audiobooks

  • No Wait? No Way! Always Available Digital Collections

    No Wait? No Way! Always Available Digital Collections

    One of the library’s best kept secrets is our collection of always available digital books and audiobooks. They can be checked out simultaneously, and checkouts are unlimited. Perfect for book groups or reconnecting with a personal favorite, these collections provide 24/7 access to timeless classics alongside brand new releases. The library just added “Mysteries and Thrillers… Continue reading

  • Audie Award Finalists 2025

    I’ve recently started listening to audiobooks and realized it can be hard to know where to start. The narrator makes a big difference in my enjoyment of the book, and luckily, the Audie Awards bring together the best in book listening with their annual awards. With a variety of genres and categories, from mystery and… Continue reading

  • Audiobooks, Crafting, and Getting Through Winter

    Three things I have said in the past…  I hate winter. I am not an audiobook person. I don’t have a crafting hobby. This year, I’m working on making all three of those statements untrue. I am embracing the slow, careful darkness of winter by listening to long audiobooks and learning to cross stitch. I… Continue reading

  • Take a walk with MLK Jr. this Monday

    Take a walk with MLK Jr. this Monday

    Last year around this time, as folks surfing wave after pandemic wave faced a difficult decision of whether to gather together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we suggested for those staying home a streamable festival of films about MLK and the fight for Civil Rights. Now that more of us are feeling comfortable out… Continue reading

  • New Picture Book Format Allows Children to Read Along

    New Picture Book Format Allows Children to Read Along

    Our children’s picture book kits have long been a popular way to listen to a book while you read it, but CD players are getting harder to come by for many families. We are excited to introduce a new format, the Read-Along, into our children’s kits collection. These are hardback picture books with an attached… Continue reading

  • 2022 Finalists for Best Audiobooks

    This year’s Audie Awards gala – yep, still virtual – is scheduled for March 4: here’s a list of the nominees. (Well, the nominees that we’re able to get in libraries; some productions are unavailable for library distribution; find the full list here. So who’s in the running? Everybody who’s anybody, including such seasoned narrators… Continue reading

  • New to Always Available Audio

    The library has added more than 40 new audiobooks to our collection of Always Available titles. We’ve highlighted some below, but be sure to check out the latest additions to the collection! Nonfiction.In 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think, Brianna Wiest presents short but provocative essays that guide readers towards seeking wisdom… Continue reading

  • 2021 Audiobook Awards: And the Winners Are…

    2021 Audiobook Awards: And the Winners Are…

    This month saw two major audiobook awards: the Grammys and the Audies. We have a full list of nominees and winners in our catalog, here, but here are at least some of the audiobooks that went home holding trophies this month. The winner of this year’s Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album… Continue reading

  • Catalog magic: finding new authors via additional contributors

    At the library, we are always excited to help you find new authors to explore, although our current ability to hang out and talk books is limited by pandemic closures. Fortunately, our catalog has some neat ways to help you slide from one author you like to another, and today I’d like to highlight the… Continue reading

  • Listen to these Indigenous voices

    The publishing world – and audiobook publishing in particular – is growing more diverse, and there are now many recorded books both created and voiced by Indigenous, First Nations and American Indian authors and narrators. Here are some outstanding listens for you to try: Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message, read by Chief… Continue reading

  • We Got Your Ears Covered

    Two “Always Available” Overdrive digital nonfiction audiobooks and one with plenty of copies! For me, audiobooks fall into two categories: “Books I Meant to Read” and “Books to Listen to while Gripped by Insomnia.” Right now, that second category has taken prominence. I’m primarily a nonfiction book reader, so when I lie down for the… Continue reading

  • Speculative Short Stories to Read or Listen to Online

    Friday the 13th of March was a dynamic scene at the Central Library, with patrons queuing for help to find good books to read during the library’s closure, and the DVD aisles packed with browsers. I miss assisting patrons in person in finding a great story to read or watch – though do visit my… Continue reading

  • Stay Home, Stay Healthy. Stay Sane with the Library.

    Stay Home, Stay Healthy. Stay Sane with the Library.

    March 13th, 2020 was notable for two reasons. One, it was Friday the 13th, but hardly anyone at the Seattle Public Library noticed for the second reason: it was the last day we were open before closing our doors for a month because of COVID-19. It was a frantic and stressful day full of uncertainty… Continue reading

  • Best Audiobooks of the Year: The 2020 Audies Award nominees!

    Each year, the Audio Publishers Association recognizes the best audiobooks of the prior year at the Audie Awards. The awards ceremony is a big fancy to-do: here’s video of last year’s awards,  and here is a spreadsheet of previous awards. This year’s Audies gala will happen on March 2 in New York City, but the… Continue reading

  • Audiobooks Voiced by Your Favorite Seattle Actors

    It has probably happened to you. You suddenly sense that the performer you’re enjoying live on stage sounds hauntingly familiar. What you may not have realized is that theirs was the voice reading into your airpods on that morning’s commute. Here’s just a small sampling of local talent on audio. One of Those Malibu Nights,… Continue reading

  • The Best Audiobooks of the Year: 2019 Audie Awards

    The Best Audiobooks of the Year: 2019 Audie Awards

    This Monday was the 24th annual Audie Awards. Presented annually by the Audio Publisher’s Association, the Audies recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. These awards reflect not just excellence in writing, but all the work that goes into making a truly great listening experience, from direction to narration to production. For guaranteed worthwhile… Continue reading

  • For Your Listening Pleasure: Always Available Audiobooks

    Are you looking for a digital audiobook to listen to while you’re waiting for Becoming to become available? Are you dreading the Seattle Squeeze and wondering how you’ll pass the time on those long commutes? We’ve got a solution for you. Fifty of them, actually. The Seattle Public Library is happy to provide 50 Always Available… Continue reading

  • Audiobook Narrator Spotlight: Robin Miles

    Actor, audiobook director and performer Robin Miles has narrated hundreds of audiobooks. Miles has the ability to convincingly recreate a huge range of speech patterns and accents, conveying more about a character than comes across through their words alone. After an experience narrating the horror book The Good House by Tananarive Due, she realized she… Continue reading