I love reading, and I always will.
Growing up, I would read hundreds of books, always eager for more. Mainly fantasy, or science fiction. Occasionally a horror or two, when I was a little older. I would read for whole days, devouring tomes heavier than I could carry.
I stopped reading books, when the visual impairment first arrived. I would struggle with reading the font size, as my retinas morphed. I did try, but it was a battle. I couldn’t finish long novels, never mind start one. I would end up frustrated, that I couldn’t enjoy something I used to.
There was a good couple of years where I didn’t read at all. I felt shut out, of these wonderful worlds. Of course now, I know thst I could have found them in large print. But i didn’t know that then. I just thought it was another thing I would never be able to do again.
After a long time, I realised I missed it. I wanted to get back into reading. But i wasn’t sure how. I tried Kindles, but I had the same issue. I tried better magnifiers, which helped a lot. But I just wanted to read a book, no magnifiers or barriers attached. I was about to give up. And then I found Audible, which has changed my life.
I was a bit hesitant at first. I started small, with some short stories, by Neil Gaiman. And I fell in love with Audible. I could listen to the story, instead of reading it. I could still experience the story, just as I always had. In fact, it was even more so, by listening and feeling the world i was drawn into, as if I was there too. I could take my time, listen in small segments. There was no need to struggle with font sizes.
I began to enjoy reading again, listening to chapters before bed. With Audible, I rediscovered my love of reading. I managed to finish novels and even try new ones, which was wonderful. I’ve read authors I’ve always wanted to read, but was always daunted by, discovered new stories and universes, all through sound.
Which is why I got excited today. I saw a new book being published on Twitter. It sounded really good, about Vikings, which I love. I wanted to try it, even if it was a Kindle. I went to buy it online, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it had an Audible version available. I was so happy, and bought a copy in seconds.
Many books are published these days, but are mainly in print or ebook. So this author taking the time to make their new novel an Audible really touched me. It makes it so much more accessible, so that I can enjoy the world and the story just as much as a sighted person. And I’m excited, to try something new.
