<p>We did a huge road trip and I picked a 56 hour James Clavell book, Noble House. We did not quite finish it on the road, but DH finished it once home, which was impressive as he does not like fiction.</p>
<p>Our local library has some downloadable audio books, so it’s worth checking.</p>
<p>There are also a number of sources online for audio books–including some of classic books read by volunteers. This page has info about several of them: <a href=“http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_Audio_Books_Project”>http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_Audio_Books_Project</a></p>
<p>I usually check out a bunch of audiobooks from the library since the voice of the reader can make a book better or worse. Two long ones I enjoyed are Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth and Sue Monk Kidd’s The Invention of Wings. The Midwife’s Apprentice is a much shorter good listen/read.</p>
<p>PG Wodehouse - Jeeves and Wooster books for choice, followed by Blandings ones.</p>
<p>Also a big fan of Maisie Dobbs, and recently Charles Finch’s series about Victorian era detective Charles Lenox. D3 just read The Elegance of the Hedgehog on a long road trip.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, don’t get The Swiss Family Robinson. My family is still traumatized from my attempt to listen to that during a family vacation 15 years ago!</p>
<p>I really think something more contemporary would fit the bill. </p>
<p>I am a huge historical fiction gal. In fact, I think the best audio books in the world are the Outlander Series. However, both my husband and daughter roll their eyes at the mention of it.</p>
<p>So far, I have lined up: The Cuckoo’s Calling (Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling), In a Sunburned Country (Bill Bryson), Seriously I’m Kidding (Ellen DeGeneres), and The Art of Fielding (Chad Harbach). </p>
<p>My husband and I really enjoyed listening to Sherman Alexie reading his book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.” It is a young adult novel, but has a lot of cross-over appeal for adults. There is, however, some sexual content. We also enjoyed listening to John Grisham’s “Calico Joe” on a car trip. And Audible finally has Sissy Spacek reading “To Kill a Mockingbird.”</p>
<p>sseamom, Our library has downloadable audiobooks through Overdrive and OneClickDigital. I believe that most libraries have these now.</p>
<p>I like funny memoirs, travelogues, or autobiographical novels. David Sedaris, Carrie Fisher, Bill Bryson.</p>
<p>may not be your cup of tea, but we enjoy listening to the All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot) books.
they are read by the actor who played James in the BBC series. (When the kids were young, dh would read the books to them while they were lying in their beds at bedtime. i would lie on the floor in their room so I could listen along. Such memories!)</p>
<p>Dh and I listened to Charlotte’s Web, read by EBWhite himself, a trip or two back. SUCH a wonderful book, even for 50-somethings!
The Harry Potter books are great to listen to. Would love to get hold of the Stephen Fry versions…</p>
<p>The Book Thief was wonderful on tape. Also I just finished listening to the Goldfinch today and really enjoyed it. Your husband might enjoy Unbroken.</p>
<p>@sseamom – when someone can’t read, there are free audiobooks available through a special service – she should ask at her local library for recorded books for the blind (the old name, but still used) – it is meant for anyone not able to read for physical/dyslexia/stroke reasons. Many downloads are available through BARD. Here is our state’s link to give you an idea: <a href=“Page Not Found”>Page Not Found; These are free, and there are many more selections that are available from libraries for regular patrons. </p>
<p>A special services librarian should be able to help her get access (and learn to use) available resources, which include audiobooks, audio magazines and newspapers. You used to need a special device, but now BARD has an app that works on iphone, and iPad. Many libraries also offer outreach services that might be helpful for her. </p>
<p>We listened to Unbroken on one of our last trips to S’s college town. It was great. We have also enjoyed listening to some of the Nicholas Sparks books. Thanks, Chinablue, for starting this thread. H and I will be going to visit S soon.</p>
<p>sseamom - both the Seattle Public Library and the King County Library system have tons of books on CD and downloadable to various devices. I can’t imagine the audio versions on an Iphone or whatever would be easy for someone to use who is losing their sight, but probably they would be able to learn where the needed buttons were on a boombox.</p>
<p>Books we’ve enjoyed on road trips include “My Korean Deli” and for teens, any of the Chris Crutcher books - “King of the Mild Frontier” especially. We’ve listened to the Harry Potter books many times as well - we have both the Jim Dale and the Stephen Fry versions. We much prefer the Jim Dale. </p>
<p>Anything read by Grover Gardner is a delight. He reads all of the Inspector Montalbano books by Andrea Camilleri books, and he is great with the Andy Carpenter mysteries by David Rosenfelt. Those are especially good for dog lovers. </p>
<p>Thank you for all the great ideas! My SIL is not blind but has a blank spot in one eye and can’t focus well with the other so reading is very hard for her, as is walking (though she lives near a library branch, she couldn’t get there alone). She’s trying to both accept her new limitations and pretend she doesn’t have them, so it’s a bit tricky right now. I will pass all of this on to her and her brothers, though, as I think she might be able to order downloads on her computer if they enlarge the type enough. Again, thanks!</p>
<p>Bill Bryson is really good–I just listened to his book on Shakespeare. “A Walk in the Woods” is one of the best ever.</p>
<p>I listen to a fair amount of audiobooks. I get them from the library. The most essential thing is to make sure it is UNABRIDGED! 
When I’m going on a car trip, I try to get at least 2 books in case one fails to grab me.</p>
<p>I have to say that I listened to Under the Dome, and it ranks as one of the WORST-read books I’ve ever encountered. The voices were annoying and the accents were dreadful. All the people who were supposed to have Maine accents sounded like they came from the backwoods of Mississippi or something. </p>
<p>Barbara Rosenblatt is my favorite reader, but there are other good ones. She reads a lot of mysteries–the best of which are Elizabeth Peters and Sandra Scottoline–and also did Bridget Jones’ Diary. I like the guy that reads the John Sanford “Prey” mystery series. (Richard Ferrone) Someone else reads Sanford’s Virgil Flowers books, but those are good too. If your H and D have any interest in mysteries, they may like those, and I don’t think they would find them embarrassing to listen to together, if you know what I mean. :)</p>
<p>On our last road trip we listened to podcasts of Freakonomics and The Dinner Party Download and the most recent episode of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me which we had missed.</p>
<p>I just listened to a couple of mysteries by Spencer Quinn about a private detective and his dog–narrated by the dog. They are amusing, and well performed.</p>
<p>I really liked The Book Thief on audio also. I am listening to The Goldfinch now and finding it quite slow. It is 32 hours. A very funny book is The 100-year-old man who jumped out the window and ran away.</p>