Most of today’s students don’t do the reading they are assigned for class, let alone take time out of their busy to day to read a book for fun. That doesn’t mean that students should stop reading. There is a way to receive the benefits of reading as well as the enjoyment of a well told story without cutting out time of your daily grind.
Audiobooks have been around for a surprisingly long time, and with the world going digital, acquisition and implementation has never been easier. Audiobooks are convenient because they travel with you and you can travel within them at your own pace.
Digital copies of books can have the speed changed, if going at a faster speed is more your pace. The speeds can also be slowed down, if you like to take a more mellow approach.
The beauty of audiobooks is that all you have to do is listen, leaving your hands free. Perfect times to listen include cleaning up your room, doing laundry, walking between classes and driving in the car. It’s also fun to listen while you cook or bake with your friends.
Having trouble sleeping? Audiobooks may be the solution to your problem. Listen to one as you fall asleep and pick up where you left off in the morning. Most digital forms of audiobooks come with built in sleep timers, so it’s simple to find where you last left off.
It’s easier to get through a few chapters every day if you keep your headphones on you and your book at the ready. Audiobooks are also a great way to get through larger books that may otherwise seem too intimidating, like Les Miserables or Anna Karenina.
It’s fun to search for books based on your favorite actors that read them. You may find some hidden gems like that or wind up reading books you wouldn’t otherwise find yourself interested in. I would recommend David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, read by Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit) or The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, read by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Audiobooks are also nice if you plan on rereading a book to relive some old memories, like the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale.
Audiobooks don’t have to be just for fun. For many English and History majors, required reading may be available in audiobook format. Go double and read along while you listen to the narrator. Even certain textbooks can be found in audiobook format. Need to listen to a play for Theater Appreciation or read a book for Literature and Film? Chances are there’s an audiobook for that.
Many audiobooks can be found on YouTube, particularly those in the public domain like Pride and Prejudice or the stories of Sherlock Holmes. Newer books can be obtained on disc at the Bloomsburg Public Library or you can take a chance and sign up for a free audiobook from Audible, an Amazon company.
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