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Despite the growing technological panic at the cusp of the twenty-first century, my parents only owned one CD player. It was too big to move from the sitting room, so the audiobook was bought for me as six cassette tapes to listen to in my bedroom. At nine years old, I had already amassed an impressive collection of audiobooks on cassette - I've always struggled to fall asleep and need to be tricked into unconsciousness by distraction from overthinking and worrying. I had Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox and The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me memorised, and had been forced to give up my Thomas the Tank Engine cassette to my sister, who was, in fairness, deserving; she's younger than me and suffers from the same problem sleeping.
June 26, 2017
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It sounds like a cliché, but I've always loved to read. My journey into personhood was guided less by those around me and more by the worlds I inhabited and the people I met on my fictional travels. I wanted to be Matilda for ages. I genuinely thought that if I read more books my brain would become so advanced I’d be able to close my curtains without leaving my bed.
June 23, 2017
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It’s the final day of our book recommendations, and we’ve saved the best for last with six sensational stories to listen to! From crime to dystopian speculative fiction to humour, whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got an audiobook for you.
June 22, 2017
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When I was thirteen and wishing that Orlando Bloom would read me the phonebook (it was 2003, that’s the only excuse I have), I could never have dreamt that there would be so many books read by celebrities to choose from.
June 20, 2017
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With the start of April comes Jazz Appreciation Month. Listening to jazz music, going to see performances and exploring the history of jazz, are all great ways to spend your month. But we're here to recommend something bookish.
April 3, 2017
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If you think back to your childhood, what sticks with you? For many people, it’s those cosy times when they were cuddled up with a parent or grandparent, being read a story
March 27, 2017
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Watching a great period drama is one of my favourite ways to unwind. I’ve seen almost all of them – from Shakespearean drama to Life on Mars. Whether it’s pure fiction or based on real historical events, I love escaping into another time period for a bit. The only downside is the inevitable period drama hangover: that horrible time after its finished when all I want to do is jump back into that world again. Thankfully, that’s where books come in!
January 23, 2017
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It’s an all too rare occurrence that I find myself sacrificing sleep to keep the characters in my ears. The Goldfinch was such a book and, despite what I considered an all-too-soap-box-y ending, I thought it was wonderful. Two things happen when I enjoy a book to that extent. One, I insist everyone around me get a copy. (If too much resistance is shown, copies are procured as gifts). Two, I’m ravenous to pursue the author’s other works. To devour their back catalogue, to feel all shaken and entranced once again.
November 28, 2016
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It's Hug a Bear Day! If you've read the blog before, you might have caught that I'm a huge Winnie-the-Pooh fan. Well, I'll confess to you now, that whilst Winnie-the-Pooh might be my favourite literary bear, I love a lot of bears. By which I mean fictional bears, and cuddly bears, and fictional bears that you'd really like to cuddle.
November 7, 2016
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We've picked The Owl & The Pussy Cat by Edward Lear as it's such good fun. Some poems are profound and others are silly (this one's definitely silly), and it's important to remember that there's poetry out there for everyone! Whether you write it, read it or listen to it, poetry can have a really valuable place in your life.
October 6, 2016
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