If you're anything like me, there's not much better than a good paperback book on the weekend to set your mind at rest. But modern times make things more convenient—you can read an almost infinite torrent of books through your phone. But, arguably even more modern, you can have them read out to you like you're a kid in a library. Both are pretty cool ways to experience one of the best human inventions—the art of storytelling.
And Audible, probably the most famous audiobook company, just broke the mold in the bookstore scene. As reported by Dexerto, they've opened up the world's first bookstore... minus the books. And it's a pretty bougie affair.
Audible describes the bookstore as "a listening lounge and community hub where audio storytelling comes to life, offering a physical way to experience audio content beyond digital listening." It's a big store, too. It covers 6,000 square feet over three stories.
The store is free to enter, and Audible says that people can expect live events in there too. The store is open from Wednesday to Sunday throughout the month of May.
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So, How Does the Bookstore Work?
As you'd expect, the books have been replaced with a more digital representation of books. "Story Tiles", as Audible calls them, are small acrylic squares that "represent tactile representations of audiobooks." They're placed onto listening stations, which then beam samples of the audiobooks through the attached headphones.
But just standing there listening to a book would be a crime. After all, half the fun is relaxing as you go, right? So they solved that by having a few different places where people can specifically go to listen.
The Gallery has comfy couches and chairs so people can sprawl out and listen to their hearts' content. There's also the Dolby Atmos Lounge, a room with dim lights and padded seating, where people can listen to Audible Originals with a good sound system. The Listening Bar features "story tenders" who recommend audiobooks to attendees based on their tastes.
This sounds like a really interesting place to go, although I'm not sure if I'd prefer it over a good old book.
