The advantages of audio books to our society nowadays are countless. Don’t get me wrong, I love the print edition, the smell of the book when you’re about to read it, the indescribable feeling of somewhat excitement when you have a new hardbound book waiting to be read. But of course, not all of us have the extra time to actually sit in a corner and read one. One of the many advantages of audio books are their flexibility – you can do something else while listening to them.

I was clueless about the advantages of audio books

In fact, about twenty years ago, I remember a friend telling me she had passed the time on a lonely cross country drive by listening to audio books. She showed me one of them. It was a big, bulky thing; a chunky stack of cassette tapes packaged in a cardboard box. I was kind of taken aback. I didn’t know anybody who listened to audio books except an elderly neighbor whose eyes were giving her trouble. Sure, I could see the appeal for a long road trip. It seemed a lot better than trying to stay awake by hunting for a new radio station every hundred miles. Back then, though, I couldn’t imagine choosing an audio book over the print edition just for enjoying a novel.

Times have changed, and technology has changed even faster. Audio books are enjoying popularity I never would have predicted when my friend showed me that big box of cassette tapes. These days, it seems like audio books are everywhere. They’ve been gaining ground with book lovers for a variety of reasons, and it looks like they’re here for the long haul.

One big factor contributing to the increased popularity of audio books is increased availability. More and more titles have come on the market in audio format, and they’re available much more easily. Every brick and mortar bookstore has an extensive selection of audio books on CD. My local public library system has a huge collection of CD audiobooks, and as many titles or more available as electronic downloads online. A plethora of online bookstores commercial websites offer audio book downloads, for sale or loan, individually or on subscription plans. There are even sites that offer free downloads of public domain literature read by volunteers, although you often get what you pay for, and the quality of these recordings can be a little spotty. It used to be that you’d only find the most popular recent thrillers and pot boilers, and a few classics, in audio format. These days, you’ll find books in every genre, lesser known novels, non-fiction books, even self help and humor titles. It seems like just about anything you’d want to read, you can get someone to read it to you.

The fact that recent audio book recordings are usually great quality has certainly helped their popularity, too. The audio books I listen to are produced well and recorded beautifully. The sound quality is excellent. Some even add music or sounds to enhance the listening experience. The readers are talented actors, or in some cases, the authors themselves. It’s a particular treat to hear an author reading his or her own words. It adds an intimacy to the audio book experience that you really just can’t get in the print edition.

Not only have audio books become easier to get, they’ve become easier to listen to, at home and on the go. CDs store more data, meaning fewer changes than the old cassette tape audio books that kept my friend company across the Great Plains way back then. If you choose a downloaded edition, it doesn’t need to have any breaks at all. You can listen to a book straight through, start to finish, if you have the time!  Devices and recordings vary, but many make it easy to keep track of your place and find chapter and section breaks. MP3 players are ubiquitous; we can play audio books on our computers and on our phones. We can listen to audio content in our homes, in our cars, on the bus, at the gym – pretty much everywhere we go. Look around at the little white wires going into your neighbor’s ears; how many of those folks are listening to audio books right now? I’m willing to bet it’s more than just a few.

The advantages of audio books for kids

There are even audio books for kids. I know a little girl who listens to her favorite books while she’s playing with her dolls. She and her mom have a great time listening together and discussing the stories afterwards, and the mom has her hands free to get dinner ready, too. Audio books can help make enjoying literature a family activity.

It’s still true, of course, that audio books are an amazing boon to people who are print-impaired. Reading even large print books can be exhausting for some people, and if you take a look at your local bookstore or library, you’ll see that there aren’t as many large-print titles available as there should be. Back when my elderly neighbor was an audio book early adopter, they helped her keep up with her reading when her eyes wouldn’t cooperate anymore. My neighbor loved books, and she hated the idea of giving up reading. She would have been thrilled to have access to the vast variety of audio book titles that are available now. I thought about her the other day when I ran across an audio book recording of Wuthering Heights. I remember that book was a favorite of hers; she loaned me her copy that she couldn’t read anymore, and it became a favorite of mine, too. Think about an MP3 player and a subscription to an audio book club or a credit on a website that sells audio books as a holiday gift for an older person in your life. I promise it will be greatly appreciated.

As for me, I’m definitely an audio book convert. I love to knit, and one of my favorite things to do on a chilly evening is to settle down with my knitting and a good audio book on my MP3 player. Every time I try to knit and watch TV, I’m always either dropping stitches or asking ‘wait, what just happened?’ It drives my family crazy. With an audio book, I can follow a story with my ears, and keep my eyes for my needles. The book comes with me on my morning run, too, and on the drive to work. One of the many advantages of audio books is it’s easy to run the recording back a couple of minutes if I miss something, or listen to a favorite passage again. Without audio books, I’d miss out on some great stories!

