FREE/BARGAIN - Audiobooks - 2016

[issybird]

I can't find which books they were now, but I also found books I wanted that cost two credits on Downpour.

It's a shame, really. I'd love to give Downpour more of my business, as the credits are cheaper and there's no DRM. I'd also like to help keep another player in the game.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Audible Daily Deal -- exp 28 Apr @ 11:59pm ET

$3.95 -- A Deadly Grind -- Victoria Hamilton/ Emily Zeller --> 9.6 hrs/ R-3.9 --> mystery

That looked good. From the sample provided, I get the impression that the narrator isn't the best in the world, but I snagged it nonetheless in the expectations that it would be an interesting introduction to a "cozy" series.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Absolutely. Certainly there are higher-priced books that Downpour offers for a single credit; I don't understand what pricing policy would make these require the extra credit. The three I mentioned are from two different publishers, so it doesn't appear to be a publisher-specific issue either.

I had thought of changing Audible to Listener Light after my temporary hold expires and keeping Downpour, but now I think I'd be better off just dropping Downpour. Maybe I'll upgrade my Audible membership instead of downgrading it!

Originally Posted by issybird

I can't find which books they were now, but I also found books I wanted that cost two credits on Downpour.

It's a shame, really. I'd love to give Downpour more of my business, as the credits are cheaper and there's no DRM. I'd also like to help keep another player in the game.

Downpour is doing a pretty good job of shooting themselves in the foot. They have several things in their favor - DRM-free content, lower credit pricing, and the ability to purchase additional credits on demand. Working against them is a catalog only 1/5 the size of Audible's and too many 2-credit books. I fear the negatives will weigh more against them than the positives. Such a shame.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by issybird

I can't find which books they were now, but I also found books I wanted that cost two credits on Downpour.

It's a shame, really. I'd love to give Downpour more of my business, as the credits are cheaper and there's no DRM. I'd also like to help keep another player in the game.

I might buy some extra credits at Downpour before I cancel, since they don't expire for a year. That option to buy additional credits any time is another advantage over Audible.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Downpour is doing a pretty good job of shooting themselves in the foot. They have several things in their favor - DRM-free content, lower credit pricing, and the ability to purchase additional credits on demand. Working against them is a catalog only 1/5 the size of Audible's and too many 2-credit books. I fear the negatives will weigh more against them than the positives. Such a shame.

Downpour is also offering rentals. That could be an advantage, but there again, their app is awful. I've only tried one rental, and their app kept stopping every few chapters, sometimes wouldn't resume at all until I restarted my device (Moto E). It was extremely annoying; I'd paid only $2 for a first rental offer, so I just plodded along with it, but I'd've been very angry to pay full rental price for that kind of erratic listening experience.

Audible's catalog is padded with a lot of Audible Studios books--like all the Kindle First books that they are turning into audiobooks. Most of the time I can find what I want at Downpour, but Audible's price may be better because of Whispersync pricing--so I buy at Audible.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Downpour is also offering rentals. That could be an advantage, but there again, their app is awful. I've only tried one rental, and their app kept stopping every few chapters, sometimes wouldn't resume at all until I restarted my device (Moto E). It was extremely annoying; I'd paid only $2 for a first rental offer, so I just plodded along with it, but I'd've been very angry to pay full rental price for that kind of erratic listening experience.

Audible's catalog is padded with a lot of Audible Studios books--like all the Kindle First books that they are turning into audiobooks. Most of the time I can find what I want at Downpour, but Audible's price may be better because of Whispersync pricing--so I buy at Audible.

I downloaded a couple of free rentals; then never got around to listening to them. It's a feature I'll never use as long as I have libraries at my disposal.

Whispersync pricing is Audible's biggest attraction for me.

[Catlady]

Just happened to come across a nice Whispersync deal: Auntie Mame, by Patrick Dennis, the source of the terrific Rosalind Russell movie and the wonderful Broadway musical, is only $4.49 at Audible after purchase of the Kindle book for $1.99.

