Do Audiobooks Count as Reading a Book? 

To be honest, I’m not sure why this keeps coming up. But as an avid reader, I’ve come across quite a few people wondering whether to count audiobooks among the books they’ve read. Some even saying, “I listened to the audiobook, if that even counts.” Why would it not?

You listened to every word. You know the characters, the dialogue, and the plot. You can have a discussion at book club. You know the book just as well as someone who read it on a Kindle, a Nook, or in paperback.

And here’s the kicker—sometimes you even get extras on audiobooks. On the audiobook for Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, she included the audio of her commencement speech at her alma mater. And in Awake by Jen Hatmaker, she included audio messages from her father and friends after the breakup of her marriage. 

Now, I know a few people who do not like listening to audiobooks. No judgment on that. Narrators can make or break an experience. I was a devotee of the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell for many years. But the first time I tried one of the books on audio and heard the characters’ voices, I wondered what portal from Hades I had been sucked into. Not for me.

Ok, I’m just gonna go there—I think readers feel guilty for listening to audiobooks because they think it’s “cheating.” As if reading the written words is the only way a book can be read. 

And why feel guilty for listening to a book as you perform the ever so enjoyable task of folding laundry? Or taking a walk. Or grocery shopping. 

Several of my friends are devout audiobook lovers. They have long work commutes. And when you’re sitting in stop-and-go traffic on a random Tuesday, trust me when I say—an audiobook can help reduce road rage and keep you sane. 

I’ve found that if I’m struggling to read a physical book, due to time constraints or some other reason, the audiobook is the fix. This was a tactic I often used when I was in a book club at my previous job. I was the master at listening to an audiobook on 2x speed to get through the last of a book the night before or the morning of book club discussion—and I didn’t miss a word. 

Currently, I’m listening to The Correspondent and loving it. Both the story and the narrators. And if you’ve been following along, you know I have a 10K race with my brother coming up in Texas. I’ve already downloadedThe Frozen River and Pachinko. Audiobooks will get me through the airport waiting and my time in the air.

So to answer the question:
Do audiobooks count as reading a book?—Absolutely!

Ok, let me have it, where do you stand on this—do audiobooks count as reading a book—yes or no?

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