My “reading” life these days is more accurately described as my “listening” life, though I fully embrace that audiobooks count as reading. I have four kids, and on top of being an author, I work full-time for a software company, so the most convenient time for me to consume a book is while driving. I listen to audiobooks primarily through the subscription service Sribd, and I almost always have a book playing while I’m on the road. I also bought a Bluetooth speaker so I can connect to my phone and listen to audiobooks when I’m in the shower. Technology makes stories so much more accessible. I can put my phone in my pocket and play a book while I’m cooking dinner or folding laundry. 

Before I was an audiobook fan, I loved the dramatizations produced by Moody Bible Institute years ago called “Stories of Great Christians.” Fifteen minutes of a story aired each day on the radio, and I learned so much from that program.

Today Heather Norman Smith tells us all about her reading life. Share on X

My audiobook obsession began in earnest when I listened to the three books in “The Broken Road” series by Richard Paul Evans. My family even listened to parts of the books while riding in the minivan with me, and they also became engrossed in the stories. In the past several months, I’ve listened to some great audiobooks. Here are some that I loved.

1. Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee
2. Count the Nights by Stars by Michelle Shocklee
3. Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen
4. The Songs that Could Have Been by Amanda Wen
5. The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold
6. The Sowing Season by Katie Powner
7. The Finder of Forgotten Things by Sarah Loudin Thomas
8. Under the Magnolias by T.I. Lowe
9. Unknown Threat by Lynn Blackburn
10. The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham
11. The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox
12. The Way it Should Be by Christina Suzanne Nelson
13. The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
14. The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham

Three of my novels are currently available as audiobooks, but I’ve never listened to any of them all the way through. Recently, I decided that enough time had passed since I wrote Where I Was Planted, that I probably wouldn’t nit-pick all my own words read back to me if I tried to listen to a little bit of it. Thankfully, I was right. I’d even forgotten enough of the story to make the experience of listening entertaining. The narrator, Donald Cuddington, is fantastic.   

Besides convenience, I gravitate toward audiobooks because when I read paperback or e-book, I analyze the writing too much because. I try to learn from the writing of others, but it makes the story just a little less enjoyable. My eyes focus on the mechanics of a book more than my ears do. When I listen, I don’t spend so much time thinking about sentence structure, effective descriptions, and strong word choices. I just enjoy the story. 

I do have a substantial TBR pile of paperbacks, though. Since warmer weather is around the corner, I’m hoping to take those to the beach with me soon.

Heather Norman Smith lives in the Piedmont of North Carolina with her husband, their four children, and several pets. Her goal as an author is to use the written word to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. In addition to writing contemporary and historical novels set in her home state, Heather enjoys writing devotions and singing about Jesus.

Visit her on her website (www.heathernormansmith.com)  or on her BRRC Author Page.