Category: audio review

The third and final book in Susan Beth Pfeffer’s trilogy, this world we live in brilliantly pulls everything from the first two books together.  In Life As We Knew It, Miranda and her family struggle to survive after the moon is knocked closer to the earth, at the exact same time in The Dead And The Gone , Alex and his sisters in another part of the world fear for their parents well-being as they battle to find food and turn to unthinkable deeds to stay together and stay alive.

Now, it has been a year since the meteor collided with the moon and destroyed the earths sense of climate balance.  Miranda and her brothers now search abandoned homes for any items that could be useful… batteries, blankets, clothing, tools, and if they are lucky… a little food. 

And things only escalate when Miranda’s dad shows up the scene with his new wife and baby as well as three strangers.  Now there are that many more mouths to feed… and that many more personalities all residing under the same roof with nowhere to go to get a little space from one another.  And the mysterious teenage boy that arrived with Miranda’s dad is stirring some feelings within her that she can not believe she is capable of under these dire circumstances.

Thanks to a comment from Angie on my The Dead And The Gone post, I suddenly realized I never wrote or posted a review for this third book in the series.  A quick blog search confirmed that.  I had listened to the audio in December and somehow…. just… well…

forgot to review it.  😯

While I LOVE LOVED the first book in this trilogy, and LOVED the second book, this one seemed to have lost its steam along the way of two story lines coming together.  While it was still an enjoyable read listen, I found myself not as engaged as the plot unfolded… 

Let me try to explain… what was exciting and scary in the first two books, was not so much in the third.  At this point it just felt like every day living in this new life of little food, irritations with one another, and the occasional adventure outside the walls of the fort like house.  I really found myself wondering where it was all going to go and then it just never seemed to get there.  In fact the way it did all end was open enough for me to wonder – was this a trilogy?  Or is there going to be a fourth book to tie this up better?

Obviously its hard to find a happy ending to a post apocalyptic world, but I did expect something to ignite an emotion in me other than confusion.  On the other hand, I was invested enough in the story from the two previous reads that if Susan Beth Pfeffer did come up with a fourth book, I would probably pick it up as I am still curious as to where this is all going.  In that way, I guess I hope where the book left off is not the end, not because it was so incredible I want more, but because it is so open I feel the story is unfinished. 

Susan Beth Pfeffer writes interesting and real characters and has a knack for creating a world that feels real enough to have me thinking of the “what if’s”.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

I rented this audio from my local library

Rees Dolly comes from a life of pure poverty.  At age 17 she struggles to take care pf herself, her two brothers, and her sickly mother.  Her father, a meth addict is constantly out of the picture and dealing with the law.  When Rees learns that her father has skipped out on bail AND that he had used the family home for his bond, she embarks out on her own to find him and bring him to his court date to save the family from becoming homeless. 

Her journey is not one of ease as the terrain of the Ozarks is rough and the relatives she meets along the way just as unpredictable as the land. 

I read many thoughts on Winter’s Bone in the last couple of years.  It was always in the back burner of my mind that this would some day be a book I would like to try.

When I recently found it on audible.com I was thrilled that I could try it on audio.  My results from this listen are not as raving as other reviews I have read.

First, let me say – it may have been the fact that I listened to it on audio.  As much as I LOVE audio, occasionally I find one that may have worked better in book format for me.  I think this may be one of those times.

I found myself lost in the Ozarks much of the book.  I had trouble following the different routes that Rees was taking along the way, the people she met, and ultimately her discovery.

Honestly…. I think it was me.

I will watch the movie now that I have experienced the audio.  I still think this has a lot of potential and I don’t think I connected well, but feel I missed something early on that left me baffled the rest of the time.  A wonderful review of this book can be found at Linus’ Blanket.  This is one of the reviews I had read that made me want to read this as well.

 

Fun Fact:  Just as I was getting ready to post this review I took a second look at the actress who plays Rees in the movie.  After a fast search on Google, I discovered that the actresses name is Jennifer Lawrence, and as per my suspicions… she is also the actress who is playing Katniss in the Hunger Games movie.

