CVS Midwest Tape’s Holiday Picks

Looking to get your patrons into the holiday spirit? Below our selection experts break down their must-recommends for the festive season.

Danielle Desmond, Music Selector

Justin Bieber, Under the Mistletoe

Michael Buble, Christmas

She & Him, A Very She & Him Christmas

Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album: Volume 2

Carole King, A Holiday Carole

Jackie Evancho, A Heavenly Christmas

Erica Messinger, Audiobook Selector

The Christmas Wedding, James Patterson & Richard Dilallo

A Christmas Story, Jean Shepherd

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens (narrated by Simon Prebble or narrated by Jim Dale)

The Christmas Sweater, Glenn Beck

The Nine Lives of Christmas, Sheila Roberts 

Amanda Adkins, DVD Selector

A Christmas Story

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Muppet Christmas Carol

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Eight Crazy Nights

A Charlie Brown Christmas

It’s a Wonderful Life

What are your picks for the holidays? What festive titles do your patrons request the most?

CVS Midwest Tape Weighs in on Grammy Nominees

Our new Music and CD Standing Order expert Danielle Desmond marks her debut into New & Views blog posts with a recap of the 2012 Grammy nominees.

‘Tis the season for Grammy Nominations! The 54^th Annual Grammy Nominees were announced Wednesday, November 30, on CBS. Grammy Winner and Hip Hop legend LL Cool J hosted the concert event, which included performances by Lady Gaga and Jason Aldean, who did a revamped version of “Dirt Road Anthem” with guest star, Ludacris.

Kanye West led the nominees with lucky number 7; behind him with a tie for 6 noms were Adele, Bruno Mars, and the Foo Fighters. 

Critics everywhere were buzzing that Kanye was snubbed for the biggest nomination of them all, Album of The Year, for his highly praised My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Thus, the big question on everyone’s mind: Will Kanye rush the stage on February 12 when Album of The Year is announced and declare that he had one of the best albums of all time?

Check out a few of the nominees below. The bold nominees are our Staff Picks for the winners. For a full list of Grammy nominees, visit www.grammy.com.

Album of the Year

Adele, 21

Foo Fighters, Wasting Light

Lady Gaga, Born This Way

Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Rihanna, Loud

Record of the Year (Artist Award)

Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”

Bon Iver, “Holocene”

Bruno Mars, “Grenade”

Mumford & Sons, “The Cave”

Katy Perry, “Firework”

Song of the Year (Songwriter Award)

Kanye West, “All of the Lights”

Mumford & Sons, “The Cave”

Bruno Mars, “Grenade”

Bon Iver, “Holocene”

Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”

Pop Vocal Album

Adele, 21

Cee Lo Green, The Lady Killer

Lady Gaga, Born This Way

Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Rihanna, Loud

Best Pop Solo Performance

Adele, “Someone Like You”

Lady Gaga, “You and I”

Bruno Mars, “Grenade”

Katy Perry, “Firework”

Pink, “F***in’ Perfect” 

Even if she doesn’t win all six of her nominations (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Pop Vocal Album, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Short Form Music Video), Adele Blue Adkins deserves every nomination.
CVS Midwest Tape Staff Pick: Overall Favorite

New Artist

The Band Perry

Bon Iver

J Cole

Nicki Minaj

Skrillex

Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday
CVS Midwest Tape Staff Pick: Best New Artist

Rock Album

Jeff Beck, Rock n Roll Party Honoring Les Paul

Foo Fighters, Wasting Light

Kings of Leon, Come Around Sundown

Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’m With You

Wilco, The Whole Love

Red Hot Chili Peppers, I'm With You
CVS Midwest Tape Staff Pick: Best Rock Album

R&B Album

Chris Brown, F.A.M.E.

El DeBarge, Second Chance

R. Kelly, Love Letter

Ledisi, Pieces of Me

Kelly Price, Kelly

Chris Brown, F.A.M.E
CVS Midwest Tape Staff Pick: Best New Artist

Rap Album

Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter IV

Lupe Fiasco, Lasers

Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday

Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Country Album

Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party

Eric Church, Chief

Lady Antebellum, Own the Night

Blake Shelton, Red River Blue

George Strait, Here for a Good Time

Taylor Swift, Speak Now

Lady Antebellum, Own the Night
CVS Midwest Tape Staff Pick: Best Country Album

So those are our Grammy picks. What are yours? Share your thoughts on the Grammy nominations below in the comments section. You can also shop the full list of 2012 nominees on our website now.

Every Title Plus Original Artwork Now from Random House, Books on Tape, and Listening Library

CVS Midwest Tape has partnered with Random House to provide you and your patrons with every audiobook from Random House, Books on Tape, and Listening Library, all with original artwork. These titles are now available for order via www.cvsmidwesttapes.ca and will ship in our exclusive SoundSafe™ case.

Additionally, we’ve developed new Customised Standing Order Plans that ensure you’ll receive a diverse array of Random House, Books on Tape, and Listening Library audiobooks as well as their exclusive content:

•        Random House (This plan includes all newly entered Random House titles and is delivered every four weeks)

•        Listening Library Quarterly (This plan is modeled after Listening Library’s quarterly SOP plan)

•        Books on Tape Quarterly (This plan modeled after Books on Tape’s quarterly SOP plan and includes all Books on Tape exclusives and select Random House titles)

•        Exclusives Only (This plan includes Books on Tape and Listening Library exclusives only and is delivered quarterly)

As is the case with all our standing order plans, you’ll receive absolute flexibility:

•        Plans delivered as carts via our website with email notification

•        Plans automatically duplicate checked

•        Easily adjust quantities and add or remove titles

•        No contracts, minimum order requirements, or obligation to order

Want to sign up for CVS Midwest Tape’s Random House standing order plans? Interested in further customising or requesting variations to the above plans, contact our Audiobook Customised Standing Order expert Erica Messinger at 1.866.698.2231 or emessinger@cvsmidwesttapes.ca.

