This post is for those who want to know places to get books or where I personally get mine. If you would like to add places please leave them in the comments.

Ways I acquire books:

•Libby- this is an app that connects with your library card(s). 90% of what I read I loan from my library using this as audiobooks and ebooks at times are easier for me to use.

•Kindle Unlimited- I own an old fire tablet that I just got two months of kindle unlimited for free on but personally I won’t continue it after it ends because I have a hard time with ebooks.

•Amazon- I rarely buy things on here now but they do often have a lot of books on sale. I do also browse for deals on ebooks and have gotten a plethora of ones I’m interested in for free.

•Secondhand stores- most of my collection comes from secondhand/ thrift stores. I very rarely buy a book from chain stores or for full price. This also includes antique stores.

•PangoBooks- 98% of the time if I want to buy a specific book I’ll look for it here before I look elsewhere. They also at times do give out coupons like spend $20 get $5 off.

•NetGalley- every now and then I’ll request digital arcs (ebooks and audiobooks that aren’t released yet). As long as you read the books you request and review them (or state you DNF’ed and why) on the site and keep your ratio at least at 80% of all accepted request reviewed you’re golden. But, having another place where you talk and review books does increase your chances. Personally, I have my Goodreads and Instagram account linked to help even though I haven’t touched my Instagram account in awhile.

•Library- I’ve barely checked out any books in person since I got my library card but that’s purely because I’m really trying to read my physical tbr and stay away from adding more to it.

•Gifts- if people ask me what I want for something for example my 21st birthday which is a few months away I’ll either say a certain book, an author, or a gift card to someplace that sells books. Sometimes I’ll say other things depending on the person. Now that doesn’t mean I’m expecting a bunch of books especially new ones in fact when I gave someone a list of books and author names I only gave them things that I thought they could easily find in a thrift store and always remind them that it’s not a list of things that needs to be completely bought but more of a scavenger hunt that they can end at anytime.

•Audible- for awhile I had a subscription mostly due to multiple free trials and it not cancelling even after I cancelled… Anyways, I prefer using Libby.

•Half Price Books- this is both a secondhand store and not. A good chunk of my books have come from here although these days this is mostly only my go to when I’m near one, when I don’t have time for a thrift store (I will look at nearly the entire place), or when I’m hoping to find certain more popular books.

•Barnes & Nobles- I very rarely went to Barnes even when I lived near one but every now and then I would buy some books from there. I do wish I could be near one when they do their 50% off hardcover sale they usually do on the 26th of December.

•Giveaways- I’ve won quite a few e-book giveaways on Goodreads. Personally, I’ve only won one physical giveaway and never received it. Which is pretty 50/50 when it’s the publisher doing the giveaway from what I understand.

•Dollar Tree- this is pretty hit or miss but whenever I go I make sure to check out their book section because they do sometimes have books I am interested in.

•Target- their price on books especially viz manga always gets me. Along with the deals they do every now and then like buy one get one 50% off or buy two get one free.

•Walmart- they also have about the same pricing for books as Target does but the only extra deal they do is for books they put on clearance which they put in cardboard bins.

•Book Outlet- discounted books that are pretty cheap although condition can vary. Not like extremely bad but like I have gotten a book with a small rip in the cover, the cover smushed on the top and bottom of the spine and a broken spine on a hardcover. I just think it’s better to know what the condition could be be before going into it. As long as your fine with the chance of getting that I highly recommend it. They are currently doing a fiction books sale right now where their only $5.99 and everything else is 20% off. Just dropping my referral link below if you use it you get $5 off of a $25 or higher order.

•Rightstuf (rip now is under Crunchyroll)- they had some great deals on manga, graphic novels, anime figures, and anime. I sadly didn’t take part in the birthday sale even though I really wanted to but I did make one or two purchases from them and had a good experience.

