I liked C2′s idea of a Best of 2008 list.  Then Liv got into the action, so thought I’d give it a try too.  (Of course, mine are the best of the bunch.)  I was never one to keep track of my reads, and 2008 was the first time I’ve done that; therefore, this list, though difficult to choose just a few in the long run, was easy for me since I didn’t have to rely on a twelve-month memory.

So here’s my Best of 2008, in no particular order.

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Contemporary Romance Audiobook released by Brilliance Audio 25 Mar 08

Actually, I drooled over Hardy Cates while listening to him with the audiobook of Blue-Eyed Devil. My first foray (including Sugar Daddy) into Kleypas books and I loved every darned minute of it!

Weddings Can Be Murder by Christie Craig
Contemporary Romance released by Love Spell 27 May 08

I never thought I would fall in love with a hero who’s a sympathy puker.  Don’t wrinkle your nose!  Read the book, it’s hilarious! Christie Craig is making a huge name for herself and her wonderful humor.
Double Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy
Historical Paranormal Romance released by Love Spell 26 Aug 08

A breath of fresh air with a new take on the English social castes.  Fun, intriguing, and very romantic. And loads of magic along with shapeshifting, both of which give readers a different look at old favorites.

Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance released by Brava 1 Jun 08

Really, you can interchange any one of the three Sexy books in here. Just love those Sky High Men! Ms. Shalvis has a way with humor, romance, mystery, and fun.

Killer Charms by Marianne Stillings
Contemporary Romance released by Avon 26 Aug 08

I enjoyed all three books about the Darling family, but it’s the hero of this one that gave it top honors for me in 2008. I’ll definitely be reading more of Ms. Stillings.

King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul, Book 3) by C.L. Wilson
Paranormal Fantasy Romance released by Leisure Books 30 Sep 08

With just one more book to go, this series is now my favorite of all time. Ms. Wilson has created a world that is just absolutely fantastic and she’s giving us a love story like no other.

Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh
Release by Berkley 2 Sep 08

I’ve loved every book in this series.  They’re all incredible.  But Dorian has always been my favorite from the very first book and I’d anticipated his story for so long.  Ms. Singh did not disappoint!

Scandalous by Night by Barbara Pierce
Historical Romance released by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 29 Jul 08

Barbara Pierce has become an all-time favorite historical author for me.  This book she gave readers a darker side of her writing and Everod is her best hero yet.

With Every Breath by Lynn Kurland
Time Travel Romance released by Jove 27 May 08

Beautiful writing, sweeping Scottish vistas, love and romance that crosses time boundaries, and characters you’ll love forever. What’s not to love?

The Missing by Shiloh Walker
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Berkley Trade 4 Nov 08

As I said in my review of this book, Ms. Walker has outdone herself with this one.  Absolutely mesmerizing.  If you haven’t read it, you should.  You’re missing out, big time.

Honorable mentions:

Ask Adam by Jess Dee
Contemporary Romance released by Samhain 29 Jul 08

Ms. Dee is a first-time author for me and I enjoyed her writing and storytelling immensely.  I have a feeling she’s really going to go places!

The Hot Line by Cathryn Fox
Contemporary Romance released by NAL 4 Mar 08

Another first-time author for me. Had to love the idea of the Hot Line, firefighters just waiting to help a lady out. And those boys know what they’re doing!

Sandy M’s review of Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Contemporary Romance Audiobook released by Brilliance Audio on 25 Mar 08

I wasn’t sure I was going to continue to like Hardy Cates because of some of his behavior in Sugar Daddy where we first meet the man. However, I knew I would like him because, well, he is the hero of this book and I know he will be redeemed. I never dreamed, though, I would like love him as much as I do after listening to the audio version of his book. Its narrator, Renée Raudman, does a brilliant job of bringing this book to life, including making Hardy one damn fine sexy hero.

