Yesterday I discussed how and why I listened to audio books, and how my love of being read to evolved into a membership with Audible Books. I promised that today I’d give examples of what I miss about actual, hand-held books and what audio books can’t deliver.
Aside from the new book smell, the crack when you open a fresh tome, and the whisper of cotton, linen, or papyrus as you thumb through the new pages, there are a few more things Audible, CD’s, and Books-On-Tape can’t do:
- There is no instant replay
Sometimes I want to read a line again or pause just to savor the thought or the phrasing. The author has put a lot of time into the turn of a particular phrase, yet if I’m read to, I only get to hear it once. In a mystery I want to reflect on the information I’ve just been given and try to figure out who did it before the author tells me. If I’m read to I must hurry along.
- The spelling of proper names/foreign names is often way off
There have been times when I’ve seen a character’s or town’s name in a book review and been thrown because I’d spelled the name a different way in my head. This is happening right now as I listen to Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. I just know that every name I hear is going to be spelled differently.
- BOT’s limit visualization
When someone else reads for me, I must follow along at their pace. This eliminates the time I might take to look around the town and imagine the scene. If I were the reader, I’d slow down to see things for myself and allow my very vivid imagination to take over.
- Narrators are sometimes unsuited to the story
More than once, I’ve returned library tapes due to a terrible narrator. In a series I’m familiar with, the narrator had better bring it, or, at least be neutral enough for me to ignore. If the voice grates—a male not doing a female voice well, or vice versa—I’m done. Consult the reviews before you purchase a recorded story. If reviewers say the narrator is terrible, believe them.
- Picking up where you left off is a task
If I want to relax or read in bed, a bookmark or folded corner earmarking the place to pick up the book is easy. With a B-O-T, I must plug-in the headphones and cue up to where I last stopped. Though, if I’ve listened on two or more devices, Audible will ask if I want to start at the current location. Also, I’m having a love affair with the Alexa Echo Dot that I purchased from Amazon on Prime Day. I just tell it what Audible book I want to hear and it kicks right in, no headphones or anything.
- Flipping back to see the cover is difficult
Yep, that’s me flipping back and forth to view the cover as I imagine the iconic bridge or rainforest—the skyscraper where the guy and girl meet—or the place where the decaying body was found—the monster last spied.
- B-O-T’s can come with a hefty price tag
When there were bookstores on the planet, I’d spend as much as $30 for a book-on-tape. Now, for $14.95, I get one Audible book credit per month. Over the years I’ve accumulated 6 credits, so I manage to keep a surplus of credits.
Despite what I’ve described as drawbacks, audio books are beneficial for these reasons:
BIG books are easier to digest
They’ve enabled me to cover most of the Bible. I’ve read entire self-help books where I’d normally just read the parts necessary to my personal search.
Audio Book’s give me the beauty of a foreign language
When I’m listening to a book by a British author or one who speaks English as a second language the accent is perfection. I wallowed in Jim Dale’s narration of the Harry Potter books. I’ve just discovered there is a UK narrator, Stephen Fry. I may listen to Harry Potter all over again.
They provide work for voice actors
My two, all-time favorite narrators are Susan Ericksen and Bahni Turpin. After hearing Turpin read The Hate You Give, I listened to her Children of Blood and Bone. It was outstanding.
If you listen to audio books, which narrator stands out as exceptional?
Notes:
In 2018, approximately 50,000 audiobooks were recorded in the United States with a sales growth of 20 percent year over year
A recent survey released by the Audio Publishers Associationfound that the overwhelming majority of audiobook users listen in the car, and over two-thirds of audiobook buyers described audiobooks as relaxing and a good way to multi-task. Another stated reason for choosing audiobooks over other formats is that an audio performance makes some books more interesting.
Bahni Turpin is one of my favourite narrators, I will one click a book by any author without reading the blurb if she is narrating it, I have found so many wonderful books this way.
The same goes for January LaVoy, I will get anything she narrates too.
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I’m off to research January LaVoy. Thanks for reading and commenting, Berit.
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It’s Vicci the other one from the blog lol
If you like YA then try The Diviners by Libba Bray, it’s AMAZING!!
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I loved reading your post Linda! I recently started audio books and feel the same way! The narrator makes a huge difference! If you fancy a read, I would love it if you could hop on over to my blog and share your thoughts!
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Thanks, and I will definitely pop over to visit!
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Good narrators make audio books a unique medium. I’ve gotten so spoiled by those who “perform” a book that I won’t listen to (even) professional actors who merely read them. When Titus Welliver, who stars in the online Bosch series, replaced the well-known audiobook narrator Dick Hill in the Harry Bosch detective novel series, I couldn’t listen more than a few minutes.
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I love your idea of listening to the Bible and self-help books! I agree a bad narrator can ruin the experience! Great post.
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Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
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Flipping back to review what I’ve read before is something I do frequently. and I love to check the co er and back as I read, reliving the blurb.I know audio books are growing in popularity, I’m just not there yet.:)
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Yes to both checking the cover and rereading the blurb! Books are more fun!
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This is an excellent post with valid points, Linda!
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Thanks, Jan!😁
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