# Who actually uses audible?



## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

I've been looking into it, but I'm just not sure. It looks pretty nice, just wanted to get some thoughts on it


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I've been using it for years and I love it. Before I had a Kindle, it was the only way I got to read. Even now, I'd say about half my reading is still books from audible. I spend a lot of time driving and I can't exactly read on my Kindle while doing that. Lol.


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## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

I see, the reason I ask is because I saw this deal posted on another forum, would be a good way to get my husband a cheap kindle  :

Since Amazon dropped the price today on Kindle 2 to $189, I thought it might be a good time to remind anyone who might be on the fence about purchasing one about the $100 discount offer from Audible.com.

*That would drop the price of a Kindle 2 to $89! 
*
For anyone who likes audiobooks, audible.com offers $100 towards the price of a Kindle (or other devices) when you join their AudibleListener® Gold plan for 12 months at $14.95/month.

Audible members receive a monthly credit good for any Audible audiobook, 30% off Audible content purchased without credits, and access to members-only sales, promotions, and free content.

Audible.com is a reputable company, and is owned by Amazon.

Here's a link to further details on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000013251


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I keep looking at the Audible thing myself... but I just don't listen to books on CD.. I prefer reading.
Then I think of the 1.5 hours I spend on the road every day going to and from school...nah.. that's often low music time, or silence for thinking. A book on CD might be too distracting for me to drive with.


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## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> I keep looking at the Audible thing myself... but I just don't listen to books on CD.. I prefer reading.
> Then I think of the 1.5 hours I spend on the road every day going to and from school...nah.. that's often low music time, or silence for thinking. A book on CD might be too distracting for me to drive with.


good point


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## Todd (Dec 16, 2009)

Nope not me....I tried and usually dose off!!


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

That's when I listen to my audiobooks.. In the car. I was driving 70 miles each way for work and my days off were spent going back and forth to the gym where the BRATs did gymnastics. Spending several hours each day in the car, I needed something to do.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I keep audio books on one of my mp3 players and listen on my commute. Sometimes I listen while housecleaning - it just depends on my mood.


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## travelgirl (Sep 22, 2009)

I have a really great local library that has a TON of audiobooks, so I haven't ever felt the need to pay for an audible account.  

I drive about an hour and a half every day on the way to work and back (45 minutes one way), and I never listen to the radio, I always have an audiobook playing.  It helps keep me awake and alert while I'm driving.


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## David Wood (Feb 17, 2009)

I love audible because I love audiobooks, and listen to them when I do things around the house, yardwork, etc... Just make certain your mp3 player is compatible. I've actually had a couple of players that come with an "Audible" folder pre-loaded on it, but are incompatible. Also, if your mp3 player goes bad, be sure to deactivate it from audible, because there's a limit on how many devices can be linked to your account.


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## Prazzie (Oct 25, 2009)

I use Audible.  They often send you special offers, especially during the holidays, to download free audiobooks.  I got "I am Legend" for free and it was a great listen.  They also have surprise sales that pop up while you browse, during which you can buy a book from a list for $4.95.  Also, when you subscribe to Audible, you can choose to subscribe to The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal for free.  This is an hour long audio reading of the day's news.

Getting used to listening to an audiobook requires a bit of a mind-shift.  At first, I struggled to focus and get into it, but now I love listening to audiobooks.  It's all the pleasure of reading, without having to do any of the work yourself.  Haha, I think we must sound like a lazy bunch, too lazy to turn real pages and now too lazy to move our eyes from side to side!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I've never subscribed to Audible, but I have found that audiobooks REALLY help when I have a long drive to make.  Before I go on a driving vacation, I visit the bargain areas of the Borders and B&N bookstores periodically for a couple of month and load up on audiobooks on CD at low prices (less than $10, usually).  They make the time fly when you are driving all day.


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

I subscribed to Audible for a while, but had built up quite a few credits. What I discovered is they have a "Light" account where you don't get any more credits, but for $10/year, you maintain your current account including all accumulated credits. I've almost exhausted the credits I had, so I'm thinking about upgrading it again.

