When you can't read the way you used to

I was talking to a friend (and subscriber) recently who said that for about six months after her son was born, she struggled to read. She loves reading and so this really impacted her. Now pregnant with her second child, she asked if I'd ever had a similar experience and what had helped.

This post grew out of that conversation, and I hope will be helpful if you also love reading but are finding that you can't read the way you used to. While I don't have kids, I have gone through various periods of my life where I found it more difficult to focus or had to engage differently with books because my life circumstances had changed. Learning Spanish as an adult has also encouraged me to get more creative with my reading.

In this post, we're going to talk about listening to audiobooks, and strategies to enjoy them if - like me and my friend - you're a fast, visual learner and your mind tends to wander when you try to listen to long chunks of text. Whether you're breastfeeding, need to give your eyes a rest, or have to commute standing up, having a hands-free reading strategy can make all the difference. (Then in part 2, we'll discuss other ways to play with your reading when you find yourself in a slump or are having trouble focusing.)

Before we start, if you're not a member of your local library, I highly recommend joining. It's a cost-free way to experiment with reading different genres and engaging with books in different ways, that directly benefits authors. It's one of the most ethical ways you can engage with books, and directly supports your local community because libraries provide so many other services too.

This is part of our ongoing series where I reflect on your questions. If you'd like to ask a question, comment on this post or send an email to info@emmabolton.com. (I can't promise I'll answer, but I will if I have something substantive to add to the conversation or can point you towards a useful resource.) 

You'll find below a bunch of different strategies that together over time have helped me to start regularly enjoying audiobooks. I'd suggest experimenting with one or two of them to start with, and seeing if they make your audiobook experience slightly easier or more enjoyable. Different strategies will work for you at different times, so stay curious and be kind to yourself as you embark on this audiobook adventure.

Build up your listening muscles.

If you're predominantly a visual learner, a fast reader, or watch everything on TV with subtitles, you might find (like me) that you need to start small and build up your listening muscles over time. I also highly recommend listening to the audiobook as your sole activity if you can. Trying to multi-task will only split your focus further. You can try:

• playing the audiobook at 1.25x speed or faster. When I first started listening to audiobooks more regularly, increasing the speed helped my brain to stay engaged without warping the narrator's voice. With practice I've been able to start listening at normal speed while I fold laundry or do the dishes.
• choosing shorter books. Although this is perhaps obvious, it can be motivating to just finish a few audiobooks! If you're like me, listening to audiobooks is a new skill you need to develop over time, and giving your brain evidence that you can do this (and enjoy it) can help. At the moment I'm loving listening to Nghi Vo's 'The Singing Hills Cycle'. The narrator is a cleric who collects stories in an empire similar to imperial China accompanied by her talking bird, Almost Brilliant. Each novella in the series is a historical fantasy under 2.5 hours.

Reduce the stakes.

If you're generally exhausted or finding it difficult to focus when you read, how can you reduce how much energy you need to enjoy the book? You could try:

• listening to a book that you've read a physical copy of before. You already know you love the story and have a strong understanding of the characters. If your mind wanders, bring your focus back to the story and continue to enjoy it without rewinding - the same way you return to your breath in a noting meditation if your thoughts run away from you. I love that I notice different details about a story when I reread it in a new format.
• listening to a genre where the process is the point. This is the audiobook version of a police procedural - if you lose focus, you can keep playing the book knowing it's unlikely you've missed any crucial details. I often listen to romance novels, because I know the characters are going to end up together and the interesting part is seeing how that happens. Helen Hoang's series that starts with The Kiss Quotient was one of my early favourites.

When you choose new books, you might also find it helpful to read in genres you're already familiar with and know you love.

The narrator can make or break it.

If you're reading a book in translation, the translator is crucial and effectively like a second author. Similarly, when you're listening to an audiobook, the narrator can make or break the experience. You can try:

• listening to an author read their own book (especially if you're already familiar with their work). I recently listened to I’m Glad My Mom Died written and narrated by Jennette McCurdy. It's a brutal read because of the content but so, so good. There's a point where McCurdy has a revelation in therapy and her voice hitches reading the audiobook. I'm glad she left that emotion in, because it makes an already powerful scene even more so.
• if you find a narrator you like, looking up other books they've narrated. This is another reason I recommend experimenting with audiobooks through your local library. If you're not jelling with the narrator in the first 20 minutes, you can return that book and check out something else without worrying about the cost. One of the reasons I'm currently loving Nghi Vo's 'The Singing Hills Cycle' so much is that it's narrated by Cindy Kay, who's quickly become one of my favourite narrators.

Share the experience.

If you're having trouble focusing, sharing the experience with others can lighten the burden and create a moment of connection. Also, I love a bit of body doubling. You can try:

• listening out loud. Sometimes it helps me focus if I listen to an audiobook with a family member. (Plus, if you lose track, hopefully they can fill in any gaps!) My Mum and I listened to all 2 hours and 38 minutes of Kate Mosse's The Black Mountain a few years ago when we drove to visit family in the country. It's a short piece of historical fiction set in the stunning landscape of the Canary Islands.
• different formats of audiobooks. For example, Graphic Audio does full cast, abbreviated recordings of fantasy and science fiction novels. They include sound effects like rain, or swords clanging during fight scenes. Their tag line is 'a movie in your mind' (although I enjoy their recordings even though I can't visualise). A few years ago my husband and I had a lot of fun listening to Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews and discussing all the twists and turns!

Audiobooks are never going to be my personal favourite kind of book to read, but I love having them as an option, and they're essential in certain circumstances (like when my middle-aged eyes are feeling tired or I'm about to spend 30 hours travelling to Australia to see my family). If you love reading, I think it's worth playing with different options to see if it's a format you can make work for you.

I've focused on audiobooks in this post because it's the hands-free option I have personal experience with (and that didn't come naturally to me). But if you enjoy reading on an e-reader, you could also look into accessibility options for reading hands-free. For example, a remote-control page-turner that allows you to position your e-reader at eye level and turn the page with a small bluetooth remote. 

What strategies have helped you read again when life made it difficult to do so?

Sketches from Granada celebrates every-day moments of connection with strangers, friends and ourselves. I know how easy it is not to be present in your own life, and I hope these sketches inspire you to seek out those moments that are worth savouring. 

If this post resonated with you, please share it with a friend you think might appreciate it too!