First things first, though. This book is also about Haven Travis, the only daughter of millionaire Churchill Travis who has better relationships with his sons than he’ll ever have with Haven. It’s her father who thinks he trying to save her when he really pushes her into a marriage that turns horrifying with realistic scenes of domestic abuse. Haven loves Nick and is ready to marry him, but when her father refuses to give his blessing because he knows Nick is only after Haven’s money, instead of sitting down and talking with his daughter adult to adult so Haven might look at the situation differently, she jumps in with both feet despite Churchill’s threat of cutting her off from the Travis wealth. Things go well between the newlyweds only for a little while, until Nick begins to show his true colors and takes his rage out on Haven because they’re getting none of the Travis money to make his life easier. Haven does her best to make the bastard happy, and it’s when he literally throws her out on their doorstep for the night that she calls her brother Gage to help her get out of her living nightmare.

By this time Haven’s memory of her one and only meeting with Hardy is the furthest thing from her mind while she’s going through therapy, but when she runs into him again, that memory hits her full force, wondering what her life would have been like if she’d gone with the man who made her burn with passion and lust in a dark wine cellar at her brother’s wedding. And let me tell you, that scene is as sexy as hell. Between Ms. Kleypas’ writing and Ms. Raudman’s narration, a reader does’t have a snowball’s chance of getting through that scene with wanting Hardy’s hands and mouth on her.

And things only get better. Even though Haven doesn’t want anything to do with men at this certain point in her life, she’s still drawn to Hardy. Her father and brothers have nothing good to say about the man, but that doesn’t stop her. This time she knows she’s got a good man because of the way he patiently goes through her emotional roller coaster ride with her of wanting to get closer to him but still being afraid to let a man that close again. They take things slow and easy, learn about one another, and when that final trust is put in place by Haven, the long and winding road to get there is definitely worth it. For me, Hardy’s redemption comes in the many different ways he stands by Haven. Yeah, he’s sexy in the bedroom, but he’s even sexier because of the man he is.

Haven’s triumph over one of the most degrading things a man can do to a woman, Hardy finding the one woman he can share all of himself with to show the reader how he’s changed, and a cast of characters from a controlling father and later a controlling boss, a scum of man who deserves every little thing he gets, to brothers who only want their sister to be happy make for a very compelling book brought to life through audio. Ms. Raudman does an excellent job throughout the entire book, but it is those scenes with Hardy I found myself anticipating. This is one time that the hero in my head truly came to life just how I imagined him.

Grade: A+

Summary:

     MEET THE BLUE-EYED DEVIL

     His name is Hardy Cates. He’s a self-made millionaire who comes from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s made enemies in the rough-and-tumble ride to the top of Houston’s oil industry. He’s got hot blood in his veins. And vengeance on his mind.

     MEET THE HEIRESS

     She’s Haven Travis. Despite her family’s money, she refuses to set out on the path they’ve chosen for her. But when Haven marries a man her family disapproves of, her life is set on a new and dangerous course. Two years later, Haven comes home, determined to guard her heart. And Hardy Cates, a family enemy, is the last person she needs darkening her door or setting her soul on fire.

     WATCH THE SPARKS FLY….

     Filled with Lisa Kleypas’s trademark sensuality, filled with characters you love to hate and men you love to love, Blue-Eyed Devil will hold you captive in its storytelling power as the destiny of two people unfolds with every magical word.

     Listen to an excerpt.

So which lucky duck will be enjoying Phil Gigante’s aural pleasures?

As much as I wanted to send one to every person who commented, I want to retire someday too. So I had my daughter pick a number and the winner is:

DARLA

WOOT! Happy eargasms, girlfriend!

Now, please send your name and address to BevLQB (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll have Kiss of the Highlander on unabridged CDs shipped directly from Amazon to you. Let me know if you would prefer MP3-CDs instead.

BevQB’s review of Kiss of the Highlander (The Highlander Series, Book 4) by Karen Marie Moning, narrated by Phil Gigante
Paranormal historical timetravel fantasy romance Audio Book released by Brilliance Audio on 20 Jan 08

Kiss of the Highlander in audio format is the perfect mating of story and storyteller and I can’t imagine merely reading this story from a printed page ever again. Phil Gigante brings every minute of this pure escapist fantasy story to life. Audio books, in fact most Romance books, don’t get any better than this!

