Do you think audiobooks count as ‘books read’ on goodreads, or is that cheating because really your only listening, not reading? ?
Do you think audiobooks count as ‘books read’ on goodreads, or is that cheating because really your only listening, not reading? ?
I don’t, but that’s just my opinion
I don’t either, just wondering what others do. I see some people who have read 200 books a year, I wonder how you would read that many without counting audiobooks ??
I read 200 plus a year and don’t use audio books at all, I hate them.
@Sarah I suppose I’m on my fifth book this week so I could potentially get 200 if I keep this pace up ??
I don’t personally think they do. My opinion.
I think so, why not? I still know what the book is about and can rate/discuss any book I’ve listened to.
I agree, books are about the storytelling – not how the words make it into your brain.
And it still takes up your time. I listen in the car all the time.
To me, it doesn’t matter the way you read it. I’ve had students who can’t read above a 3rd grade level listen to an audio of Shakespeare and be able to hold discussions with my top students. As long as you are getting the story into your mind and soul, it shouldn’t matter what form is used to get there.
why would you not? genuinely asking. your brain is still absorbing the info the same way and it positively affects your brain the same way? you’re immersing yourself in a story and expanding your vocabulary?
I think so. I have a very long commute but choose audiobooks over music almost always to keep learning.
I count them.
https://www.thecut.com/2016/08/listening-to-a-book-instead-of-reading-isnt-cheating.html
It takes me longer to listen to an audio book than to read it however I commute for a couple of hours a day so prefer to listen to books than just to music. Feels unfair for it not to count as a book. You still immerse your brain in the world of the story for many hours. I don’t count my book total but if I did I would not consider audio books ‘cheating’.
I count them
Reading or listening to a book is still getting what you should from a book. Fun, enjoyment, imagination, views and opinions.
I count them too. To me listening to the words has exactly the same effect on me as if I was reading them and I agree I could rate or review a book just the same after listening. If I was then to sit and read the actual book I had listened to I would feel that I was reading it twice as the words are the same. So to me there’s no difference x
Yes count them
I do, they fit with life on The go, without them I’d have missed out on some amazing books/stories x
I always count them.
Reading refers to the written or printed word. Listening to an audio book is listening and whilst there is nothing “wrong” with that, it just ain’t reading ?
I ageee, the books are listened to not read so surely they don’t count?
So are you going to pretend you don’t know the story? Are you going to keep it on your goodreads wishlist until you sit down and read it even though you know the whole story? Probably not. The vocabulary may be weird since you can’t really use the word “read”, but for the purpose of goodreads it definitely counts.
@Alli, this may be why opinions differ. It seems a large number of folk are attempting the Goodreads challenge and possibly taking the challenge a little too seriously. For me the act of reading is one of pleasure, not a competitive discipline, and maybe in order to achieve the Goodreads targets there is a need to stretch the definition of reading ? I don’t know, i am obviously in a minority here and maybe I am conflating two entirely different issues but perhaps I am on the right track?
You make a good point, we need a new word for this “act” listeaden ?? ?
@Alli You make a good point, we need a new word for this “act” listeaden ?? ?
@Chris You make a good point. I agree that I only read for pleasure, not for any sort of goal or competition, but I also truly enjoy listening to audiobooks when I workout or am driving, and after I finish a book I feel that I got everything out of it that I would out of sitting and reading that book. So I guess if you don’t want to count it thats not a big deal, I was just referring to goodreads as that was part of her original question! 🙂
I count them. You’ve still engaged with the story. Live audible.
I don’t see a problem with it. Goodreads is meant to find new books and keep track of books. Some people have difficulty actually reading a book and can only do audiobooks. They still need to find new books and keep track of them.
Yes, they count. I used to be in the mind that they didn’t count, but after doing research, listening to others, and really thinking critically about it, I changed my mind. You are still engaged in the story and have to focus, just like reading. Also your brain, according to research, doesn’t know the difference.
it counts xxx
You are talking about comprehension @Laura, which is a different matter all together. By listening to an audio book you may be perfectly in tune with the aims of the author and your understanding of the subject matter complete. But you haven’t “read” it.
Well no, if you go on a Road trip but you didn’t drive, you rode, you still “went” interesting discussion.
Technically, you didn’t “read” it with your eyes, but your mind thinks you did and that’s what “counts”. Comprehension, language appreciation, and emotion is kind of the point of reading, and audiobooks offer that just the same. That’s like saying blind people cant possibly be reading because they’re using their fingers to “read” Braille or using their ears to “read” audiobooks.
