Audio books vs. Reading books

I have always been a very large advocate of reading books, rather than listening to them. In fact, i've almost always been discriminatory regarding audio books. I think...i may owe audio books an apology.

Don't get me wrong...i still adore reading books ... reading is definitely my favorite pasttime. I would rather read than do much of anything else. Seriously. I can't count how many days (well...nights rather) that i've stayed up way past my "bedtime" to "finish this chapter" only to read another...and another...and another.

But.....

I've discovered there are quite a few perks to audio books. Hearing is different than Seeing. Seeing while reading, the words and books are very linear to the reader. If you take the same book, and give it to 10 different people, all 10 are going to read it differently than the others. They will give you a different synopses of the book - different cliff notes, if you will. When you listen to a book in audio format, you hear it through someone else's perspective. It's interesting, and enlightening.

I was hesistant to enter the aduio book world. It felt like it was some sort of bridge, and i was scared of what may be on the other side. Odd, and completely unexplainable on my part, i suppose...yet that's how it felt.
I got my first audio book, because i fell in love with a book, and desperately wanted to keep reading, when i had to go to work -- as talented as i may or may not be, there was no way in hell i could concentrate at my job, while actually reading. My multi-tasking abilities are just not that great. It was ...weird in the beginning. It felt like i was sitting in my chair, listening to a movie, but being unable to find the picture screen. I think it took about 2 chapters for me to change my mind.

Since that first toe in the audio book pool...i have absolutely fallen in love! Not only can i multi-task while i'm listening/reading, but i truly enjoy the differences of the experience!

There's something about hearing the "voices" that you read...with inflections, and accents that makes the story come to life.

While i enjoy the experience...i've learned there is also a very big downside.
1.) when the reader of the book is terrible, it irks my patience.
2.) when halfway through a series, the reader changes. It's just WRONG. It's a sin! it's ... against the law!!!! i mean, come on! ....
3.) when the reader changes halfway through the series, and the new reader is TERRIBLE (Cough, Cynthia Holloway, Cough... GIVE ME KIMBERLY ALEXIS BACK....NOAW!!!!)
4.) Abridged. Who would do such a dastardly thing?! please, please, please. NO NO NO.

Hmm...now that i read it...it doesn't seem to have THAT big of a down side...BUT... its there nonetheless!

I now wish i was an audio book narrator :D ... except i'm pretty sure i could never imitate Jean-Claude's accent...(and then i would suck too...), sadly.

What do you think? Convert? or no?