How about you? Do you have any experience with audio books yet? Any advantages you have discovered? Well, feel free to share the advantages of audio books to your everyday life!

There are thousands of good books out there, and hundreds of great ones, but there are some books that everyone should read.  The question is which ones?  Everyone has their own list of ‘must read’ books. For me, these are the books that everyone should read.

The Holy Bible.  Whatever you may think of religion in general and Christianity in particular, there is no single work of literature which has had a bigger impact on Western civilization than the Bible.  For 2000 years, it has influenced art, philosophy, politics, social dynamics, science, sexuality, and legality.  People have used it to start wars, encourage reform, promote philanthropy, and justify the evils of slavery.  They are still doing so.

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The Quran is to Islam what the Bible is to Christianity.  It has had at least as large an impact on the Arabic world as the Bible has had on Western civilization.

The Illiad and The Odyssey, both by Homer, were among the greatest works of Greek literature, and have continued to influence Western civilization.  For literally centuries, a person was not considered properly educated without at least a passing familiarity with these two works.  Even now, it is a common feature on high school reading lists throughout the United States and much of Europe.

Any of Mark Twain’s work must be included on the list of books that everyone should read

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.  While Twain’s Tom Sawyer introduced the character of Huckleberry Finn, in his own book, Huck shines brighter than Tom has a chance to. And the depth of social commentary is far greater than in Tom Sawyer.  In turns cynical, funny, sarcastic and touching, Huckleberry Finn is Twain’s masterpiece.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one of the great tragedies of the English language, but also worthy of consideration are Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Macbeth.  Shakespeare has the distinction of being one of the most quoted authors in the history of the English language, almost as quoted (and misquoted) as the Bible itself.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is very much a product of its time and place.  An intense exploration of racial inequality and a loss of innocence leavened by humor, it is perhaps the best representation of the American South during the 1930s in literature.  At the same time, it has universal themes of courage, compassion and class differences that lend it appeal and relevancy far from the Mason-Dixon Line.

Books that everyone should read: The world of Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas …

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien.  Considered the Father of Modern Fantasy, Tolkien created a world of fantastical creatures and high heroism reminiscent of the ancient Nordic epics that he was familiar with as a professor of literature.  His work has influenced virtually every fantasy writer (and many non-fantasy writers) since the publication of The Lord of the Rings in 1954.

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell is perhaps the prime example of Southern Romanticism, full of the graces of the Antebellum South and blissfully oblivious to the racial issues of that time.  It was populated with many vividly-drawn characters, full of historical details and a protagonist who’s one of the classic characters in literary history.

The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway is an epic tale of man against nature.  By far the most spiritual of his novels, its depiction of the epic struggle between the old fisherman Santiago and the marlin which hauled him out to sea for days has been criticized as unrealistic.  The bond that Santiago feels with his fish, and the realistic depiction of his suffering as Santiago strives to bring his fish in is one of the primary reasons for the book’s enduring appeal.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is not what the movies would have you believe.  Far from being a shambling, stupid monster, the creation of Victor von Frankenstein is intelligent, compassionate, and innocent until Frankenstein’s mistreatment embitters him.  It leaves you questioning who the true monster is in the novel – Dr. Frankenstein, or his creation?

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White may be a children’s novel, but it is far from childish. There are little references scattered throughout the story that children are likely to miss but adults can enjoy, while the plotline is enough to make a person consider vegetarianism, with the likeable Wilbur under constant threat of being killed for meat until Charlotte comes up with the scheme to save him by writing his praises in her web.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker was one of the first books that depicts the life of a poor rural African-American woman in a realistic way, and it made Walker’s reputation as a writer and feminist.  She pulled no punches, and wasn’t afraid to confront such topics as sexuality, race relationships, incest and gender relations.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is surrealist, fantastical and full of symbolism and logic games.  There is a delight in playing with words and in wild flights of fancy that fit in perfectly with the protagonist being a young and imaginative girl.

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum begins when young Dorothy Gale is lifted from her humdrum, colorless life on a Kansas farm into a colorful world of magic and danger.  From her first appearance in Oz as she emerges from her house, which has landed on the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her, Dorothy is under threat from the Wicked Witch of the East’s sister, the Wicked Witch of the West.  Dorothy, meanwhile, wants nothing more than to return to the same dull existence that she had hated so, never realizing that the means of her return is as close as her own feet.

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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is set in the Great Depression, and follows the travels of farm laborers George Milton and Lennie Smalls on their quest to buy their own property.  Despite the fact that Lennie is far larger and stronger than George, it is George who acts as the mentally disabled Lennie’s protector and the guide along their path towards their dream of having their own farm.

