Audiobooks

[Dane S]

There has probably been a thread about audiobooks already, but what are your feelings on them? I love them generally and feel as though it's a much less taxing way to "read" an extremely long book. A bad reader can destroy even the greatest piece, however, and they are very expensive, so there is always a bit of risk with buying them unless you are familiar with and trust the reader. There is also the issue of not being able to go at one's own pace, which I see as both a drawback and an advantage--it's bad to miss sections of the book because your mind wanders at times, but on the other hand this also makes it possible to get through large books in a much shorter timeframe (at least for myself). Do you feel like you retain better from reading or listening to a book? Would you ever take an audiobook in place of a real book when it wasn't necessitated by an action like driving that requires visual attention? I.E. would you ever sit at home and listen to a book instead of read it, just because that's your preference? Interested in your thoughts on the matter...