I’m pretty sure all of us here in the blogging world have quite a bit more going on in our lives than just reading and blogging about books.
I’m no exception. With a more than full-time job, an almost 2-hour daily commute, and two young kiddos… finding time to read is a lot like piecing together a puzzle.
My weekdays begin at 5am and I don’t stop going until 8pm.
Here’s an example of a normal weekday for me:
5am: Wake up & get myself and the kids ready for work/school
6:30am: Commute to work/school
7:30am: Drop the kids off at before care & head to the office
4pm: Gym
5pm: Drive home
6pm: Make/eat/clean up dinner
7pm: Homework time for the kiddos
7:30pm: Bath time for the kiddos
8pm: Blog
9pm: Shower/Get ready for bed
9:30pm: Me time
10pm: Sleep
Because there is zero free time during the week, all the chores and everything else that needs to be scheduled is done so on the weekends.
So… how do I fit in reading through all of this?
The short answer: audiobooks.
I do read ebooks and hard copies of books, but those take me significantly more time to read than audiobooks just because of my schedule.
Because these two formats/ways of reading are done at very different times, I’m going to break it down by format.
The Best Times to Listen to Audiobooks
In the car
Most of the time I don’t listen to my audiobooks while my kids are in the car, but luckily, my husband picks them up from school in the afternoons, which means my commute home is spent listening to my audiobooks!
At the gym
Some people like listening to workout music, but me? If I’m not working out with friends, I pop in my headphones and listen to an audiobook!
While doing certain tasks at work
I (obviously) can’t listen to an audiobook and concentrate while I’m writing, but a decent portion of my job involves graphic design and data mining. When I’m doing things like that – it’s the perfect time to pop in my headphones and listen to an audiobook.
On my lunch breaks
If I actually take a lunch break and don’t eat at my desk, instead of going to a restaurant and eating, I’ll either grab my packed lunch and park somewhere so that I can listen to my audiobook in my car while I eat or I order takeout and sit in the parking lot while I listen. I know, that’s kind of weird, but whatever!
While cleaning/cooking
Anytime I’m doing pretty much anything around the house that doesn’t require reading or listening to something, and if my kids are happily occupied, I have my headphones in and I’m listening to an audiobook. It makes the chores I don’t normally enjoy much more tolerable. (Here’s looking at you dishes!)
While I’m getting ready
I get up about a half hour earlier than my girls do and my husband usually leaves for work not to long after I wake up, so a lot of the time, when I’m sitting at my vanity, I play my audiobook as I’m doing my hair and makeup.
While I’m in the shower
I take my showers at night since I work out in the evenings. I bought a splash-proof bluetooth speaker that is absolutely fantastic and I stick it right on the edge of the tub while I take a shower and get ready for bed.
As I’m falling asleep
This is a tricky one because I’ve definitely fully fallen asleep and woke up hours later with the book still playing in my ears, but it doesn’t bother me. The next time I listen to the book, I just skip backward until I find the last part I remember.
While grocery shopping
If my oldest daughter doesn’t join me while I’m grocery shopping, I’m completely antisocial as I’m shopping because I pop in my headphones and listen to an audiobook. It’s always interesting when I get to a sex scene in the canned foods aisle.
The best times to read
Reading and actual ebook or physical book is a thousand times harder for me than listening to an audiobook because I can’t multitask as I do so. Honestly? There are only a handful of times that I can actually sit down and read a book (if I’m not sick an laid up in bed.)
Before I fall asleep at night
This is my only quiet time, so a lot of times I’ll slip on my headphones and listen to some music while I read (if I don’t just close my eyes and listen to an audiobook instead.)
During my lunch break
We have a beautiful lake just outside my office with a nice dock sometimes if the weather is nice, I’ll bring my lunch out there and read my book.
At restaurants when I’m by myself
I’m so that person who has her ebook in her purse at all times, so I have no problem going to a restaurant by myself and reading while I’m there!
In waiting rooms
Forget scrolling through my phone while I’m waiting on an appointment, I just pull out a book and read until I’m up!
While hanging out with friends
Ok, hear me out… My best friend on the planet is a total introvert and bookworm. Sometimes the two of us want to spend time together, but we don’t want to be social, so we’ll curl up on the couch together and read, sipping wine or tea, and talking occasionally. We’ve also discovered a cute little coffee shop where we meet up, curl up on the couch there and read together.
Any possible spare moment at home
On the extremely rare occasion that the girls and my husband are occupied or out of the house, all the chores are done, and the blog is up to date, I will sit in my glorious reading chair in my library, put on some music, and read.
Movie nights
Yeah, so, my husband and I are at that point in our marriage where we no longer pretend to enjoy the same movies. We have very different tastes and sometimes we want to spend time together and have a movie night after the girls are in bed on a weekend, but we can’t agree on a flick. I am totally fine with letting him pick the movie as long as he’s fine with me reading while he’s watching it as I curl up next to him and eat popcorn and peanut m&ms.
Homework time
My daughter and I have homework time in my reading area in my library. After I’ve helped her out and she’s working quietly, I sit next to her and read a few pages of my book while she’s working.
Family reading time
This is extremely rare because my girls are so young (3yo & 5yo), but sometimes I can get them to grab a stack of their own books while I’m in my reading chair and they curl up next to me with their own books.
While sunbathing
We made the brilliant purchase of a water slide for the girls last year for their birthday and it keeps them occupied for a decent amount of time. I love going outside with them and setting up my lounge chair next to the slide with a good book and soaking up the sun.
 
