AudiobooksNow Blog

Why Audio Books are Great for Kids

There is a lot of hype around audio books. They are easily accessible and can go everywhere with you. Probably the trickiest part about it is learning how to download an audio book, but even that isn’t too difficult. Because audio books are so readily available they are great for kids and adults alike! So, why are audio books good for kids? Here are a few reasons!

1. They are Convenient
There is no need to carry around multiple, large, clunky books. Simply download audio books and have them with you wherever you go so your child always has books with them. This allows your child to listen to books when they are in the car or doing simple chores around the house.

2. Improve a Child’s Reading Skills
When a child is able to follow along visually while listening to an audio book, they are able to enhance their word recognition ability. This can work to expand their vocabulary and make them a better reader.

3. Children are Able to Read More Difficult Books
Listening to audio books enables your child to delve into deeper, more complicated topics than they can find at their reading level. The exposure to better-quality books will enhance comprehension skills, especially in children who struggle with reading.

4. No Stigma
Children who struggle with reading may be reluctant to read books below their level for fear of being picked on or teased. When children listen to audio books, no one will know what they are listening to, so there is no need to worry about being made fun of!

5. They’re Fun!
When audio books are done well they add a more realistic sense of drama that brings the story to life. When a child is excited about their books they will want to read and listen more, in order to discover more stories and improve their imagination.

Once you discover how to download an audio book the world is at your fingertips. You can enjoy books with your child and enjoy the stories everywhere you go. Audio Books Now has a wide selection of children’s books that will enhance your child’s view of the world and provide them with good-quality books that they will be excited to listen to!

Nothing Can Break Her…”This is Me”, by Chrissy Metz

It must be pretty cathartic to be in a position to write a self-revealing book at the young age of 37 years. Such is the new book, This Is Me, a novel by Chrissy Metz, who is the star performer on the hugely popular tv serial, This Is Us. It has been described as alternating between instructional and autobiographical, and as presented in raw honesty. Through her life lessons, she has learned that both setbacks and successes can be valuable in moving through life.

Chrissy grew up in a large family, but out of nowhere, her father just disappeared one day. Her mother did her best, but they always felt the threat of possible hunger or that their electricity might be turned off. So, when her mother remarried, Chrissy felt excitement and hope that her family’s life would return to some normalcy. However, that hope was short-lived, as her step-father became very mentally, verbally, and physically abusive. He seemed to just hate her body…….he started weighing her at age 14. I always have to wonder where the mother was when things like this happen to step-children. He punched her, shoved her, yanked her wrist, but never hit her face. She said it was as though he was just offended by her body. She also says that the mistreatment by him made her realize that nothing can break her after living through his abuse.

This Is Me is a takeoff on her very successful television show on NBC, This Is Us. Viewers seem to see themselves in her character, Kate Pearson, no matter where they live or what they look like. The character, as well as the entertainer, makes her viewers and readers feel like they are spending time with a friend with whom they can identify with.

Get your digital audio copy today!!!

5 Reasons to Listen to Audiobooks

For book lovers, there aren’t many things that can bring more satisfaction than finally finishing a book. Unfortunately, there isn’t always time to sit down with your favorite book in hand and read for hours on end. As a result, it can take longer to finish a book than it used to. This is where audio books come to the rescue. When you download audio books for free or pay for the latest releases, you get the benefit of finishing a much-beloved book in a condensed amount of time. Here are 5 reasons why you should start listening to audiobooks if you don’t already!

1. Preference
It is common knowledge that reading can be an ineffective way to process information. When you combine reading with listening to an audiobook, you are able to supplement what knowledge you already have with additional information. Combining reading with listening enables you to retain more information.

2. Better Retention
It is common knowledge that reading can be an ineffective way to process information. When you combine reading with listening to an audiobook, you are able to supplement what knowledge you already have with additional information. Combining reading with listening enables you to retain more information.

3. Save Time
Audio books are the perfect way to multitask and make effective use of your time. With audiobooks you are able to listen while you clean the house, fold laundry, make dinner and a multitude of other things that don’t require your complete, undivided attention. Audiobooks are especially effective when you are commuting, to help pass the time.

