Which book had Brett from Adelaide laughing—and a whole train car applauding? What addictive series got Julie from Ohio to walk off 25 pounds? Which classic had Austin's car rolling down a 40-foot embankment?
We recently asked for your memorable listening experiences, and boy did you come through. From the funny to the bizarre and the downright inspirational, we're thrilled to share your unforgettable stories and the books that inspired them. Thanks for sharing your stories!
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I almost always have an earbud in my ear—my children tease that I am obsessed with Audible. Today my 14-year-old son and I were stuck waiting in a field for almost 3 hours, waiting for his turn to compete at a track meet. I had my iPod handy as always, ready to continue my Game of Thrones saga. But then my son says, "Mom... can we listen to Tina Fey's book?" He knew I just finished it. We sat together, each with one earbud, laughing together in the park. It was a great bonding experience, especially as Tina candidly recounted certain escapades of her adolescence! Other parents stopped by to ask what we were listening to, as we were obviously having a good time. When my son told me
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I listened to Skippy Dies on a trans-Atlantic cruise from Cork, Ireland back to St. John's, Newfoundland this past February. It was a harrowing cruise (9 to 10 meter swell! four storms!) and through all of the giant waves, I was watching out the windows of the bridge to record the seabirds out in the middle of the ocean. I listen to audiobooks to keep sane and entertained while standing and counting birds for 8+ hours a day. I found myself having to stifle snorts and laughter, and covertly wipe away tears while listening to Skippy Dies, to keep the (all male) crew from knowing how affected I was by this book. I'm sure they knew anyway. The funniest outcome after the eight-day ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I sew and sell diapers for dogs that have marking and incontinence issues. I have a business van which I drive daily. It is a very stripped down, bare of upholstery or liners, cargo/utility van. I listen to my audiobooks through the connection of my radio. The graphics on my van, advertising dog diapers, have a tendency to draw some laughs. Or so I thought. One day I was stopped at a red light, listening to Seduced by a Highlander, and I was so consumed by the sexy scene playing on my audio that I barely noticed a woman who had pulled up next to me, who was, as often happens, laughing. I looked over assuming it was due to my van graphics. She leaned out her window and asked me the
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: In my capacity as a long-term warehouse box store employee it is technically forbidden for an employee to listen to audiobooks for a significant percentage of one's career. I have defied this truth and enjoyed five years and counting of being paid to enjoy my job as I expand my mind and horizons thanks to Audible. This month Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base enriches my life yet again. —Matt* (California)
*name has been changed to protect identity
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I started listening to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (read by Davina Porter) about a year and a half ago. Every morning after putting my children on the bus for school, I would put on my running shoes and my iPod and go for a long walk while listening to Ms. Porter's fabulous narration of these riveting and beautifully-written novels. I found myself so addicted to the books that I would make time to walk every day, regardless of the weather, and I became positively obsessive about not letting anything interfere with my daily read/walk. I found myself extending my walks just so I could continue listening. I wept, worried, gasped, and often laughed out loud while I was walking, drawing ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I love Anthony Heald, he has one of the most dynamic voices in the vocal industry. I also love Moby Dick. So I jumped at the chance to hear Melville's masterwork read by my favorite narrator. However, listeners beware for my listening story was not a pleasant endeavor, at least for part of it. It was a dreary and rainy day, one not unfamiliar to the Northwest climate. I was at my job painting all day. To keep my mind focused and active during the pleasant monotony of this task I plugged in to my newest Audible download. With the work done early and my body shivering, I packed up and got in my car, immediately blasting the heat and not to miss a second, plugged my iPod into my car stereo ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I purchased this book, and the first opportunity I had to listen was while waiting for my daughter to get her hair done for prom. I was sitting in the salon waiting and listening. At first I tried to laugh softly, tried not to look crazy, and not to distract the customers or the workers. Well, that did not last for long—after just a few short pages in, I could not contain myself and was almost crying I was laughing so hard! Good news for the author, by the time I left the salon at least five women took down the name of the book, one even left to go across the mall to get it from the bookstore. —Beth
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: Almost every audiobook I've ever listened to, I've done so during some sort of exercise. Mostly while running. Over the years I've come to associate the two in so far as that I'll skip the exercise if for some reason I don't have a book available. Last fall I was training for the same half-marathon something like ten times. To fill the hours I snatched up Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, which by luck was available at a discount - and given that it's over 40 hours long I knew it would keep me going for quite a while. By chance at the same time I started running in a new neighbourhood I had not previously explored. Now, one of the primary story arches has the protagonist, Kaladin, ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I was very new to Audible when this happened – I believe it was only my second book, and I was so engrossed in the story that (I’m embarrassed to say) for three days in a row...I completely missed my exit on the way to work. It didn’t end there. I also had "driveway moments" where I would sit in the driveway listening until I came to a good stopping spot. My husband came out the first time thinking something was wrong. When I told him what I was doing he just laughed at me and said, "You know you can bring it inside don’t you? " Well I’m happy to report that I have overcome that problem, but my husband has just started listening to my books and he has done the EXACT same