The Maiden's Court: Audiobook Discussions

Showing posts with label Audiobook Discussions. Show all posts

Friday, December 29, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Audible Channels

I have been doing a lot of audiobook listening lately and I attended a recent blogger webinar about audiobook reviewing which got me thinking more and more about audiobooks. So I wanted to know more of what you think about them! From there, Audiobook Discussions has been born!

Always looking to help you get more out of your Audible listening experience! I’ve heard of Channels for awhile, but I never bothered to look up what it actually was, until this week! If you have an Amazon Prime membership, access to Audible Channels is free!

Audible describes Channels as shorter length podcast type shows. There is a little something for everyone: comedy, documentary, mystery, and more. Here are some of the ones that I have added to my listening list:

I haven’t yet had the chance to listen to any of these, but I’m hoping to find the time soon! Have you listened to any of these or other channels?

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Take Me To the Good Part

You know I have talked about my love of some of the awesome elements Audible has added to their app, but this new one isn’t for me, but maybe it’s for you!

A new service was launched called Audible Romance. One of the things that it gives subscribers is unlimited access to a majority of their catalogue of romance novels – over 10,000 books – including major best-sellers. For either $14.95 (stand-alone) or $6.95 (add on) monthly, this is a great deal for avid romance readers.

There is another innovation called “Take Me To The Good Part” – which does pretty much what it sounds like – allows the listener to jump to the hot and spicy scenes, as well as others like the first meeting between love interests and more. They also provide a “Steaminess Score” for each book with a scale such as the following” Sweet, Simmering, Sizzling, Hot Damn, and O-O-OMG, which I think is a pretty good idea.

You can look into the package yourself here.

Would you be likely to check out Audible Romance package? What do you think of the Take Me To The Good Part?

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Friday, November 24, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Audible Car Mode

I love when my favorite apps make changes based on important social needs. In this case, Audible made a Car Mode that will make it easier for hands-free listening while driving. I think this is a fantastic upgrade as so many people, myself included, use audiobooks to pass the time on a long car ride or even in the daily commute. We know that many accidents are caused by being distracted, so this change to help reduce distractions is very cool. Let me share this feature with you:

Enter into car mode by selecting the “Car” button at the top of the screen
Simplicity of app – It is reduced to 3 buttons only – Play/Pause; Rewind 30 Seconds; Bookmark

Car Mode Screenshot
Credit: Audible

Of course, use caution when using this app in the car and only use your phone when legally allowed, but I love that they have simplified the app for easier use in the car.

Have you tried this feature yet? I haven’t as I have been using my iPod for my recent audiobooks because of review copies.

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Friday, November 17, 2017

Voices on the Road: My Favorite Narrators & HUGE Giveaway!!

November and December are months where many travel to see family and friends during the holidays and to celebrate with each other. Audiobooks are an awesome travel companion when making a lengthy road-trip. The Audio Publishers Association is hosting a tour this month with blogs featuring their favorite audiobooks or narrators and allowing each blog to host a HUGE giveaway (stay tuned to the end of the post). I am choosing to share my favorite narrators.

Carly Robins

I have only listened to one work by this narrator (A Deadly Affection by Cuyler Overholt), but it was one of my favorites this year. Robins was able to relay the author’s pacing well in the narration of the story. There is an interplay between slow or fast reading based on the need of the scene. I appreciated the appropriate pause length between sentences – just the right amount of time. Robins imbues her characters with all their personality quirks. It certainly feels like she spent some time getting to know the characters before recording the passages. There is some voice work to make characters unique, and this is one of the few times I have found myself feeling comfortable with a narration of characters of the opposite sex rom the narrator. An admirable job that never felt jarring or out of place.

A List of Carly Robins Narration (via Audible)

My Review of A Deadly Affection

Moira Quirk

Moira Quirk is a WONDERFUL narrator that I cannot get enough of! I have only heard her read The Secret Life of Anna Blanc, but I would pick up anything else she reads. Quirk doesn’t just read the novel, but imbues the characters with even more life. Quirk brings out their complete nature to where you feel like they are standing in the room next to you. Yes, each character has their own unique voice, but many narrators do that. However, Quirk not only brings a different voice, but you can envision their mannerisms as well just from the way they are speaking. I’m not sure how she does this, but whatever it is, keep doing it! There is quite the range of nationalities and type of personalities in this novel and Quirk makes them all feel truly real, not cookie cutter or stereotyped. And she doesn’t veer away from signing if it is in the novel!

