Are you a fan of audiobooks or do you prefer reading? June is Audiobook Appreciation Month, so I decided to step outside my routine and “read” my very first audiobook. Read on to find out how it went and whether I’ll make audiobooks part of my life in the future.

The history of audiobooks

The goal of Audiobook Appreciation Month is to increase awareness and engagement with this format that has been around for longer than I realized.

National Today reports that Thomas Edison recorded the first audiobook in the 1870s shortly after inventing the phonograph. Edison wanted to make books accessible to the blind, so he recorded a verse of Alfred Tennyson’s poetry. While a single verse of poetry doesn’t sound like much, it’s all Edison could do with the technology he had available at the time.

Audiobooks have come a long way since Edison made that first 4-minute recording. In the 1980s, the advent of the CD was a game changer. The increased storage capacity of CDs made it possible for full books to be released in audio format. Today, audiobooks are widely available through libraries and streaming services like Spotify.

Although they were invented for the visually impaired, audiobooks have evolved into a popular digital medium. Even so, the idea of listening to a book instead of reading has never held much appeal for me, largely because I’m a visual and hands-on person and have a hard time focusing when I simply hear audio.

Storytime memories

When I was a child, I loved to read. As an adult, I found myself with little time for books amid the busyness of work, parenting, and life.

For many years, story time with my daughters was the extent of my reading. I have fond memories of reading favourites from Robert Munsch and Eric Carle to my girls when they were small.

In recent years, with my daughters grown up, I’ve had more time to expand my reading beyond children’s books. My love for books has been reignited, prompting me to set a lofty retirement goal of reading 1000 books.

Paper books remain my preferred format for reading, followed by e-books when I travel. Despite their popularity, I have never paid much attention to audiobooks. Audiobook Appreciation Month felt like a terrific time to give one a try.

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My first audiobook experience

During our vacation to Prince Edward Island last month, I read Colleen’s copy of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. I enjoyed the classic tale of the redheaded orphan adopted by Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla, so I wanted to continue the series.

With short chapters, simple plot lines, and descriptive language, I thought this series would be good fit for an audiobook. I found Anne of Avonlea on Spotify, downloaded it on my phone, and started listening.

As I expected, just sitting and listening didn’t really work for me, and I found my mind wandering. To give it a fair shot, I started listening to a chapter or two on my morning walks.

I also tried listening while driving, with mixed results. Driving in city traffic requires my full attention, so I missed details in the book and needed to listen to some parts over again. It was much easier to focus on listening when driving on quieter country roads.

The verdict

I enjoyed the audiobook more than I thought. Anne of Avonlea was a perfect choice because the content wasn’t too heavy. I can’t imagine listening to a non-fiction book or a complicated thriller with many plot twists. For those kinds of books, I need the flexibility to slow my pace and reread things to let them sink in.

Audiobook Appreciation Month was a fun experiment, but I concluded that I’ll mostly stick with real books in the future. That said, I liked listening while walking, so I’ll continue my morning walks with Anne, Diana, Marilla and Gilbert as I enjoy the other books in the Anne series.  

Are you a fan of audiobooks? What are you favourite genres? Drop me a comment below to let me know.