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| Photo credit: yum9me on Flickr |
I'm talking about audiobooks.
Now, I didn't neglect to mention them because I consider them somehow inferior to their print & e-book counterparts (I don't). Truth be told, while writing the post, I forgot about audiobooks altogether because I don't listen to them.
I'll admit it's been an extraordinarily long time (years) since I've attempted to listen to an audiobook, but the reason I never really got into it was because I found that I'm too ADD to get the most out of the experience. I tend to daydream while listening, and before I know it, it's been ten minutes and I have no idea what just happened, or how the characters ended up in a new setting, or—how did I get to chapter eighteen?
I do this with TV shows all the time, particularly if I'm multitasking, so I'm well acquainted with the rewind button, but that's besides the point. For me, when I read, I really like to focus on the book—which is what makes reading (versus listening) work so well for me. While I do occasionally catch myself daydreaming while reading (usually a sign that I'm getting bored with the section), it doesn't happen nearly as often as when I am listening to something, regardless of how interesting it is.
The other issue I have with audiobooks is the voice of the narrator—while reading, I develop my own voices for every character in my head (I know I'm not the only one), so occasionally when I hear a book being read aloud, I'll catch myself thinking, "That's not how I imagined that character to sound" or "That character sounds weird" or something that otherwise distracts me from listening to the narration and I start to miss things.
Now. I'd like to clarify that while I've yet to have audiobooks click with me (and I'm certainly not saying they never will!), I don't think by any means that there's anything inherently wrong with them. I understand the advantages to audiobooks—like being able to read (or listen) to a book while driving, or exercising, or a variety of other tasks that would be impossible to do with a print or e-book. I've heard many people say that the main reason they're able to read half as much as they do is because they listen to audiobooks, and I think that's entirely fantastic.
As for now, at least, audiobooks aren't my top choice, but I do intend to try again with the hopes that an audiobook will steal my heart. Books are books, after all.
Do you listen to audiobooks? Why or why not? If so, any recommendations?
