My fil was given less than a year to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer late last year. As his health and stamina have begun to decline, I thought audio-books would be a relaxing and passive form of entertainment to keep his mind busy. I’m not sure what genre would best suit him, as he’s never been much of a reader. Possibly historical fiction or narrative nonfiction; a bonus if it features plants in some way (former career in agriculture/gardening/landscaping); detective, mystery, adventure.
Some titles I will be suggesting:
Into the Wild - Krakauer
A Walk in the Woods - Bryson
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (recently visited Savannah)
Suggestion - Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage - I listened to it on audio and it was great. Lent the cassettes (it’s been awhile) to friends and family, everyone has loved it.
I’d suggest going to the library and asking a librarian, plus getting a bunch of random things and seeing what he enjoyed. Sometimes just music is really restful and passes the time well. Musicals like the sound track of Phantom of the Opera are good “stories”.
My Dad enjoyed the audio version of “The Greatest Generation”. and the sequel.
The Boys in the Boat- great true story about the U of Washington crew team that went to the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Doc by Mary Doris Russell- historical fiction about Doc Holliday.
Wind Sand and Stars, by St Exupery. It’s almost a meditative reflection of life told by a French air mail pilot who, in the 1920’s, pioneered airmail routes from Paris over the Pyrenees and into Africa. Forced down by mechanical failure and weather a couple times, he recounts these experiences not with machismo or fatalism, but with the wonder of one who is continually amazed by the world.
You might also get some old radio shows. Just search for “old radio shows” on Amazon and you’ll get many choices. They might be less intimidating for someone who was never into reading.
OP returning to thank everyone for the suggestions! Keep them coming. I’ll see which titles are available as ebooks and will also look into musicals and radio shows for added variety. He is a music lover and has listened to playlists on his ipod only a few months ago when he was healthy and walking 5 to 6 miles a day.
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (historical fiction about civil war). Won Pulitzer Prize.
If he likes this book the author’s son Jeff Shaara wrote many other similar books including 2 more about the Civil War. This is a favorite of both my H and father.
@SnLMom Just giving you a head’s up, every single state has a talking book library specific for people who can’t read (for a variety of reasons- low vision, mental impairments, can’t hold books, etc).
You can google “Braille and talking book library (insert state here)”
What’s super cool is that
1- it’s free,
2- you can download books for free so that if he doesn’t like something or he finishes really quickly, you can swap it out. You can also get the audio books by mail.
3- the librarians are really good at helping to pick out books people might like (Westerns were SUPER popular with elderly men)
Thank you for the tip @romanigypsyeyes. I am fortunate to have access to an extensive selection of free digital audio books through 4 different metro and county library systems.
Welcome! I didn’t know about it until I worked there and it is a godsend to many of the people who use the service. I try to spread the word whenever possible
Does he like westerns? If so, Zane Gray and Louis L’Amour books might make for good light listening. Anything WWII. I love the idea of getting old radio shows.
Would podcasts be of interest? Really similar if you’re looking for an audio narrative format. Off the top of my head, I recently finished S-Town, and I know many people in older age groups who enjoyed it as well. Would definitely appeal to the detective, mystery, nonfiction aspects.
Oooh, thank you. Podcasts are a great suggestion! In my very limited experience with them, one minor disadvantage (for use with my fil) is that when he downloads a podcast, he will get only 30 to 60 minutes of content vs typically 8 to 15 hours with a book. Podcasts are not usually on my radar, but I would definitely like to listen to more myself, as the shorter format actually fits my listening style better than books.
