What do you do while listening to audiobooks?

[Mike]

Drive, clean, game, shop, sleep, work, basically anything and everything that doesn't require complete focus. IE: reading

[Richard]

Hi. New here, but not new to audiobooks, have gone thru hundreds, usually while driving, or working outside like gardening. Very nice to see such a large and friendly like-minded group.

[Cassandra]

Mainly I drive to/from work while listening to my book. However when the book starts to get to a good part I will walk around with my headphones, play computer games or do laundry. Grocery shopping is so much better while reading :)

[Sandra]

I listen while I commute to work/home. I have a long drive , 2 hours each way, and I find myself anticipating my drives. Just to see what is happening next. My colleagues think I am crazy for such a long commute. But, I find the time passes quickly as I am transported into my books.

[Jessica]

I had a boss when I worked for AT&T who had a commute of more than 90 miles each way back in 1988. I never understood how she could do that every day. Maybe she listened to Books-on-Tape back then. Was that a thing in 1988?

[Robin P]

1988 was pretty early, there wasn't much available yet. Maybe she listened to music or public radio. That's what I used to do but news would get so depressing and music repetitive. I first listened to books on cassette on a trip in about 1994 with my kids. I got the books from the library to entertain them and they liked it ok but I loved it and have never stopped since.

[Scott S.]

Cassette audiobooks were the worst. There was only one guy allowed to narrate every science fiction book back then and he was horrendous.

I just couldn't do it until narration and audio quality improved.

[Marilee]

Hi… new here, but not to audio books.

Like others, I generally listen to books while driving, traveling and walking/exercising. Depending on the book and narrator, I may listen some while engaged in repetitive needlework… the kind of handwork known as "TV friendly"… just subbing a recorded book for the screen.

I can't listen to books just sitting in a chair doing nothing, because, alas, I tend to fall asleep. Of course, that helps one get to sleep, but then I need to backtrack later … so, it's not ideal.

[Ashley]

I work. I listen to it while I check parts at my job. It makes it a lot easier for me to focus. I get bored easily otherwise. :)

[Nikki]

I listen to books while I drive. I love music, but I feel like I haven't listened to any music lately because I'm so engrossed in my books. I also listen while doing chores around the house or walking my dogs. Sometimes I listen while I'm in the shower (Bluetooth waterproof speaker). I listen at the gym when I go (not enough). I've tried listening while I shop, but I stopped. Not because I couldn't concentrate, but because I feel weird wearing headphones in a store. Seems rude.

[WyoLady 93]

I listen while driving, cleaning the yard (two dogs make that quite a chore!), and my favorite place is the gym that my husband and I just joined. It makes my workouts so much easier and certainly is a motivator. I actually look forward to going to the gym!

[Janet]

I can do Sudoku puzzles while listening to audiobooks. It must access a different part of my brain.

[Mara]

I work on my computer if I am listening to a book I have on my computer. I I am listening to books on Bcd I do all sorts of things.

[Jessica]

I cannot follow the audiobook if I am doing anything else. I have to be able to concentrate on it or it is just background noise so I usually either sit back in a comfy chair and close my eyes or lie down and close my eyes and concentrate on the book.

[Lisa]

I mostly listen while doing household chores. Non-fiction for morning clean up. Classics for lunch. Fiction for evening while trying to get the baby to sleep.
I can't listen while driving as I have a full van and they are all talking to me all the time. :-)
Sometimes, if everyone is in bed, I listen while working on a crochet project.

[WyoLady 93]

I listen while doing housework, cleaning the yard (have 2 dogs), also definitely when I am at the gym on the treadmill or lifting weights.

[Samantha]

I can and do listen while doing housework: laundry, cooking dinner, doing dishes. I also listen in the car a lot (at least when I'm in the car alone). I think as long as the other task I'm doing doesn't also involve reading, it's a good time for more book time!

[Karen B.]

