Did you know that audio books are becoming more and more popular by each day? For example, in 2004, over $124 million worth of audio books were sold in the UK and $120 million in Germany during 2005. Experts say that this year the market is expected to rise by 20% in Europe, and audio books seem to be even more popular in the USA. A survey showed a 6 % increase over 2005 with audio book sales now estimated at $923 million.

Now you can download audio books and listen to your favorite book on your computer or on CD whenever and wherever you want. You can listen to someone else read while you do other activities and enjoy the story. Many fictional audio books are narrated by famous actors or people with intriguing voices to bring the characters of the book to life. So, you can listen to your favorite audio books about romance, comedy, suspense, or even horror stories with a sense of 'being there' and living out the story!'

If you love reading but don't have enough time, these books can give you the opportunity to read many more books that you would otherwise have time for. Such books are a great way to fill the "dead" moments we all have in our lives.

Books are good for older people. Numerous public libraries have in recent years chiefly concentrated on promoting literacy and reading skills, and thus on children and adolescents as their target group. But now another target group is increasingly becoming the focus of their attention: senior citizens.

In order to meet the requirements of the rediscovered target group, many libraries have expanded their stock. The interests of elderly people lie mainly in historical and biographical novels as well as travel books. Senior citizens also visit libraries looking for reference books and guidebooks on subjects such as computers, medicine, psychology, law and society. Libraries have responded to these needs, as well as to the failing eyesight of the elderly, by purchasing a growing number of not only large print but also audio books.

These books can be a blessing for blind people, disabled people or people with impaired vision. Everyone should have the chance to experience and enjoy a book and in many cases, this is the only way for such persons to do it. Spoken books can help these people improving their education, help them developing new hobbies and habits and greatly enriching their life, both personally and professionally.

The most important skill a child can ever acquire is probably the ability to read, and books can be easily used to stimulate literacy in children. Books can be listened to by children while following the story in the paper book. Or they could listen just to gain and improve vocabulary and communication skills. If you want to instill in your child the love of reading, books can be an excellent start.

NoPaperback is the blog of Audado.com. Audado offers over 5,000 downloadable audio books from major publishers such as BBC, Harper-Collins, Simon and Schuster, and Time Warner. Books are organized by categories like biography, fiction, history, humor, religion, and self help.