Have you ever read audiobooks? What you think about it?

Ecuador
December 17, 2010 3:24pm CST
Hello mylotters. I like reading, and I try to read everyday, novels, essays, tales, or anything that sounds interesting, I read it. Recently, I was looking for a book in the internet, and I didn't find it, but I found an audiobook from that book. I downloaded it, and it was narrated by a professional and I really enjoyed "reading" that audiobook. Since that, I've downloaded some audiobooks and I'm really happy with them, I think i'ts a good way to read if your eyes are too tired for reading from the real book. So, what do you think about audiobooks? Did you ever listened one? Tell us your experience with audiobooks.
1 person likes this
17 responses
@katie0 (5203)
• Japan
18 Dec 10
i think it's really great, but only with some kind of non intelectual kind of activity aside, like cooking, exercising, now i couldn't really hear an audiobook and then surf on the web and read news for example
1 person likes this
• Ecuador
19 Dec 10
agree with you.
@06MLam (620)
18 Dec 10
I used to have reading periods in school and the whole class has to read the same book before the students have finished that recommended book. The teacher has tried playing the audiobook while we are reading the book. I quite like this because this can help me focus as I can catch up if I miss either the verbal or word version. Though I like the audiobooks, I do not read them now because it is really expensive to have bought both the book and the audiobook.
1 person likes this
• Ecuador
19 Dec 10
I've found web sites where you can download audiobooks for free.
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
17 Dec 10
Yes, I've 'read' an audio book, and I enjoyed it well. It is beneficial when you are tired or when you are cooking or driving.
@lunion (64)
• Indonesia
20 Dec 10
I never 'read' audio books before, but your suggestion of using it while cooking or driving sounds great! Maybe I should give it a try..
1 person likes this
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
21 Dec 10
Yeah, it is, you should try it.
@pinkap (48)
• United States
18 Dec 10
I really like audiobooks, but like one person mentioned, it's a different experience than reading with your own eyes. I've listened to many books that I've also read the regular way and each time was a different experience - though fun each way as well. :-) :-) I listen to audiobooks when I'm cleaning house, cooking or doing anything that does not require much concentration. I do try to stay away from driving (unless I'm a passenger) because I tend to concentrate more on my driving and staying safe than I do on the book - so there is a lot of rewinding done afterwards. :-) :-) I found my local library has a website where I can borrow audiobooks and download them to my ipod directly from my home computer. I just delete then when I'm done. :-) My library also has the cd audiobooks that I can check out along with regular books. :-) So if I run into an audiobook that I don't care for, it's no big deal because I only borrowed it anyway. :-) :-) Gotta love the library! :-) :-)
1 person likes this
@Catana (735)
• United States
18 Dec 10
If my eyes ever got so bad that I couldn't read, I might got for audio books, but I don't really like them. I'm a fast reader, and listening to a book at normal talking speed is too boring. I also don't absorb information as well through my ears as I do through my eyes. And finally, most of the books I'd want to read probably aren't even available as audio books. I never read best sellers or the general run of books that are most popular, and those are the ones that are usually turned into audio books.
@asyria51 (2861)
• United States
20 Dec 10
I have to agree that listening to an audio book is not as exciting. Also if you have to put it down for a while, it is hard to skim through to refresh your mind about what the book is about.
• Ecuador
27 Dec 10
Agree with asyria51
18 Dec 10
I have thought about getting an audio book for a different reason. I have tried and tried to work out, but the problem is, I get bored before I get tired. I've tried listening to muisc but yet my mind still wanders and I get bored. I love reading and when I read books I get lost in them and time passes without me realizing it. So, I've thought that maybe I should get an audio book and try working out while listening to it. Perhaps that way I would get 'lost' in the story and realize how bored I am of working out.
1 person likes this
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
20 Dec 10
I read audio books all the time i like it because. 1. I like being read stories always have since childhood. 2. I can multitask while it's playing 3. because my physical impairment there easier to manipulate and manage than a regular book. Frequently if i have the option i will choose audio book format over a normal format.
• United States
21 Dec 10
I don't like audiobooks because I can usually read about 10x faster than whoever they've got reading the book for me. My eyes never get "tired" from reading. I can read for hours on end, and when I'm tired of it then it's usually because I'm just plain tired and not because I'm actually tired of reading. When I'm driving or jogging or otherwise doing something that prevents me from holding the book open in front of me, then I prefer to listen to audiobooks over listening to music. Otherwise... I don't use them.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
19 Dec 10
Hi Ricextreme, I still prefer to read books than listen to the reading of the books. I guess I miss the smell of the newly printed pages. I think partly the reason is that I do not drive. If I drive, I would like to download audio books and listen to the reading while stuck in traffic jam. That is the best way to reduce the frustration of getting stuck in the traffic jam, and feeling helpless.
• United States
19 Dec 10
I have never listened to an audio book. I think it takes away from the whole experience. However, I had some friends who traveled a lot and they used to carry several with them and listen to them on the road. They loved the whole experience of sharing the book together!
@khalida (1126)
• India
18 Dec 10
hey! i recently downloaded an audio book about leadership! its a book by john maxwell- "whoe to develop the leader in you". i think for self help books, audio books are the best cause it is better to listen to a person on what to do, rather than read it yourself! lol :) i've not tried it for novels though cause i feel that would make it very lame!
• Philippines
18 Dec 10
I love audio books. It is a different experience altogether. Having a reader read them to you is such a delight because you could feel the emotions the author is trying to convey. One of the great benefits of an audio book is making your eyes rest. You're not going to get your eyes strained from small texts from reading pocket books.
• Philippines
18 Dec 10
I've enjoyed a lot of them; mainly stuff written by Robert Kiyosaki and Stephen Covey. I have a lot of these in my iPod and I listen to them often during the daily commute.
@maris5 (52)
• Latvia
27 Dec 10
Hello! My English litereture teacher once told to class to listen Robinson Cruso audiobook format , we started in class and listend for like 20mins , that was hell of a booring tale ! Id rather read it myself than listen to some booring guy . So yea , I they dont realy fit me , havent seen anyone who they would.
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
17 Dec 10
I love audio books. When I did data entry I could listen to them. Now I listen to them in the car.
@veromar (1453)
• Argentina
17 Dec 10
Hi Rice. Oh yes! I love audio books! Sometimes I have to work a lot of hours doing manual labor at a machine. I will put an audio book to help and pass the time. I listened to all the Dan Brown books that way.....The DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons, etc. I've also listened to some classics like "Moby &ick" on audio. I find it pretty exciting. It just adds a bit to my imagination. I guess it depends on the narrator. I've listened to all of Michael Moore's things by audio book and he narrated them all himself so it gave a truer interpretation. I think they're awesome!
@cyclopz (251)
• Sydney, Australia
18 Dec 10
Im not quite familiar with audio books, the way i imagine what it is is that you would just listen to the narrations of the author and don't have to read anything anymore. Seems quite lazy if that's how it really is.hehe. But i'm not really sure if that's what audiobooks really is just by hearing the name itself.hehe