My Experience with Audiobooks + About Audible

As I have mentioned in the past, reading is magical because of how it can transport the reader to a whole new place and experience with almost no effort. One just needs an open imagination... and sometimes a generous amount of time.

I used to have a huge chunk of my time dedicated to reading when I was still in school. I read a lot - from terrible works to really remarkable ones. It's probably because it was the only hobby I had during that time.

As my eyesight became less tolerable to longer reading on paperbacks and harbounds, I tried Kindle and it's also a great experience. However, I wanted to do other things and read at the same time so I decided to try audiobooks. And it's actually so much better than I expected.

First Impressions

Audiobooks are awesome. I was able to fit simultaneously do chores and other hobbies and "read". I use Audible because I found that it's actually the most convenient way to listen to audiobooks. I know you can download free stuff off the internet, but I just didn't want to take the extra time to do all that and more importantly, I wanted to give the proper amount of recognition to the author by actually purchasing the books they have worked so hard on.

Audible also tracks your reading and I can easily look into my collection and they have almost every book in their library.

Is Audible free?

Unfortunately, not. My membership fee is CA$14.95 per month plus tax and that gives me one credit each month to exchange for ANY book that I want to add to my Audible library. The first month is free and if you are currently an Amazon prime member, you get two books for free on your first month. Considering how much physical and e-books cost, this is a reasonable price. 

What are Audible credits?

Depending on your membership plan, Audible gives you one or more credits per month. This can be used to purchase any book regardless of the price. There are also yearly plans if you want to claim all your credits in one go. One credit gets a member one book. 

Credits can also be received via gifts from others even if they are not Audible members. After a month into the membership, Audible often offer three credits for $39.95 plus tax. You can gift Audible credits here. Make sure you know the email address of the Audible user you are trying to gift the credit to. 

Any cons?

Audible does not come very cheap and it is not a streaming service like Netflix but you do get to keep the book forever even if you decide to cancel your membership. The mobile app can also be glitchy at times. It stops randomly and does not pick up on where I left off when I listened from another device. The suggested books are not helpful and irrelevant to my preferences.

How do you make sure you choose the right book?

Choosing the right audiobooks goes two ways - the quality of the audio and the quality of the book itself. Before purchasing an audiobook, make sure you check the audio preview. You have to check if you are okay with listening to the narrator's voice for long periods of time. Another thing to check is if the book is actually worth listening to. The best way for this is to check Goodreads reviews or if you have more time to spare, you can also check other blog posts about the book. Another good way is to check the BookTok space on Tiktok for recommendations.

Is it worth it?

I know there would be die-hard paperback fans who would never go for audiobooks, but if you are someone like me who wants to do more while reading, try audiobooks. I would still want to go back to traditional reading for some works like The Lord of the Rings because I couldn't for the life of me survive the audiobook version. On the other hand, I don't think I would enjoy Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir in other ways than listening to its audiobook. 

In general, I think audiobooks are a great way to read. It's not traditional, but it does not mean the experience is any less satisfying. 

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