for the past few months (year??), audiobooks have changed my reading game. it’s insane because i feel like i’m reading less (which is true; i haven’t finished a physical book in forever), but i’m technically still reading because i’ve been listening to audiobooks. (for once, i’m not behind on my goodreads challenge and i haven’t picked up a “real book” in so so long!!) (ok jk maybe i’m still behind but it’s MUCH BETTER) for me, there was a really big learning curve when getting into audiobooks. where do i listen to them? when do i have time to? don’t you fall asleep? why should i listen vs reading? and the worst: does it count as reading? all these burning questions!! answered here.
why should i listen to audiobooks?
i want to say everyone should listen to audiobook, but that really is not the case. some people ultimately prefer physical or ebooks to audiobooks and i get that. but if you’re someone who is 1) very busy or 2) has a hard time finishing books, i think audiobooks will be your jam. audiobooks have also helped me branch out into different genres. normally, i’d be hesitant on reading from certain genres or not feel the urge to continue. in a way, audiobooks force you to finish it.
where can i access audiobooks?
OKAY SO. when i initially started listening to audiobooks, i was very confused because they’re much more expensive than physical books and therefore, felt less accessible. BUT. there are actually a lot of resources!!
the library, libby, or overdrive
libby has been a GAME CHANGER for me. honestly!! it’s an app that connects you to your library’s “virtual library” and you can borrow as many ebooks or audiobooks as you please. game changer i tell you!!! overdrive is the company that created libby and they have an app as well, but i’m not entirely sure what the difference is between those two. i end up using libby because the interface is better.
i know, i know. not every library has a virtual library and i can only vouch for those in the US. but i hope this was helpful to some of you!
scribd
i had scribd for about a year and it’s essentially netflix for books. this was how i originally got into audiobooks because all the books i wanted to read had 6+ month holds on libby. *sigh* but scribd is great!! their selection is huge and fairly up to date. there are some limitations after you read too many audiobooks in a month (aka like 6+, i believe) but i still think it’s worth the price.
audible
last but certainly not least, audible!! aka the og audiobook platform. rather than borrowing (which is what the other two platforms are), these are audiobooks that are yours to keep. now i know you probably won’t be re-listening to your audiobooks (maybe), but i got audible so i could own the harry potter series in it’s full audio glory. and lemme tell you: i’d probably re-listen to that. a big plus to audible is that you’re also able to return any audiobook within a year (?) and get your credit back. so if you want to be real nifty, you can continuously buy/return your books. *eyes warily*
sign up for audible & get two free audiobooks here~!
how do you do it????
now onto ACTUALLY LISTENING TO YOUR AUDIOBOOKS. you found where to get them, now what? this was a question that constantly plagued me when i initially got into audiobooks because i didn’t know how to listen to them. SO. here’s when i found the best time to listen:
during your commute
if you’re like me and have a long commute to and from work/school, this is when audiobooks are the best!! it’s an hour (or two for me) every day of guarantee reading. because of this, i was able to finish books in two or three days without changing up my schedule.
while doing chores/errands
also great!! pretty much any activity that requires little to no brainwork (see: washing dishes, tidying, folding clothes, etc). we want to be able to focus on our book, while also ~doing something~.
your morning/night routine
i don’t do this personally because ~i need me time~ but i know friends (echm tiffany) who do this. so audiobook-ing while washing your face, brushing teeth, showering(?!!), and all that jazz.
what audiobooks should i start with?
at first, i felt like i was constantly struggling because i couldn’t tell if 1) i didn’t like the book, 2) i didn’t like the narrator, or 3) i didn’t like audiobooks, period. and honestly, i still can’t tell sometimes when i have a bad audiobook experience. when i first started, i would listen to ~self help~ or memoirs or essays, genres i hardly ever read IRL but wanted to listen because the author was narrator. personally, i don’t think that was such a good idea, but WE’VE LEARNED. when you’re starting off, it can seem like A LOT. i recommend:
a reread of one of your faves
one of my first audiobook faves was a reread of the percy jackson series, by rick riordan!! started off with something you know you’ll like and a story you’re familiar with will help you get into the medium. the pjo prose is super fun and witty, so it’s enjoyable to listen. also the narrator was fantastic. i flew by the books and was transported to camp half blood. :”)
the harry potter series, by j.k. rowling
for most, this is probably a reread. BUT. it was not for me. for some reason, i could not finish the fourth HP book no matter how hard i tried. but you guyyyyys, these audiobooks are truly one of my favorites. it’s something i would listen to every year when winter comes around. it brings me in the mood.
