Print, Digital, or Audio?
With the end of each month, I like to look at my reading stats. I’ve noticed that I’ve been listening to a lot more audiobooks over the last two years than I had in previous years. It got me thinking about whether I like reading in print, digital, or audio more and the pros and cons between each of them.
Prior to 2021, I rarely listened to an audiobook unless I was rereading Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, or Twilight. I found that by listening to the audiobooks of my favorite books, I could still focus on reading new books without missing out on revisiting my faves.
Ever since I got my first Kindle in 2011, about 25% to 33% of my reading each year was digital. With Libby, my digital reading increased to 50% or more.
Here’s the breakdown between the print, digital, and audio books I’ve read this year. I’ve obviously embraced audio, lol.
I love reading in print, holding the book in my hand and the tactile feel and motion of changing pages. I also love seeing my books on my bookshelves, organizing them and making room for new books. I prefer the look of hard covers, but I like holding paperbacks better.
I’m a slow reader. It usually takes me about a week to read a 300- to 400-page book if I only read for a couple of hours each day. If I want to read a book I don’t have in my personal library, I have to order it from Amazon or another bookstore and wait for it to arrive. Or, I have to physically leave my house to go to a bookstore or the library.
Digital
I love my Kindle, how light it feels in my hand, the tactile feel of pushing the Next and Previous Page buttons, and having my entire library at my fingertips. I love that I can highlight favorite quotes or paragraphs and easily share them on Goodreads.
I love that I can check out books from my library and have them delivered right to me. I also love that if I put my Kindle in Airplane mode, I can keep my checked out books a little longer without making another person wait longer for their turn. And, I love that I can buy books from Amazon and have them instantly delivered to my Kindle.
Even though I’ve paid for the ebooks I’ve bought from Amazon, I don’t really own them. I only own the right to read them when and how often I want. I can’t donate them if I don’t like them or know I’m never going to read them again. It feels a little bit like a waste, especially when ebooks are often just as expensive as hard covers or paperbacks.
Audio
I’ve noticed I read more when I listen to audiobooks because I often listen to them during the times I wouldn’t be reading a print or digital book. I love listening to audiobooks while driving or when I go to bed. Listening to audiobooks help make driving more enjoyable and they help me relax at night so I can sleep. Audiobooks also help me when I’m in a reading slump. I had a massive one hit me in March and I know I’d still be in that slump if it weren’t for listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks.
Some of my favorite audiobooks to listen to are celebrity memoirs because they’re usually read by the celebrity. It makes me wish more of my favorite celebrities would write memoirs so I could listen to them.
Just like with ebooks, I love that I can check out audiobooks from my library and have them delivered right to me. Unlike ebooks, I can’t put Libby in Airplane mode to give me more time.
I sometimes don’t like the narrator’s voice or how they pronounce certain words or names. When this happens, I’ve noticed I’m more likely to rate a book lower than I would if I had read it in print or ebook. It’s also harder for me to remember my favorite quotes and my mind wanders often enough that I have to back up and listen to what I missed fairly frequently.
There are pros and cons to each format. I’ve realized that it’s mostly a matter of mood for me since I’m a mood reader through and through. I’m much more likely to pick up a book when I don’t feel like expending a lot energy to read or to power through a book I’m not loving when it’s an audiobook. If I don’t want to listen to an audiobook, I’m more likely to read something on my Kindle because it’s easier.
What about you? Which format do you prefer? Do you agree with my pros and cons?
I learned in DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) that life is full of dialectics, or two opposing truths. In this case, the two opposing truths are: 1) I don’t agree with JKR’s stance regarding trans people, and 2) I still love Harry Potter.
I’m print and digital (more so now) and no audio. I should give it a try, but I hate listening. LOL
Lol. I completely understand. 😀 I was the same way. Sometimes, I still hate it. But, I really love it now when I’m driving alone or lying in bed. If you end up trying an audiobook, I hope it goes well for you.
