With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, so many of us are traveling between now and the end of the year. Whether you're traveling a short or long distance, audiobooks make the ideal travel companion. Sitting around for during a layover? On a flight? Driving to to see family or friends in another state or up the road? On a train or bus? Want to block out the noise of your fellow travelers? Keep yourself entertained and press play on an audiobook!

I am an avid audiobook advocate. I enjoy a good book regardless if it's consumed by my eyes or ears. There are so many reasons why a audiobook appeals to me and one reason is that a good narrator can make the experience memorable and take the story to the next level. A narrator can make or break s story. If you're new to audiobooks or are looking for some recommendations, I'm sharing with you my top go-to narrators to get you started on your holiday listening, All of the narrators that I've selected have narrated a variety of genres, so no matter what your favorite genre is, one of these awesome voices will lure you into putting on the headphones!

Before you go, enter the awesome audiobook giveaway at the bottom of this post. Enter to win a fantastic selection of 10 audiobooks that have been generously donated by Galaxy Press, Hachette Audio, Harper Audio, High Bridge Audio, Macmillan, Penguin Random House Audio, and Post Hypnotic Press, Scholastic,Simon & Schuster Audio, and Tantor Audio.  This giveaway is US/Canada only and will close at midnight (11:59 pm ET) on November 30, 2017. Be sure to visit the other bloggers on this blog tour, check out the schedule here.

​I have some awesome suggestions for you to get your fiction audiobook experience kicked off in the right direction! I'm sharing my top 5 audiobook narrators (Fall 2017 edition)!  I'm always listening to audiobooks, so this list tends to morph and grow over time, but right now these are my favorites and I recommend them all.  Pairing these amazingly skillful voice talents along with a great story make fiction audiobooks irresistible.

​Meet new platonic friends, in person and online using on Patook! I know that many of us book nerds are also introverts but that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to have lots of friends. We may not be the light of the party, or at the part at all because we’d rather be home reading, but when I saw this app I decided to give it a try. One can never have too many bookish friends!  I’ve been using the app for about a week now and I really like it. I've already met a really cool book nerd that's coming to my next local book club meeting.

​As the community grows and the app is updated with even more features it’ll be even more fun.  When you think about it, it’s almost like a ‘Tinder for friends’  -- it works in a similar manner minus the flirting and hookup requests. I’ve never been on Tinder, but I’ve heard plenty about the swipe right vs swipe left. The app version functions in a similar way when matches are made, but instead of looking for a hook up or a date, this is literally looking for friends. Seriously.  “NO flirting allowed” is their mantra. Let me tell you more.

​Audiobooks! You all know I love them and recommend them! Today, I'm sharing my top 5 for new listeners! I've been a long time advocate of audiobook listening and can't get enough of them! From Fantasy, to Science Fiction, to Dystopian, to Paranormal Romance, to Thrillers, to Memoirs - I listen to them all!  Audiobooks are great for listening during your work day and daily commute. They are also wonderful for when you're out shopping or cooking in the kitchen. Whenever you're doing something where your eyes and hands are occupied, audiobook listening is perfect!

I'm taking this opportunity to share my top 5 from my absolute favorite genres, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy/Fantasy, and Science Fiction! Many of my recommendations cross the genres I've mentioned, so they are all great fun to listen to.  Check them out, I think that all of these series are winners with excellent narrators. I recommend them to both those seasoned audiobook listeners as well as newbie listeners. They are listed in no particular order, I loved them all. Enjoy!

​Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, narrated by Lorelei King.

​I LOVE Bookstock! As a book blogger and avid reader this is an awesome place to complete my book series collections and find certain editions of books!

I'm going to let you in on a secret. There are tons of brand new and one time read books here. If you're looking for specific books, bring your list and bring a friend for help searching! Not only will you find great deals, but you'll be by buying books that you'd buy anyway and contributing to an amazing cause as the same time. Come out and support literacy programs and buy a few books!

​Looking for audiobooks? They have them! Nonfiction titles? They have them. Children's books? They have those too! There is a amazingly huge selection of books and other media.

It's such a joy to be around all of these books and book lovers. Fellow shoppers will not only help you search for a book, but will sometimes recommend good reads as well. I have a great time searching for titles and chatting with others looking the same table(s).  I hope that you'll check it out this year. I'll be there early during the pre-sale on day one. If you see me, be sure to say hello! Stay tuned because I 'll be doing a video book haul on my YouTube channel following Bookstock 2017.

​Bookstock’s back, offering incredible deals on used books and media Sunday, April 23 through Sunday, April 30 at Livonia’s Laurel Park Place. 

Bargains abound at Bookstock, metro Detroit’s biggest and best used book and media sale, where proceeds benefit literacy and education projects in metropolitan Detroit. Detroit Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley and Detroit News columnist Neal Rubin are Honorary Co-Chairs of Bookstock and the Mike Morse Law Firm is Bookstock’s 2017 Presenting Sponsor.
 
Bookstock’s Pre-Sale will kick-off on Sunday, April 23 at 8:15 a.m. with a performance by Livonia’s Churchill High School Drumline. There is a $20 admission charge for the Pre-Sale only, which runs through 11 a.m. and offers savvy shoppers and collectors first crack at Bookstock’s treasure trove of bargains. Bookstock has over 200,000 donated used books, DVDs, CDs, books on tape, magazines and records for sale at bargain basement prices. The sale will continue through Sunday, April 30, running Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 9p.m.

The SYNC Audiobooks for Teens program, sponsored by AudioFile Magazine and powered by OverDrive, kicks off its eighth year on April 27th.  Authors represented include Daniel José Older, Franz Kafka, Ruta Septys, and Nikki Grimes. With parents, teachers, librarians, and teens looking for good media within easy access, SYNC is the perfect way to engage teens and adults alike with new literature for their earbuds. 

There are some wonderful titles this year, so don't miss out!  ​All summer, 32 titles will be given away through the 16 week-long season. Go to their website and sign up for email or text alerts and be first to know when new titles are available to download. This is my 6th year downloading awesome titles during this event.  If you enjoy audiobooks as I do, then you won't want to miss out.   Listen to a few of the snippets from titles included this year. 

About Site Owner, Editor, and Head Reviewer Tamara:

​By day, I have a non-creative career. By night, I’m a content creator, blogger, vlogger, podcaster, and reviewer. I enjoy all things decadent; books, food, wine, cute jewelry, a perfectly made Cosmo, and travel! I’m a self-proclaimed Foodie, Book Addict, TV & Movie Addict, and World Traveler.

Feeling Romantic, but have no plans on this Valentine's Day? No worries, stay in with a great read! It is a weeknight after all. I came up with seven reads (both old and new) from various sub genres that are sure to have you feeling the love. The list is in no particular order, as they are all great options..

Read any of these? Let me know which ones are your favorites!  What romance titles have you been enjoying in honor of Valentine's Day?