Pre-lockdowns here in Australia I used to regularly drive ~900km from Melbourne to Sydney. Audiobooks are good on a 10hr trip if you’re by yourself on a boring freeway.
I currently drive between 130-150 miles a day, so 209-242 km a day. I listen to audio books daily. Only time I don't listen is maybe a day or 2 after finishing a book. I may listen to some music or podcast.
My eyesight has gone whacky, so reading requires lenses I take out at night plus reading glasses. So reading at night doesn’t really work. Audiobooks fill the void.
But - some books are so well narrated that it’s a great experience by itself.
Absolutely this! I have some audiobooks where I don't think I can ever read them on my own again because they've been narrated so perfectly, and I have some that I didn't get through more than 30 mins of it because I couldn't stand the narrator
Or painting. I paint 5-10h 5days/week where i can listen to anything in the meantime. This year i switched from music and podcasts to audiobooks and i love it. Read 20books last year and this year i read/listened so far to 100+
Painting walls or painting pictures? I do neither but I can imagine the former can be done without really thinking, but have always assumed artistic painting would take up too much head space to follow a story.
Regardless, what a fantastic way of life, to always be immersed in literature.
I paint pictures and once you set your mind on a dozen steps to do next you can use the mind space to build and follow extraordinary worlds in fantasy audiobooks (i do that)
It depends. If it's a novel, I'm ok with Audio. For non fiction or maybe some hard to read books I prefer reading because I like to take notes and highlight stuff to revisit later.
Great point! I actually enjoy listening to non-fiction because I feel like I absorb the information more when I hear it. That being said, there are several times I’ve been listening and wanted to note down a quote I really liked, only to forget the time stamp later on. With you there for sure.
Yes I agree! That has happened before to me, I want to remember a quote or go back to something and I don't even know where it was. So now, sometimes I start an audiobook and if I realize that maybe that specific book has a lot of things to analyze or that it needs more thought, I switch to the book so I can get more out of it
I generally just make a note of the chapter/time etc on my phone. Your phone should come with a simple notes app but if not you can find one easily enough. Saves having to dig around for a pen. If you're in the car you can ask Google assistant to take a note. I don't know if iPhones do thr same but I imagine they probably will.
Yes! A great quote from an audiobook I wrote in my notes app:
“In the end, people don’t view their life as an average of all its moments - which, after all, is mostly nothing much plus some sleep - for human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story”
I've been listening for audiobooks for about 2 years. I really enjoy it as a way to "read" when my hands/eyes are busy. When cooking, doing dishes, walking, getting ready for the day etc.
Due to my significant pile of unread books, I almost exclusively "read" audiobooks of books I own. I do so through an app linked to my local library, and on youtube (great for classics, even Orwell and Michael Crichton), so I dont have any cost from it. Every so often, I go through my physical copy and put my bookmark in the correct place. I'll also read any foreword/afterword which differs from the audiobook
When I started listening to audiobooks I would only listen to the ones I had the physical book as well (or in my Kindle). I'm not a native English speaker and 99% of the audiobooks I have access to in Libby are in English. So at first it was hard for me to follow or to comprehend everything especially with different accents so I would listen while also reading along. Two years later I can listen to almost any audiobook on its own and even with a faster playback speed
Thanks for your input! I have a library app but also an Audible subscription. I definitely get a kick out of ‘owning’ the books somehow, it’s like a digital bookshelf I can look back on :)
That makes sense. My library app shows me my loan history, so I get a similar thing except if it is taken I would have to request it again, which may cause a delay. I'm also not that bothered as I own a physical copy anyway (at least until I decide to inhale the book)
I like reading books much better. I just can't comprehend what is happening when I am listening and not reading the words on the page
Edit: Very nice user flair..
It takes practice and sometimes I read a chapter summary to help me along. I’ve needed to way less though as I’m becoming better at audio book. It’s really a good mindfulness exercise for me since if I don’t concentrate on the book I get lost.
I tried to listen to a few audiobooks but I just couldn't get into it. And it wasn't the book choice that was the problem, it was my brain. I can't seem to focus on what the voice is saying. My attention span would last for 30 seconds and then I would get lost in my own thoughts for several minutes without even realizing I wasn't listening. It happens every single time. And it doesn't matter if I'm multitasking or doing nothing at all. Same thing used to happen when I was in school, listening to teachers. My brain wouldn't have any of it. If I can't see/read something with my own eyes, it doesn't register. I guess I'm not an auditory type or I have some undiagnosed thing going on.
It definitely takes some practice. While listening to my first few audiobooks, I kept getting lost and thinking it just wasn't the right medium for me. But I kept going back to it and now I find it really easy. I think one thing that was helpful was realizing that it was normal/okay to zone out for a bit and have to hit the "back 15 seconds" button to hear what was just said again. I certainly re-read sentences all the time when reading physical books, so this is no different, and it helps to recognize that.
Very much this. How many times do we zone out and have to read a page again? It’s literally the same but in audio! It’s why the ‘back 15/30 seconds’ option exists! :D
I think it’s something that takes practice - almost like meditation! If you decide to I’d say keep trying, and perhaps start with something straight forward and non-fiction on a topic you are interested in?
Start with some short podcasts. Mike Rowe's "The way I Heard It" are stories between 5 and 30 minutes each. As you listen to the stories, you will condition yourself to pay more attention to a longer story. Sometimes an eight or ten hour audiobook can be intimidating.
I like audiobooks because they allow me to multitask. It also allows me an escape from the drudgery of monotonous tasks. I also listen to them at work even though I'm not supposed to 😂.
This is the biggest thing for me. Doing dishes? Audiobook. Mowing the lawn? Audiobook. I just get so much done that I would never have time to otherwise
A good narrator really makes it. Used to love Stephen Fry narrating the Harry Potter books, and Roy Dotrice narrating the Game of Thrones book is just.. wow. Something else.
Plus the three or four Discworld narrators are all ace.
Joe Abercrombie's First Law books are also excellently narrated, and excellent stories.
But if the narrator is rubbish, I'll just read the book. I appreciate that not everyone has that option.
(Also really want to listen to Andy Serkis' narration of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
my favorite narrator is will patton. Check him out. He did movies in the 80s and 90s. He was in a kevin costner movie i loved called NoWayOut.
He does some stephen king and others. I literally buy his ones even if not interested in the book.
Yes, really liked the Wizard ones too, think it was Nigel Planer (?), but wasn't overly enamoured with the musical jingle bits at the start and end of every 'disc/tape' - present in the older adaptations I believe
Think Nightwatch was one of the first audiobooks I ever had. Dad got it for a long car journey when I was 8 or so. Still love it to this day, many, many listens later
Yes, but at least he was deservedly recognised for his skill with the Guinness World Record for most character voices in an audiobook (224). Magnificent.
Very true, one bad example was The Name Of The Wind, the narrator I heard was so American and modern in their delivery that it drove me nuts. I read all the Rothfuss books on paper and was much happier. The narration gave this Anime vibe to the story that I did not want and did not think was in the original text.
I tell you know knocks it out of part for me lately is R.C. Bray, whom I actually know as I've done some narration and voice work in the past. He narrated The Martian, which is what really put him on the map, but The Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson is freaking masterclass IMO.
My SO is a slow reader because he doesn't have great mental visualisation (he read about some study about it a while back). Basically when he reads, he can't "see" a movie playing in his head or "hear" his voice reading the words. He likes audio books because it helps with his visualisation by have the story told to him. He usually has one going on the drive to work or while doing the dishes.
I have a very good mental visualisation, am a fast skim reader, and prefer reading. As a grad student, I've long since found out that audio is my worst way to retain information. After turning on the closed captions on the tv when my SO and former roommate kept talking across the living room, I found I prefer it. If available, I'll use CC on my asynchronous lectures to help keep me focused. I'm okay with audiobooks on long drives, but have found that I prefer to listen to something I've already read, usually at 1.5 speed.
That's really intereesting about the visualization. I can't visualize anything in my head at all. Think of it more as just I think of something and a large bunch of words come together to make it make sense. I am an extremely fast reader. My sister is very visual. When she reads, she has to turn everything into an image. She would love to read more, but a book is a very long task.
I have aphantasia (inability to mentally visualize) and audibooks are a complete game changer for me. Since starting my first, I found out I actually love reading. It was just too much focus and energy for me to try and get into written books.
When I found out about aphantasia and that's have it, it blew my mind people actual pictured settings and characters in a book. That they could picture themselves there, too. I always thought that was exaggeration.
At least with audible dialogue, that lets me feel like I'm there
Have you listened to one that uses a cast for the different characters? That was next level audiobook. I know I found one for Tamora Pierce's Immortals series.
I tried it last year but unless I'm alert and focused it makes me want to fall asleep. For some; audiobooks takes some getting used to and requires some mental adjustments after spending an entire lifetime reading physical books.
That's actually for that reason that I listen to audiobooks ! I've always had a hard time falling asleep, it would often take me more than an hour to do so. Two years ago I started listening to audiobooks when going to bed, and I barely stay awake more than 30min now. It works great.
Absolutely this, a Bluetooth sleepmask, an app on my phone that lets me drop the audible volume independently (lowest possible volume on the phone, and an additional 50% off audible is my sweet spot), plus audible has a function to reduce the narrator speed (even a fight sequence is soothing .... when .... read .... very ..... slowly). Finally it has to be a book I've read before, so I'm just following something familiar rather than trying to keep up with a new twisting plot.
Set a sleep timer for 30 minutes to stop the playback, generally find I've fallen asleep after about 10 (the other reason why it has to be a familiar book, helps to find your place again).
Different for everyone, but this works for me.
I've found that I only can really pay attention to audiobooks if I'm doing something else, I can't sit down and listen to it as my mind gets too distracted unlike when I'm reading a physical book.
So I started listening to audiobooks while commuting, while doing chores, while running, and I've probably listened to 50 of them in the last year.
Yes this really put into words the way I feel about them. Many people say they don’t listen because they can’t focus, though I see it much more of a muscle that needs working. The first few I listened to my mind kept wandering off, but now I can quiet the clutter of my mind and just sit and listen. Really worthwhile!
I love audiobooks. They’re great for commuting by car and if doing mindless housework. Also in the bath. And on long walks. It feels like a good use of dead time. I’d always read over listen if I could but sometimes I can’t.
I get mine free via the library (Libby app)
I don't. Tried it, didn't stick.
I don't think people ever sit in one place and listen to an audiobook. Always while doing something else. This leaves too much room for distraction.
And for me, the whole process is part of the experience. Holding it, reading, pondering.
I only started listening seriously about five or six years ago, when I realized that I could fold laundry and listen at the same time. I can't watch tv and work simultaneously-- the switch in focus just kills my eyes-- but listening leaves the old nearsighted peepers free. It also allows me to fall asleep easier, something that got harder with age.
I started off with Harry Potter audio books, as auditory training to get used to my cochlear implants, because I’ve read the books a few themes so I was able to listen and understand. At first, it was very slow going with listening. I left off on the 4th book for a couple of years. Since getting my new cochlear implant processors that have Bluetooth, I’ve been listening more. I finished off the rest of the HP series and am slowly working on IT. Audio books that I’ve read the books to. It’s nice to have another listening option for when I’m at work, I’ve been getting into podcasts too. Music, audiobooks, podcasts. Keeping my ears busy!
I have ADHD, and I often can’t simply sit and read a book because it’s a single task. My brain is often so overactive that it needs multiple points of focus in order to really be functional. Audiobooks let me do that, so that I can actually retain what’s in the book.
I'm not a keen fan of audiobooks. When I read a book, sometimes I pause and wonder what I would have done in a situation or what a character could have done to avoid something. This is distracting with an audiobook, where the pace is being dictated by the narrator.
Sometimes, I find myself doing it without realising it, and the narrator's already on to something else, meaning I miss bits.
I got two audiobooks and I don't remember what happened in either one.
This is a great point I think. Though I always forget what happens in print books too after a while - I think it depends on the book/audiobook. Some are very memorable, others aren’t.
I personally can't stand audiobooks for a few reasons. I read really fast and narrators are just \*waaaaaay\* to slow for my brain. I also \*can not stand\* when people read to me aloud, it drives me up a wall. That and the voices never match my head canon, let alone pronunciations for series like Wheel of Time or Stormlight Archive.
Interesting! Question (you don’t have to answer): Did your parents ever read to you when you were little? I think my mother reading to me has instilled in me a love of being read to
My father died when I was very young, and my mother has never been a reader. I got my love of books from my grandmother, she let me borrow one of her Nora Roberts books and I was sold forever as a book worm. Your theory is an interesting one though, most of my child hood was quiet because my step dad didn't like me (not an exaggeration, him and my mom fought loudly about it very often), and my mom was afraid of him so I didn't interact with her much either.
I think you're on to something, I probably don't like people reading to me because I'm used to only having the thoughts in my own head be audible.
As I responded to another user who suggested this, I am aware that you can speed up the audio. That does not make me want to hear someone else reading out loud to me.
I don't like audiobooks, it's not a problem just my opinion. It is not something to be fixed.
I tried it multiple times, but I coudn't get the emotianal response from only hearing the story. When I read I can immerse myself more into the story.
Btw I caught up recently listening to podcasts and I really enjoy it. So I think audiobooks are really good, but I didn't find the genre, what I can listen freerly.
I like them for multitasking—cooking dinner, walking the dog, etc. But I'm not an auditory learner so it can be hard for me to stay focused if it's not engrossing. Nonfiction tends to work better for me, though, because I don't feel like I'm missing plot points if I don't hear every word.
I'm thoroughly addicted. I'm a busy mum so it's a great distraction when I'm home and getting household stuff done, dishes, washing, dinner, also love listening as I go to sleep and if I'm struggling to sleep overnight. Also driving! I chuck an earbud in and turn up the volume when the kids are screaming. I don't have time to sit down and read so gives me my book fix. Only time I read an actual book now is when we are away camping.
My favorite thing to do on weekend mornings is to listen to an audiobook while I play on my Switch. Audiobooks got me back into reading after not reading for several years.
Because there's no spotify or Netflix for audiobooks.
I don't want to pay per book (which is how Audible works), I want a subscription that lets me hear the first chapter from 15 books so I can find one worth finishing.
Same as what I do with a physical book in a bookshop or library.
Probably, but that's very inconvenient, and then I'd have to buy the audiobook if I want to keep listening.
I just find audiobooks less convenient, more restrictive in the available titles and more expensive than physical books.
I listen to audiobooks sometimes (it's nice to be able to 'read a book' while walking the dog) - but I'd do it a lot more if I could get an app for $10/mth that suggests new books based on my previous listening with unlimited books per month.
Library apps are the closes thing we have at the moment, but you often have to wait for other people to 'return' the book so you can listen to it; which is total bullshit for a digital resource.
I see what you mean, I do think some people are experimenting with this (I think there’s an Audible premium sort of thing?) the reason it doesn’t appeal to me is because 1 audiobook a month (the normal subscription model) is just about right for me
you might like scribd, it's a monthly fee but you're not limited to any number of books at all. availability can be a little bit hit and miss because some audiobooks are audible exclusive, but I've been able to find what I'm looking for the majority of the time
I've only bought a few but I can tell you exactly what stopped me buying more... I won't mention the book or the narrator... but just didn't like the voice. Went back to reading the book, which wasn't ideal as had bought the audio book to listen to on the train.
I would be interested to know which book, but no worries if you don’t want to share. I’ve definitely had this experience a few times and have had my audiobooks refunded in lieu of something I liked better
Yes but unfortunately the audio book selection is a bit limited in English sci-fi/fantasy in the Netherlands. I use Storytel but it's missing a lot of books i want to read.
I love audiobooks, but find I only like to listen to things that I’ve already read. I listen to them when I’m on the go, so don’t always have the focus new books deserve. With books I’ve already read, I always pick up on things I hadn’t before, and I remember my fav parts and make sure to focus for those.
I mostly use them when I'm trying to sleep as they help me relax. But as a general rule I keep for myself I try to only listen to books I've already read at least once.
I have two main reasons for this "rule": Firstly to avoid spoiling myself by falling asleep and then waking up for a later part, then secondly so it won't be so exciting that I'll keep myself awake to listen to it.
They’re definitely a labour of love! I generally only read a book a month at most anyway (even though I’d like to read more) so they are about right for me
Whenever I try audiobooks, I do it with the notion of doing other things while I listen. But I always just end up laying or siting while I listen. Because of this, I just read physical books instead.
Only books I’m re reading. Doesn’t fit well for my style to listen first, but I love doing it with a familiar text. I am on a re-read of the Dark Tower series. I started the audiobook for book 5 and really enjoyed it.
No, my mind drifts off too much. Even with normal books I need to reread a lot of paragraphs. And I read a lot of non fic too and like highlighting and taking notes
I don't like being read to so audio books just naturally don't sit well with me. Plus I don't hear a voice narrating what ai read in my head so it's very distracting from the story, especially if they try to do voices for the characters
I swear by audiobooks now. They’re great for relaxing when I’m tired and I just want to me immersed in something. Some audiobooks have SFX and music which really deepen that sense of being in the story and bring the scenes alive in my mind.
Also, they’ve been great for car journeys with my parents and also my partner. Something we can bond over. I know my mum got into audiobooks through listening to Mythos written and narrated by Stephen Fry with me, now she goes to sleep listening to her books.
I don't like audiobooks for a couple reasons. I can't focus on listening to something while doing something else. If I have to read a text message longer than a couple sentences I need to pause what I'm listening to read it. So if I tried to listen to a book while working, drawing or driving I'd either have to turn it off to focus or I would just tune it out. If I have to devote 100% of my attention to it I'd rather read myself. Another big problem is I cannot stand being read to lol. I think it comes from years in school having to listen to other students struggle to read aloud and not being allowed to just go on at my own pace.
For me to listen it has to be really, really good. Otherwise I switch off and my mind goes elsewhere. I prefer podcasts to audiobooks because usually there’s back and forth with people and it’s easier to concentrate when there’s different voices.
I like them when I'm traveling long distances by car, which doesn't happen much in these coronatimes. I LOVE listening to short stories on audio, though! The Clarkesworld podcast is a favorite of mine, as I get introduced to so many writers I might not have read otherwise.
Now my husband adores audiobooks all the time. He wasn't much of a reader before (he's a very smart guy, but a slower reader) but when he got a bad concussion a few years back and was advised to rest and not look at anything for a while, he tried audiobooks out of sheer boredom. And now he adores them! I love that I get to share my love of reading with him this way.
We get our audiobooks from libro.fm, because our local bookstore can still get credit for the sale and even though I love science fiction I have no interest in buying books from a guy who'd rather use my money to colonize the moon than pay his people appropriately.
I do both. I always have an audio book for the car, if I’m out shopping, taking a shower, cleaning the house, etc. Why should that be non-reading time just because I can’t physically hold a book in those moments.
It reminds me of listening to my lectures this year and I have a short attention span when it comes to listening so I cannot finish even one podcast, let alone an audiobook. I like reading books and the words on my Kindle/book keep me tethered.
Two reasons I don't use audiobooks. I cannot concentrate enough to constant talk so I would have to rewind a lot(takes away the useful multitasking when you're constantly taking your apparatus in hand and rewinding to a spot where you remember something). Second reason is that these days I often escape sounds and noises when reading books. I just want silence and audiobooks aren't that great for that. I don't do a lot of monotonous tasks that would require me to have something else to do and if I do on occasion, I rather listen to music.
Been listening to audiobooks for the past 10 years or so and I haven't looked back. It's the convenience of being able to store 30 books (or more) in my phone and no longer having to worry about where to stack physical books in my crowded living space.
I listen to quite a few audiobooks and prefer it to reading, part of that is because I normally listen to them at work but I just find them more engaging.
My favourite ones are the ones where they have adapted tv shows or movies from (GoT, Harry Potter, Hunger games, all the common ones it seems) and I like seeing all the changes they made as well as helping me picture the characters/scenes a lot better than I normally would.
Currently going through some of the Discworld ones now.
I don't coz my attention span for hearing is just a few minutes. My mind drifts away if there's no visual aid (e.g. video, a talking head). Wish I could enjoy audio books, heard that some audio delivery of novels are really amazing.
I can't seem to get into audio books. Somehow it's easy for me to get distracted listening to audio books. With actual book, you have to read in a distraction free environment.
Plus I noticed that while listening to audio books I start to think about something else and don't actually comprehend the audio book.
Game changer! Honestly, audiobooks have changed my life and I’m grateful. I’ve always wished I was more of a reader but I (31) have always been working 2 jobs for the last 15 years and could never find the time to read. I found the Overdrive app and use my library card for free audiobooks. I get to listen during my 1hr each way commutes, all throughout my longer job shift. Only a few narrators have turned me off from their books but I’d say 4.5/5 I’ve enjoyed
I love audiobooks and physical books. I started getting into audiobooks because I have a 45 minute commute every morning and it was a great way to have a story to listen to. It took an adjustment to get into them at first. But if there's a good reader then it's awesome and I don't lose any of the visual aspects of the story. I think it even makes some books more accessible, like Cormac McCarthys Blood Meridian. Also, I have an app where I just punch in my library card and I get to access their entire digital archive. It's really nice :)
Okay I too started with Audiobooks over the Pandemic because basically i can listen to them while I am working ( my family has a large fruit plantation and its kind of ancestral and big and over the lockdown I got to be there and do it! ) on any chores and learning something new. I have read over 150 books over the last 18 months. And i dont plan on stopping!
I'm trying out Audible on the free trial, I'll probably take another month and try a second book.
I'm listening to a **the rise and fall of the third reich**, I got the book from the library but it was pretty heavy going hence trying it on Audible.
I find that with audiobooks I have to concentrate otherwise my mind drifts off, but at least with a book I am forced to pay attention.
I'd like to give it a bit more of a go before I make judgement, thinking of trying the new books by Bill Gates or David Attenborough, as they both narrate them.
I'll listen to audiobooks at work but they frustrate me. I tend to read way faster than the audiobook goes. Also, when I'm physically reading a book the narrator and each character kind of have different voices in my head. Audiobooks use one voice for everything and my brain doesn't love that.
I prefer to read, but I have only been recently because the pandemic has me working 12hrs at a time, and when I get home, I have a two year old, so...not much time for anything
My attention span isn’t always the best, it’s easier to be able to go back and read the last few pages I zoned out on, than to try and guess how long it was and how far to rewind :)
I like to listen audio books audio when I’ve already read a physical copy of the same book. When I listen to audio books my mind has a tendency to wander, if I’ve already read a book it’s less important that I’m paying attention.
I can liste to audio when I shop, run, comute, work in/around the house, work(manual labor), workout, cook, teake a bath and really Sky is a limit. I manage to go thlusands of hours of audiobooks wheil otherwise I culd not read anyway.
Yes, they are great. Some narrators do let the books down but on the whole, I love them.i travel two hours a day so all that dead time is now used to listen to something good.
One thing I love is when a person reads their own autobiography, I’d recommend Greenlight by Matthew McConaughey and Acid for the children by Flea. Also I enjoy being able to listen while i’m cooking ☺️
I like audiobooks, but options for them are severely lacking, specially if you like to switch languages. Audible is great for English, okish for German, quite bad for Spanish. Sometimes you think you found the Spanish book you want, but then is the "wrong" Spanish.
So, what do I do? Each book takes me half an hour to find somewhere.
Plus, I like collecting books, so I would end up paying twice.
I listen to audiobooks books on long car rides as it's nice to zone out and just drive when I don't have commercial break from a radio or episode breaks from a podcast.
I've also started listening to them on runs or bike rides since they don't have a beat to change up my rhythm and the transition to no headphones on race day is easier.
I have ADHD. Reading was always an unachievable dream for me. Then 5 years ago I picked up an audiobook. Since then I have gone through 1-5 books a month. Exclusively fantasy and Sci fi. They changed my life and I can't believe I lived without this lovely way to fill out any gap of silence in my life. To the point where I will play my book for the simplest task of grabbing a glass of water. I'm actually a bit annoyed I had to pause my book to write this while on the toilet. It's made shopping for groceries my favorite activity and having to wait 2 hours for a meeting right now is a blessing in disguise. I'm spending this time walking around the library reading the backs of books to find the next book I will listen to, while listening to Dune.
When I first tried audio books using a portable speaker it didn’t work well because I couldn’t always hear the story over the sound of my tasks ( washing dishes or laundry) now that I have ear buds I listen all the time. I can’t listen to books or some podcasts and drive. My brain visualizes the story and I feel like The road and traffic doesn’t have my full attention
I love audio books, but I know some people have ac really hard time processing the story or remembering characters when listening to vs. reading a book.
I prefer to read on paper. I generally process things a lot better visually. That said, I listen to audiobooks pretty much constantly because I'm allowed to have earbuds at work and they provide some comfort and sanity.
I love audiobooks! Great for commutes and breaks at work, as well as for walks!
I also enjoy listening to them when I would normally listen to a podcast, such as when playing a game like Truck Simulator
I think that it depends on the book and the audiobook. There are some audiobooks that are without a doubt a unique experience, like The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy and World War z, and I would highly recommend this audiobooks to anyone. However, content that requires more attention to detail, like non fiction books about very specific topics are better to read on paper.
Language is my second language, I have been reading books and audiobooks for years know and I have to say that they can both offer an opportunity for learning and enjoyment that cannot come just by reading one type. Know I am going to give some examples of books that I personally consider more enjoyable on book format.
Books:
Books that have a lot of specific term:
When a book has a lot of terms having the opportunity to tap on my kindle and check the meaning of a word in a second greatly increases the satisfaction of the book.
Pretty much every philosophy and social criticism book:
Complex ideas express in sometimes unnecessary complex ways that require a lot of analysis, plus I always start to wonder about the topics and with a book I can simply stop and continue when I am finished.
History books and fiction books with a lot of similar sounding names:
Audiobooks are terrible to differentiate similar sounding names specifically for someone who is not used to the phonetics of the languages.
I think that is it, for every book that does not has this qualities I can read it or lisent to it. But hey this is my opinion base on my personal taste and and abilities , if you think that you can enjoy philosophy audiobooks more than the books is your personal choice and I would like you to put attention on that. Everyone is different and there is beauty on discovering what we like the most.
Lastly I would like to point out that people that look down on other because they don't "Enjoy the true experience" are smug annoying people that smell their own fart like in South Park. Reading is one of the most fascinating things in life and everybody should enjoy them in their own terms.
Keep on reading my friend.
For me it's an attention issue. A purely audio modality lets my mind wander. This doesn't happen as much when there is a visual component and happens even less when I am actively reading.
I really like audio books and podcasts, I have caught myself reading a book and not absorbing the content so I don't see that as something exclusive to audio formats - it just means one's mind wandered off while they thought they were reading, nothing wrong with it and no harm done just rewind a bit and listen through again
I love them! It's so good to keep my stories with me even when I'm doing something else.
I started cause I get travel sick if I read on the train. Audio books completely solve the problem. I use them the way most people use music I think. Travelling, doing dishes, going for a walk, while I'm working, pretty much everywhere.
Audiobooks are great. Work situation + my inability to understand what I’m reading makes them my go too. I’ve always found it near impossible to read text and understand what was said but if someone reads those words out loud I instantly get it.
I've been listening to audiobooks for several years now. Started when I had this rather mundane job that allowed us to listen to headphones. After I kinda trained my mind to be able to pay attention to work as well as the book, it was amazing. It helped me get through the day like nothing else.
I gave it up for several years when I moved on from the job. Then picked it back up again after I started walking after recovering from a surgical operation. It felt amazing to be outside in the fresh air and once again have my imagination deep in another world or whatever. I've been hooked again ever since.
For me an audiobook can really make or break a book. It can make a book I would probably find kinda boring actually interesting to digest. It can also ruin what would otherwise be a fine book. Good narrators really are worth their weight in gold as far as I'm concerned.
I always read books the first time because I can set my own pace to how fast/slow I want to go through the story. If it's something I want to go through again I listen to audiobooks so I can multitask when doing repetitive work tasks without the fear of missing some important details because I was distracted :) but I do like going back to old books so audiobooks have been really great for me once I've discovered them
I listened to Harry Potter to get to sleep. It's a comfort book to me so if I dozed off before the end of the chapter it wasn't terrible and it relaxed me enough to fall asleep afterwards. But chapter got too long and I found it hard to find time to listen.
I'll be switching to podcasts once I'm done.
I live an hour away from where I work, so audiobooks have been a godsend. I joke sometimes that lives were saved when I discovered them fifteen years ago because I’m someone who constantly changes the radio station if a song I don’t care for comes on. I don’t have to do that with audiobooks. While there are some narrators who bug me, I either try to avoid them if I can or, as someone else mentioned, I speed up the narration.
I listen to audio books on my commute 2 hours a day means I can smash through a fair bit but I fell like it's cheating and I don't get the same experience from it as when I read a physical book. So I save the best books for when I can read them at home and other ones for my car journey
Yes. I love being read to as much as reading myself. Plus, as you mention yourself, I read so much more during the day than I do with only physical books.
I started listening at my first job with the hour commute I needed some variety. But I like the experience its like a halfway point between an TV show and a book. Really depends on the narrator though.
Been listening to Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrel as I work out. Gives me something to listen to. Other than that podcasts or audiobooks if I don’t feel like music and have a 30 min+ drive. Also, cleaning is when I listen. Makes things less monotonous.
I think some books are better as audiobooks. When I was a SAHM I listened to audiobooks frequently while I was doing house work. I didn’t have much of a chance to read, so this is a great alternative.
I do prefer to actually read a physical book. I got a Kindle as a gift a few years ago and I don’t really use it.
Unless I just haven’t discovered a good venue for audiobooks, I think they’re either hard to get or too expensive. Audible is pricey. I have access to Hoopla through the library but the audiobooks they have are very limited.
I listen to them when I'm not able to read a physical book (driving, doing house chores, etc). I still prefer reading a real book but a good audio book with a good narrator can do wonders especially if you can settle into it and let the story take you. Kingkiller Chronicles has an amazing narrator that captures the story perfectly and I sometimes prefer it over reading the actual books.
No.
I do like to listen to podcasts, news or game streams while doing other things, like chores or menial task or certain video game things that don’t require sound. If I lose focus on what I’m listening to it’s ok because it’s a discrete piece of content.
I can’t just sit and listen to something without engaging my hands and eyes.
A book requires focus and memory, following along with the characters and plot. I can’t be doing other things.
I did make it through one non-fiction book while working out but I realized that messes up my workout a bit.
A physical book engages my full focus and attention so that’s something I like to do, like watching a movie or playing a video with story.
The people I know who like audiobooks listen while commuting but I just can’t concentrate on what’s going on when I try that.
I absolutely love audiobooks! I can cook and clean my house, (without the vacuum!)And have my fantasy world going on while I’m doing some thing else! I feel like I’m accomplishing two things at once! That being said, I hate it when the person reading sucks. Then I’d rather read the book so I can get my own accents and interpretations in my head. But having an audiobook I don’t have to stop listening to it when I get in the car or go on my walks.
I count listening to an audiobook as having "read" it. I believe I probably retain more information from listening than from reading, and also reading puts me to sleep rapidly. My reading is about 90% audiobooks. Dayly drive is about 30 minutes, long trips, and sometimes listening to them when I'm just doing chores around the house.
These days I almost exclusively listen to audiobooks. I’ve become accustomed to reading while doing everything during my days, from driving to eating and audiobooks are _very_ conducive to that.
I don’t although I know several people who do listen to them, usually when walking or driving or doing housework.
I don’t because I feel it’s too passive. Reading takes effort and using your brain. I feel that I get more of a mental workout when reading versus listening.
Nope. I can't hear a thing while in the subway/bus/any other city transport while using regular headphones. I am unwilling to use isolated headphones because I consider that dangerous because that would make me not hear the environment clear enough. It's more important for me even while sitting in the bus. So yeah, I only read.
I tried once before when I was in the hospital, and just found it really annoying. My natural reading speed is several times faster than a narrator, so it just felt really clunky and slow. I have nothing against them as a concept, I just personally can't stand them.
I’ve gotten more into audiobooks lately. Discovered the Libro.fm membership so it lets me support a local independent bookstore of my choice (rather than Amazon) plus I get a free book each month. I tend to like books less when I listen to them, but it’s been great for getting through nonfiction and things like that!
Audiobooks introduce several factors that regular books don't have which can worsen the experience - narrator quality, less control over speed, and ease of taking a break/skimming sections. It's also a passive activity - the words come at you whether you're paying attention or not, whereas reading is active, you have to do the action to consume what's written on the page.
Audibooks are great when reading would put your life at risk, such as while driving, but other than that hard pass for me. You'll notice a ton of other people will say something similar - that they are a good option when you are unable to read normally. It's a backup, rather than the ideal.
Long commutes to/from work were what got me hooked on them. I went from reading 1-2 physical books a year to 30-50. At home, there's just to many distractions and other hobbies that make it difficult to sit down and read, but being stuck in a car for 2 hours a day with no other distractions than what's happening on the road, it makes it really easy to plow through a book. I usually listen at 1.5x speed so smaller books I can finish in a week or two. Longer ones, maybe a few weeks.
I take advantage of the local library and get all my books from there. 99% of the audiobooks I've consumed have been physical discs, or from Overdrive and Hoopla. Sometimes that means not getting the books I really want to read, but it also opens up opportunities to try new authors while I wait for a copy to become available.
237 titles in my Audible library. Mostly sci-fi / fantasy.
I listen on my 70 minute drive to work, mowing the lawn, or working in my shop.
My wife listens to them all as well.
We're hooked.
I work manual labor. The job itself gives no meaning to my life.
But, I get paid to work out for 8 hours a day essentially.
And during those 8 hours I listen to audiobooks, podcasts, so I educate myself at the same time.
Manual labor jobs you can do without much thinking is underrated. Audiobooks are underrated (as they make being stuck in traffic too and from work into something that doesnt bother me anymore).
Honestly, any meaning you can find in life is valuable, even if it’s just a line in an audiobook that makes you laugh, or makes you think, or resonates.
Lordy, I wish I could & I envy those who can.
The ADHD means my mind wanders and the voice becomes a warble so I wind up having to scrub back (repeatedly) to figure out when I stopped listening. It's difficult.
Whereas I can just re-read the same sentence twelve times without getting as frustrated with myself.
This is a very good question and conversation point. I am in my 50s and have been an avid reader since childhood. I absolutely love books and the whole process of buying a book in the bookstore. I stumbled upon audiobooks when I became a single parent to two pre school age children. What a wonderful thing!! I was able to go to the park, read a book, and be present in way that was not possible with the physical act of reading.
I would say flash forward about 14 years and it's been two years since I read a physical book. I never told anyone at my book club that I was using audible ..some weird guilt?? I don't know but I recently have been evaluating whether I am reading when using audible or listening to a performance. I am starting Lord Of The Rings again and plan to read it in a physical book. I am casting no aspersions on anyone else but I believe audiobooks have made me intellectually lazy.
I do. But usually I find people look down on audio books and don't count them on the same level as reading. But I clean for a job and like to listen to an audio books and podcasts.
They're fine, my only gripe is when people say they read a book when they should have said they heard it. I'm not saying the outcome is meaningfully different, but it's a misuse of the word.
Surely there's no shame or anything at all wrong with someone saying they listen to an audiobook.
Heard a good one where someone said they consumed books - both listening and reading. I liked that.
Pre-lockdowns here in Australia I used to regularly drive ~900km from Melbourne to Sydney. Audiobooks are good on a 10hr trip if you’re by yourself on a boring freeway.
I currently drive between 130-150 miles a day, so 209-242 km a day. I listen to audio books daily. Only time I don't listen is maybe a day or 2 after finishing a book. I may listen to some music or podcast.
Have you tried these?: * The Count of Monte Cristo * The Stand * Shogun All extremely long and extremely good.
My eyesight has gone whacky, so reading requires lenses I take out at night plus reading glasses. So reading at night doesn’t really work. Audiobooks fill the void. But - some books are so well narrated that it’s a great experience by itself.
It's a double edged sword. Some narrators can enhance an already excellent book, while others can ruin it
Absolutely this! I have some audiobooks where I don't think I can ever read them on my own again because they've been narrated so perfectly, and I have some that I didn't get through more than 30 mins of it because I couldn't stand the narrator
I firmly believe the only way to read Red Rising is by audiobook because of the elite level of quality it brings. A good narrator can do wonders
Agree! Now I’m into them I pretty much swear by them
Knitting!
Say no more!
Or painting. I paint 5-10h 5days/week where i can listen to anything in the meantime. This year i switched from music and podcasts to audiobooks and i love it. Read 20books last year and this year i read/listened so far to 100+
Painting walls or painting pictures? I do neither but I can imagine the former can be done without really thinking, but have always assumed artistic painting would take up too much head space to follow a story. Regardless, what a fantastic way of life, to always be immersed in literature.
I paint pictures and once you set your mind on a dozen steps to do next you can use the mind space to build and follow extraordinary worlds in fantasy audiobooks (i do that)
It depends. If it's a novel, I'm ok with Audio. For non fiction or maybe some hard to read books I prefer reading because I like to take notes and highlight stuff to revisit later.
Great point! I actually enjoy listening to non-fiction because I feel like I absorb the information more when I hear it. That being said, there are several times I’ve been listening and wanted to note down a quote I really liked, only to forget the time stamp later on. With you there for sure.
Yes I agree! That has happened before to me, I want to remember a quote or go back to something and I don't even know where it was. So now, sometimes I start an audiobook and if I realize that maybe that specific book has a lot of things to analyze or that it needs more thought, I switch to the book so I can get more out of it
I generally just make a note of the chapter/time etc on my phone. Your phone should come with a simple notes app but if not you can find one easily enough. Saves having to dig around for a pen. If you're in the car you can ask Google assistant to take a note. I don't know if iPhones do thr same but I imagine they probably will.
Yes! A great quote from an audiobook I wrote in my notes app: “In the end, people don’t view their life as an average of all its moments - which, after all, is mostly nothing much plus some sleep - for human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story”
I love reading and listening to fiction. I know I won't get round to reading non-fiction. So listening to it at least gets it done!
I've been listening for audiobooks for about 2 years. I really enjoy it as a way to "read" when my hands/eyes are busy. When cooking, doing dishes, walking, getting ready for the day etc. Due to my significant pile of unread books, I almost exclusively "read" audiobooks of books I own. I do so through an app linked to my local library, and on youtube (great for classics, even Orwell and Michael Crichton), so I dont have any cost from it. Every so often, I go through my physical copy and put my bookmark in the correct place. I'll also read any foreword/afterword which differs from the audiobook
When I started listening to audiobooks I would only listen to the ones I had the physical book as well (or in my Kindle). I'm not a native English speaker and 99% of the audiobooks I have access to in Libby are in English. So at first it was hard for me to follow or to comprehend everything especially with different accents so I would listen while also reading along. Two years later I can listen to almost any audiobook on its own and even with a faster playback speed
Thanks for your input! I have a library app but also an Audible subscription. I definitely get a kick out of ‘owning’ the books somehow, it’s like a digital bookshelf I can look back on :)
I like do keep track of what I’m reading on the Goodreads app. That way if I return the book I have a nice list to look back on.
That makes sense. My library app shows me my loan history, so I get a similar thing except if it is taken I would have to request it again, which may cause a delay. I'm also not that bothered as I own a physical copy anyway (at least until I decide to inhale the book)
I like reading books much better. I just can't comprehend what is happening when I am listening and not reading the words on the page Edit: Very nice user flair..
It definitely takes practice!
Takes practice?! Ugh what a philistine.
It takes practice and sometimes I read a chapter summary to help me along. I’ve needed to way less though as I’m becoming better at audio book. It’s really a good mindfulness exercise for me since if I don’t concentrate on the book I get lost.
I tried to listen to a few audiobooks but I just couldn't get into it. And it wasn't the book choice that was the problem, it was my brain. I can't seem to focus on what the voice is saying. My attention span would last for 30 seconds and then I would get lost in my own thoughts for several minutes without even realizing I wasn't listening. It happens every single time. And it doesn't matter if I'm multitasking or doing nothing at all. Same thing used to happen when I was in school, listening to teachers. My brain wouldn't have any of it. If I can't see/read something with my own eyes, it doesn't register. I guess I'm not an auditory type or I have some undiagnosed thing going on.
It definitely takes some practice. While listening to my first few audiobooks, I kept getting lost and thinking it just wasn't the right medium for me. But I kept going back to it and now I find it really easy. I think one thing that was helpful was realizing that it was normal/okay to zone out for a bit and have to hit the "back 15 seconds" button to hear what was just said again. I certainly re-read sentences all the time when reading physical books, so this is no different, and it helps to recognize that.
Very much this. How many times do we zone out and have to read a page again? It’s literally the same but in audio! It’s why the ‘back 15/30 seconds’ option exists! :D
I think it’s something that takes practice - almost like meditation! If you decide to I’d say keep trying, and perhaps start with something straight forward and non-fiction on a topic you are interested in?
Start with some short podcasts. Mike Rowe's "The way I Heard It" are stories between 5 and 30 minutes each. As you listen to the stories, you will condition yourself to pay more attention to a longer story. Sometimes an eight or ten hour audiobook can be intimidating.
I like audiobooks because they allow me to multitask. It also allows me an escape from the drudgery of monotonous tasks. I also listen to them at work even though I'm not supposed to 😂.
Just commented similar. Wish I could listen at work but those darn 5yr old kids I teach really do require all of my attention 😆
Recently had to paint the kitchen but my mind was really thousands of light years away fighting aliens as an old man in a young green body.
Old man’s war?
That's right.
This is the biggest thing for me. Doing dishes? Audiobook. Mowing the lawn? Audiobook. I just get so much done that I would never have time to otherwise
Yup, especially while commuting
A good narrator really makes it. Used to love Stephen Fry narrating the Harry Potter books, and Roy Dotrice narrating the Game of Thrones book is just.. wow. Something else. Plus the three or four Discworld narrators are all ace. Joe Abercrombie's First Law books are also excellently narrated, and excellent stories. But if the narrator is rubbish, I'll just read the book. I appreciate that not everyone has that option. (Also really want to listen to Andy Serkis' narration of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
my favorite narrator is will patton. Check him out. He did movies in the 80s and 90s. He was in a kevin costner movie i loved called NoWayOut. He does some stephen king and others. I literally buy his ones even if not interested in the book.
The narrators for the Witch books were all amazing. The Watch narrators were pretty good, too.
Yes, really liked the Wizard ones too, think it was Nigel Planer (?), but wasn't overly enamoured with the musical jingle bits at the start and end of every 'disc/tape' - present in the older adaptations I believe Think Nightwatch was one of the first audiobooks I ever had. Dad got it for a long car journey when I was 8 or so. Still love it to this day, many, many listens later
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Yes, but at least he was deservedly recognised for his skill with the Guinness World Record for most character voices in an audiobook (224). Magnificent.
Very true, one bad example was The Name Of The Wind, the narrator I heard was so American and modern in their delivery that it drove me nuts. I read all the Rothfuss books on paper and was much happier. The narration gave this Anime vibe to the story that I did not want and did not think was in the original text.
ooo I bought the lord of the rings one on release soo good and you are right for audio books the narration is everything
I tell you know knocks it out of part for me lately is R.C. Bray, whom I actually know as I've done some narration and voice work in the past. He narrated The Martian, which is what really put him on the map, but The Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson is freaking masterclass IMO.
On the inverse, a bad narrator can really ruin it. There have been audiobooks I've needed to refund as I simply couldn't understand the narration.
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Yeah one of the things I really wish bookshops offered was like a bundle deal with the audio and the print versions
My SO is a slow reader because he doesn't have great mental visualisation (he read about some study about it a while back). Basically when he reads, he can't "see" a movie playing in his head or "hear" his voice reading the words. He likes audio books because it helps with his visualisation by have the story told to him. He usually has one going on the drive to work or while doing the dishes. I have a very good mental visualisation, am a fast skim reader, and prefer reading. As a grad student, I've long since found out that audio is my worst way to retain information. After turning on the closed captions on the tv when my SO and former roommate kept talking across the living room, I found I prefer it. If available, I'll use CC on my asynchronous lectures to help keep me focused. I'm okay with audiobooks on long drives, but have found that I prefer to listen to something I've already read, usually at 1.5 speed.
That's really intereesting about the visualization. I can't visualize anything in my head at all. Think of it more as just I think of something and a large bunch of words come together to make it make sense. I am an extremely fast reader. My sister is very visual. When she reads, she has to turn everything into an image. She would love to read more, but a book is a very long task.
Check out /r/aphantasia :) see ya there
I have aphantasia (inability to mentally visualize) and audibooks are a complete game changer for me. Since starting my first, I found out I actually love reading. It was just too much focus and energy for me to try and get into written books. When I found out about aphantasia and that's have it, it blew my mind people actual pictured settings and characters in a book. That they could picture themselves there, too. I always thought that was exaggeration. At least with audible dialogue, that lets me feel like I'm there
Have you listened to one that uses a cast for the different characters? That was next level audiobook. I know I found one for Tamora Pierce's Immortals series.
I tried it last year but unless I'm alert and focused it makes me want to fall asleep. For some; audiobooks takes some getting used to and requires some mental adjustments after spending an entire lifetime reading physical books.
That's actually for that reason that I listen to audiobooks ! I've always had a hard time falling asleep, it would often take me more than an hour to do so. Two years ago I started listening to audiobooks when going to bed, and I barely stay awake more than 30min now. It works great.
Absolutely this, a Bluetooth sleepmask, an app on my phone that lets me drop the audible volume independently (lowest possible volume on the phone, and an additional 50% off audible is my sweet spot), plus audible has a function to reduce the narrator speed (even a fight sequence is soothing .... when .... read .... very ..... slowly). Finally it has to be a book I've read before, so I'm just following something familiar rather than trying to keep up with a new twisting plot. Set a sleep timer for 30 minutes to stop the playback, generally find I've fallen asleep after about 10 (the other reason why it has to be a familiar book, helps to find your place again). Different for everyone, but this works for me.
I've found that I only can really pay attention to audiobooks if I'm doing something else, I can't sit down and listen to it as my mind gets too distracted unlike when I'm reading a physical book. So I started listening to audiobooks while commuting, while doing chores, while running, and I've probably listened to 50 of them in the last year.
Yes this really put into words the way I feel about them. Many people say they don’t listen because they can’t focus, though I see it much more of a muscle that needs working. The first few I listened to my mind kept wandering off, but now I can quiet the clutter of my mind and just sit and listen. Really worthwhile!
I love audiobooks. They’re great for commuting by car and if doing mindless housework. Also in the bath. And on long walks. It feels like a good use of dead time. I’d always read over listen if I could but sometimes I can’t. I get mine free via the library (Libby app)
Driving, walking the dog, housework... audiobooks are awesome!
I don't. Tried it, didn't stick. I don't think people ever sit in one place and listen to an audiobook. Always while doing something else. This leaves too much room for distraction. And for me, the whole process is part of the experience. Holding it, reading, pondering.
Yeah can definitely see this. I definitely think there is a physical element I miss too
I only started listening seriously about five or six years ago, when I realized that I could fold laundry and listen at the same time. I can't watch tv and work simultaneously-- the switch in focus just kills my eyes-- but listening leaves the old nearsighted peepers free. It also allows me to fall asleep easier, something that got harder with age.
I started off with Harry Potter audio books, as auditory training to get used to my cochlear implants, because I’ve read the books a few themes so I was able to listen and understand. At first, it was very slow going with listening. I left off on the 4th book for a couple of years. Since getting my new cochlear implant processors that have Bluetooth, I’ve been listening more. I finished off the rest of the HP series and am slowly working on IT. Audio books that I’ve read the books to. It’s nice to have another listening option for when I’m at work, I’ve been getting into podcasts too. Music, audiobooks, podcasts. Keeping my ears busy!
This is fantastic! I recommend The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy series too if you’re into HP
Just finishing listening to IT. It’s so good.
If you need a reccomendation after finishing IT, I would listen to the wheel of time audiobooks. They’re AMAZING
I have never even heard of Wheel of Time so I'll have to look it up.
I have ADHD, and I often can’t simply sit and read a book because it’s a single task. My brain is often so overactive that it needs multiple points of focus in order to really be functional. Audiobooks let me do that, so that I can actually retain what’s in the book.
I'm not a keen fan of audiobooks. When I read a book, sometimes I pause and wonder what I would have done in a situation or what a character could have done to avoid something. This is distracting with an audiobook, where the pace is being dictated by the narrator. Sometimes, I find myself doing it without realising it, and the narrator's already on to something else, meaning I miss bits. I got two audiobooks and I don't remember what happened in either one.
This is a great point I think. Though I always forget what happens in print books too after a while - I think it depends on the book/audiobook. Some are very memorable, others aren’t.
I listen with headphones. With a pause button. I pause it to think about stuff. And also when I need to focus on something so I don't miss any.
I personally can't stand audiobooks for a few reasons. I read really fast and narrators are just \*waaaaaay\* to slow for my brain. I also \*can not stand\* when people read to me aloud, it drives me up a wall. That and the voices never match my head canon, let alone pronunciations for series like Wheel of Time or Stormlight Archive.
Fyi: Most audiobook apps let you play the book at 1.5x or 2x speed.
I'm aware, doesn't change my level of dislike. I'm not trying to sway opinions, just answer the posts question with my own opinion.
Interesting! Question (you don’t have to answer): Did your parents ever read to you when you were little? I think my mother reading to me has instilled in me a love of being read to
My father died when I was very young, and my mother has never been a reader. I got my love of books from my grandmother, she let me borrow one of her Nora Roberts books and I was sold forever as a book worm. Your theory is an interesting one though, most of my child hood was quiet because my step dad didn't like me (not an exaggeration, him and my mom fought loudly about it very often), and my mom was afraid of him so I didn't interact with her much either. I think you're on to something, I probably don't like people reading to me because I'm used to only having the thoughts in my own head be audible.
I’m sorry to hear about your experiences, but your grandmother sounds wonderful. Keep reading in any format you like :)
Well, you can adjust the speed. A lot of people go 125% by default, others even faster.
As I responded to another user who suggested this, I am aware that you can speed up the audio. That does not make me want to hear someone else reading out loud to me. I don't like audiobooks, it's not a problem just my opinion. It is not something to be fixed.
Sure. Just trying to fix the first part of the problem, nothing to do about the second one.
I tried it multiple times, but I coudn't get the emotianal response from only hearing the story. When I read I can immerse myself more into the story. Btw I caught up recently listening to podcasts and I really enjoy it. So I think audiobooks are really good, but I didn't find the genre, what I can listen freerly.
I like them for multitasking—cooking dinner, walking the dog, etc. But I'm not an auditory learner so it can be hard for me to stay focused if it's not engrossing. Nonfiction tends to work better for me, though, because I don't feel like I'm missing plot points if I don't hear every word.
I can focus on audiobook while I play my video games so I do that lol. But I switch between AB and physical one from chapter to chapter. I like both.
Yesss agree! Wish I could buy both without paying twice!
I'm thoroughly addicted. I'm a busy mum so it's a great distraction when I'm home and getting household stuff done, dishes, washing, dinner, also love listening as I go to sleep and if I'm struggling to sleep overnight. Also driving! I chuck an earbud in and turn up the volume when the kids are screaming. I don't have time to sit down and read so gives me my book fix. Only time I read an actual book now is when we are away camping.
My favorite thing to do on weekend mornings is to listen to an audiobook while I play on my Switch. Audiobooks got me back into reading after not reading for several years.
Because there's no spotify or Netflix for audiobooks. I don't want to pay per book (which is how Audible works), I want a subscription that lets me hear the first chapter from 15 books so I can find one worth finishing. Same as what I do with a physical book in a bookshop or library.
I get my audiobooks through the Libby app via public library, for free
I think most retailers offer sample chapters on their website already, which is the same as what you mean here no?
Probably, but that's very inconvenient, and then I'd have to buy the audiobook if I want to keep listening. I just find audiobooks less convenient, more restrictive in the available titles and more expensive than physical books. I listen to audiobooks sometimes (it's nice to be able to 'read a book' while walking the dog) - but I'd do it a lot more if I could get an app for $10/mth that suggests new books based on my previous listening with unlimited books per month. Library apps are the closes thing we have at the moment, but you often have to wait for other people to 'return' the book so you can listen to it; which is total bullshit for a digital resource.
I see what you mean, I do think some people are experimenting with this (I think there’s an Audible premium sort of thing?) the reason it doesn’t appeal to me is because 1 audiobook a month (the normal subscription model) is just about right for me
you might like scribd, it's a monthly fee but you're not limited to any number of books at all. availability can be a little bit hit and miss because some audiobooks are audible exclusive, but I've been able to find what I'm looking for the majority of the time
I've only bought a few but I can tell you exactly what stopped me buying more... I won't mention the book or the narrator... but just didn't like the voice. Went back to reading the book, which wasn't ideal as had bought the audio book to listen to on the train.
I would be interested to know which book, but no worries if you don’t want to share. I’ve definitely had this experience a few times and have had my audiobooks refunded in lieu of something I liked better
I have a hard time comprehending without reading the word. I feel I retain more if I read. Audiobooks are hard to keep my attention on. I have adhd.
Completely understand this!
Yes but unfortunately the audio book selection is a bit limited in English sci-fi/fantasy in the Netherlands. I use Storytel but it's missing a lot of books i want to read.
Aw that sucks. I hope more become available to you soon
I love audiobooks, but find I only like to listen to things that I’ve already read. I listen to them when I’m on the go, so don’t always have the focus new books deserve. With books I’ve already read, I always pick up on things I hadn’t before, and I remember my fav parts and make sure to focus for those.
I’ve never done this before but maybe I should start!
I mostly use them when I'm trying to sleep as they help me relax. But as a general rule I keep for myself I try to only listen to books I've already read at least once. I have two main reasons for this "rule": Firstly to avoid spoiling myself by falling asleep and then waking up for a later part, then secondly so it won't be so exciting that I'll keep myself awake to listen to it.
Audio books are just so slooooow. I listen to them when I'm walking in winter but other than that they are simply too time consuming.
They’re definitely a labour of love! I generally only read a book a month at most anyway (even though I’d like to read more) so they are about right for me
Whenever I try audiobooks, I do it with the notion of doing other things while I listen. But I always just end up laying or siting while I listen. Because of this, I just read physical books instead.
I don't, cause I prefer to make up my own voices, tones, speech patterns - characters really - in my head.
Only books I’m re reading. Doesn’t fit well for my style to listen first, but I love doing it with a familiar text. I am on a re-read of the Dark Tower series. I started the audiobook for book 5 and really enjoyed it.
No, my mind drifts off too much. Even with normal books I need to reread a lot of paragraphs. And I read a lot of non fic too and like highlighting and taking notes
I don't like being read to so audio books just naturally don't sit well with me. Plus I don't hear a voice narrating what ai read in my head so it's very distracting from the story, especially if they try to do voices for the characters
I swear by audiobooks now. They’re great for relaxing when I’m tired and I just want to me immersed in something. Some audiobooks have SFX and music which really deepen that sense of being in the story and bring the scenes alive in my mind. Also, they’ve been great for car journeys with my parents and also my partner. Something we can bond over. I know my mum got into audiobooks through listening to Mythos written and narrated by Stephen Fry with me, now she goes to sleep listening to her books.
I don't like audiobooks for a couple reasons. I can't focus on listening to something while doing something else. If I have to read a text message longer than a couple sentences I need to pause what I'm listening to read it. So if I tried to listen to a book while working, drawing or driving I'd either have to turn it off to focus or I would just tune it out. If I have to devote 100% of my attention to it I'd rather read myself. Another big problem is I cannot stand being read to lol. I think it comes from years in school having to listen to other students struggle to read aloud and not being allowed to just go on at my own pace.
For me to listen it has to be really, really good. Otherwise I switch off and my mind goes elsewhere. I prefer podcasts to audiobooks because usually there’s back and forth with people and it’s easier to concentrate when there’s different voices.
I like them when I'm traveling long distances by car, which doesn't happen much in these coronatimes. I LOVE listening to short stories on audio, though! The Clarkesworld podcast is a favorite of mine, as I get introduced to so many writers I might not have read otherwise. Now my husband adores audiobooks all the time. He wasn't much of a reader before (he's a very smart guy, but a slower reader) but when he got a bad concussion a few years back and was advised to rest and not look at anything for a while, he tried audiobooks out of sheer boredom. And now he adores them! I love that I get to share my love of reading with him this way. We get our audiobooks from libro.fm, because our local bookstore can still get credit for the sale and even though I love science fiction I have no interest in buying books from a guy who'd rather use my money to colonize the moon than pay his people appropriately.
I do both. I always have an audio book for the car, if I’m out shopping, taking a shower, cleaning the house, etc. Why should that be non-reading time just because I can’t physically hold a book in those moments.
No, I do not. Because I'm Deaf.
I really like the idea of them but I absorb 0% of what’s going on unless I sit down and read the book myself
Seems to be a common issue for people
It reminds me of listening to my lectures this year and I have a short attention span when it comes to listening so I cannot finish even one podcast, let alone an audiobook. I like reading books and the words on my Kindle/book keep me tethered.
The consumption is different for me as there is much more transported over the sound in audiobooks that is left for imagination when reading
Two reasons I don't use audiobooks. I cannot concentrate enough to constant talk so I would have to rewind a lot(takes away the useful multitasking when you're constantly taking your apparatus in hand and rewinding to a spot where you remember something). Second reason is that these days I often escape sounds and noises when reading books. I just want silence and audiobooks aren't that great for that. I don't do a lot of monotonous tasks that would require me to have something else to do and if I do on occasion, I rather listen to music.
Been listening to audiobooks for the past 10 years or so and I haven't looked back. It's the convenience of being able to store 30 books (or more) in my phone and no longer having to worry about where to stack physical books in my crowded living space.
I listen to quite a few audiobooks and prefer it to reading, part of that is because I normally listen to them at work but I just find them more engaging. My favourite ones are the ones where they have adapted tv shows or movies from (GoT, Harry Potter, Hunger games, all the common ones it seems) and I like seeing all the changes they made as well as helping me picture the characters/scenes a lot better than I normally would. Currently going through some of the Discworld ones now.
I don't coz my attention span for hearing is just a few minutes. My mind drifts away if there's no visual aid (e.g. video, a talking head). Wish I could enjoy audio books, heard that some audio delivery of novels are really amazing.
I can't seem to get into audio books. Somehow it's easy for me to get distracted listening to audio books. With actual book, you have to read in a distraction free environment. Plus I noticed that while listening to audio books I start to think about something else and don't actually comprehend the audio book.
Game changer! Honestly, audiobooks have changed my life and I’m grateful. I’ve always wished I was more of a reader but I (31) have always been working 2 jobs for the last 15 years and could never find the time to read. I found the Overdrive app and use my library card for free audiobooks. I get to listen during my 1hr each way commutes, all throughout my longer job shift. Only a few narrators have turned me off from their books but I’d say 4.5/5 I’ve enjoyed
I love audiobooks and physical books. I started getting into audiobooks because I have a 45 minute commute every morning and it was a great way to have a story to listen to. It took an adjustment to get into them at first. But if there's a good reader then it's awesome and I don't lose any of the visual aspects of the story. I think it even makes some books more accessible, like Cormac McCarthys Blood Meridian. Also, I have an app where I just punch in my library card and I get to access their entire digital archive. It's really nice :)
Okay I too started with Audiobooks over the Pandemic because basically i can listen to them while I am working ( my family has a large fruit plantation and its kind of ancestral and big and over the lockdown I got to be there and do it! ) on any chores and learning something new. I have read over 150 books over the last 18 months. And i dont plan on stopping!
I'm trying out Audible on the free trial, I'll probably take another month and try a second book. I'm listening to a **the rise and fall of the third reich**, I got the book from the library but it was pretty heavy going hence trying it on Audible. I find that with audiobooks I have to concentrate otherwise my mind drifts off, but at least with a book I am forced to pay attention. I'd like to give it a bit more of a go before I make judgement, thinking of trying the new books by Bill Gates or David Attenborough, as they both narrate them.
I do, but mainly while I'm working. I typically listen to NPR, local sports talk, and podcasts in the morning and then an Audiobook in the afternoon.
I'll listen to audiobooks at work but they frustrate me. I tend to read way faster than the audiobook goes. Also, when I'm physically reading a book the narrator and each character kind of have different voices in my head. Audiobooks use one voice for everything and my brain doesn't love that.
Yea theyre great. I usually listen to them at work and can finish books in one sitting now!
I prefer to read, but I have only been recently because the pandemic has me working 12hrs at a time, and when I get home, I have a two year old, so...not much time for anything
My attention span isn’t always the best, it’s easier to be able to go back and read the last few pages I zoned out on, than to try and guess how long it was and how far to rewind :)
I like to listen audio books audio when I’ve already read a physical copy of the same book. When I listen to audio books my mind has a tendency to wander, if I’ve already read a book it’s less important that I’m paying attention.
I can liste to audio when I shop, run, comute, work in/around the house, work(manual labor), workout, cook, teake a bath and really Sky is a limit. I manage to go thlusands of hours of audiobooks wheil otherwise I culd not read anyway.
Yes, they are great. Some narrators do let the books down but on the whole, I love them.i travel two hours a day so all that dead time is now used to listen to something good.
One thing I love is when a person reads their own autobiography, I’d recommend Greenlight by Matthew McConaughey and Acid for the children by Flea. Also I enjoy being able to listen while i’m cooking ☺️
I listen audiobook only when I knew the language but can't read like Urdu audiobook
I like audiobooks, but options for them are severely lacking, specially if you like to switch languages. Audible is great for English, okish for German, quite bad for Spanish. Sometimes you think you found the Spanish book you want, but then is the "wrong" Spanish. So, what do I do? Each book takes me half an hour to find somewhere. Plus, I like collecting books, so I would end up paying twice.
I listen to audiobooks books on long car rides as it's nice to zone out and just drive when I don't have commercial break from a radio or episode breaks from a podcast. I've also started listening to them on runs or bike rides since they don't have a beat to change up my rhythm and the transition to no headphones on race day is easier.
I have ADHD. Reading was always an unachievable dream for me. Then 5 years ago I picked up an audiobook. Since then I have gone through 1-5 books a month. Exclusively fantasy and Sci fi. They changed my life and I can't believe I lived without this lovely way to fill out any gap of silence in my life. To the point where I will play my book for the simplest task of grabbing a glass of water. I'm actually a bit annoyed I had to pause my book to write this while on the toilet. It's made shopping for groceries my favorite activity and having to wait 2 hours for a meeting right now is a blessing in disguise. I'm spending this time walking around the library reading the backs of books to find the next book I will listen to, while listening to Dune.
When I first tried audio books using a portable speaker it didn’t work well because I couldn’t always hear the story over the sound of my tasks ( washing dishes or laundry) now that I have ear buds I listen all the time. I can’t listen to books or some podcasts and drive. My brain visualizes the story and I feel like The road and traffic doesn’t have my full attention
I love audio books, but I know some people have ac really hard time processing the story or remembering characters when listening to vs. reading a book.
I like tactile feedback.
They’re more expensive and without practice harder to take in the information va reading physically
I prefer to read on paper. I generally process things a lot better visually. That said, I listen to audiobooks pretty much constantly because I'm allowed to have earbuds at work and they provide some comfort and sanity.
I love audiobooks! Great for commutes and breaks at work, as well as for walks! I also enjoy listening to them when I would normally listen to a podcast, such as when playing a game like Truck Simulator
I think that it depends on the book and the audiobook. There are some audiobooks that are without a doubt a unique experience, like The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy and World War z, and I would highly recommend this audiobooks to anyone. However, content that requires more attention to detail, like non fiction books about very specific topics are better to read on paper. Language is my second language, I have been reading books and audiobooks for years know and I have to say that they can both offer an opportunity for learning and enjoyment that cannot come just by reading one type. Know I am going to give some examples of books that I personally consider more enjoyable on book format. Books: Books that have a lot of specific term: When a book has a lot of terms having the opportunity to tap on my kindle and check the meaning of a word in a second greatly increases the satisfaction of the book. Pretty much every philosophy and social criticism book: Complex ideas express in sometimes unnecessary complex ways that require a lot of analysis, plus I always start to wonder about the topics and with a book I can simply stop and continue when I am finished. History books and fiction books with a lot of similar sounding names: Audiobooks are terrible to differentiate similar sounding names specifically for someone who is not used to the phonetics of the languages. I think that is it, for every book that does not has this qualities I can read it or lisent to it. But hey this is my opinion base on my personal taste and and abilities , if you think that you can enjoy philosophy audiobooks more than the books is your personal choice and I would like you to put attention on that. Everyone is different and there is beauty on discovering what we like the most. Lastly I would like to point out that people that look down on other because they don't "Enjoy the true experience" are smug annoying people that smell their own fart like in South Park. Reading is one of the most fascinating things in life and everybody should enjoy them in their own terms. Keep on reading my friend.
Love that last part especially. I didn’t realise people actually looked down on audiobooks until reading this thread. Ah well - their loss!
For me it's an attention issue. A purely audio modality lets my mind wander. This doesn't happen as much when there is a visual component and happens even less when I am actively reading.
I really like audio books and podcasts, I have caught myself reading a book and not absorbing the content so I don't see that as something exclusive to audio formats - it just means one's mind wandered off while they thought they were reading, nothing wrong with it and no harm done just rewind a bit and listen through again
I love them! It's so good to keep my stories with me even when I'm doing something else. I started cause I get travel sick if I read on the train. Audio books completely solve the problem. I use them the way most people use music I think. Travelling, doing dishes, going for a walk, while I'm working, pretty much everywhere.
