Heard Any Good Books Lately?

A report landed at Belle HQ recently stating that 15% of readers had listened to an audiobook last year and that this was set to grow by 20% this year.  I wasn’t surprised by this.  So many of my friends, fellow book clubbers and runners have been talking about consuming their books in this way.  I, however, have never done it, or should I say haven’t done it… yet. 

I’m not going to lie, I had to consider slapping my own face as I inwardly considered, ‘well is it actually reading?’  I considered the time when I considered myself a bit smug and superior for a wholesale rejection of the Kindle as a method of reading.  Nowadays I think I would follow my Kindle off the side of a ship, should it occur to blow that way.  I remain thus, open minded.

In order to fully understand this phenomenon, I put the question to some fellow Belles and got some really interesting insights:

It’s amazing if you are dyslexic

In asking the question I discovered that my best friend of 30 years was dyslexic. She said audio books make books pleasurable as opposed to the struggle of reading.

It can help you clean your house

Another friend was listening to a best seller as she cleaned her house.  She said it really helped her get things done and she’d clean for longer to listen longer.  Everyone wins in that game.

You can listen to a book with someone else in real time

Car journeys came up a lot, inclusive of a regular commute, but one really nice thing was the ability to share the experience of a book with someone else.

A good voice can be quite mesmerising

‘I will definitely choose an audio book if it’s read by Stephen Fry,’ said one friend.  Got me thinking who I would pick, just for the voice – Jemaine Clement, Rob Brydon or Ricky Gervais I reckon.

If the author narrates, it’s like they are speaking to you

One book that came up many times was Becoming by Michelle Obama. ‘It’s like she’s telling you herself.’  Top tip though, apparently this one works better if you out it to 1.5  x speed.

Hearing rude bits aloud can make you laugh

This comes very strongly with the caveat that this is in headphone territory, not on a speaker while you are anywhere in the vicinity of children or old people.

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They are perfect for all the times your ears are free, but your eyes are not

As mentioned, driving, running, cleaning.  Multi-task and grow intellectually.  Win.

Someone nice can talk you to sleep

One of my friends sets a timer and let’s an audiobook talk her to sleep.  I think there’s something kind of nice about that, a literary lullaby.

On the downside…

If you have a wandering mind, losing a chunk can be fiddly.  Men reading women’s voices can be odd and by the same token as smut can be funny, it can also be awkward.  I’ve heard, there’s a certain word, referring to a certain part of female anatomy that no one needs to hear about from Stephen Fry.

I think I make that quite considerably, more pro’s than cons though my friends.

I’m keen to give it a go.  I think I am prone to a wandering mind. I also get a bit fidgety if I can’t control the speed of delivery of something into my brain.  When I read, I often find myself skipping and skimming bits, I guess that’s something I’ll have to experiment with.

Either way, audio books, I’m ready to hear what you’ve got to say.  Let’s talk.