Audiobooks Count as Reading

People can debate whether audiobooks count as reading. For me, they do.

I read physical books, read on a screen, and listen. I get a lot of listening done on the lawnmower, during workouts and walks, and on long drives. I’m not cranking through books at 5x speed. I pause when something needs thought, and I try—sometimes unsuccessfully—to write a short summary when I finish.

I learn well by listening, which may give audiobooks a slight advantage for me. But I’m selective about the format. Neal Gabler’s book on Walt Disney worked well in audio. I read Children of Time on paper and House of Fidelity digitally. Narrative nonfiction is usually a good fit for audio; something dense that I’ll want to flip back through usually isn’t.

If I’m still annoying my kids with stories from an audiobook, I’m comfortable calling that reading.