The Village Bookshop

An Audible Bedtime Story

By: Josie Adams, Audible Sleep

Narrated by: Simu Liu

Audible's Bedtime Stories are designed to let you drift off with no nagging feeling that you need to listen through to the end. Their purpose is to let you slowly fall into peaceful, restful sleep.

Gabriel, the devoted keeper of The Village Bookshop, tends to his shelves with quiet reverence, knowing that books are more than ink and paper—they’re lanterns in dark places, stories waiting to be found. And then there’s Poe, the bookshop’s enigmatic, ink-black cat. More than a companion, she’s the shop’s silent guardian, watching over it as if she alone understands its quiet magic. Those who step inside may not always know what they’re searching for, but in this shop, books have a way of finding their readers.

©2025 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2026 Audible Originals, LLC.

Dream-like story telling

I found this title to be well worth the time spent listening. I did doze off once, or my pregnant neighbor dropped by briefly, and I woke again, not again with pregnant neighbor. So it meets my interest needs, to hold my attention, and I'm enjoying the story, so I'll listen again. The narrator has a wonderful voice to listen too, it's masculine but also soothing and comfortable. I wish he could be here when I meditate or just to read every book In my library when I want to recall this relaxing, mindful meditation story.

I will definitely be listening again, as a piece of my permanent library.

Not polished, but still a charming bookshop tale

The Village Bookshop is a charming, multilayered tale that lures you into the rooms and shelves of a magical old bookshop, with bookish visitors, dragons and a guardian feline. Puzzling misuse of plural pronouns didn't take away from the beauty of this cute little short story. The steep $6 price for this wee 64-minute book was a stretch ... but I'm unrepentantly fiscally irresponsible with any title connected with bookshops or libraries.

The reader is good -- not a polished, seasoned narrator, but a calming, friendly and very listenable voice.

The all-time best bedtime story is still probably The Tea Shoppe, also by Josie Adams, with amazing narrator Nicola Barber.

The secret of books

what a wonderful, peaceful, magical journey into the corners of a bookshop. its hard to find one of thsee shops with one of these owners anymore. its all about the narration as well.

Perfect

I listened to a few Audible Sleep and this is my favorite. The Narrators voice is clear and relaxing. The story is imaginative and I can put myself there. There isn't much of a plot, but a lot of description which an Audible Sleep should be. I don't think I have listened to the entire story, because I fell asleep. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer.

reading is too fast

I had to listen on .8 speed n still felt it was read too fast, not great for relaxing