When I can't read, I listen

Audiobooks, Bridgertons and active listening x Nyetimber, Sussex

TW// skip the first paragraph if you don’t like eyes.

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In 2020, a strange thing happened. No, not that thing.

I was sitting at dinner with my family when my eyes started to sting, then burn, and throb. I took out my lenses, popped a Benadryl, and assumed it was due to the cat or some allergy triggered by my visit to the countryside. It wasn’t. I ended up in Moorfields Eye Hospital and for weeks my eyes were red— not just a little pink, but deeply bloodshot and enflamed. And that first flare-up was far from the only or last time this would happen. I now regularly find myself with eyes that burn - usually with no clear clause or trigger - requiring me to take time away from my screen, away from my books, and to take breaks in the day to wear an ice mask that might cool them down. You can imagine how that went down in an office.

But for all the pain and discomfort, the uncertainty and many, many, many visits to the doctor, my strange eye issues have led to one positive thing. I’ve reconnected with the joys of audiobooks.

As a kid, I loved books on tape. I’d listen to Harry Potter read by Stephen Fry every night before bed, the click-click-click of the cassette player becoming a soporific trigger. I must have listened to The Branded Man by Catherine Cookson a hundred times whilst drawing in my room or doing homework. I had a bunch of the Famous Five novels and the entirety of the Tales of Narnia. And then there were the likes of Anne of Green Gables, Huckleberry Finn, Carrie’s War, The Tulip Touch. I can still hear so many of them in my head today.

But growing older, I stopped listening to audiobooks. This was mostly a matter of practicality. I no longer owned a tape player. The first iPods didn’t really do books either. And whilst I’d listen to radio dramas from time to time, it wasn’t until podcasts became a thing that I leant into audio again - albeit now it was mostly true crime or interviews with authors, or conversations about creative practice. All good. But not stories.

There were a few exceptions. Sometimes, I’ll love a book and buy it in every format so I can have constant access - Kindle for my phone, Audible my earpods, paperback for my bedside. These books tend to be ones that have deeply inspired me - like Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo or Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Books that live like an earworm inside my head and have such a large grip on my bookish heart.

Still, I struggled to listen to new fiction. I could use audio to go back to novels I knew well, to revisit, to catch and delight in different details. But as soon as I tried to engage with something entirely new, I found the experience lacking. As one writer for the Spectator put it, ‘I found listening to a novel less satisfactory than reading it. The effort required to read anchored me in the text, making my attention less likely to wander, and it didn’t take long before I was transported into the world of the novel. With audio books, my imagination wasn’t as engaged.’

That changed when I started having issues with my eyes. Cut off from books, from screens, I needed stories more than ever. Except with my mask on and my headphones in, it turned out I could devour novel after novel. This revelation came midway through the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn, which I took on in eight to ten hour increments. And perhaps one might say that there’s a genre formula at play. But I was delighted. I could read again. All I had to do was listen.

I listen to Anthony fall in love with Kate and Eloise with Sir Philip and Colin with Penelope. My favourites became Benedict and Sophie (I really do hope they’ll do his storyline soon). I loved the wit of them, the sparkle, the elegant society manners balanced with a healthy dash of spice. It’s pretty much Cinderella meets the Bridgertons and who doesn’t love a fairytale? With few visual distractions to dilute my auditory experience, I found myself able to fully immerse in the stories and realised that the problem before was simply my attention span, my distractability, the fact that I will almost always have a screen at my fingertips and a thousand things to tune into around me.

Some folk remain sceptical of audiobooks, implying that they’re a lesser form of reading. That’s simply not true. There’s as much joy in listening as reading. Plus, research suggests that listening to audiobooks can be just as beneficial for the brain too. When we listen actively, our brains engage in similar ways to when we read because we enter that all-important flow state that we find in any good story. We have to engage in processes such as comprehension, visualisation, and critical thinking and just ten minutes a day can make a huge difference to our mental wellbeing too, reducing stress, improving moods and offering comfort.

These days I almost always have an audiobook on the go. It might be non-fiction like Weathering by Ruth Allen or The Old Ways by Robert McFarlane, or it might be the latest great novel. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, for example, might be the best audiobook I’ve ever listened to as the voice actor is just superb.

Fact is, whether it's revisiting beloved stories, exploring new genres, or diving into non-fiction, audiobooks have become an essential part of my life, especially when my eyes need a break - like they did again this week (sorry for the belated post).

So next time you find yourself unable to read - for whatever reason - consider listening instead. It might just become your new favourite way to enjoy a good book.

The Pairing: Nyetimber, Classic Cuvée, Sussex

Whilst our review today is mostly coopted by discussions of audio more generally, I thought I’d hone in on Bridgerton for our pairing. Why? Because I’ve finished part one of the latest season and have absolutely started listening to the audiobooks again.

And I don’t think Bridgerton could pair with anything more perfect than Nyetimber’s Classic Cuvée from Sussex. Not only is this a Jubilee wine, one that’s been drunk at royal events and many a classic party, it’s literally branded as ‘Perfectly British’. Combine that with the elegance of this wine, the sparkle (don’t we all love the season’s sparkler?), the traditional blend, and delicious notes that make it as inviting as it is enticing - it just has the glamour to go with these books.

The Wine: The pale-golden hue and fine bubbles of Nyetimber’s ‘flagship’ Classic Cuvee makes it a perfect drink for any occasion – whether you're toasting a big birthday, an engagement, or simply celebrating the end of a busy week. It’s the kind of wine that just works. Made with a traditional ‘Champagne’ blend - Pinot Noir, Pinot Meurnier, and Chardonnay - it absolutely lives up to the name of ‘classic’. It’s delicious chilled for a summer’s afternoon but also perfect for winter weather where you’re supping before a big old dinner. It’s consistently recognised as one of the leading British wines and definitely up there for me as a must-have in the wine fridge. Who knows when the fancy might strike!?

Tasting Notes: Oh how to offer notes here. This is a very clean, clear wine for me. You’re going feel like you’re drinking something very special, very elegant and classic, but it’s softer than some of the French equivalents, lighter and less likely to give you heartburn halfway through a bottle. The nose and palate will depend slightly on the age of your bottle - older vintages seem to have more of a citrus note compared to the more recent ones, where you’re going to find a slightly spicier wine. Regardless, you’ll generally find that tell-tale toastiness and apricot, a lovely smoothness in the mouthfeel and a lovely, lingering fruity finish. Mouthwatering and moreish.

Where can I buy it?: This is one you can find in lots of places - your supermarkets like Waitrose and Sainsburys, M&S, Majestic. It’s not hard to find. They also parnter with some amazing, classic British brands (oh the marketing is so good), so keep your eyes peeled at the Chelsea Flower Show, Henley Royal Regatta, Taste of London and so on. It certainly has shares it sparkle widely.

Fun Facts: Honestly my facts today are more about the marketing than the wine. Initially, I just wanted to point out how they do a really lovely job with the photography - capturing something light, bright, floral and full of quiet luxury. But when I started looking into it, what really works is that this is classic lifestyle marketing. Yes, they go into the nerdy stuff when you go looking for it, but a lot is simply about where it’s drunk and the elegance of it. Read this if you’d like to take a look at their rebrand and positioning.