I, like many people, used to strictly judge audiobook users all of the time. “That’s not real reading” “I like reading a book the old fashioned way” and “That’s just listening, you’re not reading” are just some of the things that I still hear people say about audiobooks, however ever since the pandemic I have been using audiobooks a lot. It helps me still get to read books that I have on my reading lists while being able to do other things. I worked an on-campus job scanning and digitizing books, and listening to an audiobook really helps pass the time. I do the same when I’m painting or even cleaning.
So, how do I get audiobooks? There are so many services now that it can be overwhelming, but personally, I use the app, Libby. It goes through your local library and you are also able to get e-books. I love the app as it is easy to navigate and the audiobook readers are always amazing. Since it is a library service you may have to wait for some popular titles, but it is a great way to read lesser-known books as well. Libby is not the only audiobook service, unfortunately, Amazon does offer a paid service however I am not a big fan as I am very anti-Amazon. Personally I would much rather support my local library.
Libby is also a really great way for me to keep up on my “To Be Read” pile. Since I own a lot of books and constantly want to buy more, being able to keep up with books that I want to read that aren’t brand new are usually always available for a library loan. It also helps make space for more new books which I enjoy.
Another reason why I have come to love audiobooks is solely that it saves a lot of room on my bookshelf. I own a lot of books, and buying every book that I read is not sustainable financially and I know my poor bookshelf is overflowing constantly. As a college student, I do not have the income to drop hundreds of dollars on every book that I want to read, and with so many books coming out it can be so overwhelming to keep up with what I already own and what I don’t.
So, even if you are a huge fan of physical books and love annotating, I think it is important to keep in mind that libraries are a great way to get books for free and save a lot of money, and audiobooks are also a great way to get more reading done!