Using laptopFor years I've kept a Word document to rail the many print books I read.  It includes such details every bit title, author, date read, and grade as well as links to my personal reviews.  My honey certificate has grown to 64 pages with hundreds of links.  Information technology's unwieldy and most certainly not a perfect system, but it is overwhelming to even recall nearly changing course at this stage of the game.  Just despite the fact that it remains a fairly reliable listing, it's not a identify for tracking my audiobooks.  Not but would they get lost among my hundreds of print books merely additional tracking for items such as narrator, length, and version is required.

All the same, building a reliable audiobook list has proven to be a personal trial for years with more failures than successes.  I sometimes make an endeavor to track audiobooks through my Audible library but I don't observe it user friendly nor does it include all of my audiobooks.  I've fabricated many a half hearted endeavor to track through iTunes just to experience confused and irritated.  I've tried numerous times to go along track with a Word document (my most proven method from years gone by) only to see each one become ineffectual as I failed to keep it upward.

Concluding fall when we launched our Speaking of Audiobooks Goodreads group, I started edifice a personal Goodreads audiobook shelf.  I take approximately three-fourths of my audiobooks sitting on my shelf and I'm now slowly adding my thoughts or reviews on each book.  It's quite fulfilling since my Goodreads friends see my comments and grades (and I in plow come across theirs) and we have the ability to chat well-nigh each book if we so desire.  I can vent about a book and take an immediate audience or I can rave and do the same.  It is a wonderful surround for a people-oriented talkative person like me and I'm not giving it up.  However, if I use it for tracking my audiobooks, it in one case over again relies on me .  I must remember to update.

Since the gift of my showtime iPod five years ago, I've unwillingly learned well-nigh iTunes.  More than than annihilation, I've seen it as a necessary evil to be endured for iPod audiobook listening rather than seeing it every bit some sort of wonderful cataloging system.  Only lately my attitude towards iTunes has gradually changed for the meliorate as a patient, computer savvy friend who understands the software has taken the time to teach me the basics.  I keep all my audiobooks in a playlist in my Music folder and am really quite pleased with the setup, although part of me however winces at the thought that iTunes may be my most reliable source for complete audio tracking. If I will just take the time to learn even more.

goodreads_bookmark_front Fortuitously, last calendar week Vic started a thread at our Speaking of Audiobooks Goodreads group named Tagging Quirks.  The thread is long and involved, but always so useful for those of us who want to utilize iTunes as our cataloguing system and do it with great detail and flair. Tagging Quirks starts with some rather complicated details and moves on to a number of convenient suggestions.  Vic, a software engineer, explains tracking and categorization throughout the thread in a more than technical fashion just one I appreciated almost immediately.

"Substantially, well-nigh of our digital audio files have a metadata container embedded in them. This container allows us to tag the audio files with data such as artist, title, genre, composer, etc….You'll have more/different tagging options available depending on what software you utilise to organize your sound books. iTunes adds a bunch of unlike tags that it tracks in the iTunes database…"

Although I'k not ane to quickly choice up on all that Vic's statements imply, I was startled to realize that I too was starting to really understand iTunes.  The advantages of additional tagging called out to me.  How many times had I wanted to know if I had listened to a particular narrator previously or the order of a series?  I recognized the fact that the more details I add through tagging, the more information I have at my fingertips.

Brenda also shared with the states some tidbits on how she utilizes iTunes as well equally her format of pick:

"I use iTunes to go on all my audiobooks organized. I honey the fact that I can proper name and number fifty-fifty my Audible book collection to whatsoever I choose with iTunes. I enjoy series of books and desire them numbered in order etc."

"Although Audible is at present my principal source of audiobooks I prefer to go on all CD or MP3CD audiobooks in MP3 format. Ii main reasons:

I desire to be able to put my audiobooks on any player I choose. MP3 format allows me to do that. I use an iPod the majority of the time merely I ever accept at least one other type of MP3 player (right now a Sansa Clip+) on hand.

I want to be able to use an MP3 Splitter/Joiner program to join the multiple tracks from sound CD's or multiple chapters from MP3CD'southward into 1 tidy volume file, like the Audible books come."

This represents just a minor portion of information available in the Tagging Quirks thread.   If yous're looking for an effective method of tracking or group your audiobooks, I suggest that y'all take a look.

