Audiobooks: Should you use them?

When I go into a bookstore, the first thing I do is smell the books. Sure, I may look a teensy bit psychotic while doing so, but it lets me know about the store itself. Where the book has been and has it been stored with other books, or sitting in a warehouse, forgotten. When reading, I like to read physical books or e-books because I know how much I have left and if there is going to be another plot twist. (there no way the happy ending is here with 200 pages left) Most of all, it’s the ability to imagine the individual world and characters, to create a world only you envision in that way. So, it makes sense that I was hesitant about audiobooks. There is no smell or history, you’re constantly in the limbo of how much is left, and someone is feeding you the words. Your imagination is at the mercy of their vocal inflection and tone. Because of all of this, I thought I would hate audiobooks. They seem to take away everything I love about reading. So I never used it

Fast forward to this year. I finished reading this book, Aurora Rising and loved it. That’s when I realized the author had also written the Illuminae Files. For those of you who don’t know, the Illuminae files are a popular book series. The only issue for me was that I couldn’t get over the formatting. Words were crossed out to make it like a classified folder, and it made reading the book hard. Yet, I had heard so many amazing things about the book. So, I decided to try the audiobook. Here are my thoughts:

First off, the book is amazing. Both the plot and characters are deep and complex. I do have to admit, I wouldn’t choose an audiobook over reading. It’s a very different experience, and I prefer the visual. However, listening to the novel really helped me read it, and those who read the story were great voice actors. So, if you want to use them, go for it! they are enjoyable and offer a relaxing experience. However, if you are like me, yet you still want to try an audiobook, here are some tips to make it easier:

  1. Listen while doing something you dislike: Have to do laundry? no one likes it, but having the audiobook gives you something else to focus on while you do it. it gives you an easy reprieve from mundane tasks.
  2. Listen to it before bed: people say not to use technology before bed, but no blue light is around while listening to audiobooks. It’s a great way to relax and get a good night’s sleep while knocking out some books.
  3. choose a genre you like: look, we all fancy ourselves a Dicke’s reader. But the truth is, if you’re not interested in the novel, you won’t want to listen. If you want, pick up a beach read in to listen to the romance play out.

Audiobooks aren’t for everyone. However, they still provide a great alternative for those who are short on time or just don’t have access to books. If you want some, head over to North’s digital library, or the NPL digital library.(P.S, my favorite app is libby)

Happy reading!(and listening)

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