Exactly my point @Laura, you didn’t read it but I like your Braille example, i had not considered that.
So I’ve worked in a book store for 5 years, many of my coworkers have worked there for 20+ years, and we all agree that listening to an audiobook counts as reading. You are still getting all the knowledge, etc, that comes with reading the book. You know the story. And in our case, we can describe and recommend them to people. So yes I say count it!
Look at it this way: what if you are blind and listen to audio books? Would you say that the blind person has never read a book just because they didn’t “see” the words as they were being read?
An audio book is read TO you, but it is still read. No matter who is doing the reading.
That’s what I was going to say! Lol
And dyslexic people who have a hard time reading words too
By that rationale, Tara, if I telephoned you and read a book to you over the phone, have I read it, have you read it or have we both read it ? ?
If it was the whole book, then we have both read it.
Which is exactly what I said in the first place.
It definitely counts.
For me… no. It’s not reading, it’s listening
I absolutely think they count.
First of all that is how stories were told before they had books.
Secondly that is how most of us heard stories originally from someone orally telling us a story or reading to us.
Finally people who study brains say that your brain functions the same way whether you listen to an audiobook or physically read a book.The only thing you lose out on by listening to an audiobook is sharpening your decoding skills. But once you know how to read fluently you do not need that.
Further more children who listen to audiobooks actually increase their vocabulary and become better readers faster than those who read without any audio books. Now course if you only rely on audio books at a very young age it can become a handicap, but if you use it as enrichment once in awhile it’s beneficial.
Bottom line audio books count as reading, your brain knows no difference. The average millionaire reads two non-fiction books a month and large majority of them do it via audio books so they work either way.
Also in the famous words of Andrew Clements that I heard on audiobook one of the reasons authors love audio books is audio books can tell you the parts of a book that aren’t there on paper. The Wright actor can bring a book to life in a way that you may have missed out on if you do not have an extremely vivid imagination or an understanding of the author’s purpose. Audiobooks can inflate the emotions that you miss out on when you’re simply reading a book. And even John Green said that when he listen to an audiobook he felt like it was meeting his character in a way that he had only imagine before. Audio books are an art themselves.
They count. I prefer to actually read a book but I also listen to books when driving or on a treadmill.
Treadmill is a really good idea! I’d never considered that before ???
People have different ways of accessing books. For some, audio books are the ONLY way. So for this reason, I believe it counts.
And I have a whole list of books that I listened to via audio and if I had to actually read the book I would have never made it past the first chapter. Are you books I’m not done much difference in how many books I read per week I would probably be reading maybe one less book a week if I didn’t use audio books.
I’m not saying people don’t take the story in the same way, and enjoy, and process it, and feel the same feelings as both ways. I’m just saying that one way their using their ears one way their using their eyes.
But are both being interpreted by the brain the exact same way. And if audio books don’t count that every story that was passed down orally for hundreds of years shouldn’t count. I really don’t get this argument.
Based on audio books not counting as reading. Then children who are reading 100 books before kindergarten shouldn’t have any of their books count unless they physically read them themselves.
And kids who take a AR book test that click “I was read to” for their comprehension test shouldn’t have those books count toward their goal.
I just think it all sounds like sour grapes to me.
Absolutely they count. A book is a book, whether you read it yourself or someone reads it to you.
I had a younger sister who was blind. She read Braille but books in Braille take up a lot of room. She loved to read so she often relied on audio books. (I’ve never met anyone smarter than her)
That brings to mind all of the books I have read, set back in the day, where somebody was reading to the entire room.
My little sister is profoundly deaf and struggles a lot with ‘conventional’ reading. She got such a lot from listening to stories told out loud. Watching facial expression and seeing pictures. All part of the wonderful tapestry of story telling.
i feel like this type of discourse is further creating a culture of competitive reading. you know the story and have listed to all the words= you read it. this type of thinking completely disregards visually impaired people or people who struggle with reading.
What and who is insensitive to visually impaired people by discussing audio books?
no one really here (and not the discussion of audiobooks themselves) – just the widespread idea that listening to a book isn’t really reading can be seen as a little insensitive; the reason being some people genuinely cannot read due to visual impairments or other struggles (dyslexia, etc.) and it strikes me as a little unfair to say that they’ve, what, never read a book in their life? i don’t really understand how someone might think that it doesn’t “ count”
@Lucy really? The pc language has gotten out of hand. Now you can be insensitive by implication. When does it end?
