I love the idea of audiobooks. I like the thought of being able to squeeze in extra books, to have a book read to me at a time when I couldn't otherwise be reading. (Example: audiobooks are basically the only way I'd ever be able to read and knit at the same time.) So a few months ago, I signed up for Hoopla, a free service through my local library that allows you to digitally "borrow" audiobooks, music, movies, etc. I was really excited about trying it!
The first audiobook that I attempted (ha...you can probably see where this is going) was Counting by 7s. I've been interested in reading that book for a long time. I liked the story, but I didn't like the narrator. The story is told by a 12 year old, and the adult narrator, trying to sound younger, just came across as whiney. I got maybe an hour or two in before I gave up on that one.
The next one I tried was The Graveyard Book. Again, another book I've wanted to read for years. It's a full cast production, which is okay, though I think I would have preferred if it was narrated by Neil Gaiman (I've heard good things about his audiobooks). The story is okay, the narration is okay...but again, I'm struggling to finish it. I started listening to it over two months ago and I'm still not quite halfway through!
What's the deal? Why can't I listen to audiobooks? Am I just choosing the wrong sorts of books to listen to...would nonfiction be a better choice? I think that my setup is one problem. I'm old-fashioned and don't have a smartphone, tablet, etc. So when I'm listening through Hoopla, I have to be sitting at my computer with my headphones, and that feels restrictive. When I'm knitting at the computer, I seem to always choose podcasts (Woolful in particular) or bookish YouTube videos over listening to the audiobook. But even if I didn't have to be at the computer, I'm not sure that I would be more likely to listen to an audiobook. I know that a lot of people listen to them while they're driving, cleaning, etc. But those are times when I'm always listening to music (even when I'm making soap, ha!), and I love doing that and don't really want to stop.
So while I'm not going to give up yet, maybe I'm just not meant to be an audiobook fan. When it comes down to it, I'd rather check out a physical copy of The Graveyard Book from the library and spend an hour or two reading the second half of it, than sit at my computer for another four hours listening to it.
How about you? Do you enjoy listening to audiobooks? When do you listen to them and what kind of audiobooks do you prefer?
I really, really like audiobooks. Much rambling ahead. :D
ReplyDeleteAbout 25% of the books I read are audio. I mostly use Audible, but I've used the library via Overdrive as well (my youngest siblings use that one all the time – right now they have one of the Penderwick books playing in their room :). I don't have a cell phone either, but I do have an iPod touch which is so nice to take around and listen from. I definitely wouldn't get to many audiobooks if I had to sit by the computer. Also, my best audiobook tip is to try listening at 1.5 to 2x speed – most narrators feel very slow, especially since we're so used to reading quietly in our heads at a much faster rate. Both Audible and Overdrive give you the option to speed up the narration. A thirty hour book seems much more accessible once it's whittled down to 15-20 hours. :) Oh, and another great audiobook resource is Librivox. All of the books are free because they're in the public domain and have been recorded by amateur narrators. The quality varies because some readers definitely don't have the gift of reading aloud, while others are very good. Librivox is also nice because you can download books onto your computer and add them to any mp3 player or iPod, even it doesn't have wifi capabilities.
