The Call of Cthulhu - quick thoughts

The Call of Cthulhu

by HP Lovecraft

50 pages

In this short story, a classic of the horror genre, a young man discovers references to a creepy cult in his deceased uncle's paperwork. The cult has apparently been around since the dawn of time and it's followers are quite creepy and violent. Others who come into contact with the cult - or the god behind it, Cthulhu - often go crazy and may even commit suicide. The god hails from the distant stars and personifies creepiness and chaos.

The book is basically a summary of the information the young man has compiled about the cult. There isn't much of a storyline here. Cthuhlu is creepy, yes, but that's about all there is to it. It is a quick, rather dry, story, and I can't say that I felt strongly about it one way or the other.

I read this for part of this year's Dueling Monsters challenge. Check out Fizzy Thoughts on 10/31 to see what others thought of this tale.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

The Island of Dr. Moreau

by H.G. Wells

audiobook: 5.25 hours

narrated by Simon Prebble

About the Book

Edward Prendick is rescued from a life raft at sea by a ship ship carrying an odd cargo that includes myriad wild animals and two unusual men named Montgomery and M'ling. After a series of confrontations between the crew and the two odd men, the captain arrives at their destination, a solitary island in the middle of the sea. The captain is only too glad to rid himself of the animals and the men, and forces Edward to leave the ship at well. Once on the island Montgomery introduces him to Dr. Moreau, a scientist who uses the island as the base for his experimentation. Over time Edward learns the details of Moreau's experiments on the other inhabitants of the island and he must decide for himself whether Moreau is brilliant or insane.

Why I Read It

I chose this book as my side of this year's Dueling Monsters challenge because H.G. Wells fascinates me. I don't always love his writing but I am constantly amazed by the ideas in his stories.

My Thoughts

This is one CREEPY story. From the very first time Edward steps on board the rescue ship I had the feeling that things were Not Right even though I couldn't put my finger on what exactly was wrong. Once on the island things got even weirder for Edward, and for me as the reader. I had an idea of what Moreau was up to before I started this book but I didn't have the details right.

*** SPOILER ALERT #1 ***

I didn't realize that Moreau was experimenting on animals and turning them into people. I had thought he was grafting animals parts onto human bodies. Although both are horrible, Moreau's actual experiments were worse than what I thought ahead of time. The idea that he could CREATE humanity - and that he does so with some success - is so beyond what I can accept that I had a hard time with this part of the book. Still, the issues it raised are valid ones: At what point is someone considered human? Can one loose one's humanity? If animals could communicate in our language, would we grant them humanity? 

*** END SPOILER #1 ***

As Edward learned the details of Moreau's experiments I became more and more horrified. For me it wasn't the actual experiments that got to me - it was the abject cruelty involved.

*** SPOILER ALERT #2 ***

Moreau performed vivisection on his subjects with no anesthesia, and continued his experimentation for weeks on end, sometimes until the subject died. His justification was that the more evolved one is, the less pain matters. 

*** END SPOILER #2 ***

And that, for me, is the scariest part of this book. It isn't the creatures that Moreau creates that scare me. Rather it is the fact that Moreau can literally torture other living things without a single care. He has no greater purpose - not that it would justify his actions - and he doesn't see anything at all wrong in what he is doing. The cruelty of humanity scares me more than just about anything else in this world.

I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Wells' writing style and my experience with this book didn't change that. However I am fascinated by the issues he raises and will continue to read his books as they always give me a great deal to think about.

Your Thoughts

If you read this book for the Dueling Monsters Challenge this year be sure to link up to your review here. I'm posting a list of all the reviews on Halloween so don't miss out!

The Hum and the Shiver (and giveaway)

The Hum and the Shiver

by Alex Bledsoe

352 pages

About the Book

from the author's website:

No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the mountains of East Tennessee. When the first Europeans came to the Smoky Mountains, the Tufa were already there. Dark-haired and enigmatic, they live quietly in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, their origins lost to history. But there are clues in their music, hidden in the songs they have passed down for generations…. 

