Sue_Serio's Blog

After my daughter was born, I realized that the time I had always had to sit down and read a good book had evaporated.   I missed reading.   The most I could manage was turning the pages of a magazine while I dried my hair.

Then, one day about a decade ago, I found the Books On Tape section at the library.   Not to be dramatic, but it kind of changed my life.   The first book I chose was Bridget Jones' Diary, by Helen Fielding, narrated by Tracie Bennett.

I found myself actually looking forward to the drive home from work, to hear more of the story.

For that first book, I often laughed out loud.  A traffic jam?  No problem.  Once, when I was listening to The DaVinci Code, by Dan Brown, I sat in the car for half an hour after I had arrived home. 

Here's why I love Books on Tape, and a few tips:

-I don't care how old we are, there is still pleasure in having someone read to us.  We've been doing it since she was a baby, and my husband and I still read to our ten-year-old every night.  She still loves it.   And we turn the tables sometimes.   I love hearing her invent different voices for the characters.

-If you're choosing your first audiobook, make sure it's a good story.   Self-help books are fine, but somehow are not as captivating as what is, in print, a real page-turner.   For a real treat, get a mystery novel by Lisa Scottoline.   They're all great, and they're all set in the Philadelphia area.

-Beware of authors who narrate their own books.   Unless it's a biography of a famous actor,  or a title by the amazing Garrison Keillor, chances are the experience will be less than captivating.    A bad narrator can ruin a good audiobook.

-Try to get the unabridged version of the book.  I think it's best to hear the whole story the way the author wrote it, if possible.

My vote for best audiobook ever?    The Harry Potter series, narrated by Jim Dale.  He is an amazing talent.  These books are riveting for everyone, not just children.   The Jim Dale experience can make a long drive to the shore just fly by.   I heard that he does more than 120 different voices over the course of the seven books, and each one is spot on (as they say in Britain).

Even though I used it in the title of this blog, the term Books on Tape is actually becoming obsolete, since CD is now the preferred medium.  Most automobiles don't even have cassette players anymore. 

I've recently discovered that my library is making audiobooks available for download from the internet, and they're free with a library card!   So, now I can put a book on my mp3 player and listen while I'm doing something boring, like cleaning or exercising.

I still have fun listening to music in the car or on the mp3, but there's nothing like a good story to take you outside of your own life for a while.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, and of course, your suggestions for a good audiobook.