No time to read? Try some listening

UGH >> I know I’m such a downer all the time. So much policy, so many research reports and datadata-data about the most powerless people in society.

Then every New Year, I tell about how to be kinder, smarter, more active and less dependent on your digital devices — all wonderful life goals that require time and energy. But who has both? People often ask me when I sleep. Sleep? Ha, I wish. A life consumed with reading, writing, battling anxiety and depression, taking care of dogs, cats, a spouse and a partner; houses that require cleaning, meals to cook and friends who shouldn’t be ignored makes me like everyone else just trying to keep their head above water.

So this year’s advice is to simply add more enjoyment to your life.

Who has the time or money to go buy fresh flowers all the time? Not me, but this was the year I discovered the unending aesthetic boost of fake flowers and plants. They add beauty and cheer to life without ever making you feel bad about letting them die.

Also, I finally figured out that grocery stores have really upped their game — freshly cooked, to-go food offerings have gotten more healthful and cheaper. Lean poultry and meats, selections of roasted vegetables, mix-andeat salads for two and freshcut fruit. If you’re in charge of dinner, don’t be a martyr every day, OK?

My favorite “life hack,” though, is listening to audiobooks.

Nothing makes lengthy commutes, cold dog walks, loads of dishes or laundry and just about any other mundane task more enjoyable than a real page-turner read by a skilled audiobook reader.

I’ve been listening to audiobooks for nearly a decade, and their quality and abundance has improved while their price and ease of use have gotten even more attractive.

Is it really “reading,” though?

Who cares?! Great books are masterfully written, thought-provoking and so enriching in countless ways, not the least of which is that they provide pure enjoyment. As long as you’re not texting, watching TV or surfing the internet while listening, I say it counts as “real” reading.

I go back to “Moby Dick,” “The Sea Wolf,” “A Hundred

Years of Solitude” and many other classics, but there are innumerable great books that are also excellent ear candy. Here are a few of my favorite fun listens from last year:

“Knife,” the new novel by Jo Nesbo, the godfather of Nordic noir. Narrated by John Lee, who perfectly captures the gritty voice of the washedout but ever-redeemed Norwegian detective Harry Hole, Nesbo returns with another murder, another set of prime suspects and more heartache for Hole. Yes, “Knife” is 12th in a series, but I promise: If you love a gritty whodunit, you’ll drop right in without missing a beat and then have 11 more books to feast on when you’re done.

“The Dutch House,” Ann Patchett’s latest novel, is surely amazing on paper because Patchett is a brilliant storyteller. But none other than Tom Hanks reads the audiobook, and he gives an incredible warmth and joy to the story of a brother and sister, whose twisting, turning lives always leads back to their childhood home. No one does family dynamics like Patchett — and no one does nice, sometimes frustrated people like Hanks.

“The Institute,” by Stephen King, is terrifying, not because there’s gore or slashing or any of the horror tropes that people assume King uses as a substitute for thoughtful narrative, but because the world King creates is uncanny. Are super brilliant people harvested from America’s far-flung corners to be used as conduits to manipulate world events through mind control? It seems extremely plausible, and reader Santino Fontana’s performance of many very different characters makes the story feel all too real.

Another great listen is “Medallion Status: True Stories from Secret Rooms,” written by John Hodgman of the “Judge John Hodgman” podcast and ever-so-sweetly narrated by the author. I’ll admit I’m a total fool for anything Hodgman does, from podcasting to writing real books full of fake facts and acting roles that play up his brainy personality. In this, his second book of real, autobiographical vignettes, Hodgman uses his midlife ennui to poke fun at his amazing life. In the process he lets us peek behind several elite curtains — and laugh uproariously at what lies beyond.

Trust me, listen to any of these books and your ears will soon be thanking me.

Esther Cepeda is syndicated by The Washington Post Writers Group.