Audiobooks: Limit 8 and catch and release

Every angler dreams about finding the perfect hole, making the perfect cast, and landing the perfect fish. It’s a rare opportunity that comes, at best, once in a lifetime — and we always seem to be further from it in the present than we were at some vague point in the past.

In this sense, readers and anglers have a lot in common. Reading and fishing are two activities many of us wish we could do more often. Both create lasting memories, foster a connection between people and the planet, give our days meaning, and contribute to our rich internal lives. Both could also be improved with a little advice from Norman Maclean: “Many of us would probably be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to become perfect.”

Audiobooks, being uniquely suited to the imperfect moments, offer us the ability to wade into the river of knowledge and take a few casts no matter where we are. In that sense, they’re an invaluable addition to our lives. However, as Audiobook Appreciation Month draws to a close, I find the internet flooded with articles questioning their legitimacy. Is listening to a recording the same as reading the printed word? Opinions abound, but the problem with opinions is that — like earlobes — they’re often full of holes. Luckily scientists have weighed in on the situation, and a 2019 study from the Journal of Neuroscience shows that the human brain has the same response to both spoken and written information. Of course your experience may vary, but with over 13,000 audiofish … I mean audiobooks … available at the East Bonner County Library, something is bound to strike. Just remember, we’re a catch-and-release establishment. Please use one of our book drops to humanely release borrowed items back into the stacks.

Michael Dwyer can be reached at the East Bonner County Library District.