After we’d finished delving into the intricacies of plot, character, prose, etc., the conversation veered to a side topic: preferred reading format. Within our group of sixteen, a quarter of them read on a device such as a Kindle, while another quarter chose paperback. (One outlier read hardback, but only because she borrowed it from the library.)
Turns out, close to half of our members listened to the audiobook version.
I admit to being super surprised by that, especially since I live in a 55+ community. It may be a stereotypical assumption on my part, but it hadn’t occurred to me that people my age—and older—would choose audio. At first, I thought perhaps they listened to this one because Meryl Streep narrated it, but when I probed further, I learned this book wasn’t an anomaly. Many members said they are regular audiobook aficionados.
But back to the night of the meeting. When I asked my book club friends why they preferred to listen, reasons varied. Convenience was a top motive. They could listen in the car, or at home doing chores, while on a daily walk, etc. Some mentioned that they focused better on the story in audio format. Still others cited declining eyesight.
They were also particular about their tastes in narration styles. Some enjoyed multiple narrators, leading to a wider vocal variety. Others preferred a single narrator who does a good job of varying voices without taking it to the extreme. Accents were a desirable trait for many listeners, but some like to listen at a faster speed, so accents don’t work well. All agreed that a good narrator makes a vast difference in the quality of the experience, and they will stop listening if the narration falls short. (Meryl Streep got high marks, in case you were wondering…)
(P.S.: I am fortunate to have found Lillian Baxter to narrate the Callie Cassidy Mystery series. She’s a top-notch, talented vocal artist!)
Do you love a good audiobook, or will you only read print?
The Callie Cassidy Mystery series is available on Amazon Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback.
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Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in Rock Creek Village, Colorado, and the soon-to-be-released Seahorse Bay Mysteries, set in a Texas cruise port town. To find out more and to sign up for her newsletter, go to www.lorirobertsherbst.com
I prefer the paperback or the ebook. But I have had so many people mention lately about how much they love audio books (any many of them were non-readers prior to finding them).
ReplyDeleteI love audiobooks and have been listening to them forever. They kept me sane during my long commute to work. I am like a child who wants to be lulled to sleep by someone reading to me. So, like you, I listen to audiobooks in bed. I have interviewed some audiobook narrators and learned how much work goes into the process of creating an audiobook (six hours of work for each hour of recording).
ReplyDeleteThe only time I listen to audiobooks is if I have a long, long-distance car ride and I am by myself. I prefer reading and when I am outside, I generally prefer listening to nature than covering it up with someone talking in my ears.
ReplyDeleteI live in a continuum of care retirement community. Many of the older residents turn more and more not only to fiction, but to audio versions, especially as sight and physical health have declined. I have helped more than a few neighbors apply for the state's program for the blind and handicapped (I was dismayed when the staff at the local public library said they had no idea if anything like that might be available.) Unfortunately for authors, there are no royalties paid when these titles are made available through the program, although it can certainly help with popularity. I am not surprised to hear that older folks enjoy many of their books in audio form, and I think the older we get, the more appealing that form may be.
ReplyDeleteI often ask that question when I do an Author Takeover. The answers always vary. I love listening to books, have done so for many years. I also enjoy reading on my Kindle. I love being able to make the font large and bold.
ReplyDeleteI like the feeling of reading the actual print. I frequently have to refer back to a previous page to clarify something and I think that would be difficult if I were listening to the book.
ReplyDeleteI just like the feeling of the book and reading the it.
I work in a library and I do recommend audio versions to people having visual problems. Sometimes just a larger print is enough because many books are published in a version so small that even if you don’t have an issue with vision it is difficult to read.
I assume that is done for economic reasons since it doesn’t benefit the reader.
I think people learning English would have more difficulty listening although I have suggested for those individuals that they can read while listening that way they can see what the words look like while learning the pronunciation.
I'd rather read than listen, except on long car trips. But my husband selects opera CDs for our listening pleasure. I knew someone who listened to the entire Wagnerian ring cycle driving from Ohio to Maine and back again.
ReplyDeleteMy neighborhood book group is split between the under 40 and the over 60 sets. We all read hardback library books.
That is so interesting. I’m afraid audio holds no appeal for me. I tend to catch a thought and run with it, only to pull up short and realize I’ve missed a ton of the book, or the narration gives me a migraine. I don’t know why. I often use earbuds when streaming, but perhaps having a visual makes a difference! So unfair.
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