Audiobooks?

[fjtorres]

I've done a few audiobooks.
For me, nonfiction works better than fiction.

[taosaur]

I find more time for audiobooks than print books. I've been reading the same print book for months, and one I enjoy quite a bit whenever I do take time to read (usually waiting rooms or restaurants), but reading tends to lose out to my other passtimes when I'm at home. In that same time, I've finished something like four or five audiobooks, mostly listening for anywhere from fifteen minutes to a couple hours before bed. I will get in a little listening while washing dishes or occasionally in the car, too, so I'm usually through a moderate length audiobook in a bit under two weeks.

[meeera]

I first turned on to audiobooks back when I had a toddler/preschooler who couldn't have eyes taken off him outside, but needed many hours of outside playtime in order to not go stir crazy. Audiobooks saved me from quite a lot of interminable boredom.

Now, I mostly listen to spoken-word while shopping, driving, walking the dog, cooking, or crafting. However I have a pretty full roster of podcasts, so audiobooks only get a look-in now and then.

[melmac]

I love audiobooks but I couldn't sit in a room and listen to one! I would get distracted wander off or think about all the stuff I should be doing instead. However I find them to be brilliant when exercising they add an extra incentive to add a few extra blocks on I also like them when I'm driving.

I think it's really important when you first try the medium to choose a compelling story with an excellent narrator that will get you hooked and then after that you'll be more forgiving if you come across the odd dodgy narrator here and there.

[barutanseijin]

I listen to audio books at work. I prefer non-fiction, because with narrative fiction, there's something of a bed-time story effect. Zzzzzzzzz.

My bus commute is too loud for audio books. I also find it difficult to listen while walking around in the city. I need the volume cranked up past my comfort level to keep out ambient noise.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by silverraven

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

Yes, I have 7, too. But I finished it in less than 24 hours. And there it sits, unavailable to anyone else, for the next 6 days.

[Sydney's Mom]

Thank you everyone for giving me ideas. I would much rather listen to an audiobook than watch reruns of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I listened to the one I rented through a Marware speaker--but I think I will look into a Sansa Clip. I didn't even think of putting it on my ipod, but that thing is so old (I got it back when Costco was selling them) that my daughter calls it ancient (I should show her the Walkmans in the basement).

I will try a different type of book, too. This was narrated by an English actor, and I found the accent a little hard to understand (why can't they just speak English!)

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I will try a different type of book, too. This was narrated by an English actor, and I found the accent a little hard to understand (why can't they just speak English!)

Ha! My favorite narrators are British. I prefer their accent and their ability is far superior to American voice actors. (in my experience so far, I'm not saying it's absolute).
My favorite narrators so far are Simon Jones and Simon Prebble. British accent is easier to understand and I'm not even an English native speaker.

I tried audiobooks last year with Ender's Game (thanks to HarryT for rec there) and while it was a strange experience at first (keeping concentration was a problem) I am now very much used to them and I love them to be honest.

Last audiobook I have read ( or should I say listened to? ) was Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, narrated by Marvin Jarvis. Another Englishman! Jarvis was amazing, and the book was pure joy to listen, so funny with great characters and dialogues.

Somebody said they can read for hours but not listen for hours. With me it's the other way around. I often listen to audiobooks at home for 5-6 hours straight. It's strange, since at the beginning I couldn't keep any concentration, but that's what a year of experience had done

[tdonline]

At home, I listen via my phone speaker. I have an ugly as sin phone protector but it comes with a very handy clip. I clip the phone to my shirt or pants and I have my book as I move about doing chores. I couldn't listen to a book for hours with earphones. I would get ear fatigue and that happens on longer flights.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I listen on my iPhone. I also have an old iPod shuffle with a clip that I use exclusively for audiobooks. It works great for clipping onto your clothes when exercising.

[sakura-panda]

I am limited to what I can multitask with. I listen to audiobooks on my commute, but I can't listen to them at home. If I'm doing something like folding laundry or washing dishes -- which do not require much brain power to do and are ideal for book listening -- when I move on to the next task, I will forget to stop the audiobook. Eventually, I will start to "hear" it again, but if I'm concentrating on anything else, I just don't notice it.

I can't listen to audiobooks when I'm knitting, either. There is just enough technique *stuff* that I have to think about while knitting that I constantly lose track of the book. TV is different, since I can get visual clues to reorient myself when my attention wanders from the screen but it's often harder to get caught up when my mind has shut out the book for a few minutes.

I pretty much listen only when I'm driving. I can't even imagine finishing a book in seven days; my commute isn't long enough.

[Rich_D]

I listen to them on my commute and sometimes at my desk, but if I'm listening at my desk, it is something that I've already listened to. I like that Audible has started offering the Great Courses series and started picking up one of those every so often.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by Rich_D

I like that Audible has started offering the Great Courses series and started picking up one of those every so often.

I didn't realize that. Thank you!

[Tarana]

My bus commute is too loud for audio books. I also find it difficult to listen while walking around in the city. I need the volume cranked up past my comfort level to keep out ambient noise.

If this is your issue, you need to select better ear buds. I recommend JVC Sport for moderate noise cancelling. Midpriced Koss were also good. If you are interested in total noise cancelling ones, just post again, I'm sure others could suggest brands.

[Sydney's Mom]

Thanks everyone!! I ordered a Sansa Clip last night, and checked out 3 audiobooks--made sure they were all MP3. Since I have a 3-day weekend, I will hook up my speaker and listen. And best of all, I can return them once I have listened. I got the SC because so many of you said you exercise while listening to books. I found watching the old twilight zone episodes were good, because I always wanted to find out what happened.

The comment about the British and English was a joke. I can imagine a non-native English speaker would find the British much more understandable. I am originally from Wisconsin, and so I have even flatter vowels than most Americans. I bet a non-native speaker would not be able to understand me--especially when I said "He went acrost the street."