Hello, everyone!

So, at the beginning of the year I wrote a blog post about my resolutions for the year, one of which was a reading goal of 125 books for the year. Whenever this comes up in conversation, people look at my as if I have lost my mind because, to be fair, that’s a lot of books.

Although, your book count tends to climb when you read as many comic books as I do.

My secret weapon that consistently allows me to read over 100 books a year is pretty simple – free audio books.

I am lucky enough to have a job that allows me to listen to my iPod throughout the day. (In case you didn’t know, I work for Beads Direct USA. If you order from us, I’ll probably be the one sending out your new beads!) My boss knows that packaging beads and mailing orders all day can get a wee bit monotonous and doesn’t mind if I slip in an earbud to help keep my mind active.

What I have discovered while listening to books at work is that having a story playing in one ear helps me focus and I have carried that knowledge over into my beading at home. I love having books playing  while I work on new patterns or tackle a repetitive stitch.

The only issue with running through two or three audio books a week is how on earth to pay for them. I don’t know about you, but at $20 or more a book, I can certainly not afford a hundred books a year. And that’s where libraries come in!

If you live in Cincinnati, like me, you can check out the Cincy Library’s website to see what your audio book options are. I use Overdrive to download .mp3 books that I then put on my iPod. If you have a smartphone or tablet, you could also stream books from Hoopla or OneClick. If CD’s are more your style, most library branches have them on site.

So, be sure to check in with your local library to see what they can offer in terms of audible media! Librarians are all trained in digital media these days and will be more than happy to get you reading – no matter the format!

I also like to listen to Podcasts while I work. You can usually subscribe to those for free on iTunes if you use an Apple listening device (like my iPod), but lots of them are available to stream online for free as well. Like riddles and brain teasers? Try giving Ask Me Another a listen. Wanna listen to old radio shows? Radio Lovers has all sorts of goodies online for  free! (I love Bold Ventures and The Whistler, myself)

So, that’s my usual method of finding good stuff to listen to. I am currently going through the Harry Potter books again ( I LOVE Jim Dale’s narration) and having a grand old time. What about you guys? Have you ever given audio books a try while beading? Maybe podcasts? Let me know in the comments!

(Oh, and if you’re on Goodreads, be sure to find and friend me!)