Audiobooks – Why You Should Try

I’ve mentioned before that I love audiobooks. But I didn’t always listen to them. Growing up, I read a lot but as it became more important to spend time with my friends, my beloved books fell on the back burner. Music was for listening to and books were for reading. So, what changed?

I was into music at a young age. I remember anticipating Radio 1’s Top 40 on a Sunday afternoon, my hand poised over the tape record button. Hitting record at the beginning of my favourite songs and cursing the DJ for talking too long over the intro. Buying and pouring over the lyric cards from the centre of the Top of the Pops magazine.

I got CD’s for my birthday and Christmas every year, without fail. Singles, albums, compilations. My first of the latter was Now That’s What I Call Music 36. I’d play my singles on the family PC to see if it came with a music video.

I would take my portable CD player with me on every trip. Laid out in the back of my parents’ car for 6 hours on the way to Scotland with my headphones in. BBC Radio 2 was on in the car, but on the back seat, it was Christina Aguilera’s Stripped album. Being perfectly mimed by a 13-year-old girl.

When the iPod was released, I was one of the lucky first in my school to have one. It was my pride and joy. I would load music I didn’t even like onto it, just so my friends could listen to their favourite songs at school. They’d have their own playlists and allocation times to borrow it on the single rule; don’t get it confiscated!

Then, when Spotify came in, it was like you didn’t have to just listen to your own songs anymore. You paid the cost of an entire album for unlimited exploration in a user format so friendly, it led you to similar artists. You could easily stumble upon that song you could never remember the name of.

I stopped listening to the radio and gorged on all my favourite songs. All the time. In the car, on the train, when I was walking or at home. I created this monstrous playlist with just about every song I’ve ever liked. When the novelty wore off and I went looking for a change, I felt out of touch with the artists on the radio. I had gone from Britney to The Beetles to Bieber. Which made Bieber somewhat of a shock.

I was at a point in my life where I was trying to make the most of my time. I hated that I didn’t read anymore but with a busy schedule how was I to fit it in? If only I could read whilst I was driving…

When Toby mentioned that he used his commute to listen to audiobooks I was sold. I immediately signed up for amazon audible and never looked back. You know the feeling when you just can’t put a good book down? I went out for long walks, just to listen to my book. I listened to it in the car on the way to work. It was on in the kitchen when I was cooking.  “Alexa read me a story”, was my bedtime queue.

But, you know what my favourite thing about audiobooks was? When Friday afternoon hit and I would begin my drive to Toby’s. The work week was finally over, the weekend was here and music… had never sounded better. I could be belt out Offspring, Will Smith and Eminem along the M25 without a care in the world. The nostalgia was back.

If you’re looking for somewhere to start, below are the 5 best books I have listened to this year…

I could write an entire post about just how great these books are.

They’re classic, they’re nostalgic and they’re narrated by his excellence, Stephen Fry. Easy to listen to, easy to fall asleep to. Great for enhancing magical dreams.

One of the first books I ever listened to. Narrated by Mark Manson himself, this short book will make you feel good. Sometimes we just need a little boost to remember how badass we are.

One of the bestsellers from this year, I chose to listen to it and I had it on, ALL THE TIME. I loved the narrator (Cathleen McCarron) who did all the voices and accents spectacularly.

A beautiful book and another tear-jerker. This book saw me through many a bus journey. Set in Afghanistan, there were some words and places which I loved hearing the pronunciations of. It painted a vivid picture with its descriptions which is what I love most about audiobooks.

I was listening to this when we were in Vietnam and it got me out of the door for a walk or jog every morning. I found this book so interesting. It is everything, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will shock you. This book is also narrated by the author which I love. Who knows their own book better?

If you’re tempted to give audio books ago, here’s some advice to get you started. Firstly, choose your weapon. You can listen via the Amazon Audible app or if you have Alexa, you can link your account. Both are capable of setting sleep timers.

Use your free trial. Try it out for free and see how you get on with it.

Pay a monthly fee and in return, you receive a credit. A credit allows you to purchase one audiobook. One month = one credit.

Find what you like. I’ve been an amazon audible customer for a while now and I have listened to a variety of books. I’ve come to love fiction the most in this format. It’s a personal preference.

Use the samples. Listen to a sample before you use your credit. Make sure the narrator’s voice isn’t going to rub you up the wrong way before you commit.

You can sign up here & use your free trial. Amazon audible works in the same format as Prime in the sense that it’s super easy to cancel. If you decide you’re not using it enough or if you’ve got a build-up of credits. FYI it’s always best to use your credits. If you do cancel your membership, you don’t lose the books you’ve already purchased but you do lose unused credits.

With a year away from work and a lot of time spent on public transport, I have had what most adults might call, an unsavoury amount of time on my hands. I can’t read on public transport, it makes me feel bad. Audiobooks made my journeys so much more enjoyable.

I read when I could, listened when I couldn’t and found my lost desire for books.

What do you think of audiobooks? Have you tried them before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.