Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Audio Obsession #2. What stops you from listening to audiobooks? (Part 2)

Audio
Obsession
Audio Obsession is a feature where I spread my love for audiobooks around blogosphere. Here you’ll see all things audio related.

What stops you from listening to audiobooks?


Today I continue discussion that I started in this post. I love audiobooks, but many readers don’t listen to audio. What stops people? I’ve come across several reasons and today I continue to discuss them.

I don’t listen to audiobooks, because I’m easily distracted. My mind wonders, and I don’t remember, what I’ve just listened.

My advice: find a book you are dying to read. A book with engaging plot, interesting characters, a book that makes you feel and think. Believe me you wouldn’t get distracted in this case.

I can’t highlight and make bookmarks.

It’s really a big issue for me. As a reader I like to highlight my favorite quotes, so I can later reread them. As a reviewer I want to be able to bookmark important scenes, so when I’m writing my review I can quickly find information. And I love to put quotes in my reviews. So if I really loved an audiobook, there are big chances that I would buy a book.

I can’t get into the audiobook, because I don’t like how male narrator performs female voices and vice versa?

Well sometimes I have this issue too. It’s especially difficult for a male narrator to pull off believable and natural female voices. I don’t like when male narrators go for a high-pitched voices in this case. I admit I had problems on several occasions. More often this happens with narrators with low, deep, masculine voices.

So my advice to you: go for a dual or multiple narrations. My latest audiobook with multiple narrations was One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. I also highly recommend audiobooks of The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater and Fever series by Karen Marie Moning (note: first three books were narrated by Joyce Bean, after that there was amazing dual narration).

I don’t have many opportunities to listen; my commute is ten minutes long.

I agree that if you only have ten minutes a day to listen it’s hard to enjoy audiobooks. To listen in small portions with long periods of not-listening is very frustrating. But ask yourself: Do you really have only ten minutes a day for audiobooks? You see, when I first started my audio journey I had a feeling that I had no time to listen. Gradually I began to find more and more opportunities to put my ear buds in. Nowadays I listen to audiobooks while I’m cleaning, cooking, ironing, even applying make-up, when I’m shopping or sitting in line to get somewhere.

So tell me, do you listen to audiobooks? If not, what stops you? Have I convinced you to pick up an audiobook?



4 comments:

  1. I would say the biggest reason I don't read audio is your #1 - I like to be able to go back and look at pages if I forgot something or if I really liked a particular passage, plus I worry I'll lose focus and then have to rewind. I know a lot of my friends love audio and listen to it in their car, which seems very convenient, so I'd like to try it one day. Possibly with a re-read? I figured I could start there and see how it goes. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is why graphic audios never fail me! Every character has their own narrator, so there is never an issue of having a male voice out a female or a female voice out a male. I never get distracted too because I'm enamored by the great voice acting that takes place in them!

    Faye at The Social Potato

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my goodness, I am the exact same, I absolutely cannot do audiobooks. I just do not have the attention span for it. A lot of people say they listen to it while doing house chores or colouring and I'm like HOW? I can barely pay attention to what people are saying to me when I am doing those things, let alone follow a book haha.

    Aentee at Read at Midnight

    ReplyDelete
  4. I listen on my commute, but like you, Ksenia I listen while doing chores, cooking, and getting ready. It really makes the mundane tasks fly by. Another wonderful post! :)

    ReplyDelete