How to get audiobooks without supporting J**f B***s
I am about to put you on.
We are closing in on the end of Get Caught Reading Month and so far The Husk has featured authors and illustrators Kelsey Dela Cruz, Saidee Ulloa Garcia and Frank Candaso Jr.
We’ve learned about Bookstagrammers @talking.story (who is from Guåhan!), @thisislanderreads(who is from Fiji and Yap!) and @telbong (who is from Belau!). 1
If you’ve finished your #PasifikaReadathonChallenge TBR pile and you’re looking for more things to read or maybe you’d like to check out audiobooks and ebooks and don’t want to fund Jeff Bezos’ lifestyle via an Audible subscription, may I suggest using your library card and the Libby App.
For those of us on Guam, or for folks in the states whose libraries don’t have an extensive collection of ebooks and audiobooks, you can get an out-of-state library card from Orange County in Florida or the Queens Public Library in New York.
I have both. I recommend the Orange County card because it has a greater selection of books.
It will cost $125 for a year. I know, a bit steep. But! If you’re an avid reader and audiobook consumer then I think it’s worth the money. If you live in the states then you can get a free card and see if your library has a selection of ebooks on the Libby app.
The Orange County library also has an extensive collection of magazines available for their patrons to “check out” and view online. I have borrowed and read more books and magazines during the last year than the last five years probably, thanks to the Libby App. This seems like a sponsored post but I promise it’s not.
Libby is also offering library card holders access to albums, concerts and courses.
If you wanted to watch and listen to Beyoncé’s 2004 live performance at Wembley, that is available to you through Libby.
One downside is that I haven’t seen any Pasifika authors on the electronic shelves of those libraries. But I think it’s still worth it. Audible has audiobooks that are exclusive to that platform so that is another downfall, maybe. Although I don’t feel like I’m missing anything by not having an Audible subscription.
I used to think audiobooks were not really for me but I tried it last year and I was wrong. I am exactly the kind of human who likes to be gently forcefed literature through my ears while I do other things.
Right now I’m listening to “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle. I just finished looking through the May 2021 National Geographic Magazine. I am also reading a cozy mystery by Cleo Coyle.2
My favorite audiobook I’ve listened to so far is Retta’s memoir, “So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know.” It is obvious to me from her reading, that she really put 100% into the audiobook.
If you know of another way to get audiobooks or ebooks please let me know and I will be happy to share with The Husk subscribers.
So, since we are into reading, maybe you want to read more of my writing. Although at this point it’s a lot. Right? Like I can’t shut up.3 Anyway, I will be writing weekly columns for the Pacific Daily News’ lifestyle section. My first piece is live, you can find it here. For everyone who read it and sent feedback, I really appreciate it.
In case you missed it, I also started a Little Free Library. It is at the Harmon Hemlani’s Apartment right now and this Wednesday I will have an update on that.
Thank you very much for reading. Write to you again soon.
Cheers,
Jasmine
Another bookstagrammer will be featured this Friday!
I would not have known that I liked cozy mysteries if not for the Libby app. Because borrowing books are low stakes, compared to buying books retail price, I am indiscriminate with what books I check out. So I basically always judge a book by its cover.
Um, I guess that’s why my Finsta handle is Jasmine Ad Nauseam.