Simply Audiobooks Inc.

Stuff 20,000 audio books into one stocking!

If you’ve thought long and hard about finding that perfect gift for a true book enthusiast, a Simply Audiobooks CD rental or digital download gift subscription is definitely the way to go.

Not only would you give them access to 22,000 audio books but you can personalize it as well. And because Simply Audiobooks understands that the holidays can be a hectic time, you can email the gift instantly.

We all know the holidays are about giving, so why not give your friends and family even more? Plus, when the day comes and everyone reveals what they’ve unwrapped, you can be sure someone will be well equipped to block out the noise of the kids new train set, remote control cars, your brothers new musical instrument, your husband’s handy new drill…well, you get the idea. There’s no better time to tune in!

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Happy Holidays!

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Check Out This Week’s New Audio Books!

This week saw a huge number of new releases in the memoir and biography category! Check out these audio books for tales of incredible lives.

There is also a great new audio book for younger listeners! Jeff Kinney is back with the latest in the Diary of Wimpy Kid series:  Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Cabin Fever.

What audio book do you plan on spending some of your weekend listening to?

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The Lady of the Rivers – A Review

This week’s audio book review is Philippa Gregory’s latest, The Lady of the Rivers. This audio book tells the story of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford and mother of Elizabeth Woodville who later became The White Queen.

Jacquetta is from Luxembourg and is said to be descendent from Melusina, the river goddess. She has the gift of The Sight but in these dangerous times is very hesitant to use it. Her first husband married her for her gift in hopes that she would be able to see the future for him and help him with his quest to discover the Philosopher’s Stone. After he passes away she is too afraid to continue using her Sight but on occasion she does read the cards for others and sees the dangers that lie ahead.

This audio book will be a delight for fans of Philippa Gregory’s work. It has the passion, danger and legends that have made her previous audio books best sellers. I really enjoy her take on the English court and the way she brings history to life, giving voices to these illustrious people.

I thought the narration was fantastic. Very recently I listened to The Red Queen and was very impressed with the narration, also by Bianca Amato, and was excited to hear her again. Bianca is a wonderful narrator but it took me an hour or so to get used to the fact that this audio book was narrated by Jacquetta. Both The Red Queen and The Lady of the Rivers are written with a first person narration so when Bianca said “I did”, “I thought”, “I said” etc., it took some time for me to adjust to the new protagonist, but I thoroughly enjoyed it once I did.

Do you prefer Philippa Gregory’s audio books about the Tudors or The War of the Roses?

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Happy Birthday Kurt Vonnegut

One of the famous American writers of the 20th century would have been celebrating his 89th birthday this year. Author of 14 novels and various other works, Kurt Vonnegut is famous for his satirical writing and his humanism.

Many of his novels have been produced as audio books. In fact the very first audio book I ever listened to was Slaughter House Five. Although back then it was a book on tape, not an audio book download! His time serving as a soldier in Dresden during World War II served as the inspiration behind this story. It is my favorite of his and I highly recommend that you listen to it if you haven’t already.

His works are still widely read and listened to today. The Twitter Book Club, 1book140 is celebrating Dead Authors this month and they have selected Slaughter House Five for November. Tweet with the hashtag #1book140 to join the discussion.

With so many great stories to choose from, what’s your favorite Vonnegut audio book?

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The Passage – A Review

Pam is constantly listening to new audio books and has recently listened to The Passage. Read on for her review…

Don’t let the length of this audio book deter you from a great listen! The Passage by Justin Cronin is a fresh take on Vampires (known as Virals in the book, and they definitely do not sparkle), and a post-apocalyptic world where human life has all but vanished. Yes it’s long (36 hours for the unabridged. The abridged is much shorter), but it is worth the time and will have you hooked from the very beginning.

The first in a trilogy, The Passage is an epic novel about a classified government experiment that experiences a major security breach, a virus that goes horribly wrong, and the ensuing aftermath of the outbreak of the test subjects. Just when you find yourself getting into the rhythm of this first story line, you are then thrust a century into the future to see a struggling human race barely surviving. Humans now live in walled compounds, dependent on the lights to keep the virals at bay. With the battery supply that these lights run on about to run out, a small group sets out to try and find help. Of course this journey is not a smooth one, and another edge of your seat storyline unfolds.

