Audiobooks saved my life

Summary

Samantha Bryant shares her personal experience of how audiobooks have enriched her life, allowing her to consume literature amidst a busy schedule as a working mother and writer.

Abstract

Samantha Bryant, a self-proclaimed book devourer, found herself struggling to maintain her reading habits due to the demands of her daily life. With the advent of high-quality audiobooks accessible through various platforms, she discovered a way to incorporate literature into her routine. Audiobooks have transformed her mundane tasks into storytime, providing her with the narrative sustenance she craves. Bryant appreciates the diversity of audiobook productions, from indie works to full-scale performances by renowned actors like Kenneth Brannagh. She often pairs her audiobook listening with the Kindle version for a more immersive and efficient reading experience, especially for book club discussions. While acknowledging that audiobooks may not suit everyone, Bryant celebrates them as a modern solution that has significantly improved her quality of life.

Opinions

Audiobooks are a legitimate way of consuming literature, not just a gimmick or a tool for those who struggle with reading.
High-quality narration is crucial and can greatly enhance the listening experience, as seen with Mark Hamill's reading of The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Audiobooks allow for multitasking without sacrificing the quality of engagement with a story, turning mundane tasks into opportunities for literary enjoyment.
The convenience and variety of audiobooks have made them a preferred method of reading for Bryant, despite initial skepticism.
The ability to listen to books has given Bryant back the joy of being immersed in stories, which she considers an essential part of her life.

Some folks say that listening to audiobooks isn’t really reading. But for me, they let me fit books into a life that is crowded to the gills.

When I was a kid, there were books on tape. I even had books on record, ones that gave you a tone as a signal to turn the page of the matching book. I wasn’t much interested in them, overall, though I was very fond of my recording of Ferdinand the Bull. They seemed like a gimmick to me, something not necessary for reading, something created for people who needed help with their reading, maybe.

Then, I grew up, got a job, became a mom, and started to try to have a writing life and I realized that 24 hours a day were not enough to do all this and keep up the reading life I was accustomed to. I’m a devourer of books, given my preference. I gobble them like Halloween sweets and, as soon as I put one down, I’m ready to begin the next one.

When I don’t get to read enough, I get cranky. It’s like stories are part of the fuel I need to make it through my days, and being short-changed was leaving me hungry. And I was going hungry a lot.

So, I tried audiobooks again. And I discovered that audiobooks had grown up while I wasn’t looking. In this age of smartphones and online access to anything you want, I can get high quality recordings of so many books! From indie productions like Blake Northcutt’s Arena Mode, which my husband kickstarted and gifted to me, to full-scale productions like the Signature Performance of Heart of Darkness as read by Kenneth Brannagh. I borrow CDs or digital downloads from the library. I buy books through Audible (I love those months when you can get multiple books for 1 credit!) and Chirp and libro.fm. I take the “add audible narration” option on kindle editions.

And my life is full of stories again. I can listen while I drive. I can listen while I cook and do dishes and do laundry. Unlike other kinds of multi-tasking which really mean that I just have divided focus on don’t do either thing well, this kind means that menial, repetitive and uninteresting tasks that are necessary to life can also be story time!

Sometimes, I have to back up and re-listen to a section, but that’s true when I read on paper, too — and not really any more complicated to do than it was when I was flipping back pages. When I’m reading a book for discussion, I’ll sometimes get both the kindle and the audiobook, so I can highlight parts that struck me for my book club.

I know audiobooks aren’t for everyone. Some people tell me that their attention wanders and they lose the thread at a frustrating level. The quality of the narration does make a difference and can color your perception of a story, for the better or the worse (like Mark Hamill’s reading of The Spiderwick Chronicles: amazeballs!). But for me, it’s been heaven on earth, giving me back extended time in the imaginary worlds of authors. I so love being a 21st century girl!

Samantha Bryant is a classroom veteran, now moved to corporate life, who writes in the corners of her life. Her secret superpower is finding lost things. She’s best known for her Menopausal Superhero series available from Falstaff Books or on Amazon. Well, that and her banana bread (the secret is sour cream). You can find her online on her blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on the Falstaff Books page, or on Instagram. Or check the woods. She likes to get lost there.