I would count them as books.
I definitely count them.
I guess if goodreads didn’t want you to count them, they wouldn’t have them listed as part of their app?
I mark a book I’ve listened to in Audible as read. It’s not about completing a challenge for me, just marking that I’ve ‘read’ it. If I’ve listened to a book, I won’t physically read it but I want a record on Goodreads so I don’t duplicate book purchases. It’s personal to you so you have to decide. There seems to be a lot of reading snobbery on here. Who cares what format it’s in as long as you enjoy it!!
What??? Of course they count. A good use of driving time is audio books!!
And boring jobs at work!!
I count them – I invest a lot of time listening to a book just like I would reading a book. Plus I absorb the content too so it totes counts. I just make sure I set the edition as audiobook since the “pages” don’t count (to me)
This is a good idea! X
Who is divided by this conversation?
The only way I can get any “reading” in is by listening to books on audible during my commute to work. Between being a mom and working full time, it’s near impossible to get actual reading in. I use goodreads to track what I’ve listened to and what I want to listen to. In no way do I consider marking my books as “read” cheating.
This sounds like me!
Hallelujah. ?
It definitely counts!
I actually invest MORE time listening to an audiobook than reading a paper/ebook copy (because I read very quickly) so I definitely count them! Sometimes I will have both the ebook and audible version and will switch back and forth depending on what I’m doing and when I finish the book I count it as read, so maybe that skews my perspective a bit? In any case, to me if I have “taken in” a book from beginning to end in some manner I consider it “finished”/”read”.
I think it counts. does it count if I read a children’s book? ?
I think so. Even if it’s a picture book. I have so many of those memorized. It most definitely counts especially if you read it 10 times or more.
Exactly I don’t know why these people are getting so upset over audiobooks. It takes me three times as long to listen to an audiobook as it would have taken me to just read the book. This is why my daughter does not like them.
I am almost 100% audio and the only ones who give me a hard time for “reading” 60 books a year read about 3 themselves. ?
I don’t think they count – but that’s probably because they send me to sleep and I miss 90% of it. You do what suits you, it’s no-one else’s life x
I have a friend who is visually impaired and can no longer see well enough to read paper, even large-format. However, she is very well-read and now listens to multiple books per week. I can’t imagine anyone saying to her “you didn’t really read that book since you just listened to it.” P.s. I think what you “count” is totally up to you. Nobody is keeping score. Reading is a highly personal activity and the “rules” are dictated by the reader and nobody else.
Yes!!!
If you have money in your hand you have money, does that mean if you use your debit card it doesn’t count?
Audio should count. All in all it is still a book. I don’t listen to audio to just make my “numbers go up”. I listen, because I have a desk job that I can. Some people listen to radio, some even watch Tv, me I would rather “read” while I work..plain and simple. Just physically reading, I read 100+ books a year, audio just makes me double that. If you DO a good reads challenge, they always tell you to use the main book edition that pops up when putting in your book , which is usually the paperback or hardback version.
They certainly count.
I don’t think they count?Its like saying ‘if I watch this film…’
Would you tell a blind person that they haven’t read the book if they listened to an audiobook?
A film is totally different as it doesn’t follow the Book word for word.
No I wouldn’t, but she’s not blind so your point is null.
Katie Light so if an audiobook is a book to a blind person, why is it not a book to a sighted person?
It’s exactly the same words, often is more time consuming and for some folks is the only thing they can use to get their book content (if they commute by car and work a lot for example)
Why do you discount an audioBOOK?
Because it’s not reading is it… it’s listening. If you can read, then add it to your ‘books read’. If you’re listening, add it to your ‘books listened to’.
@Katie but then it wouldn’t count towards your book count on Goodreads…
I think it’s different if you’re blind…
Are you aware that there are some books you can only get on audiobook?
@January that’s fine! It’s just my opinion haha. I don’t think an audiobook counts as reading! Anyone can listen!
If that were true we would all have good grades. Everyone learns differently listening isn’t equal for everyone some people have to see, some people have to write and some people have to do.
I count them, like other people I use them while commuting amongst other things and they actually take a lot more time than conventional reading. If goodreads didn’t want you to count them, they wouldn’t offer the audio version. Just saying.
Listening to an audiobook count as reading a book. It does not matter what you think on the matter, what you think doesn’t change whether something is true or not when it is a fact. Since they can doesn’t cost anything you can think whatever you want.
