I don’t read a ton, but I read a fair amount. These days half the books I read are holding a paperback and turning pages and the other half is hitting play and listening.
That’s right … I’m an audiobook mama!
I listen on the regular. Sometimes as I fall asleep. Often in the car (with this handy AUX cord). While I do chores. That’s the nice thing about audiobooks, you can multi-task and make monotonous things like driving waaaaay more fun.
Flying through audiobooks can get expensive if you’re buying and downloading them or subscribing to a service. So, I thought I’d share how I listen to audiobooks FOR FREE.
Here’s how …
- Join your local library
- Download the OverDrive app on your phone
- Login with your library card information
- Search the audiobook you want to listen to and either immediately download or put it on hold for when it comes available
- Have your free audiobook conveniently saved on your phone in the OverDrive app for easy listening
Through “My Account” in OverDrive you can see what audiobooks you have out on loan (that’s also where you download and add them to you “Bookshelf”), manage holds, and grow your audiobook wish list.
Right now I have Bel Canto by Ann Patchett and The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes checked out and I’m waiting for my turn on Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan, Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes, Fervent by Priscilla Shirer, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, and The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell. When an audiobook hold becomes available I get an email prompting me to download it and start listening!
As you might sense, my audiobook philosophy is to always have a book in line. I don’t always finish them within the 21 days rental time, but it’s pretty simple to re-check an audiobook if one expires. Oh, and OverDrive has the option for ebooks too! Personally though, I can’t handle reading books on my phone; I save that for my Nook. Reading that much text on my phone is just too tiny!
If you have any questions about listening to audiobooks for free, just ask! And if you have a book that you’ve particularly loved on audio, let me know! My favorite as of late was The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant.
A word of caution for fellow audiobook mamas … listening in the car and/or pushing to home speakers can be tricky if you’re listening to more adult novels. I’ve been burned a few times with inquiring little minds in regard to topics and language so for the most part I try to choose historical fiction and self-help types when it comes to audio options. At least with those I can fumble through an age appropriate answer!