Love of the Week-Audible and my 2020 Reading Challenge

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I love to read. I always have and, at times, can’t get enough of it. After hours of reading for class, I would curl up with a good book to relax, even in law school. Once I had kids, my reading slowed down a bit. I could no longer read at the beach or in my back yard when the boys were running all over the place. I was so tired at night; I would fall asleep 3-4 pages into the book. I also found my attention span was not there. I would be reading, and my mind would drift to all the other things I should be doing. Or I would easily become distracted by something, anything. I could go months without reading a book. Then I discovered Audible.

Per their website, “Audible is an online audiobook and podcast platform owned by Amazon.com Inc. The service allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content; this content can be purchased individually or under a subscription model where the user receives “credits” that can be spent on content monthly, and receive access to a curated on-demand library of content. Audible is the United States’ largest audiobook producer and retailer.”

Audible has been a game-changer for me. A friend introduced me to the streaming service about three years ago. I started to listen to audiobooks on my commute to and from the office. It was a great way to decompress before arriving home for the night. It was a game-changer when training for my 1st marathon back in 2017. A 20-mile training run in December was a bit more manageable when listening to a James Patterson novel. It allowed me to reacquaint myself with many of my favorite authors. I love using this app so much I listen when cooking, cleaning my house, at the grocery store, and more. Since 2017, I have read 104 books on Audible.

How does it work?

Audible has two memberships. There is their monthly membership, Audible Plus. It includes access to unlimited streaming and listening from the Audible Plus Catalog. The second membership is Audible Premium Plus. This includes everything in Audible Plus, with the bonus of 1 credit per month to be used to redeem any title from our Premium selections. Also included in this membership is a 30% discount for any additional content you purchase from the Premium catalog. I have the Premium Plus membership and pay $14.95 a month. In addition, Audible offers additional credits, three at a time, for $35.88. That is $11.96 per credit. New releases are often much more expensive than $11.96. I have taken advantage of this many times over the years.

Is this the only way I enjoy my books? No! I still read books, whether it be on my Nook or a physical book. I make sure I switch between the two during the week. It is essential for brain health to read the written word. Audible has enabled me to embark on my second reading challenge. In 2019 I challenged myself to read/listen to 25 books. I read 32. This year I have set a goal of 50 books. I have read 38. With 12.5 half weeks left in the year, I have plenty of time to reach my goal. A few of my favorite authors have or will be releasing books this month. Half of them I pre-ordered on Audible and half on them on my Nook.

• Return to Virgin River by Robyn Carr
• Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis
• A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
• The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly

It is going to be a fun few months reading all my favorites.

Whar are you currently reading?