Hot take: I was dead wrong about audiobooks counting as reading

Our book club had this huge debate last year about whether audiobooks really count. I was on the side saying no way, it's not real reading. Then I injured my wrist in March and couldn't hold a physical book for six weeks. I caved and tried the Libby app with a nonfiction pick about the collapse of the Roman Empire. After finishing the whole 14 hour thing while driving and doing dishes, I realized I remembered more details than when I read the print version. My retention was actually better because I couldn't zone out or skip paragraphs. So now I'm the one who has to defend audiobooks every meeting. Has anyone else in here done a complete 180 on something you were super stubborn about?

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nathan_torres344mo ago

Wait, did the narrator's voice matter for your retention or just the format itself?

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jade474mo ago

The voice definitely matters. There's a big difference between a smooth, calm narrator and some monotone robot reading the script. A good voice sucks you in and makes you want to keep listening even if the topic is dry. Bad voice acting just makes me zone out and forget everything.

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