I'm giving audiobooks another go this month. I used to hate ebooks but they're now my preferred medium, so who's to say my tastes haven't changed.
The experience hasn't been horrible, but I won't buy an Audible subscription anytime soon. Sitting down with a book is a treasured part of my day; I like brewing a cup of coffee or tea, getting cozy on the balcony, and connecting with the story. It filters everything else out.
Audiobooks feel like they're designed for the opposite effect: read while you're doing other stuff. And, okay, listening while doing laundry or something equally boring hasn't been awful. It's certainly not boring. But...I like being bored sometimes.
I like being with my own thoughts during the mindless parts of the day. That's when ideas pop up, or random thoughts, or reminders of things I need to do later. Sometimes this is when I figure out a UX problem I've been struggling with, or when I remember that I haven't called that one friend in a couple weeks.
Obviously that doesn't happen when I'm reading a paperback or an ebook, but again: sitting down to physically read has an intentionality to it that I like. Listening to an audiobook feels more like trying to drown out any thoughts that might appear. When I'm reading, I'm reading. When I'm walking, I'm walking. Working, working. Etc., etc. I'm just not a multitasker.
I know other people swear by audiobooks, and no judgement to them. The experience is just not for me.
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