Who’s Got the Time to Read?

I’m supposed to be setting a great example to my kids by READING in front of them on a regular basis only I rarely sit down when they’re around (“Mom! Can I PLEEEASE have some pretzels!”) much less sit down and actually read.  My compromise–audiobooks.  No, it’s not quite the same as letting my kids see me with a book in hand.  But unless I’m dancing around the kitchen earbuds in place, they can usually tell I’m listening to an audiobook.  And as the only time I do sit down for longer than 30 seconds is either at my computer to pay bills or in the bathroom, traditional books are a pipedream.

Thank the Lord for audiobooks.  I read the entire Harry Potter series that way and most of Twilight. I’ve also read at least a dozen autobiographies and non-fiction titles.  Audible.com is the Amazon of the genre–if you have the money nowadays to blow it on a good book.  Otherwise, the library is your goldmine.  Through most libraries’ websites now you can download 1000s of books.  Granted they’re probably not the ones on today’s New York Times Bestseller List, but you can always find a good read. 

And audiobook is like Theatre of the Mind, especially when you get a great narrator.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sobbed through stories I’m listening to because the narrator just captured my complete attention.

So do something more with your MP3 player or your Ipod than just listen to music–read a good book!  You may actually learn something.

If you’ve actually listened to any good audiobooks, I’d love to hear about them.