Category: audio review

Whidbey Island.  Known for its beauty and artistic communities, those who live there know each other well.  Yet when Russel Douglas was found the day after Christmas in a well covered driveway, sitting in his SUV with a single bullet between his eyes, the community is shocked.

Immediately labeled as suicide, it was quickly changed to homicide when no gun was found anywhere in or near the SUV.  The police then had their work cut out for them as many fell under they eye of suspicion.

Brenna, Russel’s soon-to-be ex-wife. Brenna had many reasons to be angry with Russel from his physical and emotional abuse she had finally felt that enough was enough.  Peggy Sue Thomas was a good friend of Brenna’s and knew from Brenna’s complaining all about Russel’s short falling.  Would either of these women turn to murder? 

There was a time, I would start each year of reading with an Ann Rule book.  Yes, a true crime book.  In the past, I have found her research and writing to be captivating… some of her books, like The Stranger Beside Me (the true story of her friendship with Ted Bundy before anyone knew the type of guy he was) is worth the read. 

While I do not read Ann Rule as often as I once did, I still find her to be a respectable author and when I was offered this audio, When I Practice To Deceive, for review, I was curious what her writing would be like on audio. 

I can’t quite put my finger on what it was, but the book never quite connected for me.  It filled a bit too full of facts and not enough of Ann Rule’s usual engaging back story.  It felt scattered.  At first I thought that this may be due to the audio,perhaps a book so full of facts needs to be read so you can go back and check it… but as the story went on… while that may be part of it, I don’t think that was all of it.

Unfortunately, I never connected with this book.  Even at the end I still felt as though I knew very little about what truly happened.  This is just my take, I may have missed something.  In my opinion, Ann Rule has much better books.  If you ever decide to read her, I would be happy to share with you a few titles, but this will not be among them.

Sylvia Plath, a name you may recognize as the author of The Bell Jar, and as the young woman who was on her way to a wonderful career only to commit suicide at the age of 32.

But before these invents, in 1953 a 23 year old Sylvia Plath was a young beautiful girl with the world at her fingertips. She was a guest editor for the fashion magazine Mademoiselle and was given a month in New York.  Besides working with the magazine, Sylvia was also able to attend lavish parties, plays, ballet and more.

Sylvia was on her way.  This time in New York helped shape Sylvia’s writing in good ways, but also created in her an anxiety that would play out for the rest of her life. Told in part by those who knew her then, Pain, Parties, Work is a captivating story of a girl who could have left an entirely different legacy than the one we know her for.

Since my book club read The Bell Jar, I have had an interest in Sylvia Plath’s life.  It is hard to look at the girl that is talked about in this book as self assured, almost ahead of her time; and then see how it all ended just 9 years later.

I listened to this book on audio and found it to be very engaging.  I enjoyed hearing what those who knew her thought of her then… no one seen what was to come.

It was nice to actually listen to this “before” story.  I take comfort in knowing that Sylvia was not always battling her anxiety and depression to such a level that  paralyzed her.  While The Bell Jar is the last published work of Sylvia’s, published shortly before her death, it carries with it an entirely different feel than this book.  Pain Parties Work is a book I would recommend to those who are curious about Sylvia Plath’s days as a young girl with big dreams.  I found this book to be well done.

Cath and Wren, twin sisters, grew up on the Simon Snow books (think Harry Potter fandom).  Through the rough times the girls had the books to fall into.  As they went through high school and upon entering college, Wren outgrew the obsession with the books, but Cath never did. 

Wren is excited for the college life.  She plans to live it and experience it to the fullest.  Cath just wants to write fan fiction, which she has done for years now, creating a story line around the now household character names of the Simon Snow books.  Simon Snow and the world she has created keeps Cath feeling safe in a world that she has no control over.  Her many followers of her writing keep her motivated to keep on writing, encouraged by this fictional world she can call the shots in.

When Wren lets Cath know that she does not want to be roommates, instead looking forward to breaking out of the “oh look twins” shell they have grown up in, Cath is shocked.  Forced to room with a stranger named Reagan and her once boyfriend Levi who hangs around more and more when Reagan is not there…

How does one step up into the next level of life, when they are very happy with the fictional one they have created?

fangirl

Syllabification: (fan·girl) Pronunciation: /ˈfanˌgərl/  noun

informal derogatory an obsessive female fan (usually of movies books, or science fiction). ~  Thank you Oxford Dictionary

If I would have known that Fangirl was a bit in a way sort of kind of about Harry Potter in any way shape or form… I would have snatched it up forever ago.  ~  Sheila

I listened to Fangirl on audio and in no time at all was completely immersed in the world of college and friendships and the undieing love of a book.. so much that you have went on to create your own stories involving the characters just to keep them alive.  As much a huge “Potter Head” as I am … I never thought about creating fan fiction, writing these characters into other situations…  the whole fan fiction thing is kind of brilliant (and yes borderline obsessive – but hey… who ya hurtin’? 😛 )

Strongly character driven Fan Girl had the essence of The Fault In Our Stars (John Green).  Levi gave me an Augustus vibe and in a good way.  Quick witted, snarky but not in a mean way….his placement with Cath as a more down to earth level protagonist was a great mix.

Narrators Rebecca Lowman and Maxwell Caulfield did a wonderful job and they really had their work cut out for them as dialogue is a huge part of the flow of this book – and it works.

