Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Audio books...Do they count as reading?
I say yes. They're still the same words, plots, characters, beginnings, endings, everything. The only thing different is the medium.
I love the way Recorded Books ends each Book:"And thank you for being a Recorded Books READER."
I would guess most avid readers are visual learners, but audio books give auditory learners a great way to keep up with literature too. I would rather use my eyes to read, but I listen to books too, in order to keep up on my listening skills.
I like recorded books too. I sometimes have long commutes for work and listening to audio books helps me make good use of hours that would otherwise just be wasted. I don't see why you wouldn't count a book listened to as a book 'read'. It just wasn't *your* voice reading it. Listening to others also helps you to hear how words sound put together. I've also learned the pronunciation of foreign phrases by having listened to them.The only 'drawback' for me is that it's not easy to skip ahead if the book gets boring (smile), or you can't easily go back to re-read something that might now make sense a little further in the book.
Melissa, I think someone else asked that question and was told that you can count books any way you want to...to which I would agree...it's YOUR list, not anyone else's and it's not a race. My take on this haven of book-lovers is that it is a place to bring your impressions, discussions, inquisitiveness and knowledge to share with others, not necessarily to compete, or at least seriously compete (a little good-natured competition is stimulating and fun) but for each of us to expand...knowledge, character, empathy etc. And to learn about the rest of the world. I agree about the hours wasted during driving, and on trips most people play music, but once on a road trip the driver put in six cassettes of the first Harry Potter book and I was entranced...the trip went by really fast. I love driving and road trips, but listening instead was a real treat.
An interesting question seen as not so long ago, the vast majority of people's experience of books or stories in general was via audio. Its only recently that the common man can enjoy such a high level of literacy and vast availability of such a range of reading materials as we do today and if you are lucky enough to live near a good library, its also a practically cost-free hobby. The oldest books known to mankind, such as Beowulf, The Buddhist Scriptures, The Illiad or even the Bible were all passed from one generation to the next via an oral tradition, sitting about fires on cold winter nights, or standing about listening to an interesting man on a podium in the local marketplace. If anything, listening to the audio of the works or writers such as Shakespeare or Douglas Adams is the more valid experience compared to reading the written texts and I celebrate rather than dispair at the modern revival of audio story-telling.
Amanda wrote: "An interesting question seen as not so long ago, the vast majority of people's experience of books or stories in general was via audio. Its only recently that the common man can enjoy such a high ..." It is indeed interesting, and I thank you for reminding us of the tradition of 'storytelling'. Reading can be done individually, no-one ever need know what you read, or in fact, IF you read...but storytelling takes at least two, one to tell and one to hear, and so a sense of community is there (even with just two). Hmmm, something I hadn't really ever thought of til you brought it up. So again, Thanks.
The loss of Storytelling had a side effect:The best thing about the popularity of Audiobooks is that it's bringing back the actual skill of listening. When I first started to listen to books, it took a while to train myself to actively listen to the story and not be thinking about a million other things while it played in the background, like I do with music.
I coach a debate team, where listening is a critical skill and I encourage them to listen to short stories or books or anything - just to keep building that active listening skill.
Listening to books is incredibly hard. At this point, I find that I can only truly listen to books that I have already read once before. The reason for this is that the specific details don't seem to have as much impact for me when I am listening. I have a feeling that a big part of this is because I am listening while doing something else. When I actually read a book, it is the only thing that I am doing and my attention is not able to wander. In terms of counting them for this challenge, I say go for it. I am currently listening to The Book Thief as my book club is reading it this month and a)I read it a few years ago and b)my copy is currently on loan in another state. It takes time and a desire to hear the whole story to listen to a book. I actually have less patience to listen to a book that is dull than to read it.
ABSOLUTELY!! We 'read' when we are driving long distances. My aunt is legally blind and that is the only way she can read now. For others, small children who listen to books on tape before they go to sleep is no different from me reading right before I turn off the light.
