Audiobooks are a game changer because reading is no longer confined to a time when the reader can sit and give it undivided attention. Now I can listen to a book while engaging in many other activities during the day such as exercising, cooking, folding laundry, driving, or crafting. Advancements in technology continually make this easier. Carrying a CD player around with me would not be convenient, but sticking little wireless headphones in my ears and my phone in my pocket is.
When I first picked up an audiobook, it was my first foray into a daytime reading habit. To justify this move, I began with narrative non-ficiton that was somewhat educational and additionally a genre that didn't fit well into my established bedtime reading habit. This is somewhat contrary to Cahill and Moore's (2017) thought that nonfiction is less suited to the audiobook format then other more fast-paced genres. For me, the time of day (reading setting) was more important then the actual story format. But I do understand what they're saying and can appreciate listening to a thriller at a fast speed. As my listening habit increased, so did my breadth of genres to the point that these days my choice between audio and physical books almost always comes down to availability.
One book feature I still prefer on audio is a book with a foreign setting or foreign-speaking characters. This is because I like to hear the accent and correct pronunciation of foreign words. For example, Louise Penny's character Inspector Gamache lives in Montreal and often utters words in French. I have no knowledge of french pronunciation, so I prefer this series on audiobook. Recently, I led a middle grade book club on Front Desk by Kelly Yang. I also listened to this one to be sure I pronounced the Chinese names correctly for the kids. And books narrated with posh British accents are simply delicious to devour!
Here are a few additional tidbits I found this week. A survey of librarians by the Audio Publishers Association (n.d.) estimates that 25% of adult audiobook listeners, do so exclusively. This means they only borrow audiobooks, not ebooks or physical books. This is important for library patron numbers! The study described by Anderson (2023) reports science fiction and fantasy as the most popular genres for audiobooks, but humor, nonfiction, and romance are the fastest growing genres. This shows they are increasingly not limited to particular genres. As far as who is listening to audiobooks, the same study discussed by Anderson says they tend to be younger than the average population (under 45), but equal across racial lines.
Karis, I love that you had to "justify" your move to audio! One of my sisters reads physical books for fiction, but listens to nonfiction, usually Marie Kondo-type stuff, while cleaning. I plan to listen to my book club's next nonfiction pick and am very worried that it won't hold my attention. Of course, I was worried about listening to fiction for the same reason, but am a convert since starting this class!
ReplyDeleteHaha, at the time reading during the day felt like a guilty pleasure!
DeleteI loved your title! "Audiobooks as a Lifestyle." I feel like lots of people would enjoy reading what you wrote here and your experience with audio (I sure did!). Since I'm not much of an e-reader or audiobook consumer, I asked several people to help me with my write-up. I interviewed one young woman in her 20s who exclusively listens to audio (she doesn't pick up physical books or e-books). She also reads more books than anyone I know! Her reasons for consuming so much audio are very similar to yours - she especially appreciates being able to multi-task, and since she has ADHD, the audio allows for "paired activity" which helps her stay focused on reading while she is physically engaged in another task. I appreciated what you said about the value of listening to books to learn the correct pronunciation. So many times I read a book and just guess on what unknown or foreign words should sound like. I'm probably missing the full effect by not knowing all the correct pronunciations! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteYou really hit the nail on the head here. I had little to no interaction with audiobooks for the longest time, until I decided to pick up Stephen King's It, wonderfully narrated by Steven Weber (Jack Torrance in the '97 version of The Shining), and I was hooked. I prefer digital versions to CDs now, though, because I can never find my place again on a CD. But everything you said about the freedom to read with audiobooks hit home with me. I've always been the type of person that needs background noise on when I'm doing things, and more often than not, I find myself turning to audiobooks (or true crime documentaries lol).
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised that audiobooks are so popular! Like you said, they're a great way to read more books, especially for busy people. Some people can have a difficult time sitting down and reading a book when they also have other things they can do. I have a coworker (not Karis) who does it when shelving books or doing homework. I never really thought about using audiobooks to learn pronunciation! It's a great tip for the future.
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