How I use Audible

For me one of the most difficult things about losing my sight (even before I knew I was becoming blind) was how difficult reading text was becoming.

First I was aware I couldn’t read print without taking my specs off and holding the page close to my face… at this point we were thinking it was usual “aging” of the eye where it couldn’t easily refocus so it was time for 2 pairs of specs or a pair of bifocals and I tried using a kindle with larger font sizes.

Then the beginning of 2016 I got my Audible membership because I was struggling with the largest font.

It took me a while to find the best way for me to read Audible books.

For me it’s while having my hands occupied in a “mindless” task like housework so I’d wear my headphones while tidying, hoovering, washing up, etc.

I also find sewing by machine wearing headphones, or by hand listening via my Amazon speaker or phone helps me to concentrate on my book.

My biggest problem was having enough books to read at the beginning and I would by extra credits as I needed them/ could afford them then more recently Audible added Plus Catalogue.

Plus Catalogue is free to subscribers of monthly credits so as well as my book I can buy each month, and the opportunity to buy extra credits for other books I wish to purchase I have the opportunity to read 1000s of books that are available. In the first month or 2 I worked my way through all the Ruth Rendell and Barbara Vine (same author) books that were available (some were still purchase only but there were lots available).

The Plus Catalogue is not static/ constant so it’s best to read the available books before they are replaced. Some are available for a short term and it can be frustrating when you find one you downloaded to read has been “locked” because you got distracted by something else before you read it, so now I only download/ read one at a time. There is always a warning as the date the availability of short term books ends is announced where they listed

Some are available for a longer period either with no end date visible or an end date several months in the future.

Once the book is finished it can be removed from the library

In 2023 I combined buying books (with monthly and extra credits) with borrowing from the Plus Catalogue unfortunately the statistics don’t breakdown minutes read from each category.

Nor do the statistics show how often I reread books as I fell asleep (I use music or books to help me combat my insomnia) so as far as being awake and listening my 243,658 minutes reading isn’t totally accurate it’s probably closer to 162,500 minutes.

However it’s not unusual for me to be awake to read a new book a day (6 to 8 hours), and to lay listening to a previously read book to relax when my insomnia is keeping me awake (I’m almost guaranteed to fall asleep as Michael Hordern reads The Wind In The Willows even if I wake several times).

Do you read books to relax for sleep?

Just remember it doesn’t matter if it’s paper, kindle, audio, or braille all reading is valid.

Until next time.