Listening to Literature
Give audiobooks a try!
If you’re like me, you take pride in your physical book collection. The bend in your shelf from the weight of the books scratches an itch in your brain you never knew existed until I pointed it out just now. When I was little, Beauty and the Beast was my favorite movie. I wanted to be just like Belle — the strong, heroine type who was gifted an entire library of books to peruse. Belle was a reader, so she was *quirky* and *different.* I still don’t have a library like Belle, but I’ve found that she was so right to escape through her novels. I now also understand that it wasn’t the collection she admired. The value of the books lies in their ability to sweep you away to far-off places.
I recently rekindled my love of reading through audiobooks, and although the lack of the physical books makes my collector’s heart ache, I’ve fallen in love with the delivery and medium of them. If you’re hesitant to start listening to audiobooks because you’re afraid you’ll lose interest in them, or you’re afraid it “doesn’t count as reading,” this one goes out to you.
If reading more is on your list of resolutions this year, jumping into audiobooks is your best way to accomplish it. Listening to your literature allows you to multitask, meaning you can do just about anything while checking off the books you’ve always wanted to read. Last year, I added 23 titles to my library through audiobooks alone! My favorite time to listen is early in the morning when I’m commuting to work. For me, the best times to listen are while driving, working, cooking and exercising. Another great feature of audiobooks I frequently take advantage of is the ability to speed or slow the narration. On a good day, I’m listening at 1.5x speed. Maybe it's the overachiever in me, but when I’m following along at almost twice the speed, I feel superhuman.
In my experience, I pay much less for my audiobooks than I would purchasing hardcover copies. I use Audible — an audiobook and podcast subscription service, but there are dozens of free public library-type services available where you can receive just as many titles for rent.
Audiobooks are unique in their ability to perform and bring the words on a page to life. With talented voice actors, audiobooks are able to transport you into their worlds. Their accessibility makes them perfect for readers with reading disabilities. You don’t have to worry about whether or not you’re reading something correctly or have the wrong pronunciation in your mind. Instead, you're making connectoins with the characters and listening for tells in the voice actor's narration.
Additionally, audiobooks become personal letters to audiences when authors are able to read their works in their own words, entirely how they intended them to be.
Recently, I listened to Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died in her own narration. I have no doubt that the words would’ve been impactful in a physical copy of the autobiography, but hearing McCurdy weep over her words and bring humor to her tragedy felt immeasurably moving.
In a more theatrical work of narration, Iain Reid’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things, narrated by Candace Thaxton, builds suspense and ultimately keeps you questioning the unfolding realities of the novel.
If unlimited entertainment and the ability to binge stories interests you, I’d encourage you to give audiobooks a try. If you need someone to flat-out tell you that listening to audiobooks DOES count as reading them, I will. The meaningful imagery, time management opportunities and free space on your aching shelves will thank you for embarking on this adventure.
About the Creator
Ashley Smith
Creative writer, people person.
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