Ottakee Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I would love to listen to audio books as I don't have as much time to sit and read as I would like. What are my options? Free/very cheap are best. I have an Android phone that I could plug into my car speakers. I could maybe use one of the kids iPads or older iPod. I also have a CD player. I don't do heavy mysteries/thrillers, gore, fantasy, or explicit stuff. I love a well written book but also like light, funny material as well. Conservative Christian but books don't have to be Christian. Where do I even start? We have a good library system here. I have never even downloaded a song, podcast, etc so I need the 101 class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Free: you can get audio books on CD from your library, and probably electronic downloads as well. Our library website has instructions how to set up your device for downloading; our system uses Overdrive which is free. Check the website of your library system. We put ours on the phone and connect to the car speakers via cable or blue tooth, depending on the car. Free: Librivox. Quality or reading varies. Only includes works that are in the public domain. Inexpensive: get an audible subscription. You will get one or two free bonus books for signing up. You can cancel at any time; they will probably offer a reduced rate to prevent you from cancelling. The subscription makes you eligible for a free credit per month that can be redeemed for a book or audio course (cheapest way to get Great Courses lectures!). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I agree, take advantage of starting and then canceling an audible membership. Next, check your library and librivox. There's a lot of options out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 I use Overdrive and Hoopla. Both have apps for android. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 (edited) I second (third?) the suggestion to look at your local library and the Overdrive app. A librarian should be able to help you. But, I did it following the instructions online; it's very easy. Oh, I have an Android phone too; it's not a problem. Thanks to a previous thread here on the topic, I discovered that I can join the Philadelphia library along with my own county library system. So I have access to a lot of audio books now. I have looked into Audible and feel the monthly cost is still more than I want to spend. But so far the library is keeping me entertained well enough. There are also some public libraries that anyone can join for a fee, but I don't have that list anymore. The fee was reasonable, as I recall. Edited December 21, 2016 by marbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbotoast Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Amazon gives away a free Audible book each month when you buy the (free) Kindle version. You can find it on the Kindle Whispersync for Voice page. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 23, 2016 Author Share Posted December 23, 2016 Ok....I downloaded the Overdrive app. Then I went to my library page where I put a hold on the audio book I do want....Only #35 in line and they have 6 copies. I search around but everything I was interested had a wait list ðŸ˜...Or was a Smut book. Anyone have any good older titles that might be available? Today I will check out that kindle whisper sync thing.....I have a kindle and 500+ books somaybe I can do it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Ok....I downloaded the Overdrive app. Then I went to my library page where I put a hold on the audio book I do want....Only #35 in line and they have 6 copies. I search around but everything I was interested had a wait list ðŸ˜...Or was a Smut book. Anyone have any good older titles that might be available? Today I will check out that kindle whisper sync thing.....I have a kindle and 500+ books somaybe I can do it that way. How many holds are you allowed with your library system? (10 is common.) Max out your holds, so you will make progress in each hold line as you wait. It's very rare for people to return digital items early, as they naturally return themselves at the end of the loan period, so it takes more work to return them early, so each person will probably have the book for a standard time (1, 2, or 3 weeks depending on what your library allows). With Overdrive, you should be able to set search filters so it only shows you books that are available. And as you see books that you think you might like, you should be able to add them to your wish list as well, so when you need a new book you can go there and see what's currently available. And, echoing others, get a free trial of audible, and you'll get a free audiobook to get you started, while you wait for your library holds. They also run a lot of deals/specials, so you may find very cheap audiobooks that you are interested in as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Ok....I downloaded the Overdrive app. Then I went to my library page where I put a hold on the audio book I do want....Only #35 in line and they have 6 copies. I search around but everything I was interested had a wait list ðŸ˜...Or was a Smut book. Anyone have any good older titles that might be available? Today I will check out that kindle whisper sync thing.....I have a kindle and 500+ books somaybe I can do it that way. I'm listening to Station Eleven for the 2nd time. I've also read it twice. So there's a recommendation. Story of a post-pandemic world, but not gory or heavy. I've also listened to a fair bit of Dickens and other classics. Those are usually available. It was the only thing that got me through Anna Karenina when my book club was reading it. The Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters are popular but old enough they might be available. I've listened to a few of them, but I get bored with series easily. The first one is Crocodile on the Sandbank. They are not heavy mysteries; very light and entertaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Check with your library system to see if they offer Hoopla in addition to Overdrive. With Hoopla, all books are always available, but you can only borrow so many per month (I think it's up to the library as to how many--I know ours went from 8 to 10 about a year ago). And Hoopla seems to have more current and desirable titles in general, IMO. They also lend ebooks, music, TV shows, and movies. The TV shows and movies aren't the most current and are usually what I could get through Netflix or Amazon Prime, but they have some interesting stuff. All of those count in your borrow limit as well. When it comes to