There are, of course, many other books that are worthy of being included on this list.  These are my choices of books that everyone should read, what are yours?

Being an avid reader as well as an English major, I have had my fair share of books that made me cry. I have had my own broken hearted moments and moments of extreme emotion during reading. I’ll get the most well known books out of the way first by telling you all that yes, I read the entire Harry Potter series and yes, I cried when Dumbledore died, where Sirus died and at several other points throughout the books. With this series, being as long and in depth as it is, it is hard to not become attached to key characters and feel an attachment to all of the characters in one way or another. The death of a literary character is a struggle not only for the surrounding characters but also for the reader who has traveled the path alongside them.

Books that made me cry: Harry Potter and Twilight series

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I also read the first book of the twilight series and was put through Bella’s torture on her supposedly unreturned love as well as Jacob’s heartbreaking crush on Bella. There, now that I admitted my weaknesses, here are some more books that made me weep, which some of you may not have heard of. I recommend any book in this article.

During my college career, I have read hundreds of books, some boring and nearly bringing me to tears wishing it would end. Don’t tell my professors. Some were wonderful and enlightening and brought a different view of the world that I had previously had. Books where you experience a change in outlook or understanding are my favorite kind, especially if you are set in your ways and opinions. ‘The Land Without Shadows’ by Abdourahman Waberi gives the reader a glimpse into the lives and poverty of a variety of people. This is a collection of short stories that are interconnected by their topical coverage. There are several stories about problems within families including drug addiction and unemployment. The drug addiction is accepted in that portion of the world with a drug which is chewed called Khat. Which gives a relaxed, hallucinatory effect to those who chew its leaves. The struggles of the characters throughout the novel are sometimes hard to read, hard to understand and difficult to deal with. But this is also the way of the real world, beyond the first world problems of coffee and street drugs or car payments. Reality is that people are starving, children are alone and men have lost control of their lives to drugs.

I have an interest in history, especially World War II and the Holocaust. I have read several books on survivors and personal stories and they are all heart wrenching. One of the more ‘novel-esque’ books that made cry is ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel. It is such a personal account of the holocaust and the main character witnesses the death of his family and nearly loses hope in surviving in the camps and making it back to a normal life. His pain, as he struggles through the death camps, is tortured and humiliated by nazi guards and finally his re-adaptation to life outside of the barbed wire fences is overwhelming. Nearly all books about the holocaust can make me cry from the sheer inhumanity of the treatment of so many millions of people and the death that spread throughout the world. The most painful thought is that so many don’t know what happened to their families, and they went home to discover they were the only ones left.

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One of my favorite novels ‘The Hours’ by Richard Cunningham, shows a brief period before the death of a friend and author. It is reflective and connected to the novel ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ by Virginia Woolf (which is also a wonderful novel, though not as highly respected and enjoyed as it should be). The homosexual relationships throughout the novel play on the underlying crush in ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ and have taken it to the next level where nearly all the characters in this novel are homosexual. There are difficult topics included in the novel such as death, illnesses such as AIDS and HIV, and the struggle of having perfection for one simple day. The saddest part of the novel is where Richard wastes away and loses his mind as he sinks deeper into his illness and the depression that comes with the knowing the end is near. This book is often read in accompaniment with ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ and they are occasionally taught in high schools but widely taught in college English Comp. classes.

One of the books that made me cry – The Green Mile

To end on a more recognizable level and with a book that has been adapted to film, I will also admit that ‘The Green Mile’ by Stephen King was included on the list of books that made me cry. The simplicity and goodness of John Coffey and his spirituality/supernatural abilities to heal and bring back life into those who are injured or already near death is touching. The selflessness in his actions, to bring pain and discomfort to himself in order to help strangers, is inspiring. Near the end, when he is put to death in the electric chair and is afraid of the dark is absolutely heart breaking. It is so sad that things like this do indeed happen in the world, where the wrong person is sentenced to death or faces extreme punishment for a crime they did not commit.

As a writer myself, I know that bringing your reader to tears is the ultimate sign of a job well done. Knowing that you inspired such a connection, so much emotion and feeling inside of your reader to move them to tears shows the amount of skill a writer has. Though Stephen King is known for his horror stories, it shows he is a well rounded author that he was able to create such a tender character and situation. Whether the stories are real or fictional, the ability to pull the audience in, keep them interested and touch their hearts is a skill that will never fade away. From the oral tradition to the written, it has been a part of human culture and history to become enchanted by stories.

These are just few of the books that made me cry. How about you? Feel free to share the books that brought you to tears. I will definitely read it and who knows? I may add it to the list of books that made me cry.

Packing for Mars by Mary Roach.

