Based on the title of this post, you may think this is about music but nope, it’s about books – books on tape bluetooth. I love to read, really I do but lately making time to sit down and read a book is akin to climbing a mountain. Okay, maybe not that dramatic. Definitely not that dramatic but it’s not something I really can’t fit in to my day. The only time I can really settle down to read is right before bed and when I try to start on a book, I usually fall asleep before I’ve made any real progress.

Since I have a good 20 minute commute to work, I’ve started to make use of it by listening to books on Audible. At first it was mostly comedy books but over the summer, I’ve crossed a few reads off my list by listening to them in the car. It took a little getting used to at first but I’ve become pretty addicted. It also makes traffic way less of a hassle. The only bummer is that sometimes it takes a little longer for the audio version of a book to come out, and yes you miss some of the nuance of reading the book (and flipping back to re-read parts) but it’s better than nothing.

When it comes to picking an audio book, I try to find something that is more of a linear story or mystery to eliminate the need to go back or re-visit characters. I’ve read four of the five Game of Thrones books (nerd alert) and I could never listen to them. I’m also in to historical fiction books (double nerd alert) but again, I think those are little too detailed for me to to keep track of while making a left hand turn. So when it comes to my audio book selections,  I stick to mostly thrillers or beach reads.

Here’s the latest four I’ve crossed off my list. I’d recommend them all in both audio and regular book form.

Dark Places &  Sharp Objects both by Gillian Flynn |Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll | I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

Dark Places: Still finishing this one up but can’t wait to get to the bottom of this mystery. It’s the story of a girl whose family was murdered and whose brother was accused on the crime. It’s a little grisly at times and definitely dark but I’m hooked on the mystery and finding out whodunit.

Sharp Objects: Another one from the author of Gone Girl, I LOVED this book. Once I got about a third of the way through, I was looking for excuses to jump in my car and listen to the next chapter. This one also involves murder in Missouri (clearly a theme in Flynn’s work). It’s creepy and disturbing in a, you’ll never believe this, true crime kind-of way. An unnerving page turner.

Luckiest Girl Alive: I didn’t really know what to expect when I started this one but a recommendation from my pop-culture Bible – Entertainment Weekly – is enough for me. This one starts a little slower but builds about halfway through. The story of a woman who has created a life for herself in New York who has to go home to confront a high-school incident from her past. You don’t know anything about the incident and work your way through the story with the narrator, Ani. The twist will throw you for a loop.

I Take You: This one is a little, no a lot, different than the prior three. Much more of a beach read, it’s about Eliza, a confident, smart, high-powered New York attorney heading home for her wedding in Key West. Only her and her fiance have only been together a few months, neither of them have met the others’ family and Eliza can’t seem to stay faithful.  Personally, since I’m obsessed with Key West, I loved the familiarity of the setting. There were parts in this book when I wanted to just shake the main character but it was definitely an entertaining listen. Although I wouldn’t listen with your windows down – there are some racier sections. It feels like it was written to be adapted to a movie so don’t be surprised when you see it on the big screen starring Olivia Munn or another beautiful brunette.

I know these are all pretty basic reads but that makes for a good listen. If you have any recommendations, I’m looking for my next few books. Thinking of going with The Good Girl or The Martian (love reading before seeing the movie – it’s a compulsion) but would love some suggestions.