Audiobooks discussion
What do you do while listening to audiobooks?
Thanks for the suggestions L J and Specs Bunny! I'll look into those. I'll have to figure out a way to keep my new kitten, Mrs. Beastly, from destroying any puzzles I work on. She's an adorable holy terror!
Rick B wrote: "Thanks for the suggestions L J and Specs Bunny! I'll look into those. I'll have to figure out a way to keep my new kitten, Mrs. Beastly, from destroying any puzzles I work on. She's an adorable holy terror!"Good luck with that! I had a cat who liked to curl up in the empty puzzle box and watch but didn't bother pieces. I've had more who thought the pieces made great toys.
Rick B wrote: "Thanks for the suggestions L J and Specs Bunny! I'll look into those. I'll have to figure out a way to keep my new kitten, Mrs. Beastly, from destroying any puzzles I work on. She's an adorable hol..."ha ha we had a house rabbit (who thought he was a monkey, climbed up everything) and used to jump on the table when my dad and I were doing a jigsaw, grab a piece, run of with it and while running had a nibble as well!
As we chased him he jumped in the air and waggled his tail at us - if he could have laughed out loud I am sure he would have.
I still have a jigsaw with a piece missing a "leg" because of him - it is a fond memory now!
I listen while driving. I tried listening to an audio book at work last year but it ended up having more cursing than I anticipated so that went bust rather quickly.
I do Jigsaw puzzles, I have a Jigsaw puzzle app which lets you add photos from your own gallery to be converted into puzzles! Very easy and I now often take photos with a puzzle in mind....like food stalls or fruit, old buildings etc. I do these on my ipad for portability. You could convert your pics to b&w in your photo gallery before uploading to the puzzle app if you like b&w pics....it's very relaxing :)
☼♄Jülie wrote: "I do Jigsaw puzzles, I have a Jigsaw puzzle app which lets you add photos from your own gallery to be converted into puzzles! Very easy and I now often take photos with a puzzle in mind....like foo..."I have a friend who does online jigsaws but I just can't get interested in them even though I like physical jigsaws. I want to touch the pieces. Same thing with scrapbooking which I have done a lot of. You can do it online with no fuss and probably thousands of choices, but I want to physically manipulate the stuff and make it work.
I also knit and crochet but usually I will watch video while doing those. I almost always save audiobooks for times when I am moving around, doing housework, exercising, shopping - (or driving, of course). When I have the time free to just sit and listen, I usually use it to read a print book. It's a sign of an exceptional audiobook that I will just sit and listen to it until it is done.
Robin wrote: "☼♄Jülie wrote: "I do Jigsaw puzzles, I have a Jigsaw puzzle app which lets you add photos from your own gallery to be converted into puzzles! Very easy and I now often take photos with a puzzle i..."Oh I do the real jigsaw puzzles too, I favour those when I'm listening to audio books, but for those times when I can't then the ipad is a great substitute. I mentioned the app for the chap that is colour blind and looking for black and white puzzles. It's so easy to make your own if you like.
Great idea!I've mentioned this before, but for those of us in snow country, listening while shoveling is a good match. I'll be doing that today! Could be a problem with a snow blower though, unless you have super noise-canceling headphones
Driving, riding to and from work on a commuter train, and doing boring data entry and Excel spreadsheet work at my job.The tedium of my job in a corporate accounting department is what got me interested in finding things to listen to that I could find online while sitting at a computer at work.
I used to listen to the radio at work, but back in the 2000s, I discovered Old Time Radio, in which I completely immersed myself for several years - Gunsmoke, Dragnet, Escape, Dimension X, and dozens (if not hundreds) more series are free to download or stream at https://archive.org/details/oldtimeradio.
One day I picked up an audiobook on CD at the library and I've been hooked on them for ten years or more now. I listen to some from librivox.org as well. I also listen to a few podcasts such as Hardcore History by Dan Carlin: https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-hi...
I always am reading an audiobook. I listen when I am doing housework, walking and driving. I also began bringing audiobooks to the beach instead of a physical copy so I can still enjoy reading, but can appreciate the view at the same time... it's also easier to carry.
Exercising, driving (especially long trips), doing mindless chores, and, recently added - I listen while oil painting. It seems to release the right brain for creativity while the left brain is busy with the book.
Hi all, 1st time poster, new member. I have to listen to listen to audiobooks, as I only get some much computer time or physical print a day from a head injury and a Central neurologic disorder. This kind of leaves me feeling out on Goodreads/tic toc groups and giveaways .indie book releases. (I use my actual, as my husband calls it, eye time to do my work as a time historian....and when he goes on fire calls I might break the no work rules).
Any ideas on ways to explain this to indie authors or just anyone? I'd love to help authors out, but have no idea how.
Btw, I listen almost all the time, it helps with my symptoms and I love the books I've found.
Thanks for staying with me.
Welcome, Kate!While we have some valued members with vision issues, we have at least one regular member who listens to books for neurological reasons as you do. I also have a non-Goodreads friend who is dyslexic, thrilled at leaving the effort of "reading" to the narrator!
*gets warmer feelings*Thanks so much, my husband was suggesting I start a group, but, going into grant season, I'll pass!
Cheers!
Hi Kate. I had was in a wreck in 1999 and my traumatic brain injury left me not able to read books very well for 4 years. That is when I started listening even though I had to rewind a lot back then! Welcome, goodreads is a fun way to find good books.
I am usually in my craft room sewing while I listen to audiobooks. Makes the time go by.
I generally work (from home) or clean my house while listening to my audiobook.
