Poll

Colleen wrote: "They are absolutely reading! Not everyone can use their sight to access a story. Using an audiobook still counts as having 'read' or experienced the story."

I think all methods of enjoying a story are valid — no discrimination here!

Tyler J wrote: "Yes, they count and anyone who says they don't is just ableist, sorry not sorry. Blind people? Learning disabilities? Whatever format gets a story into a person's brain, is reading. Audio book, Ebo..."

I concur!

I never really understood why this was ever an argument. Audiobooks are made for convenience if you physically can't pick up a book but still want to read. For example, when my mom gave birth to my sister... she was obviously busy taking care of my sister and couldn't juggle a book and a baby. And by the time she had time to herself she was too exhausted to actually pick up a book, but she still wanted to read. So it's a convenient and easy way to ingest that book in a way that's more compatible to your life at the time.

Not only that, there are blind people that still want to read. I'm sorry but would you want to read an 800+ page book in brail? Is that even always achievable/available to those individuals? No. So audiobooks are also convenient for those visually impaired people. Are you going to walk up to a blind person and tell them that because all of the books they'd read this year were audiobooks that they actually haven't read at all? No.

NOT TO MENTION people who love reading but are dyslexic, or have some other form of learning disability! Maybe listening is the only way that they can read and actually understand the book. It doesn't mean that they don't read, it just means that they read in a different way, and why is that such a bad thing?

Anyway, after all this yapping, my main point is... audiobooks are still books, you are still making time to immerse yourself into that story, so why would it not be considered a form of reading?

Laura wrote: "M. wrote: "While "reading" and "listening" are two different processes, I feel like saying that audio books don't count as reading would be pretty ableist. Not everyone can use their sight or readi..."

Oh my, that's just ridiculous. Reading is supposed to be a hobby. Even people who read for research usually do it because they find some kind of enjoyment in it. Why do we feel the need to put pressures and rules on people doing something that is supposed to be fun and enjoyable? How are your morals corrupt because you partake in a specific hobby differently? Makes zero sense OMG!

This is truly the most annoying thing to me. OF COURSE ITS READING. Who care what others think. You are consuming the book one way or the other

If you finish a book, no matter how you reached the end, it counts. Reading a physical or an e-book, listening to the audiobook version or even have someone read it to you.

I read physical books but that takes time and with my migraines I’m not always physically able to read and understand what is going on. Also I am a home health therapist and spend a lot of time in car. Instead of music I often listen to audiobooks and go through a 7-8 hour book in a week, or less. I also find it comforting to be read to if the narrator is good. If you’re into cozy mysteries try the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt and narrated by Grover Gardener, strong characters, crazy situations, always a dog who never dies, and fantastic narration that really brings the stories to life. I do recommend starting with book one, Open and Shut. Also Jana Deleon’s Miss Fortune series for extremely quirky characters that are a lot of fun.