Even if I have a ‘real’ paper copy of a book on my shelf, sometimes I will see if the library has it free as an audiobook. Why? Many reasons. I can listen to audiobooks at work. I can also listen to them in my car. And I love it. I can get through a lot of books in a month if some are audiobooks. This month I'm already up to 12 books read (a mix of audio books and 'real' books). They range from usually about 6 hours in length to 22 hours in length. But, I listen to them at double speed. So a 6 hour audiobook will take me 3 hours to listen to. I can easily get through one a day at work.
There are limits of course, and due dates. But I typically never run out of audiobooks to read. I have three different library apps on my phone. Here’s how to do it.
Log onto your city library’s website. Under ‘Downloads’ or ‘Ebooks’ or ‘Audiobooks’, there should be a list of apps that you can download and then link your library card with. That’s how you check out and listen to free audiobooks.
My library has three:
Hoopla
Libby
RB Digital
Hoopla allows 5 audiobooks per month, and they have GOOD ones. And new ones come in all the time (like An American Marriage, which is still on the ‘New Release’ shelf as a hardback at Barnes & Noble.)
(FYI....on my 'shelf' above, I DNF'd Library at the Edge of the World, and I never started Somerset because I realized I should read the first book in the series before the second ha ha).
Libby I mostly use to place holds on newer books. But I also currently have 5 audio books checked out now with them as well (all are books I have copies of at home, except the one right below):
RB Digital is the one I use the least. They have loads of older stuff though, which is nice. I currently have 1 Steinbeck checked out and 2 Hemingways.
I ONLY check out audiobooks from these sites, although they have an even greater selection of e-books. But usually I hit my limit with audiobooks, so I kind of ignore the e-books.
Listening to audiobooks is a COMPLETELY different experience than reading the book. Sometimes I think it’s better, especially if it’s a good narrator. And yes, I ABSOLUTELY count them as ‘books read’.
And best of all....it's FREE!
