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Audiobooks have come a long way since their humble beginnings in the 1930s. Despite facing skepticism and the stigma of not being a “true reading experience”, audiobooks are now rapidly increasing in popularity. At Listening Books, we know that audiobooks have countless benefits: from relieving stress and anxiety to enhancing literacy skills for people who cannot access print books, audiobooks can truly make the world of difference. Join us as we look at the history of audiobooks and the reasons behind their growth in popularity over time!
February 19, 2024
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Did you know that you have access to thousands of newspapers and magazines as a Listening Books member? That’s right – we don’t stop with audiobooks. Through PressReader, you can find almost any newspaper or magazine you can imagine! There are absolutely no restrictions, no extra charges, and – best of all – it won’t affect your audiobook allocation! With so much choice, it might be hard to know where to start, so the Listening Books Team have got together to highlight just some of our favourites in the catalogue and provide some helpful tips you might not know about. Simply log-in via the Listening Books website to access all of our recommendations and thousands more!
October 25, 2023
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Listening Books have been proudly supporting schools with our audiobook lending service for over 20 years! But did you know that we have recently improved our offer for schools? We’ve built a brand-new teacher dashboard, filled with fantastic resources to get students listening to stories! Read on for the best bits of what you can now achieve thanks to this exciting update.
May 20, 2022
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Audiobooks are beneficial for so many people for such a variety of reasons. For Sarah, after she lost her sight, they became a solace and a new way to access reading. She talks about her experience, her favourite audiobooks, and volunteering for Listening Books!
November 20, 2019
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This year, the UK is celebrating Banned Books Week to highlight the history of censorship. One of the most famous examples is Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence. The book was famously banned in the UK because of its explicit content. In 1960, Penguin Books won a court case to publish it due to the 'Obscene Publications Act'. This act said that any book considered obscene but with "redeeming social merit" could be published. After six days, the jury found the book was not obscene. It sold out across the UK on the first day of publication, with 200,000 copies bought. Almost 60 years on, this is considered a landmark case that represented the end of an era.
September 25, 2017
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On this Blue Monday, we're here with a pick-me-up. We love authors and the wonderful books they write. And what do authors love? Their pets. So here are some of the cutest and most lovely animals, along with what their talented owners write.
January 16, 2017
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Bill Bryson has written over twenty non-fiction books covering topics as diverse as history, travel, science and Shakespeare. Holly Newson spoke to Bill about family, the inspiration behind his writing, and his changing perspective on the United Kingdom.
July 5, 2016
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Today is National Libraries Day! All over the country, people are celebrating what makes our libraries special. And in the face of funding cuts and widespread library closures in the UK, showing your support for libraries is more important now than ever.
February 6, 2016
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