Tea Time Talk

All About Audiobooking: a guide from a compulsive multitasker

TTT

hello hello,

in my last ‘tea time talk‘ post, i mentioned a few tips that help me get the most out of my reading time (its not like i’m obsessed with reading or smthing). and one of the tips that really have helped me lately was audiobook-ing

so i thought i’d share some tips and tricks i discovered (from trial and error) over the past couple years on audiobooks.

anyone wanna come @ me for claiming audiobooks count as reading, let’s go (ง’̀-‘́)ง

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flower2Benefits of Using Audiobooksflower2

1. books are legit being read to you – basic principles of math state that “audiobooking = more books read” (don’t ask me to show my work)!!

and think about it this way, you can close your eyes and daydream while simultaneously //reading// a book. how fricken epic is that?? (the answer is, very)

2. narrators can make a book come alive – recently I just finished an audiobook that was so fantastically engrossing that i felt like i had been transported into that sci-fi world.

what i found really amazing was that when i went back to the ebook to reread a scene, the text itself made the book seem so dry in comparison to the audiobook

i rest my case

3. multitasking – let your INNER multitaskers come and take over your life (speaking from experience here). imagine all the possibilities that audiobooking opens up for you, like you can be repainting the walls of your room while completing a book!!!

are there even any disadvantages at this point??!!?

4. they help people with disabilities – idk why some people are so upset about audiobooks being considered real ‘reading’
dont be mean (!!!) audiobooks have been found to be very helpful to people with print and learning disabilities as well as visually impaired people, so its fricken awesome

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flower2Disadvantages of Using Audiobooksflower2

 

don’t worry friends, i am a fair goose, and so i shall even expose to you the small, tiny setbacks that come with audiobooking

1. you can be easily distracted – this is a fair point. not everyone can be 100% checked in while they are listening to an audiobook and that usually leads to glossing over large, very important parts of the book,,,,,which just leads to a lot of confusion later on

2. it can take a daunting amount of time – no joke, i was looking through brandson sanderson audiobooks and one of his books is 45 HOURS long
45 HOURS
who has that kind of time??!

(most audiobooks are generally around 8 – 13 hours)

3. don’t know where to start – see friends, this was a valid excuse before i wrote this post but now, i will help you navigate (as best as i can) so you too will be able to get more reading done

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flower2How to Avoid Getting Distractedflower2

 

  • my first piece of advice would be to start really simple.

if you can’t listen to audiobooks in the complete silence and serenity of your bedroom, then listen while doing menial tasks like getting ready in the morning, drawing, during commute hours, working out, during an existential crisis etc.

  • set a speed that keeps you engaged

what i found amazing is that if the speed is too slow, i actually am more likely to lose interest in the book. as of now, i have found a comfort in listening on 2x speed but before i would listen comfortably at 1.5x

whatever the speed is, make sure you set it to something that keeps you engaged rather than grow bored

  • be interested in the book

i shouldn’t have to say this, but if you weren’t too interested in the book beforehand, you probably shouldn’t start there. listen to books you want to read

  • rewind if you have to

this still happens to me sometimes. I’ll be so engrossed in something i’m doing or maybe i’ll just doze off a bit into dreamland, but nevertheless, sometimes you lose your concentration and need a quick rewind to help you get back on track.

no shame in that.

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flower2Where to Startflower2

  • reread a fav
    if you’re worried that audiobooking isn’t for you, then maybe it’ll be best to try it out with a well known fav. that way, you’ll be engaged enough in the storyline, since you’re familiar with it, but also get to see how listening, instead of reading works for you

 

  • public domain – classics
    the great thing about classics is that they aren’t privately owned and so they are free to all readers!

 

  • subscription services
    i literally know next to nothing about audiobook subscription services bc i have never used them. but i do know a lot of companies offer a free month trial period and free samples to hear the voices of the narrators before purchasing

 

  • library
    i’m really fortunate to have access to a library that offers audiobooks. so far this has been working for me, so check with your library to see what they offer in the way of audiobooks

 

  • develop tastes in audiobooks & fav narrators
    this will naturally come with time, but if you hear a voice that you find particularly engaging, check out their other works and see if they narrate any other books you are interested in

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flower2Recommendationsflower2

 

Oh good, we’ve finally reached my favourite part!!

