If you are like me, you have a forever growing To-read list that only gets new books added every week but hardly does a book move out of that list.

Books. My equation with books is a cliched romance plot where the protagonists hate each other until one fine day, one sees good things the other does and soon we have a couple who can't live without each other followed by the one knee proposal and a perfect Happily-ever-after.

In case you are wondering which point I am currently, I am where you think happily-ever-after is not the end but the start of new issues. I have to-read lists on Goodreads, on my National Library and Overdrive accounts and also on my latest obsession, Wattpad. I still add new books to the reading lists all excited from the blurbs. However, when I see the "Added to the list" message, I can't help but sigh thinking of a non-existent futuristic date when I would be able to pick up the book and read.

It takes time to sit down with a book and read the 250-odd pages of words. Some books are so enjoyable it's hard to put them down while it is hard to start reading some others. That 'enjoyable' part ends up eating into the time we set for our other interests. I feel that though this is not a significant issue, it does contribute to the problem of the ever-growing reading list.

A month ago, I chanced upon this article - How Audiobooks Turned Me Into A Runner At 50. The article nudged me to try my hand with audio books. I downloaded a chick lit novel, Fitness Junkie and started listening to it. The narration was so lively that I took to searching for opportunities to continue the book. I plugged on my earphones and was able to 'read' when travelling, grocery shopping, evening yoga session, morning HIIT workout and even as the lullaby to put me to sleep. (I slept not because the narrator was boring but because I was lying down with eyes closed, focussing on my breathing.)

I completed the book in 2.5 days, almost twice the time it would take me to read a paperback. However, I didn't have to give up on my daily activities. I looked forward to the one-hour bus ride and even volunteered to do the grocery shopping for my Mom. Now I am looking forward to listening to more audiobooks and hopefully cut down my forever growing reading list.

Can you switch to Audiobooks as well? Of course, yes! If you wish to read these genres - non-fiction, business, biography, chick lit, romance - you can go the audiobook way. The reason for these choices is the need to listen to every word. You would miss out a few words or sentences here and there due to various issues. In these genres, even if you miss the sentences, you can still move ahead. This may not be possible with Thriller or Action genres where the action moves fast.

Another aspect you must consider while choosing audiobooks is the narrator. Whether you are borrowing from the library or buying from a store, you will be able to listen to a sample. If you can't listen to the narrator's voice, it is better to either find the book with another narrator or pick up the paperback.

Lastly, how can you find audiobooks? You can Google. Okay, that's the all-in-one solution. I find my audiobooks through Overdrive, an online library service I can avail using my local public library membership. If you don't mind spending some bucks for the authentic service, you can visit Audible.

Will you try an audiobook?

If you tried it, what was your previous experience from an audiobook?

What are your reasons for choosing between the audiobook and the paperback?

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