Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is your chance to introduce yourself and your general listening experience.
Hi, I’m Michelle and I’m an audiophile. I have been listening to audiobooks for over two years now, and they have quickly become one of my favorite methods of reading. In fact, it has become almost impossible for me to work without listening to some form of audio pleasure. Thankfully, my new job is nothing but spreadsheet manipulation which means PUH-LENTY of time for listening. In the past few months, I discovered how much more enjoyable it is to exercise while listening to a book as distraction. There is no other way for those minutes spent on a treadmill, bike, or walking outside to all but completely disappear. I wish I had discovered this sooner. Can you imagine how many pounds I would have lost listening to The Stand or any one of the Outlander series books?
Yes, I am one of those lucky few who can listen to audiobooks while at work. Some people listen to music. Others prefer silence. I listen to James Marsters, Simon Vance, Scott Brick, Amanda Ronconi, or a multitude of others. It is the only way to make the tedium of spreadsheet manipulation and balancing of the books dissipate. I also listen during my daily commute, but that truly is a small percentage of my overall listening times. It is amazing how quickly the day flies when absorbed in a good book while working. (You get all those brownie points for appearing so industrious.)
I tend to gravitate towards thrillers and those books that I want to read or re-read but know that I will never get around to doing so because of their length or another reason. Sometimes, it is as simple as the fact that there is a book I want to read, I have Audible credits to use, and the timing mirrors up perfectly. I do tend to avoid YA on audio because I prefer my audiobooks to have some length to them, and YA are typically easily read in a few hours. If I am going to drop some money on audiobooks, I want to get more than four or five hours’ enjoyment out of them; most of the time, YA just does not fit that bill for me. It does not mean I will not listen to YA on audio. WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson remains one of my favorite audiobooks ever, especially because two years later I am still haunted by that story. It is just a preference for longer books when choosing audiobooks to download.
Audiobooks have definitely expanded my horizons on all fronts. I “read” my first Stephen King novel thanks to audiobooks and cannot wait to read more of his works. Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series was meant for audio, as was the Outlander series, and I have no desire to read either series in print. Audiobooks have allowed me to experience the castrati, post-revolution Paris, and a future Earth. Isn’t it time you add audiobooks to your repertoire?
The Stand was excellent. I'm really enjoying 11/22/63 as well!
My job isn't sexy, and goodness knows I will probably go blind from staring at numbers on spreadsheets all day long, but I would be certifiable if it wasn't for audiobooks. They make me use the other half of my brain while staring at all those numbers!
Yes, there are. Listening at work is a great way to multi-task!
I have never listened to a classic on audio. I do have Dracula waiting for me for Halloween this year though. I can't wait to experience it again with Tim Curry and Alan Cumming as narrators!
I've discovered I can walk while listening to books but running doesn't work for me. For that, I do need music. Lifting weights for me is all about the music too. I need something to make me feel invincible! LOL!
Yes, the days where I don't get to listen drag so slowly. As much as I complain about those spreadsheets, I wouldn't listen to nearly as many audiobooks without them!
That's the BEST thing about my job – looking at spreadsheets all day definitely helps facilitate listening and prevents me from losing my mind completely. I've been holding off on listening to the last two books in the Outlander series for some reason. I like the idea of listening closer to when the next book is to be released.
Davina Porter does a fantastic job with all those accents, doesn't she? I would much rather listen to those behemoth novels than read them in print!
It definitely helps the day pass quickly when you can listen to books while working! Enjoy Wintergirls. It really was a fantastic audio!
Kristin, that is how I am about The Dresden Files series. If I don't listen to them, and their fabulous narrator, I'll never get around to reading them!
I think I want to try a Stephen King on audio.
LOVE that you listen while you work! *high five*
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Finding audiobooks has been a godsend for me. It makes all the tedium of housework go by … and it gets me outside and walking because it distracts me from the fact that I'm exercising. How cool that you can listen at work!
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That's kinda lot of fun Michelle! Sometimes I listen to music while working, it makes me boost up my energy and enjoy. But with your experience with audiobooks, you got my interest in this kind of a daily habit. And there are lots of variety of books!
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Love that you can listen while you work! I enjoy long audiobooks, too, and am currently listening to a classic – North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. So far, it's excellent.
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I can't listen to audioboks while on the treadmill (I need my music) but I have no idea why I haven't tried them while lifting weights or on other machines – definitely going to try that from now on. And I'm a bit of the opposite of you, preferring YA novels on audio because of the fast pacing – but I do get them from the library – otherwise, like you said, my money would go towards some bigger novels.
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As much as I tend to enjoy writing-based work, I sometimes wish I had more work tasks that involved numbers or something other than reading/writing so that I could listen.
I love this post – and love that you can listen to audio while you work! I agree about Outlander – in fact, I'm looking forward to re-reading the last couple in the series via audiobook when it's close to time for book eight. 🙂
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I loved Outlander on audio! I tried to read the second one in the series in print, because I think I couldn't find it on CD at the time, and ended up skipping vast swathes of it and never really read it. I guess I needed that divine Scottish accent to bring the book to life for me. And, yeah, exercising without an audiobook anymore? Not happening!
Oh wow! That is a treat being able to listen while at work! Thanks for the Wintergirls suggestion. I've listened to a few of Laurie Halse Anderson's books on audio and have enjoyed them all.
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I just started listening to audios while at the gym, too, and it's amazing how you can quickly get so into the book that you don't realize how much time has gone by! I also love to listen to audios while doing work around the house, and while doing some of my job – which involves data entry.
I just started reading the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and listened to books 2 and 3 and now I want to listen to the whole series. The narrator (CJ Critt) is fantastic and I know if I don't listen to these books, I'm probably not going to get to them anytime soon!
Kristin @ Always With a Book
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