I’m Always Reading: I’m A Quirky Reader, Part 1

Posted March 15, 2013 by Asheley in Uncategorized / 17 Comments

My picture. Yum yum coffee forever. 

quirk  

/kwərk/

Noun
  1. A peculiar behavioral habit: “his annoying quirks”.
  2. A strange chance occurrence: “a strange quirk of fate”.
Synonyms
whim – quip

Source: Google.


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I’m always telling you all that I’M A QUIRKY READER. Some of my closest reading friends know some of my odd reading habits and perhaps maybe some of you have picked up on some of my habits without me admitting them to anyone. 

The truth is, we all have them. Bookish quirks, reading habits. Things that are unique to us, that make us one of a kind. 

I thought I’d share some of mine (but not all of them). And only like one at a time! I don’t want to overwhelm anybody. (Also I don’t want anyone thinking I’m too much of a weirdo.)  

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So today – immediately after I post this, actually – I’m heading off for a little mini-vacation. HOORAY FOR THOSE, right? Well, this morning I was packing my stuff and it just wasn’t going well for me. I was trying and trying and trying to get it right, and I just COULDN’T GET IT TOGETHER. I was like “Snap out of it, Asheley! The sooner you get it together, the sooner you can get on the road!” 

Then I figured out my problem. I had an AHA moment. 

Now let’s rewind just a second…stay with me here…

Last night, I was trying to cook dinner. You guys, I am THE WORST multitasker in the world. I can admit it. I just don’t multitask well. I was trying to cook something SO SIMPLE. It wasn’t coming together and I was like WHY WHY WHY do I have to cook one thing at a time for my dinner to work??? 

Then I figured out my problem. I had an AHA moment. 

Are y’all ready for this?

Audiobooks

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I have gotten myself so accustomed to listening to audiobooks when I cook dinner EVERY NIGHT and when I pack my suitcase/bags EVERY TIME I’m going somewhere that I just cannot do these things without someone reading to me through my earbuds. Last night, I chose to listen to Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, read by Jim Dale because HELLO it’s Jim Dale and sometimes I just need a magical voice like that in my life. It was kinda great and dinner eventually turned out okay. 

This morning, I wanted to start something, so I started Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, read by Sarah Drew because I love to listen to her tell the story of Lena and Alex and I wanted to read that book anyway (for the first time).


And no worries, (as per my other quirky norm) last night I had my Kindle up on the counter to the left of my stove/oven area so I could glance over and click click click away while Jim Dale read to me. Marvelous! This morning, I had the print copy of Pandemonium that I flipped through and marked with stickies while I packed. This is totally normal for me and it is something that I am completely comfortable with and accustomed to. 

Not only that, but in both cases, once I turned an audiobook, I considered these situations better. I immediately was able to reign myself in and focus on multitasking my reading/listening as well as cooking all of the parts of my dinner at one time AND packing my stuff in my suitcase and all of that. 

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Why does audiobooking make me feel more at ease with 
some multitasking situations 
like cooking and packing for vacations? 

I can’t do it with all multitasking situations. 

Do you guys have any weird audiobooking quirks
or multitasking quirks? 

Asheley

About Asheley

Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.

You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.

Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!

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17 responses to “I’m Always Reading: I’m A Quirky Reader, Part 1

  1. That is a bit extreme, but I LOVE audiobooks, so it is totally acceptable! I listen to them when I'm driving or cleaning or cooking or knitting. LOVE SO MUCH.. And who doesn't love Jim Dale?

    • I know! Jim Dale is pretty great. I KNOW – it IS extreme, isn't it!? I almost want to hide my face in embarrassment, but I'm being open about my quirks so I'm putting it all out there. I think it has something to do with concentrating on the story and the one voice that is talking to me versus the myriad of background noises that could be going on here at any given time. It helps me to concentrate (even to the point that I can follow along with the story) and I'm able to accomplish some of the mundane tasks that I need to get accomplished.