Fangirl was a delight to read and I was excited to review it to share it with all of you.  SO delighted in fact, I immediately upon finishing Fangirl downloaded Eleanor and Park by this same author.  Diving into that one starting tonight. 

Do not miss out on a fun read – Harry Potter fans, jump on board!

Tana lives in a futuristic world.  There are humans, like Tana, and their are the dead… vampires, that live in walled cities called Coldtown.  The Coldtown occupants are safe from others and can live as normal a life as possible surrounded by their kind, the undead.

One morning, after a crazy happening party with her friends, Tana wakes up to find everyone dead.  Among the massacre she finds her ex boyfriend in the throws of being turned into a vampire, and another strange quiet boy hiding in a room.  The three of them set off for Coldtown in hopes that Tana may be able to save them.

Eep.  I really was thinking I would like this one a lot and that turned out not to be true.  I found as I listened to this one on audio that I could not get a good feel for any of the characters.  There was no one I wanted to say “I got your back!” to.   It just left me feeling kind of ….

cold.

As I thought through this I think I have come to the conclusion that I like my vampire books more like Twilight.  I know some of you just groaned and that’s ok. 😛  I admit it, I like my vampires to be just like us, looking like us, and still remaining cute and sociable and the whole “I like blood” thing takes a back seat.  When you make the blood and gore the center of the story…. I lose interest… (and quite possibly my lunch).

So that is my take on the book, or in this case, audio – but I know others have loved it so look for other opinions on this one.  My squeam level just couldn’t handle it.

Check out these other thoughts on the book:

Book Smugglers

Forever Young Adult

Books With Bite

Say what you will about Patterson, the Michael Bennett series has me waiting anxiously for each book!

~Sheila

Michael Bennett missed New York.  He misses the ability to pick up a hot slice of pizza at any time, day or night.  He misses the hustle and bustle of a fast life, and heck, he even misses the noise.  Yet as he looks around the room at his ten adopted children, grandfather Seamus, and the kids live in nanny Mary Catherine, he knows this is the way it needs to be.

Due to recent events and a mad man still on the loose, Michael and his family have been relocated (compliments of the witness protection program and the FBI) to a rural farm area in California.  It’s big, it’s secluded, and God willing, it is safe.

Now, big name crime guys are being killed off in bizarre and horrifying ways.  What is happening is unthinkable,clearly the work of a mad man and Bennett knows that these crimes reek of Manuel Perrine, the same man who is after Bennett and his family.  A choice needs to be made, does Michael stay on the farm like a sitting duck waiting for Perrine to track him down, or does he go back to work and do what he is best at… getting the bad guy before he gets him?

Oof ta.  I do love me the Michael Bennett series.  I have praised these books before.  While they do have essence of James Patterson, author Michael Ledwidge must be the difference in these books.  This series follows a great story line… a New York detective, single after losing his wife to cancer, his ten adopted children of various ages, his Pastoral grandfather who lives with them and keeps it real, and the nanny, the sweet Irish gal names Mary Catherine who is the glue that holds it all together.

Gone is another great listen.  I enjoy Patterson’s books on audio immensely as he adds sound effects (gun shots, tires screeching, doors slamming…) that never come off as cheesy, but instead make my heart pound.

I highly recommend these books on audio.

for reviews on the other books in this series:

(Fast listens on audio and highly engaging – I encourage you to give Step On A Crack a try and see if you are not hooked. :D)

Step On A Crack

Run For Your Life

Worst Case

Tick Tock

I, Michael Bennett

I use Grammarly’s free plagiarism checker online because my teflon coating on this blog does not always prevent others from re-publishing my words. 😛

Alice Love has it all.  She married the cute guy.  She found the home of her dreams.  And now at 29 years old she is and Nick are so excited for the birth of their first child.

Then she wakes up in the hospital and they tell her it is not 1998, but 2008.  That sweet precious baby she couldn’t wait to meet, is now a somewhat snarky ten year old.  Her sister who she has always adored, comes to be by her side but she can feel that their is a distance between them.  And her amazing husband Nick is fighting her for part time custody of the kids.

Uhhhh… What just happened?

Now close to 40 years old, Alice learns that she had taken a nasty fall at the gym.  The gym?  She hates the gym!  The girl (woman?) in the mirror looks tired, and not the easy going Alice she remembered being.  She is told that she does not just have the one child, but three.  Wha….

After my recent adventures with author Liane Moriarty in The Husband’s Secret, I was so impressed with her pace of a book and her subject matter that could come off as serious but thanks to a fun writing style actually comes off as lighter and a little funny at times, I dove right into What Alice Forgot.

What Alice Forgot can be described as brilliant.  It’s a fun concept, if not at all time realistic, it makes up for it in funny, smart moments.  I enjoyed how the story unfolds a little at a time with Alice’s memories of what was, and then the present.  I found it hard to stop listening because I wanted to know what was going to happen when she got her memory back... if she got her memory back…. SHE HAD TO GET HER MEMORY BACK!

The Alice she was ten years ago and the Alice she has become collide in ways that can possibly be considered a “do over”.  Alice’s head injury takes her back ten years and when a softer, more easy going Alice is presented to the world through this… really anything is possible.  Right?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have my eye out for other books from this author.  The Hypnotist’s Love Story comes out mid 2014 and you can bet I am watching for that one.