Audiobooks: A Beginners Guide

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Hi!

I've always been a little bit wary of Audiobooks. I mean - why would I want to listen to someone reading a book when I could just read it myself?

Every year, my reading drops off a bit from September onwards. This is for a number of reasons - mainly due to Halloween/Christmas prep. This is my favourite time of the year, and I get a lot of crafting done, but I hate that I have to sacrifice reading in order to do it. Enter audiobooks.

What's an Audiobook?
It's a book, read aloud by a narrator. It's a file that you can send to any compatible device. You can download it and listen at any time offline.

Where do I get one?
The most well known source is probably Audible, because it's an Amazon company. Audiobooks are also available to borrow from the library for free via the Borrowbox app.

Who narrates the books?
This varies. In most cases, a professional narrator will do it. In some (mainly autobiographies), they're read by the author. Sometimes, well known celebrities will narrate books written by other people - for example, Anne Hathaway narrates The Princess Diaries; Alan Cumming narrates Macbeth: A Novel.

How long does it take to listen to one?
This also varies, depending on the length of the book. I've found that most standard psychological thrillers tend to run about 6-8 hours, while something like "IT" by Stephen King is over 44 hours long.

I'm on a limited Internet plan. Will this use up loads of my data?
The only time it uses data or wifi is when you're downloading a book. When you're playing a book, it doesn't use any data or wifi, or require any kind of internet connection. Books average a couple of hundred megabytes to download - the largest I've come across is, again, "IT", which was over 600mb (but it's also a beast of a book physically, over 1,000 pages).

What's the point?
If you want to read more books, or you enjoy reading but don't have the time, you can use listen to Audiobooks while you're doing something else. I let them play while I'm doing housework, or out walking, or at night. This means that I can get through an extra couple of books a week even if I'm busy doing something else. I know other people also listen to them on a commute, on lunch breaks, or in the car. People with certain learning difficulties may also find it easier to listen rather than read. They could be useful for people with arthritis or injuries that make it difficult to hold a book or turn pages.

What apps do I need? 
I use the free Audible app, and the free Borrowbox app to listen.

Tell me more about Audible.
- It's owned by Amazon. You can sign up for a 30-day free trial, using your Amazon account, and choose any book.
- You will need to download the free Audible app to listen.
- If you cancel your free trial, you can keep the book.
- If you decide to keep your subscription, it costs £7.99 per month.
- Every month you are given one "credit" - you can cash this in for a book of your choice.
- If you don't like it, you can return it and pick another one.
- All of the books you get using credits are yours to keep indefinitely.
- If you want more than one book a month, you'll have to pay for it on top of your membership fee.
- If you buy a book on Kindle, you'll sometimes be offered the eBook at a reduced rate.
- There are free books available, but it's quite hard to find them.
- You can listen to a 3-5 minute sample of any book before you choose to buy.

Tell me more about Borrowbox.
- It's used by all libraries in Ireland to provide eBooks and Audiobooks.
- You will need to download the free Borrowbox app and join your local library for free.
- You can borrow a number of Audiobooks at once, return as you read, then borrow more.
- If you are not finished a book before the return date, you can renew it provided no other member has reserved it.
- New releases get snapped up very quickly, so check the site regularly.
- You can reserve a book if it's already checked out by someone else.
- You can listen to a sample of any book before you choose to buy.

Which is better, Audible or Borrowbox?
There are pros and cons to both. I really love that I can borrow from the library, but I find the selection can be very limited. I love the selection on Audible, and the fact that I can keep every book I buy, but some of the books are woefully expensive (Hannah Hart's biography is over £17 and under 6 hours long?!). I would prefer something like the Kindle Unlimited scheme for Audiobooks - where you pay a flat monthly fee and are able to borrow and return as much as you wish.

I usually use my monthly credit on Audible to pick something new or popular that I'd have to wait months for at the library. Then I use the library in the meantime to catch up with books I may have missed, or even sometimes books I already own but haven't got time to physically read.

Some of my favourite listens so far have been:

Stephen King - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (read by Stephen King)
Alan Cumming - Not My Father's Son (read by Alan Cumming)
Stephen King - IT (read by Stephen Weber)
Sue Perkins - Spectacles (read by Sue Perkins)
Amy Poehler - Yes, Please (read by Amy Poehler)

I'd absolutely recommend that you give Audiobooks a go - especially if you'd like to read more but find that time is an issue.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, just shout!

Podcasts I've Enjoyed Recently

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Hi!

