Friday, May 4, 2018

Discussion: How Do You Review Audiobooks?

Once upon a time, I didn't think I would like audiobooks. It took me a while to find the type of stories that work for me, and now I LOVE audiobooks! They have helped me beat my backlist, and I love passing the time as I do chores or drive listening to a good book. I have only done an "official" review for one audiobook, but I would love to work more audiobook reviews in with my other book reviews, but I struggle a little with these reviews.

This Week’s Topic: Reviewing Audiobooks

I know many of you out there listen to and review audiobooks, because I have read your wonderful reviews, and now I am looking for advice or if you're not an audiobook reviewer, I want to know what you look for in a review for an audiobook. 

I have read many audiobook reviews, and I have noticed reviewers will comment on the narration. 
  • What things do you look for in a narrator? 
  • What aspects of the narration would you comment on?
  • Is it important to comment on the narration?
When I read an ebook, keeping track of my thoughts is really easy. I highlight and leave notes right there on my kindle. When I read a physical book, I use a lot of tape flags and sticky notes. However, when I listen to an audiobook, it's more passive. I am usually listening while I do something else. I am curious:
  • Do you actively or passively listen to audiobooks?
  • How do you keep track of your thoughts?
These are my burning questions. If you have any answers, advice, or additional questions as an audiobook listener or reviewer, let me know in the comments. 


Now it's your turn!


What are some tips you have for reviewing audiobooks? 
Let us know in the comments!

46 comments:

  1. My issue is that I don't like the audio format, but I like having something to listen to while doing other things, so I have listened to a few. But they're hard to review because I don't comprehend things as well via audio, so I feel like I hardly even remember the book once it's finished. It's weird. But I keep track of thoughts the same way I do for all formats, which is by taking notes, either written or typed. Usually saved in an email draft since that's always accessible wherever I am. And I include a small paragraph about the narration, about what I consider important I guess, like how well they do voices of the opposite sex, since that can kill an audiobook for me.

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    1. I struggled with SFF audiobooks, because they have a lot of details and are super couples, but contemporaries work well for me.

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  2. This is such an interesting post! I'm actually not a big fan of Audiobooks since I can't concentrate because of my short attention span! I prefer reading the book and having something play in the background or listening to the audiobook and reading at the same time! Haven't done that too many times but, I really need to try listening to an audiobook by itself again so that I can decide whether it's for me or not!

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    1. I am a visual learner, so those little details will sometimes slip by me, but I am getting better the more books I listen to. Oddly enough, I need quiet when I read. Like, earplugs in quite.

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  3. What a great and timely post for me as I'm currently listening to an audiobook (I Have Lost My Way) and since it's only my third audiobook since I started blogging, have been wondering how to handle my review for it. I feel like I am passively listening to the book, as I listening while I'm doing mindless things at work like filing. I also have no idea how to rate the actual narration. If the book have more than one point of view and some are male and some are female, I seem to prefer more than one narrator. I liked that about Geekerella when I listened to it. Other than that, as long as the narrator pronounces all of the words correctly, I feel like I wouldn't have much to say about the narration. Maybe my thoughts will changes on this as I review more audiobooks, but right now it just has me like Hmmmm, how do I do this? LOL!

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    1. I would say the bulk of my audiobooks are contemporary romances, many of them being dual POV. They usually have a male and female narrator. When they are told from 3rd person, the book usually has one narrator, which doesn't bother me, if the narrator is good.

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  4. I review audiobooks all the time. I will be honest. I never take notes when I am reading a book so the process really isn't all that different for me. I do make sure to talk about the narration when I review an audiobook because that can make a huge difference in the enjoyment of the book. The narration is really what makes the audiobook different so I will admit that I am really disappointed when I read a review for an audiobook and there is absolutely no mention of the narration. I do most of my audiobook listening while I am working so it would be more of a passive process but I find that I can remember the books I listen to just as well as the books that I read when I sit down to write a review.

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    1. I have been really lucky, and have listened to good narrators. I love how you know the narrators by name, and have seen you mention that in your reviews, which is something I like about your audiobook reviews. I like highlighting and taking notes for future reference. Those are usually things that I think will be talking points. I have to practice more with "real" reviews for audiobooks.

