Thoughts & Things

The Pros and Cons of Audiobooks

I only listened to my first audiobook last year. I know, I know, I took my sweet time about getting to it. I've always been more of a visual person, so I've tended to enjoy books more when I read them myself, than when people read them to me. I was the kid that didn't like to be read to because I wanted to do it myself. I wish I had taken more opportunities to be read to as a child. I missed out on too many lessons in pronunciation, and too much quality time with my mum. Regardless, I resisted audiobooks for years.

Finally, I gave it a shot last year. I kicked things off with Yes Please by Amy Poehler. It was absolutely fantastic. As a book on its own, it was a really fun listen, and it gave me a lot of laugh out loud in public moments. As an audiobook, it was absolutely eye opening. It presented this whole new world of possibilities to me, and I wish I hadn't resisted in trying them out.

Because of my newness to audiobooks, and my sense of wonder being so fresh, I have decided to share some of the pros and cons I have found within the last year. While there are definitely some cons, I absolutely encourage those who have never tried audiobooks to give them a shot.

Pros:

- They're accessible. If you have vision troubles, you can always hear an audiobook. As someone with chronic illness, I find my vision strains severely and causes headaches at times, and audiobooks are always an alternative to that discomfort.

- They can bring the book to life. Certain voices, individual or in a cast, can bring new life and light to a book that you would never experience from reading it yourself. Hearing Amy Poehler read her own audiobook, and with a guest backing cast, made the book miles better. Hearing Richard Armitage read love poems is a pure delight.

- They are portable. They can be carried around in a phone app, which means I can hear them on walks, I can hear them at the gym, I can hear them while doing chores. I've found myself extending walks when I am physically able to because I want to hear the end of a chapter. They have definitely made bus rides and dishes more pleasant.

- They can be cheap. Most libraries offer audiobook discs for loan. There are digital apps paired with libraries that offer digital audiobooks for loan. Sites and apps offer free books or discounted books.Even the major app Audible has a free trial, and occasional giveaways.


Cons:

- It can be easier to lose focus. I know that when I am reading a book, my mind might wander, but typically I am focused on the page in front of me. When hearing an audiobook, I have the urge to do something with my hands/eyes. I want to be looking at something, which makes it a lot harder for me to maintain focus if I am not doing something like going for a walk. Once you've lost that focus, instead of re-reading a page, you end up having to back up the audio file, which can be even more tedious.

- A bad reading can ruin the whole thing. Just as much as a good reading can make the book, a bad reading can make it unbearable. Maybe their voice is annoying, their tone is boring and monotonous, or their telling of the story just falls flat. It can be hard to enjoy the content, even good content, if the delivery is sub par.

- You can't play music while listening. I like to read while listening to music, so this is definitely more of a personal note. There have definitely been times where I had the thought that I would be listening to music while reading it if only it were paper.

- They can be expensive. I know I already said they can be cheap, but it's a balancing act. The base cost for audiobook discs from the bookstore is often over twenty dollars, double the price for what you'd pay for a paperback. The base cost for digital copies is often in a similar price range. If you don't know where to look, or you are looking for a specific item, audiobooks can get pricy.


(I have committed to blogging daily with Give It 100. This is Day Forty. Five days of leave taken total.)