Summary
And no, it isn’t Lloyd! However, if it were, I’d never acknowledge it to him, as he would exploit any compliment to gain superiority. Ha!
Since childhood, I have harbored an immense fascination for books. My journey commenced during primary school when my mother unexpectedly visited my class during the day. She provided me with a Famous Five book authored by Enid Blyton.
I had never encountered the Famous Five series until that moment (given my young age at the time), and once I engaged with the book, I became captivated! I couldn’t cease reading until I completed that book and was immediately compelled to locate the subsequent Famous Five installment…
…and then the next. Following that, I transitioned to the Secret Seven series.
From that moment forward, a significant portion of my leisure time was devoted to reading.
In any case, the long story short is that I was truly enamored with books. Although, I was a child with ample free time, making it remarkably easy to delve into physical books back then.
Currently, (to be candid, it has been since I commenced my first “real job”), I have realized I possess less time to carry a conventional book with me.
The last tangible book I endeavored to read was Game of Thrones (during our vacation in Cape Verde). Yet, I consistently fell asleep while reading it. This was for Game of Thrones, mind you.
Approximately seven years ago, I made a transition to audiobooks, except for the rare instances where I could not find a physical book in audio format, particularly while working a rather monotonous job.
This job was such that it required minimal concentration, leading me to seek entertainment, which led to my download of The Godfather.
This title provided an exemplary introduction to the world of audiobooks, merging the joy of reading with the convenience of hands-free usage.
It is difficult to imagine attempting to read a traditional book in such a work context; I doubt anyone could manage that successfully without raising suspicion.
With audiobooks, one could simply don their earphones, and during moments of amusement, colleagues would likely assume one was thoroughly entertained by a particularly funny Excel spreadsheet (which, admittedly, was never the case!).
However, the primary concern I had with audiobooks was the requirement to pay for each one individually; in contrast to physical books, which can often be acquired second-hand at bookstores or discounted sales, audiobooks are typically priced at full value each time.
Consequently, the expenses associated with audiobooks accumulated quite rapidly, and while certain books may be reasonably priced, it undeniably dampens the overall experience.
Ideally, a subscription service akin to Netflix, where a single fee grants access to a library of books, would have been advantageous; initially, however, no such service was known to me.
As a result, I began downloading my books individually; the last audiobook I selected was by Mindy Kaling, taken from Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), which is wonderfully insightful and exceedingly humorous.
Recently, I discovered BookBeat (a mere two weeks ago), and it completely transformed my experience.
This service, which functions similarly to “Netflix for books,” finally fulfilled a long-searched requirement! You can envision my satisfaction upon finding such a convenient service for acquiring books.
My current read is a trilogy authored by Anders de la Motte (an author unknown to me previously), encompassing a Swedish Thriller trilogy. Given my enjoyment of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy, along with The Hunger Games and Divergent (despite my disappointment with the anticlimactic conclusion of the latter series), I figured it was worth exploring, and so far, I am quite pleased with it!
It’s noteworthy that I had not previously encountered authors Stieg Larsson, Suzanne Collins, or Veronica Roth before immersing myself in their trilogies, and I have had a rather favorable experience in that regard. I will keep you updated regarding the outcome of this current trilogy.
In any case, I am keen to continue discussing BookBeat, but I must prepare for my flight and would like to resume ‘reading’ my audiobook. It is highly recommended to download the free BookBeat application for your iPhone or Android device.
At the end of the day, this endeavor predominantly serves as a complimentary initiative, hence you have absolutely nothing to lose.
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