Physical Books Vs. Audiobooks

Are you a “bury your nose in a book” person or a “curl up and listen to an audiobook” person? I must admit that until very recently it was rare to find me listening to an audiobook. There was an odd audiobook here or there, on family car trips or while working on a puzzle. Hilariously enough I cannot read any of the “Cat Who” series, I can only focus on them if I’m listening to the audiobook. I blame my mother, she had a large collection of “Cat Who” tapes that I would listen to while working on a puzzle on a rainy afternoon.

But for the most part reading is a sacred act to me, I love nothing better than to curl up in an oversized chair with a book and lose myself in it’s pages. There’s something cathartic about gently turning the pages, feeling their weight in your hand. I feel a connection with the books, it’s like I’m reading them with every person that’s read that book before (old books are the best, don’t leave me alone in a used book store I will cover my house in books).

Unfortunately (not only whole, only for my reading addiction) I am a working parent. I love my son, I love my job. However, this does not leave a lot of time for curling up in a chair with a novel. I still do it, not as often or for as long as I would like, but I still do it. This has led me to truly appreciate audiobooks. 

Growing up my mom would walk around the house with a walkman tucked in a fanny pack, headphones firmly on her ears powering through the 50 page neatly typed list of books she kept scrupulously updated in her nightstand. My mom like me was the girl who always had her nose in a book. Something being a homemaker (and when I say homemaker, I mean it, that house was f*ing clean), mother of two pain in the butt children and homeschooling them at the same time; did not leave nearly enough room for.

I used to think it was funny. Now I understand it 150%. I can get the 10 million things I need done around the house and still finish a novel. It is incredibly freeing.

My biggest break into audiobooks was a couple years ago.As traffic in Los Angeles continued to get worse by the day and my discovery that my local library had an app that I could download audiobooks on, connect it to the bluetooth in my car and loose myself in a book while sitting in traffic became more and more appealing. The reason I made it through so many books in the past couple of years is because I spend 2 hours a day, sitting in the car listening to a book. I have gone on so many adventures.

Now stuck at home I’ve noticed I’m not getting through as many books. Yesterday I came to the realization, I lost two hours a day of reading time. While in other areas of my life I have gained back those two hours. I mean my commute is 10 feet from my bed to my desk even less if I’m already in the kitchen getting coffee.

Don’t worry, I’m being inventive to get that time back, I’ve started attempting to level up a character on one of the few games I actually play and it is completely possible even optimal to listen to a book while I do that. I put my headphones in making dinner the other night and it was an intriguing new experience.

Physical books will always be my first love, my favorite way to devour the written word. Though I am eternally grateful for the role audiobooks have played and continue to play in my reading journey. 

However you read, however you are surviving this crisis I hope you stay healthy and well.