SYNC Summer 2015: Week 6 #sync15

Yay! Summer is here for pretty much everyone now! You know what that means! SYNC recently announced the list of audiobook pairings up for grabs this summer, and today kicks off the 6th week of the program for 2015. Here's what you can grab through Wednesday of next week...for free!

This week's YA title is The Living by Matt de la Pena, performed by Henry Leyva for Brilliance Audio.

Shy takes the summer job to make some money. A few months on a luxury cruise liner—how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two…there’s always going to be a fresh crop of passengers, after all. He’ll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom with the bills. But then an earthquake more massive than any ever recorded hits California, and Shy’s life is changed forever. The earthquake is only the beginning. Twenty-four hours and a catastrophic chain of events later, Shy is lost at sea, fighting to survive—and stuck with her. She’s blond and she’s rich, and never in her life would she have dreamed she’d be adrift in the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by death and completely dependent on a guy like Shy. And Shy hasn’t even faced the worst yet.

This week's classic title is The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger, performed by Richard Davidson for Recorded Books.

Man’s struggle against the sea is a theme that has created some of the world’s most exciting stories. Now, in the tradition of Moby Dick comes a New York Times best-seller destined to become a modern classic. Written by journalist Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm combines an intimate portrait of a small fishing crew with fascinating scientific data about boats and weather systems. In late October, North Atlantic seas are unpredictable. Still, one last good swordfish catch is a chance to start the winter with a fat wallet. As Captain Billy Tyne steers his 72-foot longboat Andrea Gail toward the Grand Banks, growing weather fronts are moving toward the same waters. The Andrea Gail is sailing into the storm of the century, one with 100 mile per hour winds and waves cresting over 110 feet. As each man on the boat faces this ultimate foe, Sebastian Junger gives the account an immediacy that fills The Perfect Storm with suspense and authenticity. Narrator Richard M. Davidson’s reading adds further drama to this unforgettable sea adventure. An interview with the author concludes the audiobook.

I've only read one thing of Matt de la Pena's before, and it was one of the short stories in the holiday anthology edited by Stephanie Perkins, and I liked it, plus it was narrated by this same narrator, so I'll be picking that one up, even though the premise doesn't sound like my normal kind of read. Sometimes you find great reads/listens by going outside of your comfort zone, though. But I've seen The Perfect Storm, and it was sad and gritty and I don't think I'd like to experience it via audiobook. At least the movie had Mark Wahlberg. =)

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. To download this week's titles, just click here 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 few 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 or discover new ones.  Win/win.  =)

Happy listening!