Audiobooks are cool.
I have always loved the smell of books. There’s something about the texture, smell, and experience of holding them in your hands that makes my brain exceedingly happy. I realized when I moved back to Oregon that I wasn’t able to find time in my schedule to read like I used to, and I was leaning more on podcasts and playlists than books for entertainment. I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with those forms of entertainment, but I missed books. I was listening to storytelling podcasts more than anything, especially ones that focused on re-telling of classic literature, and I realized it wasn’t really what I wanted to listen to anymore, I wanted to be reading and not getting an interpretation of the text.
Enter Libby (libbyapp.com). I signed up with my library card and haven’t looked back. I fought against doing this for years, worried that it wouldn’t be the same experience and therefore I wouldn’t like it. While it is a totally different type of experience, I’d argue my retention isn’t quite as good either on heavy topics, it works really well for me. As I try to prioritize my self-care better, audiobooks have been a way to relax and fall asleep, a good grocery store or trail companion, and a way to keep myself portable while doing chores. For a brain that needs to get input so I can motivate sometimes, it’s helpful for me. I never realized how much I was holding myself back by saying they weren’t “real” book experiences. I’ve been able to read books in a day or two again, something I’ve not been able to do in a long time. I tend to read more fiction this way but have read some really great non-fiction this way too.
I did have a stop-gap between “real” books and audiobooks, and that was eBooks. When I was riding public transit an hour each way to and from work, it became hard for me to carry 3-4 books to work in case I was in the mood for something else that day, so I started reading on my phone and tablet also through Libby. I do think this was necessary for me to eventually move into audiobooks, as were the podcasts. I say this for people who are also struggling with the change so that you can see how my brain was able to adapt over time.
TL;DR Audiobooks are great if you don’t have a lot of time to sit and physically hold a book, but you may need some intermediary steps to help your brain there.