I've only recently gotten into Podcasts. I used to like Audiobooks, but I find it hard to listen to fictional books on audio (I tend to drift off) and I've had enough of celebrity autobiographies for now.

I heard about the infamous "Serial" Podcast last year, and wanted to see what the fuss was about - I find Podcasts so unbelievably handy, I can listen to them on a walk, or when I'm cleaning, or in the background when I'm blogging or editing photos.

First things first, how to listen to a Podcast. There are a number of apps, the ones I use are Castbox (free) and Spotify (partially free). Most can also be listened to on a laptop, tablet or PC. They can be streamed live or downloaded for offline use. Soundcloud, Spotify, Google Play, iTunes all have most of the ones I've listed here.

True Crime

Serial: Season One

Season One. This is a true crime story. In Baltimore in 1999, a high school senior named Hae Min Lee disappeared. Her body was found in a park a month later, she had been strangled. Hae's 17 year old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. The main evidence against him was that of his friend Jay, who said he helped Adnan dispose of Hae's body. Adnan swears he had nothing to do with it.

This is a 12 episode series about the case, each episode is around the hour long mark. Host Sarah Koenig has access to a huge amount of information and is determined to get some very odd questions answered.

In the Dark: Season One

This is a 9 part series about a true crime that took 27 years to solve - the abduction of 11 year old Jacob Wetterling in 1989 in Minnesota. Originally intended as a series to examine why the case hadn't been solved, it came full circle late last year.

This is uncomfortable to listen to at times (as any true crime case involving minors would be) - but it's a scary look into how cases can be botched and how evidence can be misconstrued.

Criminal

The Criminal Podcast is short and sweet - it's a collection of episodes about various crimes, all presented in short bursts of anything from 10 to 30 minutes. There are over 60 episodes so far, some are more enjoyable than others, but the beauty of keeping them short is that you don't feel like too much time has been wasted if an episode is boring. The first minute or so of the earlier ones is usually an advertisement, so just skip that. Host Phoebe Judge is very easy to listen to, and episodes are short enough to listen to in a waiting room or on a commute.

My favourite episodes include -

• Episode 18: 695 BGK (a Policeman runs the wrong licence plate number and as a result shoots the wrong man)
• Episode 20: Gil From London (a woman arranges to meet a man she has been talking to online but her son starts digging to find out if the man is being truthful)
• Episode 37: Hastings (a school goes into lockdown when a 14 year old brings a gun to school)
• Episode 48: Eight Years (a woman who runs a Harry Potter fan site receives  death threats and abusive messages from a stalker...for eight years)

Archive

If you have an interest in high profile or strange crime cases, this is a great podcast. A recent episode centres around Kerry Max Cook, a man who was wrongfully jailed for murder. I've actually read his book (I mentioned it here at the time) and his case is fascinating. They've also got episodes about things like Cropsey and Mothman, conspiracy theories about cases like Titanic and the suicide of Kurt Cobain, plus famous unsolved cases like the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. It's a clever, witty Podcast that's well produced and easy to follow. 

Film/TV Related

Archive

A podcast hosted by Matt Gourley, featuring interviews with people who had non-leading roles in popular movies. Really, really interesting and funny, with some fantastic episodes. I'd really recommend the Collected Stories: Vol 2 episode for snippets from people involved with Alien, Carrie, Aladdin, Pulp Fiction - it's a great podcast.

Archive

Hosts Jenny and Kristin are rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the very beginning and making a podcast for every episode. Join them on their journey as they try to only mention Smashing the Patriarchy once per episode and sing along with a new specially-written jingle at the end of every recording! One of my favourites, it only took me until the "Witch" episode recap to realise that I had found more of my people - I mean who DIDN'T try the odd spell or two then almost shit yourself in case it worked? I was also going to use this as another opportunity to put a screenshot of the time GILES TWEETED ME BACK or the time I WHITTLED AN ACTUAL STAKE but I mean, come on, the 20th Anniversary is coming, I have to leave something for that... 

Fiction 

Homecoming

Homecoming is a short 6-part fictional series set around a woman who once worked at a top secret base designed to rehabilitate soldiers using a highy experimental treatment. Roll on 5 years, and the woman is working as a waitress with no recollection of the project.....

This stars David Schwimmer, Catherine Keener, and Oscar Isaac. Every episode is around a half an hour, so this is something I devoured over an evening - I really enjoyed the style and the voice acting was spot on. Very engaging.

Limetown

A fictional 7 part documentary about a woman named Lia Haddock who is investigating the strange disappearance of an entire town. As Lia starts to dig around to find out exactly how 300 people could vanish without a single trace, someone wants to make sure she doesn't let the town's secrets escape.

