Audiobooks or the real thing?

[Wolfsbane Creations]

I will always read the book first but if it is a book I really love and the reader is good I will listen to an audiobook.

[Nreader8]

By far I like the real thing better; I have only ever listened to audio books when I was completely unable to read. I also love to crack the spine and flip the pages:)

[Miss read-alot67]

I'm sold on both. I'm a big reader and love the real thing but I'm also in my car a big portion of my day. Audiobooks have opened a whole world for me to keep up with my favorite authors. I can read one book at home and have another on audio. Most ask me if it gets confusing but it doesn't. The only problem is sometimes I have to sit in my car until the end of a chapter because the audio is so good I don't want to get out of the car!

[ttuso22]

I use to listen to audiobooks before I went to bed to help me fall asleep so I always get drowsy when listening to them, thus I prefer a real book.

[ekatemari]

I find that audiobooks are great to listen to while walking somewhere, or while drawing. But it likely depends on the book – Hunger Games was great on audio, whereas the Game of Thrones one put me off somewhat, particularly as in book one a character overhears a conversation but doesn't know who it's between – which is lost in the audiobook as you can differentiate the characters by voice/accent...

[Kelly_Marie]

I love the real thing and will almost always buy/use a real book. However I did grow up listening to Harry Potter on my cassette player and there was something magical about that, I remember being able to stay up late 'reading' as I didn't need a light and never getting motion sickness in the car! That basically puts me on the bench, as audio-books can be just as fun as reading if you have picked a good book and reader.

[ekatemari]

Yeah, so much depends on the person voicing the book as they're basically replacing your own internal dialogue...

[Elizabeth Rogers 47]

Audiobooks are great for when you have a lot of ironing to do, or will spend hours baking or doing something tedious. It helps me stay on task, and to get a book read at the same time.

[obiebookworm]

I think audiobooks are great when you're traveling in the car. Otherwise, my first choice is always physical books.

[chibi_kitsune]

I much prefer reading a book. It's comforting to hold and that way I hear the voices of the character in my head and not someone else who's reading it to me.

[master40k]

I enjoy both, each is a unique experience. Back in high school I had a teacher who played the audio to "The Iliad" while we read the book, it made reading the 600 page book a lot easier!

[KateLouise212]

I love listening to an audio book. especially at night, if I'm quietly sewing, or even if I'm just getting into bed. I find audio books extremely comforting and soothing, however if the narrators voice isn't how i imagined it to be, i can find it way too distracting. I think over all I prefer reading the real thing, but i don't mind an audio book on the odd occasion.

[samuyama]

nice to finally see some fans of audiobooks! most everybody's opinion has been leaning towards reading physical books.

[TerLab]

I have a system that goes like this: Favorite Authors-a real copy of the book for my library, Interesting Books or Newly Discovered Authors-eBook as I get to know them and books with an interesting topic that are very long and cover many hours, always audiobooks.

[shuttercliche]

Personally, I've never been able to listen to audiobooks. I tend to zone out, so I'd be missing major portions of the plot. In addition to that, I can't picture or comprehend what I hear. I am very much a visual person, so I would rather have an actual copy of the book in my hands. (or on my Nook!)