Where do you learn about great audiobook titles? Find reviews? Buy your audiobooks? Share your secrets with the rest of us!
Discovering great audiobook titles is a lot like discovering great books in print. I rely heavily on word of mouth from my favorite bloggers. Just like printed books, the popular audiobooks generate buzz, and that buzz is usually what piques my interest in adding it to my audiobook wish list. I will do the same for books in print that generate buzz, especially if a publisher approaches me about listening to the audio version of a popular novel. Many of my review audiobook copies came to me because I had heard a lot of positive buzz about a novel that was just released in hardback.
If I am unsure of an audiobook, I will jump onto Audiobook Jukebox and check to see what others have said about a novel. This is a great site that collates all of the audiobook reviews across the web and makes them easily accessible for anyone looking for opinions specifically on audiobooks. The list of audiobooks reviewed increases every single day, so I know that the likelihood of me finding at least one other person who has listened to a book is great. There really is no need to look elsewhere for reviews.
As for buying audiobooks, I may be adverse to Amazon, but I’ll admit to a bit of hypocrisy because I buy my audiobooks solely from Audible. The cost savings from Audible versus iTunes or any other full-priced site is just too great to ignore. Audiobooks are just too darn expensive! Besides, Audible allows me to take my audiobooks with me wherever I am without the hassle of having to download the files to an MP3 player. I share my Audible account with my husband, who uses it for his own commute. The convenience and prices override most of the guilt I feel about catering to Amazon and their evil ways.
What about you? Where do you purchase audiobooks? Is there a site that is just as inexpensive as Audible without ties to the evil giant? How do you find out about great audiobook titles?
Not a problem! I need to find a decent indie that is somewhat close. My last indie was over an hour away from my house – not some place I ever thought about visiting.
That's a great idea. I don't use Amazon for anything else other than Audible, so I guess I shouldn't feel terribly guilty. I need to see if there is a good indie in my new town.
The way Audible works is that it is its own site, so there is no pressure to add to your cart with other things on Amazon. It isn't perfect but that is one thing they got right.
It seems so simple, doesn't it? I would even go with one of the other big box bookstores if they would start offering downloadable and affordable audiobooks.
It's the greatest, isn't it?
I'm with Trish – it's audible for nearly all my audiobooks, then I try to support an indie for print books. I keep forgetting about Audiobook Jukebox. Thanks for reminding me!
My recent post Audiobook Week: Resources and Recommendations
Oh the evils of Amazon/Audible. 😉 I get my audiobooks from audible as well but have been really really trying to support my local indie for paper books to make up for it.
Like you most of my information comes word of mouth, especially on twitter.
My recent post Listen Up – Audiobook Week 2012
I hate to give in to Amazon, too, and have resisted so far. I would also be too tempted to make frequent additional purchases.
My recent post Listen Up! Final day of Audiobook Week 2012 #JIAM
I would love to know if there is a service that is truly comparable to Audible without being part of Amazon.
I adore Audiobook Jukebox too!
My recent post Yackety-yak: The Essentials of Audiobook Reviews