks are now available, so long as one agrees to follow copyright rules in using them. Those titles can be used on the non-DRM-compatible devices, such as Mac computers and Apple iPods. The Library has purchased a number of these MP3-format audiobooks, and they will be available as soon as our OverDrive site is redesigned. We'll also be adding some video downloads and a few music downloads at that time.

The OverDrive Digital Bookmobile will be at Central Library October 10, 2008, from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. See a demonstration of how to download materials, test the compatibility of your MP3-player(s), browse the Library's downloadable holdings, and actually check-out and download something.

EVPL's Digital Library

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:46:00 GMT

Audiobooks and ebooks are currently available for downloading from the EVPL Digital Library. This weekend, Todd and Chip are heading to Cleveland to attend OverDrive's user meetings, Digipalooza. We expect they will return with lots of ideas for publicity, web site changes, and new formats. Elizabeth is already working on these. OverDrive's Digital Bookmobile ( www.digitalbookmobile.com), a traveling community outreach exhibit for public library download services, will kick off a national tour on August 10 in Central Park with The New York Public Library ( http://ebooks.nypl.org). The inaugural event will allow readers of all ages to experience digital audiobook, eBook, music, and video downloads from their public library. We are hoping to have the Digital Bookmobile stop in Evansville sometime in October. New formats we are likely to add soon include MP3 audiobooks that will work on Mac computers and iPods, and downloadable videos. It is looking likely that we will add downloadable videos to the EVPL Digital Library instead of continuing our subscription to MyLibraryDV.