Yes. BUT I could only get into audiobooks after I got used to listening to them at a faster speed. When I listened at normal speed, my mind would wander.
Andnowforsomethingcd on
Yes this helps me a lot. I *can* sit down with a book, but the instances where I have 60+ minutes to sit down and absorb a good chunk of book are few and far between. When I sit down to read again, I’ve often forgotten what I read weeks ago and have to go back a bunch. Audiobooks allow me to continue the story when I’m driving, cleaning, walking, etc. I actually usually get both the audiobook and ebook so I can switch between them, since I do still enjoy actually reading when I have the time.
Obviously no idea what your preferences are, but here are some books I think are written well, but also have exceptionally good audiobook versions:
– **Project Hail Mary** by Andy Weir. Sci-fi comedy with a heart of gold. Narrator has great comedic timing, and the creative audio solution they did for a specific part of the book is ingenious.
– **World War Z** by Max Brooks. Written as a nonfiction oral history of survivors of the great zombie plague thar almosr wiped out humanity. Each chapter is a new person so it’s a bit like a collection of short stories that just all are about zombies. The audiobook uses a different narrator for every chapter, and most are A- and B-list Hollywood actors.
– **Time’s Up** by Ben H Winters. A thriller where the author takes the maxim “time is money” literally. I don’t usually like female narrators, but this one has a lot of emotional and character-type range. (I also loved his **Golden State**, which is about a near-future California where lying is literally the absolute worst crime imaginable. Male narrator, but also very good).
– **Astrophysics for People in a Hurry** by Neil Degrasse Tyson. I love space stuff and this small book is the perfect pocket companion for anyone who catches themselves looking up at the stars. Narrated by the author, and if you don’t like NDT’s voice, well, you need to rethink your entire life.
Commander_Cohen on
For me, it’s more difficult. When I read a book, I can’t do other things. However, with audiobooks, I can do something simultaneously while listening, which makes it difficult to concentrate.
15volt on
Yes. 100%. But they come with their own caveat.
Playback speed is one of the keys. It has to be optimized for you. Audiobooks are not a conversation, yet they default at normal conversational speed. In truth, it’s one-sided. You don’t have to wait for queues for your turn to talk. As such, treat it like a fire hose. You can take in information much, much quicker. If you leave it at 1.0X playback speed, you WILL fuzz out.
Secondly, you need to move. You cannot just sit there. You WILL fuzz out. Something light and mindless. Like walking the dog, or house chores. Wash the car. Cut the grass. Anything that requires you to keep moving, but not really pay attention to what you’re doing. There’s a sweet spot. You’ll find it.
And just like print books, there will be times when it just doesn’t hit right. The narrator introduces one more variable into the mix that sometimes increases the chance of a DNF. Often I find the narrator enhances my enjoyment of the production, but not always. Don’t be afraid to recognize you’ve erred and move on to something else. Torturing yourself to finish sours the whole lot.
4 Comments
Yes. BUT I could only get into audiobooks after I got used to listening to them at a faster speed. When I listened at normal speed, my mind would wander.
Yes this helps me a lot. I *can* sit down with a book, but the instances where I have 60+ minutes to sit down and absorb a good chunk of book are few and far between. When I sit down to read again, I’ve often forgotten what I read weeks ago and have to go back a bunch. Audiobooks allow me to continue the story when I’m driving, cleaning, walking, etc. I actually usually get both the audiobook and ebook so I can switch between them, since I do still enjoy actually reading when I have the time.
Obviously no idea what your preferences are, but here are some books I think are written well, but also have exceptionally good audiobook versions:
– **Project Hail Mary** by Andy Weir. Sci-fi comedy with a heart of gold. Narrator has great comedic timing, and the creative audio solution they did for a specific part of the book is ingenious.
– **World War Z** by Max Brooks. Written as a nonfiction oral history of survivors of the great zombie plague thar almosr wiped out humanity. Each chapter is a new person so it’s a bit like a collection of short stories that just all are about zombies. The audiobook uses a different narrator for every chapter, and most are A- and B-list Hollywood actors.
– **Time’s Up** by Ben H Winters. A thriller where the author takes the maxim “time is money” literally. I don’t usually like female narrators, but this one has a lot of emotional and character-type range. (I also loved his **Golden State**, which is about a near-future California where lying is literally the absolute worst crime imaginable. Male narrator, but also very good).
– **Astrophysics for People in a Hurry** by Neil Degrasse Tyson. I love space stuff and this small book is the perfect pocket companion for anyone who catches themselves looking up at the stars. Narrated by the author, and if you don’t like NDT’s voice, well, you need to rethink your entire life.
For me, it’s more difficult. When I read a book, I can’t do other things. However, with audiobooks, I can do something simultaneously while listening, which makes it difficult to concentrate.
Yes. 100%. But they come with their own caveat.
Playback speed is one of the keys. It has to be optimized for you. Audiobooks are not a conversation, yet they default at normal conversational speed. In truth, it’s one-sided. You don’t have to wait for queues for your turn to talk. As such, treat it like a fire hose. You can take in information much, much quicker. If you leave it at 1.0X playback speed, you WILL fuzz out.
Secondly, you need to move. You cannot just sit there. You WILL fuzz out. Something light and mindless. Like walking the dog, or house chores. Wash the car. Cut the grass. Anything that requires you to keep moving, but not really pay attention to what you’re doing. There’s a sweet spot. You’ll find it.
And just like print books, there will be times when it just doesn’t hit right. The narrator introduces one more variable into the mix that sometimes increases the chance of a DNF. Often I find the narrator enhances my enjoyment of the production, but not always. Don’t be afraid to recognize you’ve erred and move on to something else. Torturing yourself to finish sours the whole lot.