Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Loving the Story.. With Your Eyes or Your Ears?

Lately, my life has been amazingly busy, and that has drastically cut down on my “reading for enjoyment” time.  My TBR pile had been hovering in skyscraper proportions.
Sometimes it takes desperation for me to make changes in my life.  Feeling withdrawal from the joy of reading good stories, I finally investigated the world of audio books.  What a thrill!  Maybe this is not new news to you, but it was a new discovery for me.  While I love the feel of a book (or my Kindle) in my hands, audio books has become a great alternative in those busy days.
                                                           
I can listen to a story while on the stationary bike at the gym. I can enjoy a chapter while sorting the bottomless basket of granddaughters’ socks, or folding towels, or scrubbing pots.  The time flies by while sitting in the car pickup line at school.  In truth, I love the feel of a book (or my Kindle) in my hands. But when time is an issue, it is a great multi tasking solution to these mundane tasks, and I love it.

But I am discovering two things. First of all, many of my favorite authors do not yet have books available in an audio format. I hope that changes.  I am also exploring issuing some of my own stories as audio books. 

Secondly, I’m finding that the narrator/ reader of a book is key to my enjoyment.  Some are male, some are female, some young, some old.  It’s hard for me to decipher what exactly makes the book work. What do you think?  I’d love to hear your opinion of audio books.  Do you prefer a male or female voice? Or multi voices? In a series, is it important that the voice be the same in all of the books?  Do you have a favorite reader?  Does this format work better for you in some genres vs. others? 
Audio books? What do you think?       

Christine Bush is the award winning author of many books and novellas of sweet romance and light mystery. She also writes Middle Grade Fiction. When she isn’t writing, she can be found working with clients as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or teaching Psychology at a local college.  She lives with her family and two crazy cats in northeastern Pennsylvania, and loves to hear from readers and aspiring writers.
Her latest book “Cindy’s Prince” can be found at 
www.ChristineBush.com

http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Bush/e/B001KHSLRG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1392688497&sr=1-2-ent

5 comments:

  1. I've never listened to an audio book, but they've been a God-send to my dyslexic teenage granddaughter.

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  2. I haven't put my foot into this particular writing pool but a lot of my friends do. I think it's time.

    Those of my friends who do love audio boos tell me that the narrator is key

    Thanks Chris - I'll add this to my TBD (done) list. I think it will also help me as a writer.

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  3. I introduced my coworkers to audiobooks and they're all hooked now. They go to their libraries, grab a bunch, bring them to the office and swap all week. They even listened to "Fifty Shades" this way! I think they've probably listened to more books at work than they've read in all their years of schooling.

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  4. Audio books are great for long car trips. They make the time fly. As for my preference in readers, it depends on the book, especially if it's written in first person.

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  5. I love audio books and recently gave up on the less than great library selections and joined Audible. I can survive Houston traffic so long as I'm listening to a good book.

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