Tw Ice Read Tales

Archive for October, 2011

Perhaps there is nothing so relaxing like reading your favorite title with a bottle of beer to give you company. Your mind cries out for revenge as you read Shakespeare’s Othello or is mellowed out as you turn the pages of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of the Grass. But alas, the murderous rat race and the bursting everyday schedule have permanently prevented such simple luxuries. You just do not have the time to read any more. ‘Is there any other alternative to reading a book’, you ask yourself. Well, why not someone else reading it for you? All you have to do is listen. Great, isn’t it? Audio books online are in these days.

Although audio books online have come to stay for quite sometime now, few people have come to grips with it, fewer still indulge in such simple opulence. Thousands of websites beckon you for free audio book online, comprising fiction, non-fiction, classics and more. Even if you are bound to a very strict schedule, there is nothing to prevent you from listening to an audio book online and enjoying every bit of it sans the hassles of going through it page by page.

As the literary works are downloaded to your computer, you may listen to their content at the privacy of your home without any hindrance. No need to visit the local library or browse the archives to find your favorite title. No late fees levied for any delay in returning the book.

But what happens if you are always on the move. Those who are traveling sales persons or departmental heads, perpetually on the road, visiting clients and distributors. For them the answer is simple. As these online audio books can be easily downloaded to the computer, you may burn them onto a CD, take them along and listen while you are driving. No problem at all. Your car CD player will then literally read out choice fragments of Vladimir Nobokov’s Lolita as you press the accelerator down to the floor of the vehicle.

Another great advantage that audio books online offer is that they are reusable. In fact, you could listen to them as many times as you prefer, alone or in company of others, in the privacy of your home or while traveling in your car, any place any time of the day or night. No wonder more and more people are opting for audio books online. Websites are vying with each other to get the lion’s share of the profit earned from the sale of audio books online.

In some cases, nominal yearly membership fees are also charged by some websites, depending on the type of audio books you need. You may be overwhelmed by the extent of the availability of audio books online and the variety that is available. All for the benefit of the reading (or should I say, ‘read-listening’) public. The day is not very when audio books online may enter the hall of fame for escalating the world literacy.

How would you like to learn how to better search the Internet to find information? Well, maybe you need to stop right now and study a bit. You see, if you spend three to four hours now and have the tools you need to do better searches then you will save 100s of hours each year on the Internet, clicking on crap. The Google tool bar and search features are outstanding tools to use whether you are doing research, looking to buy something or just plain surfing around.

Let me recommend a great book that you should read on this topic at your earliest convenience:

I have read literally thousands of books about Italy. I moved to Italy ten years ago, both before and since moving here I have been a voracious reader of all things Italian.

Since I moved to Italy many of my friends and family, not living in Italy, have asked me for tips on which books I would recommend they read. People normally tend to ask me for advice on three types of book. These are as follows:

1) Good travel guides for an upcoming vacation to Italy.

2) Eating like an Italian – which books really share the authentic recipes and cuisine of Italy.

3) The best travelogues, books in which you feel that you are right there in Italy.

One important caveat is that many books I read before moving to Italy do not reflect the reality of Italy. Many of the cook books don’t reflect authentic Italian cooking, many of the travel books don’t reflect the real Italian lifestyle.

The books I have selected are the real thing. Page after page you will find yourself transported into another world. A celebration of the extraordinary quality of life in Italy. I can assure you that the Italy you will experience in these books is little known but it is 100% genuine.

This is my first article on the subject and my first pick is the book:

The Lead Goat Veered Off

Definitely my best book about Sardinia, travel or otherwise. If you read just one book about Sardinia read this one. The book tells a very humorous tale of a three month bicycle trip around the island. Very successful at conveying a real taste of life on Sardinia – I really laughed myself silly.

If you would like to see my other picks visit: