Listening to Audio books

[flordeliz0315]

I have really to get into audio books but I get distracted very easily and end up rewind it. I stick to my e-reader better.

[Lauren M]

I used to have a 40 min drive to work. I loved listening to audio books during my commute.

After I left my job, I would listen to them while I was sitting at home working on a puzzle. For some reason, listening to a book helped my mind focus on putting together larger puzzles.

[Victor Zuanazzi]

It is ofcourse not as nice, but it is good when you cannot make time to read.

I've used it to listen to books while going to work (by bike!) or when I wanted to read a book really fast, I'd use the audio to keep the reading going.

It is just a matter of finding your sweet spot I would say

[AA1495]

The enjoyment is in actually reading. It's an interesting concept, but not for everyone.

[george_bass]

IMO, audio books are more efficient in terms of time. Whether it is cooking, doing some sport, or whatever, an audio book allows you to do other things at the same time.

[AA1495]

IMO, audio books are more efficient in terms of time. Whether it is cooking, doing some sport, or whatever, an audio book allows you to do other things at the same time.

That's true. It's practical. Is it as enjoyable as reading physical books though?

[AK413]

I can't follow if I am not looking at the words. Its a shame because I drive 30 min each way for work, and could get a lot more books in that way.

[AA1495]

I can't follow if I am not looking at the words. Its a shame because I drive 30 min each way for work, and could get a lot more books in that way.

Exactly my point. I can't imagine myself listening to books and enjoying them equally!

[george_bass]

That's true. It's practical. Is it as enjoyable as reading physical books though?

Well, it's simply different. It depends on the situation.

[Dolphinlove1990]

While I do like the audio books, I really prefer to have the book in hand while listening. I like this because it allows me to have the satisfaction of holding the book and and seeing my progress but also making it come more alive with the author reading to me. It also really helps out with my comprehension

[BarryEM]

A decade and a half ago my vision got bad and, since I've been reading books all my life I gave audiobooks a try. Actually i had listened to a few before then as a novelty. They were kind of fun. But when I started listening to them regularly I found myself really enjoying them.

As others have said much depends on the narrator. And from participating in audiobook forums on the internet I soon learned that everybody likes different narrators. Tastes vary widely. I soon learned which ones to avoid.

That went on for nearly a decade and then surgery improved my eyes so that I can read on a Kindle, which I've been doing ever since.

I prefer the Kindle and I haven't listened to a book since 2009 but that's about to change. There's a book I've been wanting to re-read that I can't find except as an audiobook and I just bought it. It'll arrive in about a week and I plan to listen to it when it does. It'll be an old/new experience for me.

I do think listening is a different experience than reading but I don't think it's an inferior experience or a better one. It's just a little different.

Barry

[kittychan198]

I was not a big fan of audio books until recently. I drive 40 minutes to work one way so I have a lot of time to kill. Found a free short story on Amazon Audible called The Hospital. It's a zombie apocalypse short story and a prequel, of sorts, to the Mountain Man series by Keith C. Blackmore. I fell in love. I immediately bought the first three audio books of the series and have already listened the first one all the way through. I listen while I clean and cook and drive to and from work and before bed. It's a great time saver but I also believe it's got to be the right story read by the appropriate person in order to really draw you in.
~Christine

[curious_daisy]

Neil Gaiman's audiobooks are the best. He narrates them himself so it's not only great fantasy but also wonderfully narrated

[ortiz1988c]

I tried autobook but i think i rather read it for better understanding. i only use it when i am on the train and i have to keep my eyes on my surrounding

[ameredith22]

For years I just couldn't do it because it wasn't the same, I had a hard time getting into it or paying attention without missing half a page because I got distracted.... so I always ended up just getting the regular book and reading that. At some point I decided to give it a try again and just got really lucky because the book had an amazing narrator and sucked me in so well that I was able to finish it. After that I realized that it was all about the narrator for me and in the beginning I stuck with the same type (for me it was a female narrator with some type of accent). After a while I was able to listen to others just based on wanting to read the book, but I still have a hard time with male narrators for some reason.