10 tips to fall in love with audiobooks this audiobook month
When I got sick, I lost the ability to read. Paper books became impossible for physical and cognitive reasons, but even ebooks were too taxing. And as a lifelong reader, it felt like losing a part of myself, more so than even my new disability.
My only real experience with audiobooks was my Grandad who had low vision, and was always listening to “books on tape” - at first cassette tapes, but eventually CDs too. And while I knew audiobooks were a fantastic accessibility tool, I didn’t connect those dots to me at first.
I got into audiobooks by listening to The Lord of the Rings for the first time (jumping in at the deep end!), but it worked out well for me. Finding a series I enjoyed meant I was set with dozens of hours of listening, and over time I discovered what I do and don’t like when it comes to audiobooks.
While in recent years I’ve regained the ability to occasionally read ebooks, the majority of my reading is still done through audiobooks. I listen to them while resting, and average around 40 hours listening time a week (I like to joke it’s my full time job).
Why audiobooks?
I mean, who doesn’t want the time to read more? I genuinely believe that someone who doesn’t like audiobooks, hasn’t found the right one for them yet (just like someone who says they ‘don’t like reading’ probably hasn’t found a book they enjoy yet, but it’s out there).
Audiobooks are great while multitasking, and can help make boring tasks more exciting. Whether that’s doing the dishes or walking the dog, having a story to listen to while completing mundane daily tasks can make them pass faster, and more enjoyably. Likewise, they’re fantastic while crafting, or any repetitive task that doesn’t require your complete focus.
Audiobooks are often easier to pick up and put down, so many people find it easier to fit some audiobook listening time in their day as they don’t take as much commitment as a physical book.
They’re a great too to help you reach reading your goals (if that’s your sort of thing), or to read those longer books you haven’t had time for. In our house, they’re also a great tool to help fall asleep!
And that’s not to mention how they’re a great accessibility option for many - whether they help with fatigue or pain, illness, dyslexia, ADHD or just giving your eyes a break, they enable people to keep reading and enjoying stories without limitations.
Just like there are different genres of books, and not every one suits every reader, there are different styles of audiobooks too, so learning what style works best for you can help you enjoy audiobooks more.
Do audiobooks count as reading?
Before we get into the tips, I just want to clarify that YES, AUDIOBOOKS COUNT AS READING.
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why this is even up for debate, but I guess some people have too much time on their hands. Maybe they should pick up a book to fill them?
Otherwise, it just feels like another ableist attempt to ignore people with differing experiences of the world. Are you really going to say that someone who is blind, doesn’t read books just because they don’t do it with their eyes? Does braille count for this arbitrary distinction?
Audiobooks are a newer version of oral storytelling traditions that have existed for centuries, and in a time of already diminishing literacy and critical thinking skills, we really can’t afford to be gate keeping how other people read.
Tips to get started:
1. Listen to a book you already know and enjoy
This is often the first piece of advice you’ll hear when people suggest giving audiobooks a try, and it is a good one. Listening to a story you already know means you don’t need to stress about following along so closely, or worry about missing any information. However, for some people, knowing the storyline in advance means it doesn’t capture their attention, so this tip doesn’t work for everyone.
2. Find a narrator or series you like (new or old)
Like me and Lord of the Rings, finding a series you like means at least a few more books you’re guaranteed to enjoy after the first one. Likewise, finding a narrator you enjoy listening to means you can search their backlog of titles to listen to more. Not every narrator works for every listener, so just because you’ve tried and didn’t enjoy one, doesn’t mean you need to write off the entire format.
3. Make use of samples to get the feel for a narrator
On that note, making use of audio samples can be a great, risk-free way to see if a narrator is for you. The library has samples available, as do most (all?) audiobook platforms (although don’t get me started on the problem of half the sample just being the intro credits! Why publishers don’t choose a segment from the early part of the story, I don’t understand).
4. Make use of your local library so you can give them a go at no cost
Like trying samples, your local library is the best resource for listeners. I’ve found that 90% of what I want to read is available at the library, and judging by my saved lists alone, I could listen to audiobooks for the rest of my life and never run out of listening material. A lot of people don’t realise you do not need to spend any money to listen to audiobooks - even ones that are exclusive to certain platforms often become widely available after a set amount of time. Similarly, you’ll often find that audiobook editions are generally more widely available than ebooks, due to publishing rights (e.g. kindle unlimited books which are exclusive to KU, often have audiobook copies available at libraries).
5. Experiment with and learn what ‘style’ of audiobook you like
There are different styles of audiobooks, and learning which style works for you opens up a whole new world of books. So trial different styles and see what works, whether that’s a single narrator throughout the book, dual or duet narration (there’s a difference), full cast, or a movie style graphic narration with full sound effects.
6. Speed it up or slow it down to find the right tempo for your brain
There’s no rule that says you need to listen at 1.0 speed, and no, speeding it up is not “cheating” (you wouldn’t say someone who read a book faster than you was cheating, so why do people say that about audiobooks?) I regularly listen at 1.2x speed, but only listen at 0.9x if I’m listening to a book to fall asleep. Likewise, people with ADHD often report listening at higher speeds helps keep their brain occupied and less likely to wander.
7. Have different books or series for different tasks based on mood or intensity
Ever hear of being a mood reader? Well, I’m a mood listener too. I like to find the right book for the right occasion, so often have more than one book on the go at once. A non-fiction audiobook is great for walking the dog, but might be less suited to that tricky crochet pattern you’re trying to master which requires lots of counting!
8. Combo read the audio and physical/ebook copy at the same time
Having the ability to switch between formats is a great way to add more reading into your days. Being able to listen in the car, but read while waiting in the doctors office, means you never have to worry about being without your book! It’s also a great way to slowly introduce audiobooks, and learn what works for you (and doesn’t), without having to DNF (did not finish) if you’re not enjoying the narration. While you can do this easily through Amazon Whispersync, it can cost a lot of money, so this is another place where the library shines!
9. Don’t be afraid to rewind or re-listen to a section
Just like reading, you sometimes will have to re-listen to a paragraph. Accept that your brain will sometimes wander, or you’ll be interrupted, and make use of the rewind button. Don’t forget most audiobook players allow you to change the rewind duration - I find 15 seconds to be perfect, but 30 seconds is too long and gets frustrating.
10. Listen to audiobooks in the car with your kid
Audiobooks can be a fantastic option to get kids excited about books and reading, particularly if they’re struggling on their own. Set aside some time to listen to an audiobook together while driving to and from school, or doing a simple activity at home, and you might find that you fall in love with them too!
Where to get audiobooks from?
We recommend Libro.fm or your local library, but I’ll explain the major players in the game below. All have websites and phone apps, but there are benefits to some over others in terms of cost, ease of use, and other features.
The library is undoubtedly the best resource, being free, and a place that everyone should support where possible. Most libraries use either Libby or Borrowbox, which are both great in their own way. Aside from being free, the real benefit shines in the ease and availability of books at the press of a (figurative, they’re all touch screens) button. Another benefit is that you’ll often find audiobooks have significantly lower wait times at libraries than their ebook counterparts!
Our second favourite choice is Libro.fm, a social purpose corporation that partners with independent bookstores so that a portion of your membership fee feeds directly back to your chosen bookstore. Libro.fm is subscription based, meaning you pay a monthly fee to buy “credits” to spend on audiobooks. However, unlike other audiobook platforms, you can also buy books and make use of their frequent sales without needing a membership. Their credits don’t expire, so you don’t ever need to worry about losing them, and most importantly, their books are DRM (Digital Rights Management) free, so you truly own your books, rather than just buying a license to listen to them (which can be revoked without notice).
Plus you have the benefit of being able to support our bookstore through libro.fm and their profit sharing model!
Other options include:
Audible - a subscription based company that is owned by Amazon (👎). While you can sometimes find cheaper memberships with audible (although this is getting harder to find), some of their shady practices make this one of our least favourite audiobook platforms (eg. credits expiring if you cancel, books disappearing from your library despite purchasing them, and the biggest problem - not actually owning the books you buy and an increasing amount of AI narrated/non-human content).
Spotify - offers 15 hours free of audiobooks for the account holder. This can be worth it if you already pay for Spotify, but otherwise is not the best value or easiest option. Downsides include that a lot of books are more than 15 hours, and you’re left waiting out the month to finish your read, extra hours are $$$, and the frustrating factor that every rewind or re-listen is all part of your 15 hours (and no, speeding up the narration doesn’t help. 15 hours is still 15 hours, even if you listen to it in 10 hours).
Everand - another subscription based service but it’s important to note you don’t own the books, it’s more like a rental/streaming service.
Apple Books - you can get some great sale audiobooks here, with no subscription needed. Never fall into the trap of paying full price though - publishers list audiobooks at $40-70 but you shouldn’t ever need to pay more than $20 per book using one of these platforms.
Kobo - offers both a subscription model or to purchase audiobooks outright. A Kobo Plus with audiobooks membership (similar to Kindle Unlimited, but not Amazon) is good value, and as a plus, is a great way to support indie and self published authors too!
Audiobooks we’ve loved & recommend to new listeners
Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman - read by Jeff Hayes (you won’t believe it’s only one narrator! Fun sound effects and great for new audiobook listeners)
Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir - read by Ray Porter
Book Lovers, Emily Henry or The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah - read by Julia Whelan
Promise Me Sunshine, Cara Bastone - read by Alex Finke
This Kingdom will not Kill Me, Ilona Andrews - read by Kristen Sieh
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien - read by Andy Serkis