My favorite types of books to listen to are definitely classics. I like that they're usually very cheap (if you buy the .99-1.99 ebook on Amazon, it will usually give you the option to add the Audible narration for only a couple of dollars), and I think that I better appreciate beautiful prose and descriptive writing when I listen to a book because I'm not able to skim. ;) I can't really explain why I love classics so much in audiobook format, but I rarely listen to any other genre. I definitely prefer narrators that don't annoy me (trying too hard to make the voices "special" can ruin a book), I almost never choose a full cast recording if there is a single narrator version available, and a talented British narrator preforming a British classic is one of the best things ever. :D
Before I had a full-time job, I would listen to audiobooks while I sewed doll clothes for my Etsy store – days at the sewing machine are perfect for getting totally absorbed in a Dickens novel. :) Now I work at a sign shop as a designer so I'm typically at the computer all day, but part of my job is to hand-paint signs, and the days where I get to paint for hours and listen to a book are the best. :D If my workplace was farther than 5 minutes from my house, I would totally listen then as well. If no one is around while I'm cooking or cleaning I'll usually turn on the book that I'm working on. I've also been known to listen to a book while I water my flower beds, weed the garden, or clean out the chicken coop. :)
I hope that you're able to find a type of audiobook that works for you! Physical books will always be my favorite reading format, but fitting extra books into my life while doing other activities is so awesome. :D
You make a very convincing argument, ha! :) Yeah, I've heard about the option of speeding up them up...I don't know if I could do that, though (plus it's not an option on Hoopla). I don't know whether I'm just slower at absorbing things when I'm hearing them, but I find myself drifting or distracted during audiobooks. Though maybe if it was being read quicker, I'd be forced to focus? :) I did try Librivox once...I'd forgotten about it. I don't think I liked the story I was listening to and never finished.
DeleteI didn't know you worked at a sign shop! That's neat. :) It sounds like you listen to audiobooks during similar times when I'll be listening to music, ha. I'm a creature of habit, I guess!
I'm going to keep trying, at least for a little longer. But if audiobooks end up not being for me, that's okay. I find myself being annoyed by that unfinished audiobook lingering there on Hoopla, and reading is supposed to be fun, right? So if I don't feel like finishing it, that's okay. :)
I think that the speed of an audiobook is crucial - I almost always listen at 1.5 or 2x, and it keeps me from getting annoyed at the perceived slowness of the narrator. :) In my experience, it only takes a few minutes to adjust the quicker speed, and I do think that it causes sharper focus.
DeleteI've realized that even though I really enjoy music while it's playing, I rarely remember to turn it on. With audiobooks (if I'm enjoying the book) the story compels me to play it whenever possible. ;)
I'd recommend that you try one more audiobook - at a faster speed, and when you're working on a big project that you're enjoying and want to work on all the time. If you still don't enjoy it, then you can stop trying to force the love. ;) Physical books are the best anyway. :)
It seems like I automatically turn on music whenever I'm doing anything that I can do without music distracting me, ha. (I can't listen to music while I'm reading, or writing blog posts, or doing knitting that involves me counting lots of stitches, ha.)
DeleteI'll give them another try. Maybe nonfiction. I find it easy to listen to knitting/yarn podcasts, so maybe nonfiction would be better. Physical books are definitely the best!
I've been listening to audio books through the iphone app Audible, and I agree with some of your thoughts. Although I like being able to listen while I sew I sometimes find myself thinking I wish I could just sit down and read this myself, it sounds so much better in my head! Audible gives you many narrator choices to pick from so that is nice, but sometimes it's just better to read it yourself.
ReplyDeleteOh, narrator choices? That's very interesting. Yeah, maybe physical books are just my thing!
DeleteI don't really like audiobooks, either! I actually fell asleep trying to listen to one on a plane, once. The only audiobook I've ever enjoyed was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which my husband and I have listened to on long road trips.
ReplyDeleteSerena
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Ha, I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with them! I have the radio theater set of the Narnia books. I used to try listening to them when I was sewing, but once again, I just couldn't get into it. I finished listening to maybe one or two of the books. They were a bit theatrical for my taste (which makes sense, they are "radio theater"), but maybe I'd prefer just the plain audiobook. Maybe, for me, an audiobook work better with a story like that that I've read many times and love!
DeleteI LOVE audiobooks and mostly use audible. I do not like books that are read as a production. I think my favorite audiobook so far as been The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. I don't think I would like audiobooks if I had to be tied to the computer. It is so nice to be able to listen to a great book while vacuuming, cutting grass or weeding in the garden. I love reading your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input! Yeah, I'm thinking that the whole "full cast production" thing is a little theatrical for me. I've never read anything by Kate Morton yet, though I've checked out some of her books from the library before. Thank you, and thanks for commenting! :)
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