I am new to this group. I have a Kindle Fire and love immersion reading. Reading, the printed pages while listening. I get so much more out of the book. Sometimes when my eyes are tired I just like to listen. Depending on the book and the narrator I can listen while doing dishes and other mundane tasks. British narration requires that I am fully concentrating because of the accents.

[Faisal]

Whenever I am driving alone (mostly to and from work) I'd listen to an audiobook.

[Genevieve]

Mostly when I commute (75% audio books 25% music). The ratio is about 50:50 though when I am cleaning.

[Laura-ann]

i do art or clean or on rare occasion exercise.

[Diana]

I clean, paint or drive!

[Specs]

I'm struggling with listening while gardening. Always get tangled in branches, and two weeks ago I cleanly cut through my cord while deadheading...
What a waste!

[Louise]

I like to be in the kitchen tidying up and cooking or in bed drifting off to sleep with the timer on.

[Ann]

I clean my house. It makes the time go faster!

[Karen]

I can knit, sew and do housework....driving anywhere - I have a portable speaker that goes with me everywhere - I even listen in the shower.

[Leslie]

Karen B. wrote: "I am new to this group. I have a Kindle Fire and love immersion reading. Reading, the printed pages while listening. I get so much more out of the book. Sometimes when my eyes are tired I just lik..."

I do get more out of the book when I do an immersion read. Unfortunately, I generally read the printed page much faster than the narration. I find even with the speed jacked up to 3x (which sounds awful), I get several paragraphs ahead and have to consciously stop and let the narration catch up. So now, I only do it on passages I am having trouble with or ones I really am loving and want to savour.

[Susan]

I can knit while listening to audio books. Doing 2 of my favorite things

[Julesy]

Specs wrote: "I'm struggling with listening while gardening. Always get tangled in branches, and two weeks ago I cleanly cut through my cord while deadheading...
What a waste!"

Get bluetooth ear buds or headphones. Seriously, I have saved myself from being strangled so many times with the corded ear buds/headphones when I discovered bluetooth headphones. Of course, this is provided that you are using a bluetooth-enabled device (smartphone, tablet, etc.). I still need to use ear buds if I listen on my Sansa Fuze but usually use the Sansa for when driving.

[Donna]

Julesy wrote: "Specs wrote: "I'm struggling with listening while gardening. Always get tangled in branches, and two weeks ago I cleanly cut through my cord while deadheading...
What a waste!"

Get bluetooth ear ..."

I agree, if your device supports bluetooth, it's worth checking out; I just started using them recently ($15.99 Kinivo headphones), and I was surprised at how much more convenient they are when working around the house or garden.

[CatBookMom]

You can get a little device to attach to your Sansa that will enable it to transmit to the bluetooth headphones. Here's one similar to mine - http://tinyurl.com/pmtgq3o

[Specs]

Thanks Donna (and Julesy) for the bluetooth advise and the not expensive Kinivo tip... I'm going to check those out!

[Julesy]

CatBookMom wrote: "You can get a little device to attach to your Sansa that will enable it to transmit to the bluetooth headphones. Here's one similar to mine - http://tinyurl.com/pmtgq3o"

Oh yes, catbookmom, I meant to check this out as well! Definitely love new technology!

[Kristie]

I used my Kinivo Bluetooth headphones daily for over 2 years before the sound started cutting in and out of one earphone. I just splurged on the newer model ($30), and I am once again super happy with them. Can't speak highly enough of them.

[Specs]

That's good to hear, saw a lot of complaints on the german Amazon store.

Adding to this topic, summer almost over, soon I will have to cycle to work in the (almost) dark. I will start listening again while cycling. Added bonus, in winter when it's really cold, the earphones keep out the wind.