WAIT! WAIT! I know you are expecting me to once again squee about the aural pleasures to be found in Phil Gigante’s eargasmic portrayal of Drustan (and, oh, I will), but there’s much more to expound on in this absolutely spell binding audio book. (btw, did ya notice the big “contest” tag? Hmmmm?)

This is the fourth audio book release in KMM’s Highlanders series and centers on Drustan MacKelter and Gwen Cassidy. Containing both paranormal and fantasy (fae) elements, Kiss is set, through time travel, in historic and modern day Scotland. This is a standalone story, so it is not necessary to be familiar with the previous books in the series to enjoy this one, but, trust me; you’re going to want them all!

Have I ever mentioned just how damn ENTERTAINING Phil G’s narration is? In fact, I really hesitate to refer to what he does as mere narration. It’s a PERFORMANCE. The voices and effects he uses for all the characters, both lead and minor, are spot on. Often, when a man attempts a woman’s voice, it comes off as mocking. However, while no one will ever mistake Phil’s voice for a woman’s, I quickly was no longer conscious that a man was voicing the female characters. Yes, he uses a higher pitched voice for women, but there’s something else there too… a softness, a vulnerability… something… that does not scream “man mocking woman”.

Unless he wants to. One of the most entertaining moments in this audio book and one that showcases Phil G’s amazing talent is when Drustan is teasing Gwen and repeating her words in her “voice” . So we’re treated to Phil as Drustan mocking Phil as Gwen using Drustan’s version of Gwen’s voice. Trust me, Phil nails it!! Just hand him next year’s Audie Award now!

When I think of The Highlanders series, Kiss of the Highlander has always been the first one to come to mind. But if, like me, you are also a fan of KMM’s brilliant Fever series, you will have a lot of fun listening for Fever clues throughout the Highlander books. Kiss is the second book with a direct link to the later series (The Hallows appear in book 3, The Highlander’s Touch), and is the first of the MacKelter books (we meet Christian MacKelter, from Bloodfever, towards the end of Kiss). It’s fascinating to revisit all the Highlander fae lore that eventually comes together to spawn the complex Fever books.

But, the most compelling reason (besides my all-time favorite Nathan Kamp cover pic) to buy this (and all the rest of the series) in audio format is what narrator Phil Gigante does for your ears— and other body parts that are directly or indirectly attached to them. Be sure to use earphones when listening to Drustan’s seduction of Gwen- Phil uses a deep vibrating growl that you can seriously feel down to your toes! I’m not ashamed to admit that listening to Phil G’s Scottish brogue has become an addiction and an obsession for me.

	Grade: A Listen to a summary of the book followed by a sample of Gigante’s narration here. And oh, what a shiver-worthy sample it is!
	Click here to sample the rest of the Highlander series audio books.Book 5, The Dark Highlander, will be released 20 March 2008, followed by book 6, The Immortal Highlander, in May 2008. I highly recommend that books 5 and 6 be read/listened to in order AFTER this 4th book, Kiss of the Highlander. Go. Buy. Or borrow from your library. Audio books don’t get any better than these!

CONTEST!!

It’s no secret that everyone here at TGTBTU is unashamedly a fan of the Romance genre. Plus – we love nothing more than to share our love of the genre with anyone and everyone. So, I’ve decide to put my money where my mouth is.

I so love this audio book that I want to SHARE IT WITH ONE LUCKY DUCK AND WILL HAVE IT SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO YOU FROM AMAZON. Just comment on this post for a chance to win one copy of the unabridged KISS OF THE HIGHLANDER CDs.

One entry per IP address, U.S. residents only (sorry non-US folks).  The winner will be selected from comments made before midnight tomorrow, Tuesday, 18 March, according to the blog timestamp (we’re US Central timezone).

And, if you end up listening to Kiss of the Highlander, PLEASE let me know what you thought of it.

Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.

