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Round Three: Cardturner v Keeper
Match: The Cardturner v. Keeper
Judge: Grace Lin
Listen to this — no, really! LISTEN.
Lin both read and listened to the two books in this round, The Cardturner and Keeper.
Lin, on those differences: “To save time, I listened to many of them on audio book while I worked on illustrations or commuted. One of the first audio books I listened to was Keeper. I have to admit, the audio book did not enamor me and I stopped listening half way though.” Yet, later when reading: “I knew I had to give the book another chance. So, with physical book in hand, I began to read. And what a difference! When I read the book, suddenly the magic became apparent.”
And, this: “I also listened to The Cardturner before reading the physical book. This, I found quite enjoyable, especially as there is a hilarious foghorn noise in place of the whale image (which is in the physical book) to warn of a bridge information dump. The Cardturner is a very, very enjoyable book. Strangely, I found myself liking the audio version just a tad more. Knowing nothing of bridge, I found it easier explained through the audio narrator than seeing the diagrams in the book. However, even while reading the physical book, I didn’t feel lost in any of the explanations and I still found myself caught up in the excitement of the game.”
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One reading experience worked for Lin; one did not. Sometimes, the opposite can be true — the audio can be a more meaningful experience than reading.
Does listening to a book count as reading? Can you listen to a book for a school assignment, or for book club? I say “yes,” but it is also true that listening to a book is different from reading the print version. Right now, having read White Cat by Holly Black, on Angie Manfredi’s recommendation I am listening to the audiobook. They are two different reading experiences. For this reason, whether or not listening to a book counts when one is on a book award committee is a point of debate — is the book not working because of the narrator, not the text? Does the book work because the narration is so compelling it masks flaws in the text? One answer is to do what Lin did: experience the book in both formats.
Can a reader overcome a so-so audio experience?
Filed under: Battle of the Books, Uncategorized
About Elizabeth Burns
Looking for a place to talk about young adult books? Pull up a chair, have a cup of tea, and let's chat. I am a New Jersey librarian. My opinions do not reflect those of my employer, SLJ, YALSA, or anyone else. On Twitter I'm @LizB; my email is lizzy.burns@gmail.com.
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