Give audiobooks a shot to help pass the time

A while back, my husband and I were traveling to California and as we started our trip, I started a new book, “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman.

In my own little world, earbuds in place, I couldn’t control my giggles and gasps. My husband repeatedly asked, “What?”

Fed up, I finally said, “either we are going to listen together or you’re going to let me do so in peace.”

He chose the former and that began one of the best road trips of our marriage with a lot of laughing, a little crying and what turned out to be a great book.

Which brings me to my point: my love of audiobooks. Most of us started our childhoods being read to and loving every second of it. Now that we are grown, should that pleasure no longer be enjoyed?

If you don’t enjoy reading books or you like to read but have never tried an audiobook, here are my reasons why you should give them a try:

1) Multitasking. Nothing makes the mundane more enjoyable than a great book. Listening on my phone, I can go from room to room cooking, cleaning, exercising, putting on make-up or fixing my hair.

2) The miles fly by without commercials. My commutes are a breeze when I am lost in a book. I love learning about history (nonfiction), my favorite actors/athletes/authors (biographies), or the spellbinding escape of fictional works, while never being bothered by “an important message from our sponsor.”

3) “And the Audie goes to ...” If you haven’t heard Sissy Spacek’s reading of, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” you are missing out. Another one of my favorites is Cary Elwes’ “As You Wish” about his experience filming “The Princess Bride.” It features the voices of Billy Crystal, Robin Wright, and Rob Reiner; need I say more?

4) So many books, so little time. I read at a decent speed but thanks to the “Libby app” I can increase the speed a book is being read. This is a handy feature for covering more ground or skipping boring parts.

5) “Throw another shrimp on the barbie, mate.” I can’t lie, when a book is written by a British or Australian author and narrated by a Brit or an Aussie, the accents make for fun and authentic listening.

6) Tune it out. We have all experienced a chatty neighbor on a plane, or people behind you deep in annoying and loud conversation. Problem solved with a great audiobook and a pair of earbuds.

7) I can’t see! Ok, I’ll admit it, I’m getting old. With audiobooks, it doesn’t matter if you can’t read yet or your vision is failing. From 8 months to 88 years old, if you can hear, you can read.

8) “Chillax.” Last month I ordered a paint-by-numbers, just for the fun of it, and started listening to Nathaniel Philbrick’s book “Valiant Ambition.” Vanish one week of my life. I highly recommend pairing a hobby with a great book.

Your library offers you many ways to score a great audiobook. You can download the “Libby app,” to access thousands of titles, visit the website for links to free eBook collections or request books on CD that can be mailed to you if you live in the Whitman County Library District.

If you don’t know your library card number, you can email us at info@whitco.lib.wa.us and we can email your library card number to you. You can also give us a call at (877) 733-3375. Stay healthy, and happy listening.

Rachelle Marshall is a Whitman County Library assistant and weekly book list columnist.