If you know me, you know i can’t stop myself from recommending books to everyone i know. so without you asking, here are some books that i found had exceptional audio narrators

(some even have a full cast of voices)

Image result for illuminae Image result for sleeping giants Image result for lunar chroniclesImage result for arc of scythe

 

 

 

Image result for lockwood and co coverImage result for percy jackson coverImage result for dark matter coverImage result for mistborn

 

 

 

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okay i think i talked enough for a single week.

I hope this post was informative in some way and that you benefited.

what is your favourite format of reading? do you audiobook? what are some of your favourite audiobooks? if you have any additional tips or info please do share ❤

have a great weekend y’all,

mayy

 

44 thoughts on “All About Audiobooking: a guide from a compulsive multitasker”

  1. Ok, so I hate audiobooks. (Not for any good reason… I just read quite fast, and have a really good visual memory (legit I remember song lyrics by picturing the words in the format I first saw it in) so reading WITH A PAPER BOOK is better for me) BUT WHAT THE SALTED CARAMEL THEY DEFINITELY COUNT AS REAL BOOKS! whoever says they don’t is nuts. ok bye now sorry for my rant 🤷‍♀️
    Also we need to bookish collab! I wanna so bad, you are actually one of the best bloggers I know. Rhi xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ahhahah no plz i love this rant. ❤ but omg thats literally so awesome that youre visual memory is so strong, that must be awesome for remembering plots and characters lol

      awww you're honestly so sweet you melt me. i'm so behind on posts and scheduling them these days but hopefully when things ease up, we can for sure set something up! ❤ ❤ ❤

      thank you sm for your comment darling, they mean so much to meeeee

      Liked by 1 person

      1. aww, thank you *bows* it is actually so great! one time i was trying to find a book title, and i literally plugged in everything i knew about the book into google, and it came up straight away!

        no, im sorry – YOU are the cinnamon roll here! oh, I know the struggle. sounds like a plan!

        gosh, it’s my pleasure! you are lovely to chat with xxx

        Liked by 1 person

  2. I highly agree with the Illuminae series on this one! The audiobook version is just the best thing ever!!! I am in love with the person reading Ezra Mason’s lines. ❤️❤️❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  3. You never ever ever ever talk enough I’d listen -well, read would be more accurate- you for daaaaaaaaaaaaays ❤ Thank you for writing such a fantastic gem of a blog post, I love it and I love all of your advice so, very much as well. I never tried audiobooks, I’m nervous that I’d be too distracted or it’d be impossible for me to actually focus on the book, butttttttt…. I really want to try it out, too. Someday I will! ❤ Thank you for this!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. omg stop you’re too much cuteness for me in one human ❤ i'm so so so glad you enjoyed it, if marie is happy with my post, then i am happy with it

      whenever you get the chance to audiobook, i need to hear your thoughts on it and if it worked for youuu 🙈🙈

      thank you sm for your lovely comment ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  4. great post, may!! (honestly all of your posts are great and i enjoy reading them so much but i digress) ❤️

    i’ve tried listening to audiobooks before and while i don’t prefer them, they’re not bad either. this post has definitely convinced me to try listening to them again, though! hahah my main problem is getting distracted easily, i literally have the attention span of a goldfish whoops. i’ll definitely try out your tips and audiobook recommendations (aahhh I LOVE SCYTHE) and let you know how it goes!! ☺️

    hope you’re having a wonderful november!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. you little charmer my goodness stop this right now ❤ ❤ ❤

      literally me, my attention sways really easily (even though i literally cant stop multitasking for the life of me) but im pretty sure my rewind button is like 2 seconds away from breaking lol but I DO HOPE IT WORKS OUT FOR YOU whenever you decide to give it another go.

      thank you for your lovelyness, i always get so excited at your comments ❤ <3😭😭

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I couldn’t agree with more on
    #1 books are legit read.
    #2 Yes!!! Narrators make the book .
    #3 lol what would I do without audiobooks, for real! The crap I’ve done while listening to audios.
    #4 YESSSSS! English is not my 1st language and when I was in school I would go to the library and pick up audiobooks with the little books inside and it really helped me learn how to pronounce a lot of difficult words.This is a great post, May.

