# Read Aloud Couples Book suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689 "2002-03-11T21:34:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/1 "2002-03-11T21:34:23Z")
I have a tough request that I’ll supplement with some books that have worked for us. My wife and I have fallen out of the habit of reading to each other due to the lack of good material. We started with Clive Barker’s [Imajica](http://www.clivebarker.dial.pipex.com/imajicabarker.html) which we both loved and moved on to some Ross Macdonald mysteries (enjoyed before they became repetitive), Kinky Freedman (enjoyed but became very quickly repetitive), a book by James Crumley called [The Last Good Kiss](http://www.edsbookreview.com/mystery/crumley_last_good.html) was a winner as well. Other memorable hits were: [Day After Tomorrow](http://mostlyfiction.com/spy-thriller/folsom.htm), [List of 7](http://www.needcoffee.com/html/lit/wordbombs/listof76messiahs.htm), [Beekeepers Apprentice](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312104235/foundobjects07/104-0224727-2316774), and [Perfume](http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/04/06/reviews/ackroyd-suskind.html). **L.A. Confidential** was too much of a struggle with the many characters (we tried to read it before the film came out). **The Glass Bead Game** was too heady and not engaging enough. It seems to come down to books that have male and female appeal that are engaging enough for stop and start reading for two that work as read aloud books. I’m hoping someone out there can help us with some suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/2 "2002-03-11T21:58:11Z")
The Princess Bride was a _huge_ “thing” while I was in college. There were parties where people would read it aloud (and the book is even better than the movie!). That’s one book I really think the author meant to have read aloud. I think the Fionavar Tapestry series by Guy Gavriel Kay would appeal to you (actually, any of his books are good for this). For funny in-between times you could always go with Dr. Seuss. I’ll probably think of many, many more in a little bit… -BK ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/3 "2002-03-12T05:03:17Z")
Try “The Golden Gate” by Vikram Seth. It’s a novel, but written in verse. My wife and I took turns reading to each other on car trips. ---
**Author:** ![Xixox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/13edae/32.png) [@Xixox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xixox)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/4 "2002-03-12T13:58:28Z")
My wife and I are hooked on the Harry Potter books. Really. Reading them, listening to book-on-tape, the movie, whatever. We ripped the audiobook to mp3 to listen to while browsing the web or gaming or whatever (Jim Dale just nails every character voice in his reading). Try the 1st book and see if you like it… if ya do, there’s 3 more (and another coming in May). Between all the books, Rowling keeps excellent continuity through all characters, and each time we go through it we pick up new things & play around with guesswork for what’s to come in the next 3 books. Like Princess Bride, you can have so much fun with the voices, and they’ve got interesting characters & storylines. And as far as childrens books go… these are made for adults, imo; kids books don’t have words like “apoplectic” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/5 "2002-03-12T14:03:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Xixox \* > \*\* kids books don’t have words like “apoplectic” 😉 \*\* Well, she’s a Brit. No offense. They say “whilst” and stuff. I think they are children’s books because of the “geek is special defeats the bullies/unhappy home” theme, but maybe that, too is a Brit thing, or maybe it’s one of those books written for adults to think that children will like. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/6 "2002-03-12T14:09:17Z")
Try _Stolen By Gypsies_ by Noble Smith. Witty, hilarious, & erudite enough to satisfy **Unca Cecil** Himself. A great read! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Amidar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Amidar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amidar)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/7 "2002-03-12T16:40:00Z")
In the vein of suggestions like **The Princess Bride** , but even a level above (I think), how about **Tales of Hoffmann** by E.T. Hoffmann? It also sounds great when read aloud… Amidar ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/8 "2002-03-12T18:04:57Z")
I’m currently on a desperate search to find **John Crowley’s** _Little, Big_, so the SO and I can read it to one another. I’ve read the book any number of times, but have always wanted to read it aloud. Beautiful prose, great characters, and it kind of begs to be read in short installments. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/9 "2002-03-12T18:40:00Z")
Hate to ask the obvious question, but: Why would one wish to read a book aloud? I have never heard of this. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/10 "2002-03-12T19:53:36Z")
