Tag: Audio Review

Ethan Searle is a good looking guy by all accounts.  With his legs injured in an accident as a child, he feels that when women do look at him it is with pity.  Love has been something that has never really worked out for him.

Then one day while leaving church, Ethan catches the eye of two year old Britton and he thinks this beautiful little girl may have just stole his heart away.  Unfortunately, one look from Britton’s mother Autumn as she at first cautiously looks Ethan over, and then with pity when she sees his legs, and Ethan knows all to well that familiar rejection.

Autumn, carries her own ghosts.  After escaping an abusive marriage that left her miscarrying her first child and then escaping while pregnant with Brit, Autumn has no room in her heart for anyone but her own mother and Brit.

But does anyone know the magic that a two year old blue eyed baby girl holds in the palm of her hand?  As Autumn starts to warm up to Ethan and dare herself to possibly dream of a future together, she is unaware of the danger that is approaching.  Trent, her ex husband is recently out of jail and he has one thing on his mind, reclaiming what is his…. and what is his in his mind… is Autumn.

 

 

I have enjoyed Cami Checkett’s writing in the past.  I was first introduced to her writing in Sister Pact that I really enjoyed, and then again in Dead Running.  The Broken Road is the first of Cami’s books that I have listened to on audio.

The Broken Road is a sweet listen.  It reminded me a little of some of Nicholas Spark earlier works, perhaps a bit predictable, but good all the same.  I found Britton to be perhaps me favorite character, sweet and innocent she brought not only glue to Ethan and Autumn, but to the book itself.

Narrator Christy Crevier brought a sweet smooth rhythm to the audio. My only complaint was that the voice of Autumn came across as so young sounding that I found myself considering her age rather than listening, her voice sounded to be around 18 instead of a girl who had been married in her 20’s.

Autumn also comes across as a bit babyish at times, not only in narration, but in actions and words.  While not a deal breaker, it was annoying at times.

The story as a whole is a good one.  Checkett once again writes three dimensional characters that make for a pleasant reading experience.  As I mentioned earlier, fans of Sparks and clean light romance reads will enjoy this one.

Diane Keaton was born Diane Hall in 1946 (two years before my mother was born!).  After studying in the arts and graduating she took her mother’s maiden name Keaton as her own.  Then Again is a recap of Diane’s years growing up with a mom (Dorothy) who spent her early mom years reaching for something more by entertaining contests (and sometimes winning – Mrs. Los Angelas for Homemakers !).  Diane adored her, right through her golden years and her battle with Alzheimer. It was her moms early influence that caused Diane to want to be an actress. It is also about Diane’s battle with food addiction, and of course her movies.  She spends time talking about her earlier movies (many I have never seen) as well as the leading men not only on the screen, but in her life like Woody Allen, Warren Beaty, and Al Pacino.

Hmmmm….. I love the movies I have seen with Diane Keaton in them.  I have fond memories of The First Wives Club, Hanging Up, Father Of The Bride 1 and 2, Somethings Gotta Give, The Family Stone and Because I Said So.  She has always been that actress that is effortlessly funny. Needless to say when I started seeing positive murmurs of this memoir Then Again on the blogs, I knew I wanted to listen to it on audio as Diane Keaton narrates it herself.

Listening to Then Again is like sitting down and talking with Diane.  It was pleasant to listen to this as she reads like she is talking, with emotion, and sighs, laughs, and pauses.  At times, Diane is a slow steady pace and will list things or repeat sentences, like types of foods, or emotions, (and at one point even her bank account numbers!) which gave me a feeling she was trying to stretch her words.

I did like Then Again. She puts a lot more attention on the movies from her earlier career then the ones that I am more familiar with, but maybe that just gives me reason to watch some of her older movies.  She also spends a lot of time talking about her mother, and I was hoping for more Diane, but it was still interesting and I did come out the other side knowing a little more about the person I see on the screen.

 

 

It is early 1978, North Carolina.  An 11 year old boy, his father, grandfather, and a family friend are arriving at the families remote hunting property for a weekend of male pondering around the deer hunting season.  For the boy, this is his first year that he is allowed to hunt with the men.  He is ecstatic to be counted as one of them.  This is his year.

