By far my favorite aspect of the Iphone/Ipod craze is the ability to listen to audiobooks. I spend much of my days alone and there is nothing more wonderful than to be able to cruise through books as I paint walls, clean rooms, or pull weeds. I’ve always felt a little “behind” when it came to my list of read books. I read a lot when I was a young child, but that was far before the “classics” could have been intelligible. So, while I’ve read all of Raul Dahl I’ve only recently enjoyed the likes of George Eliot, Jane Austen, Malcom Gladwell or Michael Pollan. This summer I’ve listen to books as diverse as “The Ark of the Covenant,” (Tudor Parfitt) a fascinating scientific research into the modern day as well as historical relevance and location of the biblical ark; to “The Mayflower” (Nathaniel Philbrick) a detailed account of the Pilgrims, their early interactions with the American Indians, and the true stories behind the first Thanksgiving; to “Middle March” by George Eliot, a fascinating psychological look into the marriages and lives of women in provincial England. Then there was the page turning “Hunger Games” and its sequel “Catching Fire” (Susanne Collins)- the first book I read in a single day, and “Longitude” (Dava Sobel) a delightful recounting of the discovery of longitude through the creativity of a clock maker. I laughed with Peter Mayle as he recounted memoirs of his stay in “Provence,” and I have been inspired by many a BYU devotional via podcasts. I’m so grateful for this tool that allows me to so enjoyably mix manual labor and intellectual pursuit.

What books have you read lately? Any recommendations?