I have been doing a lot of reading lately. I finished 3 books just this weekend. While I love reading books both on my Kindle, and physical books that I can hold in my hand, I have been listening to audiobooks a lot lately. Why do you ask? Is it even reading? My short answer to that second question is a resounding..YES!
The reason I have turned to audiobooks as of late is because I am getting frustrated with the lack of good music and all the talk with the morning shows of my radio stations. It is just mind numbing. I have been wanting to do a lot more reading so I decided to take advantage of an Audible trial recently (thank you Toast Pop) and decided to continue by subscription. I am glad I did. The books I have downloaded and listened to so far have been wonderful. I am currently listening to Prince Lestat by Anne Rice which is great so far.
When it comes to audiobooks, it is important to have a great narrator. If the narrator is bad, or even just not great it can drag the whole experience down for me. Thankfully, I have not run into that yet. Most of the time, narrators are chosen because the author or publishing company believes they will be a good fit. Sometimes they are correct, other times they are not. It really can be hit and miss.
Another reason I enjoy audiobooks is because it reminds me of being read to as a child. Something I loved growing up was having one of my parents read to me at night before going to bed. It was a cherished time in my life and listening to books brings that feeling back in spades. When I settle in to listen to an audio-book I frequently close my eyes and allow those happy memories to flood my mind.
I mentioned earlier in this post that some people do not qualify listening to books as reading them. I have to disagree. I think that whether you are physically reading or listening to that same book, you get an enjoyment out of it. I would even argue that listening to books can evoke more emotions than simply turning a page. I experienced that recently with a few books I had not liked reading in physical form. The amazing thing was that when I listened to them, I loved them! Listening is no different than putting your eyes on a page when it comes to qualifying it as reading a book. I know this is going to cause some contention, but this is simply my opinion and I welcome the comments for discussion:)
On a closing note, I just want to say that audio-books have their place in the pantheon of reading. They should be thought of as books in their own right, added to your Goodreads accounts, and enjoyed for the awesomeness that they are. Next time you have an issue reading the physical copy of a book, try picking up the audio version if it is available, you just might like it better!