The Appeals of Formats {Week 11 Prompt}

The expanding horizon of formats for materials available to readers only help to broaden the scope of what they choose from. Obviously there are pros and cons and you will always have your naysayers on one side or the other. I could digress, but I won't. 

With audiobooks, a major appeal factor I have found that isn't present in print or ebook form is narrator. This one is a huge factor me. I'm a recent(ish) audiobook listener and I will same listen to dozens of audiobooks before choosing. (Sidenote: I was also super excited when I learned of Audible's return policy. I did not know you could return an audiobook for any reason!) As Mediatore states, some things to consider when thinking about factors of audiobooks are the following:

• Narrator's pacing vs. the pacing of the novel
• Characterization - How does the narrator interpret and differentiate between characters?
• Frame - How does the audio set the tone, mood, and atmosphere? What are the audible extras? (319)

A narrator can make or break an audio read for someone. For instance, I loved The Hunger Games series. I was looking for a reread to semi-listen to at work on day and I thought that would be a good one. But, personally, that narrator was not a great fit (I'm sure someone out there loves it). Maybe it's because I had already the books a few times and had a narrative voice in my head, or seen the movies. I'll never know. I also love when a non-fiction author such as Jenny Lawson, narrates their own book. It seems more authentic. Not that it always turns out fantastic (however, in her case it's amazing and if you haven't listened to (or read) her, you should!), but generally I'll feel a disconnect if someone else reads it. And then there's the issue of background music or other audible extras. Sometimes they fit and sometimes they'll leave me wondering "What were they thinking?!" Track length is another thing that people look at when considering an audio read. My co-worker likes to listen to audiobooks on his drive to and from work. Often he will look at the length of the audiobook before choosing one, though, because will take into account how many days or weeks it will take him to get through the book. It's much faster get through a physical or ebook copy, if your vision allows, than it is to get through an audiobook, for sure. 

With ebooks, depending on the device or app you might be using, you might be able to change the font and size and the background color. Personally, I like making the background black and font white (think 'night mode') as it's easier on my eyes. I tend to stick to the default font setting, but I don't like large print physical materials so I wouldn't make it larger anyway. I do enjoy being able to take notes directly in the book (without "marring" a physical copy!), especially if it's a book I'm reading for a book club. I've never thought much about the pacing until reading Dunneback's article, but it makes sense that "pacing is also affected by how much text visible on the screen, so the larger the text, the less there is to indicate how quickly the story is moving" (328). I do seem to read through a book faster when I'm reading an ebook. I personally thinking it's because there's nothing physical to indicate how much is left, therefore it's less daunting, so to speak. It's like looking at a clock during the workday. If you constantly look at it the day seems to go slower. I find that to be true with a book. If you always see how much you have left, sometimes the task can seem a bit more daunting.

Also, I don't know if this is a strange thing, but I'm a person who will read the same book across all three mediums. I have literally checked out a book in all three forms and read them simultaneously so I could get through it quicker (especially if it's a longer book). Being a full time employee, grad student, mom of two younger children in grade school, and a wife... I try to fit it in all the reading when I can. :)

Works Cited

Dunneback, Katie. "E-Books and Readers' Advisory." Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 50, no. 4, 2011, p. 325. EBSCOhost.

Mediatore, Kaite. "Reading with Your Ears: Readers' Advisory and Audio Books." Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 4, 2003, p. 318.