I seem to listen in waves. I'll go through four or five books in a couple months, then I'll go a while before listening again. I spend about an hour or so a day in the car, so it's worked out for me.


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## cmdixon (May 29, 2010)

I have the $10 per year account.  You don't get any credits or "free" books, but you do get them at a discounted rate.  I don't listen to enough books to justify the monthly fee.  I do enjoy listening to them when I'm in the car for long periods of time.

My only problem tends to be with the narrator.  I have to listen to the sample before I buy.  Some narrators just bug me to listen to, so I can't do those.  Weird I know, but it's true.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I got Audilble a year ago and got an iPod Nano with the $100 off deal.  I love listening to audiobooks.  
I can't believe how much I love having a book to listen to when I'm doing housework and traveling.  I 
have a two to two and a half hour commute at least twice a week.  
Try a book or so from your library before you make the committment to see if you'll like it.
deb


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## ayuryogini (Jan 3, 2010)

cmdixon said:


> I have the $10 per year account. You don't get any credits or "free" books, but you do get them at a discounted rate. I don't listen to enough books to justify the monthly fee. I do enjoy listening to them when I'm in the car for long periods of time.
> 
> My only problem tends to be with the narrator. I have to listen to the sample before I buy. Some narrators just bug me to listen to, so I can't do those. Weird I know, but it's true.


I don't think that's weird at all; the narrator can make or break your listening pleasure.
I have audible, and listen to it when I take my dog for a walk, or sometimes on the treadmill.

I wasn't sure if I'd like it, because I never liked being read to, even as a little girl 
(probably why I was desperate to learn to read at age 4). 
But a good narrator can really capture (and hold) your interest.

I've really enjoyed the Outlander series; right now the author's name escapes me, 
but I do remember that it's narrated by Davina Porter. 
That's how good she is, normally I remember author's names as readily as the book title.


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

> They also have surprise sales that pop up while you browse, during which you can buy a book from a list for $4.95


I've used audible for years and I've never had that happen! I wonder why!


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## Lizzarddance (Oct 28, 2008)

Basilius said:


> I subscribed to Audible for a while, but had built up quite a few credits. What I discovered is they have a "Light" account where you don't get any more credits, but for $10/year, you maintain your current account including all accumulated credits. I've almost exhausted the credits I had, so I'm thinking about upgrading it again.
> 
> I seem to listen in waves. I'll go through four or five books in a couple months, then I'll go a while before listening again. I spend about an hour or so a day in the car, so it's worked out for me.


Where is this $10 deal? I was a member 2 years ago but cancelled. I just went to the website and couldn't find anything for $10. I'd like to rejoin again.


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## tamborine (May 16, 2009)

I have an Audible subscription. I mostly listen when I'm commuting (an hour each way). Every so often they have a special, or give you a free credit, or add $10 to your account, which is nice.

Last year I started getting into Scandanavian mysteries, and find it much easier listening to rather than reading them!   I listened to the whole Wallander series, then the Millennium trilogy. But lots are not available for Audible (or Kindle, for that matter). Right now I'm reading the DTB of Jo Nesbo's The Redbreast, because it's not on Kindle or Audible, and I want to read his whole Harry Hole series.


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## cmdixon (May 29, 2010)

Lizzarddance said:


> Where is this $10 deal? I was a member 2 years ago but cancelled. I just went to the website and couldn't find anything for $10. I'd like to rejoin again.


Well I certainly can't find a direct link to it. If I remember correctly, I did one of their "try it for a month free" type deals and then when I cancelled they finally gave me the $9.95 per year option. I just went into my account and here's the details:

Membership Plan Description:
AudibleListener(R) $9.95 a year
Save 30% on all audiobooks and programs.
Enjoy free select audio programs and samples.

I wonder if you call them if you could get signed up for that plan?


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

cmdixon said:


> I wonder if you call them if you could get signed up for that plan?


I think that's how you have to go about it. If I recall, it was offered to me when I called to cancel.


