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I love reading. Always have. And I love the reading community. We readers are usually a fun, empathetic, and supportive bunch, and we always have a book recommendation (or twenty) if you’re interested. Except, lately, I’ve become more involved with social media reading groups and . . . there’s been a few alarming things that I’m really not okay with.
Not Okay Thing #1: Saying That Audiobooks Aren’t Really Reading.
Everyday, sometimes even multiple times daily, I see some sort of comment or post about whether or not audiobooks should be considered reading. They often look something like this:
- A super sincere reader asking: “Are audiobooks considered reading?”
- A snobby reading saying: “Ugh, my friend keeps saying she’s a book lover, but she only listens to audiobooks.”
- A definition purist saying, “READING. If you’re listening to audiobooks you’re LISTENING not READING. Not my rule, just the literal definition.”
At first I was baffled by these posts, then I was annoyed, and now I’m just irritated. Audiobooks do count as reading. You can count them in your yearly reading goal totals. You can tell people you’re a book dragon even if you listen to audiobooks, and you can tell anyone who doesn’t agree to follow the ring into Mount Doom.
Here’s why I find the whole audiobooks aren’t really reading comments so frustrating: it makes reading exclusive, and I want reading to be as inclusive as possible. Audiobooks allow many kinds of readers to enjoy books with us that they either wouldn’t be able to read or wouldn’t have time to read, or wouldn’t want to read, without this format.
Are you still experiencing the same story? Yup. Can you still talk about the story with other readers who “read” and not “listened” to the book? Yup. In fact, when I listen to an audiobook instead of reading, I’m actually more likely to remember the smaller details because I’m very prone to skim reading or flat out skipping long sections of descriptive text when I’m reading a physical copy.
Do people who are visually impaired or losing their eyesight deserve to be kicked out of the reading community for reading audiobooks? Definitely not.
What about parents who love reading but can’t fit it in unless they listen to an audiobook while doing their day-to-day responsibilities. Also, no.
What about hard workers who have long drives to and from work today sucking up their time? Should we exclude them too? Nah.
What about the person who just likes audiobooks and doesn’t need any excuses? They’re good with me too.
These people all deserve the title of book dragon, even if they don’t ever read a physical book again.
Not Okay Thing #2: Saying that Paperback/Hardback Books are the Only Real Books.
Look, ebooks have been around for a while now and the world of print books didn’t implode. Ebooks aren’t evil. They aren’t plotting to burn all your print books while you sleep. They can actually be downright useful in many applications. Such as:
- Nursing my baby. I tried to read a print book while doing this once, and it ended up kicked out of my hands about 15 times and I had to keep re-finding my place. Not to mention the spot of spit up that I’ll never get out of the pages. My Kindle is a lot more durable and I don’t have to re-find my place each time I drop it.
- Traveling. Ebooks all the way. No more bringing a dozen heavy books because I’m not sure which one I’ll be in the mood for. I can bring my entire ebook library and have hundreds of books to choose from.
- At night. My husband thanks you, backlight, for replacing the obnoxious lamp.
- To explore new authors. I’m not always willing to dish out $10 to $20 bucks on a book from an author I don’t know, but I’m definitely willing to give their free to $4.99 ebook a shot. If I love them, then I think about buying more.
- Waiting anywhere. I feel like I’m always waiting, at the doctor’s office, at the grocery store, at kid pick up, in the fast food line, etc. Being able to quickly open up my ereader in all these short instances really adds up.
I could go on, but you get the point. Ebooks are the perfect complement to our print books. They are not a replacement, but an extension of reading that you can take everywhere and that can be enjoyed by everyone. By providing cheaper and even free books to everyone who has a phone to read on, and by allowing the visually impaired to adjust text sizes to what they’re comfortable reading, ebooks are also helping to make reading more accessible for all.
Not to mention, new authors who may not be able to sell a lot of print books yet rely on ebooks to support their dream of being an author. So say it with me: ebooks are good, not evil. Next time someone mentions reading on their Kindle or an ebook, even if you never, ever, ever want to read an ebook yourself, try to refrain from telling them that you “need real books to read” or that you “only like hardback books.” It’s getting old. You’re not being clever, or helpful. Trust me. I work with ebooks, so I see about a hundred of these comments a day and I’m still happily reading my ebooks, along with my print books and audiobooks.
In Conclusion:
Let readers be readers. Let’s work on making reading the most inclusive, supportive, empathetic community in the world and stop stressing so much about how or what format the book dragon next to you is reading.
Do you have any pet peeves about the reading community? Let us know in the comments below!
Happy reading.
I totally agree. Reading is reading. No matter what format you choose, if you’re experiencing a book, you’re reading.
Adding to something that a reader should never do, in my opinion is to yell at or nag an author about an upcoming book. I have seen readers actually get nasty when an author hasn’t released a book when they originally said it would be released. I’ve also heard of readers telling authors to write faster or ask several times in a month for updates on a release date. I think this is so inappropriate and rude.
Those sound like book snob groups, not reading groups. We should all be grateful that we live in a time when stories are available in so many formats that our ancestors never dreamed of. Time to move on 🙂
I may have been part of the “paper is the only book” club, but it’s a very personal observation. I read A LOT of e-books, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the quality in editing and typing errors as well as using the wrong word and spelling it right, thus it does not get picked up as an error are very real distractions from reading the story. Plus, and I’m not sure if it’s just me, or if other people have the same “handicap” but I just don’t seem to remember stories I read as e-books like paper ones…. so while I may e-books, I prefer the feel and comfort of holding a paper book.
