Jacqueline and I read many books for this podcast in one sitting and often while multitasking. It is difficult to reliably read for the podcast without the pressure of a deadline, and as a result, we find ourselves cramming to get books finished and listening to audiobooks on x2 speed.
I find audiobooks easier to sit through than staring at an eBook, even though audiobooks are longer. I’ve always had trouble reading off screens, especially given how easy it is to get into a scrolling rhythm without absorbing what’s on the page. I will blame some of my eBook aversion on distracting notifications and other, more tempting computer activities, but it’s not all about focus. I could never process information during online tests or take-home exams and consistently found that reading something vertically rather than horizontally threw off my engagement. I find it easier to read on my phone, but then the text is too small, and I find myself swiping too quickly.
My frustration with eBooks is connected to a larger problem with how I read. When a story is unengaging, I rush through it so that it’s over faster. When a story is engaging, I rush through it because I’m excited and want to know what happens. This is what I did the first time I read Diamond of Darkhold. I was so excited to figure out what happened that I skim-read the whole way through. I went back and read it word for word after I knew all the spoilers, but I don’t always have the luxury of re-reading.
Audiobooks force me to hear every single word. I might not process every word, but I won’t actively skip through as I do with eBooks and physical books. The problem with listening to audiobooks is that it ties perception of the characters and story to the quality of the reader. When I’m reading alone, the characters sound the way I interpret them. When I’m listening to another interpretation, I process personality and voice completely differently. I’ve disliked good characters because of how they’re read (see Tyson in the Percy Jackson series). I’ve also judged writing quality based on how a reader dramatizes the text, both good and bad. An excellent audiobook such as Finding Audrey and Nick Hornby’s Slam can make me love a book I wouldn’t have otherwise picked up. A horrible audiobook can turn me off finishing.
The option to speed up an audiobook to x2 speed (twice as fast) fulfills my desire to find out what happens and make our recording deadlines. The double-speed tends to make the audio jerky and the characters abrasive, but it ensures that I can finish quickly without skipping words or missing story elements. I don’t personally notice a problem with audio quality after getting used to the speed, but I wonder what I’m sacrificing when I choose to rush through stories in this way.
As a podcast host, reader, and reviewer, it is my responsibility to ensure that my evaluation of a book is fair to the author and the story on the page. I read books for the rich descriptions of lore and the suspense of plot and character arcs. Much of this relies on what the text implies rather than outright states. If I don’t take time to process text or hear the pauses between words, I lose my ability to analyze the meaning of specific phrases and events, and the nuance that I love so much gets lost. This undoubtedly affects the quality of my analysis on the podcast and my judgment of the book.
I do not believe I was unfair to the books in our published episodes, but Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows is proving difficult. There is so much lore and nuance packed into every single sentence, and I am consistently confused about what is important. The multi-POVs are also exhausting, and I wonder if the differences in characterization would come across better if I listened at regular speed. The quality of Six of Crows also seems reliant on the depth packed into every aspect of the story. The characters have great chemistry, and the world is clearly well thought out, and I genuinely see why this book is so beloved. I find myself overwhelmed with the density of every paragraph and feel pressure to read for memory, so I know what to analyze once Jacqueline and I record.
x2 speed is an ongoing dilemma that will follow me through every podcast recording. I know that my reading experience is best when I don’t want a book to end and actively try to savor it rather than rush like I did with Pramila Jayapal’s book (Use the Power You Have: A Brown Woman’s Guide to Politics and Political Change). It helps to find a good listening activity and hide the progress bar. However, I freely admit that I still listen to most things on 1.5-2x speed. I don’t break habits easily, and x2 speed has benefitted my reading retention and free time too much to turn back. It is, therefore, unlikely that I will change my reading behavior, but I hope that acknowledging the problem will make me a more intentional reader and podcast host.
-Sophie
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