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Do you wish you had more time to read, keep up with the latest bestsellers or rediscover the classics? If your life goes by too fast for a relaxing read on the sofa, why not try an audio book? The latest MP3 technology has made the audio book more popular than ever with a vast number of titles available today, often with famous name actors reading them. You can listen to your audio book on long car drives or during your daily commute, on your iPod while out running or at the gym.

An audio book is exactly what it sounds like - a published book read aloud and recorded. It sticks to the text of the book, so you are hearing just what is printed in the original book. It can be read by one person, or by a variety of actors reading the dialogue of the different characters.

The latest Mp3 technology has freed up the world of audio books considerably. Whereas a book used to take up several cassettes or CDs, a long novel can now be compressed onto only a couple of CDs or into a manageable download.

You have two great, affordable options available to access a huge library of audio books online.

1. You can join on online audio book rental service that offers free shipping both ways and sends you the CDs of your choice to listen to.

2. You can buy your audio book as a direct download by joining an online book club.

Your choice will depend on your own listening preferences and maybe on where the title you want is most easily available. If you intend to listen to your audio book on your iPod or another MP3 player, then a direct download will be the fastest and most convenient option. Do check before joining a club that the audio downloads provided are compatible with your chosen listening device.

If you favor a CD format to listen at home through a good sound system, or in a car CD player then the CD rental option also offers a huge list of titles. The rental option can also be cost-effective for listeners who get through several audio books a month as they offer an unlimited number of rentals for your monthly fee.

Both these options offer 2 week trial periods at no charge so, if you are not sure which to go for, you can try each one out to see which works best for you.

Audio books can of course also be purchased off-line through book stores and are available in libraries.

Audio books are also great for children, who can listen to their favorite stories again and again and if you get them a copy of the book as well, they can follow the text as they listen, helping them with word recognition in a fun and relaxed way. This is also a great solution to the boredom of long car journeys for kids - a set of headphones and their favourite story on an audio book will save you a whole lot of "Are we nearly there yet?"s!