Helen wrote: "ABSOLUTELY!! We 'read' when we are driving long distances. My aunt is legally blind and that is the only way she can read now. For others, small children who listen to books on tape before they g..."Helen, I keep thinking of my sister's local library in Roseville, MN, where I volunteered along with her on my last vacation there. They had such a collection of audio books I was jealous. As I was shelving them, I kept seeing titles I wanted to listen to, but my vacation time there was so short...I, too, like the idea of listening on long trips. Perhaps the next time I drive up to Northern CA, I will look for something here I can take along to pass the 8 hour drive.
I believe it is a book read. When I read the Harry Potter books the last time (before Deathly Hallows came out) I actually listened to the audio and read the book along with it. I liked doing that b/c it helped me understand the words that I couldn't pronounce and you get a better feel for how the writer wants the book comprehended, not I how I think it should be done.
I can't even imagine why anyone would think it ISN'T a method of reading. I mean, as long as you're absorbing the messages, learning about the characters and feeling the intensity of the plot in a good book, why does it matter how you did it?
I wholeheartedly agree. Years ago, while I was still a working librarian, I took my cat to the veterinarian, who had treated my animals for several years. He told me that with two young children at home and a busy work schedule, he had very little time to read. However, he had a fairly lengthy commute, so he had started listening to books-on-tape (now CDs). He asked me, "As a librarian, does that offend you?" Of course I reassured him that 'listening counts'; when I see him now, I ask him is he's 'heard' any good books lately.
I personally think listening to books on tape is great. You know the story, the characters etc and listening IS a great skill. It can pass time in the car and you get most everything out of a book that you would if you were looking at the book and reading it. BUT, listening to a book on tape is LISTENING, not reading. I have a friend who has listened to challenging books on tape--books she never would have gotten through had she been actually reading them. Not that this matters to me at all, the way in which she "read" these books, it is just simply that reading is a different action from reading and I want to keep the distinction clear!
Anyway, that's just my opinion.
Gemma wrote: "I personally think listening to books on tape is great. You know the story, the characters etc and listening IS a great skill. It can pass time in the car and you get most everything out of a boo..."
It's also important to understand that different people have different learning skills. Personally, I find listening to recorded books extremely difficult, hard to concentrate and easily distracted. For others, it may be the most effective way for them to absorb information. I say, whatever works for you is what you should do.
It's also important to understand that different people have different learning skills. Personally, I find listening to recorded books extremely difficult, hard to concentrate and easily distracted. For others, it may be the most effective way for them to absorb information. I say, whatever works for you is what you should do.
I totally agree, Peg, that what is important is what works for each person individually. I just find it important to call things what they are. Reading=Reading and listening=listening.
If it were not for audio books I would never get my laundry done. They have added value to my life so give them full credit where full credit is due.To answer the question I always say I read.... whether it is me reading or not.
Listening to audiobooks takes concentration. Initially it was difficult for me to shut off all of the voices in my head but with time and practice I am now able to immerse myself in the author's vision (unless the book is boring). I find audio's a very intimate experience, especially when the narrator is a good one. So for me these books definitely count towards my goal. I often remember far more of the story when I am listening to a book than when I am reading one and constantly picking it up and putting it down.
After having my kids I hardly got any reading in and I missed it, then I discovered audio books at my library and now they are permanently in the mix. My daughters are a little older now so I have more time to "read with my eyeballs" as my husband calls it. Both methods demand concentration and both offer their own rewards. I prefer not to parse my reading experience with unnecessary restrictions, but instead enjoy the great banquet, whether it comes to me through my eyes or my ears.
I love hearing from others who enjoy "reading" audio books. For me audio books have been a family experience. We started listening to them about eight years ago when our children were small on long car trips. Now they are always in the car. I can't tell you how great it has been to share these books as a family. We listen to a lot of YA (it has to be appropriate for everyone) but also enjoy classics and historical nonfiction. In addition to some great discussions with our kids, I have seen how much they have gained from them. Teachers have often commented on their vocabulary and listening skills. They also have developed an interest in history. My kids read in the traditional sense also and often our audio book is one they have read and recommended for the family. I should also mention that when the audio book is on in the car, backseat bickering is virtually nonexistent.As to whether audio books count as "reading", I don't know but the feeling you have after listening to a good audio book is very much like the one you have after reading a good book. I sometimes have to stop and think when recommending a book to someone whether I read it or listened to it. That said I won't include audio books on my 50-in-a-year list but only because they are not my personal picks but books I shared with the family.
