My library visits consist of wandering through ridgid hallways and gazing through seas of shelves. Instead of leaving with the perfect book, I leave with a compilation of titles jotted down in my Notes app, knowing I’m gonna search for every title on CloudLibrary.
As an enjoyer of audio reading this is an essential pastime I indulge in.
My library has been in my pocket since I was 13. At the time, I had taken up a liking for Agatha Christie novels; knowing this, my parents challenged me to read 10 of her novels that summer. I knocked that number out of the park with 15 books. Around 11 of them were audiobooks.
As a lover of reading, I rely on stories to transport me away when I’m tired, sad, happy, bored or busy. I have taken the habit of listening to audiobooks since my Agatha Christie summer.
I was especially excited when reading reemerged on social media over the last two years because of popular rom-coms and mystery novels. People find comfort in stories just like I do in every outlet but one: audiobooks.
Some of my peers dismiss the idea of listening to audiobooks without listening to one. The sentiment of audiobooks not counting as reading humors me.
Audible narration has been a component of storytelling far before reading words became the norm. This point prevails beyond books as well; having an audible telling of an event just sticks. It is much more cathartic when a friend retells a breakup with raw emotion rather than shooting me a text. Narration can allow the listener to explore emotional components of stories reaching beyond vivid images portrayed in writing.
Audiobook skeptics argue there is a lack of attention readers give to stories when they listen rather than flip through pages, labeling audio-reading as lazy. Undoubtedly, audiobooks are commonly used for those who may not have the time to sit and read for hours on end. This does not eclipse their commitment or love for the story in any capacity.
The fact audiobook enjoyers carve time throughout their day to consume books emphasizes their passion for storytelling. They need it when they fold their laundry, when they walk their dogs or when they go on a drive. Incorporating stories through the mundane parts of the day strengthens the imaginative purpose of using audiobooks. It is counterintuitive to label those who enjoy them as lazy.
Regardless of how you read a book, your brain is still working. It is obtaining information and capturing emotion. The purpose of writing is to make others feel a certain way. Whether it is stomach butterflies from a rom-com, triple-checking of locked doors from psychological thrillers or eye-widening revelations made from a culmination of personal essays, we take something away from an experience with a story. The medium by which we consume said stories doesn’t require berating.
Is it not beautiful to find ways to take books with us while we live our own stories?
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