My job involves a lot of driving. Even before this job, I enjoyed audiobooks on long drives. But now more than ever I read/listen while I drive. Here's a list of some books I've listened to in the last year and a half. Some of them were books I've read before and wanted to read again. Some were movies I watched that I wanted to read the book on which it was based. Some were recommendations by friends or family. And some just showed up as available and I didn't have to wait for a hold! There are a couple of books listed here that I haven't finished but intend to. But honestly, I didn't list all the books that I have started and didn't enjoy. At times, the voice actor/narrator just isn't engaging enough to listen to. Sometimes I can't get into the topic, or it's too heavy or philosophically thought-provoking to listen to in spurts of driving from place to place (for example, I find I don't get much out of scripture in this medium). I use an app from our public library. There are so many books available in audio format. I can't always finish my book within the twenty-one day check-out. Sometimes I put it on hold again, but other times I just move on. One benefit of audiobooks is that I can really enjoy all the details of the book - even during the exciting parts. On paper I tend to speed read, and so I often skip ahead too fast and miss out on experiencing all the details - especially when things get intense during the climax of a story. One downside of audiobooks (for me) is not being able to see how names and places are spelled. That is an important part of getting to know a character or place. On some occasions I have borrowed the paper book just for that reason.
I don't always have to listen to a book while I drive. The last few weeks I have had a lot on my mind, and so I stopped listening to books for a while. Sometimes music or silence is best. I've also tried podcasts at times or listened to other inspirational messages. But when I'm in the mood, audiobooks are awesome. I've also listened to audiobooks while waiting at a doctor's office or doing yard work.
So here they are, in no particular order:
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
*Note: It's one of my favorite books, but I was skeptical about the audio format. I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the narrator was to listen to. His reading of Dickens was fantastic.
The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King (BBC cast production) by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers (BBC cast production) by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring (BBC cast production) by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King unabridged by J.R.R. Tolkien
*Note: I started listening to the BBC cast productions on accident when I actually wanted to try the unabridged version. But I enjoyed the cast production so much that I listened to them first and then went back and started into the unabridged version. I would still like to listen to the rest of the trilogy unabridged.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
*Note: I read all the Harry Potter series years ago as each book was released and loved it. Listening to this series really helped me to take it slowly and enjoy all the details. This is where I was reminded of the problem I have with speed reading through exciting parts when I read paper books. I was reading parts of the books in between work days, and I found there were some details I missed on the days I read paper.
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
*Note: This is a prime example of an audiobook that I needed the paper book to look up the spelling of all the unique names.
Educated by Tara Westover
Time Jumpers by Brandon Mull
Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly
Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
Books are great. And I feel like audiobooks give me an effective and safe way to multitask.
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| While working, I saw these deer from my car. |
