I forgot to bring a book with me today. So I wrote this entry by hand on the bus to kill time. Speaking of killing time on a commute, I need to come up with some ways to entertain myself on my Thanksgiving car ride. I forgot to check out some books on cd from the library this weekend. I enjoy listening to books on cd on long car drives because it makes the time go so much faster, and I don't get tired of it as quickly as I do singing along to music (because I can't just listen - I must sing).
CDs I Have Checked Out of the Library for Long Car Rides
1. Harry Potter books- H and I enjoyed listning to several of these. I would not describe myself as an HP fan, but this is good car material. One time I was embarrassed to check out the cds, so I made up a story for the librarian about how I was taking a long car ride with my niece. I am sure that 1) the librarian didn't care why I was checking out the cds and 2) she didn't believe a word of my story.
2. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell- I had already read the book, but I checked out the cds anyway because I love the way Sarah Vowell reads. She did not disappoint.
3. a Mary Higgins Clark mystery- I am not into mysteries, but I thought it might be good for the car. But I have no idea whether the story was any good because H and I could not stop laughing at the reader. He affected a crazy vaudeville voice so that it was like listening to a bad spoof of a 1920s radio show. Bad.
4. a collection of This American Life stories- Some made me laugh so hard I cried, and some just made me cry. Really good but not recommended for public transportation. (I was alone in my car, so it was ok.)
5. Car Talk cds- H says only 50+ year old men love Car Talk. So Nat and I should have at least one thing in common because I freaking love Car Talk. H acts all annoyed by the Car Talk guys, but I think he secretly loves the show.
6. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- Awesome. I will not tell you whether H and I repeatedly rewound to a certain part to figure out whether Bridget lost her virginity to the soccer coach guy. (She did.) And when the cancer girl died, we may or may not both have been quite teary.
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I went to the library for books on CD myself on Saturday, in anticipation of my Thanksgiving drive! I didn't score anything too exciting, though. It was slim pickings this time.
The best travel selection for me was David Sedaris's "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," which I have on CD if you want to borrow it... um, not that that will help you since we are not scheduled to meet until AFTER Thanksgiving. Hmm. Tricky. Actually I think you have already read that one anyway, so maybe this wouldn't even be a very notable offer. Whatever. Anyway, enjoy your drive!
(End longest, lamest comment ever)
The last book we listened to on our trip was Midnight for Charlie Bone. It is similar to the HP series, I suppose. The kids loved it. The last book that I personally listened to on CD was The Da Vinci Code two years ago when we were first driving to Nebraska. We tried listening to The Five People You Meet In Heaven, but we had the kids with us, and it was a bit scary in some parts, so I turned it off. I am no help, am I?
Er, the Car Talk men make me want to stick a fork in my ears.
Oh, but PS) How awesome is Jim Dale reading the HP books? LOVE HIM!
I LOVE Car Talk. I didn't know that anyone didn't like Car Talk. I guess that just illustrates what a hopeless dork i really am.
Or maybe what a 50 year old man i am.
I'm with Stefanie on Sedaris. He has books and live readings on CD. Love the "Car Talk". If you didn't use public transportation so much, I'd recommend satellite radio which has NPR channels. Sirius used to carry PRI shows ("This American Life", "Le Show").
Cracker Barrel restaurants rent audiobooks on the cheap. You put down a deposit on the full price of the book and get most of that money back when you return the discs (at any Cracker Barrel!)
"David Sedaris Live at Carnegie Hall" is an awesome CD for the car. His "Six to Eight Black Men" is one of my favorite stories, EVER, and he reads it brilliantly.
I love the affected 1920s radio voice, because I can totally imagine what that sounded like, and it would be hilarious to hear. And very distracting. Like, "Hey pal! What's the big idea?" Did people really talk like that back then?
I've NEVER listened to a book on CD. Must be behind the times...Per your and Stefanie's recommendation, I looked for a David Sedaris CD last time I was at the library, and they were all checked out. I ended up checking out one of his books - Me Talk Pretty Someday. It's hilarious. I guess you guys knew what you were talking about. :)
I love Car Talk - but then, I'm over 50 :> I have two audio books I love. One's The Joy Luck Club - it's narrated by Amy Tan, and it's worth it for her impressions of the family members alone :> The second is "All Creatures Great and Small", narrated by Christopher Timothy, the guy who played James Herriot in the TV series.
Even if you've read a David Sedaris book it would be worth listening to it on CD as well. The way you describe Sarah Vowell's reading is also true for Sedaris. It sounds so much funnier coming from him.
Love those Harry Potter audio books. The narrator (whose name I'm sure Galoot knows off the top of his head) is excellent. And hey, how can you NOT love the "Car Talk" brothers with their transportatin guy Pikhup Andropov? Good stuff.
Jim Dale is the HP narrator. And for some trivia about my tenuouse connection to him, check out galootshootpage.blogspot.com
holy crap, i missed a lot of good stuff by relying on the bloglines RSS feed to tell me you had posted! have you been wondering where i have been? (color me narcissistic.) anyway, i loooooove sisterhood of the traveling pants - and have read all three of the books. :)
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