A List of Moira Quick Narration (via Audible)

My Review of The Secret Life of Anna Blanc

Cassandra Campbell

I have listened to Cassandra Campbell read both fiction (My Last Continent) and non-fiction (The Jersey Brothers) and can absolutely see why she is an award winning narrator. She fills her words with feeling and passion. She pronounces foreign words beautifully. I highly recommend you seek out her work.

A List of Cassandra Campbell Narration (via Audible)

My Reviews of The Jersey Brothers and My Last Continent

Scott Brick

Scott Brick is another mega award winning audiobook narrator, lending his voice to works ranging from thrillers to non-fiction. He happens to be my most widely listened to narrator so that in and of itself should say something. His narration can make even the driest material feel exciting.

List of Scott Brick Narration (via Audible)

My Reviews of Devil in the White City, In the Heart of the Sea, and Salt

Davina Porter

Davina Porter is best known for her work with the Outlander series and she is FANTASTIC is that role. She had the perfect voice for the Scottish and English characters; for me her accents were spot on. Her pacing was perfect – especially considering the length of these books! She put real emotion behind her narration and truly contributed to the feel of this book and bringing the characters to vivid life. I am thrilled that she narrates most of this series.

List of Davina Porter Narration (via Audible)

My Reviews of Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber

GIVEAWAY!!!

As part of the Voices on the Road tour, the Audio Publishers Association and these publishers (Galaxy Press, Hachette Audio, Harper Audio, High Bridge Audio, Macmillan, Penguin Random House Audio, and Post Hypnotic Press, Scholastic,Simon & Schuster Audio, and Tantor Audio) are sponsoring a HUGE giveaway for 10 titles! Entries can be made via the Rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway is open to the USA and Canada only and will run from today through November 25, 2017. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour

You can check out the other fantastic selections by the other excellent blogs on this tour:

The Geeky Blogger’s Book Blog – Wednesday, Nov 1

Beth Fish Reads – Thursday, Nov 2

Reading Books Like a Boss – Friday, Nov 3

Collector of Book Boyfriends – Monday, Nov 6

Caffeinated Book Reviewer – Tuesday, Nov 7

Audio Gals – Wednesday, Nov 8

Under My Apple Tree – Thursday, Nov 9

Shelf Addiction – Friday, Nov 10

To Read or Not To Read – Monday, Nov 13

Adolescent Audio Adventures – Tuesday, Nov 14

I Am, Indeed – Wednesday, Nov 15

Enchantress of Books – Thursday, Nov 16.

The Maiden’s Court – Friday, Nov 17

A Bookworm’s World – Monday, Nov 20

Books, Movies Reviews Oh My – Tuesday, Nov 21

Joyfully Jay – Wednesday, Nov 22

Carol Baldwin Blog – Monday, Nov 27

Backwards Compatible Podcast Tuesday, Nov 28

Audio Gals – Wednesday, Nov 29

The Book’s the Thing - Thursday, Nov 30

Friday, August 11, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Sharing Some Publisher Love!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with some amazing audiobook publishers in my blogging career, and even more of them in the last year. Whether it is Audible download codes, files sent via zip file, downloads from their store, or even library style CD copies of the books, they have been super helpful when I’ve messed up something with trying to access them (I swear I am tech savvy!). I just wanted to show a little love and appreciation to some of the audiobook publishers I have been working with this year and say thank you for giving me the opportunity to listen to your books and share them with my readers.

Thanks go to:

Blackstone Audio
Simon & Schuster Audio
Tantor Media
Recorded Books
Post-Hypnotic Press

There are also several authors who have reached out to me personally to review their audiobook as well as Audiobookworm Promotions which have all kept me in audiobook heaven! A special thanks also goes out to the Audiobook Publishers Association that has included me in their blogger listing and provided many helpful resources for when writing about and reviewing audiobooks.

