All Ears Audiobooks discussion
General Discussion
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Which one did you just finish?
Julie - i can't help but think of Dirk Gently when i see the words Norse Gods. If you're not familiar with Douglas Adam's detective it's worth the time.
It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
It was what I had hoped it would be. A fun very sexy book. Occasionally even a literary giant such as myself loves a easily accessed book that is a bit of an aphrodisiac.
Our protagonist, Phoebe, inherits a fictional NFL team that is located in Chicago called the Stars. Her father and Phoebe did not get along. He gives her ownership of the Stars for 1 year only unless the Stars win the AFC Championship. If the Stars don't win, the team ownership is given to a male cousin whom she hates.
Phoebe knows nothing of football and is reluctant to even participate as an owner for a year since she sees her father trying to manipulate her from the grave, but she needs the money promised if she stays at the helm for a year and eventually she decides to participate as the owner. Over time she gets more and more involved with the team and we begin to believe that the team just might win the championship.
The head coach is the perfect female fantasy. Former NFL quarterback, perfect body, perfect package, a bad boy, and emotionally unattainable to just about every female in the world. Sure he will make sweet love to women but he will never fall in love except for just the right woman who will open up his heart and fall in love with her. Could Phoebe be this woman?
You can sort of guess the rest but there were some good action and the sex scenes were fantastic if a bit too female fantasy centered. I like Phoebe and the head coach, and I rooted hard for them to get past their own baggage and fall in love and live happily ever after. Plus did I mention the great sex scenes?
View all my reviews >>
Donna-I've read 'House of the Scorpion' many times with kids. I love it! I haven't gotten to 'The Ear, the Eye and the Arm" yet, but intend to. I've read the two volumes of 'Octavian Nothing' by M.T. Anderson (historical novels in Revolutionary War times) but thought he was fantastic, so now I'll have to put 'Feed' on my to-read list. I've only read Alice Hoffman's 'Indigo,' which I'd consider more in the line of magical realism than creepy. I like books that creep me out and some kids do, too, as is well known. Interesting to think about...what is TOO scary for kids?
Donna-You've also got me thnking about other teen dystopian novels: Susan Beth Pfeffer's 'Life As We Knew It' is chilling, as is Scott Westerfeld's 'Uglies.'
Lars - Isn't House of the Scorpion a great read? The cloning, Mexico as a drug zone, the drug lords - all great discussion material with teens. The characters in the story are well developed and interesting and even scary. Great writing.
The Ear, the Eye and The Arm is a "younger" story, but no less fascinating. We've got a bit of magical realism... or even just plain magic, going on with the main characters and the tie in to African cultures is fascinating. Very fun book.
Uglies - another good one. I haven't read the rest but my daughter (now 22) has and loved them.
i haven't heard of Pfeffer before - i'll have to check her out!
Hoffman is typically a magical realism writer but she once in a while strays. Green Angel was her 9/11 story and she based it off the premise that a teen girl is left alone in a rural area because her family who is in town at market dies during an Armageddon style attack. Along with being a gripping story, the book is beautifully illustrated with black and white sketches. As much as i love audio books you want the paper book for this one - the illustrations help make the book. I found it very wrenching and beautiful and touching.
I've been wanting to read the Octavian series but hadn't gotten to them yet. Feed is creepy because its so close to reality. One note about Feed - The language in the book is very rough, and may not be considered appropriate by all parents. However, it fits perfectly with the story and I'd have been shocked if these kids had "clean" mouths.
Lars - interesting question about what is too scary for a kid.
I've never been tempted to read one, but obviously whatever Bruce Coville writes about in the Goosebumps series isn't too scary.
i have a funny story about that... when my daughter was a baby we used to read the Golden Book on Baby Animals and I'd make the sound of the animals. Well, when we got the the lion page i'd of course roar like a lion. One day while reading it i noticed she got upset when we reached that page - quite unintentionally i had scared her with the roaring and she now associated the picture of the lion with the roaring sound. We still read the book and i just skipped the page until she became a toddler and able to tell me the names of the animals herself. I guess what's too scary is dependent on the child.
Donna...I agree what is too scary is dependent on the kid. Maybe also on the ways of handling it that the kid has developed...which we adults can help with...like you recognizing your daughter gained control over the situation by naming (much like Adam in the Garden of Eden). Kids WANT to be scared, but you have to be careful because they haven't defined what is real and what is not in the clear terms older people have. A.O. Scott in the NY Times has an interesting take on this in conjunction with the movie of 'Where the Wild Things Are':
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oooooh! Slaughterhouse 5! Wonderful book. I read it first in college and then re-read it a couple years ago for a book group discussion. Loved it. When i was in college i was on a Von..."