•Book of the Month- I’ve been getting books from them for just about to be a year and one month. I personally have really enjoyed it but I also will read anything that interest me and usually even if I don’t care for the months picks after watching people react to them and talk about them I want to pick up at least one of them. Book of the Month referral below.

•Aardvark- I got this one month with the discount code they always have where you get your first book for $4. There’s been a few books I wanted that they have but it’s been too rare for me.

Other ways that I haven’t yet done:

•Library sales- every now and then libraries will sell the books they no longer plan to keep in circulation and the profits go directly to the library.

•Little Free Libraries- these are strictly take a book leave a book deals. Most of these are run by a book lover who just wants to make books more accessible to people but they have to take the money out of their own pocket to keep it filled.

•Asking Publishers for physical arcs- this is the one I’m most anxious about and know the least about. From what I heard you have better chances of getting accepted for physical arcs if you have a big following. And it’s better to wait until you have had a book blog be somewhat regularly active (every week or two minimum) for six months. After that point you have to send an email to the publisher specifically asking for a certain physical arc(s), link your blog, make it professional sounding and just cross your fingers.

•Independent bookstore- I live in the middle of nowhere so the closest one to me is over two hours away (this is actually the closest bookstore period) and it’s also pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I just have a hard time paying full price so even though I love browsing through a bookstore the drive just for the bookstore that’s full price isn’t worth it.

•ThriftBooks- I like to know the condition I’m buying books in so I’ve never bought something from here as new could actually mean good condition depending on the person.

•SciFier- this is what a lot of people especially in the UK use especially for manga. It’s like a Rightstuff but from what I’ve seen better.

•eBay- I feel more comfortable with Pango’s system of just incase the seller screw’s you over than with eBay’s so I’ve never bought anything from here.

•Facebook Marketplace- I don’t have Facebook so I’ve never used this but I have seen some good deals.

•Garage/Yard/Estate Sales- I haven’t been to any of these in quite some time but when I did go things were quite cheap because they just wanted to get rid of things.

•Illumicrate- special edition book subscription service

•Fairyloot- special edition book subscription service

•Owlcrate- special edition book subscription service

•Broken binding- special edition book subscription service

•Forbidden planet- Manga, books, comics and figures store

•Indigo- Canada’s verison of Barnes & Nobles

10 Ways to Listen to Audiobooks for Free

I love audiobooks, but they can get expensive. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to listen to audiobooks for free! Here are ten tips and tricks that will have you listening to your next favorite book while saving money.

Borrow audiobooks from your public library.

Check with your local library to see if they offer audiobooks. Many libraries do, and many of them are free. Even if you're not a library member or don't live near one, it's worth checking out—sometimes libraries will let you use their services even if you aren't a resident or member. Most libraries' audiobooks are digital, meaning you can download them directly onto your phone or tablet without needing physical CDs or DVDs (though some still offer these options). If the audiobook is available in both formats, I'd recommend opting for the digital version since it's more accessible and easier to move around than physical copies. Audiobooks usually come with time limits—you may have only three weeks (or one month) after check-out before they expire and must be returned. Be aware of this when choosing what books to borrow from your local library—you might not want something that'll leave you disappointed after only a few days.

Use digital services like Overdrive and Libby.

Here are some ways to listen to audiobooks for free: Use digital services like Overdrive and Libby. If your local library or school district offers audiobook borrowing through these platforms, you’re in luck! You can borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your library using this service. You only need an internet connection and a device that supports the Overdrive app (iOS, Android, desktop). Download podcasts about books. Loyal Books has hundreds of free podcasts for readers who want more information about books they read or are thinking about reading (this is my favorite). Open Culture also has many free podcasts on its website that discuss books in detail.

Check out your local library's site and download any apps they have.

Your library may have audiobook apps. The best way to find out is by checking the library’s website and searching for “audiobook” or “audiobooks” on their app page. Ask them if they can make one if they don't have one. If your local library doesn't have an app available, you can still listen to audiobooks on your phone through apps like Audible, Overdrive (which works with many libraries), and iTunes. You can also listen to audiobooks on your computer and tablet using these same methods.

