Are audiobooks a good method for reading books? I started listening to them about 6 months ago, and by now I’ve figured out some pros and cons of audiobooks. While I personally prefer physical books, there are definitely some times when audiobooks are just so much better. I also love borrowing free audiobooks instead of paying for them! Read on for some tips & my pros and cons of audiobooks.
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The Pros and Cons of Audiobooks
The Pros
PRO: You can multitask. This is the biggest pro for me, as I started listening to audiobooks on my work commute. Audiobooks are the perfect solutions for when you’re doing necessary activities and can’t read, but still can commit some brainpower to listening. You can multitask and listen to books while walking, doing laundry, cooking, driving, etc!
PRO: You can access them at any time. Stuck somewhere and forgot to bring a book? Put on an audiobook! It’s a great way to pass time.
PRO: They’re environmentally friendly. As much as I love my physical books, audiobooks obviously don’t use paper and are still a great way to support the author. Audiobooks can be shared across multiple platforms as well, whereas physical books can only have one person reading each copy at a time.
PRO: They’re sometimes read by the author themselves. I honestly think this is so cool. This gives you a chance to connect more with the author and feel the book’s emotion as they
PRO: The format is great for some stories. Some fiction books have nontraditional formats, like Daisy Jones & The Six, which acts as an oral history and is basically a transcript with all dialogue. Sadie, a YA novel, also has podcast scrips in the book. Stories like these are super effective in audiobook form because they have different voices and bring way more to the table.
The Cons
CON: They can be long. If you’re a fast reader, audiobooks may take 2x or 3x as long for you to finish a book. They have a set time, and although you can speed up the narrator’s voice, it sounds super weird and not natural.
CON: It’s hard to skip passages. I’ll admit that I definitely skim or skip some passages when I’m reading. With audiobooks, you have to listen to every word, and while you do get a lot of content, sometimes it can be a little boring.
CON: It’s easy to tune out. If you’re multitasking when you’re reading, it’s super easy to focus on something else and let the audiobook just be words in the background. You might find that you’ve been thinking about your dinner plans for the last 7 minutes and completely missed a whole chapter.
CON: It’s hard to find passages. If you’re like me and tune out easily, you’re going to need to rewind to actually listen to the book. It’s a little bit harder to do that on audiobooks because you don’t know exactly how far to skip back. It’s hard to find any passage in general—if you just got to a shocking twist and want to reread a previous section, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where that is.
CON: The narrator’s voice can ruin the experience. Sometimes someone’s voice just doesn’t do it for you. If you’re annoyed by the narrator’s voice, it can make you hate the book even if it has a great plot.
How to Get Free Audiobooks
Although Audible is a super popular platform for audiobooks, I love to save money and Audible is kind of expensive. I prefer to spend money on physical books and Audible is $14.95 per month (you get 3 books for that price).
It’s definitely a great option for some people, but if you have a library card (and if not, it’s super easy to get one!), then I’m going to share my best secrets: Libby and Hoopla.
The libraries I have cards with are both connected with these apps. They offer free audiobooks, eBooks, streaming services and more. For all my Kindle books, Libby is my absolute go to. I’m able to check out 15+ books for free at a time, and a lot of the titles are available instantly (including popular books like Where the Crawdads Sing, Educated, etc.).
Hoopla is great for audiobooks. You can search in different genres, authors, and more. You can download the app so you can listen to audiobooks directly on your phone. Also, both these services are free! If your library isn’t connected with either of these services, you can search for libraries that are connected and sign up for an online card. It’s the perfect time to get a library card, even if it’s virtual.
Do you like audiobooks? Let me know what your favorites are!
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