So my dad has been in hospital for nearly half a year now, and I’ve been reading to him since the beginning based off of his suggestions but looking for new ideas. He likes sci-fi/mystery/crime type stories, and has a fondness for the more “silly” authors like Douglas Adams. I’m about to finish reading The Other Valley which I think he’s enjoyed. Just please don’t recommend anything with graphic sex or even implied really, as you can imagine it’s not the kind of thing you wanna read aloud to your dad haha
by pojologo
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A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Jasper Fforde has three series that might suit him: Thursday Next, Nursery Crime and Shades of Grey
The Fetch Phillips Archives – Luke Arnold
The “Miss Fortune” series by Jana DeLeon could be up his alley. It’s like Miss Congeniality meets The Golden Girls. A CIA operative has to go into hiding in a small town in Louisiana where she befriends two older ladies who often find themselves at the center of local mysteries and crimes. Some of the scenes are laugh out loud silly/ funny.
If he likes, maybe getting him some comic books could be a good shout.
Mysteries by Louise Penny. A whole series to go through.
Everything by Alexander McCall Smith. Also try MC Beaton’s Agatha Raisin books
Moonshine Wars by Elmore Leonard is a great read-aloud story that has an element of mystery and excellent use of language.
The Expanse series – the books are just so good.
Probably anything by John Scalzi.
**Starter Villain** is the most entertaining book I’ve read recently. It’s a spoof of the early James Bond movies. A substitute teacher inherits his estranged uncle’s villainy which comes complete with a secret volcanic lair.
His **Redshirts** is a satire of space operas from the point-of-view of the ‘expendable’ crew.
Yahtzee Croshaw’s **Will Save The Galaxy For Food** has space pilots put out of work by a technology advancement having to scrounge a living. The protagonist is a mashup of Han Solo and Crocodile Dundee.
Then there’s **What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions** by Randall Munroe.
It consists of a series of questions on pop-sci and pop-culture, each answered in one or two paragraphs. The answers are hilarious in a dry-humored way.
An example question is: What would happen if you hit a baseball pitched at 90% of the speed of light?
In addition to reading him books, have you considered setting him up with a way to listen to audio books?
I’m not suggesting this as a replacement for you, because I bet having you read to him one of the best parts of his day. Just thinking of a way for him to get more books!
Good Mystery books–try the Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout–tons of them and they all are written well, and many were written to be radio dramas so they read aloud well. Think light noir–no smut. And you don’t have to read them in order.
Funny along the lines of Douglas Adams–Terry Pratchett—don’t start with the first book though. Guards! Guards! is a good opener and then pick the ones that look interesting–you also don’t have to read them in order.