No, its not reading its listening. It has a certain amount of intellectual cache to actually READ a book, concentrate 100% on that book and not do 500 other things whilst you vaguely pay attention to someone talking in your ear. People call it "reading" because they are trying to pass them selves of as something they are not. And that in itself is rather deplorable.
There is nothing wrong with listening to an audio book, as long as you admit that is what you are doing.
Hatebaddesign wrote: " No, its not reading its listening. It has a certain amount of intellectual cache to actually READ a book, concentrate 100% on that book and not do 500 other things whilst you vaguely pay attention to someone talking in your ear..."I always try to pay 100% attention to what I am listening to and only listen to books when I can give them that concentration (ie. whilst commuting or doing housework). Sometimes my attention has necessarily wandered but I always rewind. I'd say listening to a book takes more concentration than reading, but it isn't impossible to give it the same attention as text, especially if you're enjoying it.
The one issue I do have with audio is in interpretation. As the job of reader is taken from you and given to a person in a booth reading aloud, you are obliged to their personal interpretation of characters and narrative voice etc. and I haven't always agreed with their choices!
Hatebaddesign wrote: "People call it "reading" because they are trying to pass them selves of as something they are not. And that in itself is rather deplorable..."What do you think people are trying to pass themselves off as?
I would say that the majority of people who use audiobooks aren't listening to them because they're illiterate and couldn't read the book on paper if they chose to. Aside from people who can't physically read a book (and for these people audiobooks are fantastic), most people I know who use audiobooks - myself included - use them because they are either too busy to read (small children around the house, etc) or listen to them while in the car. If I tell you that I "read" 1984, I'm not trying to pass myself off as being smarter or more well read than I actually am. I could have picked up a paper copy of the book and understood it just fine. But I chose to read it as an audiobook instead, because I had a long drive and wanted something good to listen to besides the radio. I still had to pay attention to what I was hearing - and as other people have noted, I actually found myself paying more attention that I probably would have if I had read the book, since my listening skills aren't as developed as my reading skills. And the few times when I found myself distracted by traffic and missed something that was said or a concept went over my head, I would rewind the tape to catch what I missed.
I think you're making a lot of assumptions about people who choose to read audiobooks that just aren't true. When I'm making a note of the books I read, I usually make a note that something was an audiobook, just for my own records, but I still count it as a book read. And I don't see why you shouldn't.
Does it count as reading? No.Neuroscience has repeatedly shown in the last twenty years that reading engages more of the brain than listening to an audiobook/radio program or watching television/movies. This is primarily because reading is an active experience requiring more from its audience, while listening/watching is inherently a passive one.
Audiobooks can be a rewarding experience, they can edify as well as entertain, but the two mediums do not equate.
On a side note: To those who say they pay 100% of their attention when listening to audiobooks, and also say that they listen to them primarily while driving . . . I do not want to be on the road with you.
It's funny because before reading this thread, I'd on occasion experience a bit of guilt about claiming I had read such and such book, when in fact I had listened to it. However, after reading your comments I realized how stupid this is. A book is a book not because of the words it contains, but because of its story. Not too long ago I listened to The Graveyard Book, it was read by the book's author, Neil Gaiman. I was awed by his performance, not only is he an amazing author, but a captivating storyteller.
As both a reader and writer, I realized that in order for one to be a successful author one most be a storyteller first and foremost. Let us not forget that before a single word was penned, stories were passed down to us orally.
Neil wrote: "On a side note: To those who say they pay 100% of their attention when listening to audiobooks, and also say that they listen to them primarily while driving . . . I do not want to be on the road with you."I don't think anyone said they pay 100% attention to the audiobook while driving. That would be foolish. The person who said they use it while they commute, could just as easily mean they listen while on the bus or train. As for me, when I listen while driving I am obviously paying attention to the road. Which is why I said that I would occasionally have to rewind the tape if I missed something while paying attention to traffic. Just wanted to clarify on that point.
