Simply Audiobooks Inc.

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?

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Hot New Releases

The weekend is almost here and it’s time to pick out a new audio book to relax and enjoy! Here’s a list of some of the hot new audio books that were released this week.

Are you in the mood for a laugh? Check out Ellen Degeneres’ latest audio book, Seriously…I’m Kidding. If you’re a fan of Ellen’s stand-up comedy you’ll definitely get a kick out of this audio book. There are many chapters which explain the secret of life, the day-to-day life of a celebrity, and other helpful hints. Ellen promises that in this audio book she has “…left no stone unturned, no door unopened, no window unbroken, no rug unvacuumed, no ivories untickled.”

 Interested in getting into the Halloween spirit with a ghost story? Pick up Chris Bohjalian’s new audio book, The Night Strangers. Chip and Emily Linton move into a Victorian house in northern New Hampshire after double engine failure causes Chip to ditch his plane in Lake Champlain. Unlike the Miracle on the Hudson, 39 of the passengers die. Coincidentally, the new house has strange door in the basement that has been sealed shut with 39 six-inch-long carriage bolts. This is a poignant and powerful ghost story with all the hallmarks readers have come to expect from Chris Bohjalian.

Michael Ondaatje is back with another Giller Prize shortlisted audio book. The Cat’s Table takes place in the early 1950s, where an eleven-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. At mealtimes he is seated at the “cat’s table”–as far from the Captain’s Table as can be–with a ragtag group of “insignificant” adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship and the boy’s adult years, it tells a spellbinding story–by turns poignant and electrifying–about the magical, often forbidden, discoveries of childhood and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage.

Deemed her most ambitious and mesmerizing work ever, Alice Hoffman has just published The Dovekeepers. In 70 C.D., nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on a mountain in the Judean desert, Masada. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic historical event, Hoffman weaves a spellbinding tale of four extraordinary, bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom comes to Masada by a different path. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege, as the Romans draw near. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets–about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.

What audio book are you planning to listen to this weekend?

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Happy Accidents – A Review of Jane Lynch’s Journey to a Gleeful Life

When I think of Jane Lynch I immediately picture a tall woman in a brightly colored track suit, terrorizing the halls of McKinley High. It’s hard to not think of Sue Sylvester upon hearing Jane Lynch’s voice, although older Jane Lynch fans may also be picturing a very confident Joyce Wischnia.

When I started listening to her memoir, it was hard to believe how shy she was as a teenager. She had lots of determination, but possessed very little self-confidence. Her touching story of longing to fit in and become an actress had me captivated. What teenager didn’t feel shy or didn’t worry about not being liked at one point or another?

You can watch this short video of Jane promoting her memoir to Canada to get a feel for what the audio book is like:

Jane tells the tale of all the Happy Accidents that lead up to her fame as an actress and her loving family. Her struggle with alcohol addiction, coming to terms with her sexuality and finding true love are honestly told in this audio book. While it may not have been the laugh-out-loud funny story I was expecting, I had a smile on my face and couldn’t stop giggling at the small quips and sarcastic wit evident throughout.

Having Jane narrate the novel was wonderful. Hearing the story through her words made me feel like I was experiencing all the ups and down right there with her. Many Glee and The L Word fans will pick up this audio book simply because it features Jane Lynch; but I recommend it for anyone who has longed to be themselves and to be loved for just that.

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Who Can You Believe – A Review of Before I Go To Sleep

Imagine waking up and not recognizing the room you fell asleep in. Confused you walk to the bathroom and your reflection is not what you expect either, you’re about 20 years older than you thought you were. Panic starts to sink in, “what’s going on?” you ask yourself. You finally recognize your eyes and realize it is you in the mirror, but you continue to wonder how did this happen?

This is just a typical morning for Christine Lucas who loses her memories every night while she sleeps. Thankfully, her husband Ben is always there waiting for her when she wakes up to explain that she had an accident, over twenty years ago, that caused serious memory loss.

