Audiobooks
Audiobooks are something that have grown on me the last few years. I used to not like them. In fact, I typically couldn’t even finish them. It was too hard to focus. Maybe I was choosing the wrong genre; maybe I was choosing the wrong time to listen. Either way, audiobooks took the back seat when it came to my book consumption. To level-set, printed hardcover books will always be my favorite—next comes paperback, Kindle, iPad and, finally, audiobooks. Many debate whether listening to an audiobook counts as “reading” a book…let’s not get into that too deep. From my perspective, even though it’s not the same experience as reading, you’re still getting the benefit of hearing what the book has to say. This is a good thing.
For me, I always struggled to get into audiobooks because I never knew which books would be best to listen to, opposed to read. Every time I started an audiobook from my “to be read list,” I’d stop half way through. I just couldn’t trade in the reading experience. However, once I recognized I was doing this I figured why not try a book that wasn’t on my radar but that I thought I would enjoy. A bonus book. One genre that this is good for is memoirs. A genre where the content can be interesting but the writing lags behind, so you’re not missing out on much. Either that, or it’s written by a ghost, in which case you still don’t miss out since, personally, I find it tough to read ghost written books anyway. If it’s going to be in someone else’s voice anyway—why not just listen to it. Another genre I like to listen to is business books. Since I typically listen to business related audiobooks while walking the dog, it ends up being a good way to start the morning and get in the right mindset for the work day.
With this said, there are still some cons when it comes to audiobooks. In addition to what I already stated about missing out on the true reading experience; I also find it difficult to listen to books that are poorly narrated. This is the real kicker. Find the right narrator and any book can take on an epic quality. James Earl Jones, YES! Tom Hanks, I’m in! In general, the narrator makes or breaks the audiobook experience, which is probably why memoirs can be a great listen, especially if the author does the reading his or her self. The more authentic the better.
One reason audiobooks have been more of an option as of late has been the emergence of the Libby app, which I recommend. Libby connects to your local library. As long as you have a library card you can get unlimited free audiobooks while also supporting your local library. A win-win!