Thanks folks! ;) I also tun it when my husband isn’t home !
When I'm working out, passenger during air travel, and on a road trip.
I listen during my morning walk or workout routine and when I’m sewing or doing housework.
Audiobooks are the soundtrack to my life! I enjoy crafting and that is how I got in to audiobooks rather than physical books.
Paula wrote: "I clean my horses’ stalls!"Nice one!
I can do menial tasks like shopping, exercise, walking, eating, laundry. I often rewind 2 mins where I stopped just to jog my memory.
Hi everyone, I am new here. I am typically at home just lazing around when I am listening to audio books. But I also listen to them at work. I tried to listen to audio books while I was driving but I would always pass up where I was going! lol
Della wrote: "Hi everyone, I am new here. I am typically at home just lazing around when I am listening to audio books. But I also listen to them at work. I tried to listen to audio books while I was driving but..."Welcome. Big welcome! Very glad to be introduced to another audiobook listener who doesn't listen while driving. It's one of the few times I don't listen.
I'm a very nervous driver, so no distractions permitted!
I didn't learn to drive till I was around 25 and I am one of the few people in the US who doesn't think I am an above average driver (according to polls something like 80% of people think that, which is statistically impossible.) However in familiar areas or unencumbered freeway driving, listening to a book actually helps keep me focused. Without one, my mind wanders even further away. However, in bad weather, traffic, unknown areas, etc. I will turn off the book. Tripped and fell a week ago and just found out I have an ankle fracture. A lot of my listening is done while walking or doing housework on my feet. So this might cut down my listening time. If I am sitting or lying down, I figure I might as well read a print book. However, maybe I will take up some distractions like knitting or jigsaw puzzles which I can do while listening. They gave me a boot to use when standing or walking around the house but that is minimal for now.
I'm new to audiobooks and listen to them while driving. I'm now on my second audiobook.Robin, I'm sorry you have an ankle fracture. I hope it heals quickly!
Hope your doing better by now, Robin!I'm a fairly nervous driver, only having been back behind the wheel after 25 years of license-for-
identification only. No way I could handle any distractions!
….and now I can add doing “listening to audiobooks during my neurologic procedures” to my list ;) Cheers!
I listen while driving. I have a nearly 100 mile round trip 3 days a week, so it is the perfect time to listen to books. I also listen while doing the dishes, folding the laundry and occasionally when walking the dog.
I can't listen while I do anything that takes more than simple concentration. I listen while driving alone, going to sleep, lying awake, but not ready to greet the day in the morning, while walking and while waiting for anything, like appointments, lines, etc.
More and more as I adapt. Really mundane chores is the easiest. Washing dishes and ordinary cleanup. But also any organizing, cleaning closets, gardening and certain sewing projects.
Listening right now while checking these threads!
Robin P wrote: "Listening right now while checking these threads!"Wow, I couldn't do that at all. As soon as I am reading with my eyes, I can't listen as well. I also never use background music. I'm a really intense listener.
I can’t really concentrate on both, I usually have to turn the audio off.
I can't listen while I am reading with my eyes either. I can't stand to miss anything. I will rewind five times if that's what's needed to really grasp something, so I have to be doing mindless tasks, driving (not using GPS), or walking.
Robin P wrote: "Listening right now while checking these threads!"Happy to know someone else who does this!
Robin P wrote: "I can’t really concentrate on both, I usually have to turn the audio off."So you're not actually listening, just hearing some background noise as you are reading ;)
Specs wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I can’t really concentrate on both, I usually have to turn the audio off."So you're not actually listening, just hearing some background noise as you are reading ;)"
Don't know about Robin P but most of the time I'm listening. I can pause audio if needed, like now, to read a comment or write a reply.
I frequently listen to audio when I'm reading stuff that doesn't take much attention -- like clearing out my inbox, or sometimes when reading posts on social media. It does take away some of my attention, and I don't do it for heavy literature, but if I miss something I can always rewind.
I go out walking and listen, get some air and exercise in the process. If I was sat inside I would start doing things to distract me.
For me, listening involves a degree of concentration. I've professionally reviewed books for years, and if I have to provide real opinions, I have to really listen. I do tend to speed things up a little, with 1.25-1.3 my usual preferred speeds. It depends on the narration, so 1.5 happens about 15-20% of the time. I also want to enjoy audiobooks--they are not a chore or something to get through in a specific time period. If the book is seriously not fun, I decline to review and drop it. So while listening, I walk, do mindless housework, knit, drive--about the limits of multitasking that don't take a toll on listening comprehension. I also listen at bedtime, and that's a mixed benefit. I set a sleep timer on the device I use, but during the past 3 nights, the books have kept me up--despite selecting non-exciting material--they were good books and kept me engaged, I've only had a couple of hours of sleep during each and may have to rethink my habit.
Bake. This month should be a doozy.
Shower, house chores, getting ready, and when there’s nothing great on streaming services to watch
Walks, hikes, cleaning, baking/cooking... the hardest thing for me to multi-task with audio books is while working!
I can't listen to audiobooks as I work, but I can listen doing almost anything else.
I don't see how some can read emails while listening to an audio book. I used to listen to the radio while studying in high school but as I got older, it was harder to concentrate on what I was reading with someone talking in the background. In college, I could listen to instrumental music while studying but no vocals, again it was too distracting to what I want to read. Same for audio books, as long as it is a dull task like cleaning the house, doing laundry then I am fine.I really enjoy the distraction of audio books when I am doing those things. It helps me get a few extra books read every year.
Audiobooks
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Amazon search for "black and white jigsaw puzzles" will give you some to choose from.