Books on tape

I have become addicted to listening to books on tape or CD. When I was home last year, recovering from the removal of a great deal of my insides, my brother loaned me his iPod full of books. (I believe that I now have a permanent dent in one of my ears where I slept on one of the ear buds.) I listened to at least 40 books during that time and now I find that I can not go to sleep at night without something on the Aiwa - my cheap mini stereo purchased at the local pawn shop. In the beginning of my addiction I would cruise the shelves of the local library for my new drug, often bringing home lower quality items just for the sake of having something. I have since graduated to cruising my library account on the Web and requesting higher quality stuff to be delivered to our little library in LFP. This has allowed me to be more selective but sometimes means that I have to wait for what I need. (Thank goodness we own some Harry Potter CDs to fill in the gaps.)

My latest listen is fantastic: Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson;the Whitbread Book of the Year (1995?). Not only is it highly amusing and wonderfully written, it is read by Susan Jameson; a great British actress. I find that I am spoiled by books read by Brits. When I get a book read by an American speaker, it is almost always disappointing, no matter how great the story. The only exception to this was The Poisonwood Bible read with a heavy southern accent appropriate to the story. The back of a box of cornflakes read aloud by a Brit could sound like Shakespeare, I think. I will have to ask my new UK friends if they think an American's accent sounds at all pleasing or exotic. Probably not.