4. Effective
Some books, or genre of books, are easier to consume via an audiobook than a traditional book. Books that are dry or hard to follow when reading, can be easier to consume when you listen to them via audio. But try to find books that don’t require you to take notes or pay close attention to every last detail, as they can be hard to comprehend without the words to reinforce the audio.

5. Convenient
Audiobooks can be stored on your smartphone, computer or portable audio device. This enables you to listen to them wherever you are—in the car, the gym, the library or school. Due to their portability, it is easy to pick up and continue listening where you left off without having to worry about losing your place.

As you can see, there are many reasons why you should download audio books for free today. With almost every book available as an audiobook, you can find one that fits your taste and peaks your interest. Start listening to audiobooks today and see how often you can lose yourself in your favorite book!

A World Where Many of them Could not Function, and the Rest of the World Had no Idea How to Help Them…”The Great Alone”, by Kristin Hannah

Almost everyone knows at least one person who, as a young individual, either by choice or by draft, had to serve in the Vietnam War. It was a war of many atrocities that left most every soldier with severe repercussions…..from which they are never able to escape. It might be flash backs, nightmares, sensitivity to loud noises, any number of reactions. And those reactions were responsible for the deterioration and collapse of many who served, and in turn, their families suffered also. Author, Kristin Hannah, has captured the emotional roller coaster of one such family in her latest book, The Great Alone.

The novel follows the story of a thirteen year old girl, Leni Allbright, whose father is a Vietnam War veteran, and who has suffered the changes in his personality and demeanor after returning from the conflict. Her Dad, Ernt, was a happy, smiling man who gave everything to his family…….that was before he went to Vietnam. Now, he is angry, disconnected, and just plain crazy at times, and it is only getting worse. When a fellow soldier, who is deceased, leaves him a piece of property in Alaska, Ernt begs his wife, Cora, to move to Alaska. He thinks moving off-grid will be the solution to all of his (what we now know as) PTSD symptoms. She has been the observer, but also the victim of his angry outbursts, so she is willing to try anything to get their old, happy life back. The thing about Alaska is that it can be so beautiful, peaceful, and serene……..or…… unpredictable, unforgiving, and untamed, and for a family in extreme crisis……a true test of survival.

For Leni, things seemed unbelievably calm and much better, at first. But then, as the days became many hours of darkness, so was the mood of her dad. There were many nice and helpful people in the remote community of Kaneq, but there were others who were bad influences on her unstable dad. With the long, dark winter, came the brutal, dangerous Alaska. One for which the Allbright family was not prepared. Their tiny cabin and cluttered property was almost more than they could handle. It really was not the perfect place for any of their family, especially Ernt, who was among the soldiers who gave everything they had to the war, and came back to a world where many of them could not function, and the rest of the world community had no idea how to help them. The Great Alone tells Leni’s story of the burdens she grows up with, her strong emotional ties to her mother, and despite all the battering that life handed her, a tale of love and hope. War has extreme consequences of damage for the suffering families. Kristin Hannah explains all the emotions and consequences in this, her latest book.

Get your digital audio copy today!!!

Desperate Choices are Made Which Will Change the Future of Several…”Accidental Hero’s”, by Danielle Steel

The new best seller by author Danielle Steel, Accidental Heroes, is a sort of compilation of the suspense of the 9-11 tragedy and the landing of the plane on the Hudson River. In this day and age of continual threats, you would think each situation would be taken very seriously. However, when TSA agent, Bernice Adams finds a postcard with a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge with an ominous note written on it, her supervisor just laughs it off. Apparently, that supervisor either had forgotten the horror of previous tragedies, or she was too young to remember them. Bernice took it upon herself to call Homeland Security, who took it very seriously.

Two planes are departing from New York’s JFK airport on a beautiful spring morning, traveling to San Francisco. One is a huge 757, and the other an Airbus A321. Homeland Security is quickly trying to determine who left the warning, and which plane they are on. They are fortunate to have the expertise of veteran Homeland Security officer Ben Waterman.

