Play Book Tag discussion

https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily...

Haha! Squirrels!

Okay, okay. For the sake of the squirrels, I'l concede that audio books are okay. ;) I just can't do them, personally, because I'm not an audio learner. I have to see it visually for it to soak in.

It had me at the title!

Love it!

I love it! However, I also continue to enjoy printed books, too. Not all audiobooks are great but sometimes the audiobook is just so much better than the print. Plus you can garden, walk, drive and do many other things. Of course, sometimes I have to pause my audiobook when the driving is intense or the traffic too loud.

But Jenni has hit the nail on the head--if you're not an audio learner then these aren't for you. But for my youngest they have often been the Very Best Way for him to do better on novels in high school English. Yes, at our local public high school they still read entire novels (plus other things). He rarely likes their choices, but still has to slog through them. They also often read aloud in class while following along, etc, etc. (wait, reading aloud--sounds a bit like audiobooks but not by professionals...)

Hahaha! I love it!

As you all know, I made a significant change in my reading format the last couple of years, and not listen to TONS of audio.

And you know what? The switch wasn’t easy.

It was not natural for me to comprehend complex narrative and plots on audio. But I learned.

Kind of like learning to read all over again. Okay, maybe not quite that drastic.

More like when I forced myself to like wine in college because I thought it would make me classy. I liked alcohol, just not in that format. But I started with easy wines liked Boone’s farm and have slowly made my way from crisp whites all the way up to wonderful Napa reds with complex body and flavor.

I am nothing if not determined at all things in life. Lol.

And I hate squirrels.

Great! I started audio a while back and it was a difficult adjustment. I am not a natural audio reader but it has gotten better with determination and earbuds help a lot. I still like a book but with aging eyes, it is getting harder and harder to stay focused with the printed word. Large print books really put me off and I am not quite ready for them. So I am glad that I am cultivating another way to read and it really helps because I just cannot sit those long hours and read. I need to move and I need to get housework and cooking done.

Nicole R wrote: "Hahaha! I love it!

As you all know, I made a significant change in my reading format the last couple of years, and not listen to TONS of audio.

And you know what? The switch wasn’t easy.

It wa..."

I am impressed you taught yourself to enjoy audio books; wine, not so much. That's like saying you taught yourself to like bacon . . .

For me, it's watching the turkeys parade up our street ... or the deer in the garden (What do they think? I planted all this stuff JUST for their lunch?!!!)

Anyway ... I think that listening to audio books has made me a better listener.

I started out by listening only to books I had previously read, but that my F2F book group(s) had scheduled for discussion. This was a way to refresh my memory without having to pay close attention. Then I progressed to "light" reads - cozy mysteries, beach reads, chick lit ... you get the picture. And then I decided to try a massive book, because it was just too heavy to carry around ... and I realized that my listening skills had improved ... and I was hooked.

Nicole R wrote: "More like when I forced myself to like wine in college because I thought it would make me classy. I liked alcohol, just not in that format. But I started with easy wines liked Boone’s farm and have slowly made my way from crisp whites all the way up to wonderful Napa reds with complex body and flavor. "

THIS COMPARISON!!! Amazing!! Haha. I feel similar, when first listening to audiobooks I would get distracted, and mind wander. Now I'm much better at "following" however....

Agreed it definitely depends on the audiobook though. Some are great- recently read one where the author had an interview at the end where he said he thought reading aloud was the perfect medium for the book-even better than reading (Ender's Game ). When a narrator is great, it makes the listening part easy. Then on the opposite side, if a narrator sucks the book is hard to follow and I'm much less invested in the story and I'm bound to like it less.

Anita wrote: "I am impressed you taught yourself to enjoy audio books; wine, not so much. That's like saying you taught yourself to like bacon . . . ..."

Ugh! And ugh! I have no desire to teach myself either one! :-) (That is, wine nor bacon...)

I first started listening to audiobooks during my work commute but only listened to books I'd read before. Maybe several years ago but still something that if my mind wandered I could catch up.

Then I retired and started walking more. I found several series I really enjoyed with great narrators. I admit I don't listen to "hard" books. Last year I listened to all the Karin Slaughter books in audio. At the beginning of 2017 I listened to all the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer which were fabulous. Recently I started listening to the In Death series by J. D. Robb. I like it so much I actually cleaned out my junk drawer today so I could finish Survivor In Death.

I recently got The Winds of War and War and Remembrance and hope to make it my 2018 goal (104 hours).

P.S. I like wine and bacon....just not together.

It's interesting to hear the transition from print to audio. As long as I like the narrator, I found it easy from the get-go, but that may be due to how my parents read long books to us complete with different voices for the characters, etc from when we were younger. I still remember my dad reading The Wizard of Oz & The Land of Oz when I was about 5 (not the details, but that he read them). The only one who doesn't do voices is my husband, but obviously he grew up in a different family. Even my kids do them if they read aloud, which right now is only at school (my son is the only one under 18).

That said, my son LOVED it when my husband read every. single. Hardy. Boys. book. to him. And every night he'd make the same joke near the start (hot dog and a cup of coffee for Frank and Joe).

I've been listening to audio since the late 80s/early 90s when they were on audio cassette. I was going to school for my MLIS and my commute was 2 hours each way at least one day a week. It took me 5 years as it was part-time school and full-time work. It was almost entirely highway travel and it really helped me concentrate which seems impossible. My mind didn't wander and my eyes stayed on the road. I couldn't have fit any enjoyable reading in my life if I didn't have audio books - otherwise it was text books and writing and working.

I've returned to audio in my retirement and it blends beautifully with my quilting and gardening. I actually get more audios done than print books because print means I have to sit down!

omg you guys are funny! My strategy was the same as BC's. The best thing about audio books is multi-tasking. I got through the sequel to The Girl With all the Gifts today doing all sorts of house tasks.


Like many things in life, I learned to like wine because of a guy.

Joi wrote: "When a narrator is great, it makes the listening part easy. Then on the opposite side, if a narrator sucks the book is hard to follow and I'm much less invested in the story and I'm bound to like it less. ."

Completely agree, Joi. The narrator makes all the difference!

Speaking of audio, for Audible US subscribers Columbine is available for a free listen on True Crime channel.

I'm a bi-reader, book and audio. A time and place for each. Particularly enjoy audio in the car on a long trip (5-1/2 hours one way to see my grandkids). Also enjoy audio doing another favorite activity, jigsaw puzzles. Can keep at it for hours. I was hooked on audios when I listened to Envy by Sandra Brown and narrated by Victor Slezak. Could listen to his voice all day!!!