My 30 Day Audible Book Trial

I simply love the feel of a book in my hands, to be able to flip back and forth and see how the letters form on the page. The texture of the paper and its smell. Oh my God the smell of an old book! It’s glorious. Even the sound of the pages rustling through my fingers as I turn each page… it’s the sound of early nights and sunny days in the garden and cold winter nights curled up in front of the fire. I also like to collect books, even though I know I probably won’t go back to re-read Don Quixote or Dostoyevsky. But I still like to see them, to think of all those worlds sitting there ready to be delved back into should the whim arise. So when The Duchess challenged me to the 30 Day Audible trial I said a big resounding NO. No way! I don’t even like my Kindle or reading from my phone. How on earth could sitting in the car listening to someone I don’t know reading me a book I’ve been dying to get my hands on, compare to having that same tome in my hands? Aren’t kids the only ones who have books read out to them? Weren’t Audio Books created for the visually impaired? Why would I swap my page turning for headphone listening? It’s never been my strong point anyway! Then I had a little think and asked myself… when was the last time I had time to read a book? Really sit there for hours on end and immerse myself in all those words? When I’m not working I’m with the kids, driving back and forth between errands, cleaning and tidying, shopping and running around. Basically my eyes and hands are always busy doing other stuff. But my ears aren’t! What if next time I have to drive an hour to a meeting I listen to a book? Or when I’m waiting for a plane or walking around the supermarket I can catch up on the latest chapter? So I said a hesitant yes. I will give it a go. In fact I’m off on my holidays soon and will have plenty of dead time to kill… plus my husband has his headphones rammed in his ears 24/7 anyway (listening to podcasts and iTunes, apparently, or just blocking my voice out) so now it will be my turn to do the same. Come back in 30 days and see how I have got on. Will I be a changed woman? Will the oral word replace the written word? Will my bookshelves get lighter while my downloads get heavier? I’m a little skeptical… let’s find out!

Note from the Editor: If you want to try Audible, click the link below to start a 30 day free trial. Keep us up to date with how you get on in the comments below!