Ben’s focus turns to the A321 Airbus with Senior Pilot, Helen Smith and her male Co-Pilot, who was showing vocal irritation at being passed over, especially for a woman pilot. He had also been overheard speaking racial slurs. Fortunately, Helen had an off-duty pilot on board. In a novel unlike other novels by Danielle Steel, she combines intense action with emotional stories and intertwined lives. Desperate choices are made which will change the future of several accidental heroes. The mental visuals are plentiful in this book…….such as getting the plane back under control at the last minute, including flying under the Golden Gate Bridge and landing the Airbus in the San Francisco Bay.

Get your digital audio copy today!!

From Where The Force Awakens Ended, to…”The Last Jedi” begins…by Jason Fry

Star Wars fans have been very surprised at their own delight in reading the official adaptation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi by author Jason Fry. With the input from director Rian Johnson, the author expands on the film by including scenes from unused portions of the script and other content. And so begins another threat to the Empire and the galaxy’s freedom by the evil First Order.

The novel has been described as reading like a real book, and much better than the book created from The Force Awakens. It gives the reader the sense of something new, even though you already know the source for most of the story.

The heroes in the story provide a good example by admitting their mistakes, and better yet, learning from them. A great theme for all readers, but especially young readers. All the characters……Snoke, Hux, Luke, Ben Solo, Leia, and Rey…..were captured beautifully and emotionally in the new, untouched scenes crafted by the consulting director.

“Where the action of Star Wars: The Force Awakens ended, Star Wars: The Last Jedi begins, as the battle between light and dark climbs to astonishing new heights”.

Get your digital audio copy today!!!

Reasons to Purchase Best Sellers as Audiobooks

According to Overdrive, one of the country’s biggest providers of eBooks and audiobooks to U.S. public libraries, patrons borrowed 34 percent more audiobooks in 2016 than they did the previous year. In other words, the era of the audiobook is upon us. This article will give you a few reasons why people seek out audiobooks today more than ever.

While experts disagree over which book format is the most popular, what everyone agrees upon is the fact that audiobooks have been on the rise for the past couple of years. These days, you’re as likely to see joggers listening to Walter Isaacson’s biography of Apple founder and visionary Steve Jobs as you would the latest Bruno Mars smash hit.

With so many people constantly on the go, it’s no wonder that best selling audiobooks have grown in popularity. Now that everyone from the biggest spenders to those on a tight budget, who can borrow their audiobooks from the library, can get in on this craze, more and more people will decide to pick up audiobooks and give this format a try.

Three Reasons Why People Buy Their Best Sellers in Audiobook Form

People always want to be in the know: Many people have found themselves in the position of being the only person in their group of friends who haven’t read the latest best seller. You can join in on the conversation by getting best selling audiobooks from AudiobooksNow. In addition, references are often made in the media about the hottest book. Understanding those references can be fun and help you connect with others.

People don’t have time: People want entertainment and they want to be informed. But they have busy lives and don’t have the time to read a 1000-page book or pick up the latest best seller. For these people, audiobooks can act as a great way to indulge their love of reading or their love of stories while driving, cooking, or working out.

People don’t want to stare at a screen for hours on end: Watching hours of “The Walking Dead” or “Atlanta” may seem like a fun way to spend a weekend, but staring at a television or laptop screen for hours and hours has downsides such as eye strain. An audiobook lets you merge entertainment with activities like taking a walk or cleaning your house.

Audiobooks give you the perfect opportunity to stay informed, relevant and entertained without losing precious time. You can do them nearly anywhere, whether you’re out and about or in your home.

A Recipe Made for Complete Chaos…”Red Sparrow”, by Jason Matthews

In such a timely manner, new author Jason Matthews has written an excellent spy novel about the continuing high stakes operations among the power nations. Matthews has been a veteran CIA officer, so his novel is based on personal experiences. Those stories are always the most realistic and the best.

Present day Russia is ruled by blue-eyed, unblinking Vladimir Putin, who has not really changed from his former KGB days in the Soviet Union. Most agencies have essentially just changed names rather than actual change in operation. It has been said…….if you think the cold war is over……think again. It is that startling revelation that makes the novel, Red Sparrow, so intriguing. Matthews assembled a remarkable cast of characters in Dominika Egorova, and Nathaniel Nash. Dominika is a struggling survivor in the post-Soviet intelligence jungle, and Nathaniel is a young CIA officer who handles the USA’s most important Russian mole.

