417 Librarians discussion

How do you feel about alternative book formats? Anybody here averse to e-books? How about audiobooks? Does listening count as reading?

Personally, I think everything is fair game. I can fit in so much more reading into my day if I can listen to an audiobook on CD in my car, read an e-book on the Kindle app on my phone while I wait in line, airplay an mp3 audiobook to my home speaker system while I clean the house, and relax with a print book on my porch after work.

I do glaze over sometimes when I listen to audiobooks and rarely do I rewind back to make sure I've gotten everything. So usually when I pick an audiobook, it's a book that I'm lukewarm about. If I'm REALLY excited for a book, I'll get a print or e-copy. If it has pretty paper or illustrations, I'll usually opt for print. To everything there is a season!

It depends on the setting for me! Personally, I usually have all three going at the same time. I tend to listen to audio books at the gym and while mowing the lawn, a book on the kindle at night while the hubby is asleep so not to disturb him with a book light (and much easier to hold, I might add), and a print book nearly every other time.

I tend to agree with you about the audiobook - usually they are fluff novels or books that I have already read. I LOVE listening to the Harry Potter series though - Jim Dale does such a great job of narrating them! It tends to irritate me when reading a series, such as Inkheart, and the books are narrated by different readers.

As a plus for audiobooks - my husband who is a non-reader will actually take in a book and retain the information when he listens to it on audiobook. We have gotten him through many a college class this way!

I still prefer the text/e-book, and unless I am terribly sentimental about the book, due to 6 full, floor to ceiling bookshelves at home, I am even leaning more toward e-books these days. I can hide them from the husband easier. :D