As for your feelings on the matter of listening to books in general, everyone is entitled to their opinion. You don't think it's the same as reading. I say it's an acceptable replacement. Most of the books I "read" I actually read, but when I listen to a book I don't get less out of it, so I don't see how it's really all that different.
I often will listen to an audiobook of something I have already read. It is a different experience and enjoyable in a different way. It's like having a parent or grandparent read to you as a child - or sometimes, my partner, Jason will comment on something he's reading while we're in bed and I ask him to read it to me. It's pleasurable in a different way. Reading a book or an article is more personal, more intimate.I like both.
So if a person who has only utilized the audio versions of all the best sellers was asked the question "Have you read any good books lately?" they would have to say "No."? And thus be excluded from any discussion of said books? That's lame...
I always find this discussion a little silly. A book is a book. How you get at what's in the book is up to you. I love to read a physical book - and, yes, sometimes my attention wanders while I'm doing it. If I think I've missed something, I go back and reread. And I love to listen to audio books - and while my attention may also wander slightly, that's what the rewind button is for. There are many audio books that are as burned into my memory as any physical book I've read (Bel Canto, English Passengers, all of the Harry Potter series to name just a few). People seem to think they have to come up with these hard and fast rules for this list. Why? It isn't a competition. Will it make you feel better than your read 50 one-thousand page books and someone else read 50 Harlequin romances? A number of my books are YA. Should they count? I think the better question would be, did you enjoy whatever it was you read (or listened to)?
If I get to 50 titles this year, great. If I don't, it won't matter to anyone else. It really won't matter to me either. I enjoy sharing what I've read and listened to and seeing what other people are reading. Happy reading.
For me, the joy you get from the story is the important part. If you listen or read, it doesn't make a difference. Now, I could get into listening more IF Neil Gaiman would actually come to my living room and read his book aloud to me - with candles and soft music...wait..sorry - got a little carried away there. Listening to a book counts for me.
Janice wrote: "For me, the joy you get from the story is the important part. If you listen or read, it doesn't make a difference. Now, I could get into listening more IF Neil Gaiman would actually come to my li..."Sorry, I believe he just got married. :-)
A story is a story is a story... and that's what counts.
Janice wrote: "For me, the joy you get from the story is the important part. If you listen or read, it doesn't make a difference. Now, I could get into listening more IF Neil Gaiman would actually come to my li..."Here here!
Carol wrote: "Amanda wrote: "An interesting question seen as not so long ago, the vast majority of people's experience of books or stories in general was via audio. Its only recently that the common man can enj..."I totally agree with you Josh ... we do not listen very well as a society. I have been listening to audio books (as well as reading books) for many many years. It passes the time while doing mindless chores, cutting the grass, driving etc. I find alot of books that I wouldnt normally read I will listen to on audio :) AMEN for Audio.. I am a Recorded Listener !!!
Chris wrote: "I always find this discussion a little silly. A book is a book. How you get at what's in the book is up to you. I love to read a physical book - and, yes, sometimes my attention wanders while I'm d..."I absolutely agree with you, and wonder why this topic continues to come up at all. I listen to audiobooks, read "real" books, and read books on my Kindle. It all counts, as far as I'm concerned, and I don't really care if someone else has a different opinion about it. If someone doesn't think audiobooks "count," then they shouldn't count them. But it's none of their business if I choose to do so.
Chris wrote: "There are many audio books that are as burned into my memory as any physical book I've read..."The same here! I listened to Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood last year and found myself completely riveted by it. I couldn't have let my attention wander if I had tried! I actually felt a pang of grief when the announcer heralded the end of the book. The story is forever engrained on my mind.
I imagine the experience of listening to Year of the Flood is a little different from reading it though, as the hymns throughout are interpreted into soft, christian rock style numbers that split up the narrative and are quite entertaining in themselves (I know how I would have read those passages, as deadpan poetry, and it just wouldn't have been as much fun - especially as I'm not religious). The producers really went overboard adding value to that recording!
I also really enjoyed Orlando by Virginia Woolf, Rebecca by Daphnie du Maurier, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov and the 'audio only books' of Michael Drout and Jack Kornfield among others.