Get audiobook apps on your smartphone or tablet.

Find audiobook apps. If you’re looking for an app that will let you listen to audiobooks, search the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for “audiobook.” You can also check out Audible and Overdrive. They both have similar features and are great places to start your search. Look for an app with a user-friendly interface that is easy on your eyes and ears. The first thing that attracts me to an audiobook app is its design—a simple layout with large fonts makes it easy to read while driving or doing other tasks around the house. What's more important than design? The sound quality, of course! Ensure it has clear speakers, so no buzzing noises disturb your enjoyment when listening on headphones (or better yet: earbuds). Download free content from public libraries or buy individual episodes or entire series as downloads through these apps when possible so they don't eat away at data limits when streaming over cellular networks. Especially if you're paying per MB with plans like T-Mobile ONE Plus International plan, which offers unlimited high-speed data abroad but charges $25/GB after reaching 50GB each month domestically—and always requires WiFi connection everywhere else except those regions where cellular coverage exists like Japan where all providers offer 4G LTE speeds indoors.

Free trials for audiobook subscriptions.

Take advantage of free trials for audiobook subscriptions. Listen to audiobooks for free on Amazon. Listen to audiobooks for free on iTunes.

Use the free audio content on YouTube.

Listen to audiobooks on YouTube with a free trial of Audible. YouTube has a vast collection of free audiobook content that you can access with your computer or phone. You can use YouTube's built-in player on your desktop or download the app from Apple or Google Play and listen directly. You'll be able to find new releases and classics alike, as well as multiple versions of each title (audio only, text-to-speech reading of the book). The selection's not too bad either—there are over 75,000 books available. One caveat: many readers will be marked "properly licensed" when they're not, so if it bothers you that some authors aren't getting paid enough money for their work (or at all), skip those.

Join a podcast community focused on literature.

If you deeply love books and want to surround yourself with other like-minded people, joining a podcast community focused on literature may be just what you're looking for. Many podcasts focus on literature, some more educational and some more entertaining, but all of them will help keep your love for reading alive. Some focus on different genres of literature, such as memoirs or poetry, while others focus on specific authors and their works. Still, others are more general and cover everything from the writing process to how best to approach particular topics in our daily lives (such as love or death).

Invest in Audible.

Consider investing in Audible to get more flexibility with audiobooks. If you'd like to get the most out of your audiobook collection, consider signing up for a monthly subscription service like Audible.

Not only does this give you access to thousands of titles that aren't available elsewhere, but it also provides the option to cancel at any time and restart or extend your membership later. You can try the service with a complimentary 30-day trial before committing yourself.

Download for free from Loyal Books or Open Culture.

If the book is in the public domain, you can download it for free from sites like Loyal Books or Open Culture. Public domain means that a work has expired and can be used freely. This includes books whose copyrights have expired or been forfeited by their owners, which means they're available to anyone who wants them—including you.

The Internet Archive has an enormous collection of public domain books, organized by categories like "French children's literature," "Russian literature," "Utopian novels" (which is my favorite), and more. Some full-text versions are available at Gutenberg Project, but if you want the audio version, try one of these other sites instead.

Non-fiction books with Free Audiobooks.

Non-fiction books are a great place to start with free audiobooks because there are many great ones. You can find a lot of great non-fiction books on the internet. The website Librivox has over 15,000 audiobooks in the public domain, and they're all available for streaming or download as MP3s. You can also find plenty of non-fiction books in your local library. Go to their website, check the catalog, and request the text you want to listen to! Libraries often have more than one copy of each title (sometimes many), so don't be afraid that yours might not be available when you call them up and ask for it.

