Tuesday, November 6, 2012

10 Audio Books Boo Likes


Because of Boo's limited vision, he listens to audio books. These are ten that he really likes. Just so you know, it was difficult to narrow this list down to ten. Boo kept thinking of books he'd listened to fairly recently...and he liked them all.



The Hobbit, J R R Tolkien Boo had never read anything by Tolkien. Never. So, although I've enjoyed his books for years, I didn't really expect Boo to do so. Wrong. He listened to the whole book in two days and then re-listened to it over a two week period. He loves it. {For Christmas he's getting the other books in this series.}



A Wrinkle in Time and Many Waters, Madeleine L'Engle Since Boo enjoyed The Hobbit so much, I downloaded these two. Once again he was hooked. L'Engle had a habit of writing young adult books that were both engaging and thought provoking. I wasn't sure how well the deeper parts would adapt to an audio book. Some books are just better read. These are awesome. Boo still discusses some of the issues...the importance of being loved and of loving, the link between trust and love, the interrelatedness of life, etc.



All the King's Men, Robert Penn Warren Boo loved all 21 hours of this. He listened to it in two days. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as he did, though the ending was quite good.



Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard Boo is a fan of anything written about Kennedy. So I knew this would be a hit. I didn't expect to listen to this book. I'm kind of burned out on all the conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's assassination. I can't begin to tell you how many books I've read aloud to Boo about it and well, I'm just tired of it. This was completely different. O'Reilly stated in the introduction that this book would deal with facts. It did. I found it a refreshing change from the many conspiracy theory books I'd read aloud.



The Chosen, Chaim Potok I'd read this in high school and several others by Potok and loved them. In fact, I still have my dog eared, much loved and reread paper back copies of several of his books. Boo listened to this because I wanted to hear it. Until last night, he's not really expressed an opinion on it and I assumed that he hadn't really liked it. I was wrong. He did like it and wants to listen to it again. The orthodox Jewish culture was completely different from anything he'd experienced. Evidently, the cultural differences consumed his attention when he listened to it this time. Boo said he remembers not being able to fully connect the story line because he was busy trying to understand the culture. This one we'll listen to again soon so that Boo can fully appreciate it.



Medusa, Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos Like all Cussler's books, this is an action packed, fast moving drama. Boo tends to like anything by Cussler and this one was no exception. I tend to consider these books as a man's equivalent of romance novels. Fluff with no real substance. That's just my opinion. They capture Boo's imagination and he can easily follow the story line.



The Life of the Spider, Jean Fabre Although I enjoyed this book years ago, I didn't think it would translate well as an audio book. Boo definitely disagrees! He's fascinated with the natural world and this book certainly feeds that passion.



The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, Howard Pyle A couple of years ago I read Boo a book about Robin Hood while he was recovering from a stroke. He loved it then and still loves all books about Robin Hood. This is just the latest one that he's heard. On his good days, he'll compare the different renditions he's heard.



Heidi, Johanna Spyri Boo listened to this after his first stroke just because I already had it in audio form. He loved it. That completely took me by surprise. Boo generally asks to listen to Heidi every three or four months. He also goes on a cheese and bread kick then too. Just like Heidi ate. This past August, when he last listened to it, he wanted to listen to the old hymns that he remembered...just like Heidi sang for Grandmother. So, I found several hymns he remembered on You Tube. (How would I survive without the internet?)



And a bonus...

Orthodoxy, G K Chesterton Boo really does like this book although there are many days that he can't concentrate enough to “get it.” Orthodoxy is meant to be savored not rushed. So, Boo listens to small portions of it on good days. I can always tell when he's ready to hear more. He asks to hear more of “that book.” This book sparks a lot of discussion and thought.

By the way, after you vote, Chelle at Chelle's Creations has an awesome, free patriotic digital scapbooking kit.  I can't wait to use it later today!

 
Top Ten Tuesday

2 comments:

  1. Can you believe we've NEVER listened to audio books? I really should try it because I love reading aloud, but my voice and my throat give out! I'll have to look into your suggestions.

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    1. Librivox is a free online source for audio books that are in the public domain. The quality of the recordings vary, but we've been generally pleased with them. Audible.com is another great online source. The books aren't free, but the quality and selection of books are awesome. Our library has quite a selection of audio books as well. Try one out!

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