Summer is officially here and for many of us that’s a time to get out into the sunshine. It can be a great time to get some reading done but is quite tricky when you’ve popped on your gardening gloves or are taking a minute to sunbathe in the garden to actually do it.
However, there’s a solution that allows you to reach your reading goals without having to even touch a book – letting you read all summer without lifting a finger. Audible, Amazon’s audiobook service, has recently launched an offer that lets Prime members enjoy not just their first month for free, but their first three months. After this period, the service costs £7.99 per month on a rolling contract until you decide to cancel.
Each month, subscribers receive one credit, which can be used to purchase any book on the site. If you start a book and realise it’s not to your liking, you can get a full refund of the credit and immediately use it to buy another book.
But it’s not just one book per month that you can add to your library. The Plus Catalogue, available to subscribers, offers countless hours of books, from classics to modern options that you might expect to see on Kindle Unlimited.
Additionally, there are numerous podcasts and Amazon Originals exclusive to the platform. Some book series are even bundled together for the price of a single credit – allowing you four for the price of one.
Our in-house bibliophile, Jada Jones, recently took a summer vacation to France, where she swapped found herself putting down her Kindle for the sake of an audiobook. She said: “I listened to Yellowface on a trip this month and it was great. When it was time to tan my back I didn’t have to worry about pausing my reading and it meant I flew through the book.
“I’d been telling my friend all about it and we listened along to some of the later chapters in our hotel room – it was so fun having live reactions with someone else who was experiencing the book with me in the same way. It’s a great way to read when you’re travelling.”
For those still mulling over whether to try out the service, now’s a great time as there’s a 90-day no-charge window where you can cancel at any point if it doesn’t suit you. You can join Audible here, with a monthly fee of £7.99 after your complimentary trial. Alternatively, Kobo offers a combined reading and listening package at £11.99 per month.
