I’ve always been kind of a sporadic reader. Even in my sighted days. There was usually a book I was reading, but you just never knew if I’d read some yesterday or months before. Usually I’d have a couple books I was in the middle of, and at times I would get hooked on one author and read nothing but them. I always especially liked series of books because it was always great to dive back into a specific character. My favorites back in the day were Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a Patricia Cornwell creation and Dr. Alex Cross of the James Patterson imagination. But eventually I lost interest and just stopped. Actually, when I went blind, I think I was reading Patterson’s series about the Women’s Murder Club, if I remember correctly. But I just haven’t gone back.
I had never really known about audio books until B brought me a Stephan King short story. I think it was called ‘Quitter’s Inc.’ but don’t quote me on that. B had been astounded at how expensive audio books were. Then two friends got me two audio books from a resale bookstore. A Patricia Cornwell about her theory as to who Jack the Ripper was. I think it was called ‘Book of the Dead’ and it was fascinating. The other was a John Grisham book that I thought was just horrible until B told me it was a true story. Yeah, only in real life can a plot be that stupid haha! I don’t remember the name of it, but it was about two guys who were accused of murder when it was plain the local cops just wanted to solve the crime.
After that, my friend would bring me books from the college library and I started reading new authors like Janet Ivonovich and another female who wrote books in an alphabet series, but I can’t remember her name. There were other authors too, but they all escape me. I read some really good stuff. I only wish I had the computer back then, so I could have kept track. There was one I really liked, about a murder at a prestigious school and it’s all set in the future. I would love to read more by that author.
Then I just kinda got out of reading except for Harry Potter, which I just listened to over and over and over again.
I started getting books on iTunes and would read here and there, mostly downloading books I’d read before, books that were always staples on my bookshelf, like ‘Silence of the Lambs’. Then I started wanting to branch out a bit, so I’d ask for suggestions. I even made a suggested books label here, to keep track, but I always forget to go look at it haha!!
For my trip, I downloaded some books that I haven’t read yet. ‘A Big LIttle Life’ by Dean Koontz is one that was suggested here and then I found Alice in Wonderland on iTunes for way cheap. Just haven’t read them yet.
At school I started putting on a book at night on my new iPod because it doesn’t need headphones. It’s pretty ideal for reading wherever. But I noticed that if I fell asleep to a book I had gotten from audible.com through iTunes, it was really hard to find my place again. So I started listening to ‘Duma Key’ by Stephan King since I had burned it from the cds B got me. If I fell asleep, I could just skip through the tracks nice and easy. But when I had to charge the iPod, it would completely lose my place in that book. It doesn’t do that with the audible.com books when I charge. Very weird quirks haha!
I finished ‘Duma Key’ the other day and while the ending got really, really weird, I actually liked the ending more than I’ve liked King’s endings in quite a long time.
I had really enjoyed reading again, so I went back to the book I had started on the way to school. Here is where I can talk about where I’m getting book ideas now.
I’m almost finished with ‘Uglies’ by Scott Westerfeld. It’s a book aimed at teens and it’s a series. I only heard about this book because of this review over at Reviews from the Deep. If you want audio book ideas, go read his blog, in fact, subscribe to it. Now. Do it now. Haha!! Not only does he give you a synopsis of the books, he tells you about the narration. I’m not sure that’s easy to find. And I appreciate that because there are narraters I really like and some I don’t, like when authors narrate their own books. So I can be forwarned. Sometimes he’ll even give you little tidbits about the authors, which is always really cool to read.
So anyway, I’m reading ‘Uglies’ now and because of my iPod, I’m staying up at night reading again, just like the old days lol.
I also just downloaded another book, ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ because of Carin’s post about it. I went over to iTunes and read some reviews there too and it sounded like a must read. So when I’m done with ‘Uglies’ I’ll start on this one.
I’m just so happy with my little iPod. And I keep cracking up because “Uglies’ is set in the future, and the iPod seems so futuristic to me. To be laying in bed with this little device in my hand just reminds me how far technology has come. I love being able to relax in bed with a book without having to switch cds on the player, or reaching over to pause it or adjust volume. That’s the best thing about listening to books digitally, not having to switch cds. That drives me nuts with Harry Potter. Get to a really good spot and the cd stops, gotta switch lol!
Yay books!