New audiobook platform supports local bookstores

Melia Grasska
Mon, 02 May 2022 02:21:00 +0000
Music, Audiobook, Affiliate

Local independent bookstores are often a safe haven for readers who navigate the maze of finely packed shelves searching for their next great adventure. With thoughtful curation, dedicated expertise and a sprinkle of whimsy, these businesses help us turn the page that much quicker. But as page-turning quickly evolves into scrolling and oftentimes streaming, the way we buy books similarly needs a more modern approach.

That's why Libro.fm has been fine-tuning the audiobook industry and handing the mic back over to local shops who strive to create jobs, keep money within their communities and give back to their neighborhoods. With every audiobook bought through Libro.fm, you can help support local bookstores.

Country Bookshelf / Bozeman, MT – courtesy of Libro.fm

Here's how it works: Libro.fm lets you buy audiobooks a la carte or through a monthly membership. You sign up and create your account, and in doing so, you choose a bookstore that you'd like to support from their list of independent shops. Each time you make a purchase, the bookstore of your choice gets a portion of the sale. We know—shopping local has never been so easy!

Sign up here and use the code UPWORTHY to get a free audiobook when you start your membership! And if you're still unsure of what to read, Libro.fm has you covered. With playlists curated by booksellers, you can find your next great read from the independent voices you trust in your community and in other communities across the nation.

If you're still looking for alternate inspiration, here are a few of Upworthy's top reads right now:

1. How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur includes "The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question"... at least according to the subtitle. The funny, accessible work touches on the questions of ethical living much like the author's hit TV show, "The Good Place." And with audiobook narration and cameos from much of the cast, it's no wonder this book is at the top of our list.

2. A Beautiful Work In Progress by Mirna Valerio focuses on one runner's guide to break stereotypes, find body positivity and dismantle prejudice all while running races across the country. This memoir uses raw honesty, adventure and a sharp sense of humor to take readers on a journey from being a first-time racer to an ultramarathon runner.

3. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune discusses life, death and what it is to finding meaning in both. Before crossing over to the afterlife, Wallace's spirit is given a week to get his affairs in order and winds up living a lifetime. An uplifting, quirky, fictional work that discusses what it is to live a life.

4. Untamed by Glennon Doyle, "the patron saint of female empowerment," writes her tell-all memoir in which she discusses finding love, finding oneself and finding freedom from societal pressures imposed on women. As Doyle insists, "the braver we are, the luckier we become" and this work follows her journey stepping into courage and building the life she wanted.

Happy reading!