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  5. Very interesting thoughts and ones I would have as well. I have yet to read an audiobook and I think part of it is because I worry I will be easily distracted that way. I may try one someday but yeah, reviewing it would definitely be different.

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    1. It took some trial and error to find the type of books that worked for me, and I am much better at focusing on the story now too, while doing other things.

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  6. I started listening to audiobooks, but I have never reviewed one. I normally use post-its when I'm reading, so I can mark places I want to remember, and I can't do that with audio. I've tried picking books I've either read before or that don't involve a plot, like memoirs, because I know I'm not always paying the closest attention. The narration is important to me, though; I'm listening to The Hunger Games right now, and the narrator is obviously much older than teenage Katniss. It's throwing me off!

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    1. Some of the apps let you bookmark, but I will be honest, I have never gone back to any of mine, because I think it's time consuming. That is interesting that they chose a narrator with such a mature sounding voice. I mostly listen to my adult contemporary romances, but have listened to quite a few YA books lately. None of the narrators sounded too old.

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  7. I’ve wondered if I should review audiobooks differently but I never seem to bother. I love listening to them while I do all the things I have to do that keep me from reading print or ebooks. I’m rarely bothered by the narration so I don’t usually mention it. Only if it’s really annoying or exceptional do I mention it in my reviews.

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    1. I feel like I am like you when it comes to the narration. I mentioned the extremes. There was one male narrator that was just incredible, I had to talk about him. Otherwise, I normally say nothing, but I feel like I should.

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  8. I've always wanted to be able to listen and comprehend audio books. Something just doesn't click and I never absorb the information. I think my attention span isn't the best lol!!! Awesome post. Loved all the info/insight!!

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    1. It wasn't love at first listen for me. I DNFed a bunch, but now I stick with contemporaries, and it's working really well. I especially love them for car trips. I listened to a whole book on the way to NC yesterday.

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  9. I listen to more audiobooks than read these days. For me, the narrator can make or break a book. If the narrator is a good one, you should slip into the story and get lost. I don’t like narrators that don’t fit the characters, or sometimes you get narrators who do bad voices for the opposite sex, I struggle most with those. There are a few times when I wouldn’t recommend the audiobook because the narration was not good in my opinion.

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    1. I remember someone mentioning that the narrator's interpretation of the emotion wasn't working for them, and I thought that was really important. And yeah, I find the women do the men better than the men do the women, but have yet to encounter narration that has marred my experience in any way.

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  10. I only recently started enjoying audiobooks (after kids it was the only way I could read for awhile), and now I'm obsessed. I review them just like I would a physical copy. My thoughts on the story take up the bulk of my review. I only comment on narration when it's amazing (Rebecca Soler!!), or distracting. There are a lot of wonderful narrators that I don't mention, but that really bring the story to life.

    One of my negatives is being able to mark passages or phrases that I like. I can't easily refer back to them, or quote them later. If it's a quote I REALLY like, I'll listen to that same part over and over again until I've written it down. It's tedious, so I don't do it often.

    I actively listen to audiobooks that I'm enjoying, and passively in the background if I like it just enough to finish it.

    Lovely topic!
    Do You Dog-ear?

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    1. I have grown to love them too, and I listen to a lot of non-review books. I think the only time I have commented on narration was when it was really good. And I agree, the bookmark function is not as easy to use a post it note or highlighting in an ebook.

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  11. Awww this is the second of this type of post I've read of your Sam and I really love how you gather the community's thoughts! ❤

    As someone who is trying to enjoy audiobooks I am looking for commenting in the narration for sure. That is really may main concern for in an audiobook review because I probably already want to read the book.

    Does the narration sound right for the character? Can you keep the characters separate? Was the narrator irritating? Was their something special or unusual or perfect about the narration? What speed did you listen to it on? Can it be sped up?

    I would be rather disappointed in an audiobook review without narration comments because I understand from other audiobook lovers that it is the main thing that will cause them to listen or pass for the book.

