It’s no secret that I adore books. I tend to read 3-4 a month at this time of the year whilst I’m also studying, and I manage to get through many more over the summer when I am free to do so. However, I have never tried audiobooks. Until now.
I have been welcomed to the world of audiobooks through BookBeat. BookBeat is relatively new to the UK, having established itself in Sweden, then Finland and now we have it here in the UK. It’s been something of a revelation to me.
What is BookBeat?
Founded in 2015, BookBeat is a digital streaming service that allows listeners to find and listen to great audiobooks right on their mobile. For £12.90 per month, listeners get access to thousands of audiobooks they can enjoy whenever and where ever they have time. There are no commitments as you can cancel your account at any time by logging in online.
How Does It Work?
You register for an account which takes a matter of a minute or two. You will automatically have a two week free trial, but I can offer a one month free trial period if you use the promo code ‘READING’ to sign up here. And read on, as I can offer one lucky winner even more…!
Once registered, simply download the app onto your mobile phone, search for an audiobook you’d like to hear and press play. That’s it, listen and enjoy!
Each audiobook details its category, language, the narrator, a blurb, and the play time in hours and minutes for you. There are also ratings for some titles that have been reviewed.
The Appeal
For me, it’s utilising those times when I would not normally read to be entertained or to be learning. When I’m at my desk, getting housework done, relaxing and colouring, there are plenty of times that I have found to fit this in!
I love that you can stream or download as many audiobooks as you want, I was a bit like a kid in a sweet shop when I understood that I could really have as many of these as I wanted. They do save to your account so you can stop and start as much as you want.
There are a good range of audiobooks available. So far, I have listened to a thriller, an historical romance and a non-fiction history audiobook that has been really useful for my studying. There are classics through to new releases and you can search by name or title or browse by categories. It has had me listening to audiobooks that are by authors that are new to me, so it’s a great way of discovering new writers. It has also been a way for me to try those series that I have been meaning to try for ages, and now have!
I am always, always going to favour reading the good old-fashioned way, by a paperback book. I prefer to see the words in front of me and hear my own voice reading them. But this is such a great addition to this hobby, allowing me to enjoy stories or brush up on my studies at those times when I wouldn’t necessarily choose to read. I now iron, prepare meals and get other chores done whilst listening to audiobooks. I can see these being brilliant for commuters, too, and something I’d definitely have made use of when I used to travel for several hours a day.
Get Started with an Historical Fiction PlayList
This is my all-time favourite fiction genre, so here are a few audiobooks that I will be listening to over the coming weeks…
A Respectable Trade by Philippa Gregory
The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens
Sleeper’s Castle by Barbara Erskine
Devil’s Consort by Anne O’Brien
Competition!
To be in with a chance of winning a full 6 months membership to BookBeat, pop on over to my Instagram feed now and enter the competition there. It’s only on until the end of next week, so be quick!
What do you think about BookBeat?
Disclosure: Written in collaboration with BookBeat
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This sounds really interesting. Been thinking of getting an audio book subscription for my little boy x
It is so easy to use and there’s plenty of choice there x