The Little Fox Lair October 2024 Newsletter

^{Disclosure: This newsletter/ blog post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to shop through one of the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Little Fox Lair is supported by its audience, so thank you in advance for helping this bookish den run and grow.}

This is our second monthly newsletter for The Little Fox Lair, and I would like to thank everyone that has supported this project by subscribing and reading along. If you know someone that might be interested in the content, I would love for you to share the website or social channels with them. The goal is to build an organic community that loves to read together. In this month’s newsletter we will cover:

• September Reading Wrap-Up

• Book Recommendations for Halloween

• Writers’ Corner: NaNoWriMo Alternatives

• Readers’ Corner: Affordable Audiobook Solutions

September Reading Wrap-Up

Here is a synopsis of my September reads. You can find more in-depth reviews on these books on my social media channels that are linked at the bottom of this newsletter. I include Amazon links here for Kindle readers and Audible listeners; however, if you prefer to shop in a way that supports indie bookstores then I would suggest using the Bookshop.org links. When you create your account, you can select which local bookstore you would like your purchases to benefit. I periodically will switch my bookstore choice to spread the love! I currently have mine set to Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA. I spent so much time there when I lived in Coolidge Corner, and it made me fall in love with book browsing again.

Book Recommendations for Halloween

Instead of covering new releases this month, I decided to curate a collection of Halloween reads. I tried to add books across multiple genres that I cover in this space. To see the full list with blurbs and covers on Bookshop.org, click HERE. Below is a list by genre with links to Amazon for Kindle/ Audible:

Writers’ Corner: NaNoWriMo Alternatives

For many years, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) was an event that writers used to look forward to. Given the recent controversies surrounding NaNoWriMo’s moderation issues and stance on AI, writers have decided to denounce the organization and look for alternative writing challenges to participate in. The aim of National Novel Writing Month is for writers to produce 50,000 words in the month of November with the goal of completing the first draft of a novel. The challenge helps writers establish routines and cadence to their writing, as well as engage in a support community. This concept is helpful for many aspiring authors, so what is a good substitute to use next month? After doing a lot of research, I’ve decided to use Shut Up & Write. Shut Up & Write has both in-person chapters and online events. There are also writing challenges that cover various topics and help you practice specific writing skills.

Learn more at the Shut Up & Write website

Readers’ Corner: Affordable Audiobook Solutions

“How do you read so much?” I get asked this question often. The answer is that I split my time between e-books, physical books, and audiobooks. If I’m in the car alone or I’m doing chores around the house, I am listening to a book. Reading is also what I choose to do in my free time instead of watching TV or doing any other variety of activities.

With that said, many people want to increase their book count per year with audiobooks, but they are expensive. Audio should be more affordable, especially given how many people prefer auditory processing to visual processing, but the industry hasn’t gotten there yet. I do have some tips and tricks to remedy that issue. Here are some options to maximize audiobook usage without breaking the bank.

• Audible: Audible is probably the most well-known audiobook service. It is also one of the most expensive options; however, I have found that some of the books I want to listen to are exclusive to Audible and there is no real way around that. The positive to the service is that if you link family members to your Amazon accounts, you can share an Audible library seamlessly with another adult family member. With Audible, you do also have unlimited access to their Plus catalog, so if you aren’t looking for specific titles, it is a good deal for endless listening hours. | Audible Subscription Options

• Hoopla: Many libraries have Hoopla. If you have a local library card, you link your card to your Hoopla account, and you can listen to audiobooks for free that your library has licenses to. My library gives me three weeks to listen to a book, and four picks per month. Sometimes there are waits to receive a loaned copy, but it is worth it to not have to spend money. This is a great option for commuters or anyone that logs a lot of listening hours. For small, non-resident fees, you can usually join libraries near your city or town and have an even larger catalog. | Hoopla Website

• Audiobooks.com: This service is similar in cost to Audible. You get one audiobook per month plus one VIP audiobook with your subscription. They have a catalog of discounted titles that you can purchase individually. They also offer a free trial with three free audiobooks when you sign up. | Free Trial Information

• Chirp: Chirp is a site where you can buy audiobooks for a low cost. They have daily sales where some titles are $1-$2. If you go into the site and favorite titles that you want to read, Chirp will e-mail you when they go on sale. Some audiobooks are normally the cost of a hardcover book, so $1-$2 is a steal. | Chirp Website

• GraphicAudio.net: This site is awesome if you want full-cast, cinematic narration vs. a single narrator for your audiobooks. There is no subscription for this website. You pay per individual audiobook; however, they do have sales and a loyalty program that you can benefit from if you spend a certain threshold each year. | GraphicAudio.net Website

• Spotify: If you already have Spotify Premium, the membership includes 15 hours of audiobook listening per billing cycle. I try to pick shorter books (around 8-10 hours) and listen to 1-1.5 per month on the platform to make the most of my membership. | Spotify Membership Options

• Amazon Alexa: Not many people know about this option. If you have a Kindle account or device, you can have Alexa read your Kindle books to you. It is not produced like an audiobook, and the book is read in the standard, robotic, Alexa voice. This is an amazing accessibility feature. I use it during autoimmune flares when I have trouble with visual processing, but can still handle auditory processing. You can use the Alexa app on your phone or an Alexa device to do this. If you navigate to the music section, it should give you an option to play e-books from your Kindle library. If you pair this option with having Kindle Unlimited, you will gain a lot of listening hours. | Kindle Devices | Alexa Devices | Kindle Unlimited

Thank you all again for being part of The Little Fox Lair. In addition to the usual content, next month I will feature a Holiday Gift Guide for readers and writers. I hope you have a great October, and I’d love to see you over on my socials for daily, bookish discussions!