What makes RealSAM BookClub different from services like the RNIB Talking Books Library?
We’ve seen this thoughtful question come up a few times recently:
It’s a fair question, and an important one. RNIB Talking Books is a vital, long-standing service, and BookClub wouldn’t exist without it. In fact, RealSAM has worked in partnership with RNIB since 2017. BookClub wasn’t created to replace existing libraries, but to bring them together—and to build something additional around them.
Here’s what makes BookClub different.
It brings multiple libraries into one place
BookClub isn’t a single collection, and it isn’t charging for the books themselves. Instead, it’s a service that brings together multiple trusted content sources into one simple, voice-first experience.
Alongside the RNIB Talking Books Library, BookClub includes access to:
- Torch Trust and LibriVox’s extensive audiobook catalogues
- The RNIB Newsagent, providing accessible UK national broadsheet newspapers
- A curated selection of podcasts relevant to blind and low vision listeners
All of this is available through the Alexa speaker skill and across other RealSAM-supported devices.
It’s also worth noting that not all accessible reading services are free. For example, the RNIB Newsagent is a paid service, priced in line with BookClub, and focused solely on news content. BookClub builds on that model by bringing newspapers together with audiobooks, podcasts, and community features in one place.
Rather than choosing between services or platforms, BookClub allows listeners to move easily between books, newspapers, and audio content in one place — using straightforward voice commands.
It works across devices, not just one platform
Another key difference is cross-platform accessibility. BookClub content isn’t locked to a single device or app.
Listeners can start a book on an Alexa speaker, continue it on a RealSAM phone, and pick it up later on another supported device—always returning to the same place. It’s a familiar idea for anyone who has used services like Netflix or Spotify, but designed specifically around accessibility and voice interaction.
The focus isn’t on where content “lives”, but on making sure it’s easy to access, wherever and however you listen.
It adds something libraries can’t: community
Perhaps the biggest difference is this: BookClub isn’t just a service — it’s a shared space.
Each month, BookClub features curated picks, gentle discussion prompts, and an online community where members can reflect, comment, or simply read along quietly. There’s no pressure to participate and no expectation to finish a book, just a space to connect to others who read like you.
Built in partnership, not competition
BookClub isn’t about replacing free services or positioning itself against them. RNIB book services already exist across multiple platforms, and BookClub is designed to sit alongside that ecosystem — adding ease, variety, and connection.
Additionally, BookClub actively supports RNIB’s wider work. For every BookClub subscription, RealSAM makes a monthly donation to RNIB—20% of each £5 subscription, or £1 per member per month. Over the past year alone, this has added up to over £10,000 dedicated to supporting RNIB’s essential services for blind people across the UK.
If you’d like to explore further, you can view our RealSAM BookClub plans here.
Or join our online community here.
