For anyone who’s read my past posts, you know that I enjoy audiobooks. For someone like me managing a family of 5 with two full-time careers, I don’t have a lot of time to relax, let alone read. But I love books and thanks to the availability of so many free audiobooks (on CD or digital) in the libraries’ collections, I still get to experience (most of) the books that I want.

Audiobooks can be a special experience of a work and sometimes even better than reading it yourself. They are also great for anyone on the go. I don’t think we stress that enough. Whether you are commuting to work, exercising or cleaning your house, an audiobook can be an exciting and stimulating way to more fully enjoy the journey. And it’s June, when everyone is heading out or preparing to head out on vacation. If you’ve got a big drive ahead of you on your travels this summer, take a few audiobooks with you. And if you are traveling with children or teenagers, consider turning off those devices and minivan TVs and just enjoy a good book that you can all share and discuss together.

Right now, I’m finding Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath a stimulating listen as I take my daily run. Gladwell reads his own works, and everything by him is thought-provoking. As I drive my hour-long commute every day, I am thoroughly enjoying Jacqueline Winspear’s latest in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series, A Dangerous Place. If you love cozy murder mysteries set in early 20^th century Europe, this series is for you, and narrator Orlagh Cassidy is so wonderful. I’ve listened to (not read) the entire 10-book series, and I’m so glad I did.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns are other recent favorites I mentioned in past posts.

For Children and Adults who never want to grow up, I recommend:

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford (finely and beautifully read by Megan Follows of the Anne of Green Gables films)

Geronimo Stilton series (read by the great Edward Hermann, who sadly passed away last year)

Berenstain Bears Stories by Jan and Stan Berenstain (very few available of this one, but read by the authors and so worth it; this was the running CD in my car every morning on the way to camp for an entire summer–I had to purchase it)

The Stink series by Megan McDonald (read by Nancy Cartwright who is best known as the voice of Bart Simpson)

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (hearing Jim Dale read this series is an experience not to be missed even if you’ve read the books before!)

If you need assistance finding any of these or other audiobook titles, simply ask us on your next visit, give us a call or request a good book recommendation from us online https://upperdublinlibrary.org/i-need-a-good-book/.

That’s it for now. Happy listening!