The voice acting is brilliant, it's convincing (convincing enough to make me Google "is Limetown real" like an eejit), it's set up in the same way as Serial, presenting facts and results of investigations. Really good, really addictive.

Episode One

MDWAP is a comedy podcast that's part fiction, part reaction. On the back of the success of E.L. James, Jamie Morton's Dad decided to have a go at his own version of "Fifty Colours of Grey". The result is a hilariously inappropriate romp called "Belinda Blinked", a story about a woman who goes for an interview for her dream job as manager of an international pots and pans company (including an £85k a year salary and company car). Jamie reads it out along with friends Alice Levine and James Cooper. You can't listen to this around children, and definitely not at work, but it's hilarious provided you're not offended by descriptions like "her vaginal lids popped open". What makes it great are the reactions of the three readers, it's proper laugh-out-loud stuff if you're into that kind of humour. And yes, you can buy the Kindle book.

Please, PLEASE leave suggestions below if you've come across anything else that you deem worthy of a listen!

Kindle - Fire vs Paperwhite vs Free App

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Hi!

"I'm thinking of getting a Kindle, what one would you recommend?" - this is a question I get fairly often, so I put together this post to show you the differences between the ones we own.

I just deleted 3 paragraphs of technical nonsense - I was confusing even myself. Here's it broken down:

Kindle Fire HD
The Fire is available in three screen sizes. The 7 inch (£35 for 8GB, £45 for 16GB), 8 inch (£90) and 10 inch (£170).

I have an older version of the 7 inch, mine doesn't have a camera. My son has the most recent version, his has a camera, can record video, and has a slot for an SD card. Both are 8GB (the operating system takes up the guts of 3GB of that), which seems small but is enough for hundreds of books especially if you make use of the cloud (move a book to the cloud when you're done reading it). On his, he has a handful of books, Minecraft Pocket Edition and a couple of free games. On mine, I've a couple of hundred books, Candy Crush, Netflix, a GSAM Battery Monitor, Borrowbox for library books, Goodreads, some Social Media apps.

Just a note on security - parents can assert full control over a child's tablet, it can be linked to your account and it can be password protected, limited, and monitored. You can choose what to allow and what to limit. I have my son's set so that it automatically stops working at 9pm, and he doesn't have any internet or download access (it's password protected) so if he wants a download I have to do it.

Kindle Fire HD7 Current Generation

PROS:
Easy to set up and easy to use.
Slim, not heavy to hold.
Has a backlight so can be used at night.
Can be used for Netflix and other apps.
Works with standard Android chargers.
Can be used for Audiobooks.
Can be used with Borrowbox to borrow library books straight to the tablet.
Attractive colour display, great graphics.
Good value for money.

CONS:
Battery life is short (7-8 hours if using constantly).
Internet can prove a distraction.
Screen is hard to see outside.
Screen gets grubby easily.

Kindle Paperwhite
The Kindle Paperwhite has a 6 inch display and works with either Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and 3G. I chose the Wi-Fi only version and paid £110. The one with 3G is £170. There is an experimental internet browser on mine, but it's nowhere near good enough to surf comfortably.

Kindle Fire HD7 3rd Generation & Kindle Paperwhite Current Generation

PROS:
Has a backlight.
Has a 300ppi display - the highest display currently available on Kindle, akin to real paper.
No glare.
Works comfortably outside.
Works with standard Android chargers.
Very light to hold.
Battery lasts weeks.
No distractions - solely designed as an e-Reader.
Holds thousands of books.

CONS:
Can't be used with Borrowbox so can't borrow library books.
Black and White display can be boring.
Can't be used for games or social media.

Thank you Amanda (Go Book Yourself) who also made the (excellent) point that because the Kindle Paperwhite is lit from the front, it doesn't cause glare or eye fatigue. The Kindle Fire is lit from the back, so it can cause eye fatigue. I have to admit I prefer the Paperwhite in bed over the Fire, probably unconsciously because of that difference!

Free App

I also have the free Kindle app on my phone, it's available for PC, iOS and Android.

PROS:
If you've left your Kindle at home, you can access your Kindle books on your phone by signing in to your account.
Free.
Available on other tablets, iPads, laptops, computers - not just on phones.
Amazon's entire Kindle book selection is immediately available to purchase directly to the app, no need for a separate device.

CONS:
Can be a bit headache-inducing to read on the phone.

