Audiobooks discussion
Archives
>
Learning to "Read" all over again ?
date
newest »
newest »
Welcome to the wonderful world of audiobooks, Julie! I started listening to audio books almost 10 years ago. I wanted the luxury of being able to complete a book during my long commute to/from work (2+ hours a day). It was difficult for me at first as my mind would start to wander. What I did to "train" myself was start off with books I had already read. I started off with the Stephanie Plum series and the early Nancy Drew books. Both series had excellent narrators so it made it easy to get trained on how to listen since I basically already knew the stories.
As time went on, I adapted that listening reading ability to focus and concentrate on the audio book without being distracted or having my mind wander. It does take time but some adapt very quickly. A great narrator always makes a difference.
Now, I am about 75% dependent upon audiobooks for my reading as I often don't have the availability to read in print. I am able to listen to audiobooks at work most of the time plus my 2+ hours/day commute. I love when I have options for reading!
Even to this day, I can get distracted if I start thinking about my "to do" list at work. I am often rewinding on the audiobook to replay the portions where I wasn't paying attention. I think that's pretty normal.
But continue to keep at those audiobooks. Take advantage of your library, if you can, and maybe try some books that you've already read to see if you can notice if it makes it easier for you.
I started listening to audiobooks in a major way about fifteen years ago. I was always more auditory than visual so the transition wasn't as hard, but there were still those moments when attention wandered and I'd have to go back. All of us appreciate to some extent having a story read to us--it takes us back to being kids and the joy of a parent reading or telling us stories. But being a visual learner does pose a problem for a person when approaching audiobooks later in life.I also think that some of our habits with other auditory things in our lives cause us to develop some bad auditory habits. I used to keep the TV or radio on as background for whatever else I was doing, even if not actively watching TV or listening to the radio. I was attuned just enough to focus on the tune or show when something good came on. But this habit of passive listening meant that from time to time while listening to an audiobook I would let my mind focus elsewhere and treat the sound of the audiobook like the TV. Sigh. That isn't a workable strategy if you actually want to know what happens in a story.
Another thing that I noticed was that at first I could concentrate intensely for twenty minutes to half an hour and then... mind goes walkabout. Over time, I've increased that to as long as necessary, especially when the book is engaging.
I think that over time the modern world has retrained us--or we've reshaped it--so that the ability to pay attention for more than twenty minutes is now problematic--studies actually show this. I remember hearing once that someone asked the Reverend Billly graham why his sermons weren't as long as they used to be, and he replied that people weren't listening as long as they used to.
When you recommend audiobooks to frends, try suggesting they set aside fifteen to twenty minutes without distractions when they first try, then increase time/distractions as they get used to the new format. I know some people simply aren't auditory, but I often feel bad for anyone who doesn't get to experience books the way I do. ;)
I also adapted easily to audio because I retain things well from hearing them, provided the narrator is good However, I think I have a sense of what others are going through because I am fluent but not native in French. I have listened to some audio in French and I have to really concentrate and sometimes miss things. It does get easier after I do it for a while. For those who had trouble with audiobooks, it might be good to start with something pretty involving/dramatic/funny so they are rewarded quickly for paying attention.
Julie wrote: "I know this may be a really stupid question ,but I'm a newbie to the audiobook world and really enjoying them ! Do any of you remember when first listening to them, did you feel like you were hav..."
Yes. I think you're right to try starting with stories you know and love.
I've always been very much a visual learner, so it was difficult for me to learn to concentrate on what I was hearing. But I am so pleased now with audiobooks, and look for activities that will let me listen - can't do it while reading forums here or at Ravelry - but knitting or driving to errands, walking the dog, working in the garden, are all good things to keep my hands busy while my ears listen. I can't just sit and listen.
Patricia puts it very well in message 2. I very rarely listen to an audiobook without doing something else at the same time. About the only time I do is on a sleep timer at bedtime, or in the middle of the night, and then I make sure that I'm listening to a book I know well, or when I'm lying in the garden and don't want the effort of holding and squinting at a book.
I started by listening in the car, when I had a long commute. Now I feel quite angsty if I can't listen when driving for some reason! I do turn off the book if I'm doing complicated navigation or in very bad driving conditions, but I used to turn off the music then too.
I find audiobooks invaluable for enlivening otherwise tedious tasks like tidying, packing, cooking etc. -- thinks which are not completely absorbing in themselves. Perhaps that's how your friends could get started on them?
