I know that most people have heard of books on tape or CD. And most know that you can also get books in digital formats now too. Amazon offers books for sale on Audible.com. But did you know that you can also find a great selection of free books from your local library. And did you know that you can check them out from the library and download them right onto your phone without having to visit the library? If not, then you need to get Overdrive on your phone or digital device.
Listening to a book is something between reading it and watching a movie. It's very entertaining and for many, addicting. When I first started listening I was hooked. I remember my first book, it was The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien... there have been many readers of the book, and the one I listened to was one of the best, which really helped me to become addicted to audio books.
Not all narrators are built the same though. The reader of the book can ruin a very good book, and the reader can also turn a so-so book into a great book. Some readers do the voices so well that you'll forget that its the same person. But there are also books that are read by multiple readers too, those are usually very good. If you started with a book that's not entertaining to you, don't give up, please try another!
Books I recommend... the entire Harry Potter series By J.K. Rowling. It's read by Jim Dale, and he is awesome! My all time favorite book is Enders Game by Orson Scott Card. If you've watched the movie you're missing about 75% of the book. If you read the book before watching the movie, you know what I'm talking about and you probably got some of what was going on in the movie. One more that I'll recommend is the Stephanie Plumb series by Janet Evanovich. This is one that my wife absolutely loves, and it's a very nice, very long series. I have to tell you that finding a great series is terrific!
Overdrive is a very quality application. I've been using it for years, even when it was in its early stages and not quite the quality app that it is today. It's in use by and available from most libraries. It's absolutely free and only requires that you're registered with your local library to sign up for and use the service. You can download the FREE Overdrive app to your Android or iPhone device.
I've noticed that my local library is constantly adding more titles and you may even be able to request that your library get titles that you would like to listen to.
Audio books are also a great alternative to commercial ridden radio or talk shows when your on a long drive or even your 15 minute commute from home to work and back again. I started listening to audio books a long time ago, far before they were available digitally, and I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of books. It usually takes me 1-2 weeks to complete a book on my 25 mile commute.
One more thing, if you have a child that struggles to read a book at home, or avoids it, this may help! Often kids only read because they have to for a book report at school. I know from my own experience that I didn't know how to read a book and put a voice to the characters when I was younger, but this really helps them to learn how to read a novel for the content and the characters. If you have a child that's struggling to read I encourage you to to try opening the world of audio books to them. It doesn't always work, but it may just turn them into avid readers and it will defiantly increase their vocabulary!
Good luck and happy reading!
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