Audiobooks: Reading or Not?

Some people might claim that listening to an audiobook is not really reading a book.  I've listened to many audiobooks, and like their printed counterparts, there are some I love and some I don't.  And some I don't even finish.

Audiobooks are a great way to maximize commute times.  I drive about 20 minutes to work and audiobooks make those miles interesting.  They also give me a chance to listen to books I've been meaning to read, but haven't quite gotten around to.  (ie. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt).

But here are a few audiobooks that I've really enjoyed:

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin.  A fictionalized account from Charles Lindbergh's wife, Anne Morrow.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Girls by Kate Moore.  This is a heartbreaking look back at the uses of radium and their effects on the women employed in factories to use it.

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian.  This is a book of suspense and mystery.  It will keep you driving (around the block just so you can finish the next chapter)!

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal.  I didn't expect much when I started listening to this book, but it is a wonderful story.  (And full of recipes too!)

If you want to give audiobooks a try, or if you're looking for your next book, try one of these!