Wildly successful when it was first published in 1955, Patrick Dennis' Auntie Mame sold over two million copies and stayed put on the New York Times bestseller list for 112 weeks. It was made into a play, a Broadway as well as a Hollywood musical, and a fabulous movie starring Rosalind Russell. Since then, Mame has taken her rightful place in the pantheon of Great and Important People as the world's most beloved, madcap, devastatingly sophisticated, and glamorous aunt. She is impossible to resist, and this hilarious story of an orphaned ten-year-old boy sent to live with his aunt is as delicious a listen in the twenty-first century as it was in the 1950s.

[tubemonkey]

Kindle Daily Deals (2 titles) -- exp 28 Apr


$3.49 -- If You've Got It, Haunt It -- Rose Pressey/ Tara Ochs --> 7.3 hrs/ R-3.7 --> mystery

If You've Got It, Haunt It --> Haunted Vintage Mysteries (1 of 3)

Whispersync: the Audible book is $3.49, if you own or borrow the Kindle ebook ($1.99)

Cookie Chanel has a passion for fashion - and a murder mystery to solve!

Cookie Chanel has opened her own vintage clothing boutique, It's Vintage, Y'all, in the charming town of Sugar Creek, Georgia. Always on the lookout for stylish second-hand steals, she attends the estate sale of deceased socialite Charlotte Meadows. But she gets a lot more than she bargained for when Charlotte's ghost appears before her - offering fashion advice and begging Cookie to find out who murdered her. As the persistent poltergeist tags along and a possibly psychic pussycat moves into the shop, Cookie sorts through racks of suspects to see who may be hiding some skeletons in the closet. Do a clothing store owner and a disembodied socialite have a ghost of a chance of collaring a killer - or will Cookie's life be the next one hanging by a thread?

$12.99 -- Bell Weather -- Dennis Mahoney/ William Dufris --> 14.7 hrs/ R-3.8 --> fantasy

Whispersync: the Audible book is $12.99, if you own or borrow the Kindle ebook ($2.99)

A thrilling adventure set in a peculiar world, a fantastical 18th century, where a young woman must uncover the secrets of her past while confronting the present dangers of a magical wilderness.

When Tom Orange rescues a mysterious young woman from a flooded river, he senses that their fates will deeply intertwine.

At first she claims to remember nothing, and rumor animates Root - an isolated settlement deep in a strange wilderness. Benjamin Knox, the town doctor, attends to her recovery and learns her name is Molly. As the town inspects its young visitor, she encounters a world teeming with wonders and oddities. She also hears of the Maimers, masked thieves who terrorize the surrounding woods.

As dark forces encircle the town, the truth of Molly's past spills into the present. A desperate voyage. A genius brother. A tragedy she hasn't fully escaped. Molly and Tom must then decide between surviving apart or risking everything together. Dennis Mahoney's Bell Weather is an otherworldly and kinetic story that blends history, fantasy, mystery, and adventure to mesmerizing effect.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Just happened to come across a nice Whispersync deal: Auntie Mame, by Patrick Dennis, the source of the terrific Rosalind Russell movie and the wonderful Broadway musical, is only $4.49 at Audible after purchase of the Kindle book for $1.99.

Thanks - added to misc deals list

[GtrsRGr8]

I'm about to scoop the 'Monkey . . . .

I just got an email from Downpour saying that they have a select group of William Shakespeare audiobooks on sale for $4.95 each.

There appear to be 38 titles. Narrators vary.

So far I haven't seen anything that says when the sale will end.

Find out more at this webpage.

Is anyone suffering from Shakespeare fatigue besides me?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

I'm about to scoop the 'Monkey . . . .

I just got an email from Downpour saying that they have a select group of William Shakespeare audiobooks on sale for $4.95 each.

There appear to be 38 titles. Narrators vary.

So far I haven't seen anything that says when the sale will end.

Find out more at this webpage.

Is anyone suffering from Shakespeare fatigue besides me?

I saw it earlier today, but never got around to posting it. These audios are full cast plays. Personally, I think they should've included 3 plays/ audiobook considering how short they are. Since they didn't, I feel they're priced too high. But that's my opinion.