If I missed anyone, it was not intentional. I could not do what I do without all of you!

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Friday, June 30, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Trend Analysis

Today I want to talk about the current outlook on audiobooks and what that means to us as listeners.

The Audio Publishers Association released at the beginning of this month the results from their sales and customer surveys and the short note is that audiobooks had a great year in 2016 (remember all this data will be from 2016). Here were some great takeaway points that I found most interesting:

For the third year in a row, audiobooks have shown almost a 20% increase in sales!
In 2016, 24% of Americans said they finished listening to at least 1 audiobook, which was up again approximately 20% over the prior year!
Almost half of listeners are under age 35
The majority of audiobook listening is done at home (57%)
Libraries remain relevant with this medium – 27% of respondents indicate that they obtain their audiobooks via their library

I think these results are awesome and make a lot of sense. With the ease of access of smartphones and apps like Overdrive and Audible, the access to audiobooks has become more mainstream. Pair that with known actors narrating books and the power behind Amazon you have a big market. I think the item that most surprised me was that the majority of people listen to books at home while doing another task. For me personally, that is the last place I listen – I listen at work, in the car or while on travel, or at the gym, it is EXTREMELY rare that I will listen at home.

We have discussed many of these same elements over the past months and it is fascinating to see how these things align. You can read the full text of the Audio Publishers Association report here.

Anything that stands out to you? Do these results seem to represent your tastes is listening?

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Monday, June 19, 2017

Let’s Celebrate Audiobooks in June & Giveaway

For those of you that might not know, June is audiobook month. I’ve been talking a lot about audiobooks this year with both my reviews and Audiobook Discussions series, so I had to take part in this event to continue to share the audiobook love.

For this tour, I was asked to share 5 audiobooks that I think would be great for a new listener or to introduce someone to the world of audiobooks. I will link to reviews below, where applicable. One of the things that I think all these audiobooks share is a compelling narrative that pulls you along and an excellent narrator that makes an already compelling story even more engaging and entertaining with the way they present it. These are not presented in any particular order.

A Deadly Affection by Cuyler Overholt pulls you along with a compelling mystery and Carly Robbins imbues the main character with a personality that the reader can immediately connect to. HIGHLY recommend this book and can’t wait for the next in the series.

Click on Picture to Play Audio Sample

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe is another top notch historical mystery that I have recently enjoyed. I am quite sure this is the BEST audio production I have listened to and Moira Quirk is among my top rated narrators. Her characters are individualized to such an extent that you can picture their mannerisms! Another that I am eagerly awaiting the second book and will certainly await the audio release.

Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson by S.C. Gwynne is my pick for best of my non-fiction listens. Not only was the book stellar in its ability to bring me to tears about a historical figure from the Confederacy, which I considered a major feat, but the narration was strong. Non-fiction can be hard to narrate based on the material being more fact based rather than plot based, but you could feel the passion behind Cotter Smith’s words as he read the material and he brought it to vivid life.

My Last Continent by Midge Raymond brought me to tears. I don’t honestly cry much while reading, but I have found that an on-point narration can imbue a story with so much more passion than just my own reading of a book that I find myself tearing up more when listening to a book. A powerful book about love and relationships set in the treacherous world of Antarctica as narrated by the fabulous Cassandra Campbell cannot be recommended highly enough!

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed is a memoir, which is not my usual genre. This was a book read for reasons very close to my heart, due to the loss of my mother last year and how the author chose this quest because of the same event in her life. I laughed, I cried, and then laughed again throughout this moving and honest tale of her life. Bernadette Dunne did a fabulous job with the material – this is actually the first memoir that I have read that was not narrated by the author, so that makes it interesting to me. She made it feel like her own story.

I would encourage you to pick up any of these books and provided you enjoy the genre, you will not be disappointed in your experience. And to help you take advantage of any of these books, I have an awesome giveaway courtesy of the Audiobook Publishers Association. I have a set of earbuds and a card with codes for 3 free audiobook downloads from Audiobooks.com! How awesome is that! This giveaway rules are simple: entries are made via the Rafflecopter below and you must be a US resident (as I will be mailing this out). I can’t wait to see what you choose to listen to!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure to check out the other stops on this tour this month to check out all the AWESOME audiobooks out there! I’m sure you will find something to fall in love with!

