Its not cheating, some books can only be read, while others are improved with audio.<p>I prefer reading books, there is something special about holding a book in your hands, insering a book mark or jotting down something illegible in the margins.<p>I have read a massive amount of books in my time as a psychotherapist for 25 years.<p>For me, it is far better to read books to fully understand and examine the theories, concepts and methods illustrated by the authors. Marginalia comes to its fore.<p>However, I do listen to my fair share of audiobook. My main gripe with audiobooks is the readers voice. I cannot stand the squeeky, high pitched, robotic, nasally, sounds like AI, might well be AI, especially american female voices. Being British, just one paragraph and I am immediately put off and turn them off.<p>I have recently tried to listen to "Into the Into the Deep Wood 01, The Witch by Polina Volkova". I had to stop listening after a few paragraphs. If only the reader had a british voice.<p>I find switching back and forth between pages to find something you remember reading a few days ago is too difficult with an audiobook. No marginalia with audiobooks.<p>Do authors select who reads their books. maybe they do not. They should have readers from different countries and different languages.<p>My favourite audiobook reader is David Thorpe. I have the entire series of Mark Dawson's; John Milton, Beatrix Rose, Isabella Rose, Group 15, plus the novellas and more recently the Charlie cooper series.<p>I do not experience the same excitement reading those books.