One reads books aloud for the same reason one listens to music: words, especially words in the hands of a talented writer, are pleasing to hear. Furthermore, experiencing a book as a couple or a group (kinky!) is a bonding experience. I found that _Ender’s Game_ (Orson Scott Card) worked well aloud. I suspect that _Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady_(Florence King) would be endlessly hilarious in when done by someone who could shift seamlessly from a White Tidewater genteel to a Black tidewater genteel to a white tidewater trashy to an educated English accent. Unfortunantly, I can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/11 "2002-03-12T21:01:54Z")
Ok, thanks **Manda**. I wasn’t trying to be a wiseass, I have just not heard of this before. ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/12 "2002-03-12T21:13:38Z")
You could try reading Anne Rice’s _Exit to Eden_, and divide the work between the chapters written from Elliott’s point of view and the chapters written from Lisa’s point of view - although this distinction largely disappears later on in the book. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/13 "2002-03-12T21:17:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Debaser \* > \*\*Hate to ask the obvious question, but: Why would one wish to read a book aloud? I have never heard of this. \*\* Because it’s great fun. If I have to actually articulate every sentence, I read with much more care and attention to every word. For practical purposes, I’ve once been designated reader on a two-week hike where we only brought one book (“The Hobbit”) to cut down on weight. “The never-ending story” is a great read-aloud book. Long, though. “The little Prince” is great, too. ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/14 "2002-03-12T21:32:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by psiekier \* > \*\*You could try reading Anne Rice’s _Exit to Eden_, and divide the work between the chapters written from Elliott’s point of view and the chapters written from Lisa’s point of view - although this distinction largely disappears later on in the book. \*\* Or Pauline Reage’s _Story of O_, might be interesting couple reading… Actually, my husband read _Tuesdays with Morrie_ aloud to me while I was in labor. It was a great way to pass the time, and a fairly quick read. In the vein of children’s books, I would suggest _Father’s Arcane Daughter_ by E. L. Konigsburg. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/15 "2002-03-13T04:26:43Z")
I have read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series to my SO twice. He absolutely begs me to read until I become hoarse. We are on the first read of the fifth (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber Voyager, Drums of Autumn, Fiery Cross) in the series now. ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/16 "2002-03-15T07:31:17Z")
A couple of my favorite read-aloud couple books: **The Wild Party** This one is fun because it’s a sex and crime story from the 1920’s written entirely in rhyming couplets! Think you can’t talk about steamy sex in rhyming couplets? Think again. Try the edition with the Art Spiegelman illustrations for more fun! Any books by Tom Robbins. His use of language and metaphors begs to be read aloud and shared with someone you love! And Sufi poetry. Sufi is a mystical sect of Islam which believes that the closest we can get to anything Divine is through human love. The poems are really gentle, often funny, and always profound. And they also just sound good. Look for Rumi and Hafiz as two poets with which to start. (My favorite couple-reading book of all time is **The Subject Tonight is Love** by Hafiz. Do yourself a favor and track down this book now!) ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/17 "2002-03-15T14:39:25Z")
Shakespeare. The comedies in particular are fun. Get two copies of _Taming of the Shrew_ and read to each other. Actually acting out the parts isn’t necessary, but does add to the enjoyment. ---
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/18 "2002-03-21T00:30:56Z")
FYI - we did read through the Harry Potter series together and loved every minute of it (disappointed by the movie). ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/19 "2002-03-21T03:28:31Z")
_Watership Down_ by Richard Adams is the first book my SO and I read out loud together. I was amazed at how creepy and exciting it was, given that it’s about a bunch of bunnies. _To Kill a Mockingbird_ by Harper Lee is another great read-aloud book. I read it as a child and never realized just how funny parts of it were until I re-read it as an adult. Another favorite of mine is _When the King Comes Home_ by Caroline Stevermer. It’s set in a world just a hair different from Renaissance Europe and it’s a truly lovely story. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689/20 "2002-03-21T04:47:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Xixox \* > \*\*My wife and I are hooked on the Harry Potter books. > > \*\* HEY! me and the mister are doing the exact same thing! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-aloud-couples-book-suggestions/97689.md?page=2)