Simply Audiobooks Inc.

The majority of SAB patrons say that they listen to audio books in their car – mostly to keep a tenuous hold on their patience and/or sanity during a grueling work commute. So when Friday rolls around and you’re suddenly faced with a 2 day break in your book-of-choice, its not surprising that some people take the long way home in order to try to finish up a story.

According to our subscribers at Simply Audiobooks, 4 names stick out as the masters of “keep-you-glued-to-your-seat” fiction. You know, the authors who write the stories that leave you idling your car an extra 10 minutes while you finish out a chapter. They are:

1) James Patterson: Author of Honeymoon, London Bridges, and the Women’s Murder Club series, among many many others. If the last title rings a bell, that’s because its also behind ABC’s latest show by the same name!

2) Sue Grafton: Author of A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse… (do you sense a pattern here?). While she’s only at T (for Trespass, of course), one assumes that given the popularity of her work that she’ll continue to the very end. Perhaps “Z is for Zenophobic”?

3) Nora Roberts/JD Robb: Author of Chesapeake Blue and the extensive In Death series, we’re talking about a writer so prolific she felt the need to create an alternate pen name for her collection of over 100 novels.

4) Sandra Brown: Author of Ricochet, The Crush, and Chill Factor and 30-some-odd others.

Ahh, Valentine’s Day. A day for passionate young lovers, smug married couples and grade school puppy love. While most people already know about great swoon-inducing romances like The Notebook, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre, few people are aware of the… ahem… more carnal audio books to be had.

While I don’t want to make anyone blush, for those of you who are looking for a more “stimulating” read than usual, I invite you to check out Simply Audiobooks well-loved Erotica section.

Delivered in SAB’s innocuous blue mailer or downloaded straight to your computer in the privacy of your home, they are an indulgence that even the most absentious can enjoy!

I love my husband. My husband loves baseball. Therefore, to some extent, I love baseball.

I enjoy it as the penultimate summer entertainment – a lazy afternoon of laid back cheering in the sunshine. I enjoy the perfect symmetry of a baseball diamond and the combined smell of popcorn, hotdogs, and freshly mowed turf on a hot summer day. Because of these reasons, I resent the recent baseball drug scandal for tarnishing my image of the game.

To counteract this, I’ve re-checked out one of my favorite books, Moneyball. It’s a great book that bears repetition, not the least of which because it’s not a terribly “easy” read, since it discusses baseball statistics

Don’t let that turn you off, though! It’s neither dry nor dull and in fact, you will get a great deal of entertainment listening to how the Oakland Athletics (and specifically their eccentric General Manager Billy Beane) turned baseball on its head to find hidden talent. Moneyball is a testament to the love that number-crunching nerds feel for baseball and how it changed the face of the all-American game forever. It gets 4 stars by Simply Audiobooks readers.

Today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (and a holiday for those of you in Illinois and Connecticut). Aside from his distinctive facial hair, Lincoln is recognized for his brilliant oration and political acumen, in a time when the Republican Party was in turmoil and the country was divided over the issue of slavery.

Team of Rivals is possibly the best book I’ve read to cover the intricacies of Lincoln’s cabinet and how he turned grudging allies into a functional government. This is NOT your typical high school textbook, but a real indepth analysis of Lincoln’s character, skills and motivations. Its very highly rated by our subscribers at Simply Audiobooks, making it a great read on this historic day!

The Annual Westminster Dog Show began yesterday, marking the 25th stodgy year of the show. For those of you who aren’t up on the breeding circuit (and really, who isn’t?) this is a premier event, dedicated to a solemn and meticulous examination of the noble canine – an animal whose most common thought is ”Whoa! Another dog butt!”

In recognition of this event, I would like to draw your attention, Happy Reader, to some of the best audio books devoted to Man’s Best Friend.

Foremost on this list is Marley and Me - a critically acclaimed fictional account of a great “bad dog”. To be fair, this book should perhaps come with a Don’t Read While Driving warning; both for shoot-coffee-out-your-nose laughs and wish-I’d-warn-waterproof-mascara-today sad moments. If you liked Turner and Hooch in the 80′s, you’ll love this book. Simply Audiobooks readers do!

If you’re used to picking up bits of what used to be your favorite slipper/stuffed animal/iPod and is now your dog’s favorite chew toy, consider Cesar’s Way, a natural, everyday guide to understanding and correcting common dog problems. Cesar Millan is one of Oprah’s favorites, and applies his “Exercise, Discipline, Affection” mantra to training pets and people to live in peaceful (not pieceful) co-existence.

Kids and dogs have gone together like peas and carrots ever since the early Coppertone ads. If your kids are into 4-legged family members, consider the Hank the Cowdog series. Just simple enough to entertain the young ‘uns, but not too bland to drive adults crazy, this is a good choice for long family car rides.