The hilarious and insightful Mary Roach, who previously penned such popular New York Times bestsellers as Stiff, Spook and Bonk, recently turned her attentions to a fascinating topic: space travel. More specifically, Roach’s research delves into the hurdles involved in sending real people into the harsh, prohibitive environment of outer space. Roach also asks, after seeing in all the gritty and grimy detail what a Herculean task it is to explore the Final Frontier, why on Earth do we still want to do it? Packing for Mars, true to the cleverly anti-climactic tone of its title, concerns the mundane but fascinating details of going on a very long vacation.

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Celestial bodies have always been a source of wonder for humanity. Ancient people had myths, stories, and conjecture as to the relevance and material makeup of those wondrous objects floating in the sky: sun, moon, planets, meteors, comets. However, it wasn’t until the earliest days of the modern scientific movement that humankind first began to recognize the planets were in fact heavenly orbs that, though quite different from Earth, were clearly composed of similar stuff. When Galisteo invented the telescope, the first human eyes saw the crags, valleys, mountains and craters of the moon. It was clear that, at least in theory, humans could lift off from terra firma and transport themselves onto the surface of faraway worlds.

Packing for Mars: What’s the point?

When humans did finally land on the moon, the next goal became Mars. It was doable, even if major problems had to be solved with complex engineering solutions. Indeed, Roach asks, what does it take in actuality to send the hairy, lumbering primate, homo sapiens, hurtling through a vacuum towards the angry red planet, a back-and-forth journey of nearly three years?

While many people naively think going to Mars is little more than providing enough fuel and food for the astronauts to get there and return, the reality is much more complicated. As Mrs. Roach says, the most frustrating thing about space travel is ‘us’. The human being, whose body is subject to all kinds of breakdown, requires more maintenance than any machine, robot, or remote controlled rover. We must eat, produce waste, and have evolved to live in specific environments. Put us in zero gravity or feed us a strange diet and peculiar things start happening.

Roach begins by discussing the kinds of food astronauts must eat. What does zero gravity do to our appetite? How do you make food that is nutritive, of tolerable taste, won’t go bad, and is lightweight? Roach visits testing facilities for these foods – tiny capsules on Earth where subjects eat the same thing, day in and day out for months on end. Endless medical tests are performed on these subjects in order to determine whether their health deteriorates during this tediously uninventive diet. Equally important is that the food be palatable, so the astronaut will not lose his or her desire for it.

Roach also casts her wry wit on those functions of the human body that for the most part can be ignored on Earth, but which become major issues on a space shuttle. Bathing is important, both for hygiene and morale: but did you know NASA had to find a way for astronauts to shower on the space station, because sponge bathing doesn’t satisfy the psychological need for submersion in water? How do you design a toilet for use in zero gravity? What is the best substitute for human fecal matter when testing toilet designs? Human skin sheds cells, which in an enclosed capsule begin to fill the air: how can lung infections be avoided after breathing in these minute particles for days or even weeks? How do you clean vomit and urine out of a space suit? This is just a sampling of the myriad challenges.

A very interesting book – “Packing for Mars”

As Roach points out, a more daunting challenge than preparing our physical bodies for long sojourns in space, are the psychological difficulties. Astronauts who are in space for long stretches are vulnerable to all kinds of mental aberrations. There is a kind of ‘space madness’. The anxiety of floating in lifeless ether far above the comforts of Earth can become a crippling psychosis. Living in extremely close quarters with other people is also very trying; it takes a special personality to bear it. Patience and a sense of humor are more essential than the macho ‘space cowboy’ attitude we often see in films. Living in space is actually rather tedious and boring, with the waking hours mostly comprised of maintaining the craft, recording data and exercising. This is evidenced by one of the most important tests a would-be Japanese astronaut faces in try-outs: he or she must fold a thousand paper cranes without losing their composure, and each one must be done to perfection.

Mary Roach is not content to merely observe and report on the challenges of being an astronaut. In several of her chapters, she sits in as a participant: driving lunar rovers, eating space food, and sailing through the air in zero gravity. This closeness to the process gives her unrivaled insight into the actualities of space travel – at least, to enough degree that she was able to compose such a funny and educational book titled ‘Packing for Mars’.

Finally Roach asks, if it’  s so much trouble, why do institutions like NASA bother with putting humans into space? As Roach explains, borrowing a quote that is thrown around the space exploration community: ‘There are no bucks without Buck Rogers’. That is to say, because space exploration has been almost entirely a publicly funded endeavor, the taxpayers who foot the bill must have a reason to do so. They want to feel like they are taking part in a grand, romantic adventure. And by putting a man or woman deep into the Final Frontier, we can still feel the pull of the dream, the push to see how far human beings can go in exploring the farthest reaches of our enormous world.

S.F. Chronicle’s #1 Bestseller, “Packing for Mars” by Mary Roach should definitely be added on your must-read list.