Issue 58: A guide to audiobooks from a former skeptic
Why listening to audiobooks is not inferior, how to listen to an audiobook so that you can actually enjoy it, and some tools to get you started
Earlier today I went for a long walk around my neighborhood, listened to Kate Chopin’s classic The Awakening and felt so happy that I finally got over myself and gave audiobooks a real try. I used to be one of those people who rolled their eyes when someone mentioned they were “reading a book on Audible” and I swear, I thought… peasants, what do they know about reading. Well. I am here to own up to my own ignorance and maybe help you change your mind too.
Instead of trying to convince you why listening to books is not an inferior experience, I will tell you instead why thinking that it is is wrong. Insisting that only reading on paper matters is:
Ableist and ageist: it assumes that everybody CAN read on paper and excludes people who are visually impaired or live with various disabilities that affect their ability to read due to chronic conditions, injury or advanced age. That includes anybody on the ADHD spectrum, people with speech and language disorders, dyslexia, you name it.
Classist: being able to purchase paper books, especially current and/or hardback editions is actually quite pricey and if you are one of those people who can afford to simply rush out and buy any title you want, consider yourself lucky and be grateful for your privilege.
Generally exclusionary towards various groups of people who are time poor and logistically unable to set aside the time to sit down with a book for an extended period of time. Think parents of young children, shift workers, etc.
Just remember that for many people the choice is not whether to read on paper or listen to a book. The choice is between listening to a book and not engaging with that book at all. Let’s all just agree not to be jerks about it. Deal?
When I first started listening to audiobooks, I would generally pick a book I wasn’t SUPER psyched about — typically a title that I would be somewhat interested in but not especially invested in — and I would listen to it sort of in the background while doing things. Then I would complain that audiobooks are not for me. Well. I mean.
Pick a genre that you actually care about. I prefer fiction, biographies or memoirs. I went to Audible for non-fiction work-related books. I wondered why I was bored. Don’t do that.
Listen to books when you can dedicate your brain to it. One of the best things about audiobooks is that you can be listening while doing other things you have to do. I listen to books when I drive to get my kid from school, while I am in the grocery store, while cleaning the kitchen at night, when I am folding laundry or out walking. That works because even though I am doing stuff, my brain is not especially preoccupied. So even if I get a little bit distracted or space out, I can jump right back in. Don’t try to listen while writing work emails. That’s never going to work.
An annoying voice will ruin your experience so if you find yourself hating the voice of the person reading to you, either look for a different version or simply look for a different book. A lot of people — me included — love it when the author reads their own book. I just listened to Michelle Zauner read Crying In H Mart and it was such an enjoyable experience. I loved hearing her pronounce the names of Korean foods in Korean.
I’ve gotten to a point where I often read both in paper and audio format. I switch back and forth between the two and doing so makes me feel totally immersed in the story. This has become one of my indicators that I am really enjoying a book.
Here are the tools that I use and believe are worth trying:
Audible - I am trying not to mention Amazon less but Audible (which they own) is really a great application that makes it easy to find essentially any audiobook ever made. A subscription is ~$15/month and includes one book title download. You can purchases unlimited number of books beyond that and cancel anytime.
Audiobooks on Spotify - if you have Spotify Premium (~$11/month), you have access to certain books included. The collection is not as comprehensive as Audible and there’s a limit on how many hours you can listen a month (with the option of purchasing extra addition time).
Libby - I just figured out that I can use Libby — an app that allows you to download digital books through your library — to borrow audiobooks as well. The app is free and so are the audiobooks. Libraries are amazing. Once on Libby, filter by book format and either search for what you are interested in or browse to see what they have. I browsed their Classics audiobook collection and found so many amazing titles. I already mentioned that I am listening to The Awakening and I have my eye on a couple of James Baldwin titles.
And now a question for you:
What’s your experience with audiobooks? Are you a skeptic? A fan? Somewhere in between?
MANY THANKS for point #1 about judgy attitudes toward audiobooks being ageist and ableist. 🙌🏼 At the height of dealing with OCD, reading books in hand felt miserably frustrating. Scanning the same sentence/holding the book to try and get it “just right” zapped the joy right out of reading for me, so audiobooks were a real life enhancer.
Also, listening to memoirs as audiobooks is such a treat! Oftentimes they’ll be narrated by the memoirist and it’s fun to hear their story in their voice.
I mainly listen to biographies and memoirs on audiobook. I love when the author is the reader, it feels so personal and intimate. I haven’t branched out of this category yet, but your tips are inspiring me to give fiction a try!