I think I owe my husband an apology. I’ve made fun of him endlessly for listening to sports radio in his car. I find it hilarious when I hear him pull into the garage without getting out of the car. My dog and I look at each other wondering how long he’s going to stay in there. After a few minutes, I’ll peek my head out of the door to the garage and see him sitting there, hand poised to open the car door, a grin on his face. I just didn’t understand it.
But, I’ve just been sucked into the world of audiobooks. And now I know what it’s like to want to hear just a little bit more before hopping out of the car. Especially when the alternative is to listen to your professor talk about economic welfare in an overly air-conditioned classroom.
I often check the bargain-priced books on the Barnes & Noble website when I can’t find anything interesting at home to read. I bought the audiobook “Open House” by Elizabeth Berg for $5 thinking I could listen to it on the 20 minute drive to and from class twice a week. I had no idea I would get so sucked in that I would listen to it on the 5 minute drive to work in the morning or force Joel to listen to it with me on the way to dinner with friends.
What I find most interesting is that I really don’t think this is a book I would like if I was reading the paperback copy. But, listening to the reader change her voice for each character reminds me of being read to as a child, and when I was young, even a boring story was still a story. I’m halfway through the six disc book, and I’m already scouring Barnes & Noble for my next. I only wish I would have discovered audiobooks sooner. Surely Joel would have been spared some sports radio jokes at his expense, and I wouldn’t feel like such a nerd when Joel pokes his head out the door to see me smiling at the dashboard.