Best Free Audio Books

There's no question that the best free audiobooks come from Librivox recordings of public-domain texts. The oldest are from the 1900s, and they all have a unique feel with different readers and styles. These are an incredible value since they're free but high quality simultaneously. For these reasons, these free audiobooks should be your first stop when looking for great things to listen to for free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free version of Audible? The short answer is that there isn't a free, unlimited version of Audible. However, some ways exist to enjoy listening to audiobooks without breaking the bank. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can get two free monthly books and listen to them on your phone or computer with the Audible app. Of course, there are some limitations to this version of Audible: they're restricted to two books per month, and they'll expire at the end of that month. But if you're a voracious reader and want to get in on all those great deals before you start paying for books, this option is perfect for you. How can I download audiobooks for free? The best way to download audiobooks for free is through a podcast. Podcasts are audio files that you can subscribe to on your phone or computer and listen to at any time, usually while you're out walking or driving. The big disadvantage is that they are usually very short (5 minutes or less) and come out very infrequently (usually just one per week or month). Related article: 17 sites to get paid to read e-books Which is the best audiobook app? Audible is a subscription service that costs $14.95 monthly for one book (plus a credit on the site for buying additional books). You can find more than 100,000 audiobooks from popular authors like JK Rowling, Tom Clancy, James Patterson, and Suzanne Collins here. The app has a nice interface—you can easily search for everything available or see what's new and trending. You can also browse by genre and subject matter, so it will be easy to find if you're looking for something specific. How do you listen to audiobooks from the library? If you want to listen to audiobooks from the library, you'll first need a library card. You can get one at your local library branch, or if you live in the U.S., you can sign up online at your local library's website. Once you have an account, the most common way is to download them instantly onto your computer or phone (or other listening devices) using OverDrive, which is free and available for many devices. It may take a little time for OverDrive to process your request (they give a processing estimate with each book), but once it's ready, it downloads and stores the file. Then you have to plug in your phone or computer (or whatever device you're using as a player) and listen away. What is the cheapest way to get audiobooks? There are plenty of ways to get audiobooks for free or nearly free. Here are some of my favorite resources for getting audiobooks for cheap: Your local library – Your local library is a great resource for free audiobooks. Each library varies in how many they have available. Still, most should have many fiction and non-fiction titles you can borrow and download to any device you have (computer, tablet, smartphone). Audiobook apps – Many apps let you download audiobooks onto your phone or tablet. What equipment do you need to listen to audiobooks? You don't need any special equipment to listen to an audiobook. Obviously, an audiobook is a recording of someone reading out loud, so all you really need is a way to ensure that you aren't listening to anything else–like music–while listening to your book. The easiest way to ensure this doesn't happen is just to plug in some headphones and go about your life.

Summary.

The good news is that there are many places where you can find free audiobooks. With the rise of digital books and e-readers, more people are turning to audiobooks for entertainment and information. If you’re looking for an alternative format that won't cost much but still offers excellent content, audiobooks may be just what you need. Read the full article

i read 118 books in 2020. how the heck did i do that? 

some reflections and advice below the cut. 

before we get started, i just want to say upfront that i’m honestly surprised by how many books i managed to read last year. i had never even read 100 books in a year before (let alone more than 100), and i have depression! but somehow reading was one of the things i managed to do really well last year, so this post is here to explain the practicalities of How The Heck I Did That for those looking to smash some reading goals

1. audiobooks

audiobooks are great if you don’t have a lot of free time to sit down and stare at a physical book, or if you have trouble sitting still to read for long stretches of time. i use them for both reasons. (if you’re one of those people who doesn’t think audiobooks count as real reading, this post isn’t for you. please go on your merry way.) 

i downloaded Libby at the beginning of the year for the audiobooks. Libby is an app that allows you to check out ebooks and audiobooks through your local library system (for free!), so you have to have a library card (free!) before you can use Libby (for free!). i used Libby a lot. i had a new workout schedule i wanted to stick to, so i listened to audiobooks while i exercised. i listened to audiobooks while i got dressed and put on makeup. i listened to audiobooks while i cooked. i listened to audiobooks while i updated my bullet journal, folded clothes, cleaned! you get the point. listening to audiobooks actually ended up improving my ability to do everyday tasks because i was more willing to do them if i could read at the same time. i did also buy audiobooks through Audible a few times (i know 😞), but i mostly used Libby.

