Are Audiobooks Books?

Short answer?  Yes. 

I love good audiobooks.  They are an invaluable part of my book-centered universe.  Although I was a late adopter of audiobooks, I now relish the medium and always have a book in my Libby or Audible queue lined up and ready to go.  Long drives and cross-country trips are infinitely more tolerable when accompanied by a compelling story and great narration.  On more than one occasion I’ve found myself so engrossed in a good audiobook that, upon reaching my destination after a seven-hour drive, I’ll tack on an extra mile (or more) just to continue listening or finish a chapter.  My daughter and I listen to an audiobook each day on the way to her school.  We’ve completed several and this ritual has become a great bonding experience.  I never would have discovered authors like Andrew Clements or Lisa Greenwald otherwise.  These audiobooks are something my daughter and I discuss and the conversations they elicit are cherished memories.  Audiobooks have gotten me out of reading slumps.  I’ve even borrowed audiobooks from the library to help supplement a book I was reading.  I’ll listen to a few chapters in the car then read a few more at night from the physical copy.  Beyond car rides, I’ve completed numerous books on long bike trips or multiday hikes.  The miles seem to melt away as the plot thickens and tension grows. 

Not every audiobook can reach such lofty heights.  So much depends on the narrator.  The amount of pleasure I derive from an audiobook is correlated with the voice actor.  The wrong one can ruin a perfect story.  I’ve quit listening to audiobooks, even on subject matters I enjoy, because of the actor’s performance.  Conversely, when a good narrator is found, it’s a game changer.  There are a few which stand out.  Social media has gushed about the audiobook version of Project Hail Mary.  And I agree.  It is fantastic.  Ray Porter’s narration is as good as it gets.  I highly recommend Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six, a fun mock biography about the meteoric rise and fall of a 1970s rock band.  The book is written as an oral history and features interviews with the band members, journalists, groupies, and families.  The audiobook has a different voice actor for each role, and it is one of the most entertaining listens I’ve had.  The Daisy Jones and the Six audiobook experience will make you question whether the events actually took place.  The Harry Potter books narrated by Jim Dale are outstanding and worth a listen.  With or without kids, I cannot recommend these enough.  Ready Player One was already one of my favorite books and listening to the audiobook reinforced its special place on my bookshelf.  The fact that it is full of puzzles and treasure hunts, along with an extreme nostalgia factor makes it one of the most engaging books for a nerdy Gen Xer like me.  Adding to its appeal is Wil Wheaton’s narration.  His performance is top notch and enhances an already fun and delightful story. 

It’s personal preference, but I find that the audiobook format works best for fiction and occasionally, narrative non-fiction.  Sometimes a biography works well in audio – if the material isn’t too dense and the narrator too dry.  Other genres just don’t seem as engaging or even effective while listening.  Self-help, psychology, business, or science books, as well as those with an academic bent usually contain graphs, tables, and pictures.  As such, the audiobook format just isn’t the same.  Since I am usually listening in the car or on a bike, I’m not able to quickly glance at the referenced tables.  History books too, are often full of maps, photos, tables, and statistics just don’t work as well as in a print or even an e-book.  Again, my opinion only, but for that reason I gravitate toward fiction or narrative non-fiction in my audiobook choices.    

     I would say that about 20% of the books I consume each year are audiobooks.  Sometimes it’s a combination of physical and audiobook formats – I’ll read a bit, then hop into the car or onto the bike, listen to a few chapters, then continue reading my physical book at home or at my destination.  I’ve been rereading Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series this way and it seems to work well for long, intricate, and involved epics that are so engrossing that I don’t want to stop just because I need to drive across town.  Additionally, the ease with which I can borrow an audiobook from the library and download it to my phone has been a game changer.  This alone has increased my book consumption and introduced me to some topics, stories, and authors in which I might never have tried.      

But back to the question at hand.  Are audiobooks books?  Yes.  I count completed audiobooks on the list of books I’ve “read.”  It counts toward my annual goals.  However, even though audiobooks are books, it’s not reading.  It’s listening.  Reading is done on a device, e-reader, or by flipping actual pages.  Reading is looking at words and processing their meaning.  Listening is not reading.  But in the end, what does it matter and who cares?  Audiobooks are books.  I am not passing judgement.  When I ask someone if they have read something, it doesn’t matter if they’ve said yes and then they go on to say it was the audiobook version.  I do not disparage them; they are still consuming the material.  I know people whose sole way of “reading” is via audiobook.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  Did they read it?  No.  Did they engage with the content and expand their world view, mental capacity, and are they actively making themselves better?  100% yes.  Ergo, I see no issue – especially if I can still hold an interesting conversation with them on the books they’ve completed.  What does it matter if I’ve read it and they have listened to it?  The format of the book consumed is irrelevant.  What counts is that they’ve engaged with the materials, learned more about the world, challenged themselves, and applied what they’ve learned.  I know readers that are snobbish toward those that listen to books.  They look down upon those engaging in a ‘lesser’ format.  I pay little attention to these critics.  Since so few people consume books anymore, I think any type of interaction with written material is to be applauded and encouraged.  I, for one, am grateful I live in an age where I can pick, choose, and combine the way I engage with books.  I feel infinitely more well-read because of it.