Private Bronwyn Hyatt, a true daughter of the Tufa, has returned from Iraq wounded in body and spirit. But her troubles are far from over. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, while a restless “haint” has followed her home from the war. Worse yet, Bronwyn has lost touch with herself and with the music that was once a part of her. With death stalking her family, will she ever again join in the song of her people, and let it lift her onto the night winds?

Why I Read It

Come on now, didn't that summary intrigue you in the least?! It completely captured my attention and I immediately agreed to be part of the PR by the Book book tour.

My Thoughts

Once I got halfway through this book I COULD NOT put it down - I stayed up until 2am on a weeknight because I simply HAD to know how everything would turn out. If that isn't a great recommendation then I don't know what is!

But seriously, this is a fantastic book. Take a wounded female Iraqi War veteran, toss her into a music-filled mountain culture, and throw in a bit of old-world mystery and magic and you get a wonderfully original story.  The poor girl finally makes it home after being shot and partially blown up only to have her mother tell her that a ghost has been hanging around waiting to give her a message. Say what?!?! This mix of modern and magic may make you think of Urban Fantasy but the book is anything but Urban and it doesn't fit with my idea of UF. Not sure what exactly I would call it, but it's good!

The Tufa people were created by the author but  based on a real group of people whose origins are unknown. You can read about it on his website if you are interested. The fact that the idea for the Tufa came from real people made me love this book even more - the world, though magical, seemed all the more possible.

This book is meant to be the first in a series about the Tufa. I'm excited about that because I definitely want to get to know these characters better. That said, for those who don't want to be sucked into a series, this book also works as a stand alone novel. Although there is an overarching storyline that will continue into the next book, the plot of this book comes to a satisfying conclusion by the end; no cliffhangers to torment you until the release of the next book (I'm thinking of you, Maggie Steifvater!).

I hope many of you will give this unusual book a shot - I'm thinking it may be one of my top reads this year!

Giveaway 

Thanks to PR by the Book I have one copy of this fantastic novel to give away.

The Rules:
- This giveaway is open to the US/Canada.
- To enter leave a comment on this post.
- If your email address is not easily accessible via your blog, please include your email in your comment.
- A winner will be chosen randomly on Oct. 11 and will be contacted by email.
- The winner must reply to my email within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks and good luck! I hope that the winner enjoys this book as much as I did!

American Gods

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

audiobook: 19.65 hours

narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris, Daniel Oreskes,

Ron McLarty, Sarah Jones (a full cast production)

Why I Read It


Back when I reviewed Stardust I said that even though I enjoyed the book I wasn't really a Gaiman fan. I also said that I still wanted to give American Gods a shot because the idea of the book intrigued me. So when the 10th anniversary edition of AG was offered to me on audio for review I was quite pleased to give it a listen.

About the Book

Shadow is serving his last few days in jail when he gets the news that his wife was killed in a car accident. He is released a few days early and has to decide what to do with his life from here on out.  Having few other options, Shadow takes a job as a body guard/chauffeur by a mysterious man named Mr. Wednesday. During his travels with his new employer he meets an odd assortment of characters and comes to realize that these "people" are actually old world gods who are down on their luck because they don't have enough worshippers anymore. He is drawn into Mr. Wednesday's plot to gather the old world gods to fight for turf against the new gods of America - Media, Computers, etc. But things may not be exactly as they seem ...

Note on the 10th Anniversary Edition

This edition of the book includes all the sections that were originally edited. The book is now the way that Gaiman originally intended it to be.

My Thoughts 

Gaiman fans will probably want to throw tomatoes at me but I have to admit that I was more impressed with the IDEA of the book than with the book itself. I loved the way that Gaiman took America's obsessions with the latest and greatest thing and turned those obsessions into actual gods. I also loved how the old world gods (and their current jobs) were described. But that was about all that I really did like. I couldn't really get into the story and I often felt like I was missing something important. Maybe I just didn't get it?

On the other hand the actual audio production was great. I'm not generally a fan of full cast productions because I often can't recall which character belongs with which voice, but I didn't have that problem here. With only four narrators - and each of those having a unique voice - it was easy to follow the narration.