If I exercised (!) I'm sure I'd listen then!
Julie wrote: "Thanks for all your comments / suggestions ,everyone . I really do enjoy the audiobooks, so I don't think I'll ever get to the point that I don't want to listen to them. It's actually kind of nic..."
You may have left it out because the most famous Jim Dale narration goes without saying, but I hope you've experienced the Harry Potter books read by him. Because of his narration, these were the very first books I ever re-read. I wanted to return to that world and, moreover, felt like I was visiting with a friend when hearing Jim Dale's voice even when it was material I was hearing again. I had never once re-read a book in print. I would have re-read The Lord of the Rings, but the first book wasn't with me when I wanted to re-start. The LotR audiobooks were the first I re-read after having read them in print. These are still my two favorite series of all time.
I have been listening to audiobooks for about three months now and I ams still adjusting. I was born with a developemental disability and found out through years of schooling that I am very much a hands on learner. You can tell me something repeatedly and I won't get it, but show me once or twice and let me do it a few times and I've got it.Listening to audiobooks is a challenge for me, but if I never challenge myself how will I grow?
Yes, terrific attitude! And I think you'll love Harry Potter. My son was never much of a fiction reader but when he was in high school we drove to look at colleges. I had cassette tapes of Jim Dale reading Harry Potter and my son was the one who said, when we got to a destination, "Wait, I want to hear how this part ends."
If I may get a little philosophical for a minute… this topic reminds me that in our modern society, with all the sensory competition and distractions, I think many of us have sort of lost the ability to really listen. Many of us find ourselves multi-tasking and while this may help us get through the day, it does rob us the joys of giving our undivided attention to one thing at a time. Listening to books may be a bit of a learning curve because of our modern habits, but it's a good habit to develop as it helps us focus on concentrating on other things as well.
Stick with it. I have an auditory LD so I literally had to train myself to be able to listen to audio books. It took awhile. Even now after about two years on audio, I often have to re-listen to parts when I have that feeling I've missed something. I enjoy audio so much though that I don't let the re-listening bother me. I'm much better at it. I can even listen to some books at 1.25 speed. Now that my public library has such an abundance of downloadable audio books, at least, half if not more, of the books I read are audio.
Julie wrote: "I put the Harry Potter book number one on reserve at the library. I see that Audible no longer sells them."Audible never had the license to sell Harry Potter. The Pottermore Shop (Google for it) is the only source as far as I know. And there never seem to be any sales.
CatBookMom wrote: "Julie wrote: "I put the Harry Potter book number one on reserve at the library. I see that Audible no longer sells them."Audible never had the license to sell Harry Potter. The Pottermore Shop ..."
Overdrive offers the Harry Potter series in my library. I'm assuming it's in others' library system too.
Julie wrote: "Yes our library has them, all out currently so I put the first one on hold . I didn't want to get them out of order or they wouldn't make much sense ."Definitely read them in order! :)
Another Jim Dale narration I enjoy once a year is his reading of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I found that listening to this one was like discovering whole new aspects to the story. There are other great narrations of this story available, but... I mean, it's Jim Dale!
CatBookMom wrote: "Julie wrote: "I put the Harry Potter book number one on reserve at the library. I see that Audible no longer sells them."Audible never had the license to sell Harry Potter. The Pottermore Shop ..."
I went to The Pottermore Shop to try to purchase the audiobook #1 and no matter which button I clicked anywhere on it the website refused to leave the home page. It was as if all of the links were broken.
Jeffrey wrote: "CatBookMom wrote: "Julie wrote: "I put the Harry Potter book number one on reserve at the library. I see that Audible no longer sells them."Audible never had the license to sell Harry Potter. T..."
You can still buy the audio CDs on Amazon.Com and then turn them into digital files you can listen to on a device. I think the downloads on Pottermore are about as expensive as the CDs but buying the CDs can be a back-up copy if the digital copy poofs.
CatBookMom wrote:Audible never had the license to sell Harry Potter. The Pottermore Shop ..."
Yes they did, before the Pottermore thing came around. I remember thinking about buying them in iTunes at the time, they were in my wishlist. I didn't and shortly after they were not available any more, because of Pottermore.
This was Europe/UK mind, but I suppose audible.com was the same back then.
Specs wrote: "CatBookMom wrote:Audible never had the license to sell Harry Potter. The Pottermore Shop ..."
Yes they did, before the Pottermore thing came around. I remember thinking about buying them in iTun..."
