Help me enjoy my commute

We've already established my commute blows. I drive about an hour each way. But, hey, the crazy-long drive filled with tailgating asshats is my choice, so even though I reserve the right to bitch about it, I don't expect you to feel sorry for me. I would love to fill those hours with something other than the top-40 station forcing me to listen to Miley Cyrus' new song over and over, though. Yes, yes, I could just change the station but damn if Miley doesn't put out some catchy tunes. Anyway, I'd like to listen to some audio books on my commute as I think that would be one helluva silver lining.

So, tell me, what is the last great book you read?

Will a smushy baby picture entice you to comment? I sure hope so.

He loves my phone, and on this particular day he fell asleep while playing with it. Or, as I told Mike, he was obviously keeping the phone nearby in case any hot ladies called.

Comments

[Taylor]

(Delurking--I found your blog a few weeks ago and LOVE it) Like Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen.

[Linsleyd]

I drive an hour and half each way and couldn't do it without audio books.

I love young adult novels and anything by Meg Cabot fills the void. You must get Hunger Games, great one for audio - will keep you intriqued!

Right now I have the guernsey literary and potato peel society in the car and next on the list is Tori Spellings Mommywood.

After all of that I'm hitting up the following by Cassandra Clare - City of Bones City of Ashes and City of Glass.

[la petite belle]

How about "Something Borrowed?" I really liked that book.

[la petite belle]

oh, and i forgot to add... he is truly the cutest most delish child EVER. those CHEEKS!

[Zoo]

The last great book I read is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak HOWEVER the best audio book I've ever listened to was Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I'm not sure who narrated it but he was awesome.

[PaintingChef]

"House of Daughter" and "By Bread Alone" by Sarah-Kate Lynch. I also loved "The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister. Also? "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. Those are, by far, the best books I've read recently.

(Back to lurking...)

[Jessica]

2666 by Roberto Bolano is the best book I've read in years, although it's pretty dark.

[PaintingChef]

Um... actually it's "House of Daughters". Like... more than one of them...

Sorry. Typos like that make me cuh-ray-zee.

[Legallyblondemel]

I drive nearly an hour each way & would have committed highway hari-kari by now if not for Audible and satellite radio.

Last terrific book I read was "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". Manages to be both lighthearted and meaningful, all in that dry English comedy of manners-ish way.

[Camels & Chocolate]

Sarah's Key!

[Crystal]

I have no suggestions (book what?) but I have to say that picture, along with the caption, is adorable.

I feel your pain. My husband drives an hour and a half each way to work and he is dead tired at the end of the day.

[Erica]

Oh audio books are fun!

Along with my cousin, we keep track of good(sometimes great) books we've read here:

http://www.e-lbooksandcooks.blogspot.com/

I'd also suggest "Frindle" by Andrew Clements, and really anything by him. He's a kids author, but the books are hilarious and really are enjoyable for everybody!

Happy listening!

[Debbie in the UK]

Oh my goodness, that is exactly what I do. I have a 30 minute commute each way and I hit on the idea of listening to books and it has been BRILLIANT !! The thing is, I don’t know if the books would be available in the states. I get them from the library and it costs approx $1 for a 3 week lend!! So far I have read / listened to some bloody great books.

The kite runner by Khaled Hosseini ……Amazing book but enormously sad and I wonder if your post pregnancy hormones could stand it.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. …. I loved this book!! It was just so good and also horrifying too.

At the moment I am reading/listening to The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory which is about King Henry VIII first wife Catherine. Brilliant. All Philippa Gregory books are gripping, she wrote The Other Boleyn Girl which was a film not too long ago.

I have also listened to Marley & Me and some light reading. It is brilliant and I wish I had thought of it years ago!!!

Oh, and just finished My Sisters Keeper…..it was brilliant too and much better than the film.

Sorry if | have gone on and on but this is a subject but I am so glad that someone else is thinking of doing it too!!

[Jess]

OK, I love Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind was great and now I'm about to read The Angel's Game.

[Hillary]

Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- both of his books, as mentioned by Jess.

The Book Thief

The Likeness and/or In the Woods by Tana French

[Holly]

Storytelling by Tori Spelling was also pretty good. I mean it's not going to win any literary awards but it was sort of the equivalent of a 300 page US Weekly, so if you like that sort of thing...

Also, I really enjoyed In The Woods (or Into The Woods, can't remember..ha!) by Tana French. Engaging mystery type book, but a little dark.

ANYTHING by David Sedaris on Audio book is worth it. He is hysterical and his stuff is even funnier when he is reading it himself.

[Bethany]

I don't listen to audiobooks, but I wanted to mention the This American Life podcast...free, always interesting to listen to, and exactly an hour long.

[rhi]

I have a copy of Shopgirl on CD that I'll make a copy of for you while you're here. Also, I loved Maneater by Gigi Levange Grazer, which is fantastically read by Uma Thurman.