    I hope that helps, you seem to have gotten a lot of feedback!

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    1. I feel like narration is really vital, but I think I need to get more experience with it. I am branching out a little more, in terms of what I listen to. Mostly I have listened to contemporary romances from Hoopla, and they all seem to be Tantor, who apparently utilize the same narrators for all their books. Ha! the speed with female narrators is tricky, since their voices tend to be on the higher side. Lots to think about. Thanks for the comments.

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  12. I'm not a fan of audiobooks at all, sorry. In my opinion a book is meant to be read, not listened to. When I read a book I occasionally imagine the characters' voices as well, and I'm pretty sure that if the narrator does not quite match what my mind imagines, it would ruin the whole thing.
    I did try, once, and perhaps it was the wrong book, I don't know... But having a woman narrate a story, and also try to do a manly voice for the male character? No, thanks.

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    1. There was one reviewer, Evelina, who I remember mentioning opting for the robo-voice that is built in, because she didn't like the way the narrator forced the emotion of the character. It took me a while to find the type of stories that worked for me, but I have been really lucky and enjoyed them.

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  13. I think narration is very important. A good story can be ruined by the wrong narrator.

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    1. I agree. It can definitely make a difference. So far, I have encountered good narrators. There was one, where the woman's voice was sort of high and nasally. It was fine, but I couldn't speed up the book. From this discussion, I think I should undoubtedly include something about the narration.

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  14. When it comes to a narrator, I don't have anything specific in mind, I just listen and if it irritates me I return it, and if not I continue. I need a narraotr to draw me into the story and not make me focus on the accent or whatever of the voice doing the narrating. If the narrator does irritate me, I will comment on it, but I don't often stick with narrators that irritate me. I do like audios that have casts, so I mention that. I don't think it's entirely necessary to comment on narration because for me, it's entirely dependent on the person listening. I guess though if someone sees a reviewer they trust mention the narration is good, they're more likely to try it. I listen when I drive, or am out for a walk, so I'm pretty passive. I've never thought about taking notes for books or audios, though I keep meaning to. *shrugs*

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    1. I listent to a lot of contemporary romances, which often feature one male and one female narrator. One book, Boy Meets Boy, had a full cast, and that was pretty fun. I guess the note thing is just something I do. If something stands out as a talking point, I need to drop it down or I might forget about it when I sit down to write the review. It's complicated when I listen to audiobooks, because i am usually doing other things.

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  15. I adore audiobooks but I was skeptical of them in the beginning as well. When I first started listening to them I was also weary of reviewing them because I wasn't used to absorbing the story without making a note here and there. It's gotten much better over time. I can safely say I can review a book I've listened to actively and passively because not all books hold my attention equally. I make it a priority to review the narrator of the audiobook in terms of if I liked the voice or not (if it was too breathy or too robotic) and the range in believable character voices (some narrators do this better than others). I'll also comment on my personal biases in terms of what I usually like and if that specific narration worked for me or not.

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    1. From what everyone has said, I need to start taking note of the narrator, because I do agree they can make or break the story, but I just never went out of my way to take any notes on them.

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  16. I love this post because I just recently started my audible free trial and I wanted to learn how to properly review Audobooks! I had all the same questions so hope to red from all the commenters! :)

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    1. I get all my audiobooks from the library, but I do listen to a lot. However, I rarely review them for the blog. I learned a lot from this post, and will definitely jot down some thoughts on the narrator from now on.

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  17. This is a really good question- because while I have only ever read... or listened? I don't know what the right term is- to one. And I didn't plan on reviewing it, but while I was listening, I did wonder how one would review it! Because the narrator did throw me off a little, but I didn't know if that would/should impact how I felt about it? One thing I have noticed is that people review the book, and then in a separate section, review the actual audio, which seems like it would be the most universally helpful? But I agree completely that it's a more passive experience- and more than that, I'd never be able to remember my thoughts if I couldn't write them down haha, and since I was driving, that was very much out of the question! Great topic!!

