How do you feel about audio books?

[g2narat]

I love books. I don't always have time to concentrate on reading things for leisure though. That's how I decided to try audio books so I could multitask. I didn't like it though and I haven't finished a single audio book yet. So for me, audio books is not an option anymore. What do you think about them?

[fluffyducky]

Personally, I really dislike audiobooks because I tend to 'zone out' and suddenly I have no idea what the person is reading and it's a huge pain to rewind the audio. Physical paper for me please!

[Trellum]

Not a big fan of audio books here to be honest, I rather read the actual book or the e-book.  Bu I have a good reason not to like audio books, you see, I suffer from ADD, so concentrating is a real feat most of the time, because I'm not taking any kind of medication to help me focus.  So audio books aren't the way to go for me, I mean, reading a book and staying focused on it is hard enough! 

So that's what I think about audio books, I'm sure audio books are great for other people, but not for me.  They just don't work for me.

[Mshel]

I think that audio books are great for learning while traveling or commuting to work.  They are so convenient, since they can be downloaded and saved to an MP3 player, phone or iPod. You can listen to them while you are doing your chores. 

Some people learn better through listening, instead of reading. I get great result when I read a book and then listen to the audio book version over and over. Audio books come in very useful for people who don't have much time to sit down and read books. 

[qyeasat]

I tend to zone out while listening to the audiobook, but if I read along with the recording, I pay much closer attention to the words. It helps when I need to do some really close reading, but not really helpful when I need to power through a book or read something quickly for a course.

I'm definitely not a great aural learner, so reading is my preferred method of accessing books.

[Bloomsie]

I've used an Audio Book once in my life. It was when I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It was a large book of the series (of the time) and I couldn't handle reading it on my own. The audio book helped me overcome my fear of large books. The only problem that I had with it, was that I didn't allow myself to understand the book at my pace. I was only 13 years old and was listening to the book while reading the book in front of me as if an adult. It allowed me to actually lose focus than anything.

But this is my own experience with it. It's great to start out with, but never to rely on.

[Elly]

Maybe it's because I listen to music a lot and get really into it, especially Broadway musicals where the story of the whole thing really matters...but they're good.

I'm a huge reader, but lately I've been feeling sort of burnt out on reading, if that's possible. So, when I see an article online, I just copy-paste it to a word processor on my computer that has the function of reading it out loud. It's a stilted, robotic voice...but it helps when I feel like I can't read anymore.

Some real audio books play out like radio dramas, with great sound quality, sound effects, and voice talents.

I think that it could be an art of its own. I mean, one of the really popular storytelling media in my generation right now is Welcome To Night Vale, which is a podcast radio drama available online. I think that if you asked anybody a few years ago what the next big thing was going to be, nobody would have guessed "a radio drama", because that seemed to be a dead art.

[Nicholls]

I love books. I don't always have time to concentrate on reading things for leisure though. That's how I decided to try audio books so I could multitask. I didn't like it though and I haven't finished a single audio book yet. So for me, audio books is not an option anymore. What do you think about them?

Haven't tried listening to audio books and I think I won't. I doubt that I'll be able to multitask because I would definitely lose focus on what I'm listening to. Plus, I'm sure that the file is large so when I zone out, it will be hard to go back to where my mind left off.

[angie51]

I have attempted on several occasions to listen to audio books, without much success. I personally could not enjoy them. I  love to actually hold a book as I read, to feel the paper, smell the musky pages. I feel these sensations all help to increase my reading experience.

[Elly]

Here are a couple of links that I hope can show audio books and other audio media in the best way:

a dark retelling by Neil Gaiman of the folktale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Welcome To Night Vale episode 33, a radio show host who lives in a Twilight Zone type town makes a mundane discovery that turns out very very strange. Yes, the weather report is really always a musical guest star.

Learning to listen is just as valuable in language learning and appreciation as the written form of the language 

[Miya]

I'm someone who can't stand audio books. They put me to sleep almost instantly. I much much MUCH prefer to read on my own.

[g2narat]

Here are a couple of links that I hope can show audio books and other audio media in the best way:

a dark retelling by Neil Gaiman of the folktale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Welcome To Night Vale episode 33, a radio show host who lives in a Twilight Zone type town makes a mundane discovery that turns out very very strange. Yes, the weather report is really always a musical guest star.

Learning to listen is just as valuable in language learning and appreciation as the written form of the language 

Ooh. These seem interesting! I'm going to give them a go. Thanks for your suggestions! I have never been a fan of audio books. I've tried a couple but just couldn't stick with them. Maybe these will make me change my view on audio books!

[Trellum]

I tend to zone out while listening to the audiobook, but if I read along with the recording, I pay much closer attention to the words. It helps when I need to do some really close reading, but not really helpful when I need to power through a book or read something quickly for a course.

I'm definitely not a great aural learner, so reading is my preferred method of accessing books.

Same here, for some reason I find easier to focus on the written words, sometimes I read along the audiobook as well, but that in the end makes the use  audio book a bit pointless.  I guess some people are not meant to listen to audio books, hehehe!  I'm one of those persons, I very much prefer the written word over the spoken one, way easier to focus.

