Audible First-in-a-Series Sale

I love Audible.com sales and not just because of the sale prices.  When facing a curated collection of offerings, I end up finding a few things that push me outside my comfort zone.  Something about the sale price makes me take more risks in my selections.

Audible's current sale is the First-in-a-Series Sale.  All the offerings are, surprise, the first in a series.

Here's a brief look at what I chose and why...

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig -- The publisher's summary pulled me in on this choice:  "When a widowed rancher hires a housekeeper to help with his three young sons, he finds her to be cheerful and competent. Yet she is concealing a colorful and infamous past. Filled with humor and hardship, this novel sings with what the author calls 'a poetry of the vernacular.'"  I'm in.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson -- I'd certainly heard of Chains and Anderson.  I chose this piece of YA historical fiction because it tells the story of a slave in colonial New York City in 1776.  I have read many novels about slavery (as well as actual slave narratives), the vast majority of which are set in the South.  I was intrigued by the setting and historical moment here.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson -- This novel has been on my "I'll Thank Me Later List" for years.  Perhaps I'll be more likely to press play than to crack the spine.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman -- Widowed garden clubber in NJ joins CIA with Barbara Rosenblat narrating?  I've got eight hours for that.  

The Winds of War by Herman Wouk -- The reviews on this one are unbelievable, especially considering that it requires almost 46 hours (!!!!!!) of listening.  Not sure when I'll be in the mood for that many hours of a WWII novel ... I like that this one gives a lot of insight into the American Homefront as most novels cover (and very rightly so as there are so many stories to be told) the war in Europe.

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins -- I've already told you that I'm on a Kristan Higgins kick.  Can't wait to press play on this one during a tough or crazy week. 

There are plenty of ways to listen to audiobooks for free, of course, but I don't mind paying because it allows me to download to my old-but-perfectly-sized-for-listening ipod.  The audiobooks I purchase are truly a cross-category investment for me:  mental health, entertainment, fitness, and housekeeping.