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    1. I think I like the separation of the narration from the story, because even if the narrator is not to my taste, I can still appreciate the story. There was a Samantha Young duology I listened to, and the female narrator's voice was tough to listen to, but I still liked the story a lot.

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  18. I briefly had a long commute and got into audiobooks and it did take me awhile to develop a reviewing style! I was only able to do it by immediately taking notes on my phone once I was done listening and driving. I still found it more difficult than reading a book though and was likely to listen to lighter books.

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    1. I am a notes person too, which is my problem with doing a legit audiobook review, since I listen to them as I do other things. Only contemporaries worked for me listening wise. I got lost in SFF books.

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  19. This is a really good discussion topic. I have recently started listening to audiobooks and I find that I can only stay focused if I increase the playback speed. If the narration is too slow, I wind up not really paying attention. And even then, I'm always listening while I'm doing something else so it's definitely a more passive experience.

    For me, I would say commenting on the narration in a review isn't that important. I usually try to listen to a preview before committing to an audiobook, and my decision mostly just comes down to whether I like the reader's voice or not. And that's so subjective, I don't think a review could help me decide that. I do like to know when there are multiple readers or if a full cast narrates the story, because I don't always like those audiobooks, but otherwise, it's not something I'd look for in a review.

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    1. I always up to at least 1.25x. If the narrator's voice is too high pitched, I can't do it, because then it annoys me 😂 I have seen some reviewers comment on the narrator emoting too much or the voice not working for them. I think I have commented when it was at extremes too. Like, if I really loved the narrator or really disliked something about the narration. I have only listed to one full cast - Boy Meets Boy, which was hilarious, but otherwise they always seem to just use a single voice for each POV. One audiobook I listened to, Tiny Pretty Things, had three narrators, and I thought their voices were too similar, and it too me a while to determine which POV I was hearing each time. I think I probably should have included that in my review, as a hint to listen harder.

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  20. I don't actually listen to audiobooks, mostly because I struggle to pay attention to them. I think the things that are important are whether or not the narrator is good (do they make you listen, draw you in and keep you gripped). Is there a cast of narrators (I do like that, gives a book new depth). Did the narrator impact on your enjoyment of the story itself? I think these things are important questions to answer beyond the story itself when reviewing because audiobooks can impact on how you enjoy a book, I think, especially if the narrator isn't good.

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    1. All good points, and things I need to think about more, if I plan on including any of my audiobooks as blog reviews. I do agree that the narration plays a role in my enjoyment of a book. Most that I have listened to have been good. One in particular was phenomenal for me. The male narrator from Tangled by Emma Chase was so good.

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  21. Ahhh my fave topic! I've mostly moved to audio for the most of my "reading" and it has helped me get through a lot of books. I include a few thoughts on narrators when I review an audiobook, but I don't get too technical about it because what the heck do I know about techie stuff, right? I do comment on tone, pacing, pitch, and the different voices/accents used - were they good, bad, nails on a chalkboard? Did I have to speed up or slow down the audio? That sort of thing.

    I think narrator preference is personal. I belong to a book club and when discussions pop-up about narrators, some mention favorite narrators that are my hated ones. Again, personal preference :)

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    1. I am with you. I am not a technical expert, but I guess I know if the narrators voice was annoying or if they over emoted. These are excellent things that I will need to pay attention to.

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  22. I usually review the book pretty much as usual but then include a few lines about the narration. I've wondered before if this is enough, but that's usually all I have to say.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. I have read some really good audiobook reviews, by serious audio listeners, who have favorite narrators and what not. I listen to quite a few, but do tend to treat audio the same way I would a book.

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  23. This is actually a great topic, and one I've never really thought about until now! I usually don't intentionally find myself commenting on the narration of an audio book in a review (unless the narrator REALLY didn't work for me) and I treat audio book reviews the same as any other book review. However, you have me thinking that I should maybe reframe the way I review them!

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    1. I was always treating them the same too, but I guess it is a little different experience, and the narrator plays such big role in setting the tone for book, and thus, affects your overall enjoyment. I feel like I am very forgiving, and maybe need to alter my mindset, if I choose to review audiobooks for the blog.

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