As the day goes on Christine has breakfast, does some cleaning and then receives a call from her doctor. He tells her that they have been meeting for a while working together to improve her memory. But of course, she doesn’t remember him. He directs her to her purse where she pulls out a date book with an appointment written down for today and she begins to believe he’s telling the truth.  But her husband didn’t mention that she had a doctor’s appointment, shouldn’t he have reminded her? No, her doctor said they were meeting in secret and her husband had no idea.

Who can you trust when every morning you wake up and can’t remember who you are, where you are or what happened to you? This is the focus for the wonderfully suspenseful audio book, Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson. I was on the edge of my seat from the very first chapter and I could not stop listening. Orlagh Cassidy was a wonderful narrator and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys trying to solve a mystery.

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Can the movie top the audio book?

So I finally did it. This past weekend I went out and saw the film Water for Elephants. Although I was originally a huge fan of the novel by Sara Gruen, I must say I can understand why the film was also a huge success. This pulse-pounding, heart-wrenching story truly captured the spirit of a man finding true love, fighting for it, and holding on to the memory amongst a circus. The film captured the same thing.

The film had the power to make you forget that you were sitting in a theater, and rather made you believe that you were a part of the greatest show on earth, while also witnessing the beautiful and abused menagerie, clowns, dogs, and of course the elephant, Rosie.

The big difference I felt between the novel and the film was that as a reader I felt as though Jacob Jankowski was truly telling me the story, as though he was sitting right next to me as I turned each page. However, when I was watching the film I felt like I was an audience member at the circus, getting a special access pass to go beyond the stage and witness what really goes on behind the curtains.

Both experiences are great and hope you all have the opportunity to read/listen to the novel and go check out the movie.

However, if I could do one thing differently in the film it would have been picking unfamiliar faces for the leading roles, Jacob and Marlena. Although I believe Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon played their roles well, these two characters were supposed to be people who had no one to go home too, individuals who no one would be looking for or recognize. I wanted to see unknown actors pop up and take the leads, fresh faces that show up out of nowhere, like on a passing train.

If you haven’t listened to this audio book yet, I highly recommend you do. It takes you on an adventure you’ll never forget, about a young man who runs away and joins the circus during the Great Depression. What could be better than that?! If you’ve seen the film, what did you think of the film and novel?

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What if Charlie Sheen narrated an audio book?

It’s obvious that we just can’t get enough of Charlie Sheen’s antics, his delusions of grandeur, and even his dedication towards being a “bi-winning” sensation. So what’s stopping a Charlie Sheen memoir from being published? I know I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on that.

Well, according to TMZ, Charlie Sheen is asking for at least $10 million in order for his story to be told. He already plans on calling the memoir When the Laughter Stopped – an honest account of what is really going on behind the scenes after the cancellation of the show Two and a Half Men.

However, some may wonder why anyone would pay Mr. Sheen $10 million to tell us his story? I mean isn’t it right in front of us? But what I’m really interested in seeing or better yet, hearing, is the audio book narrated by Charlie Sheen himself.

Unfortunately, nothing has been confirmed, but with a possible memoir on the way, there’s no better approach then having Charlie Sheen narrate his own audio book. But until then, you can catch his tiger blooded self all over You Tube, TMZ, Entertainment Tonight, Dateline, and the list goes on.

So, whether or not you’re a fan or just enjoy the controversy around his lifestyle, would you be interested in listening to an audio book narrated by Charlie Sheen?

We found out who was lucky enough to sport the Oprah Book Club logo sticker on their covers. Yesterday, Oprah announced who has made her winter Book Club selection. With some hype around two Charles Dickens’ titles before the grand announcement, it looks as though both ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ and ‘Great Expectations’ have made her top picks.

And better yet, they are both available audio books! Try our unabridged audio book version today.

A Tale of Two Cities

Set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With over 200 million copies sold, it is among the most famous works of fiction.
Download or rent the unabridged audio book version of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’.

Great Expectations

Is a story about an orphan named Pip who writes about his life and tries to become a gentleman along the way, experiencing everything life and people have to offer. Download or rent the unabridged audio book version of ‘Great Expectations’.