audiobooks

  • Are e-Books Really More Eco-friendly?

    What do cars, dishwashing detergent, and Kindles have in common?  Like nearly every other product and service on the market, they are clamoring to convince you that they are eco-friendly.  They claim to save gas, save trees, reduce carbon emissions, reduce shipping distances, and probably cook you dinner and clean your apartment, too.  As you… Continue reading

  • Great Fantasy Audiobooks for the Road

    Parents everywhere are looking for solutions to their annual summer dilemma…  “How do we find audiobooks that the entire family – adults included – can enjoy for that long car/airplane/boat trip?”  Here are a few suggestions that are guaranteed to entertain:  The Amulet of Samarkand, by Johnathan Stroud Read by Simon Jones CDJ St892A Nathaniel,… Continue reading

  • Best audiobooks for family travel

    You are about to embark on that ever-romanticized ritual, the family road trip.  The bags are packed, the car has a full tank and tires have air.  Now, what about entertainment for the backseat crowd?  Having a selection of audio stories may be key to maintaining a zen-like, peaceful atmosphere in your car while you… Continue reading

  • A Digital Bookmobile? Its on the road!

    I remember when audiobooks were on vinyl! Really! (Shorter books and plays, mostly). Imagine listening to a book on a turntable, and having to flip it every 20 minutes. Imagine a part of the story skipping on a scratch …on a scratch …on a scratch. Sure, vinyl’s cool and all, and I won’t argue that… Continue reading

  • Got Poems?

    April is more than just the month when sun tries to return to the Seattle skies. It’s also National Poetry Month. What does poetry mean to you? For some of us, we recall that haiku writing assignment in elementary school. Then there’s that familiar and famous line from Robert Frost of “Two roads diverged in a wood,… Continue reading

  • Magnolia’s Favorite Audiobooks

    “If I don’t like the [narrator’s] voice, I can’t listen. If I like the voice, I can listen to almost anything!”  — Magnolia Library Patron While there’s nothing like sitting down with a good book and thumbing through the pages, sometimes listening to a book read by a really talented narrator can be an even… Continue reading

  • My iPod, the best present ever!

    Ah, what could be better than young love? How about young gadget love! Libraries are all about transformation and discovery, and we regularly enjoy our patrons’ enthusiasm as they discover new ways of experiencing life and culture. This account of one librarian’s thrilling honeymoon with her new iPod will bring back fond memories for some, and perhaps tempt… Continue reading

  • Thrilling Tales: A Storytime for Adults

    I can remember attending story hour at the Magnolia branch library when I was a kid, just as thousands of children still do each year at libraries all over the city. I’ve never stopped loving stories, but as I grew older they stopped having a storytime for me. So I started one myself, and every other week for the past… Continue reading

  • Getting Started with Downloadable books: NetLibrary

    Welcome the wonderful world of digital books. Watch this video to learn how to use our NetLibrary collection. You’ll be able to download books right to your computer. No waiting in line and better yet, no driving around to get the books you want. As with any new technology, sometimes there can be a few… Continue reading

  • Before Autumn Leaves

    Before autumn leaves, settle down into a bounty of words, sights and sounds that crackle with the color and energy of the season.  Then, take a few moments to take in an eclectic array of books and CDs that’ll bring an extra spark to warm the chill heading up that frosty hill. Let’s start with some… Continue reading

  • Who’s your favorite audio book reader?

    Many of us relinquished the pleasure of listening to stories as part of the process of “growing up.” A couple years ago I realized that I could reclaim that delight, and became hooked on audio books. Now, I can’t imagine riding the bus or walking to work without a good story to listen to. The… Continue reading

  • Staff Favorites: Three novels to take to the beach

    Looking for a good novel to take along on your vacation—or read in your backyard? The Summer edition of Staff Favorites for Adults is hot off the press and available at your branch. The bright green booklet highlights 27 books, fiction and nonfiction, recommended by Library staff. The three novels suggested here are also available… Continue reading

  • Book review: Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood

    I’ve never encountered a detective quite like Phryne (rhymes with “briny”) Fisher before – but now I’m totally smitten. Divinely elegant and stylish, this smart, confident woman turned her back on 1928 aristocracy to live independently in Australia. In one of my favorites, Murder in Montparnasse, Phryne steps in to help her friends Bert and… Continue reading

  • Sissy Spacek does Scout

    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – Audiobook read by Sissy Spacek If you’re like me, you read this book in high school because you had to but don’t remember all the details.  Harper Lee’s great novel is considered a classic for good reason – it’s powerful and gripping and deals with timeless issues… Continue reading

  • Growing Up Small

    A Girl Named Zippy: Growing up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel. This witty memoir about growing up in a small town in the 1970s is quirky, endearing and laugh-out-loud funny.  Although populated with some peculiar characters, this autobiography is not a depressing account of dysfunction. There is something joyful and uplifting, though certainly… Continue reading