Audible

[Nuka]

So, I'm not a reader.

I've tried to commit to a book time and time again and I just can not often get through them, and when I do, it takes a long old time.

On what can only be described as a complete whim, I tried out Audible.

Audible is Amazon's audio book service which offers literally thousands, (maybe even hundreds of thousand) of books which you listen to. Now, thinking that audio books were only meant for people with visual impairments, I was very surprised to finish Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in just over 4 days and thoroughly enjoy all of it.

The books are read by different, experienced narrators or sometimes the author themselves and they are very accessible and easy to follow. (Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter is npthing short of heavenly) The narration holds my interest and I take in considerably more than I would have thought.

I really enjoy audible. I am currently working my way through Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and I have got through all the previous HP books, Bill Bryson's 'Notes from a Small Island' and the Elon Musk biography.

I find Audible best in relativley short bursts, often listening while walking through town or commuting to work, however, I do also appreciate getting to sleep with Audible in the background quietly (a 'sleep timer' tool allows you to set the book to stop in a set amount of time so it doesn't play all night long!).

You are given 1 free credit a month which can be used to buy and book in the store for free. If you don't like the book, you can instantly refund it and use the credit or cash again (or save it). If you're a sneaky one you can refund a book just as you finish it and use the token for a shiny new book...

I highly recommend Audible, it's a great way to 'read' on the fly and you get the same comprehension as you would from a physical copy. I believe you can get a month free when you first sign up, which you can get one book with, (and auto-renewal membership can be turned off). There is such a library of books there really is something for everyone.


I should have typed that on my PC. My thumbs hurt.



**Audible sponsor me**

[TheDvEight]

I like reading but never do it at home too many distractions, I normally manage to read at least 1 book on holiday.

I've tried audible and have enjoyed it got a few books to listen too.

That said it is odd to listen to a book.

[Chaosphere]

I find I'm more or less of a reader depending on what else is going on in my life at the time. I've always got a book on the go, though.. and sometimes two at a time. Gaming and reading are both a type of escapism, but I find reading much 'calmer' - good for different things, I suppose.

Anyway, I've listened to perhaps 3 or 4 books on Audible, but never really found it a substitute for the voice coming from my own head. Even with a good narrator, the way you pace the book, emphasise different things, and even more importantly visually and tonally create the world you're inhabiting is much less your own than when you're flicking through actual words on paper. When I'm in the middle of it, I want that book to be a singularly personal experience - no narrator adding his or her own twist to it. The moments in books that have grabbed me, and I mean really grabbed me and left me with sweaty palms and a pounding heart*, just wouldn't have the same impact coming from a narrator - for me personally, that is. When I read those moments, I own them, in a sense. I feel like I'm part of that journey in a way the disconnect of audible can't match.

Then there's the matter of cost. I think at its cheapest audible works out at between 4 and 8 £ a month for 1-2 books. Paper (or even kindle) copies can be had for much less. My girlfriend read 70 books last year, and is aiming for 75 this year. If she listened rather than read, the costs would be astronomical. She reads far more than most, but even with my comparatively lethargic pace I can go through 3 or 4 a month during a good spell.

Anyway, these last paragraphs have more been why I prefer paper to narrator, coming from someone who loves books. If you simply don't have the same experience with books or the same problems with audible, then I'm sure it offers a great experience - and at the end of the day you end up hearing the same stories, I just think your experience is a little different, is all. If you're ever looking for recommendations* on what stories are worth listening to, give me a shout.

*Everyone should read The Dark Tower, ey Sithy? :yahoo:

**My stubbornness and strong opinions sponsor me.** :flirty:

[Penfold]

I have audible and enjoy it when on long car journeys for work.

Just listening to The Belgariad (again) and have quite a lrge collection now of Lee Child, Clancy, McNab and some autobiograhpies.

[TheDvEight]

I have audible and enjoy it when on long car journeys for work.

Just listening to The Belgariad (again) and have quite a lrge collection now of Lee Child, Clancy, McNab and some autobiograhpies.

I did think it'd be quite cool to listen to them while driving, is it distracting at all?

[Nuka]

Chaos, in response to you, I think you're right in the fact the audible is not really for people that are avid readers or at least enjoy the physical copies.

But for me, it's so much more convenient and easier to follow than a physical copy!

[Chaosphere]

And this is what makes it great, I suppose. You get stories that you wouldn't experience at all otherwise (if you simply don't enjoy reading).

I think a good comparison for us would be to Twitch. You don't actually play the game, but you enjoy watching someone else do so. And hey, twitch is mighty popular for one reason or another. I enjoy it myself, in short bursts.

Anyway, end of the day it's just about finding what works for you, and I'm certainly pleased you are enjoying literature (even if not my beloved books) enough to come and write about it here. That can't be a bad thing!

[Nuka]

I'm certainly pleased you are enjoying literature (even if not my beloved books)

Please enlighten me on some good ones to try!

[Chaosphere]

Well I can certainly recommend some based on the stories, but of course I won't know if they're any good as Audiobooks - who narrates can make quite a difference, I imagine!

What sort of genres are you interested in?

[Nuka]

You see I'm not exactly sure since I don't really read much! I'd say Action & Adventure or Mystery but at this stage I'm open to most things which could then open me up to new genres

[Chaosphere]

Hmm, well then I will just list a few books I have read in the last year or so that I rate highly. Not sure exactly where they will fall genre wise, I'll leave you to try what sounds interesting to you...

I Am Legend (I've read this many times)
The Road
Children of Time
The Passage (start of a 3 book series)
Shadow of the Wind (start of a 3 book series)
I Am Pilgrim
The Bone Clocks (& Cloud Atlas - same author)
A Quiet Belief in Angels
Watership Down
The Alchemist
The 5 People You Meet in Heaven

You could of course head into more of 'the classics'. Can't go wrong with things like 1984, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, Brave New World...

I could go on and on, have a look at some of those and see if any interest you


Oh, and everyone must read The Dark Tower... But that's perhaps not a journey to start lightly, it's long and requires a real investment if you're going to get the most out of it. SithAfrikaan and I are in love with The Dark Tower in a perhaps unhealthy way :roflmao:

[Penfold]

I did think it'd be quite cool to listen to them while driving, is it distracting at all?

No more than listening to the radio.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not sugesting you listen to The Iliad in the original Greek or decide you'd like to have Ovid's Metamorphoses in Latin but for everyday good reads it's fine.

Just spent 4 hours today in the car driving to a client and back and the time zips away if you're listening to a good book.

Personally, I've spent enough time reading the classics so I rarely read much that isn't light.

[albert]

Humble have some interesting audio books both bundles and to buy whenever. I have a the hunger games and some Lee Childs to catch up on.

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