Reader Know Thyself Dispatch #3: Let's Talk Format
Same book, different format, different outcome
Hey readers!
Welcome to Reader Know Thyself Dispatch #3. Are you ready to continue your journey of truly knowing yourself as a reader?
I hope so. Grab your notebook (or spreadsheet or mind map) and let’s get into it.
TODAY’S QUESTION
Today we’re thinking about FORMAT.
What format do you lean toward: ebook, audio, or print? And does your format change depending on the kind of book or the situation?
This isn’t just about preference. It’s about strategy.
For example, I read primarily on my Kindle. My reading tracker tells me about 43% of my reading happens there. But I don’t use the same format for everything.
When I want to close read something (really sit with the language, flip back to reread a passage, let a book marinate) I go to print. There’s something about a physical book that slows me down in the best way.
Mysteries can be great in print for that ease of looking back to be sure of something someone said or doublecheck that that knife really was where you remembered it being. I find that useful.
And print allows me to annotate, which has become one of my favorite ways to really let my reading sink in. I love to underline, highlight, use page flags. The works. I want to get all up into that book. Print helps me do that.
For audio, I’m finicky at best. I do fast-paced fiction: thrillers, propulsive mysteries, books that move. If I read anything slower or more introspective I’ll get bored and eventually get stuck behind that book. It languishes. Audio is not a one-size-fits-all format for me, and knowing that saves me from a lot of abandoned listens.
And then there’s the situational stuff that took me years to figure out.
I love to read in bed. For a long time, I read print books there. Then I discovered my Kindle with a stand and a remote was a game changer. I can crush a book for two hours at a clip without moving a muscle.
And something else I learned: the Kindle’s night mode actually helps me stay awake. If I want to get sleepy fast? I turn on a reading light and read from a print book. Works every time.
Knowing these things about myself helps me choose the right format AND the right book for the moment I’m in.
WHY THIS MATTERS + HOW TO APPLY IT
Format isn’t just about convenience. It’s about fit. The wrong format can turn a book you’d love into a DNF. The right format can make a good book great.
So think about it: Do you have a format that works better for certain genres? Certain times of day? Certain moods? Do you default to one format when another might actually serve you better?
Another related question: Is there a format that you eschew but you’re not sure why? Think on that. Maybe that information is telling you something useful OR maybe you could experiment a bit to see if you can read differently in that format and get it to work better for you.
This is the kind of small, practical self-knowledge that adds up to a much more satisfying reading life.
BOOKS THAT MIGHT WORK
Let me tell you about two books that switching formats completely saved for me.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I tried it in print and couldn’t get into it. The pacing felt slow, I kept drifting. Then I switched to audio, and it became one of my favorite reads that year. Tom Hanks narrates, as we all know, and the way he tells this story of siblings, loss, and the house that haunts them turned it into something I couldn’t stop listening to. The audio didn’t just work; it elevated the whole experience.
The Appeal by Janice Hallett. I started this one on audio and it was like nails on a chalkboard. Hallett writes in mixed media: emails, texts, message boards, essays. It’s brilliant on the page, but in my ears? I couldn’t track who was saying what or follow the format. I switched to my e-reader and suddenly it clicked. Now it’s a book I recommend all the time.
Same books. Different formats. Completely different outcomes.
TRACK IT YOUR WAY
Add your notes about this question to your Collection Spot, wherever you’re keeping your Reader Know Thyself answers.
And don’t just note your preferred format. Dig into the why and the when. That’s where the good stuff is. Just a note from Ms. Bossypants over here.
That’s it for this week. Hit reply and tell me: has switching formats ever saved a book for you? I’d love to hear your stories. It’s such a joy to get your emails and comments.
Until next time, may your coffee be hot and your book be unputdownable.
Meredith
I have a strong preference for audio when the narration is great (for most genres). Most of the time, regular speed narration sounds unnaturally, gratingly slow to me. My default speed these days is around 1.75x, but I alter the speed up or down depending on: the production, the accents, how tired I am, how much I want to savor the writing, or how quickly I want to get past parts I am not enjoying.
I wouldn’t be able to read nearly as much if I couldn’t listen to audiobooks on fast speed while my hands were occupied with other things. The biggest downside is that I rarely get around to giving books another try in other formats when I DNF audiobooks unless I hear reviewers (like you) mention that it makes a difference.
Being in the season of life that I am (two toddlers under 3 years + FT job) I am currently almost consistently doing audiobooks. It’s a way I can listen while I’m doing laundry, dishes, or sweeping up whatever disaster is left behind from whatever they decided to play with and abandon five minutes later.
It’s hard for to find focus if I sit down to read when there is chaos, screaming and a tv playing some bright animated show in the background.
I read aloud to my wife as we lay in bed trying to get everyone to sleep. But once that happens, I am just too tired to read anything else.
There are definitely books I’ve done in audio that I plan to go back to in paper form because they just didn’t work well but I think I may enjoy them if I find time to read the paperback.