Monday Musings: Audiobooks

Today musing is focused on my recently discovered love of audiobooks.

Up until about 7 months ago or so, I had only ever listened to one or two audiobooks.  I've always had a tough time with listening to something and taking it all in unless I was pretty focused.  Plus, I need to write or at least doodle.  In high school and college I took tons of notes, the margins usually filled with random drawings and patterns and shapes and designs.  I didn't take all of these notes so that I could study them (well some of them I did), but because I found out that it was just easier for me absorb what was being said orally if I was writing--even if the writing was nonsense.

Let me tell you how difficult it was to sit through author visits and readings in college.  If I didn't bring a notebook and start doodling, I would loose my focus in about five minutes and my mind would wander onto different topics--usually anxieties--and then suddenly we would all be clapping for the famous author or the star writing student presenting his or her work.

So jump to about 10 years later and I just hadn't really tried to listen to a book in a long time.  I was however listening to NPR a lot.  For the past 5-6 years, I've been a proud NPR listener (and yes I'm a member too!), rarely turning to popular music stations.  So I realized that I had been training myself to listen to programs and comprehend them.  So I tried a book, only listening to it when I worked out (because when else do I have time to listen to something).  I actually started working out more in order to finish my book. Bonus!

Since April of 2015, I have become an audiobook fan.  They take me longer to get through because I don't have tons of time to listen, but I love that I can listen to them while I'm doing something else.  Who doesn't love multi-tasking!?   I find ways to listen to them now.  Working out, doing the dishes, cleaning, getting ready in the morning.  I'm also looking into getting a blue tooth shower speaker so I can listen while showering.  Is that a thing?

What about you?  What are you feelings on audiobooks?  Love them, hate them?  Don't really care either way?