I’ve been an audible subscriber for about a year now and it’s a service I really enjoy. Where I live, the radio is pretty much garbage, unless you like listening to the most recent release of Taylor Swift ad nauseam (which for me is a quarter way through the first time). So, I much prefer to drive listening to a novel. Also, I do a lot of solitary training for endurance events like the American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race, and those can be long hours if you’re out there by yourself with only your dark thoughts to keep you company.
Actually, there are two things I’ve noticed the older I get, one is that getting 5-10 hours of exercise per week is no longer an option, it has become a necessity. It’s amazing how quickly you fall into a sedentary lifestyle if you don’t keep yourself moving. The other thing I’ve noticed is that these days I rarely have the time to sit down and watch a film or even read a book that I want to read (it’s always a community decision-which is good because I love my community, but it’s nice to have some personal time too).
The thing that Audible allows you to do is combine two of your necessary weekly activities. If you do a 2 hour run, or 2 hour walk, the experience is greatly improved by having an audiobook to listen to. The app downloads to your phone easily enough, and I go with a pair of bluetooth headphones (I don’t like earbuds). BOOM! Your 2 hour walk transforms from a miserable workout, to basically the moving equivalent of watching a film. Also, I start to notice if I’m falling behind on my training because I start to wonder what’s happening to the characters of the novels I’ve been listening to. It’s sort of like waiting for another episode of Game of Thrones.
Years ago, my publisher Rhemalda put out an audiobook of my novel Beyond Birkie Fever. If you’re considering Audible, sign up through this link so that I can track the influence of this post.
US Audible Link for Beyond Birkie Fever
UK Audible Link for Beyond Birkie Fever
I’m also open to listening to and reviewing your audiobook if you have one, so shoot me an email (stsoflima@gmail.com) and direct me (but sign up through the above link). Thanks everyone, and enjoy your listening!
