…And I think you will too once you give it a try. Not sure what ‘Immersion Reading’ is? Simple. According to Audible, it’s the ability to “read a Kindle eBook and listen to its professionally narrated Audible companion Audiobook – all at the same time. Not only that, but you get the benefit of real-time highlighting.” Not only does it increase comprehension and overall retention of content, but it’s also FUN! You can really get into a story. Take, for example, my Mask Museum story that appears in Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat, Volume 2.  (You can read the start of the story the old fashion way in the Book Bubble below.) Imagine having a professional narrator reading the story to you as you read along. But why imagine it. Head on over to Amazon and try it out for yourself. Let me know what you think of this immersive experience. In the meantime, here are some of the reason I enjoy “Immersion Reading.” I have, in fact, gotten to the point that I almost won’t read a work of fiction unless I can obtain an audiobook edition along with either a print or ebook version.

Faster and More Engaging

Number one on the list is that I find I can read more while also enjoying it more as well. Even though I’ve been reading since about four or five years of age, I don’t consider myself that fast a reader. When I’m reading a book by itself I often find I’m reading the same paragraph multiple times or my mind is racing and before I know it, I’ve read a page or more without having a clue what I’d just read. But with Immersion Reading, this seldom happens. In fact, over time I have found I can ‘pick up the pace’ by playing the audio at anywhere from 1.25 to1.5 times as fast and with greater retention and enjoyment. I would imagine this would be true for many other people who have reading challenges.

The Economics of Immersion Reading

With a little creative effort, the economics work can work well also. For many books, you can save big when you add the audio edition to your Kindle purchase. For example, take a look at my recently recorded book, Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat, Volume 2. You can pick up the Audible edition for a mere $7.49 (regular price is $14.95) when you purchase the Kindle edition for $3.99. That’s a 50% saving! There are also services like Overdrive (“OverDrive Media Console is a proprietary, freeware application developed by OverDrive, Inc. for use with its digital distribution services for libraries, schools, and retailers.”) and Hoopla (Hoopla Digital is a web and mobile platform that provides a wide range of digital content. hoopla allows library patrons to download or stream media content free of charge). Both are available through many libraries where you can download tons of audiobooks as well as ebooks for free, just like you’d expect from our terrific library system.

#ReaderLove – I Love Immersion Reading… Book Bubble