Working in libraries in the early noughties, I saw first-hand the reaction of readers to the changing formats of books. Many people thought eBooks were just a fad and others worried that the death of the physical book was upon us and felt sad for our future generations who’d never get to smell the enchanting, sweet fragrance of a paper book. Books in CD format have been around since 1932 however most of what was available was targeted to much older readers with visual impairments. It was in the twenty-tens that libraries in the UK started to consider audio digital downloads. The initial take-up was slow as it required patrons to download software on their own devises and use the library catalogue independently, and in truth it wasn’t as user friendly and intuitive as services are today. I must confess I spent my entire library career not understanding audiobooks and now I can’t stop exalting their virtues to anyone who’ll listen.

Although I listened to 15 minutes of the book at bedtime on radio 4, I really struggled with audiobooks that required more of my concentration. Audiobooks are not background noise and require readers to be fully tuned in. With the recent surge in demand for them, the quality of audiobooks and their narrators have improved significantly. They now demand the reader to listen because many are a auditory experience. The popularity of e and audioooks surged during the COVID pandemic as digital downloads were the only way we could access library stock, and this in turn helped many combat the loneliness of lockdown and highlighted the important role libraries play in a well functioning society.

For most people, listening to an audiobook is not the same as reading a physical book, and nor does it need to be. Some studies have shown that listening to a book requires less focus than reading and therefore the debate on reading verses listening goes on (and on). For a small cohort of readers, noting but an actual book, printed and bound, counts as reading. This unfortunate opinion is not one I care to debate with, its from a point of privilege that excludes so many of us. Instead I like to focus on the options now available to readers, to suit where we are in our lives, and in this golden age of reading, we are fortunate to be able to access books in multiple formats to suit our needs.

Most of us don’t have the luxury of spending whole afternoons curled up on the sofa reading. Life is busy so we squeeze in our reading in the little free time we are afforded every day. Often that’s on a busy commute, during a lunch break or that hour before going to sleep. Our huge TBR’s (to be read) testify to how much reading we want to do compared to how much we are able to. For some of us this is overwhelming and for others it becomes an expensive habit, collecting all the books we never get a chance to read. As someone who has fallen into both these groups in the past, discovering audiobooks at my library has literally saved my reading life, and financial wellbeing!

Audiobooks from my local library are free to borrow. The loan period is for three weeks and my card allows up to 6 audiobook downloads, including reserves. (I think it’s also 6 e-books and up to 16 physical books). I do sometimes struggle to find books I want to listen too as the library doesn’t always have the most diverse collection, but I have been able to find a whole range of brilliant books, particularly books that make it to bestseller lists and those on literary prize longlists. I would encourage everyone who listens to audiobooks to put in requests to your local library, as I don’t think the people ordering the books are necessarily thinking about the needs of a wide heterogeneous community. I say this with full confidence having worked in libraires and ordered stock myself. Books on the shelves of community libraries should reflect the needs of readers not the tastes and sensibilities of the library staff.

I was a convert to audiobooks during the pandemic. I had a newborn, two toddlers and very limited time. It took me a while to get into the swing of listening, and in retrospect I think it says a lot about how unaccomplished many of us are at active listening. I always had the radio on in the background but only to provide noise and distraction for everything going on in my head. Becoming a better listener has also made me more comfortable with silence. I don’t listen to audiobooks while I’m doing anything that requires my concentration, as inevitably that will lead to me missing bits of the book or being distracted from the task. For example I certainly can’t blog and listen to my audiobook (although I did try it earlier as I desperately want to continue with Babel!) I tend to listen to audiobooks when I’m doing mundane tasks that require minimal concentration: when I’m gardening, doing chores or cooking something that doesn’t require a recipe. I also listen when I’m working out, on the move (without the children!) and when I’m having my afternoon tea or getting ready for bed.

While I fully appreciate that audiobooks may not be for everyone, their numbers are continuing to rise, especially for people  under 35, who make up nearly half of frequent audiobook listeners. I think this is a really exciting statistic and celebrates the neurodiversity amongst readers. It makes books and reading accessible to people who have different styles of learning and living. In my home everyone listens to audiobooks and my children, aged 7 and under, all borrow books they like to listen to as well as books they like to read or be read to. We listen to audiobooks, fiction and nonfiction, on car journeys and it is a really lovely bonding experience for us a family, which I highly recommend to everyone.

Below are some of the brilliant books I’ve listened to this year. Some of them I started as physical books and just couldn’t get into them but then really enjoyed the experience of listening to them. I’d love to know if you listen to audiobooks, or not, and what it is that you enjoy, or don’t about them. The most important thing for me is that audiobooks make reading a little more accessible and free audiobooks (and all books) from the library further reduce barriers to reading for pleasure and learning. Like everything these days, books are not cheap but thanks to libraries we can all have access to them.

Audiobooks I’ve loved in 2023

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Solar Bones by Mike McCormack

A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam

The Khan by Saima Mir

Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo

Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo

Kudos by Rachel Cusk

Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

A Spell of Good Things by Ayobami Abdayo

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead

Babel by R.F. Kuang