Audio books on eLectures: your reading corner in the hustle and bustle of everyday life

For some years now, you’ve been familiar with BCUL’s eLectures platform, which lets you borrow e-books on your favorite e-reader/tablet/PC/smartphone. Recently, you’ll also find a selection of over 650 audio books that you can stream from your favorite browser or download from the Aldiko (iOS or Android) or Thorium (laptop) app. For streaming, we recommend web browsers such as Firefox, Chrome or Safari, as ebook reading applications don’t always support it. If you have any technical questions, please consult this article.

This offer complements the 2000 audio books available for loan at the BCUL, Riponne site.

You’re going to tell me that frankly :

1. we’re not children anymore, we don’t need to be held by the hand and told stories.
2. It’s bad enough that we no longer read from books but from screens, but if now we no longer read texts but listen to them… where are we headed?
3. when I want to read a book, I take the time and read a book; otherwise, I listen to a podcast or the radio.

So let me suggest that you take a deep breath and put yourself in a situation:

“It’s 5am, Paris is waking up”… yes, well it’s 6am, I’m waking up upside down, I’m really not in Paris and I have to catch this crowded bus to the station to catch this crowded train to work. These are not the ideal conditions to let yourself be carried away by the sweetness of literature. I can’t see myself taking out my book, standing in the subway… It’s a long way from the plaid, by the fire, with the sound of autumn rain hitting the bay window facing the nature you’d expect to plunge into the pile of books you’ve been waiting to read for months. And that’s a shame, because it would have made a great Instagram photo with the caption: “Finally some time to myself! #lectureaucoindufeu #momentpourmoi #unlivredeslivres”.

But even this busy daily routine can be softened by a soothing read, with your hands in your pockets, isolated from the hustle and bustle by headphones firmly screwed on your ears. The beauty of audiobooks is that you can let yourself be carried along by the voices of professional actors and actresses, who will help you to reduce both the pile of books waiting to be read and the mental load of your daily obligations. And if it works on public transport, there’s no reason why you can’t also take advantage of it when you’re out shopping, running miles or taking the kids to judo/painting/flute/football/dance classes. Wherever you are, André Dussollier’s voice could take you into Philippe Delerm‘s words… as if you were at the fireside… or almost.

Enjoy listening and reading.

Christophe Bezençon, Riponne site.