Reading Aloud

I love reading (if you haven't figured that out). I've been reading for as long as I can remember.

Another long memory is of my father reading aloud to our entire family. He read many works, but the one I remember best was an old Grosset & Dunlap copy of the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. My mom also read to us.

Book have such treasured memories for me, and the love of books and knowledge is something I have desired to pass on to my children. I also wanted them to have lovely memories of being read to.

What I didn't expect was that I would be reading out-loud before they born ... to their future father.

We were dating when he first asked me if I would read to him. I'm not sure what prompted him asking (maybe he does, I don't know) ... maybe it was because I was astounded that he had never read the Chronicles of Narnia, even though he professed that he wanted to.

He just never really read fiction, he said, didn't particularly get into it.

And he liked hearing me read.

Well, I liked reading outloud, and didn't get much of an opportunity. So we began reading together. I believe we read through the first 4 books of Narnia before we married and finished the 5th on our honeymoon.

Yes, I read to him on our honeymoon -- it was very relaxing, being able to read together curled up in front of the fire!

Concurrent with those we have been reading nonfiction to personally edify us and facilitate discussion.

We also started The Four Loves (Lewis) before we married, but haven't finished it yet. It's a very good book, but dense, which makes it hard to read aloud and the listener be able to process it.

We have since finished out Narnia and read The Hobbit. That book wasn't as easy to read aloud as Narnia ... I think because each chapter is lengthier.



As for my husband not getting into fiction ... almost every time I would finish a chapter, he would beg for "just one more!" Precious.




We just started reading the Space Trilogy. (Honestly, I'm just not looking forward to reading That Hideous Strength outloud, but can hardly wait to read the other two again!), and we'll probably read The Return of the Dragon (Zaring) after that.

Return of the Dragon will be different, because it'll be a fiction book I haven't read before that I'll be reading outloud to him ... so I won't be to suppress a smile when he conjectures about what happens next, because I won't know either! From what I could find, it is a children's book that has pretty consistent high reviews. I'm looking forward to reading it.

There are so many books I think he would enjoy - so many books I want to read ... But, I thought I'd ask: what books would YOU recommend I read? Are there any books you think I should read to him?


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