You know, I'm always looking for good books to read to my ladies. They are both very intelligent, and for reasons (one is legally blind, her companion is so arthritic she cannot hold a book up for very long. The blind lady always was a reader, the arthritic not so much) cannot read. M (the blind lady) likes to read books that come up in the news, and that her favorite radio personality mentions. She has friends who are authors, and I read anything they write.
But in between I choose books where each chapter can, actually, stand alone. Travel books (both ladies are well traveled), anything by Peter Mayle or Bill Bryson are high on my list. The last thing that was long that I read to them was Galway Bay. But I had to renew it three times, and her care-giver had checked it out before that for two weeks. Finally I gave up and told her, "Do you want me to finish it and tell you how it ends?" Absolutely.
I've read all but one of Cahill's books to her (the guy who writes sociological books about different cultures) and trust me, getting my tongue around Greek and Celtic names just about drove me crazy.
Anyone have suggestions for books for very intelligent ladies, but aren't ridiculously L-O-N-G or obscure? Oh, they both have interests in anything French. I cannot speak it ... Hmmm ... know what? Sometimes I think of something I write and get an idea. Maybe they'd like a Maigret mystery? The thing is there are some I like and some I don't (they're out there with two different translations, one I like, the other not so much.
OK, I've digressed, as is my wont. But if any of you read this and come up with something you can imagine being read aloud, chime in.