Last week, Sarah’s Bookshelves Live had a really fun Patreon episode where she and a co-host ran through a list of questions about their audiobook listening routines, and well, I couldn’t help myself. I loved the discussion so much that I copied down the questions to answer them myself!
Why would someone choose to read an audiobook over the written word? (Or, another way of saying this: When do I intentionally choose audiobooks over the written word?)
I choose audiobooks to get more reading time into my life. I would read a lot fewer books if I wasn’t consuming 3-4 audiobooks every month. These days, around 33% of my reading life is audiobooks. And for someone who reads 100+ books every year, that’s a significant number of audiobooks! I’ve also found that I prefer listening to audiobooks for certain genres. For example, I like to listen to dense nonfiction books and character-driven novels on audio. In print, I’d likely DNF these books because they can feel a little tedious to read. When I’m listening while taking a walk or making dinner or doing chores, it’s a lot easier to consume something that may not be rapturously exciting.
There are certain types of books, too, that I intentionally choose to listen to. I love listening to memoirs (especially if they are read by the author, although not all authors should read their memoirs and that’s a hill I will die on). I love oral histories on audio because they usually have a full cast and it feels like listening to a dramatic play! And I really love listening to series that would otherwise fall to the wayside if I had to pick up each book in print. I only have so much space for print books in my reading life, so I want to make sure I devote it to the stuff I really want to read with my eyes. I’m all caught up with the Finlay Donovan series thanks to audio, and the only way I’ve stayed current with the Three Pines series is by listening to the audiobooks. (Although I still haven’t read the latest book – oops!)
Anyway, long story short: I read audiobooks because it allows me to consume so many more books than I would otherwise, and because certain genres and formats just work better for my brain on audio.
Do you experience books differently in audio than in print?
The answer to this is a resounding, of course! While I’m not here to debate if audiobooks “count” as reading (GTFO with that outdated opinion, thank you very much), I do think the way our brain processes audiobooks vs the written word is different. In some ways, it makes the reading experience so much richer. Listening to all of the Emma M. Lion books on audio has been the best treat for my ears. I’m excited to read them in print soon and see how that changes my relationship with the series (if it does at all!). I’ve also had experiences where I start an audiobook and quickly discover I need to pick up the print book. This just happened with the latest book in the Lady Sherlock series. I’ve done most of these books on audio, but I had a lot of trouble keeping track of all the characters and plotlines in the most recent one, so I DNF-ed it on audio and now have to figure out how to work it into my reading schedule.
I think there is something to be said for the fact that sometimes I don’t listen as closely as I should and miss details from time to time. But that happens with print books, too, because I tend to skim over long descriptive paragraphs. I think our brains take in information differently, whether orally or visually, and that’s also why audiobooks don’t work at all for some people. (It’s also why audiobooks can be a great option for auditory learners!) So yes, some types of books would probably be better to read with my eyes so I can really take in the information and slow myself down while reading, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t get enough out of an audiobook to understand what it was about or how it impacted me.
What are you doing that you can multitask and pay attention to your audiobook?
There are so many things I can do while listening to my audiobook:
- Work (I have certain tasks that don’t require a ton of brainpower)
- Making breakfast/lunch/dinner
- My morning and evening routines
- Going for walks
- Doing chores
- Playing a game on my phone
- Coloring
- Driving
- Puttering around my apartment
There are certain instances where I won’t listen to an audiobook. I have a Bluetooth shower speaker, but I never listen to my audiobook while showering because the sound isn’t great to pay attention to dialogue and such. It’s fine to half-listen to a podcast, but I don’t enjoy listening to audiobooks in the shower. I also don’t listen to audiobooks at the gym. I just feel like I can’t concentrate as well as I want to!
And I should also say that I live by myself so I don’t have to worry about anyone else getting annoyed by my constant audiobook listening. I’m sure my audiobook listening time would vastly decrease if I started living with someone else!
How do you choose your audiobooks?