    Hope you have a lovely weekend ahead. 💋 xoxo
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    1. i am HERE to support you on this 👏👏👏👏

      i’m so thrilled to hear that audiobooks helped you with english, my heart is warm just thinking about it.

      i feel you bc it reminds me of when i was really young and i would go to the library and get these read-a-long books that come with audio-cassettes and they literally inspired my love for reading ❤ im so soft omg what is this

      thank you for your super sweet comment, i hope youre having a fantastic november ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Great post. I listen to so many audiobooks and agree that sometimes the narration can bring a book to life. I tend to listen at 1.25.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. bless u and bless this post. i have been trying all my life (or ok like 2 years which is A LONG TIME) to Get Into Audiobooks. with limited success. but now i feel prepared and equipped with sage advice!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I love + need this guide so muchhhh, I love the concept of audiobooks but for some reason I almost always fail at listening to them??? (i’m srsly distracted af) But speeding up the narrator for sure helps c: c: c:

    Also I don’t get ppl who think audiobooks aren’t “real” reading? EXCUSE ME WHAT ON EARTH? I just. I’ll never understand slkdfjldsjf

    Liked by 1 person

    1. im SO glad to hear that! audiobooking is so good for me and my crazy random schedule where i like stare into space and contemplate my life choices for hours 😂😂 but seriously thank youuuu ❤

      omg YES it bothers me so much like ???how is it your business if someone wants to listen to a book or read it ???? ugh

      Liked by 1 person

  9. YASSSS PREACH IT. I honestly steered clear of audiobooks for so long, AND I’M NOT SURE WHY. THEY ARE THE BEST THING EVER. I can be doing dishes AND working on cutting down my TBR list AT THE SAME TIME. It’s great. It really helps motivate me to do the chores around the house that I hate. But, like you mentioned, it’s so important that you like the narrator! Some books I might like if I were physically reading them are ruined because I hate the sound of a specific narrator’s voice. It’s interesting though that you mentioned Cinder having a great audiobook, because I feel like somebody else told me the same thing recently???? ANyways, THANKS FOR A GREAT POST. You’re awesome. Just sayin’.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. RIGHT!!! THIS SO MUCH
      honestly you wouldnt believe the amount of time it takes me to clean my closet and do laundry 😂😂 (or maybe you know better than me lol)

      there are books that i didn’t like solely based on the narrators voice or way of delivery and it sooo matters.

      thank you so much for your adorable comment and yay for more audiobookers!! ❤ ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  10. listening to an audiobook while having an existential crisis is already the biggest mood out there don’t @ me.
    i’m terrible because i literally haven’t yet listened to a single audiobook *yet* as i always procrastinate looking up the subscription services so i clearly need to giddy the hell up and do some smart things in life.
    you know audiobooks are the real thing when the a/b of illuminae is so highly recommended by people when the book has all these intriguing illustrations. hooked 10/10.
    also, the real tea that you dished out is multitasking because that’s one excuse for procrastination out of the window. catch me folding my laundry while sobbing hysterically over my tiny fictitious babies.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. it’s like my favourite time of the day. omg sis, you NEED TO GET ON THAT ASAP it’ll change your life like imagine seeing how many books you can complete while your life is falling apart, its truly amazing

      thats such a mood, plz stop calling me out like this in public

      (thank you for the comments omg they make my year no joke)

      Liked by 1 person

  11. I’ve been trying to get into audiobooks for so long, but it never quite worked because I get so easily distracted and start daydreaming or whatever. It’s the worst thing ever. I’m also a visual person, so seeing the words usually helps keeping me focused 😆
    But Sleeping Giants was a huge hit for me, it was a great audiobook, the narrators were amazing. I was so sad when I listened to a sample of the next book and the narrators weren’t the same??? 😭
    I might ask you for some more recommendations in the future because I spend a lot of time on trains and audiobooks would be perfect ❤
    This was a very helpful post! ❤❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ahhh IM SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT SLEEPING GIANTS WAS SUCH A HIT!! audiobooking can be difficult to get into, but whenever you need recommendations, IM READY TO DISH THEM OUT lol
      thank you so much for your sweet comment ❤ ❤ ❤ happy reading

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  12. I used to listen to audiobooks after a very long break from reading to get back into it and they saved me tbh. But I’ve not used audiobooks since…
    Think I might have to get back into them soon because I just don’t have the time to read like I used to but I am a bit worried as I have ADHD so i have a short attention span and sometimes listening to things is harder for me to pay attention to.

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