Are you a fan of audiobooks? Do you listen to them while you're on the train or at the gym? If so, it seems you've bought into the fastest growing market in the book trade.
Sales of audiobooks have doubled in the past five years, according to Nielsen Bookscan figures revealed at the London Book Fair this week. Surprisingly, commuters and men aged twenty-five to fourty-four account for most of that increase.
And now I'm joining them! Advised by my optician to reduce the amount of time I spend online, and with an everlasting penchant for e-books and paperbacks, I don't want my reading to suffer. So what better way of relaxing than let someone else do the talking?
It's easy to see why the trend is so popular. You can listen on your smartphone, kindle, iPad or tablet and even on your computer. And consider the benefits to people with impaired vision, or those just too tired to read after a long day at work.
I am not a fan of audiobooks for children as I prefer bedtime stories read by mum, dad, aunties, friends and babysitters, though they might come in handy on a long car journey.
As for the narrators, many of them are experienced actors and actresses, but some authors read their own novels and that's something I would love to do.
If you have a favourite audiobook, please let me know in the comments section. If you are an author, please send a link and I'll do my best to include it in my next blog post.
It's easy to see why the trend is so popular. You can listen on your smartphone, kindle, iPad or tablet and even on your computer. And consider the benefits to people with impaired vision, or those just too tired to read after a long day at work.
I am not a fan of audiobooks for children as I prefer bedtime stories read by mum, dad, aunties, friends and babysitters, though they might come in handy on a long car journey.
As for the narrators, many of them are experienced actors and actresses, but some authors read their own novels and that's something I would love to do.
If you have a favourite audiobook, please let me know in the comments section. If you are an author, please send a link and I'll do my best to include it in my next blog post.
Happy listening!
For the 20 best audiobooks of all time, click here
For some of the latest releases click here