Aural Pleasures 103 – “What” Audio Books are Recommended

In Aural Pleasures 101, we looked at the “Why” and “Where” to buy audio books. In Aural Pleasures 102, we shared advice on “How” to select audio books. So now, for the “What” to buy. Here are a few of my recommendations (audio sample links provided when available, click the cover pics to go to each book’s Amazon page):

Within the Romance genre, most narrators will be female, so I highly recommend that Aural Pleasure novices who are also historical romance fans start with The Indiscretion by Judith Ivory (click to sample Audible.com audio), narrated by Barbara Rosenblat (pictured at right). This Victorian era “lady and the cowboy” story would be a light, enjoyable read on its own, but Rosenblat elevates it by breathing life into Liddy and Sam. She narrates the book in a nondescript American accent, then gives Liddy an upper class British accent that is somehow filled with humor, vulnerability, and playfulness. And the fact that a woman is doing Sam’s voice was lost to me in seconds because his mumbly Texas drawl IS Sam. I think I smiled through most of this audio book. What a JOY this was to listen to! But to illustrate the points I made in Aural Pleasures 102, Rosenblat is also the narrator for Katie MacAlister’s Light My Fire (Aisling Grey series). Even though I ADORED her in The Indiscretion, I listened to the sample and I just don’t think her voice “fits” the MacAlister series as well (could I request that all you rabid Rosenblat fans PLEASE throw only soft objects at me?)

For multiple eargasms, pick up The Highlander series by Karen Marie Moning, narrated by Phil Gigante. So far, the first three have been released – Beyond the Highland Mist (click for sample), To Tame a Highland Warrior (click for sample), and The Highlander’s Touch (Nov 20, 2007)- with the rest apparently to be released in sequence at two month intervals. Phil Gigante does such a good job with the female voices that I was quickly no longer aware that the narrator was a man. And what he does for the male voices… *shiver*… his different Scottish brogues gave me aural eargasm after eargasm! What an amazing talent Gigante is! My only caveat is that I seem to hit the back track button A LOT when listening to Gigante’s narration. Oh, it’s not HIS fault. Well, not really. It’s just that sometimes I get so swept away by HOW his swoonworthy character voices sound, that I forget to pay attention to WHAT they’re saying! (FYI: Phil Gigante is also the narrator for the first book in Nora Roberts’ new Sign of Seven Trilogy, Blood Brothers)

The last three books in Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series (Sookie Stackhouse) are narrated by Johanna Parker: Book 5, Dead as a Doornail (click for sample), Book 6, Definitely Dead (click for sample), and Book 7, All Together Dead (click for sample). This is a series that I initially didn’t care for because it moved too slow for me in print form. But now I can’t wait for each new release because Johanna Parker brings Sookie Stackhouse to Southern Fried life! I find myself stopping and just floating along with her smooth, small town Louisiana drawl filled with Sookie’s vulnerability and strength. Then she changes not only the pitch and tone, but also the cadence of her narration to bring all the characters in Sookie’s world to life. I notice that Book 1, Dead Until Dark (click for sample), has recently been released in audio, so I hope that bodes well for the release of all the earlier books in audio format, too.

As with the Harris’ series, I never quite heard the voice of Queen Betsy right in my head. The heroine of MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead series came across as a shallow bit of fluff to me. But thanks to narrator Nancy Wu I realized that Betsy’s irreverent snark is not to be missed (and wait till you hear Tina). All six books are available through Audible.com (click to sample).

I mentioned in Aural Pleasures 102 that “since an audio book forces the listener to slow down and read at the narrator’s pace, you will almost always discover things you never noticed before or see scenes in a different light when listening to a favorite book in audio format.” I have found that, even after multiple readings of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series and Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series, I ALWAYS have new insights after listening to the audio books.

