There seems to be a big divide on the opinion of audiobooks. Many people don’t consider them a “real” way to “read” books, and they feel very strongly about it. Other people, like me, think they’re awesome and a great way to devour a good book.

Let me tell you why I love audiobooks and cringe when people so vehemently argue against them or outright dismiss them.

I love books in every form: book books, books on my Kindle, and books coming from my speakers. Sometimes, nothing can beat a tangible book in your hand: the gorgeous cover, the look of that perfect font, the smell. (What is that smell, by the way? Dead trees, inks, and dust? Whatever it is, it’s intoxicating.) Kindles are great when you’re traveling and don’t want to carry 5 books with you. The Kindle saves space and helps your terrible posture from lugging around too many physical books. I love my Kindle! Audiobooks can be listened to while doing many things you usually can’t do well while reading a physical book or Kindle: cooking, getting ready in the morning, driving, walking. This multitasking ability is why I am able to enjoy many more books per year than I would get to otherwise.

I live in Phoenix, a notoriously terrible commuting city. Trust me when I say it’s a parking lot during rush hour (although rush “hour” is a misnomer; it more like rush 4 hours) and everything is far away from everything else. Don’t believe me? Come out and visit during the winter when the snow birds are in town. After driving around, you will want to leave. Anyway, this isn’t a blog about driving in populated, spread-out cities. BACK TO BOOKS: Long story short, I spend A LOT of time in my car. Many people listen to the radio or listen to podcasts–I do, too–but I mainly spend the time listening to audiobooks and I love it. It’s like having a fun friend in the car with you, telling you an awesome story.

Isn’t that why we read? To fall into great stories? Listening to them shouldn’t be considered a weaker art; it’s just different. Listening and concentrating is DIFFICULT; this is why you shouldn’t dismiss your friend who’s listening to books instead of physically reading words on a page. We should celebrate people who are delving into the fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi all around them in any way they can.

Books are amazing, in every form. Let’s get them into everyone’s hands, any and every way we can.

P.S. You can buy sweet audiobooks from Audible OR you can borrow them for free from your library on an app like Overdrive!