I had the opportunity for a trial with Audible, which came with some credits for free books. I used a few on some of my favorites, but also wanted to try some new books, since I have never listened to an audiobook before. While browsing the YA section, I found Aurora Rising, a book I have read good things about. It was not one I would normally pick out (the only science fiction I have read before is Ender's Game) so it seemed like a good choice for a new format.
I liked being able to "read" anytime
I have been doing a lot of driving and running around in a busy schedule and finding time to read has been difficult. Being able to "read" in those spare minutes in between was amazing. It helped the time pass, gave me a few minutes of peace, and allowed me to fall into a story when I hadn't been able to in a while.
I didn't like not having a book to hold
I love the smell of books, I love the weight of them in my hands, I love turning pages faster and faster as I get drawn in. That was definitely something I missed just listening to a book.
I liked getting different voices for all the characters
Aurora Rising is a book told in different perspectives and one of my favorite things about the audiobook was that they had different voice actors for each character. It was so cool to be able to hear all the main characters and added a new dimension to the story.
I didn't like all the different voices for the characters
There were several issues I had with the voices. Tyler and Fin sounded too old. Cat I wasn't expecting to have an accent - which wasn't necessarily a problem, just took some adjustment. The problem came when the other characters had to speak the dialogue of Cat's character. Some of the accents were just pretty bad. Aurora's voice just didn't suit her. It made getting to know her character confusing. Kal did also sound too old but other than that suited him quite well.
I liked being completely immersed in the story
Between wearing a mask and having my earbuds in, I felt like my senses were kind of dulled, and all I could really focus on what the story. Not super great for walking through crowds but pretty awesome for experiencing a space expedition.
I didn't like not getting to flip through pages
It was frustrating to not be able to see the spelling of names and words (especially with alien languages) and flip back to reread when I dove in again. I also think it made it a little harder to remember names and titles. I have a tendency to mouth or actually verbalize odd words while reading them, but in this case, I could only listen and not see them. I also couldn't go back and re-read a section, especially since I had no idea physically where in the book things were happening.
Overall, although it is not coming close to replacing physical books for me, I do think I will listen to some more audiobooks in the future. Next time I would like to try The Wise Man's Fear, the second Kingkiller chronicles book. I loved the first book, but it was definitely a heavier read and I am curious how that might change listening instead of reading.
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