Sunday 14 August 2011

Sunday August 14, 2011 Play Away with Playaways

I’ve never been shy about sharing my love of audiobooks and I have a particular love of Playaways. Playaways are portable audiobooks; all you need is a battery and a set of headphones. In my opinion, the best thing is that there’s no disc to be scratched, so you’re guaranteed to get to listen to the whole story.

What can you do with a Playaway? You can listen to a book while weeding the garden, doing the dishes, taking a walk or run, or just relaxing. Any time you would use a portable CD player, radio, or MP3 player you can use one of these devices. Some of the things that make it great are that you never need to change a disc, you don’t have to download material on to it, and when you press pause it saves your place. A word to the wise, when you are putting it aside for longer than a few minutes, turn it off or it will drain the battery.

When I searched our catalogue for Playaways today there were 413 results. We keep buying new ones, so you can anticipate seeing this collection grow. There are a wide selection of titles for all ages including both fiction and non-fiction books. Some titles to check out include:

Dewey: The small-town library cat who touched the world by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

Thanks to the above book Dewey has become one of the world’s most famous cats. Found in a book drop on a cold winter night he became the beloved companion to the staff at the public library in Spencer, Iowa. This book is the true biography of a very special cat.




Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag

This sequel to Deeper than the Dead features the murder of a single mother and the subsequent investigation in to her death. It’s set in 1986 so expect pre-DNA testing investigating by Detective Tony Mendez.





Book of Days by James L. Rubart

Protagonist Cameron Vauxs is losing memories he must find the book of days to save his mind. The book contains all the past and future days of every soul on earth. Complicating matters is another seeking the book who will stop at nothing to win.





The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger

Based on the real lives of Lady Duff Gordon and her maid, this book tells the story of the pair’s experiences in Egypt. It’s a fictionalized account of the maid’s expanded freedoms and her first experience of romance. Unfortunately, she is reminded of her place and that she is truly the mistress of nothing.



Room by Emma Donoghue

One room makes up five year old Jack’s entire world. He spends his days in the room and nights locked in the wardrobe. His world is his mother’s prison and she devises an escape plan that will change his world completely.





Meditations to Relieve Stress by Belleruth Naparstek

Four guided meditations are included to help you relieve stress. The first addresses anxiety, the second focuses on peace, love, and protection, the third is a guided walking mediation, and the fourth features affirmations.




The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

The action centres around Mimi who has just completed her freshman year of college. She journeys to her father’s cottage and finds a stranger there. The plot thickens as he believes Mimi is leaving sinister tokens around the property.




The above are only a few of the many Playaways we have available at Your Library. More and more bestsellers, children’s, young adult, non-fiction titles are becoming available on this format and being added to our collection. I hope you find them as enjoyable as I have.

Ruth Hamlin-Douglas, Adult Services Librarian

No comments: