Listening to Crank via audiobook has let me enjoy an amazingly hardcore story of drugs and addiction. I am pretty sure if I had picked up the novel I would not have completed the book, even with the high praise my fellow bloggers have spouted. It's just one of those things.
Another great thing about audiobooks is that I do have a very long drive to my parents house (six hours) and listening to someone reading a book versus music is actually relaxing for me and I feel like I am accomplishing so much while stuck on a long drive.
I also have had great success with listening to books that have great readers. I love a great storyteller - someone who can keep my attention, help my imagine the characters in a way that just reading a book might not. There is a great ongoing discussion of great audiobook readers here. I have yet to listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks, but I see there are two readers available - Stephen Fry and Jim Dale... decisions, decisions.
Oh and another thing - between purchasing audiobooks via bookstore or audible.com, borrowing from the library via CD or using the program called Overdrive to load them on my mp3 player directly from the internet, I have amazing resources at my fingertips to help me continue to read even when I can have a book in my hand.
What do you think about audiobooks? Do you like them? Would you try them?
Do you have any suggestions of audiobooks I should check out?
I've listened to a few historical romances via my library's audiobook list. I put them in my iPod for walking on the treadmill!
ReplyDeleteSee killing two birds with one stone! :) Love it!
DeleteI love audiobooks, but admittedly they are hit and miss, depending on the reader. I think its ridiculous that someone would think it doesn't count as reading. You are gleaning the information contained in the book. Does that mean that when we were young and our classroom teachers read to us, we didn't "read" those books? Absolutely not. Hearing or seeing, you are still getting the story.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I have been having this argument with a friend of mine for weeks. We challenged each other to a "read-off" this year to see who can read the most books and she is insisting that my audiobooks don't count. It's driving me nuts!
ReplyDeleteI vote that they count. To me it's still reading. Audiobooks are also a great way to read for someone who can't see well - so would that not count for them? Why can't it count for everyone?
DeleteExcellent post. Personally I LOVE audiobooks and I think it's just silly to say that listening to an audio isn't reading. I like to have an audiobook on my iPhone/iPod whenever I have a few minutes available when it's not convenient to pull out a book(doing chores is a perfect example).
ReplyDeleteBut I do feel like some people look down on audiobooks and the people who listen to them. That is just sad and not how it's supposed to be.
Same here. Audiobooks are great for people who are too busy to read an actual book. Exercise, household chores, gardening... all perfect examples of when audiobooks work great. Oh and traveling is another great one whether by car, plane, or local transit. :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by an sharing your thoughts.