Who else here enjoys AUDIO books?

[Jill]

Do any of the rest of you listen to audio books?

For years, that's the ONLY way I do pleasure reading. It cuts into my TV time, though

I listen every night before bed, while commuting to the office, and on weekends if I'm lucky enough to snag a nap.

I've got a stock pile of audio books, and an Audible account that I give a real workout. I like how I can listen to the books on my phones... I have a speaker / charger in the bedroom and my car and the phones synch up with bluetooth.

Audio books are my favorite guilty pleasure. It's just blissful to be read to, and I think my comprehension / retention is actually better this way. Sometimes when I actually read for fun, I would skim over parts that didn't spike my interest as much as the rest of the book.

Anyone else here addicted to audio books?

 

[Sonya]

I have never listened to an audio book....I really should try one....I have an hr drive to and from work so it would be perfect....but I don't even listen to the radio on those drives usually....I zone somewhere, thank God for Cecilia, my gps, or I would never make it to work or home from work. I know times I work till midnight an audio book might keep me awake.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I tried to listen to an Audio book a couple of years ago. I had already read (and loved) the paperback, but I wanted to see what it would be like to listen to a book. I loved being read to when I was younger. But I seriously couldn't get into it. Try as I might, having one voice read the parts of multiple people confused me, not to mention, I didn't care for the narrator's voice very much.

 

[Jill]

If the narrator is bad, it can ruin it. I like most if the ones I listen to. Some if them can do such different voices for the different characters and that can make it really good

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I thik I would have trouble listening to an audio book- my mind wanders too much. Reading, I'm in a mode and on my own little planet.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

The one I tried to listen to years ago was a cassette (anyone remember those? Yikes!). Jill, do you listen to them on CDs now, or are they downloadable? I don't have a kindle or nook, so I'm not up to date on the downloading world. Lol

 

[Jill]

Mine are all either in MP3 format or whatever it is that plays on the Audible program on my iPhone and Android phone. I listen to all of them from my phones. I have a speaker / charger that charges both iPhone and Andriod (both at the same time) and I play it through the speakers there (it goes wirelessly w/ bluetooth). In my car, it talks to the car stereo also through bluetooth. Sometimes I use ear buds if H is watching TV and I want to "read". I just either load them from a disk using the computer (for the sets I bought -- they're in MP3 format) or download them from Audible.com. I have an audible account and get 2 credits (2 books) each month, but they also have sales where you can buy audio books for a discount or buy more credits. I probably average 5 or so books purchased their each month and have a big "stockpile" (from Audible and my old source) that I need to "read"

 

[Sonya]

I listened to my first audio book while traveling back and forth from MI to PA....I had stopped at Walmart when I left and it was the only one I could find that I had not read. It was Janet E?, the Stephanie Plumb series, Notorious Nineteen. I didn't like it...I think it was the reader's voice. I knew the author and I had read her before but I can't remember which book. The story wasn't that good, and the reader's voice was annoying. I found it hard to concentrate on the story being read to me. I much prefer to actually read, but it did pass the time while driving. I would definately try an audio book again but only when on a long car ride.

 

[susanne]

I used to enjoy The Radio Reader, Dick Estell, on public radio, but I've not listened to any audio books since. Our van has no cd or tape player; otherwise, I'd love to listen while we're on the road. At home, I wouldn't change to audio, as I love the world I enter into through reading the words -- I find that audio books tend to become a filter -- not necessarily bad, but still introducing another human into the mix.

 

[Jill]

It's spoiled me for reading paper or electronic books!

I listened to my first audio book more than 20 years ago. It was Stephen King's The Gunslinger, and he read it himself which was really cool. You know you "heard it" just the way the author meant.

Sometimes when I have read books to myself, I will skim parts that are not as interesting to me. I don't do that with the audio books, and they hold my interest through those "less interesting" parts if they exist in the book. I feel my retention is better, too, but I read so many books back to back that sometimes it's hard to keep them straight.

When it's close to the end of some books, where I want to know what happened and start my next book (espeically when reading a series), I speed up the naration to get to the end quicker. Once your ears get used to it sped up, when you turn it back to regular speed, it sounds soooooooooooooo ssssssssssllllllllllllllooooooooooooooowwwwwww

One thing, though, I will not do is abridged books. I don't want to miss anything, so it's always unabridged for me

Another thing that I rarely see is sound effects in the books. I hate that kind of thing! Most of them will start out with some music which fades in the first minute or so, and that's "okay" but I don't like anything else. Just the narrator.

 

[lucky seven]

Maybe this answer is somewhere and didn't see it, but do audio books come in cd's so I can listen to that instead of music? If you are listening to a funny book, how does the "reader" get through it without laughing?

 

[Jill]

Some of them come on CD's (probably almost all of them). Most of mine lately, I get through audible and or otherwise in MP3 format, and I listen to on my iphone (I have a charging speaker for it in the bedroom and it plays in my car through blue tooth). I have a membership with Audible and get two "credits" a month (which = two books), but they have sales too where you can buy audio books for a discount and buy extra credits at a discount.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I love them!! Our library has mp3 files available to "borrow" by downloading on-line, it really helps with my "habit". I also get CD's from the library, I love them in the car, listen to them on my ipod in the barn or when cleaning/doing dishes, etc. And I have to have one to go to sleep at night, but have to be careful because if it's too interesting/suspenseful I won't want to go to sleep!

One of my favorite readers is Jim Dale, he did the whole Harry Potter series! If you are a Potter fan and haven't listenedto an audio book, you really need to try it! He does different voices, and made the characters really come to life for me. I enjoyed reading the books also, and have re-read and re-listened to the books many times!

I recently listened to Wicked Appetite & Wicked Business (same author as the Stephanie Plum books), and I really liked that reader also, but don't recall her name.

 

[Jill]

Duh! I never thought of seeing what THE Library has for listening downloads, but I will for sure look into it! Having just taken advantage of another good sale at Audible, I want to slap myself stupid for not thinking ever to see if the libraryhas books to listen to in MP3!

I did also love those Evanovich Wicked / Stephanie Plum novellas. I think there are four of them total. I like the characters a lot

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The reader is very important.

It's fun to hear words pronounced that one would not normally hear. I have quite a few mp3 talks and seminars; love to listen to them while ironing or doing handwork. (Ironing is one of the few household tasks that is both clean AND quiet.)

I got some from the library, but have forgotten about that resource lately. Thanks for the reminder!

I do find my attention wandering, however, with audio books. Sometimes the sound of a voice reading gets monotonous.