I've been reading the comments and going back and forth on my opinion about audio books. I know that I wouldn't listen to one while driving - I would get caught up in the story and probably drive off the road. But that's just me and my personality. But I also couldn't just "sit and listen" without doing something else - knitting, drawing, painting - even housecleaning. Sitting and holding a book and reading it is a very different experience than listening to it.That said - if I was blind and unable to to hold a book and read in the way I read now or to read Braille, would audio books not count? I would not want to say they weren't part of a reading experience. We're exhorted to read to our children - to instill a love to literature in them.
I say keep the love going through times you might not be able to sit and pick up a book and hold it in your hands. Quote authors, recite poetry, read books, listen to books - just keep images and ideas flowing freely!
A book is a book, if you read it or listen. As many mentioned a long commute and busy days leave little time at home to hold a book in my hand. I am grateful for audio books and they have gotton me through many days of commuting. I have even sat in the driveway to finish a chapter. I count those as books I have read. Please don't be so judgemental regarding what people have to do to read, stay in touch etc. In addition, I agree with the person who described books she never would have held in her hands and read, but could listen to them in an audio fashion. Nothing lost...
Before television and even before radio, many families had a tradition of one family member reading while the others listened. Sometimes the women would sew while listening. To totally negate the experience of generations of listeners is cruel. It is what they absorbed and understood that matters. Also, my husband is severely dyslexic, and the only way he can get information is to listen. It is bad enough that he was born with this disability without denying him his claim to being well-read.
I'm glad that majority of the group here have responded "yes"...I was wondering about this earlier today while at the gym. While I can read easily on the bike, I often have a difficult time on the treadmill and eliptical machine. I've been thinking of getting some audiobooks and listening to those while working out, walking, etc., but wasn't sure if it would really count. I know that I sometimes have a hard time reading books at certain times (i.e. the gym) or am a little intimidated by certain books, so I think an audiobook would be great.On a side note, my great-aunt is 96 y.o. and is a nursing home. She has a walkman that she uses to listen to books on tape (before they evolved into cd's, etc.)...she loves this b/c she can't see anymore. Does anyone know where I could possibly find books on tape anymore? I know one library donated a bunch to her, which she has quickly gone through, and that the goodwill may be a possibility. Any ideas would be very helpful!! Thanks!
It would probably be easier to buy your great-aunt an MP3 player, rather than searching for books on tape. She would have access to a much wider variety of books. I know she is probably attached to her Walkman, but she would enjoy so much more freedom to choose what she wants to listen to if she had an MP3 player.
Just an addition to this debate. Goodreads considers audio books, books and they don't call themselves "Goodhears."
Mod
If it's because you want to practice your reading skills, listening won't count.
If you want to broaden your familiarity with stories contained in books, or absorb more in-depth information than the TV or internet can afford, or discuss literature with your buddies, etc, then by all means, listening counts.
Of course it counts. It's stupid to think my dad who is blind couldn't count his books toward this group or any group like this because he has to listen to his books and he can't see to "read" them. :(
Mod
If Goodereads had a "like" button, I'd "like" this.
If audiobooks count, then I'm definitely still in the running for reading 50 books!Do Podcasts count? Just kidding, but please check out Clay Jenkinson's weekly podcast, "The Thomas Jefferson Hour." You'll be glad you did! No, I'm not on the payroll.
I used to listen to a lot of talk radio, but once I started with audiobooks, that was the end of that! I think it was Light in August by Faulkner, read by Dick Hill, that got me started. Since then, I've listened to the entire Harry Potter series and the entire Maturin/Aubrey series by O'Brian twice. And a whole lot of other stuff. Too much fun!
Susan wrote: "Before television and even before radio, many families had a tradition of one family member reading while the others listened. Sometimes the women would sew while listening. To totally negate the..."The historian Joseph Ellis once recounted that John Adams would read to Abigail while she did things like shelling peas. True, John should have been helping with the shelling, but reading to his wife is better than nothing, I suppose.
I personally enjoy books in every format out there. For myself it is the experience, comprehending what the author is saying, expanding my imagination.