Whatcha Listenin' To?

In the car, at the gym, on your laptop-- audiobooks are popping up everywhere! Where is your favorite place to listen to a book? Tell us!

As always I’m curious to learn what audio books people are enjoying these days, so last week I asked library staff and MPL Facebook fans www.facebook.com/missoulapubliclibrary “Whatcha Listenin’ to?” Here are some of the responses I received:

Fire by Kristin Cashore, Read by Xanthe Elbrick

YCD CASHORE or Download via www.montanalibrary2go.org

In a kingdom called the Dells, Fire is the last human-shaped monster, with unimaginable beauty and the ability to control the minds of those around her, but even with these gifts she cannot escape the strife that overcomes her world.

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli, Read by Conor Donovan

Available via partner libraries or Download via www.montanalibrary2go.org

What is stargazer, skateboarder, chess champ, pepperoni pizza eater, older brother, sister hater, best friend, first kisser, science geek, control freak Will Tuppence so afraid of in this great big universe? Jerry Spinelli knows.

Fury by Salman Rushdie, Narrated by the author

BKCD RUSHDIE

Malik Solanka left his wife and son in England and fled to New York where he met beautiful Neela. Tormented by guilt and estranged from the modern world by his "furies," Malik begins a personal quest to overcome his anger.

My Life in France by Julia Child, Read by Flo Salant Greenberg

Available via partner libraries or Download via www.montanalibrary2go.org

Here is the captivating story of Julia Child's years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found her "true calling."

P.S. Read or Listen to three books and earn a free small coffee drink during Winter Reading Club Jan. 15 - March 15 2010.

You Ask, We Answer

Answers to questions you asked about the library...

There's no short way of getting from here to there in Montana. But there's no reason for the trip to be dull. Try an audiobook! They're a great way to pass the time whether you're driving, working in the yard, sewing, or just relaxing your eyes. The library has a lot of audiobooks ready for your listening pleasure. So listen up, here's the scoop:

Missoula Public Library has a great collection of audiobooks on CD for adults, teens, and children. You can find them all in Entertainment Central, in the middle of our upper level. Some of you have asked why we don't label them with genre stickers - mystery, western, Montana - like we do our fiction books. Basically, it comes to space. Audiobook cases are a lot smaller than the average book spine, so there's not much room to fit yet another sticker without covering up the title - which would make browsing pretty much impossible. If you have a particular genre in mind, our staff is happy to help you search it out. Or, if you browse, you might find something unexpected in a new genre!

You've also asked why some titles aren't on cassette. Most publisher no longer offer titles on cassette, or if they do it's cost-prohibitive. We still have many audiocassettes for you to check out, but when one breaks we can't replace it with a cassette any longer.

For those of you interested in trying out some new audio technology - we have downloadable audiobooks that you can transfer to an MP3 player or iPod from any Internet connection. If you don't own a player, we can check one out to you. And new to our collection, we now have Playaway books. These are preloaded players ready for you to plug in a set of headphones and enjoy. Find Playaway titles on our Grab 'n Go shelves the next time you're in the library.

Do you have a question about the library? Comment here or fill out a yellow comment slip the next time you're in the building.