For The L♥ve of Reading discussion

So what do you guys think of audiobooks? Is that really reading? Is it the same experience?

To me reading is to be able to look at words and decipher their meaning while being able to anticipate, expect, and understand the plot and characters. Even though auidobooks are the books in oral form the experience is still different. Reading is a way to make yourself use your brain, help with creativity, improves vocabulary, allows you into different cultures and places of the world, and improves concentration and focus. I guess it is hard to really say why it is different but it is.

Audiobooks are great way for you "read" when you are unable to pick up a book. I listen to audiobooks when I'm driving to school or cross country. I also tend to listen to auidobooks when i work out instead of the TV. I count it as a book, I know and identify with the characters and follow the plot. But I personally know it is different then holding the book in my hands.

My younger brother has dyslexia (my younger sister may also) and audio books were perfect for him at first. Personally, I prefer a "real" book, since I have my own conceptions about the characters and what they sound like...

Def sound... some I can't listen to because I can't stand to listen to the voice. I once listened to one. The guy said the title, the author, then his name and that he was reading the book for community service and didn't want to read the book. It was so funny. I wish I remember what book it was.

I remember listening to about five minutes of Twilight in audio book format. It made it even worse. Lately, I've found LibriVox (think community-created audio books) and it's something that I'd look into. For one of the academic books I had to read for class, I listened to the audio version. (I want to say that it was Orthodoxy by G.K Chesterton).

Does anyone remember those books from when you were younger that came with a tape? You'd follow along as they read and then a special sound would tell you to turn the page...

Ha Ha... I forgot all about those childhood books.

I have a newfound love of audiobooks! My car rides have never been more enjoyable..

I gotta say the narrator really makes all the difference...like I listened to a series recently by a narrator and found it enjoyable...then I picked up another Series by the same author and it happened to be read by the same narrator...I had a real hard time getting into the second series because the voices sounded exactly the same from one series to another...but all in all, to me that is still not the worst...the worst narration comes when a narrator cannot change their voice per characters..even worse if the narrator lacks inflection in her tone..

As I said, all in all, I have loved the books I've listened to so far...check out my library of "read" books if interested..Thanks!

I never tried an audiobook before. I am supposed to be an auditory person, so I will have to try them. I can read them, but unless I read every word (sometimes twice) I miss out on an important detail here and there. Then I have to go back to where it was and start all over from that point.

I've actually never tried audiobooks either. For some reason I always felt like it was "cheating". I know that sounds crazy because you aren't really cheating but you miss out on practicing the skill of reading. Though I guess in the society we live in today it wouldn't be so bad to hone our listening skills as well.
The thing I have heard of is that it can ruin books if the narrator sucks. Just like Cathy said there up above. For now I'll stay away but eventually I might have to do that with the time constraints and all that.

I used to feel like it was cheating too... but sometimes you just don't have time to read when you really want to, and using that 30 minute drive to and from work "reading" is refreshing.

I've been a little mixed about audiobooks not sure if I'd enjoy them or not. I'd probably just sit somewhere comfortable w/ earphones on eyes closed just listening.

I do enjoy having something more tangible in front of me, something that I can point to & say I've read that. I should swing by a library sometime and pick one up to listen to so I can see if its something I can enjoy.

I don't exactly just lounge and listen but that does sound a bit relaxing. I only listen when I'm physically unable to read. Like driving. But the narrator could ruin a book. I check out sveral audiobooks before I drive across country. That way I can stop listening before the book is ruined. I just pop in another book and go from there. I can't listen to 24 hours of radio so this is the next best thing. I've only listened to about 7 books.

I remember the ones we used in elementary school when the narrator would read but we would follow along. Then the 'ding' noise to turn the page. Someone else mentioned those, too, so I assume they were fairly common.

I learned to love audiobooks when I got so tired of the car radio. I would buy and unabridged copy from the used bookstore that would last a week. My only problem at that time was deciding what to get. I have a couple of authors that I would rather listen to than read. Some examples are Nicholas Sparks, Nicholas Evans, and Ann Rivers Siddons.

I don't listen to audibooks but my grandma got one when our family went up north and I rode with her to a resturant and she played it. It wasn't bad but I didn't like the one person having a voice for everyone and everything. That and the person changed there voice but it wasn't really in a good way. I also like to hear people read. When I was in elementary school one of my favorite teachers would read Harry Potter to anyone, all you had to was come in during lunch and recess. It was actually really cool.

Do The Count of Monte Cristo, Jane Eyre, or Rebecca come in audiobook? I wouldn't be so intimidated by the size of the books.

I'm not sure. Good question.

Not sure about actual professional recording, but librivox.org has
Jane Eyre: http://librivox.org/jane-eyre-by-char...
and
The Count of Monte Cristo: http://librivox.org/the-count-of-mont...

Thanks Jordan for looking up and providing the links :)

Thanks Jordan. I appreciate it very much.

You're welcome. :)

You know that's not a bad idea. Classic always seem to be one of those books hard to pick up, though you know they are classics for a reason and they must be good. I might have to try listening to classics, that definitely is more doable than having to lug those books around trying not to get distracted by everything else.

I've listened to the Count of Monte Cristo and I liked it. It has me wanting to read the book.

I just got all 14 discs today, and I can hardly wait to start listening to them.

Make sure to tell us how you like it:)

the only reason why i like audiobooks is for my pronunciation.if I hear the books in english, I hear the way the words are said and it helps me.other than that, theyre not atractive at all

I just found out that James Marsters (Spike from Buffy since I don't know if I spelled his name right) narrates a series I am going to have to pick up some audio books since I love him but I have never done them before

Do you know which series he narrates for?

Let me look it up *runs off to another group*
It's The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
I don't know too much about them but a lot of the ladies in my other group really like them

Sounds like something worth looking into.

I like listening to James Patterson's book on audio. They are really action packed and great for the long distance drive!

I like Nicholas Sparks in audio. I don't really like to read his books but I love to listen to them.

I don't know if I could listen to mushy sad romance while driving 18 hours.

But I just finished The Notebook and it was pretty good.

Not all of them are mushy sad. Certain ones are, but not all of them.

Which one would you recommend? The best one to listen too. I'm thinking maybe the guardian.

Guardian is good. Well one I would reccommend you would probably consider too mushy. That would be A Walk to Remember. I would reccommendThe Rescue, A Bend in the Road, and Nights in Rodanthe.