Free Downloadable Audiobooks!

Most of you probably already know that Sno-Isle Libraries off free downloadable audiobooks and ebooks through Overdrive and the 3M Cloud Library. For the third summer in a row, SYNC (run by Overdrive, and sponsored by AudioFile Magazine) is also offering two free audiobook downloads a week, starting today. Each week there will be one contemporary and one classic audio download available.

Free downloads include: Grave Mercy, The False Prince, Rotters, Enchanted, Sold, Jane Eyre, Oliver Twist, Hamlet, and many others.

For the full list, go here!

Listening to Books

A few years ago, one of the Sno-Isle librarians started giving me a hard time about never listening to audiobooks. They're great, she said. You can listen to them in the car, she said. They're a whole new way to appreciate a book, she said. Finally, just to make her stop, I listened to an audiobook and learned that she had been right all along. I now listen to an audiobook almost every day (is that the definition of an addict?)

Sno-Isle offers lots of audiobooks on CD, as well as ones you can download to your iPod or computer or other device. Many of my favorites are teen books and have been winners of awards like the Audies or the Odyssey. I can listen to The Graveyard Book forever--author Neil Gaiman has an amazing voice, so hypnotic that I could barely force myself to get out of my car! Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver series has multiple narrators--it's like listening to a movie or a play and you can't help but create pictures in your head. The Jacky Faber adventures are so compelling that you'll feel like you're right there on a sailing ship with this girl disguised as a boy.

So, have you tried audiobooks? Which ones can you recommend? If you haven't tried listening to a book, don't wait as long as I did--you'll love them!

Download Audiobooks for Free

Did you know you can download audiobooks from the Sno-Isle Library website to listen to on your mp3 player? I absolutely love listening to audiobooks on my iPod when I'm exercising, doing housework, or in my car. It makes what could be a boring task entertaining and even fun. Here are just some of the great titles you can currently request to download from our website:








In addition to audiobooks, you can also download eBooks, videos, and music!

Fantasy Road Trip Contest

from Lorraine, our fabulous teen book buyer:

Listening Library is sponsoring a Fantasy Road Trip Contest for teens. Teens can submit a video featuring a road trip with a character (or characters) from the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray, the Legend of Beka Cooper by Tamora Pierce and Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan.

The three authors will choose three grand prize winners who will receive an 8GB iPod Touch and signed audiobooks!

The trick is...you have to have

• a reference to Florida
• a reference to audiobooks
• a clip of dialogue from the audio you’ve chosen

but Listening Library makes it easy to do this. Check it out:



You must be 13-18, and a legal resident of the USA. Deadline is August 17, 2009. For all the rules, click here.