Your Thoughts 

Did you love this book? If so, what am I missing?! Are you a Gaiman fan? What makes you love him? Honestly most of his books sort of give me the creeps, and that's just from reading the summaries!

Three Mini Reviews - vacation books

August has been a travel month in my house.  We drove 7 hours to North Carolina to take Kiddo to camp then 7 hours back home the next day.  At the end of camp we flew to North Carolina, drove an hour to pick up Kiddo, drove an hour back to the airport, then flew to Disney World in Florida. After a week we flew home again.  Needless to say, all that travel time gave me lots of opportunities to listen to audio books and to read.  Here are some quick thoughts on a few of those books.

Forever, by Maggie Stiefvater (400 pages) - This is the final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I mentioned in my reviews of book one and book two that although I really like the author's twist on werewolf mythology I'm not really in love with the story itself; that continued for me in book three. The relationship between Grace and Sam just doesn't move me. Isabel is still my favorite character (she's nothing like me but I feel like I really understand her) and Cole yet again adds some excitement and intensity to the story. And even though I didn't love it I still felt like it was a good end to the series, so I'm not disappointed in it either.

Drums of Autumn, by Diana Gabaldon (44.75 hours, narrated by Davina Porter) - This is book four in the Outlander series and continues the story of Jamie and Claire, but with a twist. I'm looking forward to continuing the series soon. *** MINOR SPOILER ALERT FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES *** I didn't think I'd like the story as much once it moved to pre-revolution America but I actually really enjoyed the setting and the new characters. I also liked the way Briana's and Roger's relationship developed - I figured they'd end up in the past somehow but I wasn't sure how or why. I'm definitely excited to see what happens next for all of them! (And as a side note, much of the story takes place in the Cape Fear River area so imagine my delight as we drove through North Carolina and saw signs for the Cape Fear River!)

Other Kingdoms, by Richard Matheson (8.5 hours, narrated by Bronson Pinchot)- Hubby and I needed a book to listen to on one of our drives without Kiddo and this was available for download from our library. It is the story of a young American man named Alex who survives WWI and goes to live in a small village in England. While there he discovers that the forest in inhabited by The Little People, and that they may not be as friendly as he has always heard. We wanted to listen to the book because it is by the same guy who wrote I AM LEGEND, and we figured that was a good enough recommendation. Sadly it was not. The first half of the book was great! The story is told by Alex at age 82. He's spent his life writing cheesy horror stories and now he wants to share the truth about what happened to him at age 18 in England. The writing is fun to read - Alex continually comments on his sentence structure or word choice, critiquing himself as if he were editing one of his horror tales. This made the storytelling aspect of the book very entertaining.  Unfortunately the plot became rather predictable and boring and really didn't keep our attention once we hit the midway point. I finished it on my own once we got back home and told Hubby he didn't miss much. (Oh, one quick note about the narrator. He did a very convincing New York accent - appropriate for Alex - but I wasn't a huge fan; that accent drove me a bit batty! I don't know why, since my mother and lots of relatives talk that way, but for some reason it really got to me.)

I've read a few more books but they were sent to me for review and I always give review books their own posts. They should be coming up in a few days, if I can make time to write them!

Mini Reviews: 6 Books

I hope that you all are enjoying your summer (or, for those in the other hemisphere, your winter) as much as I am.  Things have been super busy here BUT I am reading some and definitely listening to lots of audio books.  Below are some quick thoughts on some of my latest finished books.  I didn't provide summaries because 1) most of these are books you've probably heard of, 2) I'm trying to keep this short so I actually get a post written, and 3) you can click on the titles to read the summaries at GoodReads.com.

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman - audio, 6.5 hours, narrated by the author - I'm not a huge Gaiman fan so this was actually the first book by him that I've read/listened to.  I had seen the movie and loved it so I figured I'd give it a shot.  All in all I enjoyed it.  It wasn't anything that blew me out of the water but it was entertaining and original and I'm glad I listened to it.






Crossed, by Ally Condie - ARC from BEA (no idea of the page count as I don't have the book anymore) - I enjoyed Matched (liked but not loved) and I wanted to see what happened to the characters next. I picked up this book to send to Amanda but of course I had to read it first. :) Although I did like it I also felt that not a whole lot happened; it definitely had the feel of a "second in a trilogy" book.  I'm not particularly invested in the series but I will read the final book when it comes out.


