Mystery

Another day when getting out of bed was a challenge!  I feel more like myself now, which is a good thing (I think, never mind comments from the peanut gallery) and hopefully I’ll be back to fully normal tomorrow.  Jerry had a lovely time out today; it was fairly mild, so we were able to be out a little longer, and he took advantage of meeting several other dogs to bark loudly and try to hump all the males he met!  He also met a baby this afternoon, and was a perfect gentleman when she tried to pet him.  Good little puppy!  Happily, Don’s doing well, so I’m able to relax a bit.  I have enough stress without adding to it, thanks muchly!

OK, my love of reading is not a secret.  I’m currently juggling 4 books, one of which is not an official publication, but is the work of a New Zealander who writes prolifically as a hobby.  Her work is a source of great enjoyment to me and I have no difficulty in rereading her writing to the delay of my reading lists. I’m always a little sorry that I have to pause reading to do other things — like walking the dog, cooking, taking a bath… I read and eat simultaneously, because as C. S. Lewis pointed out, there is no greater pleasure than eating while reading, unless it’s reading while eating!  Anyway, I also love spending time reading or retelling stories to my assorted nieces and nephews, who usually enjoy “Auntie Sonja story time.”  All that being said, I am not a fan of audiobooks or podcasts.  I don’t understand why — it’s a convenient way to take in the material and still have my hands/eyes free so I can work on other things.  I’ve listened to a couple of non-fiction books this way, and gathered the gist of them, but still felt like I didn’t know what was the point.  A factual book is like listening to a news report — I’m not connected to the content so it becomes white noise, almost.  Fiction books I definitely wouldn’t enjoy, because I like creating my own images of how people look and sound, and the wrong reader could spoil my enjoyment.  

I bring up audiobooks because 1) there’s been a slew of commercials promoting Audible and 2) a few people have been recommending audiobooks.  One in particular “reads” (is it called reading?  Or listening?  How does one refer to it?  “Takes in”?) 4-5 a week, during the commute to work, all of them non-fiction.  When I was working, my commute was a 15-minute walk or a 4 minute drive, so barely enough time to listen to 2 songs, let alone a podcast or audiobook.  Now that I’m at home, I rarely listen to the radio although I will sometimes stream background music on Spotify or play white noise to help me sleep at night.  Again, no accommodation really for an audiobook, although I’m perfectly content to sit with a book (paper or iPad) for a few hours, or I’ll crochet while “watching” a movie.  Some days my attention span is so short that I will flit from one project to another in moments, while others I can get into a rhythm and stay focussed.  

Does anyone listen to audiobooks for fiction?  Does it help or hinder your visualization of characters?  Do you prefer to listen to books or to read aloud?  The kids love being read to, and we often have to negotiate a limited number of books before bedtime, and when they’re old enough, they have fun reading to me as well.  Yes, I usually do the voices, and it leads to lots of giggles.  I can’t even pretend, though, that it’s a parallel for an audiobook.  I’m happy to hear your opinions, and favourite books.  As for my NZ connection, she’s got a gift for words and a comfortable style, reminiscent of P. G. Wodehouse in some aspects, and since Bertie and Jeeves are favourite characters of mine, I relish the echo in her tales.  

I’m going to head in soon.  I’m a bit more alert than I was last night at this time, but I’m still not bouncing with energy.  I think I’ll have a snack — it’s been a couple of weeks since I needed to take insulin, and I’d like to keep it like that! But night time snacks also keep me from being woken up with tremors and low sugar, so I’ll arrange something light and then head in.  Good night!