This part is more of a “peeve”; I started reading e-books because of budget constraints, and noticed that e-books are as/more expensive than a regular paper book (new or second hand).
Audiobooks are NOT for me, my mind wanders too much, and I end up tuning out most of the story to concentrate on what I’m doing 🙂 but I have several friends that wouldn’t be able to read at all, if it wasn’t for “reading” while they do other things…..
Excellent opinion. I totally agree since I listen to audiobooks while I am driving and I read multiple ebooks on my Nook. Thank you!
Well said. Who needs something more to argue about. Instead let’s discuss the great books we are enjoying no matter what format.
My solution is this
1. I don’t care what anyone says, I enjoy reading &/or listening. The best is to have both a Kindle book & an Audible book linked so I’m on the road I can listen, if I’m waiting in a store or other place I can read.
2. I read more Kindle books than paperback and more paperbacks than hard cover books. If the word is printed and you have to “read” then you’re reading a book. That’s what reading is, reading the printed word no matter where or how it is printed. I listen about even with reading kindle books. I also read numerous scientific, electronics, and ham radio magazines, that’s not book reading but it IS reading.
3. And the best of all: Just stay away from social media if it upsets you. I’m not an active member of any social media platform and I never read any of them.
I personally think this is a “which side of the road is the chicken on”. I do not listen, but I do read eBooks. Just my personal choice. I think they would be great should something happen to my eyesight. However I will never listen while driving. That should be a no no. You need to be 100% looking at the road and watching other drivers.
Last, I never go to any book sights on Facebook. I think it is dangerous and there have been a few things that really made my decision for me. I only go to talk with my friends.
Love it! But you forgot to mention the fact that when you’ve left your “book” at home and you find yourself with an unexpected wait, you can just pick up where you left off with your phone! My pleasure preference is still paper, but I’m mostly reading e-books these days for all the reasons you mentioned. And yes, even on my constantly-swiping phone screen. Story is story!
Yes! I agree. I love audiobooks, ebooks, and physical books! I think it’s great that people can pick the format that works best for them. Anything that makes reading more accessible to more people is a good thing.
Well said, Sarah! Literature (whether printed on paper, digitized for an ereader, or recorded for audio, is sacred and inviolate, in all its forms. I am a staunch supporter of the Liberated Word, and I thank you for expounding on these concerns as you have.
“Nothing like the feel of unrolling a scroll and reading script written by the hand of a living, breathing human being. If you’re reading one of those volumes that was printed on a newfangled, inanimate machine, is isn’t the REAL thing. Scrolls and other texts written by human hands have been around for thousands of years,” says the ancient scribe to a reader living in the newbie 21st century.
“It’s much better to hear a story in the presence of the storyteller, to hear it directly from the storyteller’s mouth. It’s the only way you can fully trust the speaker. Reading a story on paper would be impersonal and kind of…weird. If it isn’t vocal storytelling in person, then it isn’t the REAL thing. We’ve been passing our oral history down for generation after generation,” says the person from a nomadic culture who thinks folks who depend on print books are dumb.
Heeheehee, words are words are words, whether we’re reading them off parchment, or from machine-printed books, or on a screen, or whether we’re listening to an audiobook, or the audible screen reader built into our phone or tablet, or a storyteller in person. Getting the words into our brains is what counts.
Didn’t mean to write an article in response to this article, but great article!
I don’t like audiobooks – but that’s me: I find my attention wandering, as though I feel I should be doing something else… I don’t get the same personal reaction to watching tv or going to the theatre – and I used to listen to ‘talk radio’ before I had a television (but that might have been audio wallpaper, of course); I have a collection of audio plays (mostly Doctor Who) and I do listen to them but in bite-size chunks (around 30 minutes at a time, usually, before i get distracted. I also have a smaller collection of ‘readings’ (as opposed to dramas) but I don’t listen to them – the 300+ minute running time is alarming!
However – I’d not join the ‘audio isn’t reading’ brigade. My mother eventually started reading by cassette (remember them?) and I know many commuters who listen while en route. I don’t drive so I have no idea of potential safety/attention issues! Canada has a ‘distracted driving’ offence and I can see it being a hazard! (I used to use the travel time on public transport – London Underground – to learn lines for forthcoming productions.
Similarly – I like hardback books and I used to have several hundreds in my personal library, some rather stylish limited editions, leather bindings, the works. However I also had many hundreds of paperbacks – and a travfterelling on holiday often got home with a fresh crop collected while away… However – paper books take up space and potentially strain flooring. When I moved across the pond I decided that much as I loved my books (like Prospero ‘volumes that I prize[d] above my dukedom’) the cost of shipping was too great; my sisters reaped that bounty.
I still buy books: limited editions, not so limited hardbacks and paperbacks. However a parting gift was an ereader so I now have several thousand volumes available at the press of a button… and as a bonus wall space to hang pictures! I no longer travel but the ereader would be a boon there, too – no need to pack a spare (empty) bag to lug home new purchases…
I enjoy audio books when I also want to be doing something with my hands, like knitting; or I need to do something else with the time, like making dinner; or I just feel like having someone tell me a story. My only beef with audio books is that my brain keeps trying to lay the way I would say things over the way the narrator says them, and it’s distracting.
Ebooks, on the other hand, are essential for me. My apartment is very small, so I don’t have a lot of space for physical books. On the other hand, my ebook library is approaching 30K books, and they all fit in my pocket. Joy!
I love having a physical book to hold in my hand and when done put in my library. With bthat being said I do have an e-reader and also have several reading apps on my laptop ( including some audiobooks ). The best way to look at this is ” You do you and I’ll do me ” in other words there are no concrete right answer.