Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Free Harry Potter Audio Books?

After analyzing some traffic statistics, it has come to my attention that a lot of people are looking to find Harry Potter audio books for free. A part of me can understand, after all, they ain't cheap!

But let's be real. These are books (and audio books and movies...) that people wait in line for. That people are willing to pay money for to get their hands on as soon as possible. If you were a business, would you be handing out a product that has that kind of demand for free? I don't think so. I know I sure wouldn't be.

As for the author, yeah I've heard that she is rich - as in richer than the Queen of England - more money than she can ever spend - rich. But you know what, good for her. Anyone who has the dedication to write 7 books totaling over 4,100 pages and has the creativity to make kids and adults absolutely love reading those books, deserves every penny! I don't begrudge her a single cent.

All that aside, that doesn't mean that you have to pay to listen to the audio books. You can get on the waiting list at your local public library or you can borrow a copy from your friend who just had to buy it. Two perfectly legitimate ways to listen to Harry Potter audio books for free. (Notice that I said borrow and not copy if you want to maintain legitimacy!)

Not good enough for you? Your next option is to pay as little as possible for those Harry Potter, or any other bestselling audio books. If you only buy the occasional audio book then your best bet is just to buy at the best price possible. One example is the obvious, Amazon.com, where audio books are routinely 30-40% off the retail price. Another option is signing up for one of the online audio book clubs. If you are an avid listener of bestseller audio books, this is probably your best money-saving option. Whether you want to rent or buy, get cds or download files there is a club that fits the bill.

For your convenience, here are some of the online audio book clubs out there. All are good choices - it's more a matter of finding the one that best fits your needs. Take a moment to determine what you want, such as price, commitment, rent or buy, cds or downloads, etc. before you sign up for anything.

Audible.com

SimplyAudiobooks.com

Jiggerbug.com

Booksfree.com

And for those not in the US/North America:

Audible.co.uk

Audible.de

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