Dominika was ordered to attend the Russian hidden “Sparrow School” located just outside of Moscow. It is there that, many times, unwilling participants are taught the espionage tool of “sexpionage”. Luring vulnerable foreign agents into the trap of personal intimacy has been a Russian espionage tool for years and years. Nathaniel is Dominika’s victim…..all this in the midst of careening out of control action among Russia, Finland, Italy, Greece, and the United States. A recipe made for complete chaos that could eventually lead to many country’s military secrets being compromised, or in death.

Jason Matthews is in a good position to become a major new American author. His first-hand knowledge of espionage, counterintelligence, surveillance, spy recruitment, cyber- warfare, and communications gives him a huge edge among his spy thriller peers. He can remove what is perceived, and without exaggeration, tell a thrilling story of what is lying under the veneer of that perception.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton!

Get your digital audio copy today!!!

What Are Audiobooks?

Once commonly referred to as “talking books,” audiobooks have been around in one form or another since the 1930s. Even though technology has changed considerably since the early days of audiobooks, it’s still an appealing way to enjoy a sizzling best-seller or a timeless classic in a more convenient and engaging way. Here is an explanation for anyone who’s searching for “what is audiobooks?”

What Exactly Are Audiobooks?

Audiobooks are simply voice recordings of text from a published book. They can be verbatim (word-for-word) recordings of a book’s complete text or a short, abridged version of the book. Audiobooks can be listened to on a music device like an mp3 player when in digital form, on a smartphone or tablet, or on a home computer or laptop that’s capable of producing sound. Once primarily available on audio cassettes, today’s audiobooks are often downloaded or streamed by the user.

How Are They Different from E-Books?

The terms “e-book” and “audiobook” are sometimes confused. While both are electronic or digital forms of books, that’s where the similarities end. An e-book is a book that’s meant to be read on the screen of a computer, a mobile device, or a special electronic reader designed specifically for viewing the digital form of a book. Audiobooks are meant to be listened to. Therefore, there’s no visual presentation of text.

Why Purchase Audiobooks?

The most obvious reason to purchase audiobooks is because they are entertaining and informative. The dialog is often read in a way that draws the listener into the story or narrative. Audiobooks also give you the ability to multitask. You can listen to your preferred audiobook while you clean the house, get school work done, or even while sitting against a tree on a warm summer day and taking in the sights around you. Here are some other reasons to use audiobooks:

You’ll get a better feel for the emotions behind the words.
You can finish a book faster since words are generally spoken at a quicker pace.
Comprehension is often easier because of the vocal tone or inflection.
Audiobooks are soothing and a great way to mentally escape from a stressful day.

Now that you have your answer to “what is audiobooks,” explore the affordable club pricing plans available from places like AudiobooksNow for an enjoyable audiobook experience.

Why is Roxy on the Run…”Look for Me”, by Lisa Gardner

In #9 of her series of D. D. Warren detective novels, author Lisa Gardner presents, Look for Me, another in the established series. Gardner also brings back a survivor character from previous novels. Flora Dane is a true survivor from having been abducted at one time for over 400 days. We are never quite sure how a person comes away from such horrific circumstances with all faculties intact. Flora possesses knowledge that only someone who has lived through abduction and captivity can know. She also runs a group for survivors. And, so their investigation begins.

Once D. D. and Flora get rolling, they play off of each other throughout the novel. The storyline is very heart wrenching, but there is still some levity as the two provide humor, snarky comebacks, and their dynamics as they work together. A family of five is brutally gunned down, but one person is missing from the group. Roxy, a 16 year old girl was not found with the rest of the family. That begs the question……is she a victim or a perpetrator? D. D. and Flora find a lot of clues to the personality of Roxy through different essays she has written on her ideas of the perfect family……and what the reality is of the family she was currently with. Why is Roxy on the run? The answer may not be what is expected.

Look for Me is a story of brutality, but also has much to say about the foster care system. According to readers who are Lisa Gardner fans, the book is a well-written, well-paced and cleverly plotted storyline that is told in the voices of the three main characters. Roxy’s thoughts are most thought provoking, as she told many secrets that came from her life as a foster child. Readers were sad, shocked, and angered by the foster home in this story…… a clue in itself.

Get your digital audio copy today!!