reading out loud

When my children were little I must have spent hundreds of hours reading to them.  We went from Dr Zeuss to Moby Dick, to poetry to Wind in the Willows to TinTin to Beatrix Potter and a whole load in between.  Loved it, still do love it if I get the chance to corner some young ears.

I recently discovered  how much I love to be on the receiving end,  A french friend is keen to improve her english accent and asked if she could read out loud to me - Twist my arm!!

I had already tried listening to books on CD when driving long distances but rarely found them captivating.  Having a real person sat in front of me, putting expression into it, smiling, looking worried etc brings a whole new dimension.

So,  I have decided that when I'm about 90 and this body of mine gets tired, and refuses to tear around all day doing ten things at once, as happens to day, I shall provide employment for students and pay them to read to me.

Qualities required to get the job?   

1.  that I find them likeable

2.  that they are capable of reading out loud and convincing me of their 

enjoyment of the book, that they can get lost in a story

3.  that they have time for a cup of tea and piece of cake with me, 

before, during or after the reading

and lastly, and maybe most importantly that they have the accent 

to fit the book.  I adore accents and I would require many different types.

Just look at this list and see how cosmopolitan my readers will  be

I will need (in no particular order):

 old fashioned British to read Somerset Maugham -

North West American  for Jim Morrisson -

 Provencal French to read Pagnol -

Danish for Karen Blixen -

 well bred German for Thomas Mann -

 very very English to fit  Jane Austen -

Afghan  for Khaled Hosseini -

east London for Zadie Smith -   .....................

This list could go on for ever, but - tell me - who would you choose to read which book out loud?