I purchased this audio from audible.com

Steve Martin.  Probably a household name, if not for his stand up comedy act, then for his many movies through the years:  The Jerk, Three Amigo’s, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Pink Panther, Cheaper By The Dozen, It’s Complicated, and Father Of The Bride (my fav!) just to name a few that I am aware of. 

At age 10, Steve Martin got his start selling guidebooks at the newly opened Disneyland. In the years that followed, he worked in Disney’s magic shop, print shop, and theater, and developed his own magic/comedy act. By age 20,  he was performing a dozen times a week, most often at the Disney rival, Knott’s Berry Farm.

As time went on, Steve found himself being hired in clubs to do his magic act and stand up comedy and for many years these night clubs were close to having no patrons come see his show, or in one case, a group of Japanese salesmen who did not speak any english. 

When Steve did become a big name – it was fast and it was furious and taught Steve not only about the business of acting – but much about himself as well.

I remember in about 8th or 9th grade I became  fan of Steve Martin.  I had his comedy act on a record (20 somethings and younger ask your parents what this is…) and my friends would come over and laugh ourselves silly while listening to it.  I remember it was the first record (that word again) that I was allowed to have that had any sort of mild foul language in it and I thought it was fantastic.

The funny thing is that until I listened to this audio, I have no idea how old Steve Martin must have been when I was listening to him in the 80’s.  I discovered the year I was born…. he was 21.  That would put him probably in his mid 30’s by the time I started listening to him and thinking he was funny.  I think that is a little mind-blowing to think from his perspective that as his career is starting to take off at age 21, I am born and it will be another 14 – 15 years before I laugh at him.  😛

I really wanted to love this audio… I really did.  In all honesty perhaps it was other audio memoirs that I have listened to recently that made this one a bit of a disappointment to me.  Rob Lowe’s story blew me away.  Jane Lynch’s tell all was informative and funny.

So what was wrong with Steve, Sheila?

I felt it lacked pizzazz.  While Steve read this himself, which I LOVE, he almost read it monotone. Even when he talked about the jokes , and tag lines he had been known for (IE.  “I am a wild and crazy guy!!!!”), they came off as thought Steve was reading from a script.

As the audio, went on, it was interesting.  I liked learning about the early days, when he almost gave up as he performed to minimal audiences, to the 5 years of amazing career, when the age of stand up comedy exploded and Steve rose to the top filling arenas with 45,000+ people a show.  I can imagine that is some pretty heady stuff.

It was also interesting learning about his family.  His fathers lack of approval in what Steve was doing, and his distancing himself away from his entire family, including his sister who adored him.

And then, I think most disappointing was that as his on stage career came to an end – so did the audio.  Abruptly.  As in I was getting ready this morning and thought the audio was pausing between chapters… but no, it was over.  Steve did not go into his steps beyond the comedy.  He talked little of his movies, relationships, or other stars he friended along the way.  It felt lacking and left me….

hanging.

I feel a little bad about this as I read other reviews and they are raves.  Yet I honestly checked my audible account to make sure it wasnt a two-part audio and I had missed something.  It really felt… unfinished.

Is the audio worth listening too?

Sure.  I think maybe I was expecting more and discovering this audio is only about his stand up career…. was disheartening, and that is all on me.  Steve shares a true rags to riches story that is interesting, but a lot of details even during that time period feel left out.

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stopped the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train was surprisingly full for the time of the year. But by the morning there was one passenger fewer. An American lay dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. With tension mounting, detective Hercule Poirot comes up with not one, but two solutions to the crime…

Uh….. confession time.  Up until now… I have never read Agatha Christie.  😯  I know, I know.  I have wanted to…. I just never did.

Ryan from Wordsmithonia is a huge fan and he inspired me.  Then Julie at Booking Mama held a contest and I won a copy of the book and seriously as excited as I was, you would think that was enough of a push….

yet…. it sat.

Then I came across it on audible.com and I knew that would be the answer – I would go audio.  And, Christy fans, or newbies like me…. this was a fun choice.

David Suchet was the perfect narrator.  When he would do the voices of the women on the train (especially the snippy ones) I laughed out loud.  Seriously. I may have even snorted a bit.  😀  Fantastic narration.  You can listen to him here.

