Autumn, audio books and reading..................

Autumn is on my mind as it is popping up on so many blogs.  Autumn is far from Florida, and will be for a few more weeks, maybe even a month or two.  I love Autumn, it is my favorite season which I find ironic living where I do in Florida.  As of the beginning of October I will decorate for Halloween and Fall, but for now I will have to make do with these beautiful sunflowers I bought at the market today.  I found the glass polka dot jar in the three dollar bin at Target earlier this week, a fun combination for the hopefully cooler days ahead.

One of the things I absolutely love to do is read.  I find so many of you out there in blogland do too.  As my reading time is limited due to work, Little Buddy, and my overall level of fatigue I find it hard to read as many books as I would like.  I am on the road for a couple of hours a day, driving to patients homes, driving, driving and more driving.   I used to listen to music in the car but it just became so irritating to me, all the crazy beats, and of course all the commercials.  I find when I listen to audio books I get to hear the book, do something productive with my travel time and stay calm while driving.  Well that is until I recently listened to Broadchurch, I wasn't to calm listening to this book!  

I know many of you feel that audio books aren't for you because you like to make up the sounds of the characters in the  books in your own mind, I do too, but for me audio books are a life saver.  I enjoy the take the person reading the book has on the characters, sort of like when I watch a movie based on a book, it might not be the way I had envisioned it in my head but it might be great just the way it is, even if it isn't my way.  I listen to these books through my public library system, with an app on my phone.  It is brilliant as I am listening to books I may never have thought of reading, and they are free.  If I don't like it I just return it and I am not out a whole bunch of money. 

So in honor of audio books and books in general I would like to recommend a few.  I just finished listening to Broadchurch this afternoon.  Oh my what a story!  I managed to have not seen the show and had no idea who did what, if you haven't seen the show, or maybe even if you have, this is one fantastic thriller. 

One of my favorite authors is Liane Morality.  I have listened to Three Wishes, and Big Little Lies this year and both of them are terrific.  I have read many of her other books as well, all of them are wonderfully written, terrifically detailed, and so full of interesting characters. 

I listened to one or two of the Bridget Jones books even though I had already read them.  They made me laugh out loud in my car.  There is something to be said about a book that makes you giggle while you are driving.  

There is something about a mystery listened to in audio format that is very exciting.  I have listened to many of the John Grisham books this year as well as The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.  The Cormorant Strike series by JR Rollins were fabulous in audio format.  I loved the gruff voice of the lead character.   

Not to make you think that I never pick up a book, actually I try to read every night, here are a few I have read that I really enjoyed.  My favorite of the year so far is Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall.  I really loved this book and could not wait to whisk myself off to bed to read it.  

A new to me author Brian Freeman, wrote The Bone House, which was fascinating to me as it takes place in Door Co. Wisconsin where my SIL's live, and where we visited this past summer.  The book also takes place in Florida, it was very exciting and well written.  

Sarah's Key by Tatiana  de Rosnay was a fabulous read.  I know I am late to the party on this one.  The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy was also brilliant., taking place in the same era.  

All in all I have listened/read 38 books so far this year.  Many of them were okay or good but not good enough for me to recommend.  Those listed above made the cut and are the best of the best. 

One of the books I knew I would struggle with is Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee.  There has been so much press about this book already I won't go into to much here.  Even though I told myself not to I read it, and believe me I think Harper Lee had this manuscript set aside for a reason.  She was just figuring herself out writing this book, a first draft, trying to find her way.  When I think of it that way it makes sense to me.  Thank goodness she did find her voice in To Kill a Mockingbird, my favorite book of all time.  

Now we have another block buster coming out in the Millennium Series by Stieg Larson, will you read the fourth book in the series even though the author died before he was finished writing it?  Lots of controversy here as his long time love did not want it published but his brother and father did, and hired someone to finish it  Time will tell on that one for me, but I have to say I am no hurry to get it when it comes out.

Tonight I am starting a new book to read before bed and this weekend will download an audio book for my travels to and from work.  There is just so much out there read and/or listen to.  Tonight I am also working on this baby blanket, I am at the half way point!

Read any good books lately?