    Brilliance Audio produces Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series, and the narrator, Laural Merlington, does a heroic job of creating distinctive voices for all the characters. I particularly love the hint of Irish brogue she injects into Doyle’s voice. I’ve read the books multiple times, but I NEVER fail to catch something new every time I listen to the audio books. (click to sample Brilliance Audio)

Brilliance also produces Moning’s Fever series audio, narrated by Joyce Bean who, to my ears, has a voice a bit too mature for our heroine. And DOH! Why was I so discombobulated with her Southern accent? Mac IS Southern, yet I never heard it in my head when I read the book. When Darkfever was first released in print, I read it, turned it over, and immediately read it a second time. Then I splurged and downloaded this one from AudioBookStandDL (see Aural Pleasures 101). In this case, the story was so engrossing that it overcame my initial awkward reactions to the narrator. And it is amazing how much more I STILL got out of the audio even though I had just read the print book twice! (click to sample Brilliance Audio)

Virgin Books Limited produces the Black Lace (yes THAT Black Lace– erotica for women) audio books (click to sample Audible.com audio). One of my all-time favorite books is A Gentlemen’s Wager by Madelynne Ellis (to be re-released in print with this luscious new cover early next year followed by the long awaited sequel, Phantasmagoria), but the audio book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. To my Midwest American ear, the narrator, Betsy Garden, sounded too contemporary (the book is set in Georgian England) and did not create the distinctive character voices I’ve come to expect. So I couldn’t settle into the audio until I just accepted her narration as a Joan Collins or a Victoria Beckham reading the book out loud. [hee] Nevertheless, I STILL managed to view a couple of scenes in a new light. It wasn’t truly disappointing, I just think it was a missed opportunity to bring even more dimension to a story that contains one of the most deliciously complex characters (Vaughan) I’ve ever read (click to sample AGW).

And the Dud Duck Award goes to…

The Raintree Trilogy (Inferno, Haunted, Sanctuary), Silhouette Nocturnes published by Harlequin Enterprises LTD. The trilogy is an enjoyable, multi-author (Linda Howard, Linda Winstead Jones, Beverly Barton), three-book story that was ruined by a bad narrator/story “fit.” Narrator Stefan Rudnicki pairs up with a different female co-narrator in each book (Hillary Huber, Theo McKell, Gabrielle de Cuir). I thought it was just a matter of acclimating myself to his style and, when Audible.com had a sale, I bought the last two books before I was finished with the first one. BIG mistake. First of all, Stefan Rudnicki should never, EVER, attempt a female voice again– he just sounds like he’s mocking women. And second, by the time I hit book three, I was gnashing my teeth and tempted to just go buy the print books so I would never have to listen to his.slow.style.of.speaking.ever.again. GAK! Buy these books in print or ebook only! (click to sample Audible.com audio… if you dare)

I’ve also downloaded some non-romance audio from Audible, too– including several episodes of Evening at the Improv and several episodes of Biography on A&E. These hold-up surprisingly well in audio format!

So help the current and future audio addicts out– have you listened to any audio books that elevated the original print story (they don’t necessarily have to be Romance)? Listened to any duds we should stay away from? If there’s enough interest maybe Syb will take pity on us poor desperate addicts and let us periodically have audio book rec sessions, which should make the selection process easier for all of us. C’mon and share– you KNOW you want to!

Don’t Miss:
Aural Pleasures 101 – “Why” and “Where” to buy Audio Books – Tell us why you listen to audio books.
Aural Pleasures 102 – “How” to Select an Audio Book – Come share your tips for selection.

Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.

Aural Pleasures 102 – “How” to Select an Audio Book

In Aural Pleasures 101, we looked at the “Why” and “Where” to buy audio books, so you now know that you can get them free through your local library, at a relatively low cost from eBay, and at varying costs from online sites and brick and mortar bookstores.

Now let’s look at “How” to select audio books. I think these first two “Hows” are the absolute most important:

Many audio books will be offered in Abridged and Unabridged formats. Do NOT buy the abridged format. Really, I can’t think of any reason why someone would want to listen to only bits and pieces of a story that isn’t a school assignment. Stick with the UNABRIDGED format.

