{"id":86,"date":"2025-03-10T14:24:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T14:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=86"},"modified":"2025-11-23T13:38:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T19:38:35","slug":"do-audiobooks-count-as-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=86","title":{"rendered":"Do Audiobooks Count as Reading? Why I Think They Do."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I used to be in the camp that said audiobooks do not count as \u201cofficially reading.\u201d If your eyes weren\u2019t running over every written word, it was cheating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, it does seem a <em>little<\/em> like cheating when you can set the speed at 1.25x (or 1.5x if you\u2019re extra like my husband) <strong>AND<\/strong> multi-task to get other things done. But as I thought about it more, I was persuaded that audiobooks do count as reading. I definitely counted it as reading when <strong>I<\/strong> read aloud to my sons. I was doing the work for them to enjoy the story, but they were still consuming it. They were picking up new vocabulary words, learning new information and enjoying the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pexels-sound-on-3394659-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-88\" srcset=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pexels-sound-on-3394659-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pexels-sound-on-3394659-1-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pexels-sound-on-3394659-1-768x513.jpg 768w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pexels-sound-on-3394659-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pexels-sound-on-3394659-1-2048x1367.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So I figured it wasn\u2019t that different for me to listen to an audiobook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Why I Count Audiobooks as Reading<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You still consume the same content as you would from a physical book.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Audiobooks engage your imagination in a similar way, especially with a skilled narrator.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They can even improve listening skills and vocabulary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While I still prefer to curl up with a physical book<strong> <\/strong>under a blanket, there are plenty of times when audiobooks are the better choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>When I Choose Audiobooks Over Physical Books<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Car rides: Obviously I can\u2019t read and drive. So listening to books in the car is one of my favorite road trip activities. A long drive is the perfect opportunity to make progress on my TBR list.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cleaning\/chores: This is a classic example of mashing up something I love (reading) with something I don\u2019t love (cleaning) to help pass the time and keep myself distracted from thinking about how much I don\u2019t like the chore.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data-driven books: I\u2019ve noticed I can absorb fact-based books more easily when I listen to them. A good narrator keeps me focused and makes even heavy information easier to digest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>How to Get Audiobooks for Free<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in trying out an audiobook, you can borrow them for free: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Libby App (<a href=\"https:\/\/libbyapp.com\/interview\/welcome#doYouHaveACard\">https:\/\/libbyapp.com\/interview\/welcome#doYouHaveACard<\/a>) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hoopla App (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoopladigital.com\/\">https:\/\/www.hoopladigital.com\/<\/a>). <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Both apps connect with your library card to your local library. Once you sign up, you have access to countless hours of books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do audiobooks count as reading? I say absolutely yes. You\u2019re still experiencing the story, gaining knowledge, and making progress on your reading goals \u2014 just in a different format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In what situations do you prefer audiobooks to physical books?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I used to be in the camp that said audiobooks do not count as \u201cofficially reading.\u201d If your eyes weren\u2019t running over every written word, it was cheating. I mean, it does seem a little like cheating when you can set the speed at 1.25x (or 1.5x if you\u2019re extra like my husband) AND multi-task [&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":[51,53,52,54],"class_list":["post-86","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audiobooks","tag-audiobooks","tag-hooplaapp","tag-libbyapp","tag-library"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86","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=86"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":493,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions\/493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=86"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=86"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=86"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}