Donna - so glad that you liked this book. The one thing I've been wondering since finishing this book is why Vonnegut chose to interweave the whole time travel, living in a zoo on Tralfamador, with the Dresden firebombing. From the intro, it sounds like he had been wanting to write a book about Dresden for years. Although the whole time travel part makes the book funny (as well as hard to figure out sometimes), it seemed to lessen some of horror and impact about Dresden. Was that his intent? Or maybe the time travel part was important because people never really die so we don't have to mourn all the unnecessary deaths. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this!
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A few comments - yes, I've read some of the Hitchhiker's Guide, including the Dirk Gently one. I love listening (and these are great in audio) to Douglas Adams, especially when I need a good laugh. Did you know that Eoin Colfer (the Artemis Fowl series author) just came out with a new Hitchhiker's Guide book, titled, And Another Thing. I haven't read it yet, but on the cover it says, "book 6 out of 3" - just love that sense of humor.
And I've read the first of Nancy Farmer's trilogy - Sea of Trolls. I definitely want to listen to the other 2 books, especially since the last one Island of the Blessed just released.
I've been keeping little notes of all the books people have been recommending - love all of your suggestions. I'm going to have to get bigger post it notes or move to a spreadsheet.
Ahhh... too many books, not enough time.
Lars - I agree that kids want to be scared and they are natural thrill seekers!
Besides knowing what is real and not, I think for the older kids books like House of the Scorpion and Feed you have to have some understanding of world politics and science for these books to be really creepy. Otherwise it's just another futuristic book. The kids i read these two with were 15-16 year olds and were well informed and they got it.
Do you have a group of kids that you read with? I used to and don't any more and i miss it. However, i already volunteer between 20-25 hours per week (on top of my day job) doing other things so that's going to have to wait for a while. My grandson will be at the picture book stage for a couple years to come so discussing young adult lit with kids will have to wait a bit.
Julie - not to correct, but to clarify - I'm a very big fan of Douglas Adam's work...
Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy includes:
Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy 1/3
The restaurant at the end of the universe 2/3
Life, the universe, and everything 3/3
So long, and thanks for all the fish 4/3
and Mostly Harmless 5/3
(as numbered by DNA)
if you can get your hands on the radio version of the series (1st three only) it is wonderful listening. I also remember staying up late at night with friends watching the Hitchhikers series produced by BBC and aired on PBS - also great fun.
There are two Dirk Gently novels and they are a totally separate series -
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
and The long dark tea time of the soul.
In his later years Douglas Adams became quite the environmentalist and was very involved in the Save the Rhino campaign. He even climbed Kilimanjaro in a rhino suite - i kid you not - to raise awareness of the rhino's plight.
anyway, for what it's worth..
I hadn't heard about the new Hitchhikcers... very interesting.
Julie -When my daughter, who is now 22, was in third grade we joined a mother/daughter book club. The group stayed together until the girls graduated from High School! It was a fantastic experience for all of us - moms and girls alike. We read lots of amazing kid lit and the moms loved it because most of them, like me, grew up in an era before there was any such thing as young adult fiction. When the girls reached jr-sr years we threw in a few "adult" books - The Color of Water comes to mind, but we still read mostly young adult/teen lit and were not disappointed. We even had a local author, Victoria Hanley, who writes young adult fiction, join us quite often to participate in the discussion. The girls especially loved having her there because it gave them someone in the business to ask writing/publishing related questions to.
My reading of young adult fiction has slowed down dramatically since then since half the fun was getting to discuss it with the kids. I'd love to find another bunch of kids, but it will probably have to wait until i shift priorities in my volunteer work or complete a huge volunteer project i'm working on a year or two down the road.
In the meanwhile i'm back at the picture book stage for my grandson which is great fun too!
Donna (and Julie)-Books like 'House of the Scorpion' are definitely for older kids. I've actually used it as an avenue to an understanding of politics, history and geography with sixth and seventh graders who were weak in those areas, because they got involved with the characters--especially Matt.
I got 'Feed' because you told me about it! However, I can't start it until I finish 'Odd and the Frost Giants' which I heard about from Julie.