June 1 – Lost in Literature

June 2 – AudioGals

June 3 – Book Riot

June 4 – Collector of Book Boyfriends

June 5 –The Book Nympho

June 6 – BJ’s Reviews

June 7 – Everyday I Write the Book Blog

June 8 – Book of Secrets

June 9 – AudioGals

June 10 – Elsie’s Audiobook Digest

June 11 – Great Kid Books

June 12 – Adolescent Audio Adventures

June 13 – To Read or Not To Read

June 14 – Caffeinated Book Reviewer

June 15 – Beth Fish Reads

June 16 – AudioGals

June 17 – The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say Shh

June 18 – The Book’s The Thing

June 19 – The Maiden’s Court – HERE!

June 20 – I Am Indeed

June 21 – Shelf Addiction

June 22 – Under My Apple Tree

June 23 – AudioGals

June 24 – Books Movies Reviews Oh My

June 25 – Mumfection

June 26 – For the Love of Words

June 27 – A Bookworm’s World

June 28 – Literate Housewife

June 29 – Hot Listens

June 30 – Under the Boardwalk

Friday, June 9, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: 2017 Audie Award Winners

A couple posts back in this series I told you about the Audie Awards, which are prestigious awards for the audiobook community. Well, the 2017 winners were announced and I just wanted to share the winner list with you all and make a couple comments at the end.

Audiobook of the Year: Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, narrated by Mariska Hargitay with the authors, published by Hachette Audio

Audio Drama: In the Embers by Brian Price and Jerry Stearns, narrated by Robin Miles, Edwin Strout, Dean Johnson, et al; music by Mike Wheaton, published by Great Northern Audio Theatre/Blackstone Audio

Autobiography/Memoir: The Greatest: My Own Story by Muhammad Ali with Richard Durham, narrated by Dion Graham, published by Graymalkin Media

Best Female Narrator: Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson, narrated by Tavia Gilbert, published by HarperAudio

Best Male Narrator: Jerusalem by Alan Moore, narrated by Simon Vance, published by Recorded Books

Business/Personal Development: Humans Need Not Apply by Jerry Kaplan, narrated by John Pruden, published by Tantor Media, a division of Recorded Books

Erotica: Marriage Games by CD Reiss, narrated by Sebastian York and Elena Wolfe, published by Flip City Media Inc.

Excellence in Design: Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley, design by Jessica Daigle, published by
HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Excellence in Marketing: Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 by L. Ron Hubbard, narrated by Josh Clark, Scott
Menville, Jim Meskimen, Phil Proctor, Stefan Rudnicki, Fred Tatasciore and a full cast, published by
Galaxy Audio

Excellence in Production: Alien: Out of the Shadows: An Audible Original Drama by Tim Lebbon and Dirk Maggs, narrated by
Rutger Hauer, Corey Johnson, Matthew Lewis, Kathryn Drysdale, Laurel Lefkow, Andrea Deck, and
Mac McDonald, published by Audible Studios

Fantasy: The Hike by Drew Magary, narrated by Christopher Lane, published by Brilliance Publishing

Fiction: Sister of Mine by Sabra Waldfogel, narrated by Bahni Turpin, published by Brilliance Publishing

History/Biography: In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton, narrated by Mark Boyett, published by Audible Studios

Humor: I’m Judging You written and narrated by Luvvie Ajayi, published by Macmillan Audio

Inspirational/Faith Based Fiction: Risen: The Novelization of the Major Motion Picture by Angela Hunt, narrated by P.J. Ochlan and Alana Kerr Collins, published by christianaudio, a division of Recorded Books

Inspirational/Faith Based Non Fiction: The Awakening of HK Derryberry by Jim Bradford and Andy Hardin, narrated by Milton Bagby, published by Thomas Nelson

Literary Fiction & Classics: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, narrated by Dominic Hoffman, published by Penguin Random House Audio / Books on Tape

Middle Grade: How to Train Your Dragon: How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury by Cressida Cowell, narrated by David Tennant, published by Hachette Audio

