What do you do while listening to audiobooks?

[Erica]

If I couldn't listen to my audiobooks while at work I would lose my mind, being a governmental analyst is BORING! Thank goodness we are able to wear headphones all day.

[John, Moderator]

Kristie wrote: "I don't feel the need for high audio quality on audiobooks"

That's why I don't mind that my Zen Nano Plus takes Audible level 3 books (1 Gb of space and runs on a AAA battery).

[Joyce]

Kristie wrote: "Jeanie wrote: "Patricia wrote: "I recently bought a small bluetooth speaker so that if I am listening at home I don't always have to wear a headset with my phone.
So last night for the first time -..."
I used to catch the cords and started putting my cords under my shirts. Now they can't get caught since they wre out of the way. Not as good as blue tooth, but a quick easy fix that works great.

[Alana]

Joyce, I do the same, although I find they are more likely to fall out of my ears that way. And sometimes I still manage to bend over and catch them on things. But, for being in the kitchen or giving the dog a bath, etc, it mostly works :)

[Joyce]

Alana wrote: "Joyce, I do the same, although I find they are more likely to fall out of my ears that way. And sometimes I still manage to bend over and catch them on things. But, for being in the kitchen or givi..."

Yes same here, but falling out of my ears and laying on my chest is better than catching them on things in my sewing room or worse when I am out in the yard and getting tangled in rose bushes!

[Stephanie]

I listen to audiobooks first thing in the a.m. while drinking my coffee. I also do so when I am driving a long distance on uncomplicated road, gardening, quilting, crocheting, knitting. I drive relatives to medical appointments and used to listen while waiting, but I was interrupted so often, I switched to ebook reading. Now, if only I could get Whispersync to work.

[Annie]

I started on audio books while on a long car trip with my sister and I loved it. Then I started a new shift at work and I drive an hour each way so I started to look into what's available then. However, I find I am a bit picky when it comes to voices. The voice alone had stop me from finishing a book if it drives me made enough.

[Peter]

The voice alone had stop me from finishing a book if it drives me made enough.

The same here - so I've stopped buying books narrated by Scott Brick..

[Becky]

Like many of you, I listen while driving. I listen while walking with my dog, weeding the garden and other outdoor chores (I spent 6 hours weeding because I couldn't stop listening to a book - got a bit of a sunburn, sore back and hungry tummy, but in no way did it feel like I had been at it for that long!)and often sit and listen when I don't feel like using my eyes to read.

[Nancy from NJ]

I listen when I am driving although I don't go that far in my daily life. I also listen while I'm doing things in the house like folding laundry, cooking, cleaning and sometimes when I'm just sitting still.

[Annie]

it's funny but I don't really like to listen if I'm on my own in the house. Yes, I am paranoid. I just feel like I wouldn't hear anyone come into the house. Yes. I'm a touch paranoid. :) :) :)

[binter]

I can understand that. Not for same reason but sometimes if I'm alone in the kitchen, I'll plug a little portable speaker into my mp3 player and listen to it outloud. Would you feel safer that way?

[Melissa-The Book Addict]

I listen while driving, while I'm knitting sometimes while I'm playing games on my ipad at night, when I walk the dog and while I am cooking/baking.

[Alana]

Annie not immune to that myself. I usually have my dog here, and she's super sensitive, so as long as I'm semi paying attention to her, I don't really worry. I will sometimes listen with one earbud out, tho. and when walking her after dark I ALWAYS listen with one earbud out, if at all.

[✨Susan✨]

Chores, driving, etc., it makes jobs go faster. I also go to sleep listening. I love Audible for having sleep timers.

[Shirley]

Annie wrote: "it's funny but I don't really like to listen if I'm on my own in the house. Yes, I am paranoid. I just feel like I wouldn't hear anyone come into the house. Yes. I'm a touch paranoid. :) :) :)"

Annie ... Install buzzers or lights on the doors ... if the door is opened a light blinks or the buzzer buzzes and then you are free to enjoy books read by great narrators.

[Jeanie]

Annie wrote: "it's funny but I don't really like to listen if I'm on my own in the house. Yes, I am paranoid. I just feel like I wouldn't hear anyone come into the house. Yes. I'm a touch paranoid. :) :) :)"

This is an aspect of audio listening I never thought of, but... is the problem that you rely on earphones for listening? Do you watch TV while alone in the house? If you do, then you may want to try using speakers to listen to audiobooks while alone in the house--it frees up yur ears to hear other noises if needed. It has a secondary benefit as well--a person thinking of breaking in would listen to make sure nobody is home and hear... one or more people having a long conversation, maybe even a party with lots of different people. Who would want to risk breaking in on that?

