Need a book to listen to?

[ChezCheese:-)]

We like to listen to books as we roadtrip, and on our trip back up from AZ to WA, we listened to a very appropriate non-fiction book called The Oregon Trail, by Rinker Buck. Rinker and his brother Nick take a covered wagon pulled by 3 mules along the Oregon Trail in 2014 or 15. Their father had actually taken them on a covered wagon trip in the northeast during the summer of 1958, so they weren't complete pikers on this trip. You learn more than you ever needed to know about mule breeding & driving, and wagon engineering, but you also get lots of history of the Oregon Trail and the great migration and it is entertaining. It is read by the author and he reads well. When we stopped in Baker City OR, we learned that there is a national Park & BLM Oregon Trail museum just outside of town, and it was most educational. Very worthwhile and included in your National Parks senior pass, btw.

(We listened to a copy from the library, but you could buy it from Amazon or iTunes or however you do that.)

 

[Firtree]

Reserved it at library. Thanks

 

[highdesertranger]

that's very cool. I am currently reading "Emigrant Trails West". I have traveled much of the California Trail, Applegate Trail and some of the Oregon Trail. of course I was not in a wagon. that sounds like an interesting read thanks for the tip. highdesertranger

 

[ChezCheese:-)]

Btw, if you do listen to this book, be sure to listen past the closing credits, where the woman says "...copyright 2015." and it seems like that's the end of the recording, because after a pause there is a bonus conversation between the author and his brother about the trip.

 

[DancingEarth]

You might enjoy Blood and Thunder: an Epic of American West by Hampton Sides. It made me want to follow Kit Carson’s trail as he traveled around the country on a mule. But skip the mule part unless it’s a Burro trailer.

 

[GotOldEarly]

Check out a free App called Overdrive.  Allows you to download books from the library remotely.  Can check out multiple books and have up to 21 days to listen to them.  Best of all is the cost.   $$ ZERO $$

 

[ChezCheese:-)]

Yes, that's what I mean when I say we listened to a copy from the library. Overdrive is great. Though the libraries are advertising a new app called Libby now. Haven't gone to check it out yet. I'm happy with Overdrive -- why must they make me try something different??

 

[GotOldEarly]

Cool deal.  I love Overdrive.  Listen to at least 4 books each week.  Seen the Libby thing promoted also.  Won't use unless I have to.  This old dog is not good at new tricks.

 

[DancingEarth]

Thanks for the tip. I've downloaded Overdrive to try out. My local library uses Hoopla but sometimes I use up my limit and wish I had more.

 

[ChezCheese:-)]

Limit? I have library cards at 3 libraries, so I can check out 30 titles a week. Not that I do!

 

[Firtree]

Hoopla is interesting and a nice compliment to other library ebook and audiobook options. Often find books I can’t find in other library systems. It has movies and TV series too. Its only limitation is, at least at my library, is 7 checkouts in a month. Period. Check out 7 items August 1 and you are done with checkouts for the month. Doesn’t matter if your return items or the checkout period is 3 or 7 days, you are done until 1 September.

I live on a county line and the two libraries allow you to have each other’s cards. The one library has what I call a traditional ebook/audiobook system and the other uses the same traditional plus Hoopla.

 

[DancingEarth]

Yep, that’s my limit too plus the library is limited over all their members so I need to download first thing in the morning. I’m not a big fan of books on tape but find if I find the right book, they lure me to sleep. So far the best has been The Monks of New Skete; The Art of Raising a Puppy. Weird since I don’t plan on getting a dog. I think I find it interesting enough to turn off my squirrely mind. Most of them my mind wanders. Agh. Still prefer a real book to hold and curl up with and music on the road.

 

[ChezCheese:-)]

I've come to enjoy audio books. You can listen while you do other things -- washing dishes, cooking, gardening, and of course driving. My husband is often stuck in the absurd traffic in the Seattle area, and audio books make it tolerable.

I also use them to stop the thinking thinking thinking that won't let me get back to sleep at 3am. I use the 30 minute timer that come with the app, and set the volume just high enough that I can sort of hear it, and usually I'll be asleep in 5 minutes. Doesn't work if it is a really good book though. I'm also very picky about the narration. It has to be really good. Makes all the difference. Can make or break an audio book. Some narrators are really skilled, with emotion and voicing and accents.

 

[Firtree]

I look for audiobook suggestions in the list of Audie Award winners and finalists.
For audiobooks I'm more selective. I don't need to hear violence or spookie stuff so will often look for youth, young adult or family road trip type books. Years ago ran across some podcast audiobooks. They were a light fantasy, funny, hopeful, great to walk or drive with. Will see if I can find.

Every Spring, Summer there are free audiobooks for teens 13+. Anyone can sign up and receive the books. There are two books each week, usually one current and the other a classic of a similar theme. You must download during that week. They are free to keep forever. I look at previous year lists for ideas.
Sign up now and you'll get a text or email saying when the 2019 program is starting.

audiobooksync.com

 

[Regie]

Usually I don't have enough time even to sit and relax. When I'm not drawing for my job, I need to keep my house clean or cook. Once I lived with my parents in Alabama, we had a good collection of classic literature. Now I'm collecting my favorite books from my childhood in audio format. It's just more handy, especially when you're busy. You can "read" and do something useful at the same time.

 

[Firtree]

I started listening to audiobooks in order to walk. Hated walking but the books distracted me. I listen to slightly different books than I read. They have to be lighter, no real violence. I call them 'Murder She Wrote' type stuff. Ten years ago there was a site called Podiobooks.com. It's now merged with Scribl. Podiobooks had serialized books, many I found easy to walk to. You can find these authors on Scribl and iTunes Podcasts and ??. I have iDevices so use the Podcast App to subscribe and listen. A search on itunes for 'podiobooks.com' will find many serials, some are much more adult.
Haven't figured how to set this on my Android devices. Help?

Here are some authors and a few titles. Mostly of these light fantasy or SyFy, PG rated, unless I mis-remember.
no order
Mur Lafferty --Space Casey
Bill DeSmedt -- Singularity
Christiana Ellis -- Nina Kimberly The Merciless
John Lenahan -- Shadowmagic and next 2 books
---Nathan Lowell had a series that got good reviews. I never got to. Quarter Share, the first book

 

[toilfreelife]

Jed McKenna Trilogy books on tape. He will blow your mind, make you terribly depressed, and finally get you to live this "dream" called life to the max.   He's the most intense spiritual teacher I've ever come across by far.

 

[Van der Waals]

Librivox.org has a ton of volunteer-read classics (i.e. out-of-copyright books), free, no sign-ups required. If you've got a decent microphone on your computer (or even phone), you can volunteer too!

As for un-free books, if you like sci-fi, Neal Stephenson's book are a blast!
Also, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is incredible. Very long and unusual story, not nearly as lonely as it sounds.