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On this Sunday in September, nearly 90 people showed up to walk along the beach and listen to audiobooks together, mostly romance titles.<\/p>\n
(Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the clouds thin. After an hour-long silent beachside walk, the crowd peels off their noise-cancelling headphones and breaks into lively chatter. Sweatshirts and hats display slogans like \u201cHot Girls Read\u201d and \u201cBanned Books Lover.\u201d One attendee, Kaley Robinson, was listening to \u201cThe Briar Club\u201d by Kate Quinn. She describes it as \u201cabout McCarthyism and the Red Scare. It\u2019s a little bit of a murder mystery too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the last two decades, audiobooks have experienced a surge in popularity, which has been heightened in recent years by the pandemic and audio streaming services. In tandem, audiobook walking clubs have popped up across the country from Washington, D.C.,<\/a> to Tennessee<\/a>. Pao initiated the L.A.-area gathering after stumbling upon audiobook walks on TikTok. \u201cI saw another bookstore doing something similar in Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n Kaley Robinson holds a hard copy of \u201cThe Briar Club\u201d by Kate Quinn while listening to the title on her phone.<\/p>\n (Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Pao had low expectations when starting the event, but only three months in, it has become wildly popular \u2014 attendance almost doubling each month. \u201cI genuinely thought it would be me and five people. I was surprised by how many people want community within the book space,\u201d says Pao.<\/p>\n Pao explains that the appeal of the audiobook walking club lies in the combination of socializing and exercise, especially against the picturesque backdrop of Hermosa Beach. \u201cWe\u2019re getting exercise, but also being able to chitchat afterwards and meet more book lovers.\u201d<\/p>\n Because Fleuria is a romance book truck, attendees of the event are largely voracious romance readers, a genre that has received renewed interest in recent years, Pao says. \u201cIt has been the best-selling genre for many decades. Now, what\u2019s different is people are more actively speaking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Stephanie Pao sits inside her romance book truck, the Fleuria.<\/p>\n (Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Romance books are even more popular after the pandemic, says Fleuria owner Stephanie Pao. <\/p>\n (Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n \u201cA core tenet of romance is that there is a happily ever after,\u201d argues Pao. Precarious and uncertain times make love stories even more seductive. \u201cDuring the pandemic years, it was nice to know what you\u2019re reading would have a happily ever after. It\u2019s an escape for people now too.\u201d<\/p>\n While the pandemic prompted a renewed interest in literature, readers have turned to in-person literary events to build community in the years since. \u201cSocial media has helped push people back into reading,\u201d explains Pao. \u201cI love that, because I\u2019ve been a lifelong reader, so I\u2019m excited to help get people reading more.\u201d<\/p>\n Shyness is welcome at the audiobook walking club, Pao notes. There\u2019s no pressure to make pithy and profound comments. \u201cYou can be more introverted. It\u2019s not necessarily just discussing a book or having thoughts on a book; it\u2019s more about being open to talking to other book lovers,\u201d adds Pao.<\/p>\n In a culture where Amazon dominates the publishing industry, Pao hopes her audiobook walking club will make literary conversations more personal. \u201cWhen you\u2019re at Target or on Amazon, you\u2019re not interacting with anybody and chitchatting about books or getting recommendations. I think people are craving that a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n Andrea Hernandez listens to \u201cScythe & Sparrow\u201d by Brynne Weaver. She\u2019s decorated her headphones with a Fleuria Audiobook Walking Club sticker.<\/p>\n (Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n One of the attendees, Kelly Hernandez, is a new fan of audiobooks. \u201cI personally love them. It\u2019s a great way to get your reading in even if you\u2019re busy,\u201d explains Hernandez. The audiobook walks have allowed her to bond with the reading community. \u201cIt\u2019s honestly really relaxing. It\u2019s a way to meet other like-minded people who share the same passion for books.\u201d<\/p>\n While women primarily attend the walks, Pao jokes that the occasional man appears. On this Sunday, a baby in a stroller and a dog joined the outing.<\/p>\n Stephanie Pao takes a photo of her ecstatic book club members on foot.<\/p>\n (Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Walking alongside the beach, Brittany Brown and Tatiana Espy, two best friends, explain that they are on a health and fitness journey, which led them to the audiobook walking club. \u201cIt\u2019s a good collaboration of bringing like-minded folks who want to take advantage of the health aspect, working your mind and your body at the same time,\u201d says Espy.<\/p>\n Books walkers were listening to<\/p>\n Brown and Espy say the community element, trading book titles, is what keeps them returning. \u201cThe first thing we noticed was how kind and inviting everybody was. I feel like that\u2019s a reflection of Stephanie. That\u2019s the energy that she brings,\u201d says Brown.<\/p>\n As the audiobook walks continue to gain popularity, Pao looks forward to connecting the literary community in new ways. In October, Hermosa Beach local and debut novelist Lauren Okie will be joining the audiobook walking club. Her debut novel, \u201cThe Best Worst Thing,\u201d is set in Hermosa Beach, and the group will hike the tree-lined trails detailed in the book.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m genuinely just surprised by how many people want to do this together. People drive from Lake Arrowhead just to do this. That makes me so excited,\u201d says Pao.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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