SYNC Summer 2013: Week 1 #syncya

Man, I can't believe Saturday is already the 1st of June.  The kids are [almost] out of school, and summer is officially upon us.  You know what that means!  SYNC recently announced the list of audiobook pairings up for grabs this summer, and today is the kick-off of the program for 2013.  Here's what you can grab through Wednesday of next week...for free!

This week's YA title is Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, performed by Rebecca Gibel for AudioGo.

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

This week's classic title is The Tempest by William Shakespeare, performed by a Full Cast for AudioGo.

In The Tempest, long considered one of Shakespeare's most lyrical plays, Prospero - a magician on an enchanted island - punishes his enemies, brings happiness to his daughter, and comes to terms with human use of supernatural power. The Tempest embodies both seemingly timeless romance and the historically specific moment in which Europe begins to explore and conquer the New World.

Its complexity of thought, its range of characters - from the spirit Ariel and the monster Caliban to the beautiful Miranda and her prince Ferdinand -its poetic beauty, and its exploration of difficult questions that still haunt us today make this play wonderfully compelling.

The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place, using illusion and skilful manipulation. The eponymous tempest brings to the island Prospero's usurping brother Antonio and the complicit Alonso, King of Naples. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's low nature, the redemption of Alonso, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.

I enjoyed Of Poseidon when I read it last year.  In fact, I just received the audio for the sequel, Of Triton, just last week, and I can't wait to dive into it.  (Pun totally intended....lol.)  As for The Tempest, I love Shakespeare, but for whatever reason, I've never gotten around to picking this one up.  Now's as good a time as any.  :)

Will you be picking up either of these titles?  Remember, they're only available through Wednesday, and new titles will be put up on Thursday for download.  Other things to note:

• CHECK OUT the 2013 titles!
• LISTEN to sound clips on SoundCloud to help you decide!
• GET your device ready! You must have the OverDrive Media Console or APP to download the SYNC titles! Visit the OverDrive website to download.
• Questions? Email: synchelp@audiofilemagazine.com
• Text message alerts – Text syncya to 25827 for SYNC title download alerts.
• Email updates – sign up for SYNC title alerts by email.
• Follow the SYNC blog.

To download this week's titles, just click on the image below to be taken directly to the SYNC download page:

I hope you take advantage of this program. I've been doing it for the last couple of years, and I've had the opportunity to listen to a ton of great audio for free.  If you've never tried audiobooks before, it's a great opportunity to do so without the obligation of buying one that you might not enjoy.  And if you love audiobooks, well, it's a great time to stock up on some titles you may have missed.  Win/win.  =)