Road Trip Reads (Audio Books for the Whole Family!)

Do you have any family road trips planned in the upcoming months?

If a vacation isn't in your immediate future, a short drive in the country may be the perfect excuse to start a new audio book too!

Many people know I'm involved in the book business, so it just makes sense that a friend recently texted the following:

Here's a challenge for you: 4-6 audiobooks that we would all enjoy (road trip prepping for late June). Got any good ideas?

Let's help a mama out!

This particular friend will be traveling with her newly turned adult daughter and her preteen son. I turned to my Mama friends (Real Mommy AF) on Facebook and here's what we came up with (along with some comments): 

- Harry Potter - Who hasn't heard of Harry Potter? As we all know, this story pulls the entire family into the adventure, but it's even better as an audio book! Action at it's best with the most amazing narration makes any of the titles a great pic for the entire family!

- Hunger Games - This is an Editor's Pick and listening to it enhances the already great story. Pick one book or listen to them all - you'll be delighted. Described as a classic - you won't want to miss an opportunity to enhance your road trip with any or all of The Hunger Games books! 

- Divergent Series -  This is an epic page turner with over 11 hours you'll find yourself caught up with the characters and great stories. 

- The Fault in Our Stars - Described as being a fantastic story, and a wonderful poignant story, this is a book for all ages (including a 71 year old). Don't let the subject of this book stop you from enjoying it! 

- The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire - there are so many titles in this series and each one can stand fine on it's own. These books are exciting with creative storylines. Choose one or listen to them all - either way you won't be disappointed!

- The Percy Jackson Series - with so many books to choose from and all of them available in audio, this is a great series to break up a monotonous road trip! Clever, Imaginative, and Creative are just some of the words to describe these exciting books!

- The Maze Runner  - this is a great book that's designated as being for teens; but the story quickly draws the entire family in and with over 10 hours of audio, The Maze Runner will have your road trip flying by! 

- Anything by Ree Drummond (including: Frontier Follies: Adventures in Marriage and Motherhood in the Middle of Nowhere and The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to tractor Wheels - a Love Story). You'll love Ree's authentic voice and she's a great storyteller. 

And now it's YOUR turn! Tell us more about your summer plans.

Where are you headed?

What books (physical) have made it to your TBR pile?

What books (audio) would you like to add to your pile of "Road Trip Reads"?

What's one of the best books of the year so far in your mind?

GO!

Hugs,

~Crystal

and now...a little more about me...

Shown from left to right:
Delphine riding Honey
Mr. Otto holding Eudora
Crystal riding Marv.
Thank you Forward Farm, LLC 

Crystal is a hot mess of busy-ness who has decided to shorten her bio...

You can find Crystal milking cows, riding horses, and the occasional unicorn (not at the same time), taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books here, and at her own blog - Crystal is dedicated to turning life's lemons into lemonade and she has never (not once) been accused of being normal!

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1 comment Audio Books, book recommendations, divergent series, family books, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, maze runner, percy jackson, road trip reads, summer reading, the fault of our stars, the mortal instruments

Summer Reading

Ever seen a grown woman squeal with delight when she learned her new public library has a summer program for adults? I can assure you that the librarians at my public library have.

I thought I’d make a plug for public libraries, given that it’s the summer, and there is nothing finer than sitting on the beach and reading a great book (under an umbrella for those who are sun-shy, of course). I make this plug not only because libraries support authors – like ourselves – and promote reading to people of all ages, but also because they are essential to an author’s success.

I always cringe when I hear writers say they have no time for reading. As writers, it is essential that we read! Even if you only read books in the genre in which you write, there is so much to learn. To start, they reflect the trends of your intended audience. Remember that year-long teenage vampire craze? Authors who jumped on the vampire train often found themselves published, because teenagers couldn’t get enough. Perhaps it’s the opposite - maybe you’re someone who wants to be completely original. By reading books in your genre, you know what major trends to avoid.

