Audiobooks for the Family by Shaleen Kapil

When I begin driving cross-country, as I will be here in just over a week, I love to listen to audiobooks. It makes me eager to get back on the road. But I’ve also learned that the audiobooks force me to slow down my pace (I’m a fast reader, finishing an average size book in 4 hours), and that means that I remember the book for a much longer time.

But since having kids, I’ve had to rethink which books I choose to listen to in the car. I have an 8-year old son and a 6-year old daughter. Romances and mysteries seem inappropriate. I tried one that I thought was sweet and tame enough (while they watched a movie), but it still made me uncomfortable when my son stopped to listen.

Sure, sometimes we listen to kids stories like Geronimo Stilton and The Magic Tree House Series, but they are only an hour long, and I have to feign real interest. So, last year I spent some time thinking of choices the family might enjoy. My list is a little unusual, but here it is:

1. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: Technically a YA book, but it is written with broader appeal. This is more like the grown-up language of the Hunger Games than the childish language of The Lightning Thief. Yet, I have several friends who have read this book aloud to their elementary-age child. The main character has cerebral palsy and a photographic memory. She is brilliant, yet she can’t do the things other children can do.

2. The Girl Who Chased the Mood by Sarah Addison Allen: Sarah Addison Allen always writes lighter, magical books, but this one really shines. Some of her books have darker undertones like murders, but this one is more secrets and less dead bodies under trees (like The Peach Keeper). A girl moves to a town and tries to find the answers to secrets about her family and the town.

3. Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed: A memoir from Strayed about hiking the PCT. This was made into a movie. She does talk about her mother’s death and her own divorce, but I think any questions wouldn’t be too embarrassing to answer.

4. Emma by Jane Austen: How can you be surprised that she landed on my list? Romance in the most gentlemanly way. Emma is safer than explaining why Kitty is in trouble in Pride & Prejudice.

5.The Alchemist by Michael Scott: Again, this is technically YA Fantasy, but it is fun for adults. It is another play on old myths and legends. Warning: there is a lot of violence but it is magical and against mythical creatures, so more like Harry Potter in that way. I fell into this series on accident when I was supposed to be reading The Alchemist by Cuelo (another safe read, but it is more philosophical than fun for a road trip).

What family-friendly suggestions do you have for me this year?

Shaleen is a writer, yoga-teacher, professor, and avid reader. She typically reads up to four or five books at one time. One self-help, one non-fiction (these days on urban planning), one fiction for upstairs, another for downstairs, and perhaps another on Kindle. Find out more at www.shaleenkapil.com or Like her on Facebook.

Have you signed up for our newsletter yet? It comes out three times a year, Valentine's Day, Summer and the December holiday issue. 

Each issue features sweet romance flash fiction, delightful stories that
will warm your heart. It also includes giveaways from our authors and news about their latest releases. 

Don't miss another issue. Scroll down the right side of our blog and enter
your email address under Mailing List.