thing as me! (Okay, ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: Several months ago, I moved from Massachusetts to Arkansas. I was raised in Ridgefield, Connecticut and have always identified myself as a Yankee. However, after having reconnected with the younger sister of one of my high school best friends via Facebook, I decided to pack up my house and my dog and move South to join our lives together (she encouraged me in this). Upon my arrival, I became acutely conscious of the cultural divide I had crossed. Even though I had majored in English Education, I had never bothered to read one of the best-selling and—some would argue—greatest American novels of all time, Gone with the Wind. I had always thought it faintly effeminate and decidedly pro-Confederate, ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I listen to audiobooks while doing housework. The bad part is I'm listening to Hood by Lawhead while vacuuming and dusting, and get so involved in the story that my husband came home to the sound of the vacuum running, with me just standing in the middle of the floor - hose in hand, smile on my face, off in book land. Unfortunately, vacuuming started at lunchtime, and hubby was home for dinner—oops. —Nanciann (USA)
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I've been an Audible member almost from the beginning and started with the Audible player we got back then. Audible has been one of the most pleasant parts of my life since. I listen everywhere I can: in the car, at the beach, when doing housework and even while cooking. Even the worst tasks become almost fun when I can listen to a book at the same time. I now have an iPhone for my cell, but I still keep a separate iPod just for my books, because I want to start them up fast and make sure I keep my spot. My favorite Audible book of all time is still The Company. At first I was daunted by the length of the book and wondered if I'd ever finish, but I found that I had a terrible time
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I rarely go for what I classify a "chick lit" type of book, but my mother and many co-workers suggested that I listen due to my fondness for the many sassy ladies in my life. After an initial upturning of my nose for the first two hours, I got so into the book I didn't want it to end...ever. I laughed and laughed and laughed while listening at work, that people began to think I was losing my mind (which isn't hard to do on the Monday-Friday grind). I teared up in a few select parts, and then everyone thought I had gotten bad news or something terrible had really happened. The Help turned me into a sobbing, laughing, menopausal mess...and I'm a 31-year-old gay man. I normally tend to ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: My eyesight has gotten really bad, to the point I had to stop driving. So I went from the written word to the spoken word. Then to find books that were unabridged, so that I could enjoy the book the way it was meant to be. That's when I started listening to Stephen King, and I started with The Gunslinger, because my husband really enjoyed The Dark Tower series. And I got hooked. The narrator was wonderful, and I became immersed in the characters, and sped though the book as fast as I could because I wanted to know what happened next. Then when the book was done, I was let down because the spell of the story was broken. So then I had to listen to all of the rest of the Dark Tower books, ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: On the train to work I sat in the front seats by myself, put on The Ricky Gervais Show: The Complete Fifth Season by Ricky Gervais, Steve Merchant, and Karl Pilkington, and after five minutes I was crying from suppressing laughter, nose running, unable to sit still, cheeks hurting from smiling, and sweating. When the train arrived at the Adelaide terminal I got up and turned around and I received a round of applause from my fellow commuters who had almost as good a time as me, just by watching me listening. —Brett (Adelaide, Australia)
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: Last summer I was in a live stage production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at a theatre in Glendale, California. I was cast as one of Charlie’s grandmas. I was in several scenes in the first act but completely offstage in the second act until the curtain call. On the first day of rehearsal I brought my iPod with a freshly downloaded Audible version of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo—unabridged of course. While they were working on the second act I would bring out my iPod and be off to France with Jean Valjean, Javert, Cosette, and all of the amazing characters. The fantastic reader, Frederick Davidson, really made them all come to life brilliantly. I got a little cocky ..
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: We were on a road trip to Montana from Washington state, following the children and grandchildren. The girl was ten and the boy 13-years-old. They fought when together. They took turns fighting over who got to ride in the interesting truck with the books on the radio. They are older now and enjoy audiobooks when they can find the time. Of the 300+ books I have, many were chosen by asking the grandchildren, "What book are you reading now?" —Sandra Kay (USA)
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: We raise cigar tobacco. I listened to The Notebook while driving the tractor, hauling loads from one farm to the other. I sobbed, tears running down my face, while driving down the road in the wind. Harvesting tobacco is done in hot weather; I was quite filthy, and the tears streaked through the dust on my face. Imagine how the 100% male crew reacted when I pulled in for another load! —Linda (Wisconsin)
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I was an avid reader since I was a child that is until I lost my sight. I’m legally blind and at first I continued my love of books with the free audiobook service from the library for the blind and physically handicapped, but some of my favorite authors have not allowed them to put their books on the service. Then while listening to Leo LaPorte’s TWiT podcast, I heard about your service and immediately signed up for the trial. Since then I have fallen in love with Audible.com, especially since some of my favorite authors whose series I’d been unable to finish were in your catalog. Thanks Audible! —Aaron (Gladstone)
My Most Unforgettable Listening Story: I was on my way home on the train. It's approximately a one-hour ride. I was listening to Dead or Alive, evidently way more absorbed than I realized, because the train was pulling away from my station! Fortunately, the conductor was getting off at the end of the line, and he gave me a ride back to the station. —Elaine (Manassas Park, Virginia)