Going on a road trip? Or just want to “zone out” in a crowd? If so, NPR’s Morning Edition on 12/31/12 interviewed Robin Whitten, editor and founder of AudioFile magazine. She gave a good list of selections based on the narrators she thinks are great (In my opinion, a book becomes even better with a good narrator.) Here’s her list of CD titles available to be interloaned by KDL cardholders:

Fiction:

 For the family road trip:
Toothiana by William Joyce from the Guardians of Childhood series, narrated by Gerard Doyle

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, narrated by Simon Vance

Nonfiction and Culture:

Arguably by Christopher Hitchens, narrated by Simon Prebble

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham, narrated by Edward Herrmann

Mystery and Suspense:

An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer, narrated by David Pittu

Now you have a perfect excuse to use those new Christmas headphones!

Be sure to check out KDL’s selection of “coffee table” books. Just right for a cold weather day, these take you so many places while you stay warm.

In particular, Michigan photographer Todd Reed’s pictorial works are published from Ludington and highlight Michigan’s nature, lighthouses and wildlife scenes. Look for Lake Michigan: Point to Point; or Ludington: Point to Point; or Ludington State Park: Queen of the North; and certainly 365: A Year in the Photographic Lives of Todd and Brad Reed.

Birds’ nests and eggs in winter?  Why not, with Joy Kiser’s America’s Other Audubon, a collection of hand drawn lithographs showing the intricate patterns of nests and eggs of the birds of Ohio in the mid 1800s.

For home architecture, there’s Julius Shulman: Chicago Mid-Century Modernism.

And if it’s military weapons you like, see DK’s Smithsonian collection of Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare.

Finally, with microbreweries becoming popular, don’t miss The World Atlas of Beers: The Essential Guide to the Beers of the World. Enjoy in warmth and comfort!