Good Morning Reader,

Back when I was shipping a lot of physical products during the holidays, there was one thing that made those long packing sessions much more bearable: a really good audiobook or podcast.

Packing orders can be pretty mindless work, which meant I could keep my hands busy while my brain was off somewhere else entirely. And honestly, knowing I could jump back into a book I was enjoying made me more likely to stop procrastinating and get those orders out the door.

Audiobooks work the same way for me with walking. If I’m wrapped up in a story, suddenly going for a walk doesn’t sound quite so hard because I want to know what happens next.

And when life and business get busy, I’ll take any extra motivation I can get to keep up the routines that are good for me!

I often use Libby or Hoopla to borrow audiobooks for free through my library. But lately I’ve been completely hooked on a series that I can only get through Audible.

Big reveal after this message from our sponsor. Intrigued? 😉

Okay… drumroll please.

The series is…

Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Not what you expected from a spreadsheet-loving accountant?

Dungeon Crawler Carl is a LitRPG series—which basically means it’s a role-playing video game in book form. Take a normal everyday guy named Carl, throw him into a massive dungeon with a talking cat named Princess Donut, then add monsters, leveling up, increasingly ridiculous skills, blood and guts, fight scenes, and a LOT of humor.

Weird? Absolutely.

And I am completely hooked.

To make my listening habits even stranger, I’ve been alternating Dungeon Crawler Carl with The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, which could not be more different.

This series is set in 1880s London and follows a precocious young woman whose parents have died. Add handsome young men, a tiresome uncle, a disapproving aunt, a Scottish maid, a local ghost, many afternoon teas, and Emma’s ongoing attempts to live a perfectly dull and uneventful life—which, of course, never quite work out.

Yes. My audiobook tastes are varied. 😂

Anyway, if holiday orders are starting to pick up and you need something to keep your mind entertained while you pack… or you need a little extra motivation to get your steps in… I highly recommend giving Audible a try.

You can try Audible free for 30 days, and your trial includes a free audiobook.

Here's my Audible referral link: https://www.smallbusinesssarah.com/audible​

And while I have now warned you that my taste in books may not be yours, Audible has enough options that I’m pretty confident you can find something that makes packing orders—or taking that walk—a little more enjoyable.

Happy listening!

Sarah

P.S. Even though Dungeon Crawler Carl looks like it might be appropriate for young adults, I personally would not feel comfortable recommending it to any teens. It has too much language and grown-up innuendo, in my opinion, for a teen audience. Just wanted to give fair warning.