the night circus, by erin morgenstern
i’m CLEARLY biased towards this narrator because he also narrated the HP series, but it’s because he’s so wonderful!!! also the night circus has the one of the most cinematic and beautiful prose in all of literary history!! (so biased.) i’d highly recommend audiobook-ing this novel rather than reading it because it feels like an experience.
the diviners series, by libba bray
one of my favorites!!! an underrated icon!!!! i was meaning to read these books for EVER but i finally got around to it – thanks to audiobooks. :”) i love the narrator, the cast of characters, and all of the above. i don’t know if the audiobook is just exceptionally good or if the book itself is exceptionally good. (maybe both.) either way, READ IT. or LISTEN TO IT.
a book that you’d find hard to get through
for me, that would be intense high fantasy (echm the poppy war) or a book that seems kinda big and intimidating (um east of eden!!). i’d use this tip for those who are already comfortable with audiobooks. nowadays, i use this to read books i’ve been meaning to read for years, but for some reason have never gotten to them. OR genres i’ve been trying to branch out to, but find intimidating. just click play, continue with your chores or commute, and immerse yourself into the story.
does it even count as reading?????
listen bud, this is a pretty controversial but obvious to me question and here’s the basic answer: YES. and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
does this mean i’m an audiobook guru now?
YES IT DOES. well, if you didn’t start your first audiobook that’s a questionable answer BUT i believe you’re very qualified.
I hated the first time I tried an audiobook but I gave it a shot again a year later and now I can’t live without them! I wholeheartedly agree that audiobooks counts as reading and it’s helped me tremendously with my Goodreads challenge. I ended up switching from Audible to Scribd because I was going through a few audiobooks a month.
literally SAME. i tried like three different audiobooks, gave up, then tried again a year later.
If your library uses the service, Hoopla is good too. There’s no waiting period, but the downside is there’s a monthly check out limit. My library limits me to 8 books a month. I alternate between Hoopla and Libby so this usually isn’t an issue.
ahh that’s so cool!! thank you for sharing :))
Yeah, it can be hard to tell when you don’t like the book vs when you don’t like the narrator! One fun thing,though, is that when you find a narrator you do love, then you can look up what else they’ve done and you can find yourself enjoying genres/books you wouldn’t have picked out otherwise.
YES! it’s really cool looking at what other books the narrator has done (me @ the harry potter/night circus narrator)
I’ve recently started listening to audiobooks, and it’s definitely revolutionised my reading game. Last month I ended up reading double the amount I usually read!
how i felt the first month 😩❤️
I LOVE audiobooks! Just started listening to them this summer on my one hour commute and it’s such a good way to read more. I love your advice about rereading old favorites first. I also recommend listening to memoirs–often they’re read by the people who wrote them, which makes listening to them even more fun. Great post! <3
thank you! yeah it’s cool listening to memoirs because they really feel like the author is reading to you (because they are haha). i really want to listen to michelle obama’s memoir!
I think it’s so pretentious when people claim that audiobooks aren’t “real” books or that YA isn’t “actual” literature. Ew, just ew at those people. Also, I think this post is fabulous! I would love to get into audiobooks and I think re-reading a book I love is such a great way into it. Unfortunately I also listen to a million podcasts and use that as an excuse not to get into audiobooks :/ Either way, I hope I get into them soon! Thanks for the advice!
i usually go back and forth between music, podcasts, and audiobooks! usually i’ll listen to podcasts in between books or when i need a break. i hope you’ll try it out soon :))
I have not yet tried listen to audiobooks and been wondering for so long. Kinda blur, does not where to start. so, your guide is definitely a helpful one for the beginner like me! Thank you for the guideline! 😀
Fatina Mudz || Amazing Distance
no problem! i hope you get to try out audiobooks soon 🙂