Confessions of a Bookworm: Audiobooks

Hi all!

My name is Chiara and I am a Bookworm.

So today I want to talk/rant/discuss audiobooks.

I know that most Bookworms prefer their books in the traditional form. Paper. But life sometimes gets away from us and the need for more accessible book formats is sometimes a necessity.

I love audiobooks. They come with many pros and cons and I want to put them all out here for you.

Cons:

1. It can take longer to listen to an audiobook than it can it actually read it. Seven hours to listen to it, versus a three to four hours curled up in a comfy chair is a big difference.

2. The reader. Who is reading can make all the difference to an audiobook. My dad likes to listen to Star Trek audiobooks in the car and occasionally the reader is William Shatner. Any Star Trek fans among you Bookworms will know who William Shatner is. Captain Kirk. Why am I suddenly talking about Star Trek? Because whenever I listen to these audiobooks all I hear is Captain Kirk. It sounds like Captain Kirk is reading everything.

The reader has a lot to do with the enjoyment of the book. A bad reader can mean a bad book, even if the writing is brilliant.

3. The cost so much more than regular books. I subscribe to audible to I get them cheaper but if I didn’t some of those books are way too expensive for me to even consider buying. Way more expensive than normal books.

Pros:

1. They can be read anywhere. All I need is my headphones and my mobile or tablet, all three of which go everywhere it’s me anyway. Less extra weight. I can read (listen) while walking around. Audiobooks were my best friend in Paris. I had ever little expendable money in Paris and a weight limit on what I could bring home so I couldn’t buy any books. But audiobooks I could afford with my nifty audible membership and they meant that while I was walking around that wonderful city I could listen to the wonderful works of Rick Riordan or the voice of Stephen Fry as he read Conan Doyle’s masterpieces.

2. The reader. As bad readers make a bad listen, good readers make an amazing book. All my favourite audiobooks have my favourite readers. Stephen Fry. Martin Freemen. There is a reason The Hammer of Thor is my favourite book of the series.