ebooks vs Print Books vs Audio Books

I love them in any format!  I have to admit, I only started listening to audios last year and the real trick is to find the right type of narrators and genres.  I listen to books on audio that are far outside my norm, usually.  My fave type of books just don't "feel" right to listen to, if that makes sense.  I'll always love the permanence of print as it is the only one that doesn't rely on technology to work (going without power in the hurricanes of 2004 taught me not to depend on technology too much!).  I do enjoy ebooks as well, but I don't have a reader so it's mainly done sitting at the computer which takes away the kicking back and relaxing part of reading.  On the other hand, it allows me to read while chatting online.  So.. for me, all three!

you know that I'll take a book in any form!  I bet that everyone here is, at heart, a "print" gal/guy but there are times and places for audio and ebooks.  One of the library systems in the DFW area (not mine, sadly) offers downloadable ebooks (mostly pdf and Mobipocket).  Several (including mine) offer downloadable audio.

I get my audio books from the library and audible.  I just might have to borrow Debkc3's collection, though.  She owns a lot of really good-sounding ones.

I think that audio is quite personal.  Vince swears by the non-fiction and my experience is that I tune it (non-fiction) out.  The person(s) reading the book makes a big difference.  I can't listen to certain mysteries b/c I miss clues that I know I'd pick up in print and that bothers me (but I've loved the two HARLAN COBEN books that I've listened to). I do great with chick-lit type books and fantasy, too.

I've got my kids addicted to audio book, too.  We've been listening to a lot of Beverly Cleary lately.  Kids books, IMHO, are great in audio b/c there's something about a kid's book that makes it prime for being read aloud.

I say try different genres and readers at your library to see what and who you like. You can listen while driving, while walking, while housecleaning. Might as well become as addicted as the rest of us LOL!

Penn 

One of the reasons I hesitated was b/c I, too, am a fast reader and saw that in audio books would typically take 3-5 times as long to finish vs reading them with my eyes.  My iPod will let me set the book speed to faster or slower than the recording but I've never overridden it.  And of course, on CD or cassette you don't have that option.

I started out by listening to books that I know I wouldn't make time for otherwise (e.g. Nora Roberts or the more expensive books that my library didn't carry -- like LUNAs).  Reader and book can make a HUGE difference in an audio book.  I've returned books to the library after listening to just a few minutes b/c I knew that I'd never stand the reader's voice for several hours.

You'll notice that those of us who do listen to audio do it while driving -- that we spend a lot of time in the car (actually, I do it while housecleaning more often than driving and I know one gal who does it while walking her dog but still, these are all times when we wouldn't be able to read).

And maybe the non-fiction books would work for you (as I said above, Vince Plato swears by the non-fiction and I couldn't tell you anything I'd listened to in non-fiction).  Or maybe a genre that you normally don't read (e.g.YA or books aimed at elementary kids -- trust me, some of those are really good -- or ummm sci fi -- do you already read sci fi?).

It's personal preference and need, just like with our print books (regular font, large print, which genre, which subgenre, which author).

FWIW,

Penn

Probably all of Beverly Cleary's are available.  We just finished listening to RAMONA AND HER MOTHER (or was it HER MOM?).  Stockard Channing has read all the RAMONA books that we've listened to so far (3, I think).  I really enjoy them.  In this most recent one, I was actually misty-eyed when poor Beezus was sobbing over a bad haircut and of course I laughed out loud at some of the things that Ramona thought (like when her teacher tells her that there's no such word as "can't" and Ramona ponders how that can be since the teacher just said it).  I'm not sure the kids laugh as much as I do but from my adult POV it's quite enjoyable listening.

We've checked PETER PAN and PADDINGTO BEAR out of the library but haven't listened yet.  PETER PAN is read by Jim Dale and I've heard people say that they would listen to him read the phone book, so I have high hopes on that one.

