I always loved to read growing up. I used to race through novels, falling in love with the stories and their characters one by one. It allowed me to transform myself into a completely different world, as well as being able to let my imagination run wild. As a child, there was nothing better. My love for books was that great, that at one point in time, I even considered becoming an author myself. I definitely had enough inspiration to go off. I’m going to be honest and say that I would’ve needed to look for freelance editors near me to ensure that I was doing everything right and my copies made sense. It’s always good to get a second opinion. And it was all through my love of reading books through my childhood that made me dream that this was possible. But when I got to college, reading for pleasure sadly fell off my plate, and it’s been worse since graduation. With almost an hour commute each way to my job and lots of post-work commitments, I struggled to find the time to give myself the pleasure of reading again. Similarly to my movie problem, there were so many best-sellers I was dying to read and needed to find a way to read them on my own time.

Despite thinking audio books were super nerdy and definitely not “real” reading, I signed up for Audible in November. Audible is an Amazon company that offers a monthly membership for $14.95. That $14.95 gets you one credit per month, which you can use to buy any book on the site. They frequently run 2-for-1 sales and other promotions, so you end up getting plenty of options for your monthly fee. To listen to my books, I play them in my car connected to my Bluetooth and I’m good to go.

One of my favorite things about searching for new books on the site is finding a great narrator. While (most of) the stories are great on their own, having a bad narrator can really make or break a book for me. The recommendation engine on the site is pretty good at suggesting new books and you can add things you’re not yet ready to buy to a Wish List. But, in case you wanted a few of my favorite “reads” to start you off, I’ve got a list:

5. The Great Gatsby (4 hours, 49 minutes): An obvious classic, but it’s narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal, whose words could literally lift me right into the most pleasant of dreams. (Drivers: be prepared)

4. Eat, Pray, Love (12 hours, 52 minutes): This book was a little much for me at times, but it is narrated by the author, Liz Gilbert, and I think it’s a good read for any young, independent woman.

3. The Silver Linings Playbook (7 hours, 22 minutes): The Philadelphia references are so plentiful and so equally amazing, and I adored hearing the story from Pat’s point of view.

2. Water For Elephants (11 hours, 26 minutes): I was nervous going into this one, but it is beautifully written and the narration from both Jacob at 23 and Jacob at 90 (or 93) is really unique.

1. The Book Thief (13 hours, 56 minutes): Behold, the story that will stay with me forever. The most gorgeous piece of writing I’ve heard in awhile, and Death (the narrator) is a true treat. Also, there were tears. (Drivers: be prepared)

Now, I need some new book recommendations. Any favorites I should be adding to my Wish List? Enjoy your week, ladies. xx