My thoughts on Audiobooks
Hello!
Audiobooks are heavily debated over between writers and readers. On one hand, they are great for multitasking. On the other hand, there is a special calmness with holding a solid book in hand. There are many pros and cons to audiobooks.
Pro: Multitasking
Reading books means you have to sit down and read. The most I’m able to do while reading a book is sip some tea or eat some snacks. There are many activities that you can do while listening to an audiobook, like doing chores, driving, working on a puzzle, or really, most anything.
Con: The Feeling of a Book
I love the feeling of holding a nice book in my hands, and feeling the paper as I turn a page. Hardcover books are even better! Let’s face it, when you are listening to an audiobook, you don’t get to feel the cover and hear the sound of turning paper.
Pro: Lightweight.
Books are heavy! When I’m packing for a trip, I have to think long and hard about what books I’ll bring. Physical books are heavy and big. When you’re packing light for a trip, books take up a lot of room. Audiobooks are all digital, so they take a up a very small amount of space.
Con: Dozing Off
The first time I tried an audiobook was on a road trip. I ended up falling asleep while listening to the book, and I couldn’t remember what happened. There have been times when I’ve gotten caught up in my own thoughts, and the next thing I know the book isn’t making sense any more.
Pro: Space
Like I said before, books take up a lot of space. If I had all of my favorite books on a bookshelf, that bookshelf would take up a whole room! The nice thing about audiobooks is that they don’t take up any space.
When I first listened to an audiobook, I didn’t like it very much. I dozed off a few times, which caused a lot of confusion. After a few years, I’ve listened to a few more. I love how you can listen to them while doing things, only I save that time to listen to podcasts.
Do you like listening to audiobooks, or do you prefer physical books?
Until next time!
-Hannah
4 comments
Ooh, fun post! It’s really hard for me to focus when listening to audiobooks, and I love the feeling and smell of a physical book!
Thank you! I agree! I have some older books that feel so much different than newer books.
I enjoy audio books because I don’t have as much time to read as I used to. (Hmmm.. I wonder if 5 kids running around has anything to do with that?) It took me a while to learn how to absorb the text while listening to it rather than reading it, and sometimes if something is really deep, I will listen to it twice over about a 6 month period.
Overall though, listening to audio books while I work has been a really good way to get through books I would like to read, but don’t have the time.
I still find that I can retain info better if I read a physical book, and the most interesting thing is that I can recall where (on the page / page number or chapter) I read something interesting which helps me look it up at a later date. The tactile interaction with a physical book does seem to help with my memory and absorption of the information.
Great post!
I prefer physical books, but enjoy an audiobook when I want to multitask!