Nope, Audible.Com never had the digital Harry Potter books.
Julie wrote: "I know this may be a really stupid question ,but I'm a newbie to the audiobook world and really enjoying them ! Do any of you remember when first listening to them, did you feel like you were hav..."
I was just thinking about this. I'm very much a visual learner, but when I started audiobooks I listened to ones I had already read in print. I listened to LOTR and Harry Potter so many times I'm surprised I didn't wear my CDs out. Then when I got my first iPod I ripped them in iTunes and listened again. That was a million years ago. When I look at my stats on the Audible app, it kind of scares me as to how many books I have. Then there are many more I've listened to from the library.
This is so interesting. While I do find that I retain more of a story when I listen to it, I am also much more aware of those moments when my mind wanders and I have to rewind to catch what I've missed. It makes me realize that while we all think we can multi-task, it really isn't possible to mentally process more than one thing at at time. I can't think about how I'm going to marinate the fish for dinner, while also following the plot of a novel. When I'm not trying to listen to an audiobook, I'm sure my mind wanders all the time without my even realizing, so I like that the focus required when listening makes me more aware and helps to keep me present. Marilee wrote: "If I may get a little philosophical for a minute… this topic reminds me that in our modern society, with all the sensory competition and distractions, I think many of us have sort of lost the abili..."
I started listening to audio books when they first came out in tape form for my walkman. I am an avid walker, and music was great, but when I discovered audio books, I was hooked. I sometimes have to rewind a bit but not often. I love being read to, and rediscovered that love when I took a Native American Studies course in college many years ago, where the professor (who read so well), read Native American poetry and short stories to us amidst the lectures. Also several years ago, I was traveling across the great big state of Wyoming from corner to corner and books on tape were a godsend. Now I download them on my iPod (and want a new iPod touch so bad, but the old one still works), and listen while at the gym, doing chores around the house and yard. Love them, although they are just an addition to my regular books.
I have to disagree about the Harry Potter books, I don't like Jim Dale reading them .......don't shoot me lol.Stephen Fry is the man for that, I've tried both and can't get to grips with Jim Dales narration, my little boy however is the other way around!
This is an interesting and key topic that as an Audiobook Narrator I am particularly curious about. What keeps you listening? Voice? Story? Characters? Do you prefer, as some have said, to "be read to" or is a more character based, somewhat dramatic, version more appealing and keep your interest?
Kevin wrote: "This is an interesting and key topic that as an Audiobook Narrator I am particularly curious about. What keeps you listening? Voice? Story? Characters? Do you prefer, as some have said, to "be..."All of it. If the narrator's awful it doesn't matter how good the story is. If the story is bad, no one can make it good just by reading well. A good narrator, though, can make a good book amazing.
And yes, I definitely have a childish side that likes being read to. I would never work through all of my tbr list if I had to just read them all myself.
Julie, I first started listening to audiobooks with my kids in the car. That got me hooked but when I began listening on my own I did notice something like what you describe. I started listening to books that I would not normally have read in print. Something that was a slight departure for me like, nonfiction or classics. I'm still a little picky about what I listen to rather than read but I do listen to a broad range and don't have trouble keeping up. I would recommend a couple of old ones to you Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson and Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand.
Kevin wrote: "This is an interesting and key topic that as an Audiobook Narrator I am particularly curious about. What keeps you listening? Voice? Story? Characters? Do you prefer, as some have said, to "be..."Some of all of it. I returned Rick Riordan's next to last Percy Jackson because they changed the narrator and I could not stand him. (Hope it wasn't you!). I didn't even bother to try the last one because it was the same narrator. I read them on my Kindle instead so Rick still got my money. Recently agreed to listen to a book for a review. The only female character was such a stereotypical helpless female I could not stand it. Guy was a stereotypical macho male, and it wasn't romance. It was scifi. Some books I'm not crazy about the narrator when I start but the story is so good I get lost in the story and forget whatever it is that's bugging me.
Recent perfect example: The Martian. Perfect story. Perfect character. Perfect Narrator. Also, all of James Sullivan Hadrian and Royce novels. Perfect characters. Perfect narrator. Perfect story. I get done with those and I just want to start all over again.
No Lori, it wasn't me! :) No worries. Ah yes, The Martian was a stellar success, RC Bray just won an Audie Award for that one.
Loved his narration. I read along with the audio book and enjoyed it so much.