It’s hard to place this epic novel into one genre. With undertones of horror, romance, action, suspense and science fiction, The Passage will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Cliff-hangers are abundant and can get somewhat frustrating but on the whole work well for the horror/suspense aspect of the novel.

Scott Brick lends his amazing voice talents to this book and listeners will not be disappointed. Brick does a wonderful job of bringing a voice of authority, calm, and excitement to the story. At times beautiful and at times horrifying, The Passage by Justin Cronin is sure to leave you wanting more and counting down the months till book 2 is released in spring 2012.

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Hot New Audio Books – November 4th

Lots of interesting audio books were released this week. In particular I noticed a lot of memoirs and autobiographies. This week’s hot new releases include an exciting conclusion to a fantasy series, two memoirs and a historical tale.

The final book in the bestselling Wicked Series was released this week. Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire takes listeners back to this magical land. The Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law, war has broken out, and the small American girl has decided to come back… yes that’s right, Dorothy’s back. The Wicked Witch’s granddaughter has grown up and it’s time to find out if she has more similarities with Elephba than just her strikingly green skin. The long awaited conclusion to this series will be a fast favorite for Maguire fans.

Considered the most remarkable Christmas of the Century, Pearl Harbor Christmas by Stanley Weintraub looks at Christmas 1941. Publishers Weekly talks about the audio book, “A minor genre, the day-by-day chronicle, receives a fine addition as veteran historian Weintraub devotes a chapter each to the last ten days of 1941 plus New Year’s Day…Readers will enjoy his opinionated portraits of the allied leaders as they hammered out strategy, much of which was rendered irrelevant by subsequent events.”

Carrie Fisher is back with another memoir, Shockaholic. Fans of Wishful Drinking will be excited to delve a little deeper and learn more about her surreal life. The few years since her last audiobook was published has been a roller coaster ride and she talks about her friendship with Michael Jackson, the loss of her father and stepmother, as well as the “wishful shrinking” of losing forty pounds of unwanted flesh. This honest memoir promises to reveal a new, tender side of Carrie Fisher.

Mindy Kaling, best known for her role on The Office has written a hysterical memoir, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). Compared to Tiny Fey, this audio book is guaranteed to have you in stitches. Mindy tells the stories of her different lives: the dutiful daughter of immigrant parents, off-Broadway performer and Hollywood actress.

Do any of these audio books peak your interest?

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The Language of Flowers – A Review

How do you select the next audio book that you’re going to listen to? Do you search through other reviews, ask your friends for a recommendation, or just grab something from one of your favorite authors? These are great ways to discover a wonderful story, but sometimes I like to try something a little different. I’ll grab an audio book based solely on a great cover illustration or just a spectacular title. That is how I chose Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s The Language of Flowers.

The Language of Flowers has a beautiful image of white flowers on the cover, and so I was expecting a love story. As the saying goes, you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover, and while it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, it is a beautifully told story revolving around the language of flowers.

Victoria Jones was abandoned at birth and grew up in a series of foster and group homes. When she turns 18 she is emancipated and has to start fending for herself. She ends up sleeping in a park (thankfully she lives in San Francisco) and with her knowledge of flowers and their Victorian meanings, she starts a part time job at a florist. While moving forward through the story, Victoria also tells the listeners about her past, focusing on the time she lived with Elizabeth, a woman who was hoping to adopt her. The past and present are woven together beautifully, moving forward at a similar pace and truly adding to the story.

Tara Sands does an exceptional job narrating the audio book. The different voices she uses for 18 and 10 year old Victoria are spot-on and her tone is perfect. She also does a marvellous job with the other characters, including Grant. I can only imagine that this is exactly how Vanessa Diffenbaugh would have wanted it read.

I may start picking more books by their covers from now on! Have you listened to The Language of Flowers? Share your thoughts in the comments and tell me how you select your audio books!