Audiobook your holiday

While you’re driving, working out, on your commute, cleaning the house – audiobooks let you read when your eyes and hands are otherwise occupied, meaning you can absorb the world’s best literature while you’re on the go. Travelling at home or abroad this summer? With dozens of incredible local and international titles to choose from, the holiday period is the perfect time to indulge your ears and mind as you rack up the frequent-fliers.

Trade selections with the family on your interstate drive. Tune out from distractions in transit. Binge-listen the whole way through or take it slow and savour every chapter. Much more than just breaking up the boredom, choose well and the stories you hear and share will intertwine with the memories you create. Just for fun, here we’ve matched a handful of titles to possible vacation scenarios.
 

Long-haul flying to Italy: In the Garden of the Fugitives by Ceridwen Dovey

You’re packing for a trip to Italy (you lucky thing, you) and can only fit one novel in your carry-on. No problem. At a touch over nine-hours long, In the Garden of the Fugitives will cover at least one leg of your journey, and give your eyes a break from reading under fluorescents. And because it weighs exactly zilch, you’ve got room for an extra pair of shoes on the return trip. Win-win.

Country driving to Gran’s place: No One Likes a Fart by Zoe Foster Blake

Not too many kids crave a couple of hours holed-up in a car. So why not surprise them with Zoe Foster Blake’s (a-hem) ripping yarn about a fart with a heart? You’ll not only eliminate the grizzles, but also avoid succumbing to their nagging for screen-time – which you can bank for future bribery. And even if no one likes a fart, almost everyone loves fart jokes. Admit it.

Minibussing with mates to a summer festival: My Thoughts Exactly by Lily Allen

You’re making your annual pilgrimage to your favourite summer music festival and everyone’s on-edge, because the regular playlist pig is at it again. Solution: take back control with a little over six hours immersed in the extraordinary life of pop-star Lily Allen. It’s her story, told unapologetically in her own way, narrated in her own voice. So you can kill the time without killing the good vibes.

Relaxing with family at a beach or bush shack: The Girl in Kellers Way by Megan Goldin

What’s better than sprawling at your favourite holiday spot, face in a book after a long day in the elements? Truthfully, not much. But what about setting aside an hour every holiday night for the family to tune in to a chapter of a gripping crime story… together. Scrutinise every twist, investigate every avenue and experience every thrill in the company of people you can trust. Or can you?

Travelling back to your childhood home: Your Second Life Begins When You Realise You Only Have One by Raphaelle Giordano

Returning to the old home town can elicit a full spectrum of feelings, from sun-drenched nostalgia to looming dread. The sounds and smells of the family home. Familiar faces in the street. Waves of relatives. Old rivalries, relationships, heartbreaks and triumphs flooding back. You need to steady yourself – arrive with a positive mindset. So as you bus, train or drive your way home, breathe deeply and find inspiration in Raphaelle Giordano’s journey from dissatisfaction to fulfilment.