The Reading Challenge Group discussion

Life is busy for us all, and for me that usually means less reading. However, one of my goals for this year is to keep up it because it really is a great stress reliever and so much fun. I’ve decided to give audio books a try. I’m about 3 hours into my first and while I can see so many benefits to audiobooks, I find I’m missing having a physical book to read. For those of you that love audiobooks, do you have any tips for making this a more enjoyable experience? Thanks in advance for the advice!

Hi Kassandra, I started listening to audiobooks last year and almost gave up on them. A couple of my GR friends who love audiobooks convinced me to keep going though, saying that it takes time to get used to. Even though I still prefer physical books I must say they were right. It gets easier and more enjoyable with time. You have to find out what works for you. I myself like to listen before going to sleep (setting my sleep timer) and when I'm traveling with public transportation. It also helps me to picture in my head what is being said. Still I have to rewind quite often because my mind wanders off lol
Some people like to speed up and listen to it with a 1.5 or even 2.0 speed!
I did up listening to 29 audiobooks last year though (I had set a goal of 12).

Depending on the narrator, they can be a bit slow, so speeding them up could help. My favorite thing about audiobooks is that during a long commute or while doing chores I can still read. they aren't going to replace a physical book and at times I get irritated that I can't annotate them, but it's better than not gettng to read at all I think.

Lots of autobiographies and memoirs are narrated by the author. I enjoy those the most.

Susy wrote: "Hi Kassandra, I started listening to audiobooks last year and almost gave up on them. A couple of my GR friends who love audiobooks convinced me to keep going though, saying that it takes time to g..."

Hi Susy, thanks so much for the feedback! I've started listening on my commute, and that seems to be working well. I think the narrator has a lot to do with whether or not I'll be able to get into the book, some are much more engaging than others. Congrats on getting 29 audiobooks in!

Disaster wrote: "Depending on the narrator, they can be a bit slow, so speeding them up could help. My favorite thing about audiobooks is that during a long commute or while doing chores I can still read. they aren..."

Thanks for the tips, Disaster!

Roseanne wrote: "Lots of autobiographies and memoirs are narrated by the author. I enjoy those the most."

Thanks Roseanne, I appreciate the tips for genres.

Hi, Kassandra! I’m a huge audio fan. I tend to listen while I’m doing other things like driving. I do agree that the reader can make or break your experience. That said, I’m not as picky as most and have found many enjoyable listens through LibriVox, whose readers are all volunteers. I also get download audiobooks from my library website, which saves me a lot of book budget money.

Renee, thanks so much for the recommendations! It’s good to have some alternative resources for audiobooks that won’t break the bank.