Why Audiobooks?

I just found out that today is the start of Audiobook Week at Devourer of Books, and I'm excited to participate.

The post for the first day of Audiobook Week is supposed to answer the question, Why Audiobooks?

When I started my 50 books goal for this year, I was hesitant at first about whetheri to include audiobooks or not. But I'm now firmly of the mind that they absolutely count. Don't get me wrong, I love holding a book in my hand, and it's definitely a very different experience. But never the less, I've ingested the story in one form or another and so I now confidently add my audiobooks to the list.

I listen to audiobooks because they let me get in some quality "reading" time when I would otherwise be unable to rest for convenience, logistics, or safety's sake (Okay, I'll admit it. I have, in the past, read books at red lights. This primarily occurred on the way home from a book store with an irresistible find. There was also that time on the way to book club when I was behind. Oops!) It brings beautiful stories into my car, my kitchen, the treadmill, and beside me in the dark late at night.

Audiobooks also introduce me to some books that I might not otherwise read. I get most of my audiobooks from the library, and the audiobook selection is significantly reduced from their regular paper stash. My limited choices force me to make choices that I might skip over if given alternatives. However, I am usually pleasantly surprised. Often, a great narrator will keep me interested in a book that I might not have enjoyed if I was reading it the old-fashioned way.

I think five of my 20-something books so far this year have been audiobooks, which seems like a reasonable ratio to me. I usually mention when I've listened to a book instead of read it on my post, but I'm going to add a tag to all of those posts for ease of organizing.

Do you listen to audiobooks? Does it count? Stay tuned for tomorrow's review of a recent audiobook!