Lori wrote: "Kevin wrote: "This is an interesting and key topic that as an Audiobook Narrator I am particularly curious about. What keeps you listening? Voice? Story? Characters? Do you prefer, as some hav..."Just a small correction, Royce and Hadrian are in a series by Michael J. Sullivan rather than James. I love them and I agree, Tim Gerard Reynolds is perfect for those books. (A free short story from that series was made available just a week or two ago on Audible, by the way.) But when I listened to Reynolds narrate Shift by Hugh Howey with an American accent, I disliked his style and manner.
There are a few series that are totally "made" by the narrator - Jim Frangione as Chet the Dog in the Bernie & Chet mysteries, Katherine Kellgren as Jacky Faber, Barbara Rosenblatt as Amelia Peabody. Those books are not great literature and reading them in print would be mildly entertaining, but the presentation is so wonderful, it takes it to a whole new level.
Julie wrote: "I know this may be a really stupid question ,but I'm a newbie to the audiobook world and really enjoying them ! Do any of you remember when first listening to them, did you feel like you were hav..."
I've loved audiobooks from the very beginning when I first started borrowing audiobook CDs from the public library 15 years ago. I "read" audiobooks almost exclusively while taking my daily walk outside on a busy street. I live in a city with little outdoor beauty (Las Vegas, with all of its buildings some shade of brown, and the landscape covered with dirt and rocks) so I need to get into the story to save my sanity. My willingness to be absorbed by the story is greatly affected by the narrator. In almost every case the narrator is well chosen, so I've never had any problem retaining the story.
Robin wrote: "Just a small correction, Royce and Hadrian are in a series by Michael J. Sullivan rather than James. I love them and I agree, Tim Gerard Reynolds is perfect for those books. (A free short story from that series was made available just a week or two ago on Audible, by the way.) But when I listened to Reynolds narrate Shift by Hugh Howey with an American accent, I disliked his style and manner."Robin, I took a quick listen to the two Audiobooks you mention and they both seem to be British accents. That is the interesting thing about audiobooks, the listeners interpretation. For Shift, are you saying that Reynolds' characters with American Accents were the issue or was it the overall "style and manner" as you mention?
Kevin wrote: "Robin wrote: "Just a small correction, Royce and Hadrian are in a series by Michael J. Sullivan rather than James. I love them and I agree, Tim Gerard Reynolds is perfect for those books. (A free s..."Thanks for the correction. Lost my mind. That's been happening a lot since school was out. Hoping its temporary.
Kevin wrote: "Robin wrote: "Just a small correction, Royce and Hadrian are in a series by Michael J. Sullivan rather than James. I love them and I agree, Tim Gerard Reynolds is perfect for those books. (A free s..."I guess it was a couple of things - Reynolds' American accent was odd. For instance, he pronounced "palm" as "pam" and it's surprising how often that word came up. Also that book had zero humor and Reynolds shines in bringing out the humor in the Sullivan books. Part of it was the book itself which I found slow and depressing.
I encountered a list of frequently mispronounced words and "palm" was on it. Turns out the guy writing the list was a Brit and palm, psalm, and calm are pronounced without any hint of l by Brits while we Americans do... but he insists we're wrong. Until I read that I hadn't noticed it so it isn't any wonder that a British narrator might not think of it when doing an American accent, but it really is a noticeable tell.
Robin, Jeanie,It takes effort to get pronunciations correct both researching and then performing the right way for the given accent. I see many feel that way, including me where I can't even bear to hear myself mispronounce something!
Audiobooks
Books mentioned in this topic
Shadow Divers (other topics)Seabiscuit: An American Legend (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Robert Kurson (other topics)Laura Hillenbrand (other topics)
I've always been more of an auditory person though, if someone tells me something I'll remember it much better than if I read it. So I do think how you process information naturally has an impact on how quickly or how well you take to audiobooks.
I admit I did used to 'skim' over the boring bits in print books, but I never skip sections in audio, so I now hear every word and I find that I am remembering audiobooks much better than when I used to read print books.
I do think it does require a bit of brain training to get to the stage where you are really listening to the book and taking in every word of the story, rather than just 'hearing' the words.
I started slowly just listening while on a very boring commute to and from work (lots of sitting still in traffic time) but them I gradually increased how often and where I listen...and now apart from reading something, I can have an audiobook on with my full attention while I am doing quite a variety of other activities.
If you stick with it, you'll find you gradually get better at listening.