I always take along at least two books to read whenever I travel. I have often hinted at needing a companion on my travels because solo travel sometimes is overwhelmingly lonely. However it is not always possible to have a travel partner. That is where the audiobooks come in.

And I do read and review books a lot. You may like to read my blog for book reviews here.

I recently discovered audiobooks by Storytel and honestly my perspective towards reading has changed quite a bit. Though I still like to read a paperback when I want to spend few hours in complete silence.

I realized however that if you listen to a clear impressive voice reading aloud, it can totally change the experience of the story. Imagine hearing stories in the voices of people like Konkona Sen Sharma, Soha Ali Khan, Rahul Bose, Anupam Kher, Reese Witherspoon, Alec Baldwin to name a few. And that is what Storytel offers; narration in voices of such accomplished performers!

Why Choose Audio Books

Do you remember listening with rapt attention to stories in childhood told by parents, grandparents while tucking you in bed? Listening to the audiobooks on Storytel is just like that; as if someone is sitting and reading for you. Along with powerful story narration, Storytel transports you to those childhood days all over again.

Scientifically, Audio and visual are much more powerful mediums of expression and that is the reason we remember most stories depicted in cinema. Audiobooks have similar effect. The narration of stories leaves a stronger mark on memory. It is more enjoyable to hear a story than a monotonous reading.

While reading has its own positives but choosing audiobooks gives you access to a number of books at one go and you can switch to listening to different genres. It also comes out cheaper to listen to audiobooks than buying paperbacks. A bestseller will at least set us back by Rs 500-Rs 600 but on Storytel it takes only half the price monthly to access books which are on New York times Bestseller list or nominated for Golden Globe.

With audiobooks there is no problem of storage either. You may or may not save as many books as you want or just listen to the story and move on to new book without downloading it in your device.

When and Where Audio books make a difference

Extra baggage is always a concern when we travel. With audiobooks that are easily accessible on mobile phones, it is possible to travel light and still listen to your favorite book on the go. These books are best travel companions. I quite enjoy some of the audiobooks from travel section, especially Less Ketchup Than Salsa, Arabian Sands and Paulo Coelho’s The Pilgrimage.

These days however, the pandemic has closed down all kind of travel. Most of us are at home though some are separated from friends and family, stuck in different cities across the world, alone. With these books from travel section, you can in fact travel virtually and dream visiting different places when world opens again.

Whether you are at home or stuck alone somewhere, I think audiobooks make a great difference. You are free to choose your source of entertainment. Other members of family too can carry on watching their television shows that you are not fond of!

Audiobooks are not restricted to any location. You could be in a room full of people or enjoying the cool breeze on your terrace or garden. Besides you can multitask while listening to the audiobooks.

About Storytel

Storytel, the world’s first streaming service for unlimited listening and reading on mobile phones. It hosts a repository of more than 2 lakh audio and e-books in about eleven languages English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Gujarati, Odia and Tamil. It aims to add more languages from around the world for its audio books for broader accessibility.

Features Of Storytel App:

Compatibility: The Storytel app works well with all smartphones and is available on Google Play store and iOS App store.The best part is that the books can be saved to read or listen later even offline. This is particularly useful when there is poor internet connection when traveling to remote places.

Genre:The app features a wide range of genres in many regional languages besides English. Titles from thrillers to romance, science to spiritual, biographies to history, horror and adventure, self-help, poetry, kids specific and more are available to browse and select. The featured books also include bestsellers and classics.

Endless Listening: I started listening to narration of Kadambari Devi’s Suicide in Konkona Sen Sharma’s voice and paused mid way just to browse more on the app. I discovered that I could listen to two or more books. I could start listening again to a book from where I last stopped listening to it. There is no limit on the number of audio books that one can listen to during the subscription.

Bookmarking and Sleep Timing: The app allows to add a note to something that seems important and bookmark for listening later. Another feature is of setting up a time to end the narration. The book audio stops at the set time, allowing you to doze off while listening to the audiobooks.

Kiddie Special: There is a kind of child lock or kids mode in the app which allows the children to access only age appropriate books with a dedicated audio book shelf for children. This prevents children from accidentally listening to horror or intense stories meant for adults.

How To Subscribe To Storytel:

Once you have installed the app from Google Playstore, you can subscribe with a monthly fee of just Rs 299 and have unlimited access to the stories every month. Quite a lucrative deal honestly.

Even more awesome is a surprise great news!! If you subscribe through this link on my blog you get a special discount and get to access the app for just Rs 375 for 3 months!! This is a limited period offer and it’s a grab!

App Review

When I first experimented with this e-books on this app, I felt it similar to other e-book platforms. However as I continued to use it, I was quite impressed with the audio books. The list of audiobooks available to listen is quite extensive. You name it and they have it!

With eleven languages to choose from, the app indeed reaches a wide audience and the subscribers have freedom to select their preferred language. I was definitely spoiled for choice.

While listening to the narration, I could rewind or forward the story. I could even control the speed of narration or skip a chapter if I wanted.

The app allowed me to share book details with a friend, copy a link and make an Instagram story.

I was also quite impressed with the high repertoire of talented artists who have lent their voices for narration of the stories on the app.

In all, the Storytel app is quite unique in its concept and execution. It makes for a great companion whether you are travelling or not. It is affordable and worth experimenting with.

I am tuning into it and so can you. Also avail a special offer reduced price for three months if you subscribe through this link on my blog. Hurry!!

Published by Shoma Abhyankar

I believe "Life is short and the world is wide"and travel is best possible solution to make the best of this life. I am Shoma Abhyankar. Welcome to ASTONISHING INDIA. View all posts by Shoma Abhyankar