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!
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.
ReplyDeleteLibrivox 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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