This is an excellent option for those of you who spend hours commuting or really for all of us who are busy with life! First of all, it comes with 9 Audio books ready for you to use right away (FREE) (except on the Amazon Play store but it has to include all the books at once)! The books that are included are fantastic and ultimately they are true classics.
SEEK BY READING AND YOU WILL FIND BY MEDITATING.
KNOCK BY PRAYING, AND IT WILL BE OPENED TO YOU IN CONTEMPLATION.
-ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS
Audiobooks are another way for us to take Catholic literature anywhere we want or need to go. Audiobooks provide a way for us to listen to great Catholic literature, or the writings of the Saints, while on a long drive or doing chores around the house. They allow us to devour a non-fiction, soul inspiring, book while doing the dishes, or during a daily walk or workout. This app provides us with some amazing Catholic books at our fingertips, ready for us to listen whenever we want and wherever we are.
Features
Every audiobook app should include audio samples and the ability to try it out. There should also be a great number of books to choose from. This app does that with 9 Audio books that are free. The full audiobook library of twenty-three (23) classic Catholic books requires in app purchases. The first 9 Catholic classics that are free include:
- “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas a Kempis (included)
- “Confessions” by St. Augustine (included)
- “The Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Francis de Sales (included)
- “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort (included)
- “Practice of the Presence of God” by Br. Lawrence of the Resurrection (included)
- “The Friendship of Christ” by Mgsr. Robert Hugh Benson (included)
- “The Interior Castle” by St. Teresa of Avila (included)
- “The Way of Perfection” by St. Teresa of Avila (included)
- “The Story of a Soul” The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower) (included)
Audio Catholic Books library has a great selection of interesting ‘classic’ Catholic Content
Ease of Use
The best audiobook apps are uncluttered, appealing and easy to navigate. They should also have a simple, straightforward process, and again this is a winner here. Downloading this app is a reasonably easy process, and the structure of the app allows you to buy only the books you want; and each for only $0.99!
Download the app for free (iOS & Google Play) to listen to samples of the library. Click on any of the audio books that are not included and you can look inside and select one to purchase right within the app. If you want to purchase the MP3 files directly and manage transferring them to your devices, you can go to their home page, http://www.catholicvault.com.
These MP3s are streamed, not downloaded, so they take up no storage space on your device. However, an internet connection is required for the audio to play properly.
This is what the Audio Catholic Books player looks like, great easy to use controls, and you can scrub to where you want to listen to.
The player is really great. It has a quick click to fast forward and rewind 15 seconds at a time, it also has a slider that you can scrub to the place that you want to listen to. Looking through the books in the library I can see that they are broken down in the book chapters, so one could easily jump into the book if you have read sections of the book before, or if you want to review a chapter. You can also favourite (star) a section so that you can quickly come back to it.
Another great feature is the “Auto Bookmark” feature. If you happen to quit the app, or need to stop the app, it marks the chapter with a red bookmark icon, so you don’t have to worry about closing the app, it remembers for you. One thing to note here is that it remembers the chapter you were on, but doesn’t remember where you were in the chapter, so you have to scrub back and forth to find your place.
In case you were wondering about ownership, the authors of the app have written:
All of our products have been professionally digitized and remastered. Our original materials came from old Catholic cassette libraries. All audio files were discovered by or presented to us. Some of the original materials are from unknown sources. Much of the material comes from the Keep the Faith organization, from whom we gratefully have permission for use.
Genres
The top audiobook apps have many diverse categories of audiobooks so anyone can find a book on a topic they enjoy. This app has a pretty diverse library including:
- “Confessions of a Convert” by Robert Hugh Benson ($0.99)
- “Cure of Ars” by St. John Vianney ($0.99)
- “Faith of Our Fathers” by James Cardinal Gibbons ($0.99)
- “Kindness” by Fr. Frederick William Faber ($0.99)
- “On Loving God” by St. Bernard of Clairvaux ($0.99)
- “Prayer: Its Necessity” by Fr. Ferreol Girardey ($0.99)
- “Sin and Its Consequences” by Henry Edward Cardinal Manning ($0.99)
- “St. Anthony, The Wonder Worker of Padua” by Charles Warren Stoddard ($0.99)
- “God’s Troubadour: St. Francis of Assisi” by Sophie Jewett ($0.99)
- “The Story of St. Joan of Arc” by Andrew Lang ($0.99)
- “The Life of St. Vincent de Paul” by Francis Alice Forbes ($0.99)
- “Utopia” by St. Thomas More ($0.99)
- “Why Must I Suffer?” by Fr. F. J. Remler, C.M. ($0.99)
Sample of what is included for Free
Help & Support
Although I myself have not used their help and support feature, I hope that Catholic Audiobook apps would provide adequate help and support so their patrons feel confident they can find answers to questions. Email assistance is especially useful. Let me know if you use this feature and what you thought.
Looking at the app pages here are a couple of reviews:
“All the Catholic MP3 apps are worth every penny.”
-5 star review for Audio Catholic History
“Thank you so much for making these apps – they have truly changed my life for the better!”
-5 star review of Audio Catholic Books
All The Catholic Books In The App
An audiobook library of twenty-three (23) classic Catholic books, including:
- “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas a Kempis (included)
- “Confessions” by St. Augustine (included)
- “The Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Francis de Sales (included)
- “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort (included)
- “Practice of the Presence of God” by Br. Lawrence of the Resurrection (included)
- “The Friendship of Christ” by Mgsr. Robert Hugh Benson (included)
- “The Interior Castle” by St. Teresa of Avila (included)
- “The Way of Perfection” by St. Teresa of Avila (included)
- “The Story of a Soul” The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower) (included)
- “Confessions of a Convert” by Robert Hugh Benson ($0.99)
- “Cure of Ars” by St. John Vianney ($0.99)
- “Faith of Our Fathers” by James Cardinal Gibbons ($0.99)
- “Kindness” by Fr. Frederick William Faber ($0.99)
- “On Loving God” by St. Bernard of Clairvaux ($0.99)
- “Prayer: Its Necessity” by Fr. Ferreol Girardey ($0.99)
- “Sin and Its Consequences” by Henry Edward Cardinal Manning ($0.99)
- “St. Anthony, The Wonder Worker of Padua” by Charles Warren Stoddard ($0.99)
- “God’s Troubadour: St. Francis of Assisi” by Sophie Jewett ($0.99)
- “The Story of St. Joan of Arc” by Andrew Lang ($0.99)
- “The Life of St. Vincent de Paul” by Francis Alice Forbes ($0.99)
- “Utopia” by St. Thomas More ($0.99)
- “Why Must I Suffer?” by Fr. F. J. Remler, C.M. ($0.99)
RESTORING OR MOVING DEVICES: HOW IT WORKS
REINSTALL OR PUT ON ANOTHER ANDROID DEVICE
If you need to reinstall this app or wish to add it to another device, download the free version, select the “Upgrade” button, and go through the purchase process again. If using the same Google Play account, you will not actually be charged again.
REINSTALL OR PUT ON iPAD, iPHONE
If you need to reinstall this app or wish to add it to another iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, download the free version, select the “Upgrade” button, and go through the purchase process again. If using the same iTunes account, you will not actually be charged again. When you click on the already purchased item, a prompt will give you the option to “Restore Purchases”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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