Do you perfer reading or listening to books?

[AquaMarie]

I prefer the experience of reading, but these days I've been so busy that it's hard to find the time/concentration to read. I could and sometimes do use my gaming time to read, but it kinda sucks having to choose one over the other.

Very recently I've started listening to audio books regularly and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. I can listen when I'm driving, cleaning or exercising and I find it easy to concentrate on them. I even listen in the shower since I have a Bluetooth speaker in there... it's pretty relaxing! Lately with reading I can't concentrate at all if there's noise or people talking to me, but with audio books I just put my ear buds in and drown everything out. I got a library card for the San Francisco library last time I was there and they seem to have a really nice selection of audio and digital books available.

Edit to add: I can even listen as I play ACNH if I'm doing something like fishing or catching bugs.

 

[Peach_Jam]

Both are a different experience, but I prefer reading myself. I like to go at my own pace and sometimes the character voices in audiobooks aren't how I imagine them to be lol. I suppose they would be good for long drives though.

 

[Stikki]

I'm sure listening would be great but yano, can't lip read audio books so wouldn't be able to follow them easily. I watch tv by reading subtitles, so audiobooks would be a pointless purchase for me

 

[dragonfire42]

I remember things far better by reading them than hearing them. Reading at my own pace gives me time to process everything, it takes less mental effort for me and I remember more. I haven’t bothered trying audiobooks because I know I’d quickly be scrambling to keep up and get hopelessly lost.

 

[UglyMonsterFace]

Reading, 100%. I feel like I cannot visualize properly when just hearing the words. I have never listened to an audiobook but whenever my boyfriend reads to me, I have to read along, otherwise the words just go in one ear and out the other.

 

[maria110]

Before ACNH, I would read but now I listen while I'm playing.

 

[ChocoPie22]

I enjoy reading more, but sometimes I read while listening to the audiobook to help me stay on track and not get distracted.

 

[Neb]

I prefer reading. It’s what I’ve done my entire life, so it comes more naturally. I also don’t like the voices most audiobook narrators make for the characters. They all start to blend into each other. The only audiobook I enjoyed was one where they actually hired different voice actors for each character. It sounds more expensive and a pain to edit, but I think it would add a lot to the experience. Would it make me switch over to audiobooks though? Not really.

 

[BakaRina]

I'm used to reading books as I never cared much for listening to audiobooks. I get more pleasure reading a book more than listening to someone reading it since I might as well spend my money on something I could bring around anywhere I like without the use of a device.

 

[Mr_Persona]

Reading because I can makeup the voices in my head, read at my own pace, and I'm used to it. In general I just don't like listening to audio books, they also make me fall asleep and they read too slow for me.

 

[Belle T]

Reading when possible. I don't have a problem with audiobooks, but I prefer to pace myself, and I enjoy the quiet leisure of reading.

I will say, however, that a good audiobook performance can foster a greater understanding and appeciation for passages I might otherwise criticize as being clunky or lacking in description. So, sometimes it's good to listen to the audiobook upon subsequent rereadings or concurrently with quiet reading.

 

[Halloqueen]

I've never really listened to an audiobook other than a cassette tape copy of A Shocker on Shock Street, a Goosebumps book, back in the 90s. Aside from that, I've only ever really read books. I feel like I'd prefer to read a book myself, but I might do like Tarantella said in the above post and listen to an audiobook narration of something for a subsequent reading sometime.

 

[Kamex]

I prefer reading books because it allows me to read at my own pace. While I do like listening to podcasts, audiobooks aren't really my thing because I have trouble focusing on the information. Plus, I'm not an auditory learner and I prefer having a physical book so I can actually see the text I'm reading. I also like ebooks, though I don't use them often.

 

[Chrysopal]

Reading Pros	Listening Pros
I imagine more	I understand more
I feel more accomplished	I get through book faster
Physical book in hand	Less paper and more storage

 

[-Mars-]

-