[Maureen]

Adding new ones - wrapping Christmas presents and baking Christmas cookies!

[Jeanie]

Maureen wrote: "...baking Christmas cookies!"

Can I come listen to audiobooks with you?! ;)

[Annie]

I think one circumstance I have that colours the way I listen is that I work in a call centre. So I have noise, noise, noise around me and in my ears all day so I do REALLY appreciate when everything is quiet. But when I'm doing something boring, driving, vacuuming, sometimes weeding the garden, I like to listen then or maybe, it's a case of I love it when I can choose what I listen to. I just know that sometimes if work has been especially busy, all I want is silence.

[Leslie]

Maureen wrote: "Adding new ones - wrapping Christmas presents and baking Christmas cookies!"

Yes, I too discovered those benefits!! In fact, I finished a batch of baking and actually looked at my recipes for something else to bake just so I could continue my audiobook! *grin*

[✨Susan✨]

Lol leslie.

Checking e-mail, browsing on amazon, playing a game on my iPad, getting ready...it takes me longer when I am listening:)

[Maureen]

Jeanie wrote: "Maureen wrote: "...baking Christmas cookies!"

Can I come listen to audiobooks with you?! ;)"

Come on down to sunny and steamy Florida and join me! Listening to An Irish Country Christmas which is delightful and a perfect listen when getting ready for the holidays.

[✨Susan✨]

Maureen wrote: "Jeanie wrote: "Maureen wrote: "...baking Christmas cookies!"

Can I come listen to audiobooks with you?! ;)"

Come on down to sunny and steamy Florida and join me! Listening to [book:An Irish Coun..."

I just finished reading it and loved the Characters.

[Margaret]

Maureen wrote: "Jeanie wrote: "Maureen wrote: "...baking Christmas cookies!"

Can I come listen to audiobooks with you?! ;)"

Come on down to sunny and steamy Florida and join me! Listening to [book:An Irish Coun..."

I'm in the rainy, windy part of Florida. Getting cold tonight.

I cook, clean, do laundry, knit (need to finish that doll dress for tomorrow), anything that doesn't interfere with listening.

[Alana]

My boys and I listen to books in the car. We never seem to mind traffic as long as the story I good!

[Jeanie]

Maxine wrote: "I am new to audio books, has been around 1 month now. I started in the car and now I listen while doing housework, on my cross trainer ,washing the car , sewing/quilting unless i really need to con..."

Snakes?! Here's hoping you hear none... because there aren't any... in the coming year!

[Melissa-The Book Addict]

Now you have me wanting to color lol. I should get some color pencils and print out some pages on my new printer :)

[Jennifer]

drive, make my bed, wash dishes, cook, walk, run, work out, rest, relax, pay bills, edit photos, put my make up on, clean the house, fold laundry. I'm an addict!!!!!!

[Jeanie]

Jennifer wrote: "drive, make my bed, wash dishes, cook, walk, run, work out, rest, relax, pay bills, edit photos, put my make up on, clean the house, fold laundry. I'm an addict!!!!!!"

Welcome to the club... and welcome to the group!

[[deleted user]]

Knit!
I start knitting every once in a while during winter, but I noticed watching TV or Netflix doesn't work: you can't look at the screen and your knitting at the same time. Especially when I'm being brave and have started a rediculously difficult project.
Audiobooks were the ultimate solution; sometimes I choose a random podcast from This American Life. The combination just shuts me off from the world completely. It gets your mind of things whilst still being fairly productive. I feel so relaxed after an hour or so :)!

[Katherine]

I putter. Bit in the house, bit in the garden, bit on the internet....jigsaw puzzle generator at NatGeo or looking up words and places and such that slide by in the audio. And crochet. :)

[Katherine]

Maxine wrote: "Ji live in the country.walking into backyard can be surprised with snakes. the main street has also had snakes. i know they slither but i would still like to hear the hiss if one is close by.
no snakes next year??? "

Oh, yes. Had a little yellow dugite slip right out from under my chair, next to my foot on NYE. Fortunately I had not moved my foot, so it got far enough away by the time I saw it that I didn't jerk. That would have got me dead, for sure. Unusual to see them in my garden as there are at least 3 Blue tongued lizards that live here, as well as a near meter long Bungarra living in the back yard next door. I have ordered a set of solar powered snake repellent stakes to make sure the chooks are safe when they arrive.