As for the story itself… it was an experience.  There are a lot of character/suspects.  I tend to like books with less characters as when there are so many I tend to either get confused on who is who, or I feel they are not developed well enough for me to remember them beyond the turn of the page…

However – as each character was interviewed about the crime… I felt as though I did get a feel for who each of them were (even if I did wrongfully accuse a few!).  There were twelve other passengers on the train… each with some connection….

Does everyone remember the original game board Clue?

LOL…. seriously though.  Fantastic listening experience.  I do plan now to go through it again in the book.  I am always impressed when an older (much older) read touches me.  I tend to read more modern books… and Murder On The Orient Express was originally published in the UK in 1934. 

I would recommend that if you have not experienced Agatha Christie that you make it a point to do so in 2012.  This book was exciting, funny, and interesting…. a brilliant over all experience.

Wolfe Boone, known as “Boo”, is why Skary Indiana is even on the map.  A horror novelist who keeps pumping out the best sellers and drawing in the tourists.  The town, adores him and does everything they can to draw in the additional revenue of the tourists by playing up to the “scary” theme…. the local restaurant is called the Haunted Mansion Restaurant, famous for it’s bloody fingers (fires splattered with ketchup) and bookstore is Spooky’s Books (where employees dress like the walking dead).

There is one person in Skary however that does not adore the famous Wolfe Boone.  Ainsley Parker, daughter of the local Sheriff, is not a fan.  Ainsley works at the Haunted Mansion Restaurant and has to put up with the gory menu and the vampire teeth when she works.  Ainsley feels her town is ridiculous, all catering to one man’s awful novels.

But, when Wolfe suddenly finds faith and decided to quit writing horror novels, Ainsley finds a side to the man she never knew before.  Genuinely funny, and honest, she may even be falling for them. 

Yet the residents of Skary can have none of that!  If Wolfe stops writing the horror novels, what will happen to the tourism?  Their town?  Soon, a scheme is plotted to put the fright back into Skary–and get their most famous resident out of love and back into the thrill business.

Ok.. ok… this book (audio) was a bit funny.  But last year when Hannah at Wordlily ran a feature on the author, Rene Gutteridge.  I proceeded to read Snitch and Listen last March, and really enjoyed it and meant to get back to the author before this – but as you know… life happens… books happen…

Last week in my library as I browsed the audio section, I came across the Boo series.  Remembering my experience with Rene Gutteridge in the past, I quickly grabbed this first audio.

Listening to Boo, was a great choice.  A funny story, great narration, and all around a great break from heavier, deeper reads. 

Ok… and a confession.  When I would picture the Ainsley dating discussions with her over protective father the sheriff… I could not help but picture Bella and Charlie from the Twilight series over there discussion about Edward… errr, in this case…. Wolfe. 

If you are looking for a light hearted fun audio, I recommend Rene Gutteridge’s Boo series… great characters and a narration that will have you smiling… all through the audio.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

Loaned from my local library

 

When 17 year old Alex Morales knows life has changed forever, he was working at Joey’s Pizza.  His major concerns at the time was getting elected for senior class president and keeping his grades up to get into the college of his choice.  His family owned an apartment complex and along with his two younger sisters, Alex lived there with his mom and dad.

Who knew that an asteroid would hit the moon knocking it closer to the earth and causing life as he knew it to change forever.  His father who was away at his grandmothers funeral never returns home.  His mother who was working at the hospital is not heard from either.  Suddenly Alex is fighting for the survival of himself and his sisters in what fast turns Manhattan into a deadly wasteland.

Alex tries to hold it together and make the best choices while he waits hopefully, for one of his parents to return…. but time keeps on going by and life… is not getting any easier.

 

This follow-up book to Life As We Knew It is told during the same time frame as Miranda’s story was.  The difference is Miranda was in Pennsylvania when the meteor hit, and Alex was in New York.  By reading this story you find that New York, was much worse.

A much darker tale of the human need for survival, Alex’s story is haunting.  New York is in a panic.  While Alex has food in the apartment, it quickly runs out.  No stock piling from grocery stores happened like it did in Miranda’s story.  Alex instead finds food by checking the abandoned apartments, and eventually doing a little something he calls “body hunting” with his friend Kevin where they find the fresh dead (sorry, but there it is) and take anything of value from them… shoes, jewelry, clothing, wallets… to barter for food. 

