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Am I Dave?

Am I Dave?

Look, I try to withhold my book recommendations. I do. I tell myself, “Be cool, don’t awkwardly pin down your wife to tell her how the hierarchy of species works in your latest space series.” But sometimes, I just need to point someone toward a book so good it makes you consider quitting your job to live in a shack.

But lately, I’ve started to wonder
Am I Dave?

Who is Dave?

Dave is that person who corners you with intense eye contact and tries to recommend some terrible lifestyle changing book. Or even worse, something his wife wrote, punch me in the face now. 

First of all, you didn’t ask. You just wanted to heat up your lunch. But now Dave’s talking about the latest motivational secret sales techniques book and you’re nodding politely while wondering if there’s still a dead cockroach in the break room.

I don’t have a lot of friends at work. 

But what if I’m Dave
 with better taste?

I mean, sure—I recommend books about intergalactic knights breaching enemy ships and redefining the concept of friendship under duress


But people probably love that. Right?
They’re probably thinking,

“Wow. I need to know this person, maybe I should invite him to a BBQ so he can go into more detail about this book.”

Yes. That’s what I’m choosing to believe. And yes, you can forcibly invite yourself to someone’s BBQ. They won’t talk to you as much as possible, but food will be good.

The Real Takeaway

We’ve all got a little Dave in us.

No innuendo.

Whether you’re pushing your favorite murder mystery on your cousin or casually recommending a 27-hour fantasy epic to a tired dad who asked for something “short,”
—you’re a Dave.

Own it. Embrace it. But maybe… wait until after lunch.

📚 You Have to Read a Self-Improvement Book?

📚 You Have to Read a Self-Improvement Book?

Sometimes life hands you a book you didn’t ask for—and it’s usually wearing khakis and quoting productivity stats at brunch.

Let’s talk about the three ways I’ve been ambushed by “required reading”:

1. Dave Wrote a Book

That’s right.
Your client. Your coworker. Your personal Dave.
And he wrote a book.

Of course it’s about mindset. Of course it has a lion on the cover.
And of course
 you’re expected to read it.

Did I listen to it?
Yes.
Did a piece of my soul give up and walk away halfway through chapter 3?
Also yes.

And now Dave’s book is inspiring other Daves.
We are caught in a horrifying Dave-loop. Audiobook Gods help us all.

2. Your Significant Other Thinks It’ll Improve Your Relationship

Ah yes, nothing says love and connection like a relationship book that isn’t on Audible and costs $17.99 in PDF format.

You know what improves relationships?
Doing the dishes and letting your partner watch their shows in peace.
But sure, let’s pretend quoting a chapter about emotional check-ins is gonna fix your inability to load the dishwasher the “right way.”

If reading a book becomes a test of your marriage, maybe the real test is
 who gets the Audible credits in the divorce.

3. Book Club Bribery (a.k.a. Free Lunch Thursdays)

The BBQ was free. The price was my pride.

I thought I could power through. One little self-help book for one delicious lunch.

But halfway through a chapter on “visualizing abundance,” I realized something important:

I already own a grill.
And I don’t need a metaphor about marinating success—I need ribs.

Parting Thoughts

Look, we all get roped into reading something we didn’t pick. It happens.
But if you’re gonna force-feed me a book, at least throw in a narrator with a decent mic and some dramatic tension.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go listen to something with swords, explosions, or emotionally broken space pirates. For balance.

đŸ§˜â€â™‚ïž Yoga Time Is Audiobook Time

đŸ§˜â€â™‚ïž Yoga Time Is Audiobook Time

So I don’t know if you’ve ever had the pleasure of being dragged into a yoga class, but let me tell you—it’s
 an experience.

A humbling, soul-wrenching, prime audiobook listening experience.

Because while you’re in a room of hyper-flexible soccer moms pretending to be trees, you can also be solving murders, escaping aliens, or helping a vengeful warrior burn an empire to the ground.

Multitasking at its finest.

đŸ”„ Warning: Don’t Get Talked Into Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa is not relaxing.
It’s P90X in a sauna, led by someone named Vanessa who just got back from a yoga retreat in San Francisco with her boyfriend and did you know there are Buddhist monks in San Francisco? Because she does. And she will tell you. For the entire class.

Meanwhile, you’re trying to hold a pose that feels like your limbs are being individually uninstalled, and she’s gently reminding you to “breathe through the discomfort.”

I am breathing, Vanessa. I am breathing out 20 years of regret and Taco Bell.

🎧 Yoga Audiobook Setup: Strategy Is Key

You’ll want:

  • In-ear headphones – Low profile, easy to hide, and you can tell your spouse you’re “listening to calming music” (bonus points for pretending it’s meditation and not murder-for-hire fantasy).
  • Over-ear headphones (in emergencies) – Not as sneaky, but if you tell the instructor, “I get anxious in groups,”they usually give you a pass. That, or they just stop making eye contact with you—which works just as well.

You still need to hear the instructor mumble something about “alignment” while quietly raging inside, but you don’t want them interrupting a perfectly good narration about a rogue assassin rebuilding his life in a dystopian wasteland.

📚 What to Listen To

This is not the time to try something new or slow.

You need:

  • Action
  • Momentum
  • A narrator whose been through some things

If you don’t bring the heat, you will fall asleep during breathing exercises. And honestly, yoga naps on hardwood floors are a rough way to find enlightenment.