The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, by Heidi W. Durrow - 264 pages - This book was not what I expected AT ALL but it was strangely fascinating.  I didn't necessarily love it but I was totally intrigued by it.  What I did love was the examination of race and class that the author showed through the main character and her interactions with those around her.  I need to look up some info about the author and see if her writing was influenced by her own experiences with race in any way ...



Master and Commander, by Patrick O'Brian - audio - DNF - This is a book that I SHOULD love. It has everything that I enjoy - historical detail, epic adventure, good narration - but I just couldn't get into it.  I listened for about 5 hours before finally calling it quits.  Of course, the fact that I fell asleep in the movie version might have given me a clue ...



A Woman of Independent Means, Elizabeth Forysthe Hailey - audio, 1.9 hours, narrated by Barbara Rush -  I really wanted to love this story of a real woman in the early 1900s making her way through marriage and family while retaining her independence.  Unfortunately I found that I really didn't like this woman. This became very clear to me via her dealings with her adult daughter late in the book; I couldn't imagine having to deal with this woman as my own mother!

Don't Breathe A Word, by Jennifer McMahon - 464 pages - I saw a ton of reviews for this book over the past few months so when I got a copy in a BEA swag bag I decided to give it a try. I don't usually read "missing children" books but I was intrigued by the fantasy element in this one. It kept my attention and parts of it slightly gave me the creeps but overall it was just okay.  The problem for me what that I wanted more of the fantasy than I got.




Have you read any of these?  What did you think of them?

Hopefully I'll have more short reviews soon ...

Hobbit to Hobbit

The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien

audiobook: 11.1 hours

narrated by Robert Inglis

A few weeks ago Sheila @ Book  Journey mentioned that she was starting the audio of JRR Tolkien's classic, The Hobbit.  As luck would have it I had just checked out that same audiobook from my library so I suggested that we review it together.  And thanks to Sheila we even have a cool header with our pictures in it for this review!

About The Book

I assume that just about everyone has at least HEARD of this book before but here's a quick description anyway:  Bilbo Baggins is a slightly adventurous hobbit living a quiet life when Gandalf the wizard arrives on his doorstep and convinces him to help a group of dwarfs steal their treasure back from a dragon.

My History With This Book

When I was in the first grade I saw my dad with this book and asked him to read a little of it to me.  He didn't think I'd like it but he agreed to read aloud for a while.  When he finished I asked him if I could borrow the book and read it myself, and he said yes (I'm pretty sure he didn't think I'd actually read it).  I sped through it in a very short time, and then moved on to the rest of the Lord of the Rings books.  From there I picked up books by David Eddings, and my addiction to reading and fantasy was born.

My Quick Thoughts 

I absolutely loved listening to this book.  I remembered a lot more of it than I expected to but there were also things I did not remember at all.  One thing I found interesting was the way the author spoke directly to the reader throughout the book. I'd forgotten that, but it definitely made the book seem more like the children's story it was written to be. In fact, it reminded me of being told stories as a child.

One thing that was odd to me was the way the elves were portrayed.  They came across as extremely light-hearted and almost silly at times.  My vision of the elves has, of course, been influenced by the movie productions of the Lord of the Rings books; in the movies the elves are very serious, but I honestly cannot remember how they were portrayed in the actual books.  Does their description in The Hobbit match their description in the rest of the series or is it different?  It's got me in the mood to listen to the Fellowship of the Ring next just to figure it out!

Sheila's Questions For Me

1. What did you think of the narration? (Can you think of another narrator who would have done a good job with this read?)  I'm picky about my narrators but I can say that Robert Inglis did a very good job.  He was able to convey a lot of different characters but he didn't do all sorts of vocal tricks to do it, and that's a good thing.  The only other narrator I can think of off the top of my head who would do a good job with this is George Guidall - he's got an excellent voice and is very talented. If you haven't listened to any books he's narrated, definitely look for one!

