By David Lamanno
Rowan Public Library

With the busy holiday season fast approaching, who has time to read a good book? Do not fret because Rowan Public Library has the perfect solution. A digital audiobook (eAudiobook) is the perfect way to enjoy a book, free from gaze or grasp, allowing you to go about your busy routine. RPL is a partner with the North Carolina Digital Library where cardholders can enjoy access to thousands of  eAudiobooks (and eBooks too). eAudiobook titles can be used on devices from Apple, Android, Kindle, Nook and others. You can download the free Libby app from your favorite app store. Rowan Public Library cardholders receive priority placement on hold lists for any of the materials it owns within the digital library. Some new additions available to RPL cardholders include fiction and non-fiction eAudiobooks. I’ll highlight a few below.

Janet Evanovich hits a milestone with the new Stephanie Plum novel, “Dirty Thirty.” Dirty in the title refers to a stolen cache of diamonds. Bounty hunter Plum has been tasked with locating two fugitives, a  jewelry store security guard, and a troubled jewelry thief. There is plenty of fun and action as Plum gets help from her mother and grandmother on a stakeout plus Bob the Dog is back with an appetite for donuts and upholstery.

Speaking of dogs, David Rosenfelt recently unleashed a new Andy Carpenter title called, “‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas.” Defense lawyer Carpenter has his holiday season upended when a volunteer at his Tara Foundation is suspected of murder. Carpenter cannot let a dog lover go without legal representation, so he takes the case (and the golden retriever and Dalmatian of the accused for safe keeping). Carpenter’s dog, Tara, must learn to live in harmony with the new housemates in this tail-wagging Christmas story.

A new novel from Alice McDermott, a National Book Award winner (Charming Billy, 1998), is about two military spouses living in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Some decisions made by the wives during the war have unintended consequences today. “Absolution” is described as a virtuosic novel about imprudence, honor, commitment and loss.

From the world of entertainment comes two fresh autobiographies, one from John Stamos and the other from Britany Spears. In “If You Would Have Told Me,” Stamos gives us details about his experiences on the sets of General Hospital and Full House plus his views on fame and reflections on the tragic death of his co-star, Bob Saget. This eAudiobook is read by the author. Spears’, “The Woman In Me,” chronicles her life in and out of the spotlight since her debut on The New Micky Mouse Club in 1992. This one is getting plenty of press for its candor and humor in addition to positive reviews for the narrator, actor Michelle Williams.

eAudiobooks have the advantage of allowing you to be entertained and informed while you make a shopping list, peel a sweet potato or baste a turkey. There is also the added benefit of eAudiobooks never being overdue. For digital resource information, visit our website, www.rowanpubliclibrary.org. For additional assistance, visit your nearest library branch or call 980-432-8670. If you have a specific eAudiobook request, contact David Lamanno at 704-216-8229 or David.Lamanno@rowancountync.gov.

David Lamanno is a librarian at the Rowan Public Library.