Kick Off Your Spring Workout Schedule
With A Great Audiobook
Posted by Mary
Source: lululemon athletica on Flickr
Seasoned audiobook readers know that listening to a great book can make the morning commute go faster, but that's not the only time audiobooks can keep you entertained. As the weather warms up and runners take their workouts outside and away from captivating gym TVs, some of them will bring audiobooks with them.
Those who don't favor fast-paced "pump up" music for accompanying their run can find audiobooks make the miles tick by faster, and with hours of story to listen to, just one book can get you through weeks of even the most vigorous training schedule. Runners aren't the only ones who can take audiobooks with them — even walking the dog can be a great chance to get in a chapter or two, helping you stay fit and get through that list of things you've been meaning to read.
Need a little inspiration? Check out Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir, Jim Fleming's To the Best of Our Knowledge: On Running, or The Long Run: One Man's Attempt to Regain his Athletic Career – and His Life – by Running the New York City Marathon by Matthew Long and Charles Butler. All of these titles are available right now on our favorite audiobook service, Audible.com, where you can get your first three months (and therefore your first three books) for just $7.49/mo.
Audible Launches New Author Program
Posted by Mary
Source: Taylor Burnes via Flickr
Last week, Audible.com, one of our favorite audiobooks sites, launched Audible Author Services, a program designed to encourage authors to work directly with the site to promote their books. In exchange for licensing the rights to audio performances of their books directly with Audible, the site will pay authors $1 for each audiobook sold. The $20 million dollar fund will pay out honorariums to authors for sales made through Audible.com, Audible.co.uk, and iTunes until the end of 2012, and possibly longer, if the program succeeds.
In addition to offering honorariums for authors, Audible Author Services works to help writers promote the audio versions of their books across platforms, including providing links, audio samples, and banners to be used on social media, blogs, and websites. Audible hopes that this program will encourage authors to devote the same attention to promoting audio versions of their work that they do to promoting the hard copies. Hopefully, it will also help Audible grow their already considerable library, making more and more titles available for listeners.
Want to see if your favorite author's books are available on Audible? Click here to see our review and use the search box to look up specific authors and titles. To see how Audible stacks up against other audiobook providers, check out the comparison chart or read some other reviews. You can also read previous blog posts, or leave us a comment or question in the comments section below.
Get the Game of Thrones Audiobook in Time for the HBO Premiere
Posted by Mary
Winter is coming, and on Sunday, April 1st, so is the second season of Game of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, the HBO series has earned praise from fans and critics alike for its gripping portrayal of politics, scheming, and war between seven noble families in the fictional land of Westeros. The first season of the show brought viewers to the end of A Game of Thrones, the first volume in the series. The second season will pick up where we left off, with the opening scenes from the second book, A Clash of Kings.
Those who missed the first season but want to watch the second as it airs should start catching up now, as there are a lot of dramatic twists and turns to cover. Though popular DVD rental site Netflix doesn't yet have the DVDs of the first season, the audiobook of A Game of Thrones is available through a number of our favorite sites, including Audible, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble. Likewise, purists who want to read or listen to the book before seeing the series can download an audiobook version of the second volume in the series, A Clash of Kings.
Customers can purchase audiobooks individually, but those who enjoy listening to them regularly will get great value out of a membership like Audible's, where you earn one membership credit, which is generally worth one audiobook, each month. If you sign up for Audible through NextAdvisor, you will pay just $7.49/month for the first three months, which is a 50% discount. After the first three months, the membership costs $14.95/month or $149/year.
Get The Hunger Games Audiobook for Cheap Before You See the Movie
Posted by Jeff
Dying to see "The Hunger Games" but haven't read the books yet? You are in luck. You can download the audiobook of "The Hunger Games" from one of the services below for extremely cheap.
The books by Suzanne Collins have become a pop culture phenomenon and have been made into the most anticipated movie of the year. It's the story of a post-apocalyptic world where a young teen named Katniss Everdeen has to fight for her life in The Hunger Games. Panem, a country that rose up after natural disasters ravaged what was once North America, is comprised of 12 Districts, plus the Capitol, which controls all of Panem. To squash any hope of a rebellion from the Districts, the Capitol holds The Hunger Games, a televised event in which one boy and one girl from each District are selected and all 24 are thrown into an arena to fight to the death. There can only be one winner.
Audible.com: New subscribers can get “The Hunger Games” for just $7.49 (regularly $27.97). That's the introductory price of the subscription service, which includes one monthly credit good for one book as well as 30% off all other books. One book a month might not seem like much for a voracious listener, but the deal includes additional reading in the form of a daily subscription to the The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal. After three months, the membership goes up to $14.95 a month, which is still less than the cost of “The Hunger Games” without a membership. Click here to download the audiobook!
