Call me crazy, but...

[4Katie]

...I actually prefer text-to-speech over audiobooks. I finally tried one, and found the reader's voice to be very distractinng.

What I've always loved about reading is that the visions are created in my own mind. TTS doesn't interfere with that, but someone else's voice does. Also, I like to read often during the day, and sometimes an audiobook isn't possible or appropriate, and I get frustrated when I want to 'read' and can't. And I get impatient with the speed of the reader because it's so much slower than I read.

With TTS I can read or listen, so I can 'read' my book wherever I am.

Anybody else feel this way?

I'm gonna keep my Audible account for now, because I think I'll be happy using it for non-fiction books.

lol - I'd put off getting Nora's The Search for my K3 because of the price. I had a free book offer from Audible, so I got it there. About a fourth of the way through I gave up and bought the ebook anyway.

[Daphne]

I too have made use of Text-to-Speech on my Kindle. To the English ear, the first thing to accustom oneself to is the fact that the reader has an American accent (no English option). I have enjoyed my Kindle-listening, although there has been the occasional word so strangely rendered by the electronic "reader" that it has made me smile - and the pacing can be a bit deranged. Still, it is a whole lot cheaper than buying audio CDs as I used to - and is available on most of the books I have on my Kindle. It's a fun way to hear your daily newspaper too.

[alexisleno]

The only audiobook I have had experience with was the first Harry Potter book. In middle school, my English teacher decided to let us listen to the audiobook after lunch everyday for a bit in the dark. It was one of my favorite times! Since then, I have tried getting into audiobooks, but they do read at a much slower pace than I do.

I haven't yet tried the TTS, but I think I will give it a try.

[4Katie]

It's a fun way to hear your daily newspaper too.

Interesting... I didn't know newspapers had TTS!

[Daphne]

Interesting... I didn't know newspapers had TTS!

Had my Kindle reading me The Independent over breakfast the other day. That's the life!

[Ben White]

All together now, "YOU'RE CRAZY!".

But actually I agree, I prefer TTS.  I use it for proofing, and I love being able to adjust the speed.  I always find audiobooks are too slow for me.

[4Katie]

Gee, thanks, Ben. I knew somebody had to say it!

[Atunah]

I always thought I was weird for not being able to get into audio books. Its jarring to me, don't know why. I listened to tales as a child all the time and I loved it. Its like my mind wanders somewhere else and I don't pay attention. When I read, I can disappear. And yes, someone else's voice doesn't work for me. It clashes with what goes on in my brain when I read.

I haven't tried TTS much to see if that was better. I did try it on a german newspaper just for fun  . Needless to say TTS invented a new language as it neither was english or german  .

[Jon Olson]

I commute to work, and my Audible account is a survival tool. There are some annoying readers, but many are great and I've never found reader so annoying that he or she could spoil a good book. I've never tried text-to-speech, though. I'll have to look into it.

[MLPMom]

I have used mine many times, like when I am making dinner or folding laundry and really can't hold my kindle and read it but still want to read the book I am on. Although the voice is pretty robotic I don't mind it too much. The only time it is bad is if you are reading something with accents like a historical fiction book and it doesn't know how to pronounce the word, like an old English accent where they say 'is for his and that sort of thing.

I don't listen to audiobooks normally so I don't really have anything to compare it to but when I was younger I had a ton of tapes that I listened to at night and I loved them. My favorite was the Velveteen Rabbit.

[Anna_DeStefano]

The only type of audio book I absolutely can't get into (besides those that are simply narrated badly), are books in first person. I just can't get into someone going on and on about how "I did this, I did that, and then I felt this..." Too creepy.

REALLY doesn't work for romance, BTW. "He did this to me, then I did this to him, then I felt..."  You can see the delima, right?

[4Katie]

I have used mine many times, like when I am making dinner or folding laundry and really can't hold my kindle and read it but still want to read the book I am on. Although the voice is pretty robotic I don't mind it too much.

I love being able to do that. Pretty cool to be able to 'read' while driving!

The only time it is bad is if you are reading something with accents like a historical fiction book and it doesn't know how to pronounce the word, like an old English accent where they say 'is for his and that sort of thing.

The book I'm currently reading has a character who tends to say 'Hmmm...' The voice pronounces it as H-M-M. Cracks me up every time.

REALLY doesn't work for romance, BTW. "He did this to me, then I did this to him, then I felt..."   You can see the delima, right?

I wondered about that. Ick.