Simply Audiobooks Inc.

Hilarious and heartfelt. Seriously…I’m not kidding.

Book Title: Seriously…I’m Kidding
Author: Ellen DeGeneres
Narrator: Ellen DeGeneres
Length: 3 hours

Happy is the only way I can describe how I’m feeling after just listening to Seriously…I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres. If you’re a fan of The Ellen Show, you’ll know that she has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes you want to laugh, dance and have a little fun. It’s a quality that comes across loud and clear in both her essays and her narration.

Ellen’s personal narration of her audio book is what makes it so fantastic. She doesn’t simply read the words, she performs them. Her delivery is hilarious, relatable and inspiring.

Ellen does a great job at combining her clever sense of humour with her philosophy on life and provides stories that will leave you feeling optimistic and really, really happy—oh, and you’ll laugh out loud. A lot.

If you enjoyed this audio book and want to listen to more hilarious audio books, written and read by hilarious women, Simply Audiobooks recommend the following:

Did Seriously…I’m Kidding leave you feeling happy and optimistic? Are there any other audio books that have had the same effect on you?

One of these audio books is not like the others.

As you can see, crime, thrill and suspense were major themes that emerged from  Simply Audiobook’s new releases this week. For those who prefer something without gunfire, we also have a wide variety from self-help, fantasy, biography and more! Go to SimplyAudiobooks.com for all of our latest and greatest releases!

Title: The Lincoln Lawyer
Author: Michael Connelly
Narrator: Adam Grupper
Length: 11 hours 37 minutes

Leaving behind one of his most celebrated characters, Harry Bosche, Connelly introduces us to a new and unlikely hero—Mickey Haller. Mickey is an unethical but highly charismatic L.A. defense attorney who operates from the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car. Known for almost exclusively representing drug dealers, con artists and drunk drivers, Mickey’s lands what he believes to be the case of a lifetime—defending a rich, Beverly Hills playboy accused of attempted murder. As he delves deeper, Mickey quickly realizes that he’s involved in a deadly game of manipulation, lies and murder.

If you’re a fan of legal thrillers or are simply looking to listen to an entertaining story, we suggest renting or downloading The Lincoln Lawyer. It’s a must-listen that we know you’ll love.

Have you listened to any of the other novels in the Mickey Haller series? Would you recommend them?

Stick to your resolution this year

When the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, we all resolve to live the next year better and maybe even cross something off of our bucket list in 2012. We are filled with hope and the sky is the limit. But then life gets in the way and many of us will have tossed our resolutions out the window by the beginning of February.

Make this the year that you stick to your resolutions by arming yourself with an audio book from Simply Audiobooks. Throughout the year, they can act as your personal life coach – teaching, motivating and cheering you along every step of the way.

Have you ever wanted to…

Go vegan?
‘Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World’ –Kathy Freston

Be the biggest loser?
‘The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom’ –Philip C. McGraw

Learn Español?
‘Spanish for Dummies’ –Jessica Langemeier

Perfect your downward dog?
‘The Heart of Yoga Practice Series’ –Shiva Rea

See $1,000,000,000 on your bank statement?
‘How to Be a Billionaire’ –Martin S. Fridson

Whatever your resolution, Simply Audiobooks has over 20,000 audio books to help you be successful in 2012!

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

The Best Audio Books of 2011

AudioFile Magazine is celebrating the top audio books and narrators of 2011 with the release of their annual compilation – AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of 2011. Our team at Simply Audiobooks couldn’t agree more with their choices this year, especially their top picks in the Mystery & Suspense category:

Before I go to Sleep—S.J. Watson
The End of the Wasp Season—Denise Mina

Click here to check out the complete list

Do you agree with AudioFile? What were your favourite audio books of 2011?

In need of a little holiday magic?

“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house.
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…”

Not quite!! The night before Christmas usually involves last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, stuffing stockings and baking cookies for Santa. The hustle and bustle of Christmas always seems to leave people feeling a little less than merry and bright!

The one tradition I can always count on to put the magic back into my holidays is listening to holiday favourite The Night Before Christmas. This timeless story is narrated by the fabulous Meryl Streep who delivers an incredible performance. The artistry of her voice, combined with a whimsical score, makes the characters of this story come to life!

So, this Christmas Eve, forget about the stresses of Christmas, pour a cup of hot cocoa, cozy up around the fireplace and put on The Night Before Christmas audio book. Watch your children’s eyes light up with excitement when they hear the prancing and pawing of each little hoof and listen to them giggle when they find out Santa’s belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly!

This story guarantees to warm your heart and remind you of what the holiday season is all about!

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!”

Simply Audiobooks has many holiday classics to bring the magic back to your holiday season. What are some of your favourites?

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!

Click here to visit our gift center.

Happy Holidays!

Leave a comment

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?

Leave a comment

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?

Leave a comment

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?