Listen to a sample before buying. I can’t tell you how many books have sounded interesting until I heard the narration sample. As noted in Aural Pleasures 101, ALL audio books sold through Audible.com can be sampled, and no matter where you ultimately plan to purchase a Brilliance Audio book, head to AudioBookStand.com first to hear a sample. Unfortunately, unlike Audible.com, Brilliance/AudioBookStand doesn’t always make a sample available, so, unless you are familiar with both the narrator and the book, think twice before purchasing.

I often select audio books by browsing through the new releases by category on Audible.com. Sometimes I’ll find a book that is already on my print to-be-purchased list. Sometimes I see a book that just sounds interesting, so I’ll listen to the sample and then head out to find reviews on the print version. Other times, I’m in the mood to buy a book that I’ve read and enjoyed in the past (not necessarily an all-time favorite).

Because Brilliance audio books are more expensive, I seldom just browse AudioBookStand anymore and tend to go there only to see if a specific book is available in audio and/or to listen to sample audio. If you are just starting out though, it will be worth your time to browse and familiarize yourself with what Brilliance/AudioBookStand has to offer. As I said in Aural Pleasures 101, be sure to sign up for the Brilliance and AudioBookStand email lists so you know what’s being released and what’s on sale.

If I previously enjoyed an audio book in a series, I watch for the release of the next print book in that series because the audio version usually follows within a week or two (sometimes the same day).

Many people listening to their first audio book are surprised to discover that there is usually only one narrator. Yes, there are some multiple narrator or even multi-cast performance audio books, but those are rare, particularly in the Romance genre. The best narrators will create distinctive voices for each character and another voice for their narration. But, just like listening to someone reading aloud, the results will vary widely between narrators.

When the right narrator and the right story mesh, the result can be unbelievably engrossing and entertaining. Mediocre books can be elevated by a talented narrator. But, unfortunately, even the best of stories can be a disappointment with the wrong narrator. And, although you may have enjoyed a particular narrator in one book/series, that does not necessarily mean they are the right “fit” for a completely different book/series. So take the time to listen to that sample first!

If you are an audio book newbie, you may also be disappointed if your first audio book experience is a beloved book or series that you’ve read countless times. The characters probably already have distinctive voices in your head and it’s doubtful that the narrator will come close to meeting your expectations.

Conversely, since an audio book forces the listener to slow down and “read” at the narrator’s pace, you will almost always discover things you never noticed before or see scenes in a different light when listening to a favorite book in audio format. So consider saving those well loved books until after you’ve enjoyed a few newer selections.

Pay close attention when ordering audio books, particularly from a seller that offers multiple formats. In addition to print and ebook formats, Amazon (see the “Also Available in” box on each book’s Amazon page) will often list CD abridged, CD unabridged, cassette unabridged, MP3 CD unabridged, and expensive library editions. Sometimes there is a big difference in price between CD unabridged and MP3 CD unabridged, but usually they are fairly close. It’s up to you which format to buy. If the price is close, I usually choose CD over MP3 CD just because I don’t want to worry about compatibility issues, but I know others prefer MP3 because it means fewer CDs.

Or you could just forget about everything I just said and let someone else make your audio book selections. Sybil, uber Harlequin fangirl that she is, sent me an interesting link. Harlequin has partnered with Audible.com (see Aural Pleasures 101) to create The Monthly Harlequin AudibleListener® Plan: TWO Harlequin Blaze novels will automatically be sent to you each month for $9.95 a month. If you are a Harlequin Blaze fan, that’s a GREAT price for two audio books, but personally, I think you can easily find a better MP3 player deal than the one they are offering. Add one to your Christmas Wish List so your family can stop whining that they don’t know what to get you. Take note that they are offering a FREE Harlequin Blaze audio download of Just Dare Me by Stephanie Bond! Did I mention that it was completely FREE?! [WOOT!] If you aren’t already registered with Audible, you’ll be prompted to create an account before the audio book can be downloaded into your Audible library.

So there’s my “how” of selecting audio books. Come share your tips for making a selection. And, if you buy abridged audio books, PLEASE tell me why, because I REALLY can’t figure out why they are even offered.

