Tapes have been my salvation so many times. They've caught me up so I can participate in my adult book club; helped me survive the boredom of house cleaning, grocery shopping, and in-town traffic; given me the kick in the tail I've needed to exercise; kept me awake during long travels alone; made commuting almost enjoyable; and hooked me on adult books that my print-weary eyes couldn't handle. Of late, I've indulged in some new listening worth recommending .

Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman, is a non-fiction recounting of the history of the Oxford English Dictionary and one of its greatest compilers, a murderer who lived in an insane asylum. The tape is elegantly read by Simon Jones (HarperAudio, abridged , 2 cassettes, $18.00)

If you liked Snow Falling on Cedars, try the tape of David Guterson's latest, East of the Mountains (Random House, abridged, 4 cassettes, $25.00). The hero, Ben Givens, is a man who's recently lost his wife, is dying of terminal colon cancer, and wants to return to his childhood home to end his life. Instead, he meets a string of fascinating characters, his memories become intertwined with present events, and he finds new reasons to live. Eward Herrmann's performance is excellent.

Kevin Baker's Dreamland (HarperAudio, abridged, 4 cassettes, $25.00) is a look at turn of the century New York and the difficulties of arriving immigrants. The connected stories and diverse cast of characters include views of a discontented dwarf, a woman who fights for fairness in the sweatshops, a ruthless scavenger, a rejected son turned mobster, crooked cops and politicians, and even appearances by Freud and Jung. Well read by dramatic successful, John Rubenstein.

Anne Lamott has irreverently tackled sacred subjects like parenting and writing, now she turns her talents to religion in Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith (Random House Audio Books, abridged, $24.00). This powerful collection of commentaries gives a personal look at her discoveries about faith and comes up with a picture that's fresh, inspiring, wise, and honest. The tapes are read by the author, giving even more emphasis to Lamott's special spin.

Okay, I admit it! I delayed arrival home from a trip, cruising around the grocery store picking up needed items, while I finished the last bit of Martin Cruz Smith's Havana Bay (Random House Audio Books, abridged, four cassettes, $25.95). This new thriller-mystery by the author of Gorky Park has the same intriguing investigative hero, Arkady. This time the Russian detective goes to Havana to solve the puzzle of what's happened to a colleague found bloated and decomposing in the bay. Instead, he uncovers a mystery with a myriad of twists and turns, finds resolves his wife's recent death, and finds new love and the desire to go on living. Reader Steven Lang enlivens the story with his accents and dramatic delivery.

The book I've most wanted to read for ages has finally come to tape. Toni Morrison's Beloved (Random House, $39.95; 8 cassettes, unabridged), one of the strongest modern novels is read by its compellingly dramatic author in a rich voice that makes the tape almost melt with the imagery. It's definitely a tape well worth waiting for!

Tips on Tapes:

-Before leaving for an extended trip, listen to your chosen tape for five minutes to be sure you enjoy the reader and rendition.

-Take a variety of tapes with you on trips so you have choices to suit different moods. You can mail them back periodically to avoid car clutter.

- Christine Loomis, a family travel expert, once told me the best investment you can make for car travel is buying each child a Walkman. " It gives the psychological privacy you need on a long car trip when you can't just get up and walk into another room." As kids plug into music or stories, you can pop in an adult novel.

-Local libraries are a wonderful source of tapes; they'll order the tapes you desperately want to hear. If you pick up a tape while traveling, sometimes the Video Bar will give you store credit if you "sell" it to them. There are some great tapes lurking in Chapel Hill's second hand book stores!

-Those who are prejudiced about abridgements, read tape boxes carefully before renting, or purchasing. (A great source for unabridged rental/purchase tapes is Recorded Audiobooks; call 800--638-1340 for a catalog)