Audiobooks

The libraries and bookshops are closed. I feel for all those employees who have been let go, so was l. For all those of us who love reading this is a tough time. I don't like ebooks. They do not replace the feeling of holding a book in my hands, sitting in a comfortable chair and getting lost in another world.

I don't buy many books, nor do l keep books. Those l buy, once finished, are left in public somewhere safe in the hope that someone picks them up, reads them and then passes them on to others. I love the thought of a book travelling around the city ( although it might not be good to do this at the moment) I'm a great supporter of public libraries. I think they are a vital cog in any society, but, even they are closed at present. So now l am listening to audiobooks. I loved being read to as a child and have easily slipped back into that happy place.

The J.D. Robb series, Jane Harper, Rachel Lynch and Chris Hammer books have all been wonderful audiobooks. I have recently finished listening to Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris and have a book by Rachel Abbott waiting to be downloaded.

Much as l have enjoyed these, l feel that some books are not designed to be read aloud. I know a lot depends on the narrator; Blackberry Wine was brought to life brilliantly by Derek Jacobi and Susan Erickson shines in the J. D. Robb series. With the Barbara Vine novels l have not enjoyed the audiobooks much at all, and they have been read by different people. I don't think it's the narration, rather something in the text itself. I read these books a while back and liked the books. I just think they work better when read as a novel when you have that internal dialogue running.

What about you, do you think some books are not suitable for audio form??