Don’t miss:
Aural Pleasures 101 – “Why” and “Where” to buy Audio Books – Tell us why you listen to audio books.

Coming next:
Aural Pleasures 103 – “What” Audio Books are Recommended - Get ready to share your recommendations and warn us about the duds.

Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.

“I remember it feeling odd and very cool to *hear* my books. I think audios are an amazing format–a wonderful variety of storytelling.” –Nora Roberts

Audio books have exploded in popularity. Consequently, more and more Romance books are now regularly offered in audio format– from best sellers to category romances to erotic romances [cue cheers and applause]. But you think selecting a book to READ is complicated? Well, selecting an audio book adds a whole ‘nuther layer of decisions and dilemmas! They ARE worth it, though. So in this three part series, I hope to make audio book procurement a little easier. The first two installments are for all you Aural Pleasure virgins. If you are already an audio book addict, feel free to jump in with your own voice of experience.

Aural Pleasures 101 – “Why” and “Where” to buy Audio Books

I’m addicted to aural pleasures and NEED them when I’m doing the type of work that allows me to set my brain on automatic pilot. I can sometimes take a month or two to finish one audio book because I save it for those “special” mind-numbing, boring tasks that I almost don’t even notice I’m doing if I’m listening to a good audio book. Road trips and commutes become bearable, almost enjoyable, thanks to audio books. If I was one of those creative, crafty people, I’d probably enjoy listening to a good book while making hand-knit willy warmers. My oldest niece, LissaNY, has three little kidlets and can’t spare a minute to read a print book, but she can find time to LISTEN to a book while doing other activities. Of course, for those with vision problems, audio books have always allowed the same escape the rest of us sought with print books.

I wonder whether book discussion groups find that playing audio passages of that month’s book selection adds interest to their discussions. As I’ll discuss in the next two installments, listening to a book in audio format can offer a different perspective to a story. Do any of you belong to a Book Club? Do you play audio books at your meetings?

My niece is lucky– her local library is tech-savvy, so all she has to do is download her choice of audio books then send it to her MP3 player. Most libraries DO have audio books on CD and cassette available, but my local library has a pretty skimpy selection. However, I recently discovered they’ve now signed up with NetLibrary for eBooks and eAudio Books, so I’ll have to investigate that avenue (just as soon as I remember where I put my library card, but don’t tell Wendy I said that, K?). In the meantime, I’m stuck paying for all of mine.

I’ve scored several books on CD and cassette from eBay. You may not always find the latest releases for the best prices there, but if you are trying to collect all the audio books for a favorite series, or you want cassettes instead of CDs, or you are looking for older releases, I highly recommend ebay. Just be sure to follow all the “buyer beware” precautions. And it’s a great place to sell off some of the audio books you no longer want to keep– then you’ll have extra bucks to buy even MORE audio books!

The two most recognizable producers of audio books are Brilliance Audio and Recorded Books. Brilliance sells downloadable audio books through AudioBookStandDL.com or on CD/cassette through AudioBookStand.com, along with Amazon, Borders, etc. Honestly, the download price for a Brilliance audio book is outrageous and makes no sense, so, unless I’m desperate, I buy the CDs. You can hear a sample of many of the audio books (usually an introduction followed by an actual sample) at either AudioBookStandDL.com or AudioBookStand.com. Be sure to sign up for AudioBookStand’s email list because they have regular clearance sales that will allow you to pick up popular audio books on CDs/cassettes for really great prices, and while you’re there, sign up for their reseller’s newsletter to find out about upcoming audio book releases. Amazon will usually have a pre-order sale price on the most popular audio books, and while Borders/Waldens sells them for full list price, a 30% off coupon (just Google “Border’s coupons”) will often get you within a buck or two of Amazon’s pre-order price. That’s it for my local choices in brick and mortar bookstores (I love my Waldens). I know there are other chains and independents out there, but I don’t know if you can do any better with their pricing or not.

