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Monday 16 April 2018

Are you listening to me? (The rise and rise of audiobooks)


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.
Happy listening!

Bluetooth Earphones, TaoTronics Bluetooth 4.1 Headphones Stereo Magnetic Earbuds, Secure Fit for Sport, Gym with Built-in Mic


For the 20 best audiobooks of all time, click here
For some of the latest releases click here

5 comments:

WILLIE...! =(^..^)= said...

Audio books...NO! l don't think so...it's like all those types
of 'Kindle' books, everyone l've ever spoken to..hate them....
Saying..'There's nothing like sitting down with a proper book,
printed on paper, and turning the pages, one at a time'.
Silly though, l enjoy my music through my iPod..but l could'nt
listen to a book through them, don't really see the point,
after all, are'nt you supposed to absorb and get into a book,
can't see it, with audio...still each to his own..! :).

AND..I bought a book in a charity shop last Saturday...Very rare
l know, but l saw this book...by Arabella Weir..'Does My Bum Look
Big In This'(diary of an insecure woman). First published in 1997..
All l can say is...it's funny! :0).

And..I expect you've heard of the film..Guernsey Literary and
Potato Peel Pie...Being released in a few days time...20th April.
Runs for 1hr 52mins....Don't really know much about it...will catch
up with it later....
It's on line to watch..l think...

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6hwhys

WILLIE...! =(^..^)= said...

I also found another link to the film....

https://putlockerwatchfree.video/watching/The-Guernsey-Literary-and-Potato-Peel-Pie-Society-7993

WILLIE...! =(^..^)= said...

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6106776/ww2-nazi-guernsey-love-film/

Guernsey Girl said...

Hi Willie - I'm going to see the film on Tuesday and can't wait. It's great to see such an interest being taken in the Occupation of Guernsey. The Occupation changed my family's life forever so I might just shed a tear...

Elaine said...

I don't listen to audio books now because listening is uncomfortable with my serious hearing loss. When I could hear and after my husband's death, I listened to Pema Chodron classes and books over and over again. She helped me hold the pieces together during the fragmentation of grief--both her voice and her message to let all the experiences in.