This morning, my car had a bit of difficulty starting – not surprising given the -30C/-22F degree temperatures – and at one point it conked out while stopped in rush hour traffic on my way to Simply Audiobooks HQ. For one brief terrifying moment, I pictured myself slowly freezing into an drivercicle while I waited for roadside assistance, and I kicked myself for not having an in-car emergency kit.

That got me to thinking about survival books, and as soon as I got to work, I added Worst Case Scenario Survival Guide of Travel to my Download Library. Apparently this title will help me survive (among other things) scorpians, runaway trains, falling planes, riptides and riots. Surely I can face a little bad weather afterwards.

I also found the classic Zombie Survival Guide, which I had previously enjoyed. If you would like to know what to do when the teeming undead hoardes rise from the earth to annihilate the living… well, this is your cup of tea! My favorite sections include exactly how to dismantle your stairs for maximum barricade effect, and how truly useless a flamethrower is for undead protection.

And, of course, if you merely want to mock those who have all the common sense evolution intended for pudding, please be sure to check out The Darwin Awards. This title promises to bring everlasting glory to “individuals who ensure the long-term survival of our species by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion.” 

One of the big questions we get here at Simply Audiobooks is “Why don’t your audiobooks work on iPods?”. Ho-boy, how to answer that succinctly…

Most people know that iPods are manufactured by Apple, thanks to that cute ubiquitous apple symbol. What they may not know is that unless one’s content is DRM-free (that is to say, it has no copyright protection on it) OR in Apple’s proprietary iTunes format, it can’t be put on an iPod.

“So why aren’t your audio books DRM-free?”, I hear you ask. Well, Happy Reader, publishers have historically been leery about DRM-free formats, because they’re open to exploitation; the same file can be redistributed to multiple parties or burned to multiple copies. Essentially, potentially paying customers are lost as a black market of free bootleg copies springs up (think of the music industry). This is why we use Windows Media Audio format to protect the audio books in our download club.

Fortunately, a large number of our download customers have figured out that once you’ve backed up your book by burning it to CD, you can then rip it from CD to your iPod - perfect for treadmill time, a long flight, or train ride to work!

Happy Chinese New Year! Today we start the Year of the Rat, a sign shared with those born in 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972 1984 or 1996. People born under this sign are noted for thier charm and thrifiness, but also have a tendency to gossip and be a little touchy.

For those of you (and by “you”, I include “me”) who have fallen off the New Year’s Resolution wagon, look at this as a fresh chance to improve yourself or try something new. Or, accomplish both by learning a new language! Audio books are the perfect medium for language learning, and there is a dizzying array of products for every vernacular.

For those who want to cut directly to the good stuff, try Dr. Blair’s Express Lane Chinese. This 1 hour course teaches you the bare necessities to get you up and chatting in no time.

If you have more than a single lunch break to devote to learning Mandarin, you can check out Teach Yourself Beginner’s Chinese - still a modest 2 hours. Like most short courses, this leans towards the practical and uses short dialogues to make you feel as though you’re progressing quickly.

If you’re one of those people who talks to themselves in thier car, why not improve your conversation with Learn In Your Car Mandarin Chinese. At 11 hours, this offers 3 progressive levels of learning and has a good technology/finance bend for business people. Other drivers may think you’re slightly deranged as you babble to yourself, but remember: you’re in this for self improvement!

If you’re determined to order your own chop suey in Bejiing by the end of the year, you can pick up the gold star of language courses: Pimsleur’s Mandarin Chinese. Offered in 2 parts, Lessons 1 to 30 and Lessons 31 to 60, this is a marathon, not a sprint, but by the end you’ll have the most complete understanding of Mandarin you can get this side of the Great Wall.

Today is the day to upsize your fries, order the venti latte, or buy an extra lottery ticket. Mardi Gras isn’t just a big deal in “N’Oleans”. Around the world, people are celebrating Fat Tuesday by overindulging.

True to the theme, check out Sandra Brown’s Fat Tuesday, a romantic thriller is set against the lively and decadent backdrop of New Orleans. This is a quick 4 hour read – just enough time to burn off your indulgences on the treadmill this week!

If (like me) you can’t tell the difference between Super Tuesday and Super Bowl Sunday, this is the perfect time to pick up an audio book. 

Learn about the top political candidates in their own words. Not surprisingly, these professional speakers all narrate their own work (with varying degrees of success), making you feel that each politician is pitching themselves directly to you and you alone. 

Living History – By Hilary Rodham Clinton 

The Audacity of Hope – By Barack Obama 

Worth the Fighting For – By John McCain 

If you like these, check out these autobiographies by previous presidents: 

Leading a Worthy Life – By Jimmy Carter 

My Life – By Bill Clinton