Up until recently I was listening to audiobooks on the Audible app, but it wasn’t viable long term for me so, when I heard people talking about Borrow Box on the virtual book club forum that I’m on, I figured it was worth a shot.
The big thing to mention, and the main difference between Audible and Borrow Box is that the latter is totally free to download and use. The books are all free, you don’t have to pay a penny. This is obviously a massive plus. However (come on, there had to be a catch, right?), Borrow Box is essentially borrowing books from the library and so, as with real-life libraries, you can’t always get the book you really want right away, because somebody else already has it.
The most frustrating thing about Borrow Box, and the only thing putting me off of it, is the ridiculously long waiting times for some of the most popular books out there. For example, a recent release I have my eye on is not available to borrow until mid November – crazy! Having said this, it’s free, so waiting for that must-read is part and parcel of using an app that won’t break the bank. Plus, there’s plenty of books and audiobooks available to borrow right away, if you’re not fussy, and you can renew a book if you need a little longer to read it, or return one if you change your mind. 
It’s not just audiobooks either, you can borrow books to read yourself on the app too, which is handy if you find narrators a little grating, and opens up a whole catalogue of titles you can make your way through. I personally love audiobooks at the moment as I do a lot of travelling for work, and it means that I can get through books rather than mindlessly listening to music on the journeys. I also find it makes the travel go quicker, and it’s good to be expanding my horizons when it comes to books as I tend to listen to a fiction and non-fiction in duality.
So far I’ve had the app a month and I’ve finished my first book – The Holiday, which I found very slow burning, but I enjoyed it in the end (I’m not keen on the adaptation that’s currently on Channel 5 though). I’m now part way through The Flatshare, which I’d been meaning to pick up for ages, and is pretty good, if a little predictable so far. I’m also listening to some self-help style audiobooks, in order to become the best version of myself.
You can borrow up to 15 books at any one time (this includes ones you have reserved). Books are saved for three weeks, but you can renew the titles you are borrowing twice if you need to. I would suggest not getting carried away and borrowing up to the limit when you first download the app, as I did, because you’ll struggle to get through all the books, and you may end up having to return them, or let the reservation run out. You can search for titles or look through genres and sub-genres, if you need some inspiration. You can also add books to your reading list, like a virtual TBR pile, which allows you to come back to them when you are ready to read.
The app is available on both Apple and Android devices, and you can also use Borrow Box on a desktop or laptop. You will need a library account, or you can sign up for one there and then online. You can also share the app on your device with others such as your children, as long as they have a library account too.
I’d really recommend Borrow Box, if you are looking for an a less pricey alternative to Audible. It’s quick to download, user-friendly and gives you a wide variety of books to choose from.
