Live Simply

Audio Books: What I am listening to now + what I am going to listen to next

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FINDING TIME FOR AUDIO BOOKS

I am an avid reader. I like cuddling up in my over-sized slip-covered chair in my living room with a cup of coffee and reading for an hour or two. Up until the last few months, I was finishing at least one book a month.

I like going to used book stores or the Goodwill to find books. I don’t typically buy books brand new unless I find them on the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble.

When we first moved to Atlanta, I went to the library to see what they had on the shelves. I was highly disappointed. The building was warm and stuffy. It smelt a little off. I had such a bad experience that I never went back.

The quarantine has sparked something new in me: audio books. I work from home so I don’t have a commute.I am not one that can listen to a book and work at the same time. I will start to focus on my work and completely block out the audio book, missing the story.

I have always thought of books as an adventure meant for one. A few evenings ago the husband and I were talking about how much we enjoy listening to records and just hanging out. What if we did that, but with a book?

Instead of watching television at night to wind down, we put on an audio book. It is great. Get a shower, put on a face mask, pull out nail polish to give myself a manicure, and turn on a book. There is time for stretching, straightening the room, and even cuddling. It is straight-up quiet time.

I love it!!

WHAT I AM LISTENING TO NOW

I decided we were starting with Becoming by Michelle Obama. She is a very interesting woman and I am excited about hearing her story. The husband is excited that I have agreed to not talking for about 90 minutes before bed every night. 🙂

Cover image for Becoming

The book is about 19 hours from cover to cover. I have to return it in 14 days. The deadline means we need to spend about 90 minutes relaxing every evening before we turn off the book. I think we can handle it!

WHAT I AM GOING TO LISTEN TO NEXT

The digital library is full of e-books and audio books that you can check out without ever leaving your house. I am so excited! I have a long list of books on my wish list. Here are 5 that are on my list to listen to next:

  1. Spark Joy by Marie Kondo – Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. 
  2. Less by Andrew Sean Greer – A struggling novelist travels the world to avoid an awkward wedding in this hilarious Pulitzer Prize-winning novel full of “arresting lyricism and beauty.
  3. Girl, Wash Your Fact by Rachel Hollis – In this challenging but conversational book, Rachel exposes the twenty lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we’ve told ourselves so often we don’t even hear them anymore.
  4. Wildflower by Drew Barrymore – Wildflower is a portrait of Drew’s life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years.
  5. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson – In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called  döstädning,  dö  meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. 

What book do you wish you were listen to right now?