Audiobook Week: When Do You Listen to Audiobooks?

The discussion topic today over at Devourer of Books Audiobook Week is When Do You Listen to Audiobooks.

I covered some of my “where do I listen” in my post earlier this month but I thought I would talk a bit more about the where and how of listening to audiobooks in today’s post.

When I commute. Audiobooks have as I have previously said, helped in a horrendous commute in the car, but this past year I have also used audiobooks to make a public transportation commute bearable. You see I find it hard to read on the bus or train. I don’t know why, but I have a hard time concentrating on a hardcopy book when I am on public transportation. This past fall I had to use the bus quite a bit and, although it wasn’t a long trip in the car for some reason it took over an hour on the bus (please don’t get me started on the ridiculousness of public transportation around here). So take a long trip, then add a bus full of teenagers (aka public transportation that doubles as the school bus) and I not only needed distraction but also something to shut out the noise, enter audiobooks. They were perfect!

When I run. As I also mentioned before I also listen to audiobooks when I run or walk. I find this to be the perfect distraction from being exhausted, also it has the added benefit of often making me want to go a little bit further so I can hear some more of my book.

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When I cook. If I am going to be messing about in the kitchen for a while I like to put on a audiobook to keep me company. I loath silence. It freaks me out. I often have one of the news channels on in the background when I am home by myself, audiobooks are better. They tend to not make me so angry. We also don’t have a tv in the kitchen so there I have to use the radio (which annoys me when they play crappy music, and don’t get me started on phone-ins), audiobooks gives me something to do and something to keep me from going crazy without driving me crazy ;)

When I eat. I often listen to an audiobook when I eat breakfast. I find it to be an excellent way to start my day. Plus it keeps my hands free. I have issues holding a book and trying to eat. I just can’t make it work.

When I play computer games. I love playing The Sims 2. But it takes time. A lot of time. And I hate giving up that reading time. Sometimes I can read and play at the same time but sometimes what is happening in the game doesn’t allow for it and then audiobooks are perfect. I can play and listen at the same time.

When I can’t sleep. Yes you read that right. When I can’t sleep I listen to audiobooks, usually books I’ve already read or listened to. According to iTunes I’ve listened to the Harper Hall Trilogy 13 times. And I have, at least the beginning of it. The rest I have slept through. Not because they are boring, but rather my sleeplessness comes from a brain that tends to race from one disaster to the next keeping me up. Listening to an audiobook give the brain something to focus on and it can actually shut down and let the rest of me sleep. For that I am eternally grateful.

Copyright ©2010 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.