I can only really listen to audiobooks when I’m doing something else, like walking the dog or chores, so it takes me a lot longer to get through one, but I like that it’s time that would be wasted otherwise. I think I prefer paperbacks over everything. Hardbacks are nice to look at but unwieldy, and the Kindle is very convenient and good for cheap ebooks, but I rarely buy anything full price that, like you say, I don’t own.
I used to only listen to audiobooks when I was driving alone so it always took longer for me to get through a book as well. After I started listening to them for an hour or so in bed, I started finishing faster. (Sometimes, I’ll stay up to 1am or 2am listening because I’m too invested in the story to sleep. So that is both a pro and a con, lol.)
I agree with you on paperbacks and hard covers. I’ll often check out a hard cover I own on the Kindle just so I don’t have to hold it while I’m reading, lol.
I read tons of ebooks and lots of print books. I’m not very good with the audio but I do want to correct that.
sherry @ fundinmental
I understand. I used to not be good at audio either. 🙂 I hope you get the hang of them.
I consume books in all three formats. Usually, one of each. The different formats can help me keep the different stories straight.
I like audio for reading when I’m doing other things — driving, walking, housework.
I read ebooks on my phone, and I love them because they are always there.
These days, print is my least likely, but I often choose print for nonfiction. I retain more when I read it in print and I’m more likely to make notes on paper or on a post-it to deepen my understanding.
I usually have one of each as well. 😀 Although, lately I’ve been reading an audiobook and an ebook or print book.
Great post! I used to only read physical books but the last few years I noticed it got harder for me to read physical books – it took me so much longer to read and even hurt my eyes. I’ve since also embraced ebooks and audiobooks especially. A good mix of all three formats is the way to go for me now 🙂
I’m so sorry that reading physical books hurts your eyes. 🙁 I often get headaches when I read physical books. I’ve noticed that ebooks and audiobooks don’t cause as many problems. I’m so glad we have other ways of ingesting books so we can still enjoy our hobby. 😀
How interesting! I’ve been reading a lot more with audiobooks too, it’s just easier to listen and get other chores done at the same time. I read faster on print, but I don’t have as many dedicated hours to focus on reading as I do when I’m listening on audio. I agree that the right narrators are so important, and sometimes it’s hard for me to pick up names and certain words too – especially when it’s sci-fi/fantasy with a lot of made-up names and terms!
I think if I could completely focus while I’m reading print, I’d probably read faster. Thankfully, audiobooks are helping me get more in. 😀
Oh, absolutely, there are pros and cons for each format. I don’t read a lot of ebooks for a few reasons — one of those reasons being what you mentioned about not having real ownership. I also dislike this about videogames these days, too. Alas!
I LOVE audiobooks for my commute. My drive to and from work is about an hour each way. I get so much more reading done when I can listen to books for 6–10 hours per week; I’m also just less stressed about the driving, too! But like you said, sometimes a not-so-great narrator can really dampen the experience of what might have otherwise been a fine book.
I totally get what you’re saying about ebooks. Despite not really owning the books, I still buy them because it’s convenient and easy. I’m so thoroughly entrenched in today’s technological convenience that I’m willing to pay for Amazon Prime even though they jack up the prices for Prime members. The convenience is worth it to me.
I do all three. It was a long time before I started audiobooks, I just have my mind wander too much if it gets wordy and doesn’t keep my attention, but now I love it in the car and rarely listen to anything else. I don’t buy e-books, because like you said, I don’t really own it. I usually read a lot of advanced copies digitally though, and occasionally I’ll buy “free” ebooks from Amazon. I love a physical book though, I can put them on my shelves and look at them, I often buy the ones I read early as digital for my shelves. I also prefer digital sometimes though, because I like to read at meals and it’s easier to turn pages and not have to hold the Kindle because it has the stand. Fun post!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2024/08/29/e-galley-review-breaking-the-ice-love-on-thin-ice-series-by-whitney-dineen/
I do all three as well, but I’ve definitely embraced audiobooks lately. 😀