After years of fighting it, I finally listened to my first audiobook. I didn’t really understand the appeal so I avoided them. That is, until I read a great book, only to continuously hear that the audiobook was amazing. When I finished reading Daisy Jones and the Six I could see why it was loved so much as an audiobook. I thought it would be the perfect one for me to start with. It’s unique in that the story is told through interviews. The audiobook is recorded by a cast of actors and actresses reading for each character so you really get a feel for each of the characters. It didn’t disappoint, but I still liked the book better. I knew I needed a completely new-to-me book to give audiobooks a real review.
When I listened
Since moving to New York, Libby, the free library app, has been my primary source for books. I still love a good paperback but the wait times for the NYPL are insane and the hours never line up with my schedule. To avoid late fees and post-work sprints to make it to the library before it closes, I made the switch to digital rentals.
I started using Libby, a handy little app that gives you access to audio and e-books using your public library card. It’s not exclusive to NY so definitely check it out. I tend to download e-books from Libby and transfer them to the Kindle iPhone making it easy to read on the go. To note: I do have an iPad, but I actually prefer reading on my phone. Even with the smaller screen it’s one less device to charge and easier to pull out of my pocket on a bus or subway. Unfortunately, Libby doesn’t totally eliminate wait times. After waiting months for Daisy Jones & the Six I decided to only browse available titles for my next pick. I settled on The Nightingale.
The Nightingale is a LONG book, clocking in at over 16 hours in length. I had a nice little routine going where I would listen during my morning routine and commute. I wasn’t going through it quickly enough (it was due back to the library after ~2 weeks), so I ended up listening when I went out to get lunch, at the gym, and on the weekends too to make it through to the end before it expired.
How it got me into a morning routine
The best thing that came out of listening to audiobooks, is that it was the first thing to really get me out of bed in the morning. I’m terrible about waking up at my alarm, and even when I do I usually opt to lay in bed until the last minute. I got into a groove of getting up, putting in my headphones, and listening to a chapter or two. Instead of staying in bed too long and rushing to get dressed and out the door, it added a sense of calm to my mornings. I started making my bed more frequently, putting away my clothes in the mornings, and getting to work earlier than usual. I imagine a daily podcast (like The Daily) would have the same effect but knowing what I was tuning into made it more appealing to me.
Why it doesn’t replace physical books (for me) & what I’m listening to next
My only real gripe about audiobooks is that I can’t just sit and listen. While I love to tune out the world for hours while reading a good book, I just couldn’t be still with an audiobook in the same way. I found they replaced podcasts more than books for me because I preferred to listen when I was doing something that kept my hands busy, but my mind open.
However, I’ll definitely be keeping audiobooks in my routine. I didn’t love the narrator of The Nightingale but I’ve heard a lot of memoirs are self-narrated, so I have a feeling I’ll be gravitating more towards those kinds of novels and shorter books in the future. Becoming by Michelle Obama is next on my audiobook list!
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