Four Reasons You Should Listen to More Audiobooks
Listening to an audiobook isn't really reading, right?
That's what I thought for most of my life. But now I completely disagree.
About 75% of the books I've finished this year have been audiobooks. Without audiobooks, there's no way I'd have read as many books this year as I did. For that reason, I highly commend them.
Here are four reasons to incorporate more audiobooks into your reading.
#1 Audiobooks Are Great For Speed-reading
It should not be our goal to speed through books for the sake of getting through books.
However, some books are not worth reading in depth.
For some books, it's perfectly fine to speed through and get the gist. I remember doing this in college with an assigned book. It was a liberal, sex-positive book on biblical sexuality. 3.5x speed was essential.
But sometimes speed reading will compel you to read a book again more deeply.
After listening, you may be compelled to buy the book in print and go through it slower.
I've done this with a handful of books this year. Audiobooks can be sped up in most apps up to 3.5x. At this rate, you miss a lot of things. But you've only got so much time to read, and you don't want to spend it lingering long over a book that isn't worth it.
If a book is good, it's worth reading twice.
#2 Audiobooks are Great for Narrative
There's something great about hearing a story rather than just reading it.
This includes fiction, biographies, and certain kinds of history. Especially when you've got a great reader. It brings the whole story to life with different voices and levels of expressiveness.
On the flip side, a bad reader can ruin it.
Narratives are also incredibly engaging. This makes narratives especially suitable for audiobooks, where it's easier to get distracted.
#3 Audiobooks Multiply Your Time
Audiobooks can help you make the most of your time.
Audiobooks are great for reading during non-cognitive tasks like:
- Driving
- Doing dishes
- Folding laundry
- Sewing, knitting, and mending
- Etc.
I listened to the whole Chronicles of Narnia this year by mostly listening to it during car rides and wind-down time at night.
Holding a book in your hands and reading it prohibits you from doing almost anything else. Audiobooks free up your hands and eyes to enable you to do lots of other things as you read.
But resist the temptation to cram an audiobook into every spare quiet moment.
You still need time to think. Sometimes it is nice to have a silent drive to think and pray. Sometimes it is nice to go on a walk and hear the wind and the birds chirping.
Leave a little margin.
#4 Audiobooks Are Portable
You can bring your audiobooks anywhere as long as you have your phone.
I would love to bring my entire physical library with me at all times, but that's not practical. I usually carry two books in my bag, sometimes three. With audiobooks, as long as you have headphones/earbuds, you can listen to them almost anywhere.
This opens up possibilities with how you can spend your unexpected spare moments.
Additionally, audiobooks are available instantly after you purchase them. No need to go to the store or wait for it to arrive. You can download it right away and begin reading.
Comments ()