June is Audiobook Month and Jen at Devourer of Books is hosting a special week dedicated to audiobooks this week.
Today’s discussion topic is about reviewing audiobooks:
Discuss the essentials of audiobook reviewing. What do you make sure
to include? What do you want to see when you read other people’s
reviews?
This is an area that I tend to struggle with as I haven’t really made much distinction in my reviews of print books versus audio books. There are times that I make a note of something about the audio production, but I am not always consistent with this. I’m hoping to get some good ideas today that I can implement in my own reviews.
When I format my audio review, it is really not too different from a print review, other than before getting to my thoughts about the book, I list who the book is read by. I have listened to some really good narrators and some that were ok, so I like to be able to quickly refer to those names when looking for a new audio.
I still consider myself a relative newbie when it comes to audios, even though I’ve been listening for a year and a half. I have some narrators that I know I will like, but haven’t really come across any that I just didn’t like. I also haven’t come across a book that I would have preferred in print instead of audio. Have you?
So, please help me out by telling me what else I should be including in my audio book reviews. What are the most important elements that you look for in an audio review?
In general I really want to know about the narration and if the narrator is a good fit for the book. A lot of it is personal preference, but I do like to hear if the audiobook made you want to keep listening or if it was a chore to get through. And I agree with you that I like to read other books by my favorite narrators. Happy listening!
Good point – I will try to add this to my reviews.
Mostly I want to know that it IS an audiobook review, and how the fact it was an audiobook affected your enjoyment. This may just mean narrator, but it could also be production value, or just how the book works in audio in general.
I do put in the title of the post that it is an audio book. I will keep your other point in mind – thanks!
I understand, this is exactly I was doing it when I began listening to audiobooks. Now I really pay attention to the narrators, it has even happened that I was led to listen to a book because of its narrator. see my answers here: wordsandpeace.com/2012/06/26/so-you-want-to-review-audiobooks-audiobook-week-discussion-and-giveaway/
I'm thinking, though, that I need to add more about the narration itself and not just the narrator's name.
I'm fairly new to review audiobooks also. Most of them I've done "quick" reviews, but the ones I've done in a full length review, I am like you. Not too much different from my normal reviews.
I've come across a few that I think would have been better in print. A YA book narrated by a guy and a girl. But the actress reading the 16 year old girl's part sounded much older than the part. She did a great job, but she didn't sound the age, and that bugged me a little bit.
After reading everyone's post today, I'm thinking I am going to create a new template for my audio reviews.
I haven't really encountered that yet!
I basically look for the length, narrator, and how well the narrator performed the book and fit with the overall tone of the book. For example, I recently listened to a book with an 11 year old character's perspective but the narrator sounded WAY too old. It was distracting.
Otherwise like you I just do a regular review! Though I struggle with processing audio the same way I process print.
I haven't come across that, but can understand the frustration.
Accents are important to me. Some British accents I love and some are soooo hard for me to understand and listen to for hours.
The link below is from an article by Mary Burkey that appeared in AudioFile Magazine in 2007. Reviewers may find it useful, particularly in the area of evaluating the audio production.
audiofilemagazine.com/features/fea1007.html#_lex008
We also have a link on our homepage that includes the guidelines we like to see in audiobook reviews in our Solid Gold Reviewer program that you and all other audiobook reviewers are free to participate.
audiobookjukebox.com/reviewing-audiobooks/