Let's Read! I mean, Listen!


So I've tried listening to music at work but it just creates a soundtrack to my wandering mind and still allows me to get distracted by my many thoughts and the people around my desk. I am one of those people that even when doing work I can watch tv and think tons of thoughts... I wish I could turn my brain off. But one thing I've learned that can help me get work done and not be distracted by the hustle and bustle of work and keep me from getting bored is listening to audio books.

So far in the last month and a half I've listened to:

The Tao of Pooh

I LOVE THIS. I've already listened to it a couple times. The readers voice is soothing and he does the character's voices perfectly. It is so soothing and great to see how you can try to be more like Pooh and just be.
The Tao of Pooh - Full Audio

The Hobbit

- Yay the Hobbit! Have you guys seen the movie? I hadn't read the book since I was a kid and I enjoyed listening to it again... One thing, how are they making the movie version into a trilogy that'll be longer then just reading the book? I should just be of part 1 and 2... Plus I didn't like all the added evil characters in the movie, there's enough cool stuff in the book.
The Hobbit - Pt I of III

The Hunger Games Trilogy

- This is read by ChristianAudiobooks, she reads so well and her voice is the perfect personification of Katniss. I wish she had recorded all three books, but she only has recordings until chapter 20 of the first books.
The Hunger Games - Chapter 1
- I listened to the rest of the books through iRead, she has a nice voice but a little too old sounding for Katniss, it works though, the reader is clear and has a good pace. There are so many badly read books on youtube, it's hard to find someone good.
iRead's Playlists - The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, & The Mockingjay

Anne of Green Gables

- This is an upload from NewPoliticalVoices and is a libravox recording, which again are hard to find good readers. But the woman reading has a nice voice.
Anne of Green Gables - Full Book Playlist

I can't believe I've finished 6 books, I love youtube.

I've also read Bossypants, I Am Legend, and Lolita over the past few months.

I am happy to start reading again, as a kid I read ALL the time and finished most of my sister's highschool reading lists while I was still in junior high. I remember really loving reading and it was the Hunger Games that got me back into it. I cried at work, I might've squeed, and I love the end, it is perfect... I have to read them again. And Lo-lee-ta... such a beautifully written, disturbing book. Each page is a joy and pain to read, Nabokov has a way with words, it's definitely art. As I said already the Tao of Pooh is a quick read/listen and really I think a little life changing, I love how Hoff recreated the 100 Acre Wood into a teaching tool to be more calm and even in your life. Bossypants also was a book that I've read twice and while reading on the train I many times laughed out loud.

The best thing about books? The covers and art. And I really love how there was the blog, Venus febriculosa, run by John Bertram, asking artists for their own interpretations of Lolita for a compilation book, Lolita: Story of a Cover Girl, here are some of my favorites.


1 // by  the Aesthetic Movement     2 // by Jamie Keenan     3 // by Peter Mendelsund     4 // by Justin Chen

Sorry for such a long post! Phew! But I have one last thing... Have you seen this new Anne of Green Gables book cover for the public domain text? WHAT?! Ridiculous, obviously someone didn't read the book and even though this isn't through a publisher the public domain person who ever approved it should know better.



3 comments:

Lauren | April 9, 2013 at 9:23 AM

I don't have the attention span for audio books, but I think it is cool that it works for you! WTF is that?? Did the person who made that design ever read the book? *face-palm*

Lauren | April 16, 2013 at 4:29 PM

I dont listen to audio books nearly enough! I'll have to download one of the books you suggested.

Lauren | April 26, 2013 at 11:21 PM

Lolita is seriously my favorite book ever. He has an amazing way with words. I love all those interpretations of the covers!