Guest Author - Michelle Anne Cope

Two of my favorite presents to give are books and music. I can order these gifts online or buy them at a store. I can have the books sent to me for wrapping and giving, or, where available, my gifts can be sent to my friends and family. In some cases, for a few extra dollars, the retailer will let me select my choice of gift paper and do the wrapping for me.

While music is always a great gift for MP3 and iTunes listeners, another great gift idea is audiobooks. With back-to-school time approaching, many students may find this an easy way to keep up with their favorite best sellers.

New titles are being added every day for MP3 and iTunes audiobooks. You can gift these audiobook files just like you can music and books.

You might also want to give a gift card from places such as Amazon.com, audible.com, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. That way, your gift recipient can make their own choice.

Audiobooks can be stored on your computer and transferred to your MP3 / iTunes player. There are even accessory packages available that allow you to play your MP3 / iTunes player through your car stereo. My husband is a truck driver and loves to listen to audiobooks on the road. My best friend listens to books on her drive from Virginia to visit me in Ohio.

How do you decide what audiobooks to give as gifts? You find out the favorite titles that your friends and family may already have in their literature collection. They might enjoy having the same titles for their MP3 /iTunes library. Also, find out the types of books they enjoy. You can search their favorite genres like mystery, romance, or science fiction, and find an audiobook to gift. I found searching for audiobook titles just as addictive as searching for music. It’s a chance to try new titles as well as find old favorites.

If you are looking for some ideas, here are some titles to get you started:

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner (Fiction)

The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer (Fiction)

Swimsuit by James Patterson (Fiction)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrsson (Fiction)

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell (Non-fiction)

Have a great week!
Chel