Here's more info on these plays:


Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up--The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare offers listeners the first-ever audio set of all 38 of William Shakespeare's plays, unabridged and fully-dramatized. Using a cast of almost 400 actors, most of whom trained at the Royal Shakespeare Company, this set offers Shakespeare in a manner that provides the best of both worlds: the convenient mobility of the audio format and classic, dramatic readings by skilled Shakespearean actors that are reminiscent of Sir Laurence Olivier's Shakespearean performances. Sound effects are skillfully layered and add to the intensity of the pieces as they are presented. The quality of these CDs is remarkable. The diction is clear, the emotions are strong, and the sound effects are well-chosen, easily creating the worlds of the plays in listeners minds. The major drawback for school and public libraries is that the entire series must be purchasedâ€"plays are not available on an individual basis. Since most high schools teach only four Shakespearean playsâ€"Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Julietâ€"purchasing this series in its entirety is a major investment that might be better suited to university libraries and drama departments. Public libraries can purchase the entire series for use by college students and adults as well as high school students. Any library that does purchase this exceptionally well-done, impressive masterwork will enjoy it for years to come since Audio Partners has a lifetime replacement policy.--Heather J. Stockwell, Leach Library, Londonderry, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
". . . brilliantly realized by almost four hundred of Britain’s best classical actors." -- Town & Country, April 2004

"Four hundred actors combine their talents as they transform Shakespeare's Elizabethan English into contemporary-sounding plays without altering the original text." -- VOYA, June 2005

"It is an unparalleled opportunity to listen, at one’s pleasure, to any of [Shakespeare’s] works." -- Bookviews.com, May 2003

"It’s a lifetime of great listening. A+" -- Entertainment Weekly, June 4, 2004

"The quality of these CDs is remarkable… easily creating the worlds of the plays in listeners’ minds." -- Heather J. Stockwell, School Library Journal, February 2004

"Thirty-eight unabridged plays with outstanding casts offer a paragon of audio theater." --AudioFile, June/July 2004

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I saw it earlier today, but never got around to posting it. These audios are full cast plays. Personally, I think they should've included 3 plays/ audiobook considering how short they are. Since they didn't, I feel they're priced too high. But that's my opinion.

Here's more info on these plays:


Editorial Reviews

Yes, I too felt like they were overly expensive, even at sale prices, because of their short lengths (and the fact that I think that all of Shakespeare's works are probably in the public domain by now. ha).

So, I didn't scoop you after all, since you had seen the sale earlier and passed on posting it.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Yes, I too felt like they were overly expensive, even at sale prices, because of their short lengths (and the fact that I think that all of Shakespeare's works are probably in the public domain by now. ha).

So, I didn't scoop you after all, since you had seen the sale earlier and passed on posting it.

I still planned on posting it, but got lazy and did something else instead. You did me a favor by posting it yourself, so thanks.


Edit: adding it to the OP
.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I still planned on posting it, but got lazy and did something else instead. You did me a favor by posting it yourself, so thanks.


Edit: adding it to the OP
.

[tubemonkey]

Audible Daily Deal -- exp 29 Apr @ 11:59pm ET

$3.95 -- Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding... -- multiple/ Joe Caron --> 9.1 hrs/ R-4.2 --> psychology

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things

Whispersync: the Audible book is $3.95, if you own or borrow the Kindle ebook ($9.99)

What possesses someone to save every scrap of paper thats ever come into his home? What compulsions drive a woman like Irene, whose hoarding cost her her marriage? Or Ralph, whose imagined uses for castoff items like leaky old buckets almost lost him his house?

Randy Frost and Gail Steketee were the first to study hoarding when they began their work a decade ago; they expected to find a few sufferers but ended up treating hundreds of patients and fielding thousands of calls from the families of others. Now they explore the compulsion through a series of compelling case studies in the vein of Oliver Sacks.

With vivid portraits that show us the traits by which you can identify a hoarder - piles on sofas and beds that make the furniture useless, houses that can be navigated only by following small paths called goat trails, vast piles of paper that the hoarders churn but never discard, even collections of animals and garbage - Frost and Steketee illuminate the pull that possessions exert on all of us.

Whether we're savers, collectors, or compulsive cleaners, very few of us are in fact free of the impulses that drive hoarders to the extremes in which they live. For all of us with complicated relationships to our things, Stuff answers the question of what happens when our stuff starts to own us.