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## David Wood (Feb 17, 2009)

Kindle Gracie said:


> I've used audible for years and I've never had that happen! I wonder why!


They come periodically as an email-only offer. Do you get their emails?


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I have had narrators that I absolutely cannot stand and narrators that I absolutely ADORE. I was listening to a book that I just wasn't that sure about (Sabriel by Garth Nix) It's not really my normal genre and I actually stopped listening to it. After a few days of thinking about it, I went back to the book, not because of the book but because of the narrator (which was Tim Curry by the way.. I love his voice. he can read the phone book and I'd be happy) I really enjoyed the book in the end and wound up buying the other two books in the series.

Davina Porter that does the Outlander series is another favorite of mine. I prefer listening to those books instead of reading them because she's so fantastic. 


For the $10 membership without the credits, you need to call Audible customer service. You used to be able to change it yourself, but it looks like that took that option off.


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## sully5live (Jun 9, 2010)

I like audiobooks for all the above reasons and subscribed to Audible for a while.  I cancelled my subscription because the AudiblePlayer does not have a sleep-timer which meant I fell asleep at night with the audio playing and had no idea where I was in the book next day.  Also, a flat battery on my mobile and a ridiculous sense of disorientation if I woke up during the night.  I contacted Audible customer service about this but they said they had no plans to incorporate a sleep-timer in their application - so I cancelled.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

sully5live said:


> I like audiobooks for all the above reasons and subscribed to Audible for a while. I cancelled my subscription because the AudiblePlayer does not have a sleep-timer which meant I fell asleep at night with the audio playing and had no idea where I was in the book next day. Also, a flat battery on my mobile and a ridiculous sense of disorientation if I woke up during the night. I contacted Audible customer service about this but they said they had no plans to incorporate a sleep-timer in their application - so I cancelled.


That's why I use an iPod or iPhone. I can set the sleep timer when I'm listening at night (I usually set it for 45 minutes)


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## KimberlyinMN (Dec 30, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> I keep looking at the Audible thing myself... but I just don't listen to books on CD.. I prefer reading.
> Then I think of the 1.5 hours I spend on the road every day going to and from school...nah.. that's often low music time, or silence for thinking. A book on CD might be too distracting for me to drive with.


I LOVE listening to books in the car! Love, love, love it! In my previous job, I worked from home but had to go to the office once a month -- about a two hour drive each way. Currently, I drive 45 minutes each way every day. I couldn't have done it without Audible.  Audio books make the drudgery so much nicer.  I don't find the stories distracting, they just make the drive more pleasant.

You can try out an audio book for free from Audible. (And no CDs, that was definitely distracting during my "pre-Audible" days.) 

Just last week I just used the $100 instant rebate to get a Kodak digital camcorder for $50. (I'm not sure why that was part of the instant rebate, but who am I to argue?)


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Scott, I've always been a fan of The Shadow. I have an MP3 CD around here somewhere.

Edit: Sometimes autocorrect on the iPhone really


Spoiler



sucks


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

I've had an Audible account since 2004 -- two books per month or the twenty four per year all at once.   Even though there is a good library system with lots of books on CD here, I much prefer the easy access and immediate availability of the audio files on my iPod and never having to put my name on a waiting list for this or that title.  I don't own a walkman anymore, so listening to CDs would be limited to driving times.  Beaides, the ultimate account comes out to less than $10.00 per book, and that is a good deal.


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## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

I let a coworker know last night about the $100 offer thing and we shall see if this gets her to consider a kindle, or nook, or whatever. She wants one, she just wants to pretend that she's getting something for her daughter.


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## SharonK (May 19, 2010)

My husband and I have been audible members for several years and used it mostly when going to work.  We have their yearly account which makes the books really cheap.  I guess we started this a few years ago when we went on trips and found it was so enjoyable to listen and pass the time.  I used to read a great deal and when we moved to Northern Virginia, what with the traffic, time became very precious.  Somewhere along the way, I totally stopped reading, so audible was a life saver.  Sometimes when I'm in a good book, I'll listen and do housework.  Now I have the Kindle and my husband has a new iPad and is wondering if we should keep the audible account.  The $10 membership sounds like a great idea.    I'll definitely have to check into that.