      It's weird! I know. 🙂

  2. I don't think I have any weird audiobook quirks – except that, my iPod is always with me now (which is how I listen to audiobooks). I cannot go into the car without double checking to make sure I have it with me – you never know when I might have to wait in a line for something – and thus need to break it out.

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

    • Absolutely – I admire you for being able to listen to an audiobook on your ipod. I think I made it successfully through one audiobook on my ipod and since then I've tried two. Somehow both times, I've ended up shuffling the "tracks" so that the audiobook was all out of order, so I am better to stick to listening on my phone via my library's Overdrive system or audible. But I *DO* love my ipod for podcasts!! I listen to a ton of podcasts on there!

      Keeping an audiobook with you all the time is a GREAT way to keep a book with you all the time. I always suggest this to people who tell me they *want* to read but "don't have time" to read.

      Occasionally I will listen to audiobook on CD's via the library – there is one book that I've been listening to since the middle of January (Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand) and it has mostly been in in 5-10 minute segments since my car trips are usually fairly short. This is another way that audiobooking is helpful for stuffing another book into my reading life. (PLUS that book is rather heavy so I don't think I'd be reading more than 5-10 minutes at a time even if I was only reading in print.)

  3. That's so interesting! I'm surprisingly not much of an audiobook girl, though I have been meaning to at least try it out before I decide not to do so.

    • I would recommend trying out a library audiobook before you commit to buying audiobooks or even checking out Audible's one-free trial. I *love* audiobooking – it's something that the more I do it, the more I love it. It just fits into my life in so many ways and helps me relax and helps me to fit more books in when I want to keep reading and am busy with my eyes and hands, but my ears are free to listen.

      If you ever decide to audiobook, I recommend getting some recs from some of your reading friends on some of their favorites. Finding a great audiobook for your first listen is key in determining whether or not you'll like it over the long haul or not. 🙂

  4. Lol, great post! 😀 I'm not a huge multitasker myself, but I do LOVE audiobooks too.
    About audibooks and quirks, well, I don't think it's qualifies as a quirk, and I'm not doing it all the time just sometimes (audiobooks are not cheap), but sometimes I listen to audiobooks while baking cookies 🙂
    I tried to listen to an audiobook once while driving, but couldn't concentrate…

    • I COMPLETELY understand listening to audiobooks while baking cookies, because I am one to listen while I cook. I totally get that. I can listen while I'm driving unless I'm in a heavy-traffic situation. (I live in a pretty rural area, so this usually isn't a problem and I find that audiobooking in the car is pretty easy most of the time.)

      For some reasons, with SOME tasks, the audiobooks help me concentrate somehow so that I'm able to do more than one thing at a time. Which sounds really weird, since the audiobook would seem to pull my attention away from what my hands are doing. I find that it actually works in the opposite way, though. I have no solid explanation for this! 🙂

  5. I don't like listening to audiobooks when I'm doing other things because I CAN'T follow the book. I get so focused on what I'm doing (cooking, folding clothes, etc) that I miss parts of the book! I do, however, like to listen when I'm working out or taking a bath or laying in bed. To me, those are the BEST places for listening to an audiobook!

    • I agree those are the ABSOLUTE best places FOR ME to listen to audiobooks on the first reads. But I usually listen to audiobooks on re-reads mostly, so I find that if I miss a tiny details or get distracted for a second here or there, it's not the hugest deal ever. That's the ONLY way I'm able to listen while I'm doing other things. Otherwise, I'd have to listen all the time while in bed or in the bath (which would be totally okay too, haha!).

      Mostly, though, since I am so easily distracted, I have to try and stay away from first-listen audiobooking (even when I follow along in print) because I always have a kid needing my attention or a husband asking me a question, etc. OR OR OR if I lay in the bed, I'm GONE to sleep within a few minutes!! 🙂

  6. I'm much more of a "podcast listener with an audiobook thrown in here and there" kind of girl, but I totally get what you're saying. It's reached the point where I actually GET EXCITED about doing the dishes, folding the laundry, basically any boring household chore because it means I'll get to listen to a brand new episode of one of my favorite podcasts.

