It took me awhile to jump on the audiobook bandwagon. Though audiobooks were a godsend when Sarah and Will were in the formative reading years (and even now Will prefers the audio), I'd always preferred paper and ink books to any other format.
That all changed when I decided to purchase an Audible membership. I'm not sure why I did it - maybe there was a deal going on? I think it was mostly for the kids and maybe the odd podcast for myself on occasion. Podcasts have been good training for listening to audiobooks. I started listening to them for school, then on runs, then on my commute, and now just about any time I don't have a book queued up. Because, don't be fooled: listening to books is a skill that has to be practiced and honed just like any other. I didn't know this during virtual school 2020, when I tried to keep Teddy occupied for the 4 hours a day that he didn't have school and the big kids and I were in class. I didn't understand that simply plopping him down next to the CD player, CDs, and their corresponding books was not enough for him to be able to listen to the illustrated Harry Potter series. He needed practice, and so did I. At first, when I tried to listen, I would space out or multitask and not hear a word being read. I would snap back into focus and have no idea what was going on. But, with some practice and focus for my fruit-fly brain, I can now enjoy books while I cook, cross-stitch, exercise, drive, eat lunch, or whatever else.
The awesome thing about audiobooks is that I can read twice as much as I used to. All of that dead time that I was listening to the same boring songs on my playlist or the radio has now been put to work. Here are a few of my favorite listens so far this past year:
1. Daisy Jones and the Six - Because the format of this book is an interview with a fictional rock band, I think it actually lends itself better to this full-cast audio than to paper-and-ink. I loved it just as much as everyone else who read it this year.
2. Code Name Verity - This is another full-cast audio and it was also phenomenal. Only the headings of the chapters were lost on me because of the audio.
3. Call the Midwife - Not a full cast, but the narrator was brilliant and I was fascinated by this collection of true stories of a midwife in post-war England.
4. As You Wish - I've had a crush on Cary Elwes since The Princess Bride, so I'd gladly listen to him read the phone book. This recounting of the behind-the-scenes makings of the movie is much more enjoyable than the Yellow Pages.
5. Finlay Donovan is Killing It - A lot of people might be trying their hands at a side hustle these days, but, unlike Finlay, most of us are not considering contract killing as a line of work. Mystery, comedy, and a relatable heroine all roll together in a frothy romp.
6. The Huntress - I really have a thing for World War/post-war titles, but this one was twisty and devious with its dramatic irony and Nazi-hunting plotline. Another single narrator who transformed into each character so deftly I didn't want to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
7. How to Raise an Adult -Confession: I'm still working on this one. Self-help is a genre I usually avoid, so it takes me a lot longer to read. However, this one should be handed out to every parent in our neighborhood. I was listening while driving back from Memphis after Thanksgiving and even Will wanted to hear more about the hyper-competitive helicopter-parenting that is the norm these days.
There are many more titles I will add to this list with time, but as a recap from 2021, these are my favorites. I can't wait for my run tomorrow so that I can finish up my latest book!
