I am a knitter. One of the drawbacks of my hobby is that you need both hands and eyes to do it, which gets in the way of reading time. So I have taken to listening to podcasts like
This American Life or even a full-length audio book (which I alternate with reading of the print or e-book when I am hands-free). While this is more productive than focusing on either task on its own, I admit that the reading experience is compromised. Unlike other forms of entertainment, reading demands that you create the imagery and the sounds, and this is what makes your reading experience unique to you. When you listen to a reading of a book by someone else, even its author, you are giving up the voice in your head that makes the story or narrative your own, making it a more passive activity.
But just in case "
just words on a page" is not enough, there is a new app called
Booktrack, which claims to offer a "fully immersive, captivating reading experience" by adding a synchronized soundtrack to your book. Booktrack allows you to choose ambient sound, sound effects, or music to enhance your reading experience. "It's like having a personal composer arranging a perfect movie-style soundtrack for your book, the company claims in its promotional video, so that "reading [is] a truly sensory experience." Will this new concept catch on?
