i used to listen to tons of audio books when i was drafting in the world of architecture... who the "reader" is can dramatically effect your experience... if you can hear some samples of the book, that would go miles in letting you know if you'll actually enjoy the experience.

Yes, you're right that it helps a lot to sample the possibilities... But it's just such an overwhelming number of options! Are there any particular books that you remember listening to and really enjoying?

I've also listened to tons of audiobooks back when I was a mail-man. One of the oddest experiences you might have is that you actually remember bits and pieces much better than you would have just reading.

When choosing what type of book to listen to, the considerations are similar to normal reading: how much time do you have, can you 'drop' the story for a longer time without forgetting the plot, how focused are you when listening/reading. Generally, I've found that I listened to audiobooks in situations where my focus wasn't quite as strong, so I preferred books that were easier to read. Writers with a conversational tone are obviously easier to listen to, and the types of books where you tend to go back a few pages to re-read something or figure out what happend are obviously difficult to listen to.

And yes, the narrator is very important. I know a bunch of people who actually choose their books by looking at what other books a favorite narrator has narrated.

One really great narrator is the guy who did Snow Crash (on audible). Look him up and see if there's something by him that you like.

(oh, and check out librivox for more free audiobooks. I can't stand it because of the often bad narration, but it has great books)

A few years ago I was into audio books for a while. I "read" both of the Malcolm Gladwell books. I enjoyed him reading the books. So I guess I would recommend his newest book Outliers.

I am going through "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan right now as an audio book... it is awesome! He "reads" it himself. I listen on the way to work, and setting up sound equipment, etc. Hope that helps!

Thanks to all of you for the advice on audio books. I also got some good thoughts via Facebook and ultimately decided to go with Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country." So far I'm enjoying it on bike rides -- though there's certainly a strange irony of listening to stories from a hot dry place while riding through the cool and misty streets of Amsterdam!

I am also a mail lady but my experience is different from the previous carrier. I like to listen to books that are a bit meatier and that I may have a hard time tracking when reading. Having them read to me I tend to absorb more. Just finished Count of Monte Cristo and it was very nice to have it read to me while I worked. Made the day fly by!