Storytelling is one of humanity’s oldest traditions. Long before Kindles—or even paper—we verbally told stories of courage, love, and loss. In 2025, that tradition lives on with audiobooks. As a voracious reader, I used to be an audiobook skeptic. However, I have learned that while all forms of literature have a place, all readers, both avid and reluctant, should hit play on an audiobook. 

One of the primary reasons is just pure convenience. With audiobooks and earbuds, it is possible to reap all of the benefits of a book while jogging, cooking, or tidying up. Any sort of downtime can quickly turn into reading time.

Audiobooks also support mental well-being. Research from the Journal of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience found that audiobooks have the ability to improve mental health in older adults, and teens experience similar benefits: lower stress and greater focus. 

Most importantly, audiobooks can help engage reluctant readers. Hearing someone read a book out loud fosters emotional connection, increases fluency, and teaches readers proper pronunciation. Even though it’s a common misconception that listening to an audiobook is cheating, that could not be further from the truth. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have shown that listening to audiobooks stimulates the same neural pathways as reading physical books. And, on the plus side, students who enjoyed listening to audiobooks actually enjoyed reading more. 

Audiobooks can bring all people into the magic of stories because of their convenience, positive mental impacts, and ability to excite reluctant readers. The next time you look down at your to-be-read list, I invite you to engage in an ancient tradition: the art of verbal storytelling.