[skywatcher]

I love Night Vale!

Though for me, I also tend to zone out while listening to audio books - but sometimes, depending on the audio books, they could really bring life to the book it was based on. Take World War Z, for example. Although I've already read the book, when I discovered an audio book available, I really wanted to try and see how they would depict the situations - because unlike other books that are either in pure first person or third person in narrative, World War Z is a collection of "interviews" regarding stories during the zombie apocalypse. For me, this was the most interesting aspect of the audio book - because somehow, I actually really felt the characters make a mark.

[Baburra]

I love audio books because not only does it save my eyes from getting strained from reading, but also, I get to "read" even as I'm doing other things, and I especially like listening to audio books while I drive because I don't really need to concentrate that much when I'm driving and it's a lot more productive to listen to than just music.

[g2narat]

I love Night Vale!

Though for me, I also tend to zone out while listening to audio books - but sometimes, depending on the audio books, they could really bring life to the book it was based on. Take World War Z, for example. Although I've already read the book, when I discovered an audio book available, I really wanted to try and see how they would depict the situations - because unlike other books that are either in pure first person or third person in narrative, World War Z is a collection of "interviews" regarding stories during the zombie apocalypse. For me, this was the most interesting aspect of the audio book - because somehow, I actually really felt the characters make a mark.

That sounds interesting! I haven't read world war Z yet. Maybe I'll try going straight to the audio book. It might not keep my attention for long enough if I know what's going to happen next. I like that it's a series of interview. Sounds like a book perfect for an audiobook.

[Rosa]

I had thought of audio books as something for those who were a bit lazy and so I wasn't a big fan of it. However, my son got me to start listening to the bible and somehow it has change my thinking. I doubt very much though that I would use it for any other books since I am always doing something while I listen but for other books I would rather relax.

[calebmelvern]

I experience the same problem of zoning out when I listen to audio books. I haven't finished a single audio book yet. I don't know if I just make bad choices or if audio books are simply not for me. Thanks for the links above, though. I'll definitely check them out. And the one about World War Z.

[g2narat]

I experience the same problem of zoning out when I listen to audio books. I haven't finished a single audio book yet. I don't know if I just make bad choices or if audio books are simply not for me. Thanks for the links above, though. I'll definitely check them out. And the one about World War Z.

I still haven't checked out the world war Z audio book. I said I would but it just flew out of my mind. Hopefully this time I'll remember :grin: Anyway, I agree with the zoning out part. I think it's because it's easier to concentrate when you're following the words with your eyes, you know? But when it's just listening, it's easier to get distracted. Well, that's what happens to me, anyway. :confused:

[Kektheman]

I enjoy audio books! I haven't listened to many, but the few that I have were amazing. My first audio book was The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, read by Stephen Fry. It was amazing. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it. It's a completely different experience. Since I use the internet too much, I can't really concentrate, so reading books for long periods of time is almost impossible for me. If you listen to audiobooks, you can multitask. You could be cleaning the apartment or jogging while still enjoying the benefits of reading a book.

[g2narat]

I enjoy audio books! I haven't listened to many, but the few that I have were amazing. My first audio book was The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, read by Stephen Fry. It was amazing. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it. It's a completely different experience. Since I use the internet too much, I can't really concentrate, so reading books for long periods of time is almost impossible for me. If you listen to audiobooks, you can multitask. You could be cleaning the apartment or jogging while still enjoying the benefits of reading a book.

Wow! You must be really good at multitasking! That's actually my main problem with audio books. I end up either getting bored or distracted. When I read, I do that alone. I just can't imagine listening to a story while doing something else.

[Kektheman]

Wow! You must be really good at multitasking! That's actually my main problem with audio books. I end up either getting bored or distracted. When I read, I do that alone. I just can't imagine listening to a story while doing something else.

I don't think I'm good at multitasking, I'm mostly forced to do it. I can't do one thing at a time. It's hard for me to stay concentrated on reading only. My mind just starts thinking about other things while "reading". I have to frequently go back a page or two because I had no idea what I read.

Looks like you have the same problems, you should at least try listening to an audio book and doing something else while at it. You might actually enjoy it.

[SpringBreeze]

I've never really been able to get into them. If I'm reading a book for fun, I want to read it the old-fashioned way. This includes reading with a traditional flip-the-page book versus a tablet. But if I were officially studying a language in school or something, I would do it. I think it's one of those tools that could help you learn faster. It would also be perfect for learning pronunciation, diction, and understanding spoken word.

[chigreyofthenorns]

I've tried them before, but I never really liked them. I still prefer actual books because sometimes, the person who narrates the story doesn't really get the feelings invoked in the story. It's actually sad when this happens. Anyway, one of my friends love audiobooks. It bothers me sometimes when he listens to them out loud. It's like a radio drama.

[raytalks]

I have tried audio books a year ago, but I am not a fan. You can get easily bored, and drift away. There needs to be some visuals that you can connect with, when you are trying to learn a new language and new words. We can replay an audio, but video with audio is less boring, captures our attention and saves time.