This one is easy, and it’s my most uncomplicated method of choosing books. But there’s still a bit of logistics involved because I can’t make anything too easy for me, right?! I flip through three different types of books every month:
- Fiction
- Mystery/thriller
- Nonfiction
I try to always go in this order as I choose my books. The last book I read was a mystery (the latest Finlay Donovan, in fact!), so my next audiobook will be nonfiction. What I’ll do is open up Goodreads, go to my “want-to-read” list, and sort by date. I’ll start at the top or bottom of my list (depending on what book I chose previously—Finlay Donovan was near the bottom, so I’ll start from the top this time) and then make my way down the list until my eyes land on a book that falls into my genre parameters and interests me at this moment in time. Then I’ll check my audiobook apps (Libby and Hoopla) to see if the book is available as an audiobook on either one. I’ll also take a gander at the length because I am pretty averse to reading anything over 13 hours. As long as it’s available and doesn’t have a wait, I’ll snatch it up! If the wait is only a few weeks, I’ll get on the holds list and find a different book to read while I wait. Or, if it seems like a super popular book and I’m desperate to listen to it on audio, I’ll check Spotify. I get 15 audiobook hours every month with Spotify, so as long as I haven’t hit my limit, there’s a good chance I’ll just pick it up there.
However, I will say I broke my routine when I started reading the Emma M. Lion books. I had to! I wanted to read one right after the other, but I made myself read one Emma, then one non-Emma, then one Emma, then one non-Emma. I also forced myself to take a month-long break in May and July because I didn’t want to read the series too fast! Alas, I am now on the final book (for now) so I will be back to my regularly structured audiobook routine starting next week.
How do you rate an audiobook – are you rating the narration/performance, the book itself, or both?
I honestly try not to factor the narration/performance into my audiobook ratings. If the narration is particularly great, I might bump it up half a star because it makes the reading experience so much richer. But if the narration didn’t work for me, I try not to dock the book itself because of it. A great example of this is Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. The audiobook narrator was awful. So monotone, and it didn’t make any part of the reading experience richer. But I loved that book so much (and I know I would have DNF-ed it in print), so I suffered through the terrible narration and still gave the book 5 stars. Not all authors have any sort of say when it comes to the audiobook narrator and how it’s performed, so I don’t want to use that as a reason to give a book a bad rating.
Do you listen to audiobooks? Why or why not?
I have never read an audiobook! Not one. The reason for this is that I am always listening to podcasts, and also I have a tendency to “zone out” while I do that, and I don’t want to miss anything in a book. But maybe I would if I had a long solo drive or something. I’m much more of a visual person than an audio one, and so I think I wouldn’t absorb the book as well. But then again I’ve never tried, so what do I know! I’m open to it, but there are so many podcasts to listen to!
I agree that there are so many podcasts to listen to! I think my audiobook listening time would dramatically decrease if I couldn’t listen all the time at home, knowing I’m not bothering anyone! I definitely had to figure out the right balance between audiobooks and podcasts, especially once I stopped commuting five times a week!
I’ve been on an audiobook kick for a couple of years now. I listen while I walk/run and sometimes when I do housework. My reading had really dropped off, and this allows me to get a few more books in each year. I usually have a print book going as well, but it can take me weeks or even months to get through one. My burning question is whether you increase the speed? My SIL listens an minimum 2x speed up and sometimes even more, which I found kind of shocking! She says it helps her pay attention more and that she gets bored otherwise. I occasionally increase the speed a bit (1.25 or 1.5, rarely to 2x) if I just want to get through the book , or if I have to get it done because it’s going to get returned. But generally I enjoy listening at regular speed.
I typically listen at 1.7x speed, but I really had to work up to that! I listened on 1x for the longest time, then started bumping it up to 1.25, and eventually found that 1.7 is my sweet spot. I never go higher than that, although sometimes I’ll bump the speed down to 1.5x if the accent is particularly thick.
We share a lot of things about audiobooks!! I listen to audiobooks ALL THE TIME: commuting, walking the dog, working out, cooking, cleaning, etc. I do listen to podcasts, too, but if I have a good audiobook, nothing can keep me from it.
Since I have always listened to public radio/podcasts, I started my audiobook listening journey with nonfiction books and I still prefer to listen to more serious books (a romance novel in audio can be very cringe to me!), but I have also listened to Dungeon Crawler Carl so I’m not 100% serious lady all the time.
