The Thing About Audiobooks

It is no secret that I absolutely Love audiobooks. I almost love them more than I love books. I've loved being read to since I was old enough to be read to. My grandpa would read to me for hours when I was a little kid (My favorite read was Digger Dan and the Steam Shovel Man.) and after he got sick and could no longer read to me, I read to him.

In elementary school, my favorite part of the day was any time my teacher would read to us out loud. My third grade teacher read us chapter books all year long. She would read a chapter a day. I loved Charlotte's Web, but I will never forget the day that Where the Red Fern Grows reduced my fearless teacher to tears. I think that was the first time I really realized that books could play with your emotions and leave you at the mercy of the author.

When I first discovered audiobooks, I realized that I could fill up the nooks and crannies in my day with stories. Driving, doing chores, running... All wonderful places to add stories. I loved it. It's funny. At first, I would only listen to stories narrated by the author. I thought that only the author would know how to read their own books, and to an extent, I still find this to be true (especially with memoirs), but I've also found that there are some narrators that have the ability to add depth and texture to the story. Sometimes, I just enjoy the sound of their voices (Neil Gaiman, Mary Robinette Kowal).

While listening to The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer as I drove home yesterday, I realized that another thing I love about audiobooks is their intimacy. It is like having an intimate conversation or relationship even with all sorts of different people from all walks of life. I love this aspect of audiobooks. It takes those memories of family and teachers reading aloud to me and moves it to the next level. It's amazing.