Listening to Audiobooks

Audiobooks – don’t you love them?!

I remember listening to them as a teenager for what I thought was a quick way to read set literature texts. I have a clear image of travelling around Thailand and listening to Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov on a walkman – that was called revising! On reflection it was irresponsible and doing neither the country nor the novel justice.

I now love audiobooks for different reasons. Of course they are no substitute for actually all curling up on the sofa reading a story but I can only read so many stories to the children with my own voice, and so they are a wonderful way to supplement our daily read aloud times. The children love listening to them after lunch quietly in their room but we listen to the majority of our audiobooks in the car. I used to think they only worked for long car journeys so you could get into them, but I have found they bring a wonderful peace even on short journeys to a swimming lesson or the shops. The bonus is I get to enjoy them too and we can chat about them together. I cannot recommend them enough.

Audible is a brilliant place to download books from to listen on my phone or laptop, but there may well be other places and I believe there are some free sites out there. I would really commend audiobooks to you if you haven’t already got hooked. My only caution would be to make sure you like the narrator’s voice before you begin as this makes a big difference, and of course I choose the audiobooks we listen to in the same way I choose their reading books – looking for wholesome food (most of the time!).

Here is a list of some our family have enjoyed if you want some ideas to get you started: