Audiobooks are rising in popularity. It’s a fun way to read/listen to your book when you can’t actually read a physical book. You can listen to audiobooks during your commute, during household chores and even at work. If you haven’t already jumped on the bandwagon, here are a few reasons why you should give them a go.
- You can read on the go– My favorite time to listen to audiobooks is on the commute to work but several people prefer to listen in the middle of tasks such as housework or cooking. Audiobooks let you listen to a book in situations when reading would be difficult or impossible.
- Less eye strain– If you have trouble with your eyesight or small print, this is a lifesaver. Listening means you can read with your eyes closed. However there is also a higher risk of falling asleep.
- Audiobooks bring the characters to life– Hearing a character speak in your head and hearing a character through a narrator are two very different experiences and I strongly recommend the latter. It’s highly entertaining.
- You can choose how fast or how slow you want your narration– Ever have that moment where no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to get into your book? You read the same page over and over again but it just doesn’t make sense? With audiobooks you can choose how fast or how slow you want the book to go so there’s no issue with your brain letting you and refusing to make sense of the words.
- You don’t have to physically carry a book with you– With digital media on the rise, this is my favorite both for audiobooks and ebooks. You can have your entire library on your cellphone without having a paperback getting dog-eared in your backpack.
Interested in Trying an Audiobook Service? Here are some of my picks:
- Scribd– I posted an article a while back about how Scribd helped me with my insane book buying habit so this is my favorite audiobook subscription site. It is also one of the cheapest I know. For $8.99 a month (about R135) you can access unlimited ebooks, audiobooks and magazines. It’s like the Netflix of books. When signing up, you get a month free so you can choose if it’s working for you or not. With the referral link I’ve included above, this gives you TWO months free. Give it a go. I promise you won’t regret it.
- Audible– Audible is one of the more popular audiobook sites. For $14.95 (about R225) a month, you can access one audiobook and two Audible originals. Audible is more pricey than Scribd but they also have several new releases and lots of great sales. You also get to keep the audiobooks even once your subscription is over.
- Audiobooks.com– Audiobooks.com lets you download one regular audiobook and two picks from their VIP selection a month for $14.95 (about R225). Like Audible, they also have lots of great sales on their audiobooks.
Have you tried listening to a book instead of reading? What are your favorite audiobooks? Let me know below.