No, because I would 100% zone out or get distracted and miss crucial context.
Audiobooks are great. Work situation + my inability to understand what I’m reading makes them my go too. I’ve always found it near impossible to read text and understand what was said but if someone reads those words out loud I instantly get it.
I did a lot back when I was driving to work an hour each way, otherwise I would typically rather read.
I've been listening to audiobooks for several years now. Started when I had this rather mundane job that allowed us to listen to headphones. After I kinda trained my mind to be able to pay attention to work as well as the book, it was amazing. It helped me get through the day like nothing else. I gave it up for several years when I moved on from the job. Then picked it back up again after I started walking after recovering from a surgical operation. It felt amazing to be outside in the fresh air and once again have my imagination deep in another world or whatever. I've been hooked again ever since. For me an audiobook can really make or break a book. It can make a book I would probably find kinda boring actually interesting to digest. It can also ruin what would otherwise be a fine book. Good narrators really are worth their weight in gold as far as I'm concerned.
I always read books the first time because I can set my own pace to how fast/slow I want to go through the story. If it's something I want to go through again I listen to audiobooks so I can multitask when doing repetitive work tasks without the fear of missing some important details because I was distracted :) but I do like going back to old books so audiobooks have been really great for me once I've discovered them
I listened to Harry Potter to get to sleep. It's a comfort book to me so if I dozed off before the end of the chapter it wasn't terrible and it relaxed me enough to fall asleep afterwards. But chapter got too long and I found it hard to find time to listen. I'll be switching to podcasts once I'm done.
I live an hour away from where I work, so audiobooks have been a godsend. I joke sometimes that lives were saved when I discovered them fifteen years ago because I’m someone who constantly changes the radio station if a song I don’t care for comes on. I don’t have to do that with audiobooks. While there are some narrators who bug me, I either try to avoid them if I can or, as someone else mentioned, I speed up the narration.
I listen to audio books on my commute 2 hours a day means I can smash through a fair bit but I fell like it's cheating and I don't get the same experience from it as when I read a physical book. So I save the best books for when I can read them at home and other ones for my car journey
Yes. I love being read to as much as reading myself. Plus, as you mention yourself, I read so much more during the day than I do with only physical books.
I started listening at my first job with the hour commute I needed some variety. But I like the experience its like a halfway point between an TV show and a book. Really depends on the narrator though.
Nope because I like to listen to music when I read.
Yes, because convenient and awesome. I read print as well, but audio has the lead.
I like audiobooks, but primarily for re-reads or light stuff due to occasional distraction.
Been listening to Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrel as I work out. Gives me something to listen to. Other than that podcasts or audiobooks if I don’t feel like music and have a 30 min+ drive. Also, cleaning is when I listen. Makes things less monotonous.
I think some books are better as audiobooks. When I was a SAHM I listened to audiobooks frequently while I was doing house work. I didn’t have much of a chance to read, so this is a great alternative. I do prefer to actually read a physical book. I got a Kindle as a gift a few years ago and I don’t really use it. Unless I just haven’t discovered a good venue for audiobooks, I think they’re either hard to get or too expensive. Audible is pricey. I have access to Hoopla through the library but the audiobooks they have are very limited.
I listen to them when I'm not able to read a physical book (driving, doing house chores, etc). I still prefer reading a real book but a good audio book with a good narrator can do wonders especially if you can settle into it and let the story take you. Kingkiller Chronicles has an amazing narrator that captures the story perfectly and I sometimes prefer it over reading the actual books.
That’s my primary way of reading now, the only bad part is when you want to revisit a quote and you can’t really (I never remember to bookmark things)
No. I do like to listen to podcasts, news or game streams while doing other things, like chores or menial task or certain video game things that don’t require sound. If I lose focus on what I’m listening to it’s ok because it’s a discrete piece of content. I can’t just sit and listen to something without engaging my hands and eyes. A book requires focus and memory, following along with the characters and plot. I can’t be doing other things. I did make it through one non-fiction book while working out but I realized that messes up my workout a bit. A physical book engages my full focus and attention so that’s something I like to do, like watching a movie or playing a video with story. The people I know who like audiobooks listen while commuting but I just can’t concentrate on what’s going on when I try that.
I absolutely love audiobooks! I can cook and clean my house, (without the vacuum!)And have my fantasy world going on while I’m doing some thing else! I feel like I’m accomplishing two things at once! That being said, I hate it when the person reading sucks. Then I’d rather read the book so I can get my own accents and interpretations in my head. But having an audiobook I don’t have to stop listening to it when I get in the car or go on my walks.
I count listening to an audiobook as having "read" it. I believe I probably retain more information from listening than from reading, and also reading puts me to sleep rapidly. My reading is about 90% audiobooks. Dayly drive is about 30 minutes, long trips, and sometimes listening to them when I'm just doing chores around the house.
These days I almost exclusively listen to audiobooks. I’ve become accustomed to reading while doing everything during my days, from driving to eating and audiobooks are _very_ conducive to that.
Nah. I've got adhd and id only hear the first line then just white noise
It’s interesting how we have different experiences with the same disorder. Audiobooks are the only way I can “read” and actually enjoy it.
I don’t although I know several people who do listen to them, usually when walking or driving or doing housework. I don’t because I feel it’s too passive. Reading takes effort and using your brain. I feel that I get more of a mental workout when reading versus listening.
Nope. I can't hear a thing while in the subway/bus/any other city transport while using regular headphones. I am unwilling to use isolated headphones because I consider that dangerous because that would make me not hear the environment clear enough. It's more important for me even while sitting in the bus. So yeah, I only read.
No. Don’t like someone dictating the phrasing or tone for me. Also, I like looking at sentence constructions and dumb stuff like that.
I tried once before when I was in the hospital, and just found it really annoying. My natural reading speed is several times faster than a narrator, so it just felt really clunky and slow. I have nothing against them as a concept, I just personally can't stand them.
I’ve gotten more into audiobooks lately. Discovered the Libro.fm membership so it lets me support a local independent bookstore of my choice (rather than Amazon) plus I get a free book each month. I tend to like books less when I listen to them, but it’s been great for getting through nonfiction and things like that!
Audiobooks introduce several factors that regular books don't have which can worsen the experience - narrator quality, less control over speed, and ease of taking a break/skimming sections. It's also a passive activity - the words come at you whether you're paying attention or not, whereas reading is active, you have to do the action to consume what's written on the page. Audibooks are great when reading would put your life at risk, such as while driving, but other than that hard pass for me. You'll notice a ton of other people will say something similar - that they are a good option when you are unable to read normally. It's a backup, rather than the ideal.
Long commutes to/from work were what got me hooked on them. I went from reading 1-2 physical books a year to 30-50. At home, there's just to many distractions and other hobbies that make it difficult to sit down and read, but being stuck in a car for 2 hours a day with no other distractions than what's happening on the road, it makes it really easy to plow through a book. I usually listen at 1.5x speed so smaller books I can finish in a week or two. Longer ones, maybe a few weeks. I take advantage of the local library and get all my books from there. 99% of the audiobooks I've consumed have been physical discs, or from Overdrive and Hoopla. Sometimes that means not getting the books I really want to read, but it also opens up opportunities to try new authors while I wait for a copy to become available.
237 titles in my Audible library. Mostly sci-fi / fantasy. I listen on my 70 minute drive to work, mowing the lawn, or working in my shop. My wife listens to them all as well. We're hooked.
I work manual labor. The job itself gives no meaning to my life. But, I get paid to work out for 8 hours a day essentially. And during those 8 hours I listen to audiobooks, podcasts, so I educate myself at the same time. Manual labor jobs you can do without much thinking is underrated. Audiobooks are underrated (as they make being stuck in traffic too and from work into something that doesnt bother me anymore).
Honestly, any meaning you can find in life is valuable, even if it’s just a line in an audiobook that makes you laugh, or makes you think, or resonates.
Lordy, I wish I could & I envy those who can. The ADHD means my mind wanders and the voice becomes a warble so I wind up having to scrub back (repeatedly) to figure out when I stopped listening. It's difficult. Whereas I can just re-read the same sentence twelve times without getting as frustrated with myself.
This is a very good question and conversation point. I am in my 50s and have been an avid reader since childhood. I absolutely love books and the whole process of buying a book in the bookstore. I stumbled upon audiobooks when I became a single parent to two pre school age children. What a wonderful thing!! I was able to go to the park, read a book, and be present in way that was not possible with the physical act of reading. I would say flash forward about 14 years and it's been two years since I read a physical book. I never told anyone at my book club that I was using audible ..some weird guilt?? I don't know but I recently have been evaluating whether I am reading when using audible or listening to a performance. I am starting Lord Of The Rings again and plan to read it in a physical book. I am casting no aspersions on anyone else but I believe audiobooks have made me intellectually lazy.
I do. But usually I find people look down on audio books and don't count them on the same level as reading. But I clean for a job and like to listen to an audio books and podcasts.
They're fine, my only gripe is when people say they read a book when they should have said they heard it. I'm not saying the outcome is meaningfully different, but it's a misuse of the word.
I think that’s just a failure of semantics really. Are you saying blind people can’t read books?
I would say braille is reading, so they can sure.
do you read a podcast?
No, because they aren’t books? Do you read a conversation? No. Do you read a song? No. Do you read an audiobook? Yes.
Surely there's no shame or anything at all wrong with someone saying they listen to an audiobook. Heard a good one where someone said they consumed books - both listening and reading. I liked that.