Have I mentioned already that I’m usually late to the game, so to speak? Well, let me share some audiobooks advice with you. Don’t delay like I did! JUST this summer I finally made it a priority to set myself up to start listening to audiobooks. Why did I wait?? Having the ability to listen to an audiobook is REVOLUTIONARY! Take my audiobook advice; you need them in your life!

I didn’t set up audiobook capability primarily because I just never took the time to research it much. Trust me, I’m not lacking for reading material, so I wasn’t losing out, to my way of thinking. I also considered that I’d just be setting myself up for one more way to spend money on books. I didn’t really need any encouragement in that department. Where books are concerned in my life, money flows like cheap liquor at Mardi Gras.

 

Audiobook Access

 

What drove me to make the effort to acquire audiobook access? I was facing a tortuously long weekend of peeling wallpaper. Yeah, literally peeling wallpaper in two bathrooms and a kitchen. I was going to go crazy if I didn’t have something to distract me from the tedium of the job. Music on my iPhone is usually my first go to, but I wasn’t even looking forward to 8 hour work days of Florence and the Machine (while I worked like a machine LOL). Sorry Prince, Cold Play, U2, etc., but I was going to need more.

Needless to say, my literary world changed that weekend. The task at hand (wallpaper removal) was almost a rote, background action while I was immersed in the selected stories. The dreaded stripping, which consisted of slopping chemical remover on a wall,  peeling, reapplying, and peeling again,  was completely tolerable. Instead, I focused on what amounted to and entire  weekend of uninterrupted binge reading time! In that first weekend I listened to We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton.

After that weekend, I was hooked. I’ve since listened to a whole slew of books, some which I would not have otherwise considered. I would not have read How to Be a Bawse, by Lily Singh if I saw it on a shelf, but with it at the tip of my fingers on the Libby App, I decided to give it a go. As I’ve become more entranced I’ve thought about what I’ve gained. Here are my top five reasons why audiobooks are the new norm in my life.

 

 

Audiobook Advice: Five Reasons Why You Need Them

 

 Education and Entertainment

Reading in general should be a part of every person’s habits and lifestyle. I’m on a soapbox, perhaps, but if you’re reading this blog you may tend to agree. Reading provides education and entertainment to any who partakes. Downloading an audiobook to provide that education and entertainment is merely a different format to generate the same outcome. I do an exaggerated eye roll every time I see the online question of “real book or digital/audiobook?” It’s not even debate worthy. We can read, and we can choose to access text as we wish.

 

Convenience

Commuting, waiting, traveling are all opportunities to enjoy literature and fill what would otherwise be wasted downtime with a pleasurable experience instead. I like to take books with me where I go, but don’t necessarily want to take up space with them. Suitcases, purses or backpacks can be lightened with the simple act of downloading an audiobook to listen to during the ride or wait. Seriously, wouldn’t you rather be reading a book than getting sucked in by Facebook clickbait articles? Pretty simple choice, isn’t it!

 

Multitasking

Let’s face it, the world and our tasks in it create a fast paced, hectic existence. What a sad thought to think reading is relegated to an abandoned, yet wistfully recalled past time. Or for those of us who still attempt to read daily, it’s at the end of the day, struggling to stay awake and make it to the end of a chapter. With audiobooks, I’ve been able to squeeze in reading while doing other things. Remember that wallpaper weekend? That stretched into three weekends and during that time I completed 3 books. Walking the dog is now a quick 20 minutes of audio heaven too.

 

Money and Time Saving

I’m as bad as everyone else these days, I can’t even wait sometimes for Amazon to deliver. I succumb to the Instant Gratification Moster! There have been moments where I want a book, and by checking Libby, the library app, I have that book available for listening within seconds.  By using the library app, I”m saving a ton of money on books I’d otherwise be tempted to purchase. Money saving, time saving and getting instantaneous need fulfillment…..that’s a win, win, win situation right there!

 

Rich Experience

The experience of hearing a book read in the author’s voice adds an immeasurable layer of richness to the listening experience.  Not every book is read aloud by the creator of the works, but the added pleasure hearing an author share their work becomes a conversational experience. Maya Angelou and I “talked” quite a bit as she shared her life experiences with me through I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Right now, Angela Duckworth is taking me back to college while I listen to her read “Grit.”

 

The Only Drawback

 

I’ve struggled to find a downside to my new audiobook obsession. Truly, the only drawback I can think of is that when I’m listening while driving or doing other things, I can’t take notes or write down a quote like I want to do. Pulling over isn’t an option, stopping the book isn’t an option, so I just keep going. I’m seriously lacking in notes, as opposed to physical books or even Kindle (I use the highlighter, ALOT). Other than that, I’m one happy listener. So take my Audiobook Advice, and get hooked up!