There is something about all the interlocked plotlines and the phone book glossaries of characters that I have found hard to parse without the benefit of words on a page. Can I close my eyes and listen for 30 minutes of a story without drifting into a nap? Can I find audiobooks that offer not just passive entertainment or fleeting lessons, but concrete self-improvement? Can I explore the fringes of the audiobook landscape until I find something that makes me rethink what an audiobook even is?įor exercises in focus, I have begun to turn to science fiction and epic fantasy - two genres I love, but have long avoided in audio form. But in between those meandering sessions, I’ve occasionally experimented with different listening habits.

This curve in the path is when I found out who the murderer is that oak tree is the one I stared at after I hit pause and contemplated some tiny morsel of life wisdom. I have become so accustomed to combining daily walks with audiobooks that I associate certain sections of my neighborhood with specific narrative moments from the dozens of works I listened to over the course of 2021.

Self improvement audio books