Tag: Audio

1st To Die by James Patterson

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments

“What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?” the killer muses to himself early in the narrative. “Am I capable of doing it? Do I have what it takes?” Answering his own question, he embarks on a murderous spree that takes him from the bridal suite in a Nob Hill hotel to a honeymoon destination in the Napa Valley and thence to a wedding reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Dispatching his victims on the happiest day of their lives, he purposefully leaves enough clues for his distaff trackers to discover his identity and put him behind bars. But just when the women think they’ve got the case all wrapped up, the killer turns the tables on them in a bloody denouement that even the most discerning reader won’t see coming.

In a word…

“oh-oh.”

 


I have always wanted to try this series but as in most LARGE series, if I didn’t grab on to the reads from the get go, I tend to look at the large amount of books i would have to catch up on to be current and then decide I don’t want to commit.  In this case, I found this audio on sale at audible.com for $4, and thought why not give it a try.

Well… I will tell you right now why not…

Because Sheila, what if you like it?  What is the whole Woman’s Murder Club turns out to be an awesome series?  What is you enjoy the characters and the mystery and figuring it out like you are part of the club?  What are you going to do then?  Huh?  Huh? Huh?

(I am pretty cruel to myself…)

Well…. since that IS what happened.  And I DID really enjoy this read.  I guess I am going to have to move on to the next in the series… 2nd Chance.

Honestly, this surprises me as I have not always liked some of Patterson’s older works… but here I am thinking Lindsey is awesome and the rest of the women in the club too!  What do you get when you have a Homicide Inspector (Lindsey), a medical examiner (Claire), an assistant D.A. (Jill), and a reporter (Cindy)?  You get an awesome kick butt group of women who are tough and protective of their friendship, will share a bottle of wine along with lunch, and go to bat for one another in the blink of a well made up eye.

The crimes… newly weds are being murdered – and the evidence is closing in on a well-known author who not only writes murder mysteries, but appears to have written this one as well!  As Lindsey works with her partner Chris (on duty and off), the pieces come together shockingly fast… but is it too fast?  Is it all just a little too simple?

I enjoyed Lindsey as the main character and I really liked puzzling out the “who did it” and loved that in the end – even though I thought I knew, I didn’t know… and that was a bonus “ooh!!!!” to the read.

Yes, I joke as much as the next person about James Patterson’s short chapters, but this sweet 20,000 chapter book…. (kidding, it was more like 112), was a huge enjoyment for the mystery lover in me.

Amazon Rating

 

The 2011 WHERE Are You reading Map has been updated to include 1st To Die

Purchased from audible.com

 

The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)28 Comments

 

Betta Nolan, 55,  has been a widow now in Boston for several months after her beloved husband John died of liver cancer.  Per his wishes, she moves out to the Midwest to fulfill their dream and start a new life.  Betta who is an author of children’s book, sells the home she and John had lived together in and moves into an oversized Victorian home in Stewart Illinois.

While trying to piece together this new life for herself, Betta tracks down her three college roommates, Lorraine, Maddy, and Susanna.  When they hear of the loss of Betta’s husband they are all very sympathetic and agree to come to her home for a weekend and rekindle their friendship of all those years ago.

As Betta starts to mold into this new life she meets a few people in town, a handyman names Matthew, his horrific girlfriend, and Matt’s roommate Giovanni.  She also meets an interesting older man, closer to her age named Tom Bartlett.  While all these changes in her life seem good and positive, Betta questions her move and wonders if perhaps she shouldn’t go back to Boston and try to recapture her old life.

 

 

Betta's Brownstone style home in Boston

 

 

 

Betta's Victorian style home in Illinois

 

 

 

Sound a little familiar?  I recently listened to and reviewed Elizabeth Berg’s Home Safe... about a widow, who was an author, who had an opportunity to move…  listening to these so close together… was at times confusing as I would mix them in my head.

Beyond that, the storyline is quite different.  For one, Betta is a strong woman unlike Home Safe’s Helen.  Betta also has friends where Helen seemed to lean almost completely on her 27-year-old daughter.

Oh but here is another thing that the two main characters had in common for me…. Betta, bugged me.

I know, I know… I should be tarred and feathered!  I really have enjoyed Elizabeth Berg’s books for the most part and fully plan to continue reading her works through 2011, but these widowed women characters…. GAH!  Not that this storyline isn’t a wonderful one to work with, it’s just that Helen was too unsure of herself… and Betta…. Betta moved to fast into the “relationship” department for my liking.

