The first free audiobook is The Amulet of Samarkand ($7.09 Kindle, $20.95 Audible), by Jonathan Stroud, narrated by Simon Jones. I can highly recommend this one, at least in ebook form (and what I've listened to of the audiobook so far); I received a review copy from the publisher and quickly grabbed the second in the series at B&N when it was on sale a few days ago. Yes, it says it is for grade 5 and up, but if you liked Harry Potter at all, you'll like this one (I thought it was considerably better written and not as childish in writing style, even though meant for the same age group). Also like the Harry Potter series, each novel is quite long - this one is 468 pages in print.Book Description
Nathaniel is a magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.
Grade Level: 5 and up
The abridged edition of Tales from the Arabian Nights ($11.95 Audible), by Andrew Lang, narrated by Toby Stephens, is the second selection. There are several Kindle editions, ranging from free to a few dollars, for those that like to read along with the audio.Book Description
To save herself from certain death, the beautiful Scheherazade must beguile a Persian sultan with her enchanting stories. In two of her most well-known tales, Aladdin and Ali Baba’s cleverness and quick-thinking save the day—and a great treasure. Andrew Lang’s masterful version of these ancient Middle Eastern folk tales will captivate listeners of all ages, just as they did when Scheherazade was the storyteller.
Click HERE to get the free downloads (you'll need to enter your name and an email address. You'll end up clicking about three pages (for each book), before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up; there is a link at Sync, if you don't already have Overdrive installed).
Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started). Make sure your audiobook is fully downloaded before the end of the week, as once the promo period is over, you won't be able to get them free.
You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date). Two new titles each Thursday!
