Audiobooks: A Discussion

Audiobooks: 

A Discussion

Hello Everyone, 

Today I have been thinking about the many ways that stories can be consumed and why each one of them matters for a different reason. The topic that most intrigues me is audiobooks, as they are something that I struggle to use in my daily reading life though I know that they could greatly improve my reading speed and amount of books that I am able to read each month. My relationship with audiobooks is slightly complicated in many ways. I do realize that it would allow me to read more, however even with that remarkable promise I find it very hard to get into audiobooks. 

What is an audiobook? 

Well if you are a part of the book world at all then you will know that this is just a book that has been read allowed by someone and recorded for someone else to purchase and listen to later. These are usually a great way to enjoy a long car ride, or a long walk in the woods. Neither of which are things that I am able to do on a regular basis. Audiobooks have helped me through some dense coursework before when I have not wanted to sit and read a text passage, however I am odd in the sense that I must also have the physical book in front of my whilst I read the audiobook to prevent my thoughts from drifting. 

Why are audiobooks great?

Audiobooks grant people access to stories that they may not have otherwise had the privilege of seeing due to either the text size in a book, the reading level, or the availability of the print book. Audiobooks are often a part of the local libraries catalog and can be checked out in a typical books fashion which is great since audiobooks are very costly if you do not have a subscription to Audible or a similar site. Reading, listening, consuming stories is all the same to me. As long as everyone is given the chance to enjoy the written word I am happy, and to me that is what audiobooks allow people to do. 

When hearing a soothing voice lulling on about a fantastical world it always makes me relaxed and calm even when I am most stressed out with university and life. For that reason I love listening to audiobooks after a day at university. I tried to make that a part of my daily routine, however starting a new habit is harder than breaking an old one for me and so far I have been unsuccessful at even sitting down for a mere 30 minutes per day to enjoy an audiobook. This is something that I am working on and hopefully will be able to do this summer when I am driving to and from the research site each day. As I have stated above, listening to audiobooks without the physical edition in front of me is difficult. If given the chance to sit and mull over things in my head I tend to zone out and not focus on the story being told, for this reason I will only buy audiobooks which I own the physical copy of as well. These limitations of how I am forced to read an audiobook slows my reading time to anytime that I would normally be able to read a physical book which is not too often.  Aside from needing to practice the art of focussing on a spoken story and creating time for audiobooks in my life, I love audiobooks and the stories that they hold within. 

My favorite audiobook so far that I have listened to is The Name of the Wind by: Patrick Rothfuss. The narration is great, and the story is even better!

What are some of your favorite things about audiobooks? And how do you make time for them in your life? Answer in the comments section below.

Happy Listening!