Discussion: Why I Haven’t Read an Audiobook.

Audiobooks have definitely taken off in recent years. People have found audiobooks to be an incredibly immersive reading experience. It’s especially beneficial if you have poor eyesight or are embarking on a long journey. Audiobooks are also a brilliant way of encouraging non-readers to read as it provides an alternative option to read. However, I have never read an audiobook and this post will explain why that is.

1. Easily Distracted

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Multitasking is definitely doable, but that doesn’t mean you’re not susceptible to distractions. Personally, I fall into the camp that gets easily distracted. Chances are that through listening to an audiobook when you’re also in the middle of another task, the focus will fall on the latter. So, by the time the job has finished and your concentration is solely dedicated to the audiobook, you find that you have lost your place, or have no recollection of what’s just been read. Multitasking with a book is very different from multitasking with music as music provides a beat to work to. It’s also not as easy to skip back to the last moment you remember in an audiobook. It’s a finickity process that can be frustrating, especially when you’re driving. Bottom line is if you’re a person that finds yourself easily distracted then it’s easy to be at a complete loss when you mentally check out and then check back into an audiobook.

2. The Narrator

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The narrator has a massive influence on the reader’s experience, and the voice cast has got to be right for the characters they’re depicting. This is the biggest challenge with audiobooks because more often than not the voice doesn’t reflect what you imagined the character to sound like. There are some incredible voice actors who shine in audiobooks and can successfully bring these characters to life to provide a fully immersive experience. However, when you can’t adjust to the narrator’s voice, you become distracted and even irritated by it, which can negatively affect the reading experience and the impact this book could have had on the reader.

3. Too Restful

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This might seem like a strange one, but don’t you find that someone’s voice is so soothing that it makes you want to rest and even sends you to sleep? There have been times where I’ve attempted to listen to podcasts/audiobooks and have literally fallen asleep within the first 10 minutes. Granted, it might have been because of a long and tiring day beforehand, but there is some truth in the fact that someone’s voice lulls you to sleep, like when a parent reads to a child at bedtime or by using a film, podcast, etc to help relax the mind and stop you from overthinking. Audiobooks could definitely make a person feel so well rested that it literally sends them to sleep.

 4. Don’t know where to start

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The truth is there are so many audiobooks to choose from that it’s hard for a novice to know where to start. There’s also the fact that audiobooks can be pricey, but I won’t go into that since you could get access at a cheaper rate through audible and your library. The first audiobook experience is crucial cause it could easily be a hit or miss, so finding the right book is essential to that reading experience. There’s never a reason to complain about a brilliant array of options, but do you go for a favourite author, a book you’ve already read, or take a shot in the dark and pick a new title?

What’s your relationship with audiobooks?
Do you have a favourite audiobook?

34 thoughts on “Discussion: Why I Haven’t Read an Audiobook.”

  1. Well a good way is doing sample listens. So you can see if you would like the narrator or not. Listening to a book you’ve already read is a good idea also. For you already know the story and just seeing if this new way is good for you.

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  2. I’m not a massive fan of audiobooks. If I don’t focus completely on listening my mind wanders and I don’t pay attention. Plus, I like listening to music while reading and I can’t do that with audiobooks.

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    1. I can’t listen to music when I read cause I’m likely to start singing along or if I’m listening to a movie score, I’d end up watching the film as well haha. I definitely think that my mind would wonder if I listened to an audiobook. I’m too easily distracted. 😛

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  3. I’ve become a fan of audiobooks in the past year and I agree that the narrator plays a huge part in it…. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah was my first one ever and it’ll probably always be my favorite… I also really like listening to books I’ve already read 😊😊

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    1. The narrator is definitely the make or break it for me, but I do think it’ll be interesting to read an audiobook of a book I’ve read before. I can imagine that the experience can be quite a contrast.

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  4. I used to think, why listen to a book, when I could read it, and my first few audiobooks were DNFs. Eventually, I found the type of stories that work for me, and now I love them! I listen as I do chores and drive and shop, and they have really helped me with my TBR.

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    1. The timer skill sounds like a great feature and would definitely come in handy for me. I feel like the narrator would be the make or break it moment.

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  7. This is such a great post, Lois! I listen to audiobooks a lot more than I used to, but only a certain type. For one, I can’t – for the life of me – read a fantasy audiobook unless I’ve already read it once before because I need focus to fully grasp the world-building, and like you said, audiobooks easily distract. They also totally put me to sleep hahaha, which is why I only read at night before bed. I only read short contemporaries, easy to keep up with, and short enough that even if I fall asleep, I can still listen to the whole thing within a couple days.

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    1. I feel like my mind would not process anything from a fantasy audiobook, my mind wanders too much to concentrate haha. I can get behind short contemporaries because I don’t think my mind would be as frazzled by the events in those books haha.

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  9. I listen when I’m walking to school, but I definitely cannot listen to an audiobook and do work. I usually can only do biographies and contemporary novels. Fantasy is very hard for me!

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    1. I feel like the world building in fantasy novels would be too much for my wandering mind. I can see the appeal of listening to one while walking though.

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  10. I concur with all that you’ve said! I really battle with audio. I enjoyed podcasts for a while but found myself *constantly* getting interrupted or distracted! It’s frustrating because I love crafting as well, and it’d be so great if I could “read” and craft at the same time… but I’m not sure that I’ll ever get there :/ Thanks for an awesome post!

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    1. It’s so hard to find that balance, but I find that my mind just wanders off too much if I listen to podcasts and audiobooks. I’m terrible for blanking out the radio haha. Maybe one day.

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  11. Ahhh I love this post! I haven’t tried audiobooks just yet, as my mind tends to wander a lot and I feel like I’d have such a hard time focusing on listening to it, somehow? I really should try to be certain of it ahah. I’m also a little lost and don’t know where to start haha 🙂 I’m glad I’m not alone in feeling this way! 😀

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    1. That is exactly what I’m like. I am terrible at blanking out radio so I would be even worse with audiobooks. My mind just thinks of the most random thing at the most random time and I guarantee I would zone out of the book when that happened.

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  12. Feeling like I AM SEEN. No, but, in all honesty, these are a lot of the reasons why I can’t read audiobooks. I am going to keep trying to find one that works for me, but I agree with your reasonings sooo much. Especially the focus part. I’ll never understand why I can’t focus on them, tbh, but it is what it is!

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    1. Thank heavens. I’m so relieved to know that I’m not alone with this. I feel like audiobooks are very practical in a lot of ways, but my mind wanders off at random moments and I guarantee that would be the case with audiobooks.

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  13. I never listen to an audiobook until I’ve read the book first, because I don’t want the narrator’s interpretation to influence my own imagination… unless the audiobooks are narrated by the authors, which gives me a fun, direct connection (even if their narration skills aren’t at the level of a pro) with how they originally wanted their stories to be told!

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    1. That is definitely a noteworthy point. I love creating an image of a character in my head and a big factor is a voice. I can see an author narrated audiobook being a lot of fun though.

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  14. I’ve only listened to one audiobook, and that was on a longish car journey. I’m generally good at multitasking but not when it comes to audiobooks! I get so involved in the other task at hand that I miss most of what is being read to me. XD

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  15. I have only listened to 3 series as audiobooks. And that was because someone else played a chapter in each so I knew I liked the narrator and the series was really hard to get trough because of my slight dyslexia. Now I’ve read so much that my dyslexia hardly bothers me, and I never go for audiobooks except for those 3 series. They become nostalgic for me😊

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    1. That’s such a great point to make with audiobooks. Knowing that the narrator is good at his craft is so reassuring. That’s incredible that your dyslexia hardly bothers you anymore and it’s great that you have those audiobooks you can turn to for nostalgia purposes.

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  16. I’ve just recently started listening to audiobooks and I really like how convenient they are. I was honestly surprised by how little I got distracted even when I was multitasking. Granted, I don’t do a lot of multitasking when listening to audiobooks, since I tend to listen to them when I’m on commute, but chores that I’m super used to, like washing the dishes or cleaning up my room don’t require a lot of concentration for me, so I’m able to go through an audiobook pretty focused on the narrator. But I do agree that a good narration can truly help a book or completely ruin it! So far, I haven’t had a terrible narrator experience, thankfully, but I’m sure it’s bound to happen at some point.
    Audiobooks really are a bit more expensive, but I’ve been trying Scribd and really enjoying it! It’s a lot more affordable than Audible, and their YA selection is great! I think it’s worth giving it a shot!

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    1. That’s incredible. I’m so happy to hear that your experiences with audio books have been nothing but positive so far. I can definitely see the benefits of audio books but I feel like my mind wanders too often haha. I completely forgot about Scribid, but I’ll definitely add it to my list of resources. Thank you so much for your insightful comment.

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