Is Listening Reading?

So to understand this post you need a little background. I was born totally blind and gained my sight after birth. I never read much it was too much of an effort. Then I started working at a library. This library is a library for the blind. They offer books in alternate formats, specifically books on tape and in digital format. http://www.loc.gov/nls/ Then one day I met my husband who also has low vision. I will read anything I can get my hands on inclusive of the cereal box, he reads facebook. Well...to each his or her own correct?

The topic "reading" what exactly does it mean to you? I ask this because I am in the process of losing some of my vision yet I still "need" to experience books by holding them. I read in large type, on cassette, digitally, with a closed circuit television and the occasional piece of regular print (if I want to read something pretty badly). So I was listening to a book the other night and I said something about what I was "reading" my husband said "you aren't reading you are listening". At that point I felt obligated to defend my stance on reading. But...don't tell him it really got me thinking. SO if I am experiencing a book through my ears and not my eyes aren't I still reading? If the book has an author, has been published, put in an altenate format am I still reading?

According to www.m-w.com reading can be an interpretation of something. A book on cassette could be an interpretation of the written word. Although for non commercial items narrators are NOT encouraged to interpret the text. That is supposed to be done with my imagination. To listen is to hear soemthing with thoughtful attention according to www.m-w.com. I believe that is the way I read my books! What do you think?