I do love the colour display on the Fire, but it's a nuisance that it doesn't work great outside. I also hate that the battery life is so short. If you're after a good eReader with a good backlight, I'd recommend the Paperwhite. It's a little smaller than the Fire but it's like reading off paper and it works great outside. Plus, mammoth battery life and no internet worth talking about to prove as a distraction.


If you have any other questions, just shout!

Libraries Ireland - How to Borrow eBooks and Audiobooks

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Hi!

As a child, Friday evening was the best time of the week. After school, I'd go down town in Mohill and head into the library. I'd be allowed pick 6 (or sometimes more) books and devour them over the weekend.

I'm still a library fiend - but sometimes I don't get the time to read physical books as much anymore so it takes me much longer to read, leaving me a bit daunted by the prospect of having to return them within a few weeks. I find it faster and easier to use the Kindle - especially as I can use it at night without disturbing anyone else.

A few months ago I discovered that not only do my library offer a huge range of eBooks to borrow online, but that I can also place requests, automatically renew books, borrow Audiobooks, and access a huge range of magazines.

For the purposes of this post, I'm not going to go through every County in Ireland - just Google your County and find out where your local library is - but I'll use my local one as an example to show you what's available. For free. Yep - membership of all public libraries in Ireland is now free. 

Longford County Library

This is the Umbrella for  6 libraries in Longford - Longford Town, Edgeworthstown, Drumlish, Ballymahon, Granard, Lanesborough. You can go in and join any of these libraries for free, then you'll be issued with a library card. Ask for a PIN to be set up on your account so you can access the Longford County Library site online, then you're all set. If you're already a member, just ask for your PIN to be activated. Should you need to, you can reset your PIN here.

eBooks and Audiobooks

Longford County Library uses the BorrowBox app, which is available on iOS and Android. You can install this for free on your Apple or Android device. I ran into a problem trying to get it on my Kindle Fire - but there's a step-by-step guide right here. Once you have the app, you can log in to the online library and start borrowing. Log on to your County Library website and find the eBook section. The online libraries are all on Bolinda Digital - the Longford one is at http://library.bolindadigital.com/longford. You're allowed a maximum number of Audiobooks and eBooks at a time (this varies - e.g. Longford allows you to borrow 5 of each, Galway 4 of each). You can borrow instantly and access your content through the app, or you can reserve books that are currently on loan (these count towards your total). You will not be able to borrow anything without a library card and PIN. There are adult, young adult, reference, childrens, cookery - the same selection as you'd get in a physical library. When you click borrow, you'll be given a return date (I think about 3 weeks). Once the date is coming near, you'll get an email to remind you that your time is almost up, then you can either return or renew by clicking the "return" button beside your book or "renew" provided no other member has reserved it.

You can check at the Libraries Ireland homepage here to see if your County library currently offers eBook or Audiobook services. By County library I mean the entire library network in your county - e.g. joining the library in Raheny would give you access to the entire Dublin City online catalogue, joining the library in Granard gives me access to the entire Longford County online catalogue. 

Magazines

Also available are magazines via Zinio. You can join here - Zinio. You'll need your library card number. Zinio is currently available to members of Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork City, Cork County, Donegal, Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick City and County, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford City & County, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow libraries.

With Zinio, you can download a free app (iPad, iPhone, Kindle HD/HDX, Android) to read magazines offline, or you can read online. Just scroll to the bottom of the page on the site (here) and you'll see the links to download.

There's an enormous range of current and back issues available - everything from All About Soap magazine to Top Gear, Cosmopolitan, Weight Watchers US, Cross Stitcher, Teen Vogue. You can tick a box to receive an email when the next issue is available.

Newspapers

Newspapers are provided online by Proquest. You can find a link to your County here. When you click the link, you'll get this screen:

Enter your library card number to access the site. There's a huge archive of newspapers, magazines and trade journals from all over the world, available to read instantly (1,109 at last look). You can browse through publications or search for something specific.

When you click on a title, you can choose what year, then what month, week, etc you want to look at. The articles will then be shown and you can click through them - e.g. this is an article from the May 20th issue of the North Shore Times (Sydney) about Wi-Fi - you can see that it says "7 of 55" - meaning there are 55 articles to view from that issue. This could be a lovely way to keep up with local news from home if you don't have access to newspapers from where you grew up.

Hopefully this was easy to understand - I would love if more people joined the library and encouraged their children to join too. Books have been a comfort to me throughout every stage of my life, no matter what was going on at the time - so even if you're not a reader it would be such a great thing to introduce your children (or younger relatives) to!