Overdrive, I've found that the best strategy was to sit down with the catalog and just spend some time going through what they have available, old and new. If there were books I really wanted to read but they generally had long wait lists, I put them on my wait list too. If there were books that sounded interesting and that were usually available, I put them in my wish list (which is unlimited as far as I can tell). That way I always had a stash of pre-screened books to jump to when I needed something new. You can also do an advanced search and filter by Available Now. Once you get that list, you can click on the subjects on the left side to see what's currently available subject by subject. If you really must have the book you want to listen to, when you want to listen to it, then Audible is going to be your best bet. There are ways to make the membership a little cheaper (e.g., paying for a full year will make the per-book costs cheaper, starting a membership and then attempting to cancel it will usually get you a free promo credit to keep you on, etc.), and there always seems to be some kind of sale or deal going--3 audiobooks from a specific selection for two credits, audiobooks from a specific selection for $4.95 each, the Daily Deal book for $3.95, and so on. I've found that the Free Library of Philadelphia ($50 a year, all done online) has a MUCH larger Overdrive selection, and more "copies" of the hotter books, than my own local library does, and the FLP offers Hoopla and a very small but still useful audiobook database called OneClick Digital. Between our local library, the FLP selection, and our monthly credit (and sales) from Audible, we're all kept in audiobooks (and ebooks) to our heart's content :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I have just started doing more audiobooks. I opened an account with Audible.com and they currently have a $1.99/mo for 3 months to start deal. I have been reading that if you call to cancel when the promo is over, they will offer you an additional 3 months at $7.99/mo. There is also an ebay seller who sells credits at around $2 to $2.50 per credit. I am not sure about the ethics of this. I am reading up on it as I don't fully understand what they are saying (something about authors on Amazon who allow promo codes or something.) But so far I have just used Overdrive and gotten library books. I am currently listening to a Jodi Picoult book but I have listened to a few other books this way as well. The problem is, you can only have the book for 3 weeks at a time, so I have to know I will have time to listen before requesting it. It isn't always available to re-check-out later to finish. I also check with ChristianBooks.com as they often have sales and have a freebie every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 If you transfer an overdrive book to iPod it is yours till you delete it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 (edited) Ok....I downloaded the Overdrive app. Then I went to my library page where I put a hold on the audio book I do want....Only #35 in line and they have 6 copies. I search around but everything I was interested had a wait list ðŸ˜...Or was a Smut book. Anyone have any good older titles that might be available? Today I will check out that kindle whisper sync thing.....I have a kindle and 500+ books somaybe I can do it that way. Try browsing the sections. My library has a lot of classics in Overdrive that are always available. And did you check to see if overdrive was the only service available? My library also has Hoopla and One Click Digital, neither of those have wait lists. Edited December 23, 2016 by kitten18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 23, 2016 Author Share Posted December 23, 2016 Thanks for all of the help. I figured out how to search a bit better on our libraries overdrive based on if the book was available and by genre, etc. I found one and have listened to 1 1/2 hours of it so far while wrapping presents and cleaning. Next week I will research the other options/ideas. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Thanks for all of the help. I figured out how to search a bit better on our libraries overdrive based on if the book was available and by genre, etc. I found one and have listened to 1 1/2 hours of it so far while wrapping presents and cleaning. Next week I will research the other options/ideas. If you don't already have them, consider getting some wireless headphones for listening around the house. They revolutionized my world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 23, 2016 Author Share Posted December 23, 2016 If you don't already have them, consider getting some wireless headphones for listening around the house. They revolutionized my world! OK, can I admit I have not used headphones since the late 1980s....But those sound interesting. Off to check them out on Amazon....Are any brands better than others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 OK, can I admit I have not used headphones since the late 1980s....But those sound interesting. Off to check them out on Amazon....Are any brands better than others? There was a thread just recently with recommendations: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/630123-durable-wireless-headphones/ I like my over-ear headphones because I need a pair that will stay on during all the gardening and housework I do while wearing them (and I don't like in-ear earbuds), and they aren't uncomfortable over my glasses, but that's definitely something to consider. Our local BJ's has a couple of pairs set up to try out (that's where I found mine), so if you have access to something like that, it might help you decide what you prefer. Otherwise, I tend to just rely on Amazon reviews for stuff like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 (edited) You've got a couple of options: If you don't want to have it replay on your smart phone, you can order CDs with Simply Audiobooks. The monthly charge used to be around $15.00 - could be more by now. I subscribed to the Free Brooklyn Library (but it was not entirely free since I am not residing in their area); it cost $50.00 annually but there is quite a selection of audiobooks that you download via "Overdrive" and then listen to on your phone. I like since I am commuting again. If you have trouble with Overdrive, google your questions. I found it fairly straight forward. ETA: Once you have Overdrive downloaded, you can also read Ebooks on your ipad, tablet or phone. Edited December 23, 2016 by Liz CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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