I was never an audiobook hater from a reading perspective. Reading is reading, no matter how you do it, but I didn’t like them per se.

Due to audio processing issues, I struggle to listen to things like podcasts and audiobooks for several reasons. The main one is that sometimes I think too loudly and stop hearing the audio I have playing. That means I end up missing chunks of a story if I’m multitasking too much. The other issue is that some voices REALLY grate on my brain. I tend to be a bit fussy about the narrators I listen to because if someone’s voice makes me anxious, I won’t listen to the audiobook. For a long time, I thought I couldn’t be an audiobook lover because of this, but I found some things that helped me become an audiobook appreciator.

Turn up the speed

Part of what irritated me while listening to audiobooks initially was how slowly the narrators spoke sometimes. As someone from a state where people talk fast, the slowness grated on my brain horrifically. I was losing track of sentences because they took so long. Helpfully, most audiobook apps have controls where you can turn the speed up or down. If you struggle to get through audiobooks because the narrator is too slow or too fast, you can easily adjust it.

Check the samples before buying it

If you’re like me and struggle with certain voices or narration styles, listen to the audiobook sample before you buy it. While I wouldn’t use the sample to judge if I want to read that particular book, I do use them to judge if I can stand the voice. If someone’s cadence annoys me or the voice itself grates on my soul, I don’t buy it. I’ve also figured out that there are some kinds of books that just don’t work for audiobooks (graphic novels, obviously, or books with footnotes).

For accessibility

I tend to buy audiobooks for authors whose works I struggle to get through in ebook or paperback form. I have a few authors who have dense writing or writing that just bounces off my brain (aka I take a very long time to get through a book I enjoy), and in audiobook form, they are far more palatable. I struggled to get through any/all of Tolkein’s books. Being able to have them read to me made them far more accessible and enjoyable. At this point, I recommend my students try audiobooks if they are struggling to get through a physical or digital book, especially people with dyslexia or ADHD who might have a hard time focusing long enough to get through a book even if they’re enjoying it.

Find bargains

If you aren’t sure if audiobooks are for you, I highly recommend checking out audiobooks from your local library or using sale sites like Chirp. In the US, many library systems have ebooks and audiobooks you can check out through their apps or website. This is a great way to sample audiobooks and figure out in a low stakes way if you can enjoy them. Chirp and other sites that sell audiobooks often run sales where you can buy audiobooks for less than $5 if you don’t have access to a library.

You won’t catch everything

Something I quickly made peace with was that I will miss some words or sentences, and I need to be okay with that. Occasionally, I zone out or the dogs bark, and I don’t catch a line. At first, this really bothered me, but I realized I miss lines while reading as well. The worst part is not knowing how names are spelled, but most of the time, taking a look at the blurb on Goodreads is enough to clear that up for me.

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If you haven’t tried listening to audiobooks, I highly recommend you give them a chance! They are especially great for long car rides, daily commutes, or while cleaning the house.