Talk to me about audible? Free trial

[Graphista]

I really want to "get into" audio books being a keen reader in the past but now struggling with eyesight and concentration.

I have a free trial with 2 credits plus apparently podcasts are free?

Where do I start?

I'm torn between not "wasting" the credits and getting books I am already familiar with and love or trying something new.

My favourite authors are

Sue Grafton (rip )
Marian Keyes (prefer her earlier work less enamoured by her newer titles, LOVE the Walsh family)
Jane Austen
Agatha Christie
Sir Arthur Conan doyle
occasionally Charles Dickens
bronte sisters
Kate Atkinson
f Scott Fitzgerald
George Orwell
maya Angelou (also rip ), Jeffrey archer (I know I know but he's fun and spins a good yarn especially like his twist endings),
Ian Fleming
Raymond chandler
Patricia cornwell
Tess geritsen
Kathy reichs
Colin dexter
Pd James
Ruth rendell
Stieg Larsson
John le carre
Elmore Leonard
Val mcdermid
Sara paretsky

I think it's also useful to say I cannot stand

Thomas hardy
Robert Ludlum
John Grisham (love the movies can't abide the books)

Would like to try as think I may like

Stephen king (I love horror movies yet weirdly never read any)
Isaac Asimov
Philip k dick
Georgette heyer (a few people have said they think I'd like her)
Patricia highsmith (as above)

I also like biographies, history (I like where it's looked at with a fresh eye and some wit/humour), and open to trying other genres eg I love Bill Bryson whereas previously I wouldn't have been interested in travel tomes found his so funny and accurate.

So... audible people what do you think?

Also if I keep it after the free trial how does it work?

My humour tends to the observational, sarcastic/irreverent if that helps

Also interested in politics/politicians

I was sceptical about audiobooks but I'm now a convert. I've found them particularly helpful during lockdown as listening to the characters brings them to life more, and it's easier to get lost in the story. My suggestion would be to start with a book that doesn't have too many characters otherwise it's harder to follow. My first was this one which was a brilliant listen.

www.amazon.co.uk/Eleanor-Oliphant-Completely-Bestseller-Paperback/dp/B08T68BHZG/ref=pd_lpo_14_img_0/262-4456113-1776567?psc=1&pf_rd_p=3366510f-1771-44b5-99e2-20c1889506ac&_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_wg=hdIPa&pf_rd_r=R97N6JRHEZRRHAYVKPZS&pd_rd_i=B08T68BHZG&pd_rd_w=hyzBg&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&refRID=R97N6JRHEZRRHAYVKPZS&pd_rd_r=1851969e-6e3d-403c-8df3-9be6e87350e5

I don't know if I'm imagining it but the newer releases are improving. The narrator changes their voice for each character which helps. One tip: always listen to the sample first as I bought a couple from authors that I liked, but the narration put me off so I couldn't listen to it. I tend to choose books that are quite long (over 10 hours of listening) to get my money's worth. My new favourite pass time is walking and listening to my audiobook - combining two of my favourite things.

Good luck!

No experience, Graph, but interested in it. BTW, before you commit money to it, I get audio books from my library, free on Borrowbox app. I listen to them on my phone. I discovered this accidently when I thought I'd downloaded an ebook, but it was audio

Just started and enjoying 6 degrees of assassination which is a drama but is free as is a podcast

Ken follett’s pillars of the earth series is very good audible value at 40 hours a pop

I love Audible .

Sometimes find some good listens in the £3 sale as well (no way I'd use a credit for a £3 listen!).

One of my favourite audiobooks is Marion Keyes - Brightest Star In The Sky, I've read it several times and I have listened to it a few times as well.

Sometimes a book sounds good but the reader isn't so good which is unfortunate.

I think it's £7.99 a month, some months I don't use the credit and let it build up, or sometimes I send my husband an audiobook.

Have a search of the authors you like and then make a decision. Also there are often free books on there, have a look for those while you’re still in the trial.

Afterwards there are two packages available I think. One is £7 a month for one credit, the other one is £14 a month I think for two credits. You can roll over your credits every month but only up to six months, which reminds me I have to go and spend some of mine….

There’s a complete Dickens novels audio book for free on Apple Books, some Orwell is on YouTube, so I would save your audible credits for things that are not already ex copyright!