Simply Audiobooks: If you go with the monthly download option, it’s $14.95 a month for one title credit but with no free trial. If you use their CD rental program you can rent an unlimited number of CDs, two at a time, for $26.98 a month, with a 15-day free trial to start. Click here to get started.
iTunes: iTunes offers the audiobook with no subscription plan for $23.95. This is a great choice for casual listeners who are Apple fans as you can only listen to the book on the iPod, iPhone, iPad, or a computer with iTunes installed. Click here to download the “The Hunger Games” audiobook!
Audible Releases A-List Collection: Classic Audiobooks Read by Celebrities
Posted by Mary
Source: Glen Scarborough via Flickr
If you've been thinking about giving Audible a try for downloadable audiobooks, now's a great time, since they've just released four books narrated by A-list Hollywood celebrities, with plans to add nine more over the coming months. The current A-List collection includes Anne Hathaway performing L. Frank Baum's classic The Wizard of Oz, Susan Sarandon reading The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers, Samuel L. Jackson narrating A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes, and Kate Winslet reading Thérèse Raquin by Emily Zola.
Audible also plans to release titles narrated by Annette Bening, Colin Firth, Dustin Hoffman, Hilary Swank, Jennifer Connelly, Kim Basinger, Meg Ryan, Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman.
Right now, Audible is offering NextAdvisor visitors 50% off their first three months, bringing the subscription cost down to $7.49/mo for the first three months and $14.95/mo after that. This subscription includes one book of your choice per month, including the A-List titles. Just click on any NextAdvisor link to Audible.com to take advantage of this great deal.
Curious about audiobook sites? Check out our comparison charts, read the FAQ section, or look up previous blog posts.
What's the Easiest Way to Listen to Audiobooks?
Posted by Mary
Q: My husband would like to read books but doesn't have the patience or the time to sit and read. Can you suggest the most straightforward way for him to listen to an audiobook?
Source: meddygarnet on Flickr
A: Today you have two major format choices when using audiobooks: MP3 files and CDs. Which is the best choice for you and your husband depends on what equipment you already have and where you would like to listen to your audiobooks.
Mp3 files can be downloaded right away on your computer, which is an advantage over CDs that must be shipped. You can either listen to the files at the computer, which requires no further equipment besides a computer with speakers or a pair of headphones, or you can put the files on an MP3 player or burn them to CD, if you'd like to listen in your car or while you do something away from the computer. The most popular brand of MP3 player today is the iPod, but there are many other brands and models available, some for less than $50. Your husband could then put the MP3 files of the audiobooks he would like to listen to on the MP3 player and take it with him wherever he likes. Our favorite services for MP3 audiobooks are Audible.com and eMusic, though you will also find downloadable audiobooks on iTunes and at Barnes and Noble.
Audiobooks on CD will work a lot like the cassette tapes you might have used in years past. We really liked Booksfree.com and Simply Audiobooks, both of which will allow you to rent books on CD. You will have to wait for the discs to arrive, which is a small disadvantage over downloadable MP3 files, but once you have the CDs, you can play them on any CD player, including the one in your car or a portable player like a Discman.
Got more questions about audiobooks? Check out our detailed reviews, read the FAQ section, or look up previous posts on the blog.
What MP3 Player Works With Barnes and Noble Audiobooks?
Posted by Mary
Q: Which MP3 player should I buy to download audible books from Barnes and Noble? I have Windows Vista.
Source: gcg2009 on flickr
A: We've addressed this question in general before on the blog, but I can offer a few specific pieces of advice for working with Barnes and Noble files. Users almost always download audiobooks through their computers. Barnes and Noble uses a free piece of software called the OverDrive Media Consul to download purchased files. This program should work fine on either a Mac or a PC. You can read more about how the download software performed in our detailed review of Barnes and Noble's audiobooks.
Some people choose to listen to their audiobooks on the computer, which doesn't require any extra equipment. If you'd like to take your books with you and listen to them on the go, any MP3 player should be able to handle files from Barnes and Noble, including iPods and iPhones. Today, most MP3 players will work with both Mac and PC operating systems, including Windows Vista. The ODM Consul can transfer the files to the MP3 player of your choice, or you can transfer them through a music program like iTunes.
Looking for reviews of other audiobook providers? Check out our Audiobooks Downloads and Rentals section!