Let the Best of 2011 Lists Begin!

As we approach December, publications and blogs alike have started sharing their Best of 2011 lists. Here's a quick breakdown of the "best of" lists that I've encountered thus far. Have you found others? Share them with us in the comments section below!

Audiobook
As part of their "Holiday Gift Guide," The New York Times unveiled their "100 Notable Books of 2011." Featuring everything from the bestselling Tiger's Wife and the raunchy House of Holes to the heart-wrenching Blue Nights and the thought-provoking Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness, this list is now an audiobook collection on our website.

AudioFile not only lists the best audiobooks of 2011, but also the best voices, providing a well-rounded celebration of audiobooks. Dividing their selections up by a multitude of genres, including author-read, this lengthy list is also now available as a collection at cvsmidwesttapes.ca.

CD
While Paste Magazine has shared their 50 Best Albums of 2011 list, Billboard is leaving it in their readers' hands. From Best Newcomer to Most Anticipated Album of 2012, Billboard.com visitors can vote for the best and worst of 2011. Polls close on midnight on December 8, so submit your votes now. Then visit Billboard.com on December 12 to view poll winners.

DVD
Want to know what flicks are fresh? Rotten Tomatoes have organized their Top 100 Movies of 2011 based on their Tomatometer Scores. Films have to have 20 or more critic reviews to be eligible for ranking.

Meanwhile, MovieFone has put together a gallery of their best flicks of 2011 so far. The gallery currently contains 25 films. However, at the end of the year, they'll update it with their final top 50 picks.

Bridesmaids made both these lists, making the film's "consider us" Variety cover even more timely. I know I'm definitely hopeful that this breakthrough comedy shines during awards season.

Experience the Difference: Audiobooks from CVS Midwest Tape [VIDEO]

We've revolutionized the audiobook industry. Let us show you how. Check out our new audiobook video:

The Joys of Visiting the Library

When you say the word “library,” some people will think only of books. While books are definitely a central part of the experience, frequent visitors know that the library has so much more to offer than that. Truth is the library is many different things to many different people. Let’s take a look at some of the different reasons people love going to the library.

Multimedia offerings. Yes, there are books. And not just physical ink-and-paper books; there are also audiobooks and e-books. There are newspapers and magazines. In addition to all the reading material, there are also DVDs and CDs. Some libraries even offer video games. So wherever your interest lies, you’re sure to find something you like at the library.

Browsing. The library makes it extremely easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. You can get online, search for the item you want, and reserve it, then just go pick it up. But, as Virginia Tech professor Brian Romans notes, there’s a lot to be said for spending some time just browsing and coming across something completely unexpected.

Cost savings.¹ All the items the library offers are available for checkout. Why pay upwards of $20 for the latest hardback bestseller when you can borrow it from the library? You can also check out an audiobook for a long car trip, see the latest movie release everyone is talking about, and explore new music—all for free! That’s something everyone can get behind, weak economy or not.

Job searching. Speaking of the economy, the library offers plenty of resources to help those looking for work. From books with tips on writing a résumé to computers to write it with, the library is a great asset.

Internet connectivity. If you don’t have a computer or Internet connection at home, or if it’s on the fritz, the library is the place to go. You can use a library computer or, if you just need a connection, most libraries offer WiFi access for your laptop or other device. This wireless signal may even be available near the building when the library is closed.²

Social networking. No, I’m not talking about Facebook and Twitter, but actual face-to-face human interaction. Libraries are community hubs, offering many clubs and activities or meeting spaces for outside groups. It’s a great place to get together with friends or meet new ones.

There are any number of other reasons to love going to the library. Speaking for myself, I visit my local library at least once a week. I love the smell of the books and being surrounded by them. I also enjoy being able to check out music by artists I’m not familiar with. How did you fall in love with the library? What do your patrons rave about? Let us know in the comments section below.

¹ http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/56428/eleven_ways_to_save_money_by_going.html?cat=46
² http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20111031/NEWS01/110310318/More-than-just-print-paper

Blackstone Audio at CVS Midwest Tape

This fall CVS Midwest Tape partnered with Blackstone Audio, and we’re excited to announce that we now offer all of Blackstone Audio’s titles with original artwork. Additionally, we’re providing Blackstone’s standing order plans combined with our program’s customisability. Our standing order offerings exactly match that of Blackstone, further simplifying your selection process.

Enhance your library’s collection today with CVS Midwest Tape’s Blackstone Audio Standing Order Plans:

• Top Fiction (10 titles per month)
• Top Non-Fiction (10 titles per month)
• Top Fiction & Non-Fiction Combo (10 titles per month)

Note: Receive notification of plans approximately one month before street date.


Like all our standing order plans, you’ll receive absolute flexibility:

• Plans delivered as carts via cvsmidwesttapes.ca with email notification
• Easily adjust quantities and add or remove titles
• Plans automatically duplicate checked
• No contracts, minimum order requirements, or obligation to order

To sign up for CVS Midwest Tape’s Blackstone Audio plans or learn more about all our audiobook order plans, contact Erica Messinger at 866.698.2231 or emessinger@cvsmidwesttapes.ca.

Are you excited for Blackstone at CVS Midwest Tape? What other standing order plans would you like to see?