Multi-Voiced Performance: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, narrated by Audra McDonald, Cassandra Campbell, and Ari Fliakos, published by Penguin Random House Audio / Books on Tape

Mystery: The Crossing by Michael Connelly, narrated by Titus Welliver, published by Hachette Audio

Narration by Author/Authors: A Life in Parts written and narrated by Bryan Cranston, published by Simon & Schuster Audio

Nonfiction: Hillbilly Elegy written and narrated by J.D. Vance, published by HarperAudio

Original Work: The Dispatcher by John Scalzi, narrated by Zachary Quinto, published by Audible Studios

Paranormal: Ghost Gifts by Laura Spinella, narrated by Nicol Zanzarella, published by Brilliance Publishing

Romance: Dirty by Kylie Scott, narrated by Andi Arndt, published by Macmillan Audio

Science Fiction: Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster, narrated by Marc Thompson, published by Penguin Random House Audio / Books on Tape

Short Story Collection: The Brink: Stories by Austin Bunn, narrated by Austin Bunn, Luke Daniels, Tanya Eby, Ralph Lister, Amy McFadden, Mikael Naramore, and Nick Podehl, published by Blunder Woman Productions via ACX

Thriller/Suspense: Cross Justice by James Patterson, narrated by Ruben Santiago Hudson and Jefferson Mays, published by Hachette Audio

Young Adult: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, narrated by Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, and Michael Crouch, published by Listening Library

Young Listeners: 28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World by Charles R. Smith, Jr., narrated by Dion Graham, William Jackson Harper, Zainab Jah, January LaVoy, Robin Miles, Lizan Mitchell, Jonathan Earl Peck, and Carter Woodson Redwood, published by Live Oak Media

You can read more about the Audies here.

I’m not surprised that Hamilton took Audiobook of the Year, it is running away in all kinds of award categories. Most of these books I haven’t heard of, which really surprised me! I was happy to see In Harm’s Way won an award because I was recently looking at picking this book up, so I probably will with my next credits.

Have you read any of these or do their awards make you want to pick any of these up?

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Friday, May 26, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Your Best Listening Experience

I want to hear about your best audiobook listening experience!

This one is a little difficult for me because I have had a few really good listening experiences lately, but very few have had a combination of 5 stars for both the book and the narration. I am going to have to select The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe. The narrator was able to carry off the style of the writing/way the main character thought which made me feel like I WAS that heroine. The production in terms of pacing, background sound etc, was spot on and I was thrilled with the narrator. My full review can be found here.

Please share with me your favorite listening experience because I would LOVE to pick up a new book, regardless of the genre!

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Pet Peeves

This time I want to know what your listening pet peeves are!

I have a couple. Most annoying in terms of listening is a monotone voice. If it is non-fiction it will put me right to sleep because listening to facts and figures can be dry by itself, but you add a monotone voice too it and… zzzzzzzz! With fiction, while you don’t have to necessarily do voices, it is more interesting if characters can be distinguished from one another or the pace and timbre of the voice changes with exciting parts or danger/suspense etc.

Outside the aspect of the actual production, on element that really drives me crazy is when a series of books have different narrators. It’s fine if maybe the point-of-view character changes, but if it is all from the same POV, I would like to continue with the same narrator. I know sometimes this cannot happen for logistical reasons, but it really throws me off, especially when I really liked the performance of the narrator.

And the final one that I will mention here is mispronunciations. I understand that sometimes it is a regional thing, but I cannot tell you how much it grated at me to hear a local town pronounced SO wrong in a production I listened to recently that it just kept popping back up into my head even though the name only came up twice. It was certainly a small thing, but it stuck with me to the end.

So what are your pet peeves when listening to books?

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Book Extras

Today I want to find out how you feel about book extras and their inclusion or exclusion from audiobooks.

Historical novels in particular tend to have some supplementary material included in a print copy of the book, be in a cast of characters, glossary of terms, maps, etc. I have always enjoyed perusing them as I read and this is even more so with non-fiction. Obviously they can’t include images in an audio medium. Some books have these extra materials available on the author or publisher website, but many do not (or if they do they don’t make it clear as to where the listener can go to find these materials.) That is one thing that I miss when listening to some audiobooks. I do appreciate that much of the time Reader’s Guides are available online. It is also hit or miss with whether they include the Author’s Notes in the narration, which is one of those things that I always read.