The theme I see constantly is people are worried about what other people are doing on Goodreads and that is the problem with whether or not an audiobook count as reading or not.
I think it is quite silly. It actually reminds me of my children and how they are with competitive reading. In kindergarten my son receive a prize my treasure chest for every 20 books he read. He was upset when he discovered that there are different reading levels within his classroom. While he was reading books that contain paragraphs on every page, some of the children who were instructed to read to him were reading short sentences as some we’re looking at photos with letters of the alphabet attached to them. He thought this was unfair he was angry he wanted to read books that contain the letter c with pictures of clowns and cats too. he somehow figured to these other children were working less and getting the same benefits as him.
Second grade he was upset when once again children who wrote to him or reading lower level reading books and he was. To make matters worse they had the nerve to give him a comprehension test they gave him a range of reading levels he was allowed to test on, his teacher would not allow him to test on books that he read with the other children. Sometimes if a child read a book that was within his range and his average was high she would let him test on it too, but usually if he read with a child he was not allowed to count the book toward his goal. Of course he thought that was unfair because he read the book too, 3 times.
In 5th grade my daughter thought it was unfair that she was forced to read books that were a 5.5 to 7.7 reading level, and she had a hard time finding children’s books that match that criteria, she also had to earn 30 points to reach your goal while they were children in her classroom who were reading 3rd grade level books, and I only had to get 15 points to reach their goal. Some of them told her they sell the comprehension test on purpose so they wouldn’t have to read novels and you know that’s unfair.
I’ve even had Parents tell me that it was unfair to their child that my kid got to go to the AR party because I had a had AR sheets at home, used to local libraries, average out their scores so they only read books that truly benefited them, found comprehension test and study guides to use at home while they were reading the book can pretty much “worked the system” so they were more likely to get a 90% or higher on each test. And you know that’s not fair parents should be involved in their children’s school work, my children should be allowed to use book from home or from another library to test on, because it’s not fair to parents who work and don’t have time to worry about what books are kids are reading and how well they understand them.
And so on and so on. It just seems to me that I’m reading over and over again whether someone actually what scientists and professors at audio books count as reading and the real question seems to be, do you think it’s fair if somebody counts an audiobook toward their goal on Goodreads?
Honestly who cares? It seems that people who don’t want audio books and be counted fill that in some way people who utilize audio books or one up in them on Goodreads in some way. Just because somebody uses audiobooks does not mean that they are magically reading more books than you. Audiobooks actually take longer to listen to then they do to read.
For example the average person reads 250 words per minute, so it would take the average reader 5 hours and 7 minutes to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but no matter what your reading speed is it would take you 8 hours and 34 minutes to listen to the audiobook. Where’s the advantage?
?? I don’t know why your getting so offended by my post and I didn’t ask for your child’s life story… I am simply asking what other people do to start a discussion.
I couldn’t care less if people count them, I use my goodreads for my own benefit not anyone else’s. I prefer to read books and I use it to log my ratings and mark books which I want to read.
I was simply curious on the matter, the responses have been helpful as I didn’t know you could change the edition to an audiobook on goodreads, which is handy to know!
First of all nobody said I was offended about anything. Secondly I didn’t say that you didn’t care I was speaking to the people who do and stated in their comments that they thought it was unfair for the Goodreads challenge, even people who count audio books as reading said that they don’t count them toward their Goodreads. It’s interesting that you think all of the comments here are directed towards you, mine was not.
It seems a bit patronising to refer to the people who are disagreeing with adding audiobooks as being silly and childish. Everyone is entitled to their opinion as are you but there’s a way to express it without being rude.
I did not say people who disagree that audio books were books and count as really were childish. I say it doesn’t matter whether we think they are not it is already been established that they are considered reading scientifically.
The childish behavior I pointed out was the competition of what someone’s Goodreads count is. If you read the comments you will see many people refer to the Goodreads challenge when they become upset about whether someone is utilizing audiobooks. Somebody even said that they look at some people’s numbers and think there’s no way they can read that many books they must be using audio books. When I myself can tell you I read more books if I cut out audio books that I do with the combination of the two. And I’m not trying to be rude at all. I can’t control how other people read my words. And if my words are “rude” than I am not alone in this thread.
Haha whoaaaa….. someone has some time on their hands ???
Ps. An audiobook isn’t reading… its listening.
I think this needs to be removed…. So far off subject!
Chloe, I love listening to an audio book on my long drives…. I count it as a book read and I guess that’s all that matters ?