Audiobooks? - Page 2

CRussel · 02-13-2014, 03:29 PM

The good news is that Overdrive is abandoning WMA for library audio books. So that will be less and less of an issue.

I listen to audiobooks when I knit (I can't really watch TV when I knit - I make too many mistakes), when I drive anywhere, when I'm working around the house and no one else is up or around, and, finally, when I'm working out - on a walk, in the pool, on my bike. I really enjoy listening to books, and some books I actually prefer the audio experience. It's a different experience than reading, but complimentary. And I really like being able to go back and forth between eBook and audio book on my Kindle Fire with WhisperSync for Voice. I can listen on my iPhone (handy as I move around the house), sit down for a bit of regular reading, and listen on the Fire, all without losing my place.

silverraven · 02-13-2014, 04:02 PM

My library allows me to choose how long I keep a book out for. Some do, some don't. But if you go through audio books quickly it might be a good idea to set your expire time to as small as possible. I can choose from 7, 14 or 21 days. I always choose 7.
S

tubemonkey · 02-13-2014, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I understand the lure of audiobooks for those who have long commutes. But I'm sure there are other places where audiobooks make sense. When do you listen to audiobooks? Any tips to get into audiobooks?

I never listen to audiobooks while driving or at work. Not enough time for me to enjoy them. When I get started, I go for hours before quitting. I prefer to multitask when I do things, so audiobooks fit perfectly; whereas reading is strictly a single task activity.

Bookworm_Girl · 02-13-2014, 05:02 PM

I mostly listen to audiobooks while I work out. I use them on long car rides, but I have trouble following them on my daily commute. Too much traffic to pay attention to so I listen to talk radio instead. I really like the Kindle Whispersync integration with Audible!

It is an acquired skill. Try a few books to see if your listening skills improve and don't give up after the first one. I also find that the narrator makes a difference to enjoyment as well.

jgaiser · 02-13-2014, 05:03 PM

At the moment, it's about 50-50 and in fact with one book, I have both the audiobook and the ebook and switch back and forth.

pidgeon92 · 02-13-2014, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

I also find that the narrator makes a difference to enjoyment as well.

No doubt about it. A bad narrator can ruin a good book, and a great narrator can save a mediocre book.

tubemonkey · 02-13-2014, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdonline

Yep, annoying that I can't play WMA books on my Android phone. I'm tempted to buy a Sansa clip/zip just to play the books, but I don't really want to add another gadget to carry around--no matter how small.

The Clip Zip 4GB is on sale today for $30 in case you change your mind

tdonline · 02-13-2014, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

The Clip Zip 4GB is on sale today for $30 in case you change your mind

According to CRussel, Overdrive is phasing out WMA files but

tubemonkey · 02-13-2014, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdonline

According to CRussel, Overdrive is phasing out WMA files but

YW

btw, here's a thread on that topic.

tamborine · 02-13-2014, 05:51 PM

I chose "Yes, I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but I still read some", but actually my reading and listening are about equal. I have a commute that's almost an hour each way, five days a week, so that's when I listen to audiobooks. At home, I read exclusively, mostly ebooks, but sometimes paper. Tried to listen when I was at home, and I always wound up falling asleep, no matter how interesting the book.

RDaneel54 · 02-13-2014, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

No doubt about it. A bad narrator can ruin a good book, and a great narrator can save a mediocre book.

So true! There are narrators that I look for and then decide to get the audiobook. A bad narrator can ruin not only a good book but also a beloved book!

I principally listen to audiobooks when working out. This gives me an incentive to get and get to it. Sometimes I even work out a little longer because what I'm listening to is so interesting.

I'd like to give a thank you to tubemonkey for promoting audiobooks here. That is what started me on them.

Dean

jj2me · 02-13-2014, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

I mostly listen to audiobooks while I work out. I use them on long car rides, but I have trouble following them on my daily commute. Too much traffic to pay attention to so I listen to talk radio instead. I really like the Kindle Whispersync integration with Audible!

It is an acquired skill. Try a few books to see if your listening skills improve and don't give up after the first one. I also find that the narrator makes a difference to enjoyment as well.

Long-time audiobook listener here, and this is exactly my experience. On long driving trips, during the first half hour or so my mind wanders too much, so it's lots of rewinding. After that, I really get into the book (and drive just fine).

From what you say, though, I'm not sure anymore that poor earlier concentration is just the nature of the mind being more active in the beginning of a transition of activities, or if it's simply the local traffic congestion.

Anyway, your advice about it being an acquired skill is spot on. Find out when your mind wanders a lot, and in those circumstances, don't do audiobooks (or accept that you'll be rewinding a lot).

jj2me · 02-13-2014, 06:29 PM

Some books just cannot be "read" to you, because of the complexity of names. Examples:
- "A Thousand Miles Up the Nile." Place and people names that you never seen or heard before. Just impossible as an audiobook, then so easy when you read the text.
- "Last Orders." A character study unveiled by dialogue, with too many characters with too many simple names. Ray, Amy Vince, Lenny, Vic, Mandy, Jack, Bernie, Brenda, June, Jimmy.

An example of an easy listen is any Sue Grafton alphabet series book. Not too many characters, and the pace is slow enough.

dwig · 02-13-2014, 07:00 PM

I voted "Yes, I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but I still read some." It was the best fit, though not an accurate one, typical of MR polls.

