Audiobook Walking Clubs Turn Solo Listening Into Social Movement Across U.S.
In July 2025, Stephanie Pao, the proprietor of The Fleuria mobile bookstore, organized an audiobook walk, anticipating only five participants but ultimately drawing a crowd of 50. Following this, a Long Beach event saw nearly 200 attendees. During these walks, participants listen to selected audiobooks for an hour before coming together for discussions. Kelsey Bettis discovered the Fleuria Audiobook Walking Club through Instagram and now attends monthly meet-ups throughout Southern California. Across the nation, similar groups are emerging, such as Morgan Menzies' Pages on the Path in Washington, D.C., which attracts around 30 readers each month. In Janesville, Wisconsin, Gabrielle Draxler and Amy Christian run These Books Are Made for Walkin'. In 2025, U.S. audiobook sales reached $2.43 billion, marking a 9% rise. Dr. Mariah Stump regards these walks as a form of social prescribing.
Key facts
- Stephanie Pao owns The Fleuria, a mobile bookstore in a book truck, and launched an audiobook walking club in July 2025.
- Pao expected five attendees at her first walk; 50 showed up, and a later Long Beach event drew nearly 200 people.
- Kelsey Bettis discovered the Fleuria Audiobook Walking Club via Instagram's algorithm and joined monthly walks across Southern California.
- Morgan Menzies founded Pages on the Path in the Washington, D.C., area, starting with one other person and now attracting about 30 readers monthly.
- Participants in Pages on the Path have ranged in age from 13 to around 80.
- Gabrielle Draxler and Amy Christian run These Books Are Made for Walkin' at Hedberg Public Library in Janesville, Wisconsin.
- U.S. audiobook sales reached $2.43 billion in 2025, up 9% from the previous year, per the Audio Publishers Association.
- Dr. Mariah Stump of Brown University Health describes audiobook walks as social prescribing that combines movement, outdoor time, and social contact.
Entities
Artists
- Kelsey Bettis
- Stephanie Pao
- Morgan Menzies
- Gabrielle Draxler
- Amy Christian
- Jim Dinegar
- Mariah Stump
Institutions
- The Fleuria
- Pages on the Path
- Hedberg Public Library
- These Books Are Made for Walkin'
- Audio Publishers Association
- Brown University Health
- Libby
Locations
- Southern California
- California
- United States
- Long Beach
- Washington, D.C.
- New Jersey
- Janesville
- Wisconsin