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First encounters with new information or a new resource used for gaining knowledge is almost like a first impression. You will never forget your first time! That connection with something fresh and new can't be overlooked very easily. Such an encounter happened to me just recently not with a person or new clothes, but with resources. The local library in my area happens to stock loads of BOT (books on tape). Sure it seems to have been around forever, except I had never tried it. Since that's the case, I was green to the benefits of what it had to offer me, enjoyment and knowledge. Two talented female authors made up my first listening sessions. Take a look at one of them below.

Yes it's Maya Angelou. Mom & Me & Mom is what I Iistened so intently to. The style of this teacher, poet, and author just marked the model of a true page turner. I couldn't stop inserting one CD after another, until the books end. It left me wanting more. There was adventure in it to, although, not a fictional account like Terry McMillan's Getting To Happy. Angelou's book told the story of her life, on the way to stardom, with real feeling. Clues of how she felt were not necessary, she spelled it out. The words were clear, revealing a journey chronicled in a way to focus on something other than her poetic tongue and unique sounding voice. Yet BOTS (books on tape) helped to put her tone front and center, just the same.

As the story played, it was obvious that her close relationship with her grandmother didn't prevent her from eventually building one with her biological mother, even though she detailed a real struggle to do so, before she was there. The true strength of the mother and daughter relationship she had became more of a reality as time passed. Maya Angelou's account of her own experiences brought racial issues to the forefront and sibling ones as well. Her closeness with her brother is what seemed to give her strength, courage and direction when she needed it most. Living a high class lifestyle didn't seem to be important to Maya Angelou, as she left her mothers house which was filled with many luxury's.

Independence, working and sharing her talent were all centered around her own ability to parent. Having given birth only once, she took it serious and found ways to blend career and motherhood, like women in this day and age, who are often labeled as those who want to have it all.

Then, there is Terry McMillan's Getting To Happy. The fictional account offered by the Waiting To Exhale Author, put a new spin on girls night out, amid the ups and downs of relationship woes, as connections were made between mothers, fathers, and their children. Oh, it didn't miss on the drama either. There were enough fouls committed, by what some might call tired men, to fill up the pages of another book. There was also balance and liberation in the storyline with an accepting eye shone on gay relationships. The irony indifferent to Waiting To Exhale seemed to be in the fact that relationships in many cases ended amicably, without blazing fire or inflated egos (for Waiting To Exhale fans), even though one computer ended up in a pool.

Interracial Dating had a small life, showing the importance of the cultural change that is responsible for improving race relations and the variety of American Society these days. The adventures sound off effortlessly with BOT, especially in the lifestyles lived by these women friends. So filled with travel, shopping and love, the storyline makes you feel like you are there, a real part of their journey toward newness. McMillan didn't forget to include online dating and she also touched on self medicating and how that could eventually lead to a new life for at least one of the characters. Legal or not, the issue affects so many individuals daily. Addition has no face! Here For Stats On Self Medication Of Anxiety Patients

Books on tape helps lovers of words get more involved in the telling of a story, bringing the authors account to life, even more. Plus, it gives readers something a little more personal, almost like a verbal autograph. BOT can also help parents expose their young children to more complicated stories, history, and language. College Students can certainly get a jump on those lengthy reading list that College Professors often issue in the syllabus. Books on tape can help to fill in the gaps that were once open for televised broadcast. Using audio to listen to stories is a way to get couch potatoes moving. You'd be surprised how much stuff you can get done before one of those CD's (compact discs) plays through. You can never go wrong with words.

Visit your local library and give books on tape a try. You'll love the experience! It's time to take back some of the power from the networks who offer televised accounts of current events, news, and the like. If you are a seasoned books on tape user, share your favorites or your first encounter favorites in the comment section.

In Related News:

Terry McMillan appeared at the African American Book Festival on June 22th in Austin, Texas. The Author shares, in an interview, who inspired her to write, and how she turned her aspiration to be a Social Worker into a career in writing. She talks social media, her new book, Who Asked You (due in September), and how a career in writing is a little bit more difficult for authors today. It's 14 minutes of Terry McMillian in a podcast. She has a voice and she knows it! Listen