[Julesy]

Kristie wrote: "I used my Kinivo Bluetooth headphones daily for over 2 years before the sound started cutting in and out of one earphone. I just splurged on the newer model ($30), and I am once again super happy with them. Can't speak highly enough of them. "

I have Kinivo BT headphones as well and I love them. However, I'm considering splurging on Bose BT headphones because the Kinivos don't always sit on top of my ears very well and my hair seems to always get in the way. I guess the tops of my ears are smallish so not much to keep the ear pieces on. Otherwise, they are very comfy and the battery seems to last pretty long before it needs a recharge.

Sorry, I think I'm going OT here! ;-)

[Specs]

Maybe, but the information you give is valuable to me! Thank you.

[Persis]

I listen to my audio books, while cooking, cleaning, crocheting and working too. But if my work work requires me to answer a call or write out an email or letter then I pause only for that long. Other wise I even read while trying to go to sleep. In the morning I just go back to my last thought and what I remember. I'd be lost without my Audible!!

[Sarah]

My work is visual, I work with images all day so I listen to books all day especially when the rest of the department is being noisy. I also listen on the subway or when knitting. I'm amazed how many people knit and listen!
I can't listen to science books with new terminology or technical stuff while I'm working as I need to concentrate more, however if I'm driving or knitting there's no problem.

[Sarah]

Jeffrey wrote: "I had a boss when I worked for AT&T who had a commute of more than 90 miles each way back in 1988. I never understood how she could do that every day. Maybe she listened to Books-on-Tape back then...."

I used to listen to books on tape in the late 80s and 90s. There certainly wasn't a lot and a lot of it was abridged (a pet peeve).

Thank goodness that digital books have taken off so!

[Robin P]

Sarah wrote: "Jeffrey wrote: "I had a boss when I worked for AT&T who had a commute of more than 90 miles each way back in 1988. I never understood how she could do that every day. Maybe she listened to Books-on..."

Yes! even libraries had abridged books. I used to lecture them on how wrong that was! I believe the thought was that people who listened to audiobooks didn't really like to read, or had very little time to read. A lot of the early books were business or self-help.

[Kenya]

I mostly "do stuff", so listening definitely keeps me active. Yesterday I listened to an entire audiobook while I prepped and painted a small room.

[Grumpus, Hearing aide]

Kenya wrote: "I mostly "do stuff", so listening definitely keeps me active. Yesterday I listened to an entire audiobook while I prepped and painted a small room."

I did the same thing this weekend while painting the bedroom. I didn't finish the book but I made a dent in the 45 hours it takes to listen to the latest in the Outlander series, Written in My Own Heart's Blood.

[Mara]

Play on the computer.

[Antonio]

My friends laugh at how I burn through audiobooks. I listen while I'm working, hitting the gym, while I'm gaming on my pc, driving, and when I go to bed. :)

[Lori]

I listen to them at work, I spend around 10 hours a shift driving, and I do shift work so it helps keep my mind active when I'm on night shift. I listen more on night shift than days as nights are usually much more quiet. I can get through around 8 - 10 hours of a book a night

[Nospin]

Julesy wrote: "Kristie wrote: "I used my Kinivo Bluetooth headphones daily for over 2 years before the sound started cutting in and out of one earphone. I just splurged on the newer model ($30), and I am once aga..."

I liked the Kinivo when I first got them but the ear coverings bother me now.

Please share your experience with your new BT phones

[Erika]

I listen in the car while I'm driving, during breaks at work, at various times during the evening. Pretty much whenever.

[Mara]

Check email, listen to books, plays games or check out something that interests me. I can't listen to books on my iPod because the volume button got broken so I can't control the volume on my iPod to listen to my audiobooks.

[Patricia]

It took me awhile to get into listening to audiobooks, but now I love listening to them when I go for a daily walk. Also, have been listening more when I drive. My son broke his leg & am driving him back & forth to school every day which is 30 minutes from our home. I don't listen when he is with me, however. I should find something we would both like while we're in this time. Thanks for the tip on using bluetooth headphones! I had not thought of that; have tried listening while cooking before, but was always getting the cord tangled up in something.