5 Reasons You Need to Listen to Audiobooks

Choo! Choo! Can you hear me passing by on the audiobook train? I’m not jumping off anytime soon, and I suggest you jump on it yourself.

I love to read. I love books. I love the smell of books, the look of books, and the good old-fashioned feel of books in my hand.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t and don’t love audiobooks too. And it doesn’t mean you can’t either.

Today, I’ve got 5 reasons why you should think about jumping on the audiobook train with me…. PLUS a free book option you should start your audio library with!

1. Audiobooks help improve time management.

It’s no secret that people read less and less these days. Because “ain’t nobody got time for that.” But that’s a lie. There is time to read. (You can read about that here.)

I think it’s fantastic if people want to read the good ole’ fashioned way (you know, holding a book, newspaper, or magazine in their hand). But let’s not let our lack of time decline our reading time.

You can still enjoy sitting down to read, but also enjoy reading on-the-go. Fill in the gaps of time you have with content you love. Listen to an audiobook while doing chores, commuting, working out, grocery shipping, waiting in line at the post office, or as you turn off the lights and drift off to sleep.

2. Audiobooks are a more engaging reading experience.

Whether you are listening to a fiction book narrated by an actor or listening to a non-fiction author read their own writing, you can actually hear how the story was intended to be told. The story or text written is brought to life with voice inflection, pace, and vocal enhancement.

Engagement via that narrator can more easily pull you into the story and bring characters or scenarios to life. Audiobooks are definitely the most engaging way to experience books.

3. They improve focus and attention span.

It’s very easy to get distracted and then lost when listening to an audiobook (which, thankfully, the rewind button is for). So if you are going to listen to an audiobook, it forces focus on what’s being said. Therefore it increases focus ability and with longer books comes the practice of extending attention spans.

There is research to show that when narrators use inflection or change voices/accents, this in particular helps with focus and attention.

4. They can help you learn new vocabulary, dialects, and pronunciations.

Words are hard, yo. As a writer and reader, I’m the first to admit this. I know I am not the only one to have always thought a word was pronounced one way, when in actuality, it’s pronounced another.

Audiobooks can help us learn about not just our own language, but other languages as we listen. My favorite audiobooks have been ones where the narrator takes on the characters foreign accent or regional dialect (I’m looking at you, Crazy Rich Asians). Learning new words and sounds are one of my favorite benefits of listening to audiobooks.

5. Audiobooks can be a communal activity.

So this is big a reason I love audiobooks. While I haven’t done this a lot, it’s been enough times for it to stick in my head as a MAJOR benefit.

You can listen to an audiobook with someone else … at the same time.

Whether you’re in the car on a road trip or doing chores with your kids at home, audiobook listening can be a communal activity.

So is there a book you and your girlfriend both want to read? Listen on a road trip together. Is there a book that’s appropriate for your kids to listen along with you? Listen in the car running errands.

Let your family and friends jump in on the action and learn to love audible reading too.

My favorite way to listen to audiobooks is via Audible. You can get 3 titles for each month of membership: 1 audiobook + 2 Audible Originals for only $14.95 per month.

You own the books for life after downloading, they have easy exchanges for books you don’t love, and easy cancellation.

(Confession, I’ve cancelled MULTIPLE times when the bank account hasn’t been too happy with my reading habit. But I always come crawling back. 😜 So I’m well aware of all cancellation policies! Ha!)

I mentioned at the start of this post about a FREE book option you should start your audio collection with, and that’s…

More for Mom is available in audio EXCLUSIVELY on Audible April 7, 2020 for 90 days, and I am so excited that I am the narrator!

So you’ll get to hear my voice reading to you with all the sarcasm, gentleness, and love I intended for it to be read in.

(Fun Fact: Did you know audio publishers don’t always use the author as the narrator? Especially if the author isn’t isn’t famous and is a first-time author. It can potentially cost the publisher more money than necessary, so I’m extra grateful for the opportunity to read to you!)

Join Audible today, and snag More for Mom as the FREE option in gift for yourself or a friend!

Comment below with your favorite benefit to listening to audiobooks and then share this post with your social media friends.

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