(listening to books while exercising was also great for stress relief. once when a parent was getting mad at me in my inbox (i’m a teacher), i put on The Return of the King and went for a run. it was the Battle of Pelennor Fields. i ran out all of my anger and frustration while Eowyn killed the Witch King. 11/10, highly recommend)

2. motivation(s)

yeah, this was probably obvious, but having several different motivations for reading as much as i did definitely helped, so here are those motivations (in order of ~how motivating~ they were):

1. spite. i was sick and tired of looking at my bookshelves and seeing unread books. one of my more concrete goals was to read at least 50% of the books i owned (i did an inventory a few years back & discovered i’d read only 48%). i have no idea if i actually accomplished this because i still have to reinventory my books lol

2. diversity goals. i made a list of how many books i wanted to read by specific categories of authors (Black women, Jewish women, other WOC, queer people, etc.). this was somewhat challenged/constrained by what books i already owned, but trying to reach my goal in each category was very motivating. (i’m planning to make a separate post reflecting on these goals specifically, because this year really did show me something about my reading habits through which categories were easy to complete vs which i had to plan for)

3. filling the creative well. this is something i first heard from Victoria Schwab, but lots of creative people talk about it. taking a break from creating to “refill the creative well” is one of the ways creators deal with burnout, with the idea that consuming more stories helps you learn how to create better stories. i wanted to get back into writing (fan)fiction this year, so i was motivated to read widely. for this reason i also chose not to DNF any books this year. if a book wasn’t working for me, I wanted to think about why it wasn’t working for me. (audiobooks helped here too, because it’s much easier to read a book you don’t like if it’s being read to you lol)

4. academia? last but not least, i wanted to see what kinds of books resonated with me academically and/or if any did at all. i was basically trying to figure out if i wanted to apply to grad school. (the answer ended up being yes, but then some of my top grad schools closed applications because of covid rip) 

3. page count goals

when i was in college, i started tracking how many pages i read a day because i often felt like i was just sitting around reading and never getting anywhere. i always wanted to try to read 100 pages a day, but never achieved it. this year i did! in order to achieve my larger reading goals, i read at least 100 pages a day every day. ngl, it was a struggle sometimes. but for me, it was about making daily progress (and it was super useful to be able to guestimate how long it would take me to read any given book). the 100 pages were usually spread out across several books since i usually read multiple books at once. i also set smaller page count goals for denser books/books i struggled with. (the only reason I finally finished Broke Millennial was because i read 15 pages of it a day 😭) i get that 100 pages is a lot, but setting a smaller daily page count goal is a good place to start if you wanna try it out

(for those wondering how i figured out how many pages i was reading while i listened to audiobooks: i only checked out audiobooks i (or someone else in my household) already owned physically, so i could keep track of how many pages i read (& read the acknowledgements when i finished the book))

4. reading sprints

i kind of hate calling them this, but i couldn’t think of anything better. what i mean is that i did most of my reading in 15-30 minute chunks throughout the day. sometimes even 10 minute chunks! i had other things to do (like work lol), but i figured out i was way more effective at doing those things if i took regular breaks--and that i was also way more effective at reading 100 pages if i didn’t try to do it all in one go. how many pages i could read in one of these sprints really depended on the book, but they always got me to my page count goal in the end

and that’s it! that’s How The Heck i read 118 books last year. now when i look at my shelves, i’ve read lot of the books there! sometimes most of them! it’s a wild feeling. i really enjoy it

10 questions tag

Rules: answer 10 questions and ask 10 new ones.