Download "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Audiobook for Cheap
Posted by Jeff
Want to read "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" before the movie comes out, but don't have the time to read it all? Take advantage of some great NextAdvisor deals and get the audiobook! The serial killer thriller is one of the best selling novels in the world and part of the highly-addictive Millennium series written by author Stieg Larsson before his death in 2004. Check out these great deals from some of the audiobook services we’ve reviewed:
Audible.com: New subscribers can get “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” for just $7.49 (regularly $24.50). That's the introductory price of the subscription service, which includes one monthly credit good for one book as well as 30% off all other books. One book a month might not seem like much for a voracious listener, but the deal includes additional reading in the form of a daily subscription to the The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal. After three months, the membership goes up to $14.95 a month, which is still less than the cost of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” without a membership. Click here to download the audiobook!
Simply Audiobooks: If you go with the monthly download option, it’s $14.95 a month for one title credit but with no free trial. If you use their CD rental program you can rent an unlimited number of CDs, two at a time, for $26.98 a month, with a 15-day free trial to start. Or you can download “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” for $14.95. Click here for more info.
iTunes: iTunes offers the audiobook with no subscription plan for $17.95. This is a great choice for casual listeners who are Apple fans as you can only listen to the book on the iPod, iPhone, iPad, or a computer with iTunes installed. Click here to download the “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” audiobook!
Want the New "Steve Jobs" Audiobook? Get a Deal with These Services
Posted by Jeff
With the death of Steve Jobs, the technology world lost an icon. In his new book, "Steve Jobs," Walter Isaacson offers an inside look at the genius, including everything from Jobs’ difficult personality to his visionary thinking. The book covers everything in Jobs' life from his beginnings at Atari to his rise to one of the most important figures in technology history. To get the audiobook version of this hot new book, check out one of these services:
Audible.com: New subscribers can get "Steve Jobs" for just $7.49 (regularly $34.99). That's the introductory price of the subscription service, which includes one monthly credit good for one book as well as 30% off all other books. One book a month might not seem like much for a voracious listener, but the deal includes additional reading in the form of a daily subscription to the The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal. After three months, the membership goes up to $14.95 a month, which is still less than the cost of "Steve Jobs" without a membership. Click here to download the audiobook!
Simply Audiobooks: If you go with the monthly download option, it’s $14.95 a month for one title credit but with no free trial. If you use their CD rental program you can rent an unlimited number of CDs, two at a time, for $26.98 a month, with a 15-day free trial to start. Or you can buy "Steve Jobs" for $26.99.
iTunes: Use Steve Jobs' own creation to hear his memoir. iTunes offers the audiobook with no subscription plan for $16.99. This is a great choice for casual listeners who are Apple fans as you can only listen to the book on the iPod, iPhone, iPad, or a computer with iTunes installed. Click here to download the "Steve Jobs" audiobook!
Download "Moneyball" Audiobook for Free or Cheap
Posted by Jeff
Want a more in-depth look at Brad Pitt’s new movie “Moneyball”? Then check out the original book by Michael Lewis. Lewis’ book gets in to the details behind the Sabermetric analytics that Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane used to create a winning team with small revenue. These tactics are used by many MLB teams today, including the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. Check out what “Moneyball” is all about:
Audible.com: New subscribers can get “Moneyball” for just $7.49 (regularly $24.50). That's the introductory price of the subscription service, which includes one monthly credit good for one book as well as 30% off all other books. One book a month might not seem like much for a voracious listener, but the deal includes additional reading in the form of a daily subscription to the The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal. After three months, the membership goes up to $14.95 a month, which is still less than the cost of “Moneyball” without a membership. Click here to download the audiobook!
eMusic: Why not just get “Moneyball” for free? An eMusic free trial plan includes one audiobook credit. After two weeks, a membership is only $9.99 a month. As with Audible.com, this subscription would provide you with one book a month. Click here to join eMusic.
Simply Audiobooks: If you go with the monthly download option, it’s $14.95 a month for one title credit but with no free trial. If you use their CD rental program you can rent an unlimited number of CDs, two at a time, for $26.98 a month, with a 15-day free trial to start. Or you can buy the CD of “Moneyball” for $17.99
iTunes: iTunes offers the audiobook with no subscription plan for $5.95. This is a great choice for casual listeners who are Apple fans as you can only listen to the book on the iPod, iPhone, iPad, or a computer with iTunes installed. Click here to download the “Moneyball” audiobook!
Top Audiobook Downloads and Rentals
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Popular Services Reviewed:
Credit Monitoring Services |
Find Us On:
Copyright© 2006 - 2012 NextAdvisor.com - All rights reserved.
Disclosure: NextAdvisor.com is a consumer information site that offers free, independent reviews and ratings of online services. We receive advertising revenue from most of the services we review. Our editors thoroughly research and whenever possible test each service we review and offer their honest opinions about each one. We are independently owned and operated and all opinions expressed on this site are our own.