There I said it.  I mean… she had not even been a widow for that long….. and the book gave every impression that the marriage was a good one.  And I know… that is just my opinion.

Moving on… I think my favorite part of the book was Betta reconnecting with her College friends.  I wish that storyline would have been larger. While their friendship does become a big part of the book, I did not find these characters to be developed enough for me to really know who they were that leads to what happens in the end of the book.

As long as I seem to be dishing out opinions here:  I loved the character of Giovanni, found Matthew to be wishy-washy, Tom was … well Tom, and just because I feel like saying it, I think the mailman’s shorts were too tight.  (Ok… ok, I made that up…. I do not even recall meeting a mailman in this book…. :razz:)

Seriously though, again this did not fall into a favorite of mine for Berg but I am glad I had the opportunity to listen to it.  Elizabeth works with a great array of characters that I have enjoyed meeting along the way, if I befriend them or not.

 

Amazon Rating

 

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include The Year Of Pleasures

I borrowed this audio from my library

 

Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

Helen Ames was a beloved wife and a prolific author.

Was.

Since her husband Dan died she no longer feels that she is either.  Unable to move on from his death, Helen is not sure how to do life without him.  Her writing is non existent and a particularity disastrous speaking engagement leaves her wondering what purpose she serves without the titles “wife” and “author”.

Meanwhile, Helen’s 27 year old daughter Tessa is losing patience with her now seemingly helpless and smothering mother.  Tessa longs for branching out into her own life but feels anchored down by her mom’s overbearing neediness.  Tessa is constantly being called upon by Helen to help with the household tasks that used to belong to Dan.

Then Helen discovers that the finances that she never paid much attention too as Dan told her never to worry as there was plenty for her to live on and then some…. these very finances have had a significant withdrawal, made by Dan before he died.  Suddenly Helen has a new set of worries…. what did Dan do with all that money?  How will she now provide for herself when her accountant tells her she needs to be careful financially but seems to have no skills or ambition to learn anything new?


My adventures with Berg continue.  😀

Out of everything I have read/listened to by Elizabeth Berg this one may have been the biggest stretch for me.  And the reason for that is silly.  It’s Helen.

Helen has qualities I just don’t like.  She is co dependent.  Needy and unsure of herself in every way and for some reason these characteristics…..

bug me.

I know that is ridiculous and I wonder what I find in myself that makes me want women, fiction and not, to be strong, independent, and able to stand on their own two feet.

Ok… that said, I did enjoy listening to this on audio and applaud Elizabeth Berg for not only being an amazing prolific writer, but also reader.  I have really come to enjoy her audios and when she reads them herself – even better.  I can not say that about every author I have listened to on audio that has read their own work.

While Helen is this character that is not sure which way to turn  – I am quite sure she is exactly the character that Elizabeth Berg meant her to be.  You can hear it is Elizabeth’s (as the narrator) voice and I wish I had a couple examples in my head right now of that dialogue that Helen would have as she pretty much questioned every step she took.  Unfortunately, one of the down falls of audio is that I do not have the pages to flip back through to make that perfect quote so you can go “oh yeah…. I see what you mean.”

As the story line continues you see that Helen does start to find her own way and her relationship with Tessa is very realistic as Tessa tries hard to be patient with her mom while at the same time trying to get her mom to be responsible for her own life and making things happen.  One of the things I really enjoyed in this audio was how often Tessa came to this point:

“Mom.  Mom.  Mom.  MOM.”

I think I may have loved this even more because it is said in a dead pan voice.

Final thoughts:  I did enjoy this audio.  It was not a favorite from this author mainly because some of the plot created many unanswered questions… I did however still appreciate the diversity in writing that I have come to enjoy in Elizabeth Berg’s work.

Amazon Rating

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include Safely Home


This audio was rented from my local library

Audio Suggestions for 2011… Recommended Listening

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)59 Comments

It is no surprise to my regular readers that I am a BIG audio book fan.  I wasn’t always this way but about a year and a half ago I discovered that there are so many different ways to listen to them that they actually help me make time for books I wish I could get to.  I know many of you have said that you have trouble concentrating on audio but here is how I do it:

  • In the mornings while I get ready I have a book going in my IPOD in the speakers and I listen while I prep for the day
  • In the kitchen cd player while I cook or while I clean
  • In my IPOD with ear buds while I mow the lawn in the summer
  • In my car while I drive…. it really passes the time and I find I enjoy car rides so much more and when I have to travel alone – it is ideal!

