Book Bites Reading vs Listening: The Great Book Debate

When Girls Talk Books

Ever found yourself debating whether listening to an audiobook "counts" as reading? You're not alone. Our latest Book Bites episode dives deep into the fascinating divide between audiobooks and physical reading, revealing how our brains process information in surprisingly different ways.
Susie and Kylee sit on opposite ends of the reading spectrum – one connects more deeply through audiobooks, while the other needs the physical page to truly absorb a story. This fundamental difference leads to a fascinating conversation about how we each uniquely process information.
The discussion covers everything from narrators who make or break audiobooks (with strong opinions on certain Irish accents!), to which genres work better in audio format versus text. Non-fiction and books with extensive character lists often shine as audiobooks, while complex fantasy with intricate worldbuilding might benefit from the ability to flip back pages for reference. Speed listeners will appreciate the debate on whether 1.5x or 2x is the sweet spot for audiobook consumption.
What emerges most clearly? There's no wrong way to enjoy literature. So tell us – are you Team Audiobook, Team Physical Book, or happily enjoying both worlds? Your brain might just be wired for one more than the other!

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Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here

Chapters

1. Book Bites Reading vs Listening: The Great Book Debate (00:00:00)

2. Welcome to Book Bites (00:00:08)

3. Reading vs Listening: Different Connections (00:00:55)

4. Narrators Make or Break Audiobooks (00:04:36)

5. When Audiobooks Work Best (00:07:14)

6. Reading Speed and Comprehension Styles (00:11:44)

7. Does Audiobook Count as Reading? (00:17:52)