 
Prioritizing my free time
One thing I want to mention is that I very, very rarely watch TV or movies at home. If I have free time, I’m reading or blogging.
We don’t have cable, just an Apple TV and a Roku TV with Netflix, Prime, and YouTube, but I so rarely watch anything. I’m much more of a going-to-the-movies type of person than the person who can sit on the couch watching TV or a movie.
I just feel so unproductive when I’m sitting in front of the TV, I get antsy after about 3 minutes.
For some reason, though, I can easily sit on my reading chair with a book all day and feel perfectly fine with it.
 
 
 
 
 
Amazing post 🙂 I totally feel you with the whole hanging out with someone and just sitting together reading 🙂 my bf and I do that sometimes 😀
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Isn’t it the best?! Sometimes I don’t want to be alone, but I also don’t want to talk – it’s perfect for that.
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Yes it’s so great I love it a lot 😀
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Great post! I’m a huge fan of audiobooks as well ❤️
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They are essential to my obsession! 😛
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Oh I totally hear you! I work 4 days a week and have a young son and a house to keep up so time is limited.
I tend to read after my son has gone to bed. Like you I rarely watch tv (most of it is rubbish anyway!) But curl up on the sofa for an hour with a good book. 😁
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Yes, that time to myself is so necessary for my sanity!
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Yes! I say to my son….this is my time, go away 🤣
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LOL!
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I do really relate to cramming in reading wherever I can and I definitely read at lunch. I love to read before bed- I consider it a bit of a treat 😉 Oh I have friends that I can sit reading with too- it’s fantastic! And I think it’s great that you can sit reading on movie nights as well 😀 Awesome post!
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It is so great… my husband is totally understanding. I mean, at least we’re hanging out together, even if we aren’t both watching the movie.
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I wish I had a best friend that I could read with, that sounds so awesome 😮 and I read whenever I get some free time from college! or before I go to sleep.
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I identified with this so much! I read everywhere! I always have an audiobook going, and generally a physical book and e-book too. That way, no matter where I am, I can be reading something!
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I’m not alone!! LOL! I read one in each format all at once 😛
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Great post Bree! It’s extremely difficult to find time to read while going through the motions of life.
I always have a book in my purse, so I’ll grab it on my lunch break or if I beat traffic and get to work early.
At home, I try to have at least an hour before to bed to read a few chapters as well.
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Yes! I totally have a giant purse for that exact reason LOL!
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That’s a really great, detailed post! I’m fortunate that I have a bit more time than you, but I’m glad to see that you can still find time to read 🙂 I definitely do my best reading in the evening and during my commute! I also always try to bring my book when I know that I have to wait e.g. at the doctors!
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Yes! Having a book with me at all times (mostly my Kindle) is absolutely essential!
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During my commute to work and always before bed.
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Do you listen to audiobooks on your commute or do you take public transit and read during that time?
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I take public transit and bring my e-reader.
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I’m jealous that you can read in a moving vehicle! I’d get so sick if I did that. As it is, I get nauseated when I read too many billboards while driving LOL!
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I’m so sorry to hear that. It has to be so annoying to feel that way when in a moving vehicle. Do you listen to audiobooks while traveling?
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Yep. Audiobooks are definitely my go to for commutes!
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I really enjoyed your post. I especially enjoy dramatized audiobooks, with many actors, like The Help, and have loved discovering podcasts that are similar to audiobooks, like Homecoming, by Gimlet – which has a surprisingly famous and talented cast for a free podcast.
I found time to read on the weekend. I fall asleep over a page on weeknights.
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Reading at night definitely helps me fall asleep in that I usually do so in the middle of a sentence LOL!
I haven’t read very many dramatized audiobooks, but I LOVE them! I suppose it is because I mostly read romance 😛
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Love this post!! I’ve recently discovered audiobooks as well and LOVE them. I listen to them while walking to class, driving to/from errands, doing chores, etc. Listening makes me feel quite productive because I’m getting things done while enjoying a good book!!
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Same! I get SO much done around the house when I’m listening to a book!
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