Alex’s sisters are younger, Julie is extremely needy and panicky, Bri has health issues and needs a lot of attention.

While this can leave a gruesome image (and did), I had to think what would life be like if we only had ourselves to count on.  All outside sources as gone – no stores, no hospital…Life As We Knew It and I applaud Susan Beth Pfeffer’s vision to recreate the story but this time, there are no parents to turn too, and this is not a safe community.Alex and his family have a strong Catholic faith which wavers throughout the book – but never is set aside, not even in the worst of times.

If you enjoy Dystopia, this is a series you much check out.

 

I listened to this on audio checked out from my local library

I am hoping that you all have experienced this fictional GREATNESS by now so my telling you about it would be a total waste of my time and yours…

but…

in the event that you have just entered to the planet earth after orbiting for the last few years I give you this:

Welcome to the Nation of Panem, the world after the final world war and now what is left is a world broke into twelve districts.  Panem is a hard place to live, food is minimum, and each year a teenage boy and a teenage girl from each district is chosen to enter the Hunger Games… a televised arena (think Super bowl audience) of a fight to the death. Only one may stand as winner of the Hunger Games.

16-year-old Katniss Everdeen is the sole provider for her mother and young sister Primrose.  They live in district 12 and this years Hunger Games are about to be announced.  As district Twelve gathers to hear who will be chosen this year, the girl’s name is announced: “Primrose Everdeen.”  Katniss feels her mind go blank as she watches her little sister, first year to have her name in the Games, and does what she knows she must do…

steps in place of her sister.

I read this book two years ago, even thought the synopsis freaked me out a bit.  Kids fighting to the death?  But the blogs were raving and I went in to the read cautiously… and never looked back. 

Now, this coming March 2012 The Hunger Games will be a movie!  (Insert SSSQQQUUUEEEEEE here 😛 )  and in honor of that, I thought it was time to explore Panem again, but this time around in audio.  narrated by a fantastic Carolyn McCormick, it did not take me long to get back into the rhythm of the Hunger Games.  In fact, while baking most of the afternoon and evening on Tuesday I listened to almost the whole audio in one listen!  (It really was a lot of baking…)

It was nice to revisit this book and if you have not experienced this yet I recommend you take some time before the movie release and do so!  Here is a little movie clip to get you motivated:

I purchased this audio from audible.com

 

 

At age 15, Rob Lowe found himself as one of the first teen idols at a time when actors under the age of 20 were not a big deal.  Young and naive Rob learned the hard way about life as a star and struggled through many movies in his early career days such as starting with a couple after school specials, then onto The Outsiders, Class, ST Elmo’s Fire, Young Blood, Masquerade, About Last Night, Wayne’s World, Tommy Boy, The West Wing, and Brothers and Sisters just to name a few.

Rob’s story is multi layered as he opens up Pandora’s box and shares the excitement of the first big break, to the pain of poor choices, bad publicity, and then finally… finding himself among the wreckage and pulling himself out. 

 

I came into knowing Rob in the mid 80’s.  I would say if you were to ask me what he is known for I would immediately gush out something like “St. Elmo’s Fire!”  (I don’t think I have ever even seen The Outsiders.)  Basically, no, I was not a groupie. 😀

When this book came out I confess mild interest… I had heard through the years of his struggles with alcohol, but nothing that made me run out and grab the book.  Then when I seen the audio was narrated by Rob, I was a little more interested, and finally went ahead and picked it up.

 

Here is what I expected from this audio:

Tales of a child star, movies and tv show connections, crashing and burning at an early age, how he pulled himself together, and a little info about his current life.

 

I did not expect:

Connections to powerful people at a very young age, long before he made a name for himself, painful revelations into his early acting career, behind the scenes play by plays to such movies as The Outsiders where most of Rob’s parts never make it to the screen, a loss of many friends to drugs at a young age, an incredibly life shattering experience and connection tot he events of 9-11, and a couple times where I just openly wept as I listened.

 

Never sounding braggy, or conceited, in a very calm and amazing narration, Rob Lowe shares the stories of his career.  The early days of hanging out with the likes of Shawn and Chris Penn, Charlie Sheen and Emelio Estevez, this was his original brat pack. 