S.


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## luvshihtzu (Dec 19, 2008)

The $10 lite membership in Audible is not a good deal.  I just canceled mine as the so-called "discounted" prices were way too high.  

It is cheaper to go through the Amazon site and click on the audio version of a book.  That takes you directly to Audible where you get a much bigger discount on the audiobook.  The monthly Audible account has a much better price, but I can get most of my audiobooks from Overdrive for free from my local library.  They are getting books faster than Audible.

One thing that really irks me about Audible is that you have to talk to a live person in order to cancel any of your memberships.


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## brandydandy (Dec 27, 2009)

I did the audible deal. I already had my K2, and used the 100 off for an itouch for myself several months ago. I love audible and audio books. My DH is really into the Stephen King Dark Tower series. I am thinking of getting his own audible subscription.

I don't think you can go wrong with it.


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

I love audible.com. I subscribed a few months ago and got my iPod Touch for $100 off. I also use CDs that I get from the library, but I much prefer my iPod to listen to audible books. I never have to change the CD. Until a few weeks ago I had a 90 minute round trip commute. I listened to an incredible number of books! In the Fall I will have a new job. My commute will be longer, I will actually be on the road less. I am looking forward to getting more "reading" done.


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## Magenta (Jun 6, 2009)

I started using it last December and I really like it.  I don't use it on my kindle though.  I use it on my iPod Touch.  

I will only buy audio books narrated by the author and I tend to go for biography or comedy books.  For general novels, I prefer to read.

So far my favorite audio authors are David Sedaris, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Madeline Albright, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett to name a few.

Try out one book and see if you like it first.


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## p010ne (Jun 8, 2010)

Trying to activate a new iPod nano (have been using an Insignia mp3 player) - I find that Audible says I have exceeded my authorized units/computers! I have had to rebuild a couple computers registered with audible and then upgraded OS (windows7 etc.) so I have an email into audible support to help with my issue! (p.s.: I am _more_ comfortable with microsoft upgrades, but that new IOS 4 upgrade from Apple for my 2nd generation iPod touch was *harrowing*! )  I manually upgraded k2i just fine!


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## luvshihtzu (Dec 19, 2008)

p010ne, 
I have had better luck getting my number of authorized devices or computers changed by phoning Audible customer service.  If you don't have much luck with the email, try the phone route.
Best wishes.


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## p010ne (Jun 8, 2010)

luvshihtzu said:


> p010ne,
> I have had better luck getting my number of authorized devices or computers changed by phoning Audible customer service. If you don't have much luck with the email, try the phone route.


Ok, thanks for the advice!!
p.s. I Love my Ibizans !


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## Prazzie (Oct 25, 2009)

Kindle Gracie said:


> I've used audible for years and I've never had that happen! I wonder why!


It's happened to me twice now. I have an AudibleListener Gold account. This is not an email promotion, it's a bright pink pop-up window that appears while you're browsing Audible.com. It says "Surprise Sale!" and then tells you that you can select an audiobook from a set list and pay only $4.95. They say that the offer is valid until you close your browser, but I find that this isn't true. I once selected a book, added it to my cart and left it there overnight. When I attempted to purchase it the next morning, it had gone up to full price.

Once you click on the pop-up it takes you to this screen:










It appears as though there are 21 titles to choose from. Has anyone else seen this sale?


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I've gotten that popup a couple of times too.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

For those of us who don't want to buy a new Kindle/iPod/what have you, is there a similarly lucrative deal available that doesn't involve shelling out for an expensive device to get the $100 credit?  What's the best deal for Audible if you already own a listening device?


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## Prazzie (Oct 25, 2009)

From the Audible Facebook page: Special Offer from Audible - Get your first 3 months for only $7.49/month and just $14.95/month thereafter. Cancel anytime.

