Audiobooks and Ebooks

Week 11 Prompt 

Ebooks and audiobooks are changing how readers are experiencing books. Instant access and easiness are a couple of the reasons why people switch to these formats. But does this access and easiness replace the feel and look of actual printed books? For me they do not.

I personally enjoy the feel, smell and emotions of holding a book. When I hold a book and turn the pages it helps my mind focus and switch on my imagination. Of course I don’t enjoy a book as much if it smells like cigarettes, new is the best. Being able to borrow from the library save me from having to find space to keep all of the books I have read or want to read. Have I tried an audiobook or Ebook, yes?

Audiobooks have allowed me enjoy a story while I am driving and at times acted as a supplement to help understand a story or learn a language. I have found that the narration and unabridged format are important to listening. If the voice of the narrator is unpleasant I cannot enjoy the story. When the story is abridged I feel like I am missing pieces of a puzzle. Ebooks have other benefits that audiobooks do not.

Ebooks allow instant access to books and books that are not in print. They also offer the ability to have several books at a time without worrying about space or ways to carry them. I have enjoyed an Ebook while fling on a plan because it did allow me to have several choices without taking up space needed in my carry on. However, sitting near the pool while trying to read an Ebook is tough when the sun is too bright. Another reason I choose to read books in print is the ability to share a good book with a friend or taking it to a used book store for someone else to enjoy.

Besides the ease and instant access, there are other features of audiobooks or Ebooks that draws readers to them. For those who have vision problems an audiobooks enables them to still enjoy a book without the stress of trying to read the print. Ebooks allow these same people the ability to increase the size of print or use text- to- speech. Having these features between these formats opens doors for those who may be limited on what they can read due to vision loss.

With all of the benefits of Ebooks and audiobooks I still prefer an actual printed book. The one memory that reinforces this is from elementary school. My teacher would read to us each day from “The Boxcar Children”. I remember the sound of the pages as she turned them, her reading the part of the cold water in the creek, the cover of the book and the excitement I felt when I found out what happened next. Do I think I could have experienced this in another format? An audiobook would allow me to enjoy the spoken words but it would leave me without the sound of turning pages and feel and texture of the book. Will I continue to use these formats, yes? Why? Because there will be times where holding a book will not be possible or I am unable to find the book in regular print.