If you, like me, must be productive at all times, you’ve probably run into a scenario where you’re doing something manual, but you want your mind engaged as well. You want something that makes getting from point A to point B more enjoyable (a.k.a., more productive).
My solution is audiobooks.
While podcasts have snowballed in popularity in recent years (if you want podcast ideas, check out “Why You Should Listen to ‘My Favorite Murder’“), I’m a fan of the good ole fashioned audiobook. Davidson students don’t have time to read for pleasure during the school term. Yet we’re always hearing about new books we should read: the Feminist Book Club’s pick, the new NYT bestseller, the memoir that changed your best friend’s life. Audiobooks are a creative way to fit reading time into our busy Davidson schedules.
When to listen: on your walk from Ryburn to Main Street, at the gym, in the car during grocery runs, as you clean up your room/apartment. Anywhere you have 10+ minutes of time that you want to keep your mind absorbed, audiobooks are the answer.
And here’s the kicker: they’re FREE! Services like audible.com offer unlimited audiobooks for a monthly fee. But if you’re not planning on going through more than a few books a month, you should use the library.
How to get free audiobooks: Sign up for a Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card at the Davidson Library branch on Main Street. Go on the library’s website to search for books. Download the Hoopla app onto your phone. Borrow up to 6 audiobooks per month.
Recommendations to get you started:
Lost & Found by Brooke Davis
Narrated in an Australian accent (accents are always a plus!), this story of a little girl abandoned by her mother has some of the most beautifully described scenes I’ve read in a long time. Follow seven-year-old Millie Bird and two eccentric old people on their quest to find Mum.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Memoirs read by the author, especially comedians, are always great audiobooks. Tina directly addresses her listeners, so you get a slightly different experience than you would get if you read the book.
Any book by David Sedaris
If you didn’t think David Sedaris could get any funnier, just listen to him narrate his stories. Guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.
Night by Elie Wiesel
Because if you haven’t read this book, you should.
And to all of my friends whom I’ve ignored while walking around campus with my headphones in—I’m sorry, but my audiobook is just too good!
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