I think we're all bookworms here. Just as we are inspired to write, it came from a passion for reading, and as the time-honored mantra goes:
The more you read - the better you write!
I have realized in the past several years after joining AW - (4 years in October btw), on the impetus of "writing the damn book" that I just do not read as much as I used to. That realization saddened me, and I made several efforts in this same time frame to try and rectify that with mixed results.
What I have come to realize is that paper books in printed form, as much as I loved them as a kid and young adult (say age 10-30's) just take up too much space in my crowded life. This last move from Colorado to Tennessee made me realize that I had way too many things in my life. I donated most of my own library of 300+ books to the local branches of Denver, and packed about 20 fewer boxes halfway across the country.
For a while the Kindle I'd purchased was a decent utility to try and stick to my reading goals. But even that has fallen by the wayside. So, with a sort of a half-assed mindset, I said "ok, I'll try audio books". Well, that did it. I was able to finish the GRRM series, I've powered through another 10 books or so since via Audible, Overdrive and Libby. I think I'm addicted. I find myself just waiting until I can plug my earbuds back in, and check out of things.
As an example - I just finished Ready Player One (a 15 hour listen I think - compared to 40 hours for a GRRM book) and did so in roughly 3-4 days:
The last time I devoted 3 hours to a paper copy of a book was probably in the 90's! It just seems that the audio narrative processes so much easier for me...but then I hearken back to my youth and feel like I am somehow cheating myself out of the pleasure of reading an actual physical book.
Now, maybe it was because of the book itself. The plot was particularly engaging. Ready Player One was narrated by Wil Wheaton, and he happens to (I think anyway) have a great voice for narrating. The story was a quick hook for me too, and the action moved along quite briskly, so it became the audio equivalent of a page turner for me.
I'm also finding that I have more time where I can listen to something over the ability to sit down and read something. Plus, usually if I sit down to read, it becomes a passive thing for me, and my eyes shut almost against my will. With an audio book, I can actually close my eyes and continue to listen - and sometimes even find that soothing! I now am filtering my searches through various public libraries where I have an account only on audio books.
Does anyone else feel this way about audio books? I'm also finding out that for an audio book to work for me, the voice has to be right. After listening to probably 10-20 books now, it seems the more soothing sounds for me are baritones and altos. The higher registers seem too grating for me. Is that because I am getting to be an old geezer or does anyone else feel this way too? If you're into the audio book scene, what makes for the best narrators? What books hooked you really quickly?
The more you read - the better you write!
I have realized in the past several years after joining AW - (4 years in October btw), on the impetus of "writing the damn book" that I just do not read as much as I used to. That realization saddened me, and I made several efforts in this same time frame to try and rectify that with mixed results.
What I have come to realize is that paper books in printed form, as much as I loved them as a kid and young adult (say age 10-30's) just take up too much space in my crowded life. This last move from Colorado to Tennessee made me realize that I had way too many things in my life. I donated most of my own library of 300+ books to the local branches of Denver, and packed about 20 fewer boxes halfway across the country.
For a while the Kindle I'd purchased was a decent utility to try and stick to my reading goals. But even that has fallen by the wayside. So, with a sort of a half-assed mindset, I said "ok, I'll try audio books". Well, that did it. I was able to finish the GRRM series, I've powered through another 10 books or so since via Audible, Overdrive and Libby. I think I'm addicted. I find myself just waiting until I can plug my earbuds back in, and check out of things.
As an example - I just finished Ready Player One (a 15 hour listen I think - compared to 40 hours for a GRRM book) and did so in roughly 3-4 days:
- Just in the morning drive to the gym and back, I'll find that I listen to an hour of the narrative.
- When I take the dogs for their evening walk, there's another 60-90 minutes
- Then, as I mindlessly skim through my email, my smart phone pumps another hour of the narrative in my ears.
The last time I devoted 3 hours to a paper copy of a book was probably in the 90's! It just seems that the audio narrative processes so much easier for me...but then I hearken back to my youth and feel like I am somehow cheating myself out of the pleasure of reading an actual physical book.
Now, maybe it was because of the book itself. The plot was particularly engaging. Ready Player One was narrated by Wil Wheaton, and he happens to (I think anyway) have a great voice for narrating. The story was a quick hook for me too, and the action moved along quite briskly, so it became the audio equivalent of a page turner for me.
I'm also finding that I have more time where I can listen to something over the ability to sit down and read something. Plus, usually if I sit down to read, it becomes a passive thing for me, and my eyes shut almost against my will. With an audio book, I can actually close my eyes and continue to listen - and sometimes even find that soothing! I now am filtering my searches through various public libraries where I have an account only on audio books.
Does anyone else feel this way about audio books? I'm also finding out that for an audio book to work for me, the voice has to be right. After listening to probably 10-20 books now, it seems the more soothing sounds for me are baritones and altos. The higher registers seem too grating for me. Is that because I am getting to be an old geezer or does anyone else feel this way too? If you're into the audio book scene, what makes for the best narrators? What books hooked you really quickly?
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