2. Favorite part to listen to? I always enjoy the parts with Gollum, but to be honest I enjoyed most of the book. I'd be listening and suddenly remember parts from the cartoon movie or from when I read the book as a child, so that made the entire thinng a lot of fun for me. (If you want to listen to Tolkien himself reading the Gollum section you can do that here: http://youtu.be/7VOdv2RE4jg.)

3. I know you listened to this with your son, did he have a favorite part?  I originally got this book so that Kiddo could listen to it but then he found the beginning boring so I continued without him.  As the story progressed he got into it more.  He really liked the parts with Gollum (he remembers Gollum from the movies) and was very excited to get to the parts with Smaug the dragon.

4. Having read the book, what are the benefits to finding a book you once read and enjoyed and listening to it on audio? What different perspectives does this bring to the surface?  For me, listening to this book was a trip down memory lane.  I LOVED the cartoon as a child (I've included an excerpt below) and as I listened I realized that much of the narration of the cartoon was taken directly from the book. That made me very happy!  But more than that, I love to revisit my favorite books on audio. Having read them once, I'm familiar with the story and the characters, so listening to the audio is like visiting an old friend.  Many of us enjoyed being read to as children - for me audiobooks give me the chance to experience that joy again.  And just like when I was a child and wanted to hear the same stories again and again, I love to listen to my favorite books again and again.

You can check out Sheila's answers to my questions at her blog - hop over there and check it out!

The Cartoon

This movie came out in 1977 and I watched it again and again as a child. I still have a copy of it on VHS ... unfortunately I no longer have a VHS player. *sniff* Here's a clip from the beginning of the movie in case you haven't seen it before.  The description of Bilbo's house is a direct quote from the beginning of the book. And the song that I always remember starts at the 8:10 mark.

Thank you so much to Sheila for reviewing with me! Please hop on over to her blog to see what she thought of this book.

A Walk On The Wild Side: being a review of Eat, Prey, Love

Eat Prey Love  

by Kerrelyn Sparks

narrated by Gia St. Claire

audiobook: 10.1 hours

Confession time: Every once in a while I like a book with a lot of steamy scenes in it.  And I also have a thing for shapeshifter type characters.  I can't read these kinds of books all the time, but I do like to pick one up now and then just for fun.  When I saw a review of this book at my friend Monica's blog I had to laugh out loud at the title - I mean, right?!  But when the review said the book could stand on it's own and that I didn't have to read the rest of the series to enjoy it, AND that it was "HOT, HOT, HOT!" I knew it was time to take a dip in the paranormal romance genre again. When HarperAudio offered this for review I jumped on it like a cat on a mouse.

About the Book:  Carlos is a shapeshifter searching for a mate of his same species.  He fears he may be the last of his kind, other than the children he's adopted, and he's determined to search the world over in the hopes that he is wrong.  Caitlyn is an otherwise normal human who happens to be able to communicate with cats.  When Caityln and Carlos meet the sparks fly, but they know they are wrong for each other.  Is there any way around this?  The drama of their relationship takes place in the larger story of the ongoing battle between the "good" vampires, shapeshifters, etc. and the "bad" ones, a story which frames this entire series of books.

My Thoughts:  I have some very strong opinions about this book.  Let's split them into sections, shall we?

The Narration: This is a case where the narrator actually ruined the book for me.  Being an audiobook afficionado, I am very picky about the narrators of the books I listen to.  There are so many fabulous narrators out there - why could the powers that be not have picked someone who fit this book better?!  This narrator should be working on YA titles - she's certainly got the voice for it. Other than seeming rather young, she also reads with a smile in her voice, a habit that can be rather distracting.  If you don't know what I mean, try reading a sentence out loud, then read that same sentence while smiling.  It changes the entire feel of the sentence, doesn't it?!  She read most of the book like this, even parts that were supposed to be more serious.  She even read chapter titles like this. Ugh. And then! She butchered the accents.  Now I know that not everyone can do accents, but there are a lot of narrators who can, and if your book has lots of accents in it then you really need a narrator who can make them sound at least believable.  It was actually painful to listen to some of the accents in this book. *shudder*

The Steamy Scenes: As I said earlier, one of the reasons I wanted to read this book was for the steamy scenes.  Some of them were good and those definitely kept my attention and got my pulse to speed up.  Then there were others. I don't want to go into detail but let's just say that things were a bit too easy for Caitlyn.  Carlos must have some sort of magic touch because he didn't have to do much of anything, if you know what I mean.  I want my steamy scenes to be realistic, ones where I can imagine myself having that same experience.  If I were Caitlyn I'd have been disappointed time and time again.