So, what are your thoughts on book extras and their inclusion or exclusion in audiobooks? Have you found any that have done an especially excellent job handling these?

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: Favorite Narrators

This week I want to discuss my/your favorite narrators. Who do you love to listen to and why?

I have a couple narrators that have made me put books on my To Be Read list that would never have been on there otherwise, just because I like to listen to them. Here are a few of them:

Moira Quirk – I first heard her in The Secret Life of Anna Blanc but she has narrated over 40 books as listed on Audible to include the Gail Carriger Finishing School and Custard Protocol serieses, the Kristen Calihan Darkest London series, and Elizabeth Hoyt Princes Trilogy. I especially loved how she brought her characters to life and made each unique.

Scott Brick – Brick is a favorite among audio listeners and has accordingly won many awards for his work. I have only listened to him in the form of non-fiction (In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick, Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, and Salt by Mark Kerlansky) but he has narrated many thrillers and other fiction novels. For me, he has brought these non-fiction titles to life. Particularly, In the Heart of the Sea, felt just like an adventure.

Edward Hermann – This was one of the first times that a non-fiction book felt like an adventure to me while listening. Similar to how I like Scott Brick’s narration, Hermann does a lot to make a non-fiction title entertaining and accessible. In my review of Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson I actually stated that “I could probably listen to him read the dictionary and find it vastly interesting.” I have also listened to him perform The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin and he has performed MANY other high profile non-fiction books that were on my list already.
Cassandra Campbell – One of the most excellent narration performances I listened to in 2016 – absolutely phenomenal! I listened to My Last Continent by Midge Raymond which while the story was excellent on its own, Campbell’s performance made the story even more passionate and heartrending. I have already picked up several more performed by her to add to my collection.

Do you have any favorite narrators or performances that absolutely blew you away? I would love to know so I can add them to my list!

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: What Makes a Good Production?

Today I want to know, what makes a good audio production for you? What makes you rate an audiobook highly?

I’m sure that the narrator will be on everyone’s list, and I think it should. A bad narrator can destroy a book that you might have loved in print, but a great narrator can take a so-so book and make it good or take a great book into the awesome category. I want the narrator to feel like they know the material they are reading and be able to put appropriate feeling behind it. Pacing is important; you need to have it read at a pace with which to be able to take in the information and digest it, but also know when the pace of the plot requires a faster or slower reading. And I LOVE when a narrator sings which there is supposed to be singing (I know that there are sometimes permissions issues that make this difficult, but it definitely will make the rating higher in my book!) Those are the three main things that I tend to comment on every time I review or even just think about an audiobook listening experience.

So I would love to hear your experience!

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: The Audie Awards

Today I want to talk about the Audie Awards. Do you know what they are? Have you heard the announced list of nominees?

The Audie Awards are like the Oscars of the audiobook world, recognizing excellence in 26 categories of audiobook and spoken word entertainment. These awards are put on by the Audio Publishers Association. The winners of this 22nd year of the Audies will be announced on June 1st 2017.

The categories this year are: Audio Drama; Autobiography.Memoir; Best Female Narrator; Best Male Narrator; Business/Personal Development; Erotica; Fantasy; Fiction; History/Biography; Humor; Inspiration/Faith-Based Fiction; Inspiration/Faith-Based Non-Fiction; Literary Fiction & Classics; Middle Grade; Multi-Voiced Performance; Mystery; Narration by the Author or Authors; Non-Fiction; Original Work; Paranormal; Romance; Science Fiction; Short Stories/Collections; Thriller/Suspense; Young Adult; and Young Listeners.

You can read the full list of nominees on this press release – there are some good ones on her – both books and narrators! You can also check out sound clips for each of the nominees here.

So have you ever heard of the Audies? Does the fact that a specific performance or narrator won an Audie make you more likely to listen to it?

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: The Audible App

So today I want to talk about the Audible app. Do you use Audible? Are you aware of some of the cool features of the app? What do you like/dislike? What can you teach me about the app!?