I value my out door time too much to give it up to some pesky snakes.

Giant flying cockroaches, on the other hand, will drive me indoors when they get too frisky.

[Katherine]

Maxine wrote: "i share your fear of those giant flying cockroachs! and i do not like christmas beetles!"

It's the price one pays for having a 'healthy' block. Frogs, lizards, birds, bees are all signs of a good healthy bit of land. Mine strives for chemical free, which means I also have the flying roaches and wood roaches and all the other pests. This is why I am getting in chooks. Just waiting for my able bodied 'forward thinking' other half & mates to get their respective procrastinating ar...err..selves into work mode all at the same time to get the run built and the chook house assembled. Fewer bugs and fresh eggs in my (not so immediate?) future!

Hmm, do chooks eat christmas beetles?

[Alana]

Lol I hadn't thought about exterminating various creepy crawlies as an audio book activity, but why not? :)

[Mara]

Eva wrote: "Knit!
I start knitting every once in a while during winter, but I noticed watching TV or Netflix doesn't work: you can't look at the screen and your knitting at the same time. Especially when I'm b..."

I'm getting back into knitting and I love being able to listen to my book while I do it. Very relaxing and productive at the same time.

[Valerie]

Add me to the list of knitters. I will also cross stitch as well.

[Mara]

Katherine wrote: "Maxine wrote: "i share your fear of those giant flying cockroachs! and i do not like christmas beetles!"

It's the price one pays for having a 'healthy' block. Frogs, lizards, birds, bees are all s..."

My chickens eat everything, even non food stuff-they are little garbage disposals. I'm not sure what Christmas beetles are, but I'm betting they'll get eaten. Fresh eggs are the best!

P. S. Is a chook a chicken?

[[deleted user]]

I am happy I am reading The Light between Oceans. It has been immensely helpful in following this latest discussion!

As for the question at hand, the answer is "a million things at once, while making full use of the rewind function" *shrugs hopelessly*

[Katherine]

Mara wrote: "P. S. Is a chook a chicken? "

Yes. :)

Christmas Beetles are pretty much the same as June Bugs in the states, just different colours. Dunno if you have those in Canada?

[Bill (Just a)]

One of the things I do when listening to audiobooks is miss my exit.

[[deleted user]]

HA!

[Pranjal]

It's just too tiring to listen to a book while you driving makes me dizy mostly in the night time I wonder how ppl do it.but I like talking a long and a very very long walk while listening and also when I'm just wanting to. Go to sleep while some one speaking to me.you just get an awesome sleep lovely

[Stephanie]

I listen to new stuff while I sew, knit, crochet or drive to my sister's (2 hour one way). I can only listen to rereads when doing housework - too many interruptions.

I have tried to listen to audiobooks when bringing others to medical appointments, but I get too many interruptions most of the time, so I went back to ebook reading. Funny, I can block people sounds out easier reading than I can using noise cancelling earbuds.

[Aaron]

I walk three miles a day and listen throughout, plus drive to work (1 hour total), and often listen while doing laundry or dishes! Any excuse I can get - I'm listening to my audiobooks!

[[deleted user]]

Thanks to your recent promotion, Aaron, one of your books is next in my queue, after Lord of the Flies. Can't wait to finally experience your work!

[Ancestral]

I listen while: commuting/driving to and from work; doing the housework; shopping; lying in bed waiting to sleep; getting ready for work; and any other time I can squeeze it in.

Audiobooks are all I "read" these days, as I have college work to do, so I squeeze (relief) fiction in as often as I can. :D

[[deleted user]]

I stopped reading for pleasure AT ALL during my post-secondary years. Worst mistake I ever made. Audiobooks have made it so much easier to get back on the horse.

[Kristie]

Ditto, Jennifer. I didn't read at all during post-secondary. Then in the span between post-secondary and children I did OK, though I probably only read 20 books over the course of those years. Audiobooks have been the only way I can find the time or brain space to consume literature anymore.

[Jennifer]

Driving, working, laying in bed at night. I can listen to a book while doing just about everything but reading.