    Naturally I'll listen to them in the car occasionally, but for the most part, I keep them strictly for workouts or cleaning.

    • I TOTALLY GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I also love podcasts!! And I completely geek out over any excuse to listen to either an audiobook or a podcast. I actually have this CRAZY way that I hook my earbuds into my shirt so that I'm wearing them as part of my clothes all day so that I don't have to keep up with them…all I do is wear them and plug in/unplug my phone/ipod as needed and stuff the end of my earbuds into my pocket if I *happen* to not be listening to anything at the time.

      I'm pretty sure I just made myself sound like the biggest dork ever. If only you could actually see what I'm talking about…haha!

  7. Okay, you say you are the worst multitasker in the world but I think listening to an audiobook and following along in the book or Kindle IS multitasking! Don't sell yourself short my friend!

    Ok, I still haven't jumped on the audiobook bandwagon yet but i really need to check out Audible. Anytime I am cooking or cleaning I'm usually bombarded with questions and requests by my five year old so I don't know that I would have as much success as you, but I do want to try.

    • Somehow listening to the audiobook helps me focus. It's weird. But I guess you're right – it IS sort of multitasking. Thanks for that encouragement!

      I genuinely think Audible is one of the best products out there. I LOVE Audible and would gladly do without other things in my life so I could keep audiobooking. (I love my library's digital audiobook system too, Overdrive. So thankful that I can have a remote membership with a nice, larger library system in another county that allows me to FREQUENTLY use their ebook/audiobook loans.)

      Regarding audiobooking with family members (small ones, mostly) – here, they just know that if I have earbuds in, get my attention and wait a second until I hit the pause button. It's kind of a way of life around here. That may sound harsh, but it really isn't – I've taught them that it is courteous and I try to extend that same courtesy to them. They occasionally listen to audiobooks from the library on their Kindles.)

      I totally support you giving it a try. I would recommend a re-read until you get used to it! I think it is a bit of a learned art to be able to manage things (aka multitask) with small people running around. 🙂

  8. LOVE this about you! I haven't figured out how to manage it though. I'm such a visual reader, that I really have to PAY ATTENTION closely to an audiobook, unless it's something like harry potter that I know and love. That just doesn't work for me in a house with two littles that are always chattering at me. Do you listen with head phones and do your kids just do their own thing? I think when mine are better, this will work for me (hopefully). I love that you can re-read so much easier this way! LOVE your quirks.

    • OHHHH but the books that I know and love are the ones that I love audiobooking THE MOST!! You know that I am a huge fan of audiobooks on the re-reads, so most of the time I already know the details of the story and can just focus and enjoy someone else reading it to me – their inflection, their different emotions, how they read each character. Sometimes I change my opinions (or my mental image) of a character just based on listening to a re-read.

      I do use earbuds, mostly both ears but occasionally I have to take one out to listen to them if we're outside and I've got three kids running in different directions, things like that. But like I was mentioning to Heather, I've taught them that they need to get my attention and wait just a second so I can hit pause before they talk – this is courteous and respectful, and I extend the same to them when they are listening to things with their earbuds in. (Earbuds are so widely used these days, it doesn't hurt them to learn some earbud-etiquette, if there is such a thing.) If the kids are home, they are all doing something while I'm listening – I would never listen to an audiobook while we're working on homework or when they get home immediately after school and want to talk about their day for awhile, etc.

      Also, I started audiobooking with mine when they were really small – audiobooks on CD in the car, audiobooks on CD with a small CD player in the house with headphones, then books on CD with the books (so they can follow along and turn the pages), and now they listen to books they check out from the digital library on their Kindles. I think that since they have an appreciation for how great LISTENING to books can be, they can appreciate how much I genuinely enjoy it, and they enjoy it too. My youngest is actually listening to the first 39 Clues book and he has the print copy also checked out so he can follow along in print just like I do. (sniffle, sniffle) Haha!

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