The Rest:  You'd think after all those complaints that I really hated this book - not true!  The story was over the top but fun and the characters were definitely interesting.  I can see how this series might be a good escape from reality - it is certainly a walk on the wild side.  However the narrator really did ruin it for me; I simply couldn't enjoy it.  I know I'd have had better luck had I chosen to read it in print.

Your Thoughts:  Are there any "guilty pleasure" books that you're willing to admit that you like?  When you indulge in them do you review them on your blog?  And have you ever had a narrator completely ruin a book for you?

quick thoughts on more books

Here are a few more quick reviews ... I'm just about caught up now!



Matched, by Ally Condie - There was a big fuss about this book last year and I basically ignored it because this isn't the type of book I usually read (it's YA dystopian).  However, when the audio version popped up as a downloadable option from my library I figured I'd give it a shot. And I have to say ... I quite enjoyed this one! The first part of the book was okay but by the end I was really into it.  I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. (9.8 hours)




20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne - I've mentioned before that I have a literary crush on Jules Verne, and that I love the old movie of this book. I can't believe it's taken me so many years to actually get around to the book.  Parts of it were really good but parts of it dragged as well.  It was interesting to see how our views of nature have changed since Verne's era.  Many times in the book the characters mentioned that the ocean has such an abundance that man will never be able to use it all up - how different than what we know now!  I'm glad I listened to this one but it isn't my favorite Verne.  (11.5 hours)




Cesar Millan books - I skimmed through both Cesar's Rules and A Member of the Family just after we got Bullet.  I didn't read them thoroughly but rather focused on sections that I thought might be helpful.  I'm a huge Cesar fan and can't recommend these enough - if you have a dog or want to get a dog, definitely check into Cesar's methods. (320 pages each)

quick thoughts on a bunch of books

I've gotten very behind on reviews over the last few months. My goal was to slowly get caught up again but it isn't working.  When all else fails, make a new plan!

New Plan: I'm going to write up quick thoughts on a bunch of books over the next few days until I get completely caught up and then I'll (hopefully) be able to stay current again. *crosses fingers*



Super Mini Reviews

Towers of Midnight, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson - I loved this one even though it was different from the previous book in the series (The Gathering Storm). For one thing, it focused heavily on one of my favorite characters: Perrin.  I also liked that we're finally starting to see the whole epic story coming together. I can't wait for the final book! (861 pages)




The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, by Joyce Magnin - I was looking for a light fun read and thought this would be it.  It was, until about halfway through, at which time it took a rather dark turn.  The book wasn't bad but it was definitely NOT what I was expecting nor what I wanted it to be.  Still, I loved the characters and thought they were very real - they were my favorite parts of the book. I got this from BEA last year and it took me until January to read it ... oops! (398 pages)





Twelve Angry Men, by L.A. Theater Works - This was a fascinating story. When you have twelve people stuck in a room arguing over the fate of one person things can get rather interesting.  If you have a chance, definitely listen to this short play - it's worth your time. (1 hour, 50 minutes)







The Tortilla Curtain, by T.C. Boyle - This book gave me a lot to think about regarding illegal immigration.  It's a complicated yet simple story of two families living in California and the ways that their lives intersect.  These families couldn't be more different yet I identified with both of them in some way.  I'm definitely interested in checking out more by this author!  (11 hours, 47 minutes)






Ok, that's all I've got for now! Has anyone read or listened to these? What did you think of them?

Lots of Audiobook Mini Reviews

Between adjusting to the new routine of not having a job, getting ready for the holidays, and rearranging furniture I haven't had much time (or inclination) to write reviews lately.  I have been reading all your posts though, even if I haven't been commenting!  I can read on my phone while I'm waiting for Kiddo at hockey or at school, and that has been a lifesaver.

