The Bible may be one of the bestselling books of all time, yet it is a book that rarely gets read from cover to cover by the average reader. Even if the book holds no spiritual interest to the reader it is undoubtedly a fascinating read. Unfortunately it can be a difficult read. The Bible is available on tape, in countless releases and versions. The audio version is easier to comprehend than the text version, and the International version is easier to understand than the King James Version.
Old classics are often difficult for contemporary readers to comprehend, because English language changes and evolves, until verbiage from a previous era sounds foreign. One such book is “The Scarlet Letter,” written by one of America’s early great writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Written in the mid-1800s, the story takes place in Puritan Boston and explores the personal and social consequences of adultery. The book is rich with symbolism and inspired various movies, including one starring Demi Moore. Yet, the version starring Moore differed greatly from the original. One way to experience Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter” is to listen to it on tape. This will allow the reader to enjoy the story, making it a little easier to comprehend the unfamiliar phraseology.
In 2007 the “New York Times” reported that the final book in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series was becoming the fastest-selling book in history. The fantasy books appeal to both children and adults. All seven of the books in the series are available on tape. The titles include “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.”
Books on tape can either be a shared or private experience. If you’re looking for a book for the family to enjoy while traveling on the road, chances are you won’t be choosing a racy love story. Instead, you’ll want something that will entertain all the passengers in the vehicle. “Where the Red Fern Grows” was written by Wilson Rawls and published in 1961. It is about a young boy living in the Ozarks and the story of how he fulfills his dream, owning and training redbone coonhounds. Like many animal stories, there are tears to shed, so remember to include a box of tissues when making the trip.
“Publisher’s Weekly” includes Thomas Cook’s “The Fate of Katherine Carr” in its list of best books of fiction for 2009. Available on tape, the story is about a former travel writer, George Gates, who is haunted over his young son’s murder. In the story Gates begins looking into the disappearance of Katherine Carr, who vanished mysteriously two decades earlier.