Stick with a reliable favorite—something you know will keep your brain busy while your body questions its life choices.

🧘 Pro Tips from a Surviving Dad:

  • Bring two mats. Not for stretching—just to cushion your back from the crushing weight of your own existence pressing into the floor.
  • Don’t do the splits while queuing up a new book. Ask your hip flexors how I know.
📉 You Hit Book Four and It’s Just… Not Hitting the Same

📉 You Hit Book Four and It’s Just… Not Hitting the Same

It happens.
Book one? Fire.
Book two? Even better.
Book three? Uh
 okay.
Book four? Who the hell wrote this—and why are they trying to ruin my week?

We’ve all been there. You’re committed to a series, emotionally invested, already referring to the main character like they’re your coworker—and then suddenly, the next book just doesn’t hit the same.

đŸ”„ My Rule: 1 Hour or I’m Out

Let’s keep it simple.
If a book doesn’t hook me within the first hour, I bail.
I don’t care if it’s book four in a beloved series or a “critically acclaimed” masterpiece. If I’m bored, confused, or starting to wonder if the author got replaced by their cousin’s chatbot—I’m out.

đŸšȘCan You Come Back Later? Maybe.

If you’ve seen reviews saying, “Don’t worry! Book five redeems everything!”—okay, fine. Come back later if you feel like it.

But let’s be honest here:
If something tastes like garbage halfway through, eating more of it won’t help.

You’re not being dramatic. You’re saving your sanity. And your ears.

😬 No Hate to the Authors (But Let’s Be Real)

Writers, I respect the hell out of you. You do something I’ll never be able to.
But
 even LeBron has off nights. Sometimes you just miss.
That’s okay. But I’m not going to sit through 13 hours of filler just because I liked your first book.

🧠 Maybe It’s You. Maybe You’re the Problem. (Kidding. Sorta.)

Look—I’m not asking you to go to therapy. That’s for people with time, sleep, and emotional energy. But it might be you. Here’s why:

  • You were too busy and couldn’t focus.
  • It’s been a year and you forgot who all the side characters are.
  • You’re trying to power through a book when what you really want is to listen to a space heist, a murder mystery, or that sarcastic AI you keep seeing in your library queue.

Take a break. Re-listen to the last book. Or just move on.

📚 Final Rule: Always Listen to What You Want, Not What You Should

This is your audiobook journey, not homework.

Forget what’s “next in the series.”
Forget what Reddit said you “have to finish.”
Forget what your inner guilt says about “completion.”Hit play on the book that gets you excited.
Not the one that makes you check how many hours are left every five minutes.

🎧 Finding Time for Audiobooks (Even When Life Is on Fire)

🎧 Finding Time for Audiobooks (Even When Life Is on Fire)

Let’s get real: there are a million great books out there. But sitting down and reading one? HA. That requires a magical window of silence, focus, and free time—which, if you’re a dad, doesn’t exist.

Enter audiobooks: the multitasking miracle. You get to dive into an epic space battle, solve a murder, or fall in love with a sarcastic AI while scrubbing dried mac & cheese off a car seat. That’s power.

🚗 1. Driving (AKA: My Only Me-Time)

  • Commuting? Perfect.
  • Stuck in traffic? Even better.
  • Carpooling? Congrats, you’re now an audiobook missionary.
  • “Running errands”? Code for “I need 45 minutes alone with my space assassin book.”

Sometimes I even volunteer to do the grocery run. Sure, we end up with six bags of shredded cheese and no bread—but I finished two chapters, and that’s what matters.

đŸ‹ïžâ€â™‚ïž 2. Working Out (Yes, It Counts If You Sweat Slightly)

At the gym, while the youths strut around with their protein shakers and biceps named Chad, I’m in the corner laughing at an intergalactic robot with daddy issues.

You might think everyone’s staring at you—sweaty, confused, snort-laughing on the rowing machine. They are. Own it.

đŸ§œ 3. Chores (The Real MVP of Listening Time)

  • Cleaning the garage?
  • Fixing the leaky sink your kids “definitely didn’t touch”?
  • Snaking a toilet clogged with paper towels someone swore wasn’t them?

All prime audiobook territory. You’re not just unclogging drains—you’re in a noir thriller set in post-apocalyptic New Jersey.

Pro tip: If you’re operating heavy machinery while listening to a high-stakes spy thriller, just…maybe slow down when near garden gnomes.

đŸ“ș 4. TV? What’s That?

Let’s be honest—I haven’t watched my shows in years. But Paw Patrol? I’ve seen it all. And trust me, the only pup carrying that show is Skye.

That’s why I’ve got an action hero in my ear while Chase fumbles through another rescue. My kids think I’m watching cartoons with them. I’m actually halfway through a murder investigation in Prague.

🌄 5. Bonus Time: Hiking, Bedtime, Avoiding Reality

  • Winding down at night? Plug in.
  • Going for a walk? Add dragons.
  • Laying in bed pretending not to hear your partner ask for help with the dishes? Narrator: He heard. He just didn’t respond.

Whether it’s five minutes of peace or a full-on escape from domestic chaos, there’s always time for an audiobook.

🔊 Final Thought From a Guy Who Once Pretended to Grocery Shop for an Hour

Audiobooks aren’t just stories—they’re survival tools. They turn chores into adventures, traffic into therapy, and Paw Patrol into background noise.So plug in, press play, and find your moment—because let’s face it, this might be the only thing you do for yourself today.