Audiobooks — books on tape — “audible” books — have changed my life. How do you get audiobooks? How much do they cost? How do you find good ones?
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I love my Kindle.
I read on my Kindle, every day. Ironically, I had more time for reading when I was in the thick of raising kids. Moms are really busy, but part of their busy-ness is sitting and waiting: waiting for practice to be over, sitting on a bleacher waiting for the game to begin, in the car waiting for the dance to end. When I was a “waiter,” I had much more time for reading than I do now. It was wonderful to have forced sit-down time, and I filled it with reading.
Now I’m on the go more: traveling, walking, or driving to visit my kids. I still read, every night before sleep. But I miss having so much time for books! Kalisa suggested I try audiobooks.
I resisted. I remember childhood road trips with a “book on tape” playing, always in a droning elegant voice, as effective as Thanksgiving turkey tryptophan to put me right to sleep. But I kept hearing good things about modern audiobooks, so reluctantly I decided to give it a try.
Amazon: the go-to place for books?
I started with Amazon, assuming I could buy an audiobook just like I buy paperbacks, hardcovers or kindle books. Nope. It’s more complicated than that. You can’t just buy an audiobook on Amazon. You’ve got to join audible.
I didn’t want to join anything. I just wanted to purchase one book. I didn’t know if I would like it, and I don’t like any kind of subscription or ongoing charges. My commitment phobia kept me from trying audiobooks for several months.
And then I had a cross-country drive in my future, with only Bo the Dog for company. I decided to suck it up and give Audible a try.
Audible: the cost and what you get
Audible gives you a free 30-day membership, where you get one free audiobook. After that it costs $14.95 per month, which gets you one audiobook and two audible “originals” each month. You can also buy additional audiobooks. You get a credit for the monthly audiobook, and the credit carries over for a year if you don’t use it that month. If the book you chose isn’t what you were expecting — I found a few that might be great books, but didn’t translate well for listening — you can return them within a year.
Is $14.95 a reasonable charge? As with the answer to so many of life’s big questions, it depends. It depends on which books you buy, and whether you take advantage of the Audible Originals.
For current popular books, it seems like a pretty fair price. For example, for Educated by Tara Westover, one of my favorite books of the last few years, a hardcover copy of the book is $13.99, paperback is $17.39, and kindle is $14.99. The Audible price of $14.95 is right in line with the other formats.
For older books, the monthly audible charge is a little steep. Remember The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown? You can get a kindle version now for $9.99, and the hardcover is $13.50.
The other variable for whether your monthly audible charge is a good value is whether you use the “originals.” You get two free originals per month. Audible defines the originals as “exclusive audio titles created by celebrated storytellers from worlds as diverse as theater, journalism, literature and more, all produced in the Audible studios.” I haven’t jumped into the originals yet.
Audible is a wonderful thing.
Once I got past my aversion to have a monthly subscription, I’ve become a big fan of using Audible and listening to audiobooks.
First, I’ve found that I love audiobooks. Most of the books I’ve tried have wonderful narrators. I lose myself in the story, whether driving in the car or taking my daily walk. I get as much, if not more, out of listening to a book as reading it. I never thought I would say that.
Second, Audible is very easy to use. You search for the audiobook on Amazon, and choose Audible as your format. Click, and you’re done.
Third, you can easily rewind! This was one of my concerns. What if I got distracted, and didn’t listen for a minute or two? No problem. You can rewind in 30-second chunks with one easy click. Missed that character’s name, or the important confession? Rewind. I love that.
How to choose an audiobook?
Ask your friends. Read reviews. Look for narrators that you enjoy. Read a blog. (I had to say it, right?)
Certainly not every audiobook is great, and some books just don’t work well orally. (That’s when you exercise Audible’s exchange policy.) But in the last year I’ve listed to many that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve listened to thrillers, “literature,” historical fiction, and nonfiction. No matter your genre, you should be able to find a great listen. Here are some of my favorites.
The Dutch House
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett.
Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors, with her book Commonwealth being at the top of my list. The Dutch House audiobook is narrated by Tom Hanks. Yes, that Tom Hanks. It is thoroughly comforting and enjoyable to turn on the car and have Tom Hanks speaking to you, telling you a story. And he’s as good as you would think.
Last Days of Night
The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore.
My high school friend Tracey Jennings recommended this one, and I’m so grateful. This historical fiction book tells the story of the race between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to patent the light bulb and light our country, with appearances by Nikola Tesla, J.P. Morgan, and lawyer Paul Cravath.
This is not the kind of book I usually read, and I gobbled up every minute of it. The author is a screenwriter who wrote the script for the Academy Award nominated The Imitation Game, and it reads like a movie. It is smart and thrilling and educational. I have recommended this book to so many people, and been told later how much they loved it.
The Wife Between Us
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.
This is a fun thriller, in the vein of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler.
This reads like a memoir, but it’s fiction. It’s about family, sisters and brothers, and mothers and daughters. I’m not going to spoil it, but it’s a family unlike others. It’s a great book, and it will stay with you.
The Witch Elm
The Witch Elm by Tana French.
Tana French writes a great mystery. This is smart and engaging, with well-drawn characters.
Give Audible a try!
I resisted for so long, and now I’m hooked. If you’re considering audiobooks, I suggest Audible, even just for the one-month free trial period. You can catch up on your reading, even if you don’t have time to sit!
For more posts about great books, please see:
