How to Choose A GOOD Audiobook!
If you do a lot of driving or have a good commute on mass transit, one way make the time go faster is to listen to a good audiobook. Since moving to the deep South, I do a LOT, LOT, LOT of driving. Like...A LOT. So I've really gotten into listening to a good book and I now have a few tips on how to find a GOOD audiobook.
I first started out with a subscription to Audible because their audiobooks ain't cheap. With the subscription, I get a credit for new books once a month and I get discounted rates on other books I might want to buy. The subscription costs me $14.95 per month so I'm really picky about what I use the credit on. If I find a book that costs less than $14.95, I pay for it and save my credit for something new and awesome that I'm not likely to find on Overdrive anytime soon.
I've told yall about Overdrive before so if you're still not using it...I'm still side-eying you because seriously????? It's the best thing ever.
Overdrive is an app that links you up with your library so you can check out eBooks and audiobooks. If you change your checkout time, you can check a book out for 21 days. I listen to audiobooks when I'm doing something else with my hands like working in the yard, a DIY project, folding clothes, cleaning, driving, etc. I hardly ever lose a book before I finish it.
So I've been doing this for a while now and I have a favorite narrator. His name is Simon Vance and I like that he doesn't lend his voice to just any old book. It's got to be GOOD...so I go over to Overdrive and type in his name to search for his books and then I use the search features to find books narrated by him which are available to check out now. Then I peruse them and pick out something I'd like. I love comedy, drama and suspense so right away I get to cross some of the titles off the list.
Types of narrators I DON'T like? I don't like narrators who do too much with the "voices" of people in the South sounding like Whitley Gilbert. Some narrators are really good in that they might assign that "tone" to one character for emphasis but the bad ones read the entire narrative in that voice. Nothing ruins an audiobook quicker for me. ESPECIALLY if they are narrating a book with Black characters from the South. They just do the most with that twang.
Another narrator I really like is, Janina Edwards. Her voice is sooooooooo lovely and she is a true performer and helps keep your attention. I fell in love with her voice in Ade'. I hope she gets to do more stuff that I'd like to read because her voice is amazing.
So...basically my system is, research for a good book or get recommendations from friends, search Overdrive to see if it is available or will be available soon. If it's a new book, I go ahead and get it on Audible because I already know it won't be on Overdrive anytime soon. I try to keep at least two credits in my account at all times for newly released books by authors I've been waiting on like George R. R. Martin (DROP IT ALREADY BRUH!!!!!!!). His audiobook will be probably $40 when it first drops so that is definitely credit worthy!
Do you do audiobooks? If not...why not?