Books in “your” genre serve as much-needed comparison titles. Use them when pitching your books to literary agents or publishers. I’ve attended two writers’ conferences, and agents often asked for titles which are like my own. Comparison titles help agents get a sense of your book, but they are also evidence that you immerse yourself in the literary world.

Reading books helps you better craft your own writing – either through inspiration or by finding mistakes you want to avoid. I’m always interested to find which point of view an author chose to use, or to explore the unique settings they create. The quality of their writing inspires me to move forward with my own. By contrast, there are times, say, where I don’t connect well with a character. I use those experiences to figure out why and avoid those same mistakes in my work.

Although we naturally gravitate towards our favorite genre, I do suggest branching out. I’m the first to admit my initial reluctance to pick up anything that’s not YA, but I’ve read enough incredible books to take chances on other genres as well.

If it’s been a while since you’ve read a book, why not mosey over to your local library? We work hard to perfect our own writing, but we shouldn’t neglect the writing of others. What better place to find those treasures than the public library? And if you’re lucky, they might have an adult summer reading program. Six more books and a Chick-fil-A ice cream cone is mine.


Bethany Masone Harar is an author, teacher, and blogger, who does her best to turn reluctant readers into voracious, book-reading nerds. Check out her blog here.

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4 comments author, books, comparison titles, crafting text, Harar, libraries, library, reading, summer reading, writing

What's on Your Summer Must-Read List?

On the nightstand next to my bed, I have a stack of books and my Kindle with an ever-growing list of reading possibilities. Since school is out for summer, I can stay up all night and read to my heart's content.

Or until 3:37 A.M. when my husband demands I shut off the light and get some ^*$# sleep. (BTW, ^*$# means gosh darned.)

But summer reminds me of all the recommended book lists that come out. Which one should you choose from?

I happen to like the fun reading list graphic from Teach.com. It offers young adults - and adults - a list of 101 books broken down by category.

I see a several that are already perched in my stack, and several more I plan to read.

What's on your summer reading list?

by LuAnn Schindler.  Read more of her work at http://luannschindler.com.  

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7 comments LuAnn Schindler, summer reading, summer reading list

What Makes a Great "Beach Book"?

by LuAnn Schindler

War and Peace shows up on many "classics" book lists, but is it a great beach book?

NPR readers and listeners think so.

NPR will release their "100 Best Beach Books Ever" list on Wednesday, July 29. Sure, a lot of publications print a "best beach books" list as summer draws near. But what exactly constitutes a beach book?

It seems there's a difference of opinion. Reader's Digest offers a list and notes that the books "aren't the usual big-name suspects you'll see elsewhere." Oprah offers "sweet, salty reads for bathing and beyond." NPR reports that "while all books on the list should be enthralling enough to inoculate vacation-goers against the vagaries of missed flights and bad weather, many 'great books' aren't great 'beach books'." Heck, the information superhighway is loaded with sites and blogs offering their self-crafted definition of the term, ranging from romance to classics to graphic novels.

Does it need to be a fluffy, light read? According to the blogosphere, several bloggers believe a beach book isn't necessarily literature (note to self: literature, by definition, is a written work so a novel is a work of literature) but an entertaining, light read that can be consumed before sunscreen wears off.

And here I thought that a "beach book" was any book a reader selects to read while at the beach, or outdoors, or wherever you feel like reading. My summer "beach read" is Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It's not sexy; it's not light. But it is engrossing and that is what draws my attention to any novel.

NPR patrons presented 600 titles for consideration. Reviewers and editors narrowed the list to 200 and then readers voted for their top pick. To me, the list of 200 contenders is a conglomeration of classics and popular fiction. I've read 28 of the 200 novels, and 20 more titles are on my bookshelf waiting for a trip to the beach. Or my front porch.

What's your summer beach book and where's your summer reading spot?

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3 comments beach books, beach reads, LuAnn Schindler, NPR top 100 best beach books, summer reading