Download free Star Trek audiobooks to get you in the mood for 'Beyond'
All you need is your library card.
Excited to see "Star Trek Beyond" next week? Me too. And nothing puts you in a Star Trek mood like more Star Trek.
Of course, if you're anything like me, you've seen all the previous movies more times than you care to count. So why not venture beyond the films (sorry) and stock up on a some Trek audiobooks for your next long car ride, commute or dog walk?
Believe it or not, you can do that for free. All you need is a library card -- and a library that has partnered with Hoopla. This digital-media service allows you to check out movies, e-books, albums and, you guessed it, audiobooks -- and it recently put together a collection of Star Trek titles in honor of the TV show's 50th anniversary.
Your first step is to check and see if your library does indeed offer Hoopla. You can always drop by and ask the librarian, of course, but in most cases you can just visit the library's website and look for the digital media section.
Alternately, head straight to Hoopla's registration page, where you'll need to create an account anyway. It will display libraries in your area -- including yours, hopefully. But if yours isn't listed, try clicking one that's nearby. In my neck of the woods (metro Detroit), for example, my library card is good across a whole network of libraries, and that's how I was able to get signed up.
If your library isn't listed, try choosing one that's nearby. It might be in the same network and therefore might let you into Hoopla!
(Still striking out? Your library may be partnered with a different digital-media service, such as OverDrive or OneClickDigital. I can't say for sure if they'll have Star Trek audiobooks, but it's worth a look!)
Once you're signed up, grab the Hoopla Digital app (Android | iOS). Sign into your newly created account, then search for Trek titles.
Audiobooks can be borrowed for 21 days, and you can stream them to your mobile device or download them for offline listening. Your library dictates the number of items you can check out per month.
Hoopla's 50th-anniversary collection contains some 60 "Star Trek" audiobooks, everything from original novels spanning the varies TV series to novelizations of some of the earlier movies. You'll also find William Shatner's "Star Trek Memories" and "Star Trek Movie Memories," two must-listen titles for any true Trekkie -- Shatner himself narrates both.
Listen long and prosper, fellow nerds.