I wish you had someone to carpool with. I carpool about 90% of the time on my LONG ASS commute and it makes it go by SO much faster!

[K]

I'm going to recommend the Plum Series by Janet Evanovich. There are 15 (i think) in the series now and they are fantastic! Start with One For the Money. You'll want to read (or listen to) them all!

[hillary]

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts was the last book I read that I truly enjoyed.

[Shelly]

I'll second PChef's recommendation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, as it was the best book I read last year. I've recently discovered audio books and they have changed my life! I commute an hour each way, and having a book to pay attention to makes a HUGE difference.

[bessie.viola]

Umm, he is ADORABLE. But I'm sure you know that...

If you're into Harry Potter, Zoot whole-heartedly recommends the audio books. Apparently they're amazing to listne to and have helped her to catch the "little things" she missed when reading.

[Natalie]

i love that pic!

[Anna]

Gah! Your child is simply TOO CUTE. Too much cute for one small boy.

I second Holly - anything by David Sedaris. His books are hysterical and even better as he reads them aloud.

[Corina]

I loved Stardust as read by the author, Neil Gaiman. Best audio book I've listened to in awhile. Totally kept me occupied for (most) of a long drive from Idaho to the Oregon coast. (Why must western states be so . . . wide?) General tip on the audiobook front: if at all possible listen to a snippet of the book before shelling out any money. There are some really crappy readers of great books out there, and a bad reader can ruin even the best literature.

[rebecca]

oh, my. That is so cute. Adorable, simply adorable.
um, the only thing good i have read lately was the new maeve binchy...but i am addicted to maeve binchy. if you don't like maeve binchy, then you won't like this. :)

[NTE]

I'll second the Harry Potter recommendations - Jim Dale is an absurdly talented reader - and the David Sadaris for humor suggestion, add two of my own:

- The JD Robb In Death series are well written, fast paced, and entertaining (but include sex scenes, so you're not going to want to carpool while listening to them) ;)

- The series by Lauren Willig that starts with The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I think there are 5 books now, and I've enjoyed them all.

[Zoo]

I came back because I realized I neglected to mention HOW FREAKING ADORABLE YOUR BOY IS. So cute.

Also second the Harry Potter books and David Sedaris - great ideas! I borrowed audio books from the library rather than buying them. Not sure how big your city/county is but mine has a huge selection. I *may* have copied them to iTunes and transfered them to my iPod so I didn't have to lug around all the discs. That might be illegal, so please note I MAY have done it, but more likely not.

[Karen]

I second the Stephanie Plum series - LOVE them!

btw, I have an adorable younger girl for Kyle - Kate & Kyle - soooo cute :)

[Sarah]

My most recent favorite books have all been mentioned above, so I'm going to throw out a different type of recommendation - stand-up comedy! There's no way you'll roll up to work without a smile on your face. Check out Brian Regan - HILARIOUS.

[sensibly Sassy]

I just finished "The Help" and oh my gosh, it is soooo good!

[Erin]

Read The Time Traveler's Wife if you haven't already. Quick, before the movie comes out!:)

[Tara]

Here's my list of amazing, recently read books:
-currently reading: Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster
-Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani
-Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
-One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
-Home Game by Michael Lewis
-It Sucked and then I Cried by Heather Armstrong
-Things I Learned About My Dad edited by Heather Armstrong
-The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver

[Melissa in TN]

I have been a fan of audio books for a few years now.I loved the Father Tim books by Phillip Gully.The reader is relly good as well as the stories.

[Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com]

Some of my favorites are:

- Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
- Zorro, by Isabel Allende
- The Bonesetter's Daughter, by Amy Tan
- Water for Elephants
- The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, by Bill Bryson
- The Thirteenth Tale
- The Kite Runner, by Khalid Hosseini
- House of Daughters
- Cold Mountain

(Sorry I don't have all the authors, I can't remember all of them!)

Your son is getting more and more adorable!!!!

[WonderSpot]

I agree that The Time Traveler's Wife is a must read. Very good. The Year of Fog is also good, but kind of sad and intense, which may not be a good idea on the way to work. Um, I sometimes listened to comedies, too, like Seinfeld or Colbert (audio books or routines). The Amazing adventures of Cavalier and Clay is a fun read, and Harry Potter anything is always great as an audio book. Garden Spells is cute and light....

Good luck. When I lived in LA these types of things were beyond necessary.

[auntie]

as per usual, i have nothing relevant to add to your post except that good gravy! that boy is a cutie!! funny that he fell asleep with your phone - i think you only need to worry when he starts programming in phone numbers for his hotties!

[Dawn]

It's older, but I just listened to "The Red Hat Club" on audio on my drive from Texas to Ohio. It was decent