Audiobooks: Bringing Books to Life for Those on the Go

While technology and I don’t always get along, one really cool development is leading to more and more people experiencing the wonder of reading in their everyday lives. Audiobooks!

As someone who thrives on books, the idea of not reading regularly baffles me, and yet, on average, Americans read less than 12 books per year, sometimes going the entire year without purchasing a single book (Moller, 2024)!

The good news is, that individuals are reading with their ears now more than ever, with audiobook sales increasing an average of 18% per year since 2019 (OverDrive, 2022). In 2023, 67% of readers had increased their “reading” using audiobooks (Voices.Com, 2023). Audiobooks provide the perfect opportunity for background noise or entertainment in a convenient, multi-tasking way. I personally enjoy listening to audiobooks during my commute, while doing chores, and as I’m falling asleep at night (though this method results in having to go back and find where I fell asleep a lot 🙂 ).

There is some debate on if audiobooks count as reading and we could talk about that all day long. The fact of the matter is, that people who wouldn’t normally take in any literature are getting it through some means, meaning more people are experiencing the wonders of fiction and nonfiction works. And in my estimation, that’s pretty cool!

I held out on audiobooks for a long time and now I have some intense regrets because I could have been listening to my favorite novels in addition to reading them. Now, I’ve got a physical book, an ebook, and an audiobook going at any given time; I love being surrounded by my favorites all the time. As I listened to more audiobooks, I started to realize there are so many different narration styles, each style providing a different experience for the reader/listener. In delving into the specifics, I found some cool information that might help in the future.

I’m here to share that information and some of my favorite books with the different audiobook narration styles (get excited!).

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Most common in non-fiction works, Unvoiced Narration is completed with 1 narrator. In fiction works, Unvoiced Narrations are recorded without significant differences between characters, dialogue, etc (Academy Voices, 2024).

While the main characters are given unique voices, the dialogue differences in the supporting characters are less noticeable. This is a good option for single-main character novels, allowing for the main protagonist to stand out from the others (Academy Voices, 2024).

Many modern books, especially romance novels, tend to have 2 or more points of view (POV) (Jo, 2021). Usually, the POVs are from the main male character (MMC) and female main character (FMC) perspectives however, Romantasy may end up with more POVs. Dual Narration typically has 2 narrators, each narrating the entirety of the chapter from their character’s POV (Jo, 2023). Additionally, these narrators tend to read the chapters from POVs of other male/female perspectives.

Example: Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco. I have this book in paperback but it makes me so happy to know that when I listen to it on audio, it will have dual narrators!

Duet Narration is a lot like it sounds and is pretty similar to Dual Narration with one significant difference. In Duet Narration, while the chapters are read from the Hero and heroine’s POV, the opposite sex voices in conversations are completed by the other narrator. So, if a conversation takes place in dialogue during the Heroine’s chapter in which the heroine is speaking with a male character, the male narrator will do those lines of dialogue and vice versa. Meanwhile, the prose of the story for that chapter is completed by the narrator for that POV.

That probably sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but that’s okay! This method of narration creates a more realistic experience for the reader/listener in which the conversations held switch back and forth based on who is speaking.

Example: Goldfinch by Raven Kennedy. I just recently finished the paperback versions of The Plated Prisoner series and started on Goldfinch for my audiobook while I wait to gain more credits for my Audible account. Lilly Drake and Anthony Palmini do an amazing job with this Duet Narration of The Plated Prisoner series finale!

Single Voice or Solo Narration is one of the most common types of audiobook narration in which the entirety of the book is completed by one narrator regardless of multiple POV. Usually, the narrator will adjust their voice slightly to differentiate between characters in the novel, helping listeners to recognize the difference in dialogue. Unlike narration which has more than one narrator, it can help to provide a consistency to the story that may be missing otherwise (Taylor, 2024).

Example: A Touch of Darkness/A Game of Fate by Scarlett St. Clair. Not going to lie, I am loving this series in audio, though Persephone drives me nuts. Each book is narrated by a single narrator from the perspective of the main character of the book. The “A Touch of . . .” books are from Persephone’s perspective while the “A Game of . . .” books are from Hades’ perspective.

Full-Cast Narrations are fun because the main prose of the story is completed by the narrator for that character while dialogue is all broken up based on the characters involved in the dialogue. Regardless of how many characters there are, each one is voiced by a different narrator. These are some of the most dynamic narrations and provide a really immersive experience for the reader/listener.

More often than not, Full-Cast Narration is also the Dramatized Adaptation or Graphic Audio Adaptation. My absolute favorite! These versions usually have additional background noise to provide an in-depth experience for the reader/listener.

Example: My FAVORITES – A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas. More and more of the most popular romantasy books are being recorded as Dramatized Adaptations with full-casts including the Zodiac Academy books, books by Sarah J. Maas, and the Fourth Wing Series.

I find myself gravitating toward dramatized adaptations of audiobooks as well as dual or duet perspective narrations. If the book I want to listen to is a single narrator though, I can definitely make that work, especially if I am listening to a book I’ve already read the physical or e-book of.

Regardless of your favorite type of book, be it a physical copy, an e-book, or an audiobook, I’m just glad you’re enjoying books again!

Happy Reading!

“6 Surprising Stats about Audiobooks You Need to Know.” OverDrive, 14 June 2022, company.overdrive.com/2022/05/30/6-surprising-stats-about-audiobooks-you-need-to-know/.

“7 Narration Styles That You Need to Know for Your next Project.” Academy Voices, 5 Apr. 2024, www.academyvoices.com/blog/7-narration-styles-that-you-need-to-know-for-your-next-project.

“Audiobook Listening Statistics.” Voices.Com, 14 Sept. 2023, www.voices.com/company/press/reports/audiobook-habits.

Jo. “Romance Audiobook Narration: Dual vs Duet.” Jo Reads Romance, 23 Aug. 2021, joreadsromance.co.uk/romance-audiobook-narration-dual-vs-duet/.

Moller, Ralph. “59 Reading Statistics and Facts You Should Know.” Above and Beyond Therapy, 21 Feb. 2024, www.abtaba.com/blog/59-reading-statistics

Taylor, Mindy. “The Pros and Cons of Full Cast Audiobooks vs Single Narrator.” Spines, 3 Dec. 2024, spines.com/pros-and-cons-full-cast-audiobooks-vs-single-narrator/.