Then…

A poacher is seen on the property in the distance.  And the boy, even unknown to himself as to why, yet filled with the adrenaline of a hunt to begin aims his rifle and shoots. 

The poacher falls.

And the world for this group of hunters explodes into a whole new unknown world of accusations, fear, family loyalty, untrust, and for the boy….

A friend of mine had read Goat Mountain.  Her thoughts on this book brought it to my attention because it was different than anything I had read before.  So I found this one on audio and here are my thoughts.

Goat Mountain is a beautiful listen.  Yet it is also terrifying and disturbing.  As the events unravel over a weekends hunting trip, a fathers anguish, a grandfathers harsh words, the friends panic, but most disturbing – the young boys lack of…

remorse

feeling

emotion

Where this book may have been a win, I found it confusing that this story is being told by the boy many years later, although we are never given a glimpse of what happened between the accident weekend and the current time of the book.  Goat Mountain is about a hunting weekend, and I felt that if it was going to be about an event that happened years prior, it should have had something to bond the incident to the current time.  Perhaps to others this makes perfect sense, but when it ended it felt to me to be unfinished. 

I wish it would have left me with a better feeling but instead I felt as disjointed as the book came to be.

When once asked what advice Corey Feldman would give to parents who are raising kids in the industry he replied, get them out of Hollywood and let them lead normal lives.

 

Corey’s career began at three when he was in a McDonald’s commercial. His older sister Mindy was is the Mickey Mouse Club and one day someone heard Corey’s gravely voice while he was on his sisters set and he was hired as the voice of the fox in the Fox and The Hound.  From there Corey as he grew launched into larger roles and starred as a teen in The Goonies, Gremlins, Friday The 13th and Stand By Me. He built a strong lifelong friendship with Corey Haim when they started appearing in the same movies such as The Lost Boys, License To Drive, and Dream A Little Dream.

While some may think having the opportunities of being a teen star is glamorous, Corey, in his memoir paints quite a different picture.  A verbally and mentally abusive mom took all of his earnings and cost him more than one job.  His father was not much better, acting as his manager in Corey’s teen years and costing him larger roles by making Corey accept the smaller easy money roles.  When Corey put his foot down and told his dad that he could no longer manage him, his father kicked him out. 

Corey falls into the traps of Hollywood with drugs and alcohol and even abusive sex.  Told in a matter of fact way, Corey Feldman owns up to all of his past failures, painting quite a different picture than the one that we see on the screen.  When Corey Haim his friend of many years dies at the age of 38, Corey Feldman speaks strongly about the causes and rumors surrounding Haim’s death. 

An amazing memoir of strength and courage.

 

 

I grew up with the movies that both Corey Feldman and Corey Haim starred in.  Watching them on-screen they looked like your typical fun-loving teenagers and as a teen myself, I wished I could hang out with them.  Now, after listening to Corey Feldman’s memoir…. no way I should have wanted to hang out with them!  The things that they both went through is enough to make anyone sick and angry…. both boys really were lost boys.

At first I thought it was a little odd that Feldman talks so much about Haim and what his life was like in this memoir.  After I thought about it I feel that they were both so close, and Feldman probably knew Haim better than almost anyone.  Haim never got to share his story.  He wanted to… he just ran out of time.  To hear Feldman stick up for his friend when he was sexually abused, rumored to have been gay, and a drug addict is heart breaking.

I flew through this audio.  Read by Corey Feldman himself, I found the behind the scenes movie antics to be fun as that was what I like to know about in this memoirs of actors and actresses.  Really though, the childhood, the growing up and all the things we do not see, is what breathes life into the story.  So often you hear about these child stars lives at home and you are shocked.  Corey’s is no exception.  This memoir is brutally honest and I for one am glad to know Corey’s story. 

Recommended.

