14 Comments

No matter how I try and just can't enjoy audiobooks...

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I understanding completely, Michael. I was the same way until the online book club I'm in chose to read The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. This book is considered poetry/novel in verse and I was unable to read it. Someone suggested I try listening to it and I was hooked, at least on this author and her reading her own audiobooks. I went on to listen to her other 2 books and I've since listened to a couple of authors similar to Acevedo. I also discovered "full cast" audiobooks with Daisy Jones and the Six and I loved it. Audiobook will never be my preferred method of reading, but I love having that option for specific types of books.

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I love the questions about whether or not your reading life habits change in the summer, Gayla -- my answer is no, not really 😊 I'd love to hear from other folks on this topic!

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I like to read "beach reads" during the summer, but I also enjoy reading them all year long. The only books I can't read all year long are books that are related to the Christmas season. It seems weird reading about Christmas in the middle of July. lol

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Any book I read in the summer is considered summer reading! Similarly, any book I bring to the beach is a beach read! I’m not a seasonal reader it seems! Sadly, I don’t have an indie store near me any more. The best audio book I’ve read lately is Project Hail Mary….but I think it’s exclusively on Audible. Can you access that through Libro?

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I have heard so many people recommend Project Hail Mary on audiobooks, but I'm so hesitant to even try it. I don't know that I have ever tried to read a sci-fi book, everyone keeps telling me to listen to it, so maybe I will have to give it a try. I don't see it through Libby on any of my library cards and Libro.fm only has the Spanish version. Audible does have it and I have a few credits, so maybe I'll have to spend one of them. I agree with you that any book is summer reading.

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I hope you give Hail Mary a try! I don’t love sci-fi or audio format….but I loved this!

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One of my great pleasures is sitting outside and reading on my 11 year old kindle. I read copywriting and marketing non fiction, as well as the occasional Elmore Leonard (crime - comedy - thriller). Thanks for asking!

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Aww, that sounds lovely. I'd love to sit outside and read more than I do, but it's either hot, humid and if it's not one of those, then there are mosquitos. I used to live in Southern California and it was a lot easier to sit outside and read living there than it is in North Texas.

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That's too bad...but I'm sure North Texas has its advantages too...

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I live in the land of perpetual summer, so my reading habits don’t change much with the seasons. If anything, it’s the political weather and daily news that affect my reading most. The darker that becomes, the more I crave escapist reading fare--like comfort food! Good question!

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I wish I lived in the "land of perpetual summer," but I understand what you mean about the political weather driving your reading habits. I find myself reading a lot of escapist books during tax season and definitely the last couple of years with Covid and the political landscape.

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Interesting about summer reading! I also read heavier stuff in the summer because I have more mental bandwidth and energy to tackle nonfiction and more serious reads. But a giant novel for the beach is also great - the last time I read on the beach I sat under an umbrella devouring Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. A great novel is also essential to a long-haul flight, I'd be interested in hearing anyone's favorite long-haul-flight reads!

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Yes, a nice long novel for a multi-day trip to the beach. That sounds wonderful.

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