I use Audible a lot! I think I have somewhere around 90 books on there. I use it the most of all my listening options because I find it the most user friendly – download and play! That’s it! You can even access your wishlist right from the app. Makes it pretty simple I think. And you can sync between listening on the app or online – I do all my listening from the app, but that’s cool in case you don’t have access to your phone or something. And the best thing in my opinion is I can download the audiobook when on my home wifi and then don’t have to worry about streaming or using data when listening. So I can listen at work or the car.

Did you know there are badges you can earn based on different listening activities? I know some of them are buggy, but I’m one of those “collect them all” sorts of people so I try to do what I can to earn them for my own personal satisfaction. And there are three tiers of them too – something like regular, silver, and gold (depending on if you have Android or iOS they are labeled differently) – you can see how I have some of each level based on the ring around the badge color.

There are also some other cool stats that you can check, like number of hours listened to over the single day, month, year, all time.

I would love to hear about your experiences with Audible and what parts of the app you love or hate!

You can check out the other posts in this series:

Friday, January 13, 2017

Audiobook Discussions: What Do You Listen To?

So this should be a simple question – what do you listen to? Do you have a certain genre that you listen to exclusively on audio?

For the most part i find that I listen to a lot more non-fiction, contemporary fiction, and romance titles on audiobook. These are genres that I enjoy reading but don’t often review and because of that I can’t fit them into my schedule for print books – it’s all just too full!! While I review some audiobooks, my schedule is much more open and I can enjoy books that I might not otherwise have time for. I have been listening to the Outlander series mostly because those books are so long it would take me forever to get through a print version (I mean, the shortest audio is like 39 hours long!)

I would love to hear what you listen to! Or check out my other posts on Why and How you listen!

Friday, December 23, 2016

Audiobook Discussions: Why Do You Listen?

After the last discussion about how you listen to audiobooks, it leads me directly into why do you choose to listen to audiobooks? Is it based on certain activity? Does reading print books bother your eyes or give you headaches? Do you simply prefer the activity of passive listening?

For me it is primarily a time crunch thing. I started listening to audiobooks back when I had over an hour commute to and from work. It helped kill the monotony of all that highway driving. Now I have a much shorter commute (and many days work from home) so my listening habits have changed. Now I choose titles that I simply can’t fit into my packed reading/reviewing schedule. While I do review some audiobooks, more often these are books I have picked off my personal preference shelf that I have just not had the chance to get to yet. Sometimes, when it is a quiet day at work or if I’m working from home I will listen while working to keep it interesting.

So, tell me why you listen! Or, hop back to the last discussion and tell us how you listen.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Audiobook Discussions: How Do You Listen?

I figured a good place to start was with how do you listen? What app do you listen to books with? Do you listen on CD or digital download? Do you borrow you books from the library or buy them?

For me it is a little of all of the above. For personal listening choices I both purchase and borrow. I have a 1 credit a month audiobook subscription through Audible. I use this mostly to find books that I can’t get for free through the library or for books that I don’t want to wait on the waiting list for. I also download books through my library. I love listening on my Audible app over my ipod because of the syncing capability across devices (more about why I love the app in another discussion). I still listen to CD books too. Some are older ones that I have obtained but haven’t yet listened to, others are review copies that I receive from publishers. These I can only listen to in my car because I don’t have the capability of listening to a CD in my house and I don’t want to rip all the tracks to my ipod. When my commute was an hour each way, this was totally fine, as I had a lot of car listening time. Now with my commute of about 20 minutes, this take A LOT longer to get through them that way.

So tell me about your audio listening choices!

About Me

Heather, 30, USA. Hi everyone! I started my blog, The Maiden's Court, in May 2009 as a creative outlet for my reading and it has completely taken me to new places. I love sharing my reading and the things that I learn.

On my blog you will find my honest reviews of historical fiction books, historical movie reviews, and interesting historical content among other things. If you would like to know more about me, check out the About Me. Feel free to contact me at any time - best way is to use the contact form at the bottom of the Review Policy page or email me at dolleygurl[at]hotmail[dot]com.

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