My biggest audio dilemma is choosing them.  I can be a real audio snob.  I am a firm believer that the narrator can make or break a perfectly good book.  I never knew this would be the case until I experienced bad narration.

This is where you come in – those of you who have experienced great audio – I am asking for your assistance.  What I am currently experiencing is that I am need of good audio – and I do not know what to choose for fear of the “bad experience”.   I would like to make a 2011 audio play list based on your recommendations.  If I listen to that audio I will mention that you recommended the audio in my review.

Please share hear the audio books you have LOVED.  A few of you left me suggestions on the Monday What Are You reading Post and I thank you for that.  Due to your recommendations, I am now listening to The Art of Racing in The Rain (thank you Margaret of Just One More Chapter, Please)

I plan to make a list of your recommendations and put them up on my sidebar so others can look at what has been recommended for audio as well.   I will also include audio that I have particularly enjoyed too.

The Postcard Killers by James Patterson (Audio Giveaway)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)44 Comments

Thank you to Hachette Audio for offering me three copies of this audio to give away to lucky readers of Book Journey!


Paris is stunning in the summer

NYPD detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe’s most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren’t what draw him–he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each cafe through the eyes of his daughter’s killer.

The killing is simply marvelous

Kanon’s daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders, other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim.

Wish you were here

Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter, Dessie Larsson, who has just received a postcard in Stockholm–and they think they know where the next victims will be.

I know many of you are not big audio fans but I have to tell you – if you were to try audio (and I a going to continue bugging you of course on this!  😉  )  Patterson is a sure win.

If you have read any of my past reviews on Patterson’s  I have raved about the quality.  In fact I have probably not read James Patterson in 5 years, but I have listened to just about everything he has put out on audio.

SO why not give audio a try and look here – I am offering a giveaway where you may be able to do just that!  If you love a good thriller mystery – come along and try Patterson!

How to enter

If you are a book person even if you have not read Patterson you must have seen that the man has a new book coming out at least once a month recently.  I read that he has a large conference table in his study that is covered with unfinished manuscripts.  Amazing!

So to enter this giveaway, I would like you to come up with a character for a Patterson book (and remember his genres are not only mystery so go with whatever) and a scenario:  such as,

Johnathon Winters:  Once second-hand store owner/ hitman now Priest and undercover FBI

😆  Or something like that

Bonus Entries

Tweet, blog, or add this giveaway to your Facebook page and receive an extra chance by letting me know here in a separate comment

Subscribe to Book Journey (upper right sidebar – third down) and let me know in a separate comment and receive two bonus chances

This giveaway will end on September 17.  USA and Canada only please.


The Island by Elin Hilderbrand audio giveaway

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)65 Comments

Thank you again to Hachette for allowing me to have 3 copies of this audio set to give to my readers.

Four women-a mother, her sister, two grown daughters-head to Tuckernuck for a retreat, hoping to escape their troubles. Instead, they find only drama, secrets, and life-changing revelations.

How To Enter this Giveaway

I am not giving up on summer yet and I love books about beaches, vacations, friendships, and sun!  To enter this giveaway please leave a comment here letting me know what book you recommend as a “must read” for me yet this summer.  *If I can get the book in audio that is worth a bonus entry. (You much complete this task to be entered)


Want more chances to win?

For two extra chances to win, become a subscriber  (or be a current subscriber) of this blog (do this in the upper right side bar) and let me know in a separate comment

Blog about this giveaway and let me know in a separate comment and receive two more entries

Twitter about this giveaway or link tot his giveaway on Facebook and let me know here for another entry

This giveaway will end on September 1.  USA and Canada entrants only please.

Oh, and prefer to have a book to an audio?  Elizabeth over at Thoughts From An Evil Overlord has three copies of this available for giveaway in hard cover!

Chosen: House Of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (Audio)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

Zoey Redbird really has her hand’s full.  As a fledgling vampyre, living at the House Of Night, a school for teens like herself, she couldn’t be more stretched.  Her Grandmother is doting, her mother is not understanding this “choice” Zoey has made, her boyfriend …well seriously, that’s a whole other issue, and her best friend is dead.  Or is she?