Cecilia Fitzpatrick has a reputation to protect.  The other women in her town after all look up to her.  She organizes many of the school functions, is always around to help where needed, and you did not even know you needed Tupperware until you attend one of Cecelia’s parties… and then you don’t know how you lived without it.  She has three wonderful daughters and a handsome husband.  What more could she want?  Then while looking around the attic she finds a letter from her husband sealed and saying to only open in the event of his death. And suddenly everything Cecelia thought was right in her life is turned upside down.

Tess O’Leary loves her job  and the fact that she is able to work beside her husband Will, and her cousin and best friend Felicity.  Then Felicity, who was always a bit heavy loves a significant amount of weight and along with Will, approaches Tess about their love for one another.  Stunned, Tess packs up her son Liam and goes to live with her mother in Sydney.

Rachel Crowley is a school secretary.  She loves being around children even though she lost her own daughter over 25 years ago to a murder that was never solved.  When new evidence turns up, Rachel has to decide if she can wait for the police to take action or will the anger and pain of all these years cause her to do the unthinkable.

These three women’s lives will intertwine in ways they do not see coming.  Through friendships and connections, the Husband’s Secret is not to be missed.

 

 

I listened to this book on audio and once it started, I had a hard time shutting it off!  Caroline Lee was an amazing narrator, she made the book come alive with each of the voices of the full cast of characters.  In an almost fun and snarky tone, I fell in live with this book through the narration.  It was just a lot of fun to listen to!

The Husband’s Secret was delightful, fast paced, and while dealing with serious subjects, it never came off as heavy.  I have heard the book is great, but audio listeners know that the audio is pretty fantastic too.

 

Note:  Because I enjoyed this book so much, I am currently downloading What Alice Forgot, by this same author.

 

Philippa Gregory weaves a fiction tale so fine through factual history that is at times hard to see where one begins and the other ends.  Fantastic reading!  ~Sheila

 

When Henry’s battle ends with a crown to a kingdom that he is not handed, but instead takes from the battle ground as his own , he know that his only hope is to marry the Princess Elizabeth of York to bind the Tudors and the Yorks after nearly two decades.

Elizabeth is both beautiful and strong-minded and in love with a man who was slain during this war.  Henry in turn shows Elizabeth no love or affection but instead parades her around as his prize possession and handles her roughly and against er will behind closed doors.

Ahhhh…. the lives of the Tudors and the Yorks.

In the hearts of those in England they hope and pray for someone to come along and return the power of the kingdom to the York’s.  When a young man come sup against the kingdom the battle begins as Henry fights to protect his stolen kingdom and Elizabeth watches with interest and fear as this man who claims to be her long-lost brother comes to return the power to York and Elizabeth now has to choose between a man she is coming to love and the boy who could save them all.

 

 

Why did I want to read this book?  Ever since The Boleyn Girl I have adores Phillipa Gregory’s writing.  Her writing flows with passion and facts and fills the holes that  time has created giving us “what if” to think about. 

 

The White Princess was just as fulfilling as I had hoped when I chose to listen tot his one on audio.  Narrator Bianca Amato is a fantastic choice for Gregory’s books as her accent is perfect for the narration and I found myself trying to roll words off my own tongue as she did.

“Whot?”  (What)

I tried a few at work but my rendition is nowhere near perfect as Bianca’s.  Audio book lovers, you will thank me when I tell you try this one in audio. 

Phillipa Gregory is not known as the “Queen Of Royal Fiction” without cause.  Her books are interesting and bring you right to the time of flowing gowns, castles filled with servants and royalty, and a longing to be a part of the court.  Every time I read her books I find myself fully engaged in whatever part of the story she is sharing at that moment.

The White Queen is breath-taking.  We meet Elizabeth in earlier Cousin War books, but this is the storyline where she takes her place as Queen on a throne that is both welcoming and torturous. With her mother by her side, when she is not forced to go elsewhere, Elizabeth tries to be the Queen in every sense of the word, holding her head high and not let others see the pain behind her eyes, behind closed doors, and nowhere to ever escape.

In a reading slump or looking for your next “WOW!”, open up any one of Phillipa Gregory’s books.  You do not have to read The Cousin’s War books in order, each one pops you right there and you will have no problem finding your place in the crowd of Gregory fans.