But. When you’re a busy parent, sometimes reading certain kinds of books isn’t always an option. What about on road trips? Or while running on that treadmill you have stashed away in the garage? For better or for worse, a lot of us have one object on our person at all times — our phones. When we were much younger, this would not have helped us catch up on a random book, but now it can. Remember when audiobooks used to be really expensive? Remember when there would be like 17 CDs for one novel and it would cost you $50 bucks? Here are three reasons why listening to audiobooks could make your summer a billion times better.

3. You don’t have time to read those celebrity memoirs, but you can listen to them!

Obama. Matthew McConaughey. Seth Rogan. All of these guys have new memoirs out in the past six months. But, do you really need the hardcover? Why not have these cool dudes read to you! Some celebrity memoirs are actually awesome, but let’s face it, the reason we did these books is often because of the personality attached to the writing. So, it makes slightly more sense to get into those books by hearing that person read! Check out more on why we love Obama’s The Promised Land and McConaughey’s Greenlights.)

2. Summer Road trips

There’s a good chance you’re taking at least one road trip with the kids this summer. And nobody wants all those little faces glued to screens all the time. Instead, why not bust out some audiobooks for kids? Or, even better, some new kid-friendly podcasts? There’s a brand-new podcast-only muppet called Foley, and she’s got her own podcast. (Imagine a muppet recording a podcast. I wonder if you can?)

1. Because You Gotta Catch Up on Those Dune Books Somehow

The epic (and awesome-looking) new Dune movie comes out on October 1, finally. But are you ready? You realize there are six books in the original Dune series, right? The original Dune books by Frank Herbert are super-long, and the first three are really great reads. But, because they’re so long, maybe check out the audiobook? Yours truly recently ran on the old treadmill listening to Dune: Messiah. I’m not saying I lost the amount of weight I wanted to lose, but I did feel better than a sandworm high on spice. You can sign-up for a free trial of Audible Premium Plus right here. (Again, you must already be a Prime customer and be logged into your Prime account.) From June 1st–30th, Audible Premium Plus will be available to customers at 53 percent off – only $6.95 a month for the first four months. Here’s how to get the deal. Every product on Fatherly is independently selected by our editors, writers, and experts. If you click a link on our site and buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.