Look Up While Reading: Keep your eyes on the world and entertain yourself with Audiobooks

Think about your day so far. How much of your time was spent head down? Do you know the cat threw up in the next room? Did you see your child run past with a lollipop when supper is only an hour away? Life keeps going on around you while you are eyes down in a screen. Many people think this is the only source of entertainment, but with an audiobook people can still be entertained and know what is going on in the world. Audiobooks have come a long way from the clunky tapes they once were. Now they can be found digitally, borrowed from the library, collected with subscriptions, or purchased outright and listened to through phones, tablets, and home smart devices. Following are 7 examples of how to pull your eyes away from that screen and slip audiobooks into your day.

Awake with humor

The thought of the morning treadmill walk just doesn’t appeal. Find your inspiration in a voice you can’t wait to hear. When Michael Ferraiuolo was brought in to narrate The Hitman’s Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love by Alice Winters, this LGBTQ+ novel became the chocolate book to his peanut butter voice. You just can’t have one without the other. The treadmill walk will become an exercise you look forward to doing.

Distract with trivia

The Anthropocene Reviewed was written with brunch at your Great Aunt Tilly’s in mind. Packed with factual research, any part of any essay can be used to distract Tilly’s rantings about how no one pays attention anymore. No one knows you have been covertly listening to John Green narrate his book through your blue tooth, but they all appreciate you changing the topic away from Tilly’s pessimism.

Learn something

Doing the dishes is a mind numbing chore. Learn something while your hands just mechanically move. A good listen here is Cholesterol Down by Janet Bond Brill, PhD. and read by Virginia Wolf. In the time it takes you to finish the dishes, you will have picked up several tips to implement.

Nap with the Classics

Always wanted to read a classic but never have the time? Pick up The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dums and narrated brilliantly by Peter Batchelor. Set your sleep timer for 30 minutes, and, instead of the light from your phone keeping your brain alert and active, as the story sweeps over you and allows your brain to relax you will be ready to sleep when the sleep timer quietly fades the story.

Prove You’re In-The-Know

Show the younger generation in your life that you are just as familiar with the literary heros in their lives as they are. When I learned my nephews were coming in from out of state, I found out what book they were currently listening to. Written by Jonathan Stroud and brought to life by narrator Miranda Raison, Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase is a thoroughly engaging spooky story filled with all kinds of excellent key points. When my nephews showed up looking bored, all I had to ask was which was worse — ghost touch or ghost lock? Like a basket of puppies, they scrambled over each other to join the conversation.

Compliment Anime with Lit RPG

Your child sits on the couch watching, for the 30th time, his favorite episode of his favorite anime. You don’t know Japanese but, at this point, even you can quote the show. You plop down beside him with your tablet, pop in one earbud, and turn on He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon and narrated by Heath Miller. You can be together yet still each be doing something you enjoy separately.

Dream in Character

Forgo lying in bed and thinking of everything that went wrong in the day. Set your sleep timer and listen to FOOL by Christopher Moore and narrated by Uan Morton. Morton does such a beautiful job of narrating Moore’s version of Shakespeare’s King Lear, you will think you are actually sitting at The Globe Theater. You will be sad when sleep takes over.

In Conclusion

Imagine you’re packing your lunch. You can smile to yourself knowing from Cholesterol Down that you are helping your cholesterol level. Replay the look of gratitude everyone gave you when you cleverly inserted John Green’s research into Aunt Tilly’s monologue and gave everyone a break from her pessimism. Audiobooks are often times overlooked, but when truly embraced, they can enlighten a person’s life in a way a screen will never be able to accomplish. At the end of the day, you were present to share experiences with everyone around you. You will have your own memories to talk about instead of someone else’s video you watched on your phone.