In the past decade here at the library, we have seen first-hand a national trend playing out in front of our eyes. Audiobooks have exploded in popularity, encouraged by the advent of apps like Libby and Hoopla which allow readers easy, free access to both audio and ebook formats. It might surprise you to know that, on Hoopla, Wakefieldians check out roughly twice as many audiobooks as ebooks each month. There is another phenomenon that comes along with audio: the slightly shamefaced looks that come from some readers who are embarrassed to admit they’re looking for an audiobook. Why? Because they believe that audiobooks are cheating. An NPR-Ipsos poll from early 2025 found that more than 40% of American adults think that “listening to audiobooks is not a form of reading.”
Case in point: not too long ago a patron admitted to me that a member of her book group, a retired professor, had pronounced to the group that audiobooks were not “real reading.” Taking this to heart, she left without checking out the audio of the group’s next book, despite my vehement assurances that audio is legit!
If you are one of those shamefaced patrons, or just a hardcore paper fan, we promise never to force any format upon you, but please let us reassure you – the science from this 2016 study and others bears out what audio lovers all know to be true: your brain learns and retains just as much by listening as it does using your eyes and flipping pages. In a recent article in the Harvard Gazette, several experts including two professors from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, and two Harvard Librarians, concur. They also point out the benefits of listening (or a combination of listening and reading) for reluctant readers or those with different learning styles.
Audio has the added benefits of voice actors, bringing individual characters to life: for example, you could try Meryl Streep reading Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake! Sometimes the authors themselves read the book, as in the case of the amazing nonfiction book An Immense World, read beautifully by author Ed Yong. Still others offer a full cast of actors for your listening pleasure. Try Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six with a cast including Jennifer Beals and Benjamin Bratt, or Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, read by the likes of Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, Julianne Moore, Ben Stiller, Susan Sarandon, Don Cheadle, and more.
To be clear, listening is not better than reading, and it can have drawbacks; “rewinding” to find specific lines in the text is difficult, for example. And we also understand that personal preferences play a part. I, for one, still love my paper books for a relaxing day on the couch, but I have also come to realize that there is nothing that takes the drudgery out of laundry better than listening to a story while I work. Audio is great for travel too: long, boring commutes fly by, and that snoring guy in 27B fades right out of existence as you are carried away on the wings of a great story told just to you.
Let’s not forget, we all come from traditions of oral storytelling. From way back in prehistoric times, sitting around the fire as stories were passed down, to now, when parents are encouraged to read to children every chance they get, humans have always loved a good story told out loud. Who among us didn’t ask our parents for “just one more story, pleeeaaase” before the lights were turned out? And who wouldn’t want that feeling again?
Now that you know it’s not cheating, give it a try. To get you started, we’ve made a list of some guaranteed good reads, from classics to new releases, that are also great listens! The books in this list are all linked to Libby To get your free library copy of an audiobook, download the Libby app from your regular app store, or listen on your computer at Libbyapp.com. Some of these books are also available on Hoopla, another app that you can find in your app store (or at HooplaDigital.com on your computer). Check our catalog or ask a librarian to find which app might have what you’re looking for. All you need is your library card number to get started with either Libby or Hoopla.
