Audiobooks or reading?

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Panther
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 3:40 pm

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by Panther »

It's real books for me every time. For a start there's something special in just being able to pick up the book and hold it in your hands, look at the loose cover, open it, check when it was first published and how many times it's been reprinted. Then there's often information about the author on the cover which serves to wet the appetite and draw you in to really wanting to read it straight away. If those first few lines are doing their job they hook you and draw you in. By the end of just the first one or two pages you are caught; you're dying to know more about that first character and what on earth is going to happen to them. If it's non-fiction, there is that thirst for knowledge, that eagerness to learn something new which makes you desperate to read further.
As I've got older I've found it increasingly more difficult to assimilate and retain facts as I read. It's therefore great to have the book in your possession; you can go back and re-read a sentence or a whole page as often as you like. You can dip into it next day, next month, whenever you like.
Once read, books for me can become valued possessions; something to keep and treasure.
Yes, it's reading for me every time. :D
There may be trouble ahead
But while there's moonlight and music
And love and romance
Let's face the music and dance
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Medusa
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Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:41 pm
Location: UK

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by Medusa »

Physical books for me always. I dont get on well with Kindles and as someone else said I cant listen to anything if their voice annoys me (which is a frequent thing). I could spend hours in second hand book shops and have no issues with pre-loved books at all. I will happily buy books online and have several of them on my Amazon wish list which are out of print, however my kids have a real issue with buying them for me. I love the smell and feel of books and how they look on my bookshelves. Ereaders just remind me of those magic slate things I had as a kid.
Growing old disgracefully!
jansman
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Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by jansman »

Right now I have returned to my paper library. Re reading some smashing books. During lockdown, I am doing as much physical, manual labour as I can to keep fit,Then about mid afternoon we retire to the Summerhouse and read. TV and internet is totally off limits as all we hear and read there is The Obvious.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
redskies
Posts: 1551
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:35 am

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by redskies »

Both. Real books are reference/tutorial/how to books. Kindle books - over 1800 - for everything else and audio books for when I have stuff to do & want something in the background. With very few exceptions, I will usually listen to an audiobook when I've already read the book.


(If you have kids & an audible account, there's loads of free stuff to stream for kids from teeny to teen right now.)
omega man
Posts: 237
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 4:02 pm

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by omega man »

Simply anything, physical books, Kindle/E books, PDF's, audio books, newspapers and magazines. I see no reason to limit where I find the written word.
Obviously some mediums are better suited to a situation than others, For example, I like the kindle if reading in bed due to it being lightweight and back lit. Reference books can be good as actual books for flicking back through quickly and sharing.
For me it's fluid.

OM
lostmind
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Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:08 pm

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by lostmind »

I prefer to read books, especially when you have a series and new books to follow, for the kids it builds up thier knowledge and it increases their vocabulary. While we are reading we also have the record player on, and that really sets the mood for reading. I am not against audio books or kindles but for me, if my kids had them they would take the easy way out... We have a large selection of books from fiction to reference books and dictionaries. We try to have fun with the reference and dictionaries by setting activities and games by giving them a word/place/animal and they have to race to find it.
Saps
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Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:35 pm

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by Saps »

Both :)

I read in my breaks at work (mostly an hour a day) and listen when I'm driving to and from work (60-90 minutes, depends on the distance of the post offices I work). So I get 4-8 books per month.

My stats for 2020 are 53 books consumed: 28 read, 25 listened. 20 in german, 33 in english.

Huge books like John Gwynne (app. 24h per book) or one of my favourite authors Brandon Sanderson (up to 55h) are one thing I keep for my holidays when I'm at home, listening to them and make nothing except listening. Otherwise I' be occupied with that book for weeks and then I'd lost the will to continue
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Greetings, Saps!
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dizzydays
Posts: 53
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2020 1:28 pm

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by dizzydays »

I like reading best (Kindle) - the advantages of Kindle for me are it's easy to hold as I have bad rheumatoid arthritis in my hands. Also I'm downsizing and love having a whole library on one gadget. Reference books/cookery books are still better in paper though. Audio is ok if the voice isn't irritating but it's not something I routinely add.

I had left my library when they stopped the library van coming round and I got a Kindle, but I've recently discovered that library members can borrow ebooks and audio books via the Borrowbox app (which will download onto smartphones,tablets kindle fires, computers). Much like the library you can only borrow books that aren't 'out' and you have a date to 'return' them but it gives you the chance to try out some audio books for free.
featherstick
Posts: 1124
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:09 pm

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by featherstick »

Gah.

I listen to music, and radio plays.

I read books.

"Audiobooks" are agin the laws of man and nature, they ain't natural.
Lemne
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:44 pm

Re: Audiobooks or reading?

Post by Lemne »

I read a lot. I mainly read on the kindle app on my phone but have never got on with audio books. I don't have a lot of physical books anymore as we got rid of a lot when we moved into the flat. I do always treat myself to a book or two on my holidays though.