Guess what: June is National Audiobook Month! Exciting, isn’t it? Of course, it got me thinking of my own audiobook habits. I’m not a purist, and I enjoy keeping a book-on-iPod nearby for long road trips and the gym. It allows me to cram in more “reading” than my schedule would otherwise allow.

On the other hand, I never listen to a book that is more complicated than say, something by Stephen King or Jennifer Wiener, and I feel staunchly committed to reading the classics with my own eyes. What about you? Do you curl up with a good audiobook now and again?

1. I love reading, but I love putting on a good audio book when I’m cleaning or working out.
2. Audio Books are my savior across the country. I have listened to all of the Harry Potter books twice during my summer drives to visit home!
3. I love to read but Audiobooks are great when it comes to traveling. To sit in flight with a good story in your ears sometimes, is alot better than watching what the airline may have for you to see.And I just bought 3 new good ones the other day
4. I don’t like audiobooks. I just seem to zone out while I’m on my ipod, and the narrator will be talking and then I’ll snap back to attention in some random part. I like holding the books and reading them, anyway; I’m more of a visual person.
5. I love reading and having audiobooks read to me equally. Sometimes at work, I’ll put on a book while I’m doing something mindless - I tend to prefer to read fiction and listen to non-fiction.
6. i have never really used audiobooks. my brother swears by them, and listens to a few every week on the drive to work and back, but i am only on the bus by myself to go to school and then, i try to study during that time if i can get a seat.
7. Audiobooks only work for me if it’s a fairly light topic, or something easy to follow — David Sedaris, Steve Martin, etc. But something like Dostoevsky or philosophy, I have to hold it and re-read the tricky parts. I tried to listen to Atlas Shrugged once, and it just didn’t go well.
8. I’m way too visual too. I’ve never been able to latch onto a story when it’s read to me and I just get irritated. I could maybe do something like David Sedaris (because I’ve been to his readings and already hear him) on a trip in a group because he’s so engaging but for the most part I just get frustrated. I need to see the words and have the ability to refer back as needed.
9. I hate listening to books, I lose focus too easily.
10. I don’t think I would be able to “read” that way.
11. Audio books are great and easy to use but I really enjoy a balance as being good so my eyes don’t get lazy on me.
12. They help me cope with long commutes. And I might not have otherwise every bothered reading a lot of great classics. Currently enjoying David McCollough’s “The Great Bridge” in time for the Brooklyn Bridge’s 125 birthday.
13. I love reading, but I do audiobooks almost everyday on my commute.
14. I would rather read…audiobooks are way too expensive.
15. I like them for when I am on the road or something like that. I wouldn’t sit down and listen to one.And I like the easy going ones.
16. i love the harry potter audiobooks by jim dale, he has the best voices
17. I’ve uploaded dozens and dozens of audiobooks that I borrowed from the library for free. So it cost me nuttin’ and I’ll have copies in MP3 form forever!
18. I love actually opening a book and flipping the pages
19. I don’t like them. I’m with k squared, I lose focus to easy if I’m just listening to it. I suppose it would work if I was reading the book while listening to the audio, but that kind of defeats the purpose.
20. I LOVE to read you know with a real book. But I love audio books when I’m traveling or if I’m cleaning I listen to the HP audio books. The time goes much quicker.
21. I personally don’t like audio books because my mind wanders when I’m listening - especially to books - so I’m better with reading. I also like to re-read some passages if I find a sentence/paragraph particularly beautiful or moving and you tend to miss that when listening to an audiobook.
22. I find it pretty pathetic that there is an “Audiobook Month.”
23. I love them both, at work I listen to Audiobooks I couldnt get through my day without them (right now listening to Stephen Kinds The Cell) at home i read regular books.audiobookss.com has FREE audiobook downloads. FYI.
24. Sometimes it’s nice to hear an author read his or her own words. I’ve got both of Barack Obama’s books, as well as “A New Earth” in my iTunes, and I plan on buying Chelsea Lately’s “Are You There Vodka, It’s Me, Chelsea”!
25. I’ll listen to audio books once in a blue moon, and usually when I’m knitting and don’t really feel like trying to set something up that allows me to read an actual book while doing so. I still prefer the paper and ink books to audio books.
26. I love audiobooks when I am cleaning up or packing. Music doesn’t occupy me enough and I want to sit down and watch the TV if I have it on!
27. Not for me, I like actually reading my books!Besides, I’m much more of a visual learner so I think if I tried listening to books my mind would wonder and I’d miss important parts of the story.
28. I said ‘other’ because I LOVE to read and do so all the time, but audiobooks have a special place in my heart. Well, really it’s the Harry Potter audiobooks. . .On a trip with long train rides in Morocco, my friends and I read to each other from the 4th book, and it was so delightful, and we all just got really into it, lol. SO when I got back, I decided to get them on audiobook! I’m so glad I did, because now whenever I listen to them before bed, I fall asleep so quickly, which is GREAT because I had a touch of insomnia before. It’s a great cure!
29. I love audiobooks. I love reading and listening to audiobooks lets me read more books than I would just reading visually.
30. No, they definitely annoy me! I can’t pay attention to them.
31. I’m still on the fence about audio books. I tried to listen to YOU On a Diet & I couldn’t seem to keep focused, like when I’m actually reading.