{"id":428,"date":"2025-10-19T14:13:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T19:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=428"},"modified":"2025-10-21T09:36:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T14:36:48","slug":"how-i-incorporate-audiobooks-into-my-reading-for-me-my-boys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=428","title":{"rendered":"How I Incorporate Audiobooks Into My Reading \u2013 For Me &amp; My Boys"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/audiobook-3106986_1280-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-431\" srcset=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/audiobook-3106986_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/audiobook-3106986_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/audiobook-3106986_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/audiobook-3106986_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>History of Audiobooks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know audiobooks have been around since 1932?&nbsp; The first recordings were originally made by The American Foundation for the Blind on vinyl records and held 15 minutes of reading. The original audience and consumer of audiobooks were for the visually impaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Audiobooks evolved over the decades \u2013 from vinyl to cassette tapes in the 1960s, then to CDs in the 1980s, and eventually digital formats in the 1990s. By then, the word \u201caudiobook\u201d had entered the mainstream vernacular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/arts\/a-short-history-of-the-audiobook-20-years-after-the-first-portable-digital-audio-device\">PBS \u2013 A Short History of the Audiobook<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Why Audiobooks Are More Popular Than Ever<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Audiobooks continue to gain momentum year over year as the audience increases, and the numbers prove it. In 2023, audiobooks generated $2 billion in revenue, a 9% &nbsp;increase from the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Audio Publishers Association\u2019s Consumer Survey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>52% of adults have listened to an audiobook<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consumption increased from 35% in 2023 to 38% in 2024<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children\u2019s books rank highly in usage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fiction is the top genre listened to<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Average listener finishes 6 audiobooks per year<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edisonresearch.com\/audiobook-revenue-and-the-number-of-listeners-continue-to-grow\">Edison Research \u2013 Audiobook Revenue and Listener Growth<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Benefits of Listening to Audiobooks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Audiobooks offer some unique advantages that traditional books do not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Multi-tasking<\/strong>: Listen while cleaning, folding laundry or exercising.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Travel Companion<\/strong>: Great for commutes or road trips.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Budget-friendly<\/strong>: Many are free through the library system or included with Amazon Prime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Better retention<\/strong>: Great for auditory listeners who process complex information better when heard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Space-saving<\/strong>: No bookshelves required \u2013 and no heavy boxes when moving!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Where to Find and Listen to Audiobooks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re wondering where to get audiobooks, here are some of the top sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Subscription Services<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.audible.com\/\">Audible<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/search\/audiobooks\/audiobooks\">Spotify<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everand.com\/audiobooks\">Scrib\u2019d<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.audiobooks.com\/\">Audiobooks.com<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4nXT6dh\">Amazon Prime<\/a>. These services all offer various plans\/pricing, and most offer free trials so you can test them before committing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Free Library Apps<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/libbyapp.com\/interview\/welcome#doYouHaveACard\">Libby<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoopladigital.com\/\">Hoopla<\/a> to borrow audiobooks for free with your local library card. \ud83d\udca1 Pro tip: Borrow early in the day \u2013 popular titles can hit their daily limit by afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Purchase Options<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also buy audiobooks through <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/category\/audiobooks?hl=en_US\">Google Play Books<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/apple-books\/\">Apple Books<\/a> directly in their apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>How to Listen to Audiobooks (A Beginner\u2019s Guide)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>New to audiobooks? It\u2019s simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Download the app for the platform you\u2019re using (Audible, Libby, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find a book to borrow or buy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stream online using WiFi or download to listen offline.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Control playback with buttons to rewind, fast forward, pause\/play, adjust speed and track your progress.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>When I Listen Audiobooks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My first preference will always be traditional books, but there are a few times when audiobooks fit my life better \u2013 for both me and my sons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nonfiction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For complex nonfiction, I often retain more while listening. A great narrator makes a world of different \u2013 especially for topics that are dense or academic<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Family enjoyment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I mentioned in a <a href=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=368\">prior post<\/a>, my boys don\u2019t get as much screen-time as many of their peers. Listening to audiobooks together as become one of our favorite family activities \u2013 especially in the summer. They\u2019ll draw, crochet\/knit or build while listening, keeping their hands busy while their minds are engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Road trips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Audiobooks are a road trip essential! During a solo drive to Ohio last year, they kept me alert and entertained \u2013 a much better alternative than silence or scanning through radio stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Do Audiobooks \u201cCount\u201d as Reading?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ah, the big question! I\u2019ve tackled this topic in more detail in \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=86\">Do Audiobooks Count as Reading<\/a>&#8220;, but here\u2019s the short answer: Yes, they do. Audiobooks engage the same parts of the brain as reading text \u2013 and they make stories more accessible for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Join the Conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you listen to audiobooks? Why or why not? Share your favorite audiobook titles, apps or narrators in the comments \u2014 I\u2019d love to hear what you\u2019re listening to!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>History of Audiobooks Did you know audiobooks have been around since 1932?&nbsp; The first recordings were originally made by The American Foundation for the Blind on vinyl records and held 15 minutes of reading. The original audience and consumer of audiobooks were for the visually impaired. Audiobooks evolved over the decades \u2013 from vinyl to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[281,283,286,285,282],"class_list":["post-428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audiobooks","tag-audible","tag-audiobooks-com","tag-hoopla","tag-libby","tag-spotify"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=428"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":435,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428\/revisions\/435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}