I only listen to "audiobooks" a few times a year. I listen to 4-8 hours of short story and novella length podcasts per week. This amounts to about twice my reading (mostly ebooks) or 2/3rds to 3/4ths of my literature consumption.

My most common sources are:
PRI's Selected Shorts
EscapePod
PodCastle
StarShipSofa
Lightspeed
Toasted Cake
BBC's Play of the Week
Protecting Project Pulp
Crime City Central

grumbles · 02-13-2014, 08:38 PM

I'm afraid that I find listening to someone reading a book boring to the point of rendering me comatose. I find this surprising since I love, and have always loved, radio drama. I thrill, over and over to Suspense. I'm always ready to listen to Nightfall and Vanishing Point again. I eagerly await the new Ruby and Jack Flanders adventures from ZBS, but I just can't listen to someone reading a book. Not sure why. I only read books.

View Poll Results: Do you listen to audiobooks
No, I just read	30	24.00%
A few, but I mostly read books	46	36.80%
Yes, I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but I still read some.	51	40.80%
This is mobileread, not mobilelisten	2	1.60%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 125. You may not vote on this poll

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02-13-2014, 03:29 PM	#16
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,160 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	The good news is that Overdrive is abandoning WMA for library audio books. So that will be less and less of an issue. I listen to audiobooks when I knit (I can't really watch TV when I knit - I make too many mistakes), when I drive anywhere, when I'm working around the house and no one else is up or around, and, finally, when I'm working out - on a walk, in the pool, on my bike. I really enjoy listening to books, and some books I actually prefer the audio experience. It's a different experience than reading, but complimentary. And I really like being able to go back and forth between eBook and audio book on my Kindle Fire with WhisperSync for Voice. I can listen on my iPhone (handy as I move around the house), sit down for a bit of regular reading, and listen on the Fire, all without losing my place.

02-13-2014, 04:02 PM	#17
silverraven Guru Posts: 967 Karma: 3438612 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle 4NTB x 4	My library allows me to choose how long I keep a book out for. Some do, some don't. But if you go through audio books quickly it might be a good idea to set your expire time to as small as possible. I can choose from 7, 14 or 21 days. I always choose 7. S

02-13-2014, 05:02 PM	#19
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	I mostly listen to audiobooks while I work out. I use them on long car rides, but I have trouble following them on my daily commute. Too much traffic to pay attention to so I listen to talk radio instead. I really like the Kindle Whispersync integration with Audible! It is an acquired skill. Try a few books to see if your listening skills improve and don't give up after the first one. I also find that the narrator makes a difference to enjoyment as well.

02-13-2014, 05:03 PM	#20
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	At the moment, it's about 50-50 and in fact with one book, I have both the audiobook and the ebook and switch back and forth.

02-13-2014, 05:51 PM	#25
tamborine Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 523436 Join Date: May 2009 Location: NJ Device: Kindle Oasis, Kobo Aura One, Kindle Fire HD	I chose "Yes, I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but I still read some", but actually my reading and listening are about equal. I have a commute that's almost an hour each way, five days a week, so that's when I listen to audiobooks. At home, I read exclusively, mostly ebooks, but sometimes paper. Tried to listen when I was at home, and I always wound up falling asleep, no matter how interesting the book.

02-13-2014, 06:29 PM	#28
jj2me Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 8820388 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505, -350; Kindle 3 3G, DX, PW 2; various tablets	Some books just cannot be "read" to you, because of the complexity of names. Examples: - "A Thousand Miles Up the Nile." Place and people names that you never seen or heard before. Just impossible as an audiobook, then so easy when you read the text. - "Last Orders." A character study unveiled by dialogue, with too many characters with too many simple names. Ray, Amy Vince, Lenny, Vic, Mandy, Jack, Bernie, Brenda, June, Jimmy. An example of an easy listen is any Sue Grafton alphabet series book. Not too many characters, and the pace is slow enough.

02-13-2014, 07:00 PM	#29
dwig Wizard Posts: 1,613 Karma: 6718479 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Paradise (Key West, FL) Device: Current:Surface Go & Kindle 3 - Retired: DellV8p, Clie UX50, ...	I voted "Yes, I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but I still read some." It was the best fit, though not an accurate one, typical of MR polls. I only listen to "audiobooks" a few times a year. I listen to 4-8 hours of short story and novella length podcasts per week. This amounts to about twice my reading (mostly ebooks) or 2/3rds to 3/4ths of my literature consumption. My most common sources are: PRI's Selected Shorts EscapePod PodCastle StarShipSofa Lightspeed Toasted Cake BBC's Play of the Week Protecting Project Pulp Crime City Central

02-13-2014, 08:38 PM	#30
grumbles Addict Posts: 238 Karma: 1500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Pandigital Novel (Black), T-2 and 3, Nexus 7	I'm afraid that I find listening to someone reading a book boring to the point of rendering me comatose. I find this surprising since I love, and have always loved, radio drama. I thrill, over and over to Suspense. I'm always ready to listen to Nightfall and Vanishing Point again. I eagerly await the new Ruby and Jack Flanders adventures from ZBS, but I just can't listen to someone reading a book. Not sure why. I only read books.