App Profile: OverDrive: eBooks & audiobooks

cmh1080

Rating: 5/5

I love listening to audio fiction books from the free digital library, because once I have heard a fiction book, I really don’t care to hear them again. But they are very expensive to purchase. Plus these audiobooks from the library are way better and more professionally dramatized. Other audio books are okay, but nothing beats being free and high quality! I also love to listen so I can listen before bed or while taking a nap or cleaning house because it helps me to give my eyes a rest since I am constantly reading and watching tv and on the iPad or computer. That is why I totally love this app and listen to it all the time. It also helps me to escape for awhile from all the stresses of life. Maybe someday I will get more into checking out the reading books and movies they offer on the digital library apps. The digital and physical library is the very best asset a person can have when you don’t have much money. Over Drive is my first and main digital library I use, but also started using Cloud Library and checking out Libby and other apps available. I even tried a free trial to the Audible App but decided it wasn’t worth the subscription price for not really being any better then Over Drive. Maybe you might have access to more and newer books, but I never run out of good books to check out with this app. And of course, the best thing is that it is totally free!

Prince's Soulmate

Rating: 5/5

I have constant ringing in my ears (tinnitus) that nearly drives me crazy when everything is perfectly quiet, making it very hard to go to sleep. But, problem solved by letting Overdrive read me a book (if there is some sound for me to hear, I don’t notice the tinnitus). Before I lay down, I set the sleep timer for 15 minutes, then I relax while I listen to the story and it turns itself off after I am asleep. The best part is, you can use the bookmark feature to save your place periodically, then you can easily find your place by going to your bookmark and using the fast forward and 15 second advance (or 15 second back up) buttons. I use this app EVERY night. Caution: save thrillers and page turners to listen to on long car rides! For bedtime, I listen to funny, stress free stories like Janet Evanovich books- they are funny and entertaining and don’t keep me awake. Last tip, for best results to induce sleep, I listen to the my favorite books over and over. That way, I don’t have to worry about ‘missing something’. You can have up to five books at a time, so I also listen to Overdrive while I am cleaning house, gardening (great time to listen to “how-to” books) or driving (it plays through my cars speakers). Best of all, you can temporarily download the books to your phone so you can listen to it even if you don’t have wi-fi available. Love this app!!!

The Traveling Reader

Rating: 5/5

I have never reviewed an app. Ever. This app deserves more than 5 stars. In my opinion, this is one of the most innovative programs I have had the good fortune to come across. The ease of checkout is astounding as is the number of available printed books and audiobooks. Since I often travel the East Coast by car, pre-OD, I had to be sure I got to my local library to check out enough audiobooks to get me there and back. If I failed to get there in time I might not have an audiobook to listen to on a trip. Then I would have to borrow audiobooks from a local restaurant and I would inevitably be late in returning them and incur a large late fee. With OverDrive, I never have to remember to return the books (since they just expire into the Ethernet)! If I don’t like a title, I can just delete it and download another! No more fines! No last minute scrambling to check out books! No more being upset that I have to listen to the entire book just because I don’t like the others I brought. I did have a bit of an issue in the beginning, but I persisted and now can easily navigate the site. Hmmm... I was just wondering... does this app check out books and scholarly journals from the Library of Congress? Don’t all US residents have THAT library card? Again, thank you. I love, love, love this app! The developers are geniuses!