4 Incredible Ways Audiobooks Improved My Literary Game

Audiobooks have become an important part of the book community. Here are four reasons to use them in honor of Audiobook Appreciation Month.

Book Culture Lifestyle Opinions Self Help
headphones-placed-on-an-open-book

Audiobooks have an important place in literature. Personally, they have always been essential to my own consumption of books. I grew up with dyslexia, so reading did not come naturally to me. As a result, I looked to audiobooks, through which I learned to love literature. Although I have now grown into a capable reader, and I love reading books, I still find audiobooks very useful. I find audiobooks especially useful when I’m reading my favorite genre—fantasy.

In honor of Audiobook Appreciation Month, I have created a list of four of my top reasons to consume audiobooks and the ways that I use them in my own reading.

Multitasking and Time Management with Audiobooks

While many people choose to consume literature through reading an ebook or physical book, many others find audiobooks to be more productive. A major appeal of audiobooks is the ability to multitask while listening to them.

With audiobooks, readers can do a multitude of tasks while listening to their books. For example, readers can walk to work, walk their dogs, do household chores, or do any other task while listening to a book. Personally, I enjoy sewing and doing different craft projects while listening to audiobooks. Sitting down to read a book requires time that many people don’t have. Audiobooks allow people to continue to consume books without forcing them to cut time out of their day to sit down and focus on a book.

books-with-headphones-over-them-audiobooks
IMAGE VIA ISTOCK

Audiobooks Improve Memory and Listening Skills

Nearly every reader misses details in books—it is unavoidable. However, audiobooks allow the consumer to hear every word read aloud to them, leading to a better understanding of the contents of the book. Additionally, hearing the story and the contents of the book spoken aloud can improve the listener’s memory.

Audiobooks also serve as a tool to help listeners consume a larger amount of information. As a fantasy reader, I find this use of audiobooks very helpful; usually, books within the fantasy genre dump large amounts of information at once that can be difficult to read. I use audiobooks to help me remember all the information that has been given to me. Audiobooks allow consumers to listen to and remember large amounts of information in a digestible way.

Pronunciation – Audiobooks for the Win

It is inevitable that readers will run into unfamiliar words or names when reading. Audiobooks can help readers know how to pronounce and understand unfamiliar words and help the listener to learn new words correctly.

This is especially helpful when it comes to reading fantasy, which includes many made-up names. For example, in Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, one of my favorite books, the author named a character Chaol Westfall. There is an entire discourse in the Maasverse on how to pronounce his name, whether it is pronounced Kale, Cha-All, or Ka-All; the correct pronunciation is Ka-All. Since I listened to the books via audiobook, I never fell into this discourse. I did not have to be confused whenever his name appeared because of the great audiobook I was listening to.

two-people-listening-to-books-with-headphones-audiobooks
IMAGE VIA ISTOCK

The Amazing Production of Audiobooks

Listening to audiobooks also allows the listener to consume literature through creative production. Audiobooks can add features to books that are absent in the print versions. More specifically, two features can enhance the story beyond the words on the page.

First, the narrator can create a very specific version of the characters in the book in a similar way an actor would portray a character in a movie. The narrator sets the voices of the characters and interprets the delivery of each line, which can vastly change the reading of each character. The narrators further add to these characters through their voices to create an emotional and moving experience for the listener. An audiobook having a good narrator can change how a listener interprets the story; a narrator creates new emotions between characters that are not as blatant in the print version. With narrators, audiobooks become a production that allows the listener to experience and enjoy the book.

Second, audiobooks sometimes have music added; this allows the listener to become fully immersed in the setting of the book. Music can enhance a listener’s emotional experience because it assigns a specific tone to the book they are listening to. For example, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black has an audiobook that starts out with mysterious and haunting music that sets the tone for an intense and adventurous story. A company that often adds music to its audiobooks is Hachette Audio. Those who only read are left to their own devices when it comes to imagining the intended tone of a story.


No matter the details in an audiobook, it is clear that each audiobook is a production that deserves to be listened to.

Although these are simply some of my top reasons to consume audiobooks, there are many other great reasons to be a listener. Ultimately, audiobooks are a great resource for all readers. In honor of Audiobook Appreciation Month, keep an eye out for Bookstr for more audiobook content throughout the month.

Also, check out past articles on Science Fiction audiobooks and on Jane Austen audiobooks.

FEATURED IMAGE VIA FREEPIK / BOOKSTR / ANNE MCCORMACK