How to Choose an Audiobook

But how to choose? If you are picking out a print book, there is a lot you can tell by handling it. We all do the same thing. Looking at the cover artwork gives a sense of the tone of the story. The publisher’s blurb, of course, is helpful. We also flip the book open and scan the pages. We look at snippets here and there to get a sense if this the is the book we’re in the mood for right now.

What to do about audiobooks? We can look at the cover and the publisher’s blurb, but we can’t get the same impression that handling the book will give us. Many publishers, on their websites, offer a sampling of the book. Here, for example, MacMillan Audio offers a sample of of the book. If you use the library’s Digital Media Downloads (Overdrive), you’ll find similar samples. However, it is what the publisher wants to you hear, so it is limited compared to your own sampling of a print book.