His early childhood was one of hardships, parents were divorced by age 5, and his mom struggled with mental health issues…yet Rob finds himself in amazing situations!   Once while doing a little theater he encounters a heart to heart talk with Liza Minneli and another time has a conversation with Tally Savalis.

While this may all sound like yeah, yeah, yeah…. stuff, when Rob gets into talking about the auditions surrounding the well known movie The Outsiders, you really feel for him.  In great detail you hear about the painstaking readings of any part at random.  How he struggled and eventually succeeded to get the part of Pony Boy, only to be shocked when he is not invited to a big pre screening and again when the movie is finally on the big screen and much of what he has done is cut out.

And Rob talks about death.  It seemed to be all around him even at a young age.  He names friends who overdosed, others – suicide.  As Robb listed name after name I was amazed, and this follows him all the way through his life.  At one point he talks about shooting for the cover of George Magazine, the magazine ran by his friend John Kennedy, after Rob had completed the shoot, John, his wife, and sister-in-law were on their way to connect with Rob when their plane went down… the rest… is history.

And story after story is like this.  Through his struggles with addiction and eventually rehab, to scandals that cost him much, Rob is never finger-pointing, never accusatory.  Instead, he is … humble.  He is quick to accept his blame.

At times I laughed,  Rob does a funny impression on Chris Farley (shoot, he does many great voices!) eating pieces of steak with butter on it, and at times I cried, when once again Rob shares the loss of yet another actor.

I can’t tell you how much this audio this moved me.  I had no big crush on Rob as a teenager, if anything… I found him a little too pretty.  I listened to this audio, myself being an outsider, I looked in to a soul that made me look around the room and wonder why I had not gathered friends to listen to this with me.  This is an audio I want to share.  It may very well be the best audio memoir I have listened to this year.

If you were a fan – or not, I HIGHLY recommend you treat yourself to this audio.  Days after finishing it, I am still moved. 

 

I picked this up from audible.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I do not tell lies. Mother used to say that this was because I was a good person. But it is not because I am a good person. It is because I do not tell lies.”

~Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night

When Christopher Boone’s neighbor’s dog is killed with a garden fork, Christopher is falsely accused of the crime.  Christopher is 15 and autistic.  Christopher knows he did not kill the dog and says so as he does not lie.  And he does not joke, because he does not understand them, so he is telling the truth.

Christopher loves Sherlock Holmes and decides he is going to investigate what happened to the dog, just like Sherlock Holmes would do.  Christopher’s investigation leads him to not only find out about the dog but some deep secrets about his own family.

Being autistic makes the investigation all the more difficult as Christopher calms himself by solving math problems in his head, will not eat any food that touches another food or is the colors yellow or brown, and screams if he is touched.

You can listen to a sample of the audio here  *note there is some swearing in this clip*

Many years ago, so many I do not recall the year (at least 5 years ago) but I do recall we were in Grizzley’s restaurant, my book club the Bookies reviewed this book.  At the time, I was baffled by it.  I loved the synopsis, but the book, told from Christopher’s perspective, was difficult to follow and the pages of math problems went right over my head (I have always said I am a word girl, not a number girl).  😛

Yet, many in my book club raved about this read.  One girl in particular had so many great things to say about it, I felt I obviously had missed something and vowed to try it again some day.  Since that time the book has sat, like new, on my book shelf… waiting on me.

Recently, I seen the audio version on audible.com on the sale list.  I have said many times that audio can make the difference in a book that I may find difficult to read, so I thought I would give it this second try.

I am so glad I did!  Christopher came alive  for me through the narration of Jeff Woodman.  Christopher’s character is brilliantly smart and remembers every detail. Suddenly I found myself longing to know more of this autistic boys story and I learned to love his dry humor as he did not get sarcasm and took everything someone said literally.

Author Mark Haddon writes an amazingly deep and loving story for his debut as an author.  This was no easy task to take on and Mark handles the inner workings of Christopher’s autistic mind like a pro.  The characters all felt real, at times painfully so, as you seen close up that we as human beings are flawed in so many ways.

Highly recommended in audio.  Treat yourself to this one!

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include Curious Incident Of The Dog

I purchased this audio from audible.com