This was a fun post to read!
I agree that listening to romance on audio is cringe! I just can’t do it. Even closed-door romances feel weird to me, lol.
Where are you listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl? Audible? I haven’t been able to find them ANYWHERE. I think they’re Audible-exclusive, maybe? IDK, but I wish I could listen to the rest of the series. I’m not going to waste my precious eyeball-reading time for those books, but I could be tempted for audio!
I am here for this audiobook discussion! I LOVE audiobooks. I started listening to them when I began having some eye strain before I got reading glasses. Then all of my eye issues happened, and I absolutely depend on audiobooks. I would never read very much otherwise.
Fun fact: I used to be paid to write reviews for Audiofile Magazine! They would send me digital files, and I’d listen to them and review them as work for hire. It only paid $5 per review, but it was really fun, and I got to listen to a lot of new releases for free! . (Now they’re owned by Kirkus Reviews.)
Thank you for writing this very well-thought-out post. I agree with you on every point! And thank you for recommending the Emma M. Lion audiobooks. I’m on book 3 and enjoying the series so much!
Hooray for audiobooks! I’m glad you’re still able to consume lots of books thanks to audiobooks.
I never read audiobooks! I just love the experience of holding a book, turning the pages, looking at the words, going back over a passage if I want. I also listen to a lot of podcasts, I have so many I like, I never run out of listening material.
Yes, yes, yes to all of this! I also love the experience of holding a book AND I listen to so many podcasts, it’s really ridiculous haha. And yet… I can’t help myself when it comes to audiobooks! I think it’s because I have OODLES of listening time built into my life. If I had less time available for listening, I’d choose podcasts > audiobooks for sure!
Yes, for audiobooks!
I mostly listen to them when I car commute. I remember the first audiobook I listened to all the way through was Hunger Games on a drive to a job in Colorado. (I mean I guess we listened to children’s books on tape when I was little – you know when it would ding when it was time to turn the page…) Anyhow, I put on Hunger Games and I was hooked. Hunger Games isn’t the kind of thing I would normally read in print – I’m not into dystopian/ Post Apocalyptic/ Violence etc. But on audio, the book was gripping.
I would say for audio my tastes lean more towards mysteries and thrillers – things that are fast paced where the plot is the hook, not the prose. I don’t usually read these genres in print, but on audio, I like having a good propulsive plot. Memoirs too, I like on audio.
Narration is also key for me – I find there are books that I think are just okay, but the narration elevates it. I do have favorite audiobook narrators – Will Watt is my absolute favorite. I call him my audiobook boyfriend. His voice is just so cozy and intense.
You unlocked some sort of core memory with the books on tape where you would hear a ding when it was time to turn the page. OMG YES.
I love mysteries/thrillers on audio. I think I might even prefer them in that format because you don’t have to listen TOO closely and they’re so propulsive.
I need to pay better attention to the narrators. I don’t really have favorites, although the narrator for the Emma M. Lion books is TOP-NOTCH.
Oh, do I have thoughts about this topic!
I have listened to audiobooks forever. I used to keep a tape player in the bathroom, because my contact lens care regimen took what felt like forever, on top of washing my face and brushing my teeth. My peak listening was probably when I commuted, or took long trips, because I would listen in the car. I also listened more at home when I lived alone; these days, if I put one on while washing dishes or something, my mother inevitably comes along with something to say, and I start and stop too much to enjoy it.
These days, most of my listening is at night, when I put on a book I am very familiar with, on a sleep timer, to give my brain something to hook into and soothe me into sleep. But in my waking hours, I am fitting in time to listen to the Emma Lion books, which I previously read the ebooks of, and am interested that it feels somewhat different. It really hits me how young Emma is! Also, I was not the biggest fan of Niall Pierce in print, but I like him less in audio; not sure why exactly, but I have a ways to go, so we’ll see how that goes.