This audio was a genre stretch for me.  Yes I like YA reads, but I have not  dabbled too much in the paranormal.   I find that if I am going to tackle a difficult story or a genre I may or may not like, audio can help pave the way.  When I picked this one out at audible.com, I did not realize I was stepping into the middle of a series, book 3 of 7, to be exact.

*sigh*  Rookie error…. always, always, check the books (especially YA, to make sure you are starting with book one)

Honestly, I didn’t think I would really enjoy this audio but I wanted to give it a try.  I liked the voice of narrator Edwina Wren right from the start.  Edwina really captures an amazing voice for Zoey.  Youthful, bored, overwhelmed…. I can hear it.  Edwina handles the other characters in this audio with a smooth ease, changing from one voice to the other, in a distinct manner and I immediately knew who was speaking.

I have to admit, I seem to have a preference for male narrators, especially when there is many voice changes.  Women narrators tend to struggle with the male voice parts and it comes off as sounding fake or forced.   Edwina handles the voice changes so smoothly I didn’t even think about the male voices.

And as I listened to this audio that I was not going to like… I started to really like it.  I liked Zoey, even when she irritated me with her boyfriend issues.  I laughed as she struggled with what she sarcastically called “Birthmas”, the combination gifts she seemed to always receive because her birthday was so close to Christmas.   She could almost guarantee that gifts for her birthday would b wrapped in festive reds and greens and a snowman – well that was just a bonus.

There were parts that I didn’t enjoy – for one, too much talk of blood for my liking.  Secondly, too much “sexual action,”, with more than one boyfriend, Zoey does have some issues she really needs to work out.   I can see where the appeal to YA’s would be;  I am just not sure where I stand in the midst of a well read, mostly appealing audio.

So here is a dilemma for me… I landed almost  in the middle of this 7 book series.  They are in order:  Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed, Hunted, Tempted, and Burned. (Here is a link) Do I back track?  Do I move forward from here?  Or can I just walk away from the series leaving Zoey to the next phase, the next battle… without me?


Book Journey’s map has been updated to include Chosen

When in Tulsa, your coffee stop of choice is Nordaggio’s which is known for amazing coffee and gelato

Cover Story:  I like it a lot.  It holds a mystery and is applicable to the story itself

I purchased this audio from audible.com

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (audio week June 21-25)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments


15-year-old Scarlett is thrilled that Summer is here!  In New York city, Scarlett lives in their family owned hotel, Hopewell, where everyone is pitching in to help make ends meet. Along with brother Spencer (19) is an out of work actor, sister Lola (18),and little sister Marlene (11), things are bound to be interesting.

A tradition in Scarlett’s family is that when you turn 15, you receive a room in the hotel to call your own and be in full care of it and its occupants.  Scarlett receives the Empire Suite, and along with it, a starlet called Ms. Amberson.  As life is starting to look a little interesting, in enters Eric, a nineteen year old actor who is causing Scarlett to think that maybe.. just maybe, this will turn out to be the best summer of her life.


This is my first experience with Maureen Johnson and I was excited to give this one a listen.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear the youthful voice of narrator Jeannie Stith.  Told in this sweet story sort of way I could imagine listening to this with a young teen girl.

The story line was catching, lite, and fun.  I really liked the characters and enjoyed Scarlett’s adventures.  Ms. Amberson really adds to the adventure as she begins giving Scarlett tasks to do.  This was a young YA (if that makes sense).  Its fun and funny and I listened to this audio straight through, at many times with a big smile on my face.

Book Journey’s had updated the book travel map to include Suite Scarlett

Cover Story:  I really like this cover, it is age appropriate and hold a little mystery to it with the gold key.  There is a second cover I have seen with a girl on the cover with messy blond hair and bright red lipstick,  the girl looks to be 18 or so in age and older than what Scarlett is in this book, causing me to prefer the fun pinkish one pictured here with the key.

I received my copy of this audio from our BBC bags in New York

where Maureen Johnson was the speaker for this event

Audio Books… Can You Hear Me Now?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)55 Comments



I have been planning to do an audio post for a while now and when I seen that Jen from  Devourer Of Books was having an Audio Book Week, I knew I had to jump on board and support this.