The first time you wish to cancel your Audible account, there is a button you can click. After you've unsubscribed and then renewed your subscription, that button disappears and you have to email them to cancel your account.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Prazzie said:


> From the Audible Facebook page: Special Offer from Audible - Get your first 3 months for only $7.49/month and just $14.95/month thereafter. Cancel anytime.
> 
> The first time you wish to cancel your Audible account, there is a button you can click. After you've unsubscribed and then renewed your subscription, that button disappears and you have to email them to cancel your account.


Id seen that, but till you pointed it out, I hadn't noticed the cancel anytime part. I'd been thinking that $21 off didn't look good compared to $100 off. But since there is no lock-in, I guess from audible's perspective they are comparable.

I'm more likely to wait till someone offers an audible compatible device I think I can't live without, and go for the $100.


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## Prazzie (Oct 25, 2009)

Am I correct in that the $100 offer is only available in the US?  I would've bought a second Kindle, but when I went to the sign-up page, the country was set to USA and couldn't be changed.  I didn't see anything about the offer being limited to US customers only when I skimmed over the terms and conditions, though.


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## Magenta (Jun 6, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> For those of us who don't want to buy a new Kindle/iPod/what have you, is there a similarly lucrative deal available that doesn't involve shelling out for an expensive device to get the $100 credit? What's the best deal for Audible if you already own a listening device?


Audible offers a wide range of download formats. You can even listen via your PC.


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## corkyb (Apr 25, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Id seen that, but till you pointed it out, I hadn't noticed the cancel anytime part. I'd been thinking that $21 off didn't look good compared to $100 off. But since there is no lock-in, I guess from audible's perspective they are comparable.
> 
> I'm more likely to wait till someone offers an audible compatible device I think I can't live without, and go for the $100.


HC,
There are a ton of things you can buy with that offer. I bought a Bose speaker for my ipod.
Paula


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## DailyLunatic (Aug 4, 2009)

MarthaT said:


> I've been looking into it, but I'm just not sure. It looks pretty nice, just wanted to get some thoughts on it


I love Audible. I use it when I drive long distances. If I'm in the car for an hour or less, music is great. If the trip takes longer than an hour I find that I begin to tune out the music and road hypnosis sets in.

I take regular 5-1/2 hour trips with my family to visit my dad. I just plug in the 'ol i-pod and we're all good for at least a trip down and back on one book.

I find I don't use Audible so much around the house. I tend to go with either music or podcasts when puttering about the house doing chores. YMMV.

Sterling
92.5% Pure


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## ReginaLovesHer Kindle (Nov 30, 2009)

I do, I love it.  But I don't load on my Kindle -- I use my iPhone.


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## nerys (Jul 5, 2010)

its not too hard to rip the audible level 4 quality book to MP3

then I can use a player with a sleep timer (absolutely essential)

I love audible they are a great company with great stuff. I miss my old plan. I joined when they first came about and it was $12.95 and you got 2 credits a month (or was it 3) it was a long time ago.

I wish I had kept that account  alas the credits did not accrue you had to use them or lose them.

what happens when you put an audible book on the kindle? does it have some sort of player interface?


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## Prazzie (Oct 25, 2009)

nerys said:


> what happens when you put an audible book on the kindle? does it have some sort of player interface?


On your home page, it will show "Audio" next to the title of your audiobook. When you open it up, it looks like this:










I really like this interface. It's very easy to use. The only problem is when you've been listening for a while and the Kindle goes to sleep, you have to wake it up before you can pause or stop the audiobook.


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## p010ne (Jun 8, 2010)

Not for kindle, but find there is now an app
http://www.audible.com/adbl/store/audibleAir.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes


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## fuschiahedgehog (Feb 23, 2010)

I used to use Audible quite a bit when I worked outside the home.  My commute was 45 minutes each way, and audiobooks were a great way to pass the time and reduce the urge to shoot my fellow commuters.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

p010ne said:


> Not for kindle, but find there is now an app
> http://www.audible.com/adbl/store/audibleAir.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes


Thank you for the link. I love having access to my library on my phone. 
deb


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