If you want to splurge and download your Brilliance audio book from AudioBookStandDL.com, you will first need to download The Overdrive Media Console®, which manages your downloads, playback, and transfers to portable devices or CD.

No matter where you purchase Brilliance CDs, you can listen to them as you would a music CD, upload them to your PC for playback or, once they’ve been uploaded, you can then download them to your MP3 player (theoretically, ’cause I’ve never done it). The CDs are usually divided into 99 tracks, which sounds odd until the first time you need to replay a scene or sentence, then you’ll realize that, without those short tracks, hitting the back track button could send you all the way back to the beginning of the book.

For Recorded Books, the best place I’ve found to score their audio is through Audible.com. In fact, when you purchase a downloadable audio book from Amazon, you are re-directed to Audible (usually member pricing through Audible is a bit better than pricing through Amazon). I have to wonder, though, if Amazon’s recent acquisition of Brilliance Audio will change all that. In addition to Recorded Books selections, Audible also offers audio produced by Harlequin Enterprises, Virgin Books Limited, even A&E Television and many more. The first 5-10 minutes of every audio book can be sampled before buying.

The first thing you will encounter at Audible is their monthly pricing plan– one credit equals one audio book and you pay a minimum of $14.95 per month to download one audio book a month, or $22.95 for two books a month, etc. Well, that’s all fine and dandy if that’s what you want, but you can also do what I do– $9.95 per YEAR gives me the right to purchase any audio book at member pricing, which is significantly below list price. Watch for regular emailed special sales and stock up for even bigger savings.

You’ll first need to download the AudibleManager® software which allows you to download Audible audio to your computer, transfer audio from your computer to your mobile audio player, listen to Audible audio on your PC and manage audio on your mobile audio player. An additional software download is required to burn audio books to CD, and there are others that allow you to download audio books directly to your iPod. It’s all easy-peasy and non-techie (they even use pictures!) and they’ve got live phone support techs that actually know what they’re talking about (although I’ve only had to contact them once). Longer audio books will be downloaded in two or more parts– not a big deal unless you load up your MP3 player to take on a trip and forget to load part 2! [ACK!] Another nice feature at Audible is that you can purchase books on sale and just leave them in your Audible library until you’re ready to download them. In fact, you can re-download them whenever you want. Audible offers a listener rating system of 1-5 stars and listeners can also submit reviews. Gift certificates are available.

Although I’ve never purchased from anywhere else, note that there ARE several other sites that offer audio books for purchase. But whenever I come across one, a quick browse reveals that they don’t offer very extensive Romance sections. Still, it might be worth a Google or two to check them out. You can also buy or rent audio books directly from Recorded Books at bend-over-and-say-ouch prices.

I recently came across a site called On the Go Books which appears to work similar to NetFlix movies. You pay a monthly fee, place audio books on your rental list, and they mail you the next one on your list as soon as you return the previous one. Have any of you used On the Go or a similar service?

I’ve saved the best reason to “read” audio books for last. I don’t have time to do this too often, but sometimes ya just gotta grab a slice of Heaven here on Earth. A nice warm bath, a darkened room, maybe a few candles, and a good audio book. Now lie back, relax, and let the world go away while you soak. Reader Zen, I tell you! (And I find it quite easy to ignore the puppy-dog pleading look on my husband’s face as he repeatedly finds reasons to lurk.) I have the luxury of a whirlpool tub with an in-line heater so the water temp is maintained no matter how long I float away. If you don’t have that luxury, then you’re just going to have to muster enough energy to move your big toe and turn the hot water on every now and then (or you could just summon your personal bath slave). The last time I visited Reader Heaven, I ended up floating away for over 2.5 hours! But I walked (wobbled) out of there feeling as if I’d just spent a week lolling on a beach with not a care in the world. *sigh*

So why/when do you listen to audio books? Where have you obtained them?

Coming up:
Aural Pleasures 102 – “How” to Select an Audio Book - Come share your tips for selection
Aural Pleasures 103 – “What” Audio Books are Recommended - Get ready to share your recommendations

Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.