I haven't been reading a lot either, though I have finished a few books (reviews of those will hopefully come soon).What I HAVE been doing is  listening to tons of audiobooks!  They have been great companions for me while I move furniture from one room to another, or sweep all the detritus from under the couch, or gather boxes and bags of "stuff" to donate to the Salvation Army.

Here's a very brief look at eight audiobooks I've finished over the last two months.  Take special note of the last review - I think everyone needs to read or listen to that book!



November

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Arthur Conan Doyle - narrated by David Case - 5.6 hours - I've read this at least twice before and really love it.  I revisited it this time so I could discuss Sherlock Holmes on the podcast "What's Old Is New" - check it out now if you missed it! (We had some issues recording the episode so I apologize in advance for the sound quality.)




The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas - narrated by John Lee - 46.9 hours - I've wanted to read this one for years but was intimidated by the ridiculous length (something like 1300 pages!). I'm glad that I went with the audio; although I did enjoy it for the most part, it was really REALLY long and I think I might have given up on it had I been reading rather than listening.  I also realized that although I truly love the movie version, it is so different from the book that it really can't be called an adaptation ... I'd refer to it as a movie inspired by a book.



December

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card - narrated by too many people to list - 13 hours - So many people have recommended this book to me that I figured I really ought to check it out.  My husband and I have a hard time finding books to listen to on road trips but he thought this one sounded interesting as well, so we got it from the library for our drive to the Poconos.  It's the story of a boy (Ender) who has been chosen since before his birth to be part of an elite military training program.  The book follows his advancement through years of war games to become a battle commander.  Hubby and I enjoyed the book but we didn't think it was as fantastic as people made it out to be.  Maybe our expectations were just too high? We did like it enough to continue with the series, so that's saying something.


World Without End, by Ken Follett - narrated by Richard E. Grant - 14.2 hours - After completely falling for the mini-series based on The Pillars of the Earth (Medieval Bookworm reviewed the show in case you missed it) I wanted to check out this follow-up to the original story. It starts several hundred years after the end of Pillars and follows descendants of the characters from the first book. Although this book had some parts that were extremely similar to the storyline of the first book, I still enjoyed it very much. I'm not sure I'll go back and listen to Pillars but I might - I'm still very intrigued by this whole story.



Sarah: How A Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down, by Kaylene Johnson - narrated by Cassandra Campbell - 3 hours - I saw this while browsing the downloadable audio section of my library's website and I thought it might be interesting.  It follows Sarah Palin's rise through the Alaskan political system but stops before the 2008 presidential campaign.  Although brief, it helped me understand a bit of Palin's background and how she got to be the person she is.



Rescue Ink: How Ten Guys Saved Countless Dogs and Cats, Twelve Horses, Five Pigs, One Duck, and a Few Turtles, by Rescue Ink with Denise Flaim - narrated by Tom Weiner - 5.9 hours - Another book I found while browsing the downloadable audio section of the library.  It's a simple story about some very complex guys and their passion for animals.  The book was a good reminder that people are not always who they seem to be, and that under an intimidating exterior is often a truly kind heart.


Holiday Classics, by O. Henry - narrated by Katherine Kellgren, Oliver Wyman, and Jonathan Davis - .9 hours - This was a free download for the holidays from Audible.com to all their members.  It included three stories: The Gift of the Magi, The Cop and the Anthem, and The Last Leaf.  It was a quick and fun listen, but still didn't convince me to be a short story fan. I did enjoy it though!





The Sense of Wonder, by Rachel Carson - narrated by Kaiulani Lee - .5 hours - What a gorgeous little book! If you haven't read or listened to this before you absolutely MUST do it.  It is only a 30 minute audiobook so it won't take much of your time but it will inspire you for a lifetime.  Carson tells about the ways she encouraged her young nephew to explore and appreciate nature at all times and she shares ways that all people, no matter where they live, can do the same.  This little story has inspired me try to rediscover for myself that child's sense of wonder at the world that we all started off with, and has also given me ideas for things to do with Kiddo to ensure that he keeps that sense of wonder.  Highly, highly recommended.