I was tagged by @beautifulpaxielreads with some bookish questions (which felt super special *blush *)

1. Have you ever finished a book out of spite? Like you weren’t enjoying it, but you were determined not to let it beat you?

Yes, of course. I’m a taurus and therefore stubborn. I don’t have a title on this one because it’s a random one my mom gave me in college and she just randomly takes books off free shelves without a care for quality it seems. What I remember about it was that it took place in India and there was a lot of talk of tamarinds. Not even sure if those things are related but it sticks in my mind.

2. Do you prefer ebooks, physical books or audiobooks? Why?

Hmm. I enjoy the experience of reading physical books, that experience is integral to my identity as a reader. But over the last two years I’ve gotten heavily into audiobooks with Libby which has changed my reading rate. This summer I’ve also tried ebooks but specifically graphic novels. I still find it difficult to read ebooks books because my device is an ipad and the screen isn’t conducive to me enjoying the experience. I had a second gen kindle and I liked reading on that, but it’s buried somewhere in a book and I haven’t used it since.

3. What’s the longest book you have read?

I think it was The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky which I read in college and it was like over 1200 pages I think, at least the editions I read. I started at one university and then transfer and picked up a copy from that library. Probably not the best way to approach a russian lit novel but I was determined to finish it.

4. What’s the shortest book?

This is an odd question because the book could be a book for children. I’m guessing the question might be thinking of in my adult life and the book isn’t for children?? The first one that comes to mind is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

5. Do you read more than one book simultaneously? Why or why not? If so, what’s the greatest amount of books you have read at the same time?

Oh yeah, as an English teacher of multiple grade levels, this is a necessity. I am usually reading one hard copy book, one audiobook, and then one for each grade level. In the past that is 3-4 books, but this year with another grade level I might up that to 4-5. Which means that’s 7 in total.

6. Have you ever attempted to read a book that is not in your native language?  (both English and non-English speakers can answer) If so, how did it go?

I do have a few books in Spanish because I am still determined to speak it, etc...but I haven’t read them yet. It’s a whole thing because my abuela speaks it, my dad understands it but doesn’t speak it, and I “can’t” do either. I can but mentally it’s a block.

7. Do you prefer to borrow books from the library or buy them at a bookshop?

I had a convo about this with my librarian yesterday. I buy books if I know I like them or I want them on my shelf. Usually, I read/listen to the book from the library and then decide whether I want to buy the book or not.

8. Have you ever bought a book from an online store?

I live hours from civilization, this is pretty much the only way to buy books or anything unless I want to go to town.

9. Is there one genre or style of book that you will never read?

I think certain types of religious books, like the ‘romance’ ones that have christian morals in them... those aren’t for me. For one they don’t acknowledge my queerness or the possibility of relations outside of cishet ones. For two, they also buy into a sexist dichotomy of gender roles that I’m not down for. 

10. When you come across typos in your reading, does it bother you?

Nah, but I do take note. Most published work only has a few typos and I understand that sometimes we miss them. Now, if the piece of writing is so full of typos that I struggle to get through it, that’s a different story.

Alright now for tagging ten people: @apileofgoodthings11 @littlemaust @colorado-wildflowers @semicolons-and-ellipses @geneticallymodifiednerd @rachelhanke27 @amanda-sleeps-life-away @knitting-teacher93 @nerdymouse @wholesome-gay

Here are the questions

What’s a nickname you have for yourself in your head?

What’s a piece of media that you compulsively love?

Are you a reader? What’s your first memory of reading?

What season is the best and why?

Where would you travel if money (and a pandemic) weren’t an issue?

What are you working on within yourself these days?

Thoughts on stars? Space?

Favorite flower or plant?

Third favorite animal.

What’s a quote that drives you?

