Alex Manson-Smith

Strained eyes from staring at a screen all day? Give your eyes a break and dive into these audiobooks instead There’s still a slight snobbery about audiobooks—a belief that they’re somehow cheating and, if you’ve only listened to the audio version, you haven’t really read the book. The good news is that there’s no need to feel guilty—researchers from UC Berkeley have found that listening to an audiobook stimulates the same parts of the brain as reading does.

Are your shelves buckling under the weight of too many books you’re never going to read again? Here are the five best ways to get rid of them Donate them If you can’t afford to make regular charity donations, then donating your old books is a painless way to give. But there are ways to do it that beat leaving them outside your local charity shop. One is to organise a book drive. One in four disadvantaged children has fewer than ten books at home.