I love audio and I have expressed that time and again on this blog.  I really started listening to them last summer when I received a few for review through Hachette audio.  I discovered that while I was traveling during the summer months I preferred listening to audio over the radio.

Here are some times that audio is more beneficial that books:

  1. It is hard to read and cook.  You either wind up burning dinner; the book, or both.  Audio can play at a safe distance from all things flammable and you can stir or chop or set the table while listening.

  2. Driving and reading is frowned upon.  It could get you a ticket or worse.  Audio cds are fair game in the car and feel free to yell to your hears content when the character makes you angry, and pull over and weep on the steering wheel when alas…. the incredible read comes to a heartbreaking end.

  3. I can sweep and mop the floor and not try to balance a book while doing it or feel disgruntled because the house work is cutting into my reading time.  Wash and fold laundry, dust,do windows – even mow the lawn all while listening to audio.

  4. Sometimes a book on the treadmill can be difficult and dangerous.  Drop that baby on the tread and you could take a nasty spill.  On the other hand, pop in an audio and you are moving right along getting into a great story and  have the added benefit of not hearing the guy running next to you gasping for breath.

Ok – I am just being funny here – but the point is that audio can go where books can not.  I have only listened to audio for a little over a year now and I love it.  A great audio has made long road trips interesting and bearable.  Just this afternoon I sat in my car in the garage to hear what was going to happen to Mike Bennett as he defused a hostage situation in James Patterson’s Step On A Crack.  In my bathroom while I get ready in the morning my IPOD sits in its speakers and I hear Zoey make tough decisions about life and death…. literally in House of Night: Chosen by Kristin Cast.  In my CD player for when I am buzzing around the house Jim Dale takes me back to Hogwarts with Harry and Ron in a voice that I love and makes up for the fact that I do not have time to sit down and re-read this series I love so much.

This may be a bit much, but my point is that I can turn on an audio as I do my life.

What I would like to know from my readers is – if you do not do audio… why not? (expect me to try to change your mind 😀 )

And if you do like  audio, I would love to hear what book is awesome on audio, as I am still new to this but when you find one that is read well – it is like finding the gold ticket in the Wonka Bar…. you already had the delicious chocolate, the ticket is just a bonus!  😀

My favs at this time have been:

The Kite Runner read by Khaled Hosseini (author) Blew me away!

Anything by James Patterson – his readers are wonderful!

House Rules by Jodi Piccoult is read by 6 different people and is incredible

The Harry Potter books read by Jim Dale

Caught by Harlan Coben (Audio)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Book Journey traveled to New Jersey

An interesting looking Coffee/bookstore in the area that I think Michael Bennett should visit is Bogart’s

Audiobook format from audible.com

Cover Story:  I like it.  I am not sure why but it looks like you are about to enter something…..

Haley McWaid is a good girl.  She doesn’t cause her parents any trouble, gets good grades, is involved in sports, and has surrounded herself with good quality friendships.  So when one day she just disappears from her home it makes no sense.  Her parents can not believe she would run away…

Wendy Tynes, a local “big time” reporter is on the case of trying to capture pedophiles… this brings Dan Mercer into the picture who answers an online add that Wendy has set up under a false name, and the book is off and running – in some cases, faster than I can keep up.

♦          ♦          ♦

For the record – I have always enjoyed Harlan Coben’s books.  He is a lighter version of Dean Koontz, with the same quick wit that I enjoy in my reading.  When this book came out I was beyond thrilled to get my hands on it and for time restraint purposes I chose this in an audio format so I could take it with me as I drive, worked out, and worked around my home.

The unfortunates of this audio was I did not enjoy the reader.  Audio reader Carrington MacDuffie was fine for the female parts, but the male parts (and there are quite a few in this book) I felt sounded forced and almost silly.  Another thing I did not enjoy was all the characters.  I like books more centered around a small group of good well-developed characters, yet in Caught, between police officers, suspects, wives, criminals, Wendy, her son, her father in law, the …… well, you get the point.

Bottom line… I enjoy Harlan Coben.  The story line itself once I sorted through all the characters as good, and the ending it what I had grown to expect out of a Coben read.  I think I would have had better feel for this particular read if I had went with the book instead of the audio.  That way I could back track (as I tend to do) to sort through the characters and the who said what’s…

This audio has been added to my Book Journey Map:


I purchased my copy of this audio from Audible.com