Forrest's Story
Forrest, 28, works in the library and the chaplaincy at the University of Bedfordshire. He’s particularly at home in the library, as he’s always loved stories and has happy memories from studying there for his degree in English Literature. He explains how he discovered the Calibre Audio service and the difference it makes to his life.
“I discovered Calibre completely by chance, in 2020, although it feels as though I’ve been a member for much longer than that! I’d been searching for an audiobook of former Countdown host Richard Whiteley’s biography. I’d had the text for a while and every now and again I’d check if it had been made into an audiobook. I didn’t hold out much hope to be honest. I just assumed there wasn’t the demand for it and so it would never be recorded.”
But Forrest’s Google search that day turned up more than a much-hoped-for audiobook of that biography. Discovering Calibre meant he could fully engage with all the stories he loved.
“When I found that elusive Richard Whiteley biography, I clicked onto Calibre’s website and couldn’t quite believe it. I remember feeling a bit of fraud, wondering if this service was really for someone like me. I have Asperger’s*, and if a text is a bit daunting, then I don’t always pick up on the emotions. Sometimes I’ll read an adverb describing how a character did or said or thought something and realise I’d completely missed or misunderstood that emotion.
“Reading any text can automatically make me feel under pressure. And that makes it even more difficult to process the information and the meaning. I much prefer to combine reading with listening. So, I’ll listen to an audiobook while reading the written text. That can lead to all sorts of problems with abridged audiobooks of course! I’ve learnt to mark up the passages where the audiobook and the written text diverge, so I can enjoy the book again without the confusion and frustration.
“I find instructions hard to follow in writing too – although that might be because they’re a bit dull! So, I’ll often record myself reading them into a Dictaphone and listen back while I read the text.
“When I read a book without listening to its audiobook, I reckon I take in about 60% of the story. With an audiobook, nine times out of ten I feel I’m completely digesting the full meaning.
“Some things in life that I find hard, I don’t go back to. That’s partly to do with comfort zones I think; I can be a bit rigid. But I’ve always persisted with reading, no matter how difficult. I think because books have always been very important to me.
“Before I found Calibre, I relied on audio CDs from the library. But now I struggle with those, because you can’t adjust the speed, whereas you can with the Calibre audiobooks. I tend to speed up the playback, to match my reading speed. It works perfectly for me.
“In fact, it works so well that I’ll probably only buy a physical copy of a book if I know I can get hold of it as an audiobook too. There are few notable exceptions to that rule because I enjoy an eclectic mix of stories, some of which are still not – and may never be – available as audiobooks! The other exception is when I’m walking about in busy places. Sometimes that can feel a little overwhelming, and listening to music only exacerbates that feeling. But an audiobook is calming. I play them through the EasyReader app on my iPhone.
“I probably read 10 to 15 books a month, and around a third of those I get from Calibre Audio. It’s an absolutely fantastic service, so easy to use and really accessible. The texts download quite quickly, and the website is really well laid out so it’s easy to search for and find new books.
“I love the range of titles that Calibre stocks. Some are so random – but in a really good way! I was so delighted to find The Mobile Library: the case of the missing books, which I’d hunted for in vain on CD or other audiobook sites. I’ve been able to read the Squires Adventure Series by Terry Jones, which I couldn’t find anywhere else, and one of my favourite love stories, The Bridges of Madison County. Even John Major’s autobiography – which is such a huge book – I didn’t expect a volunteer narrator to want to record in its entirety.
“From that short list alone, you can probably see the range of genres I enjoy reading! I also love classic children’s fiction, most of it from my own childhood. My favourite book of all time is The Wind in the Willows. And my favourite author – although this changes – is probably William Horwood, who wrote the Duncton Chronicles. Those are available from Calibre too, as are some of the sequels to The Wind in the Willows that William Horwood wrote.
“I also enjoy Victorian literature, love stories, and World War I novels, especially Siegfried Sassoon’s prose. He’s perhaps better known for his poetry, but I love that Calibre has audiobooks of the Sherston trilogy he wrote and published a decade after the war ended.
“There is such a wealth of material available on Calibre – you can rediscover old texts like Sassoon’s, listen to classic children’s fiction read by the author (The BFG read by Roald Dahl, for example) or enjoy books recorded by the brilliant Calibre volunteer narrators.
“I so wish I’d discovered Calibre before my English degree. I’m very happy with how I did at university – but studying would have been so much easier with Calibre by my side. I’d recommend the service to anyone. Calibre is the only service I use constantly. And it’s absolutely fantastic!”
*Asperger syndrome, or Asperger’s, is a previously used diagnosis on the autism spectrum. In 2013, it became part of one umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Typical to strong verbal language skills and intellectual ability distinguish Asperger syndrome from other types of autism. https://www.autismspeaks.org/types-autism-what-asperger-syndrome