Audiobook Oasis

Over the past 6 months, I have discovered the joy and magic of audiobooks. For busy people audio books are a great way to immerse yourself in narrative and language, while moving at the speed your life goes. For most of the summer I nannied my cousins, one of which was born in May of this year. This meant I had no hands, but a lot of time just me and the baby. To stay awake I would listen to audio books while the warm bundle cuddled on my chest. Now, when I get ready for the day, brushing my teeth and making breakfast, I listen to an audio book. I listen to them while in the car. I listen to them while cooking. I listen to them pretty much any time I am alone and unable or not wanting to read a physical book.

To give you an idea of just how much I listen to audiobooks, I have listened to eleven complete books since September 1st. Six of them were young adult books and the other five adult romances and mysteries. I frequently use them as a way to catch up with popular back list titles while I read physical advanced copies to prep for what is coming out next. I’m currently halfway through two others. I don’t really want to know exactly how much time I have spent listening to them; I’m happy to count them as one more book finished.

Lori and I were chatting about moments when audiobooks have even been better alternatives to reading a physical book. We both like to craft, she knitting (obviously), me cross stitching, so audiobooks are great way to stay engaged with a story while focusing on our work. Instead of having to lift our eyes from our project to see a screen, we can just listen to the words, especially when the pattern is complicated. There are also certain books that we might skim instead of read, such as long political books or other such tomes. The acting that goes into the audio version has an engaging quality, making prose interesting when it would be otherwise less compelling on the page.

I’ve actually thought quite a bit about the acting recently. My fiancé and I have started reading to each other before we go to sleep, and I have been surprised by how challenging it can be to anticipate the tone and pace of the sentences in the midst of reading them. Sometimes I have to skim ahead to make sure I am not tripping over my words. Though it probably isn’t news to everyone, I realized that voice actors have to annotate and write vocal blocking in the manuscript before they read. I wondered just how long it takes to record an audiobook and how much work the reader has to put into it outside of the sound booth? Do they have vocal coaches and directors that help them make choices? I began to understand that an audiobook is like a small-scale play, the voice actor doesn’t just open up the book and read from it.

I found out that people, like the director or assistant of the audiobook production, has to reformat and modify the manuscript before giving it to the casted narrator. This is especially important for nonfiction books that may have footnotes, embedded comments, and other odd formatting that needs to be translated to voice. Sometimes pronunciations are researched ahead of time so that the narrator can know from the beginning how to practice the language. Usually, though, any of the pronunciation and other prep work for the characters in the book all rests on the narrator, who then also has to read the entire book out loud. BUT they don’t just read it, they perform it. Those narrators also usually have about three days to do this prep for approximately ten hours of reading. That is usually done in three or four hour and a half sessions per day. It sounds grueling, but when audiobooks are done right, they transport you straight into the world the narrator is describing.

I get the majority of my audio books from the library, which is a great free resource, but not always ideal if I accidentally check out too many at once and don’t finish one in time. (So, really, it is my own fault.) Then I have to get on the wait list again to finish it. This has happened recently with both Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan and With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo. I still haven’t finished either of them and it has been over a month! That being said, KCLS has a fantastic selection with pretty much any book I could want. They use a great app called Libby where you can easily download audiobooks and ebooks to your phone!

My favorite book I’ve listened to ever is probably Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra. It was one of the first five I checked out from the library. I spent a day just laying in bed listening with my eyes closed because I was so immersed into the intensity of the story and the performance of the readers. Next time you come by the store, there will be little bookmarks saying, “Audiobook Recommended” sticking out of the books my co-workers and I have listened to and loved. Libro.fm recently sent them to us, and I am excited to put them to good use!

If you are someone who loves to listen to books more than once, and would love to support your local bookstore, then you should look into getting a Libro.fm account. Libro.fm is a local indie audiobook company that supports independent bookstores while offering subscriptions, sales, and so many other fun giveaway deals. (See how to purchase them through our website here.)

Thank you so much for reading! Please come into the store and let us know what audiobooks you have been listening... I always love recommendations.

—Kelleen