Lethal White was the first Cormoran Strike novel for which I did not buy the jewel case audio CD set. I may eventually get it if I see one at a library sale just to complete my Rowling audio collection for the bookshelf but my family has been won over by the offers on Amazon’s Audible on price points and convenience. It was fun listening to Lethal White (and Rosmersholm) on endless repeat for the better part of a month when my Muggle job allowed me to do that.
Last week I spent two monthly credits to buy the Career of Evil and Prisoner of Azkaban audio editions on Audible because we couldn’t get the CDs we already owned to transfer to my son’s iPod (Yes, I’ll be doing another post for Career and Prisoner just like the one I did for Lethal White and Goblet). Audible was so pleased that I bought two books in one month that they sent me a $5 gift certificate to use at their site. I searched their ‘Best Books for Under $10’ file and purchased Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility for $4.86.
But I was curious. How much could I download from Audible for free? It turns out the answer is quite a lot — and if you’re willing to spend $1 for whole sets of books and plays, you’ll be listening to fun books and interviews with authors you like in free time you might otherwise spend driving or walking the dog along with your free thoughts. Join me after the jump if you’re interested in seeing how I found the ‘Free Page’ at Audible, and, no, I’m not getting a kick back if you sign up for Amazon’s audio book outlet.
To get to the Free Page, go to Amazon’s Advanced Search page for books, and under “Format” select “Audible Audio Edition,” and under “Sort Results By” select “Price: Low to High.”
You get twenty six pages of free audiobooks and interviews for your downloading and listening pleasure.
A few that jumped out at me as a Potter Pundit and Serious Striker?
There’s Stepping into the Wizarding World, which, even if it got a ‘Don’t Waste your Time!’ one star review, at least is people talking about Harry Potter. But you should catch up on the ‘Reading, Writing, Rowling’ podcasts if you want free talk in that direction…
I was more excited by the conversations with two crime writers in the UK with whom Rowling is friendly. You can download the Val McDermid Interview or an Ian Rankin Interview and hear the mystery masters that Rowling knows and at least publicly admires. Having read the complete Ian Rankin last year, I’m really looking forward to that.
I’m also keen to listen to this guide before my next trip to the UK, one hopes it will be to defend my PhD thesis:
Master British English with Learn British English – Word Power 101. This audiobook is a completely new way to learn British English vocabulary fast – and for free! Start speaking British English in minutes with the powerful learning methods you will master in this book.
The vocabulary words you’ll find in Learn British English – Word Power 101 were hand selected by our British English language teachers as the top 101 most frequently used words in the British English language. Follow along with the the complimentary downloadable PDF, where you’ll see the word and a vibrant image to help remember the meaning. Hear the word to master the pronunciation. Then you’ll see how the word is actually used in everyday speech with sample sentences and phrases. Learning British English vocabulary has never been easier!
In this audiobook you’ll get:
- 101 of the most frequently used British English vocabulary words
- Audio with authentic native British English pronunciation
- Vibrant photos and images to help memorization (PDF downloaded postpurchase)
- Useful and practical sample sentences and phrases
Purchase Learn British English – Word Power 101 today to start mastering British English vocabulary in the fastest, easiest and most fun way possible!
What do you think the top 101 ‘British English’ words are? The ‘American English’ words? Do I have to pay Audible to find out the ones we use in the US?
Starting at Page 27, the list goes to ‘Not Free But Less than a Dollar’ and some remarkable finds — Complete Novels of Mark Twain, Complete Oz Novels, etc. And ‘Ten Halloween Mysteries to Read Before You Die’!
Oh, no! There is a Complete Novels of Jane Austen for $.82… I could have saved $4 of my $5 coupon and picked by Baum and Clemens in addition to Jane. I trust you will be a smarter shopper with your funny money than I have been.
I can’t vouch for the quality of any of these Audible recordings or the fidelity of the readings to the actual texts. I suspect, too, there are websites that offer audiobook recordings for free for all the classics or ‘Greats.’ This is a just a heads up about a neat find I made on Audible. Caveat Audiens! Let me know if you find any treasures… so long as they’re free or doggone close to it.
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