Most of the stuff at our library is for slightly older kids so if yours is the same, you might have to enlist the children's librarian's help.  Our very first audio was a MAGIC TREE HOUSE book and those are all good, too.  Our downtown library had all the NEWBERY books that they own in audio on display a while back.  The older ones might not be too intense for your kids but for the last 20 years or so, they're really geared to tweens at the youngest.  I did get FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. umm what's-her-toots.  You probably read it when you were the "right" age.  And CALL IT COURAGE. 

Oh, and there's a series about a pig named MERCY and right now her author's name escapes me but she's well-known and has won awards, so again, the librarian might know right of the top of her/his head.  E.B. WHITE'S stuff is available but he himself recorded it and I don't like his voice.  My kids don't care and the critics love it but since you have to listen, as well, you might listen alone first to see if you like it.

Anyway, that should get you (and maybe Star -- have I convinced you yet Star LOL?) started.

Penn 

I stopped listening to a couple of things (at least 3, actually) b/c I thought that they needed majoring editing.  Maybe with my eyes I would have read them fast enough not to notice but in audio I was going, "JUST GET ON WITH IT!" My parents prefer abridged audio b/c they hate long descriptions.  I don't like abridged b/c so often you do miss plot points. 

There have been a couple of books where I wanted to know what happened but couldn't bear to listen anymore, so I got the print copy from the library and read the end.

See, Star, it's hard to tell you if it's your brain's preferences that don't like audio or if you've just had bad luck.  It really does take experience to figure out which authors/readers/genres you like in audio.

Penn 

that I love audio books, but only when I'm driving or doing something that I can't read while I'm doing it.  Walking or cleaning.  I too, find that I can read a book much faster than an audio book is read.  Maybe I skip some of the details, I don't know.  I drive an hour to and from work, so that gives me some quality listening time.   

I prefer print books to read.  I like to curl up under my blankets with my puppies beside me and settle in for a long read.  I can't do

 that with an ebook or an audio book.  I get some serious relaxation in with a good book and Java and Cadillac.

Chy

last summer I really enjoyed audio books .... I had quite a bit of house painting to do and the audio's were great company ... and ditto for when doing yard work and gardening  ... I'm not great with the listening in the car while I'm doing the driving ... I tried that last Friday and missed an entrance twice ... I think the audio contributed to my not quite "reading" the signs I needed to get where I was going ..... perhaps this is an acquired skill

so in the car, I think I'll keep it to podcast length, until I'm more used to it ... and on trips where I know exactly where I'm going and I don't have to "think" about exits

as far as eBooks go ... I have put Macomber's Cedar Cove on my Palm thinking this would be great for reading while waiting at the Doc's or in line somewhere ... not a good choice of reading material to start out with ... the first Cedar Cove has so many different characters in it each time I start the eBook I'm having to go back and reread to remember who everyone is .... so I think I need to put some different books on  my Palm until I get used to that too

I lke my laptop for short eBooks like the minis and briefs ... I figured if I can handle reading the online reads from chapter one to end on my laptop, I can read the minis (which are mostly online reads)

another thing I'm trying to teach myself is to read more than one book at a time .... then when I start an audio I won't feel compelled to finish it before I can start a print etc .....

I think it's all a learning curve ..... but so far audios are a success for me ... it's getting the skill down so I don't miss much .... and I do agree the lengths of some audios is daunting ... so I rarely chose one that's more than 12 hours ...

yes, great discussion

talented enough to do my work that I have to pay close attention to and listen to an audio book at the same time.....something gets ignored...usually the book!  As far as driving while listening to the audio books, when I am driving to work, the drive is the same, every day, so I could pretty much drive with my eyes closed.  I did have to drive in heavy snowstorm the other day...yes, even in SE Oklahoma, we occasionally have snow...and I didn't listen, I needed to concentrate on the drive.  If traffic is too heavy or I'm in a new place, I don't think I could listen because I'd need to pay attention to my driving.