As you’re reading this, I’m currently in England just beginning a 160-kilometre trek along the Cotswold Way. Over the next 10 days, I’ll tramp over dirt paths, wander through meadows and climb grassy hills, ending each day with a pint and crispy fish-and-chips in a quaint British town.

I’ve trained for this trek by hiking trails around Vancouver, British Columbia, and I’ve noticed something interesting about walking for 15-20 kilometres alone: it can get pretty dang boring.

So, I’ve been putting on my Shokz headphones—bone conducting ear buds that work with my hearing aid and allow me to still hear noises around me on the trail—and listening to books.

I’m a big reader. Typically, I crush 50-55 books a year, averaging one book per week. But audiobooks are new to me. I love the sensation of holding physical books (hmmm, could this possibly be part of why I work for a print magazine?) and flipping the pages; I enjoy the feeling of a hardcover in my hands.

However, after listening to plenty of podcasts while walking, working out or doing chores, I’ve been converted: I love listening to a talented author weave a story in my mind while I’m galivanting on an adventure or strolling through the park. Audiobooks are the perfect background accompaniment for a walking holiday, like my Cotswold Way walk with UTracks.

I’ve learned a few things while listening to audiobooks. First, voice actors matter—just as much as the story itself. If you don’t like a narrator’s voice, you probably aren’t going to finish the book. Listen to the sample provided and choose wisely.

Second, length matters. If you want a 22-hour book and only have one five-hour hike planned, then start planning your next adventure. Longer books can be more satisfying, but that doesn’t make them better. A book is a book, no matter how many big words or drawn-out sentences that probably last longer than they should because the writer just keeps going and doesn’t stop—okay, you get it.

Third, there’s something magical about escaping into a new world while exploring our real one. Slip into a fantasy realm, travel back in time, visit a galaxy far, far away… but don’t turn up your volume to max on noise-cancelling headphones or play your book out loud on a speaker. You need to stay alert in the outdoors and avoid disturbing others who are escaping into the sounds of nature.

Lastly, listening to a book counts just the same as reading it. There’s no hierarchy to absorbing a tome—some people act like “reading” and “listening” are two separate activities, and that flipping through a paperback is somehow more elevated or intelligent. While the experiences do differ, however you go through the plot is meaningful and worthwhile.

So, go on: read and walk.

(I’m fundraising for research to find a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus during my hike. Please consider donating here.)

3 Types of Audiobooks for Walkers and Hikers

Choosing what to listen to while moving your body in the outdoors can be difficult. Personally, when I’m solo trekking, I don’t want a horror film in my ear making me glance anxiously over my shoulder, or a steamy romance novel that has me double-checking my Bluetooth settings are on. Instead, I opt for popular fiction, self-help, non-fiction, fantasy and classics I’ve tried (and failed) to read in hardcover form.

Here’s what works for me:

Popular Bestsellers

Popular bestsellers often have the luxury of thoughtful planning, time and effort to find the right narrator for the work. Skilled narrators bring fictional characters to life. While I don’t always believe reviews, I tend to like most books rated above a four star on Goodreads, which helps me determine which books to invest my time in, and which to skip.

My recommendations: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins and Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry are two new books I’ve read recently. Both have fantastic narrators—in the first, the male voice sounds exactly like what I’d imagine for a young Haymitch; in the second, I was impressed by the distinctive tones between Alice, Hayden and Margaret. For fantasy fans, the first audiobook I ever listened to was Elantris (Dramatized Adaptation) by Brandon Sanderson. With multiple voice actors, it truly is ‘a movie in your mind.’

Memoirs Read by the Author

Whether you’re a fan of Trevor Noah (Born a Crime), Matthew McConaughey (Greenlights) or Michelle Obama (Becoming), listening to a celebrity read their own book is likely as close as I’ll ever get to hanging out with them. There’s something intimate, authentic and raw about hearing them read their life stories out loud.Self-help books read by the author, like The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, can also be deeply impactful.

My recommendations: I really enjoyed Talking as Fast as I Can by Gilmore Girls-star Lauren Graham and Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb. Know My Name by Channel Miller was an incredibly powerful read.

Classics You’ve Always Wanted to Read

Listen, I’ve always wanted to be the girl who casually quotes Tolstoy, but I couldn’t get through Anna Karenina if you paid me. One smart way to soak in literature you want to experience but can’t quite get into via ink and paper is by listening to it as you wander through the wild. There’s nowhere to run… since you’ve got to finish the trail, you might as well keep it playing. Bonus: many of these older books are free with an Audible membership.

My recommendations: The dramatized version of George Orwell’s 1984 is read by the talented Andrew Garfield, with special guest Tom Hardy as Big Brother. I’ve downloaded Pride and Prejudice, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Great Expectations and even Tolstoy’s 60-hour-long War and Peace to listen to while I trek across the United Kingdom’s glorious countryside.

Find more books on Goodreads and download the Libby app for audiobooks from your local library!