Ohhhh, this is so fascinating to me. I have been very much Pierce is end-game for Emma, but now I’m hearing a lot of other discourse. I am basically head over heels for Young Hawkes (omg, the fight scene in volume 8! be still my m-fing heart) and want him to be end game for Emma, but alas, I don’t think it’s to be. But who knows.
I adore Young Hawkes, but I like Islington even better! It’s probably terribly unrealistic to think Emma could land a duke, but the heart wants what it wants.
I love audiobooks! I say that they are the reason my husband and I are together: we lived 6 hours apart our first 4 years of dating and I made the drive at least once a month but didn’t really mind it as I had my books on CD! I also listened on my discman! Like you, I listen to longer more involved books or nonfiction as I seem to have longer stretches on audio that allow to really sink into something. My commute is 30 minutes so that helps! The neat thing about audiobooks is that when I recall a particular book, I can sometimes recall what I was doing while listening. I remember listening to Erik Larsen’s “Lusitania” while painting my son’s room and listening to “Chasing Cassandra” by Lisa Kleypas while cleaning the pool. It adds another layer to the listening experience! I listen to everything (including podcasts) at 1.5x. A little faster to keep my brain engaged but I don’t feel like I’m rushing thru it. My audiobook listening has declined over the years as I’ve started listening to more podcasts and i feel like I’m always trying to find the balance between the two. I used to be a dedicated NPR listener but since the rise of podcasts (and the depressing state of our world) I have not been a regular listener for ages. I need more listening time! lol.
Oh yes! I didn’t even think of that connection, but I definitely have the same feeling about where I was or what I was doing while listening to certain audiobooks. There is something so special about that!
Balancing podcasts and audiobooks is my biggest battle, so I definitely understand where you are coming from!
Love this topic! I only started listening to audiobooks a few years ago, but now I am HOOKED. I am in the car at least two hours a day (during the school year) and audiobooks make the drive so much more enjoyable. I also listen to audiobooks while walking, cooking, doing laundry, or other cleaning tasks, which helps make those things more fun, too.
I am eternally grateful to audiobooks, because the majority of books I read these days are through that medium. I love reading with my eyes and owning physical books, but I don’t currently have the time to do that very often.
I love that audiobooks have become so much more popular now that there are so many convenient ways to listen. Being able to listen in the car or while doing stupid boring chores is my fave!
I. Love. Audiobooks. I don’t borrow e-books through Libby—just audiobooks. Like you, my preference is for non-fiction and character-driven books, but I have also listened to fluff. What I love? Being able to consume so many books. What I don’t love? Sex scenes, omg, no. And they are in some books that you would not expect. I’m currently trying to get through a Ken Follett book—sweeping historical narrative fiction, right? WRONG. Ugh. (You would skip the whole book—it’s 31 hours, yikes.) I’ll stop there, but yes yes yes to audio. 🙂
It took me a while to get into audiobooks and I was on the fence for a while if it is cheating in my reading stats. I have overcome that.
I agree with you on the memoire front – best if read by the author. like Kelly Bishop’s one? Or Will smith or Debbi Moore. So good.
Besides that I listen mostly to romance novels on audio. I feel like I don’t have to pay attention at all and if I miss something it won’t matter. I also listen to non-fiction but often enough feel like I didnt grasp the entire information. I mainly listened to audiobooks I Don’t feel like they are worth reading somehow. Is that a bad category?
anyways I am getting through them in spurts. In August I haven’t listened to a single one.
This was so interesting to read! I think we have a lot in common with our audi-style, especially preferring character driven novels and some non-fiction there as well. I feel like listening to audiobooks while doing something else is truly a life hack. Since I listen when I get ready for work and commute now, I think it’s about 2/3 of my reading!
I love this post! I know I am late to the game, but I actually read it last week and did not comment (but marked it as a favorite) and then Birchie and I listened to the Sarah’s podcast and I just knew I was also going to eventually do a post about this myself. I love hearing the why and how of reading, be it print or audio, and of course, I enjoyed hearing your take on the same! I also listen to a lot of audiobooks and find them a great way to get in extra reading while doing something else, which I am often doing! If I did not listen while riding, running or hiking, I would likely read at least one less book per week and sometimes two or three!