And then what is my plan at present?  I'll all the same keep up with the occasional Give-and-take list since it provides me with a comfortable difficult copy.  I'll continue with Goodreads because I beloved the social aspect.  But iTunes is the vehicle that drives all of my sound listening and therefore (I'll finally acknowledge it) the well-nigh reliable.  It wins as my first and foremost listing of choice.

Marrying Daisy Bellamy Recent Listens

Marrying Daisy Bellamy – Susan Wiggs

Review  past Melinda

Narrated by Joyce Edible bean

Daisy Bellamy has 3 men in her life: her young son Charlie, product of a teen indiscretion; Logan, Charlie's begetter; and Julian, a summer friendship that turned into love over fourth dimension. To say her life as a young, single mother is complicated would be a generous understatement.  Living in the same modest town, Logan and Daisy share child-raising duties while Julian is in the Air Force Academy's officer schoolhouse. Both men are in love with Daisy but she just has eyes for Julian although she senses it'due south a human relationship that tin can never exist. He asks her to marry him when he returns on go out but Julian's helicopter goes downwards in Southward America and Daisy is left with a broken heart and the need to proceed with her life for her son's sake.

I hadn't read Susan Wiggs before, but narrator Joyce Bean is a seasoned star in romance audiobooks. Her warm commitment and distinctive grapheme voices make Wiggs' prose smooth. Daisy's life is filled with family and friends – this is the 8th book in the Lakeshore Chronicles and all of them are filled with Bellamys!  The story is touching and center-wrenching and sometimes frustrating as Daisy tries to brand a life for herself and Charlie. After a few mediocre audiobook experiences in a row for me, I truly appreciate Edible bean's professionalism – spot-on, never over the pinnacle. I highly recommend and program to heed to the balance of the serial also.

Dreaming of You – Lisa Kleypas

Review past Brenda

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

Never having read this Kleypas favorite, I came into information technology with open ears and high expectations.  It's a romance built around a self made homo who had been born in the gutter, literally, and a country born miss with a hunger for facts and an understanding middle – a heart that sees the adept in all people no matter their circumstances. Derek Craven is a unique hero, as is this story, which centers on a gaming club and the lower classes instead of the aristocracy. Rosalyn Landor is in one case again spot on with her first-class overall narration abilities, including her voice for Sara to which she adds a lovely lilt for both her and both her parents. For those who have had a hard time with Landor'southward voicing of beloved heroes in the past, Dreaming of Yous is non going to be the longed for breakout performance in that area. What I wanted to hear (and should have heard) with Derek'due south voice was a robust, lusty man in his prime, ane that could seduce whatsoever woman he chose.  What I heard was a fusty, humorless erstwhile human in a bad mood. There were so many lines that should take melted my heart, peculiarly towards the end, but they just didn't work in this fogeyish voice. I understand that many won't concord with this stance and I'one thousand genuinely happy for y'all. But if Landor's heroes oasis't worked for you yet, be prepared for another disappointment. I, for 1, will be reading this fabled book, when the hero's vocalism has long faded from memory allowing me to create the real Derek in my caput – the one I've heard so much about.

Mini Reviews – All in One Place

Nosotros at present accept a listing of all our Mini Reviews from our Speaking of Audiobooks columns over at our Goodreads group.  Nosotros'll add the latest reviews after each column.  You lot don't have to be a Goodreads member to view this list then cheque information technology out.  Thanks to Kelli and Vic for copying these reviews over to Goodreads for the states.

Time for Your Thoughts

How do you track your audiobooks?

Do yous notice yourself manually tracking your audiobooks although you accept software to do the task?

Do you tag your audiobooks?

What programs have yous found convenient if yous don't use iTunes?

Do yous take an update on your 2011 Listening Challenge ?  If y'all take posted an update elsewhere, will you delight share your update here every bit well?

Have you recently decided to join our 2011 Listening Challenge ?

And as always, do you take whatsoever recent audiobook successes or failures to share with united states of america?

Catastrophe Notes

If you lot're because joining our 2011 Listening Challenge , nosotros have a quick start up guide for you.  It'due south not besides late.

Our Speaking of Audiobooks Goodreads group keeps growing and we now take 50 members.  Come sign up and share your audiobook shelf with us.

I'k announcing new romance audiobook releases and other audio tidbits on Twitter – look for LeaAAR.

For those new to our Speaking of Audiobooks column, be sure to check out our audio archives for further recommendations and discussions.

I'll be dorsum after this month when nosotros talk virtually March releases.

Relish your listening!

– Lea Hensley

AAR Admin