With the new year in our rear-view mirror, it's a toss-up as to whether our resolutions are holding fast. One of my top priorities in 2018 is to take advantage of my time and read more.

Thus far I've read three books in 2018, which is amazing.

How did I accomplish this? AUDIOBOOKS. That's right, I listen to my books. While I love physical books, this year, I decided to add audiobooks to the mix. My local library offers a free book-borrowing program called Hoopla Digital, in which I can borrow audiobooks and ebooks — it is amazing. Offering a wide range of titles, I can queue it up on my laptop or cell phone and listen away.

Audiobooks are great for multitaskers. Today, people are busy with school, jobs, house chores, you name it. It is difficult to find time to sit down and dedicate a chunk of time to read a physical book.

With audiobooks, I listen while I am driving. I listen while I work out. I listen while browsing the internet. It's amazing how much time I've utilized while doing menial tasks these past two weeks.

Not only do audiobooks make me feel like I am wringing more worth out of my time, but they also add another way of experiencing a book. Listening to what is happening activates a different part of my brain, allowing for me to visualize what is occurring instead of my visuals being needed to actually read the book.

Since the new year began, I have listened to 1984 by George Orwell. I have owned a physical copy of this book for years, but I've always been intimidated to start the classic. However, having it read to me made it seem more approachable.

Now that I finished it, I can honestly say that I wouldn't have made it through the novel without the audiobook. The narrator's voice added a creep factor that I don't think would have impacted me as much if I had read it on my own.

If you have a book that you want to read, yet seems too intimidating for one reason or another, try an audiobook.

Overall, I am a fan of audiobooks and I intend on continuing listening to them. Whether it be novels, nonfiction, or poetry, I am excited to see what books I will delve into in 2018 via audiobooks.

If you are interested in adding audiobooks to your life, check out your local library, bookstore, or Audible on Amazon.