My husband doesn’t read. The last book he vaguely remembers opening was The Jim Thorpe Story borrowed from the high school library in 1984. He still has it. Given my career as a librarian, this initially appalled me on many levels. Could he ever appreciate my interest in a well-executed plot twist? Would our children be predisposed to theft? Then he discovered audio books.

These days I can always find him by following the sound of a stranger’s voice. Usually it’s George Guidall or Scott Brick, his favorite narrators, booming from the garage.  He now listens to many more books than I read, gravitating to stories featuring a somewhat psychopathic private investigator roaming the South. His current favorites:

Gator A-Go-Go by Tim Dorsey
featuring Serge Storms eliminating the bad guys in ever inventive ways

Deep Shadow by Randy Wayne White
with Doc Ford forced to help some ex-cons dive for lost treasure

Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke
centered on Det. Robicheaux avenging a murder in the bayou

Spider Mountain by Peter Deutermann
with Cam Richter hunting down a meth lab in the Smokies

Silencer by James Hall
proving that saving Florida’s wilderness is risky business for newly wealthy P.I. Thorn

Purists would say he still isn’t “reading”.  I say the process may not be the same, but the beauty of plot, language and knowledge are still finding their way to his brain, just by way of the ears instead of the eyes.  I plan on surprising him with an MP3 player soon. Downloading from the library would save me searching for all those misplaced CDs, but then he doesn’t even know how to turn on our computer…

“Reading” any favs using audio or is that not really “reading”?

Come out to the Cecil County Fair July 23rd to 31st and visit the Cecil County Public Library booth.  Check out our wonderful undersea creatures and learn about the great programs offered at your local library. Everyone in the family can pick out a free book while the kids create a colorful fish craft. Don’t forget to enter our drawing for a $25 Walmart gift card by guessing the number of Swedish fish in the fish bowl!  If you’re looking for a fun activity to do with the kids, visit us on Day Care day and be entertained by our talented library staff.  We’ll be hosting a Splashy Sing-a-Long at the fair on July 26th at 11 am.

Once again this year, the Fair promises to be exciting and fun.  Tractor Pulls, pig racing, cotton candy and free books – it doesn’t get any better than that!

What’s your favorite part of the fair?