To ask if listening to a book is the same as reading it?

[headstrong27]

By that I mean will I retain the information? If I listen whilst doing something else will that mean I don't "hear" the story if that makes sense?!

I have so many books I want to read but no time.

It doesn't work for me. My mind wanders and then it's hard to go back to the point you stopped properly listening.

I find at the moment I struggle to read books but get through a lot of audio books and pod casts. I retain the info, but I really think it will depend on your personal learning style and it won't work if you are doing something else you need to think about. However, if you are listening while doing mindless tasks, washing up, doing the washing, ironing, driving etc I find it easy to concentrate on the audio book.

It might be woth checking out your local library. Mine has an app that allows you to borrow audio books for free. Then you can try it out without spending anything.

Me too. I lose concentration with an audio book whereas I'll sit still with a book. DP loves them.

It really depends on you. Some people are more visual than audio and vice versa. Try some. I am fine with both, but more with reading. I tend to day dream instead of listening.

I had the same fears you did but proved to be false. Of course I listen to books while driving,hiking and at the gym

I can’t listen to audiobooks, I get distracted and “lose my place” and you can’t just flip back like you would in a paperback.
But I know lots of people who love them and find them much easier to get on with than reading print books. It’s a personal preference!

Thanks for the responses, at least I'm not crazy to think that way 😆.

I often have the radio on but find I don't take it in so maybe it won't work for me.

Good suggestion @RenegadeMrs I didn't think of that so will give it a try at least.

I'm a recent convert to audio books and I'm a huge fan of them. In the past couple of months I've got through seven Stephen King books which I always wanted to read but never had time. I listen when ironing and washing up.

I cannot for the life of me follow fiction on audiobook (unless I’m driving maybe). Just totally drift and lose the story. But I get through heaps of non fiction on audible when I’m gardening/cooking/cleaning. Love it!! Podcasts too. Don’t think I’ve ever finished a book on kindle but that’s a derail....!!

I find it depends on the kind of books. I very much enjoy biographies on audible where there isn't a plot as such so if your mind does wander you're not totally lost. There are some fantastic biographies available.
Similarly with some travelogue type books.

Having said all that I'm reading Robert Galbraith's Troubled Blood and got the audiobook for a car journey. It is totally gripping and very well read-might ditch the written book and just listen!

I love audiobooks. I listen to them on my commute, so I'm paying attention to my driving but listening to a story at the same time. I also listen to them when I'm out for a walk, as again, it's not the only thing I'm doing but I don't have to concentrate too hard on walking so can pay attention to the story.

Why not try one and see how you get on. You can get a free trial of audible (but do remember to cancel if you don't get on with it!) Or most libraries have a digital library app you can get them on. My library uses borrowbox and I can have up to 5 books/audiobooks on it at any one time. Obviously you need to wait for books that interest you as they're often on loan already, but you can reserve them and it only takes a few weeks til you get them.

I have a child with a language disorder and apparently listening to audio books is equally as good for language development as reading the books which wasn’t really your question. I find I can retain information from listening whilst I am doing things that don’t take a lot of thought like walking, the dishes ect but I can’t listen and do things that are more involved

It depends on what else I'm doing, if I'm sitting down, sewing, adult colouring or doing something else I don't have to think to hard about, I find I retain it better. If I'm moving about doing chores I only retain it if I've got headphones on.

Funnily enough if I just try to sit/lay and listen I drift off into my own thoughts.

I hate being read to, unless it’s poetry read by someone who’s very good. Audiobooks make me want to scream in frustration, as they’re often read too slowly, or the reader mispronounces or clearly misunderstands something they’re reading..

It's exactly the same as reading the book for me.

I love both audio and reading . With audiobooks I find it helps if you find a narrator/ narrators that you like, and look for their versions of the books you're listening to. Enjoy!!

I struggled with this but gave it a go. I find biographies and light reading works well. I really enjoy walking the dog whilst listening to a book.

I find I take more detail from an audio book than reading. I read quite a bit but dont seem to be able to retain information or really take in in when I'm reading

I remember reading something a few years back about reading fluency, and how some people 'hear' when they read and some people 'see'. I see what I read, I've dreamt of reading books and it was text on a page.
I can't remember if it was the 'hearing' or the 'seeing' people who were most likely to become massive bookworms, but I think it will impact on whether audio books work for you. I like the idea, and I tried a Terry Prachett I borrowed while driving, but of anything happens at a difficult roundabout I wanted to go back and relisten.

I have a severely dyslexic 9 year old. He loves audio books as he can listen to same books as his friends are reading or books teqcher recommends. His vocabularly has certainly increased by a large amount

I love audiobooks in the car and while doing housework but have to use wireless headphones to keep focused except in the car. I actually find them incredibly useful for stress management as I keep my mind focused on the story rather than whatever is stressing me.

I find I pay attention as well as i do when reading on paper (because sometimes even with paper i realise i haven't retained the last 3 paragraphs)

I only really listen when doing housework or commuting though i suppose. And you have to pause the book sharpish if someone starts talking to you

I get through about one book a week when listening, which i never manage with paper ones.
Slight problem is if you have a nonfiction one, it's hard to refer back to - i mean you can put bookmarks and notes but it's not the same.

I often download the book and audio (if it’s on offer) its my extravagance

I find I don’t As often get as lost In the story when just listening to an audio book but there have been a few exceptions Americanah and Dark Matter both excellent narration

I love audio books when the narrator is good (and not to theatrical this is off putting)

I listen to audio books in bed and drift off to sleep as they play. Can take me months to finish a book as i probably only "hear" 10-15 mins of the hour that plays each night.

I listen while I'm cooking, driving, in the bath, folding laundry etc. I tend towards radio 4, the BBC sounds app has loads of podcasts, R4 shows and book adaptations that have been serialised for radio. I used to listen to novels when I travelled a lot for work, while I was driving or on trains/planes but find it less engaging if I'm dipping in and out for short bursts.
Maybe just start out with radio 4 on at home and see if you listen or tune out while doing other things. I find that way I end up listening to things I wouldn't necessarily pick out but are fascinating factual programmes or really well written plays/stories