Stephen King - The Stand

Sorry posted too soon, The Stand is something like 46 hours so great value
The Shining is great too.
Jurassic Park, excellent

I had Audible for a while during lockdown but I just wasnt getting through the books quickly enough. Also as the previous poster mentioned, you feel you have to get an expensive book to make it worhwhile, some are only 99p on Kindle, and although not audio, I couldnt bring myself to get them.
If you want to, you can take a break from the monthly purchase whilst you catch up, and can also get two sometimes on one credit. I decided to cancel and it was very easy and they havent pestered me to rejoin. I now listen to the Sounds app which has novels amongst a whole range of other series to follow. You can search for a subject and find all sorts of interesting things. I especially like garden podcasts and came across Gardeners Corner from Radio Ulster! Very interesting content but I would never have found it without a search. So I can recommend 'Sounds' but Audible is worth a try is you think you'd get value from it.
I

One tip: always listen to the sample first as I bought a couple from authors that I liked, but the narration put me off

Yes I had this issue when I first tried audiobooks years ago, great book ( a favourite so thought I was safe) narration was AWFUL

@SpongeBobJudgeyPants thanks for the tip I'll look into that. The free trial is with new Alexa so I'd like to listen through that if possible can I do that with borrowbox?

How do I know if a book is free?

@BeastOfBODMAS good point not to waste on "free" authors that are out of copyright - but again how would I listen via Alexa? My hearing isn't great these days so phone not loud enough

Jurassic Park - funny story I bought it as a book to read on holiday when the film had just come out. Left it on a train and never got around to replacing but I was enjoying it

Stephen king I keep thinking I would like, good tip to get best value in terms of hours of listening

Weird question - if I fall asleep while listening how easy/hard is it to find your place? Are they broken down into chapters?

Agree with the pp who said download a sample first. Some books i really like but the narrator is annoying

I'm addicted to audible - i have the 2 credit membership but then often end up buying three extra credits for £18

Remember, you can return a book if you get part way through and are really not enjoying it. I've done this with books where I've disliked the narration or just not been able to get into it. You can do returns via the website but not in the app.

You can return books you didn't like and get the credit back, as long as you have an active account you are paying for. YOu keep the books you have paid for if you deactivate the account.
You can't return every book as it's not a library, they expect you to keep most of the books you buy but you can return quite a few.

I love them while doing housework! Don't forget you can return books easily!

I'm a huge convert to audio books. I always say they're invaluable for when my hands are busy but my mind isn't eg cooking, ironing, driving etc.

Definitely check out the pod casts, my recent favourites are;
West Cork
Hysteria
Damned Spot
Ghosthunter
Homeless Bodies and other stories

I can also recommend;
Wuthering Heights narrated by Joanne Froggett
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell - I felt totally transported to Tudor Stratford!

Avoid Great Expectations narrated by Matt Lucas. It sounded like it was aimed at kids, his voices bordered on the Monty Python, I couldn't finish it.

Last year, I listened to the Elly Griffiths series which I loved. Great crime dramas with characters who evolved through the series. Agree with previous posters about walking and listening plus I listen to audio books in the car.
One credit a month is great plus you can buy an extra 3 credits for £18 which I do as an occasional treat.
I never buy anything less than 6 hours listening as then I feel I get value for money. Look out for compilations too. I got a set of 5 books with over 25 hours listening for 1 credit.

I love audible, if you like Arthur Conan Doyle then there are 2 complete Sherlock Holmes for one credit (lots for your money). I have a great earlier version (can't remember the narrator), but Stephen Fry did a newer version.

If you keep the subscription then you can access a lot of free podcasts. You also sometimes get free books. Depending how much you pay, you get one or more credits per month and you can roll them over for a while. If you buy a book and can't get into it/hate the author,then you can return and get you credit back.

I find I listen when cooking or doing stuff around the house.

I didn't realise you could do returns before reading this thread, Matt Lucas butchering Great Expectations has now been sent back!

I downloaded the complete Sherlock Holmes narrated by Stephen Fry for one credit. Tens of hours if you are a Conan Doyle fan

@ProfYaffle

I didn't realise you could do returns before reading this thread, Matt Lucas butchering Great Expectations has now been sent back!

Agreed!

They are broken down into chapters.
You can say Alexa go to chapter 3 or go back 5 minutes, go forward 2 minutes etc if you need to find your place.
If I think I'm going to fall asleep I listen on the app and you can set a sleep timer on there so it's not too far to go back if I fall asleep.

I've been using Scribd, which is a subscription service along the lines of Spotify. You pay a monthly fee (I pay €11) and listen to or read as many books as you like. They don't have as many audio books as Audible but they change up the books quite regularly with new ones coming on and some others being removed, and there is always something that I want to listen too. They have a free week I think if you want to try it first.

I do sometimes use Audible too. There are some audio books that are only available on Audible, so every so often they will send me a special offer like three months at half price and I'll use that to get a few books.

You can pair your phone with Alexa as a Bluetooth speaker so you can use library apps as well. I use a mixture of the library's when they have what I want and then Audible when it doesn't or when I want to listen more than once.