Reading Memoirs on Audiobook
Despite the immense popularity of audiobooks, I really struggled with the idea of switching to this type of reading. Mostly, I worried about being able to maintain my focus, as I’ve always been the type of person who learns best by reading a physical book versus learning from a lecture. Reading a physical copy of a text has always helped to anchor me in the subject, whereas listening to a lecture worked as a way of prompting new thoughts that my brain couldn’t resist following.
Still, I couldn’t shake my curiosity on how using audiobooks could improve my reading experience, especially because I was often too tired to read more than a few chapters after my workday. At the time, I was working in the business office of a surgical eye center and my primary task was posting payments to patient’s accounts. Due to the nature of the job, my employer encouraged using earbuds. This benefit mostly worked to deter chatty coworkers from disturbing my peace, but also opened up additional time that could be paired with learning. After several months of listening to my favorite podcasts, I was determined finally try listening to audiobooks.
Being the cautious book spender that I am (insert nose exponentially expanding), I decided to explore a little before purchasing any audiobooks. I had been using the library app Overdrive to check out books for my e-reader, and decided to see which suggestions were also available in audio form. I noticed one of them was already on my TBR, so I selected it as my trial run.
I checked out Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings — and my reading life took a drastic turn. Not only was Angelou’s writing amazing (as anyone who has read her knows), but there was also something blissfully intense about hearing about her life in her own voice.
I felt like she was in the room talking to me. This was such an immersive experience, that upon finishing the audiobook, I immediately restarted it and listened a second time.
Once I finished the reread, I looked for other memoirs suggested by the app. I found one by writer Pat Conroy that was also narrated by him. I had never read any of his novels but liked the idea of a memoir focused on bookish interests. As it turns out, I’ve still never read any of his fiction, but My Reading Life is a favorite that I return to every few years.
Having a positive experience with my first two audiobooks went a long way in my persistence to keep exploring the format.
Now, I typically have at least one audiobook ready on my phone to enjoy when I have the time. The majority of them are memoirs, though I have also fallen in love with narrative non-fiction and nature writing - Bonus points if these genres overlap.
Some of my most frequent recommendations include:
Braiding Sweet Grass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham
Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and The Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller.
If you are as hesitant to try audiobooks as I was; I hope you will reconsider and figure out the best way they can work for you and your reading needs.