My job is working one-on-one with kids to support their learning (see lars4learning.com if you are interested). I don't work with a group of kids, but want to. I really would like to lead a book group with sixth/seventh graders and parents together, and have been thinking on ways to do that.
Picture books are cool. Check out Jerry Pinkney's recently published, nearly wordless, and beautifully illustrated version to the Aesop's fable 'The Lion & the Mouse.' Your grandson might tell you the story.
Michael wrote: "
The basic premise is that the author took Jane Austen's original "Pride and Prejudice" and weaved in this subplot where England has been overrun..."
Michael -
there's a couple of these out aren't there?
Being a big fan of parody i've been dying of curiosity as to how good they actually are. So, if you were to rate it, how many stars would you give it? Good parody doesn't take itself seriously - it sounds like this has its share of silliness.
Lars wrote: "Donna (and Julie)-Books like 'House of the Scorpion' are definitely for older kids. I've actually used it as an avenue to an understanding of politics, history and geography with sixth and sev..."
I can see using Scorpion for an introduction to various topics. It's a really rich book for that and Matt is a wonderful character.
After all the build up i gave Feed i hope you like it :) or actually i hope it creeps you out too!!
You don't have multiple books going? I'm terrible for that... I have an audio book going in my car (East of Eden right now) an MP3 on my phone that i listen to around the house (One of Ours by Willa Cather) a book to read before bed (The years of Rice and Salt) and a book at the office for lunch time reading (Julie and Julia).
Thanks for the tip on the picture book! I'm trying to figure out what to get for christmas gift books right now. I saved all my daughter's picture books so she has a large ready made library for the baby with lots of kids classics. Finding something new that she doesn't have is a trick!
Joe (grandson)is totally hooked on Jessie Bear What Will You Wear right now, probably because of the great word patterns and rhythms in it. My daughter reads it to him as Joe-Joe Bear. :) It's interesting to me how even very young babies have favorite books - he's responded to Jessie Bear right from the start and at 3.5 months it's his obvious favorite.
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not to correct, but to clarify - I'm a very big fan of Douglas Adam's work...
Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy includes:
Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy 1/3
The restaurant at the end of ..."
Donna - thanks so much for the clarification! Wow, you are such a great resource - if you ever decide to move to the Bay Area and want to work in a bookstore, let us know!
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Books like 'House of the Scorpion' are definitely for older kids. I've actually used it as an avenue to an understanding of politics, history and geography with sixth and sev..."
Lars and Donna - Because of your enthusiasm, I've ordered House of the Scorpion and I'm going to add it to my list of books to read with my son (6th grade). Can't wait to read it!
I love this discussion about 'age appropriate' books for children. What I find interesting is that many parents are ok with violence - I've seen 1st graders listen to the entire Harry Potter series. But, I do get complaints about profanity and sex. Lars, do you check with parents before recommending books to middle school kids? I've had parents ask us to add a rating system for content as well as reading level. Wow - that would be opening a can of worms!! Have either of you read any of John Green's titles? They are great Young Adult books that touch on many issues about growing up, friendship, etc. They do have explicit language and some of the high school aged characters are sexually active. They were recently banned (I think in Florida?) - just makes me want to read more of them! So, at what age would these books be 'appropriate?'
Julie--I always try to let parents know about sensitive areas of content, and also tell kids if they're looking at a book I have that touches on those areas that they should discuss what they're going to read with their parents. Being the subversive person I am, though, I often have the ulterior motive of showing them what could be forbidden fruit. To me, the important thing is to get kids reading. Most kids unconsciously self-censor, because they know they're not ready for some stuff, or it's just too complicated to deal with.
I think parents who don't want their kids to read swear words in books are fighting a losing battle. Kids will learn and hear those words without ever opening a book (often inadvertently from their parents!). The concept of appropriate language is one they readily understand (people use those words, but it's considered impolite to do so). Being aware of when that type of language is used and by whom it is used is not necessarily a bad thing to be aware of. And if the thrill of seeing bad words on the page gets someone reading who might not have been reading before, that is a victory for literacy!
Just so I don't come off as a total libertine, I have been kind of put off by the popularity of the 'Twilight' books with girls in fifth, fourth, and even lower grades, and the acceptance of that popularity by teachers and parents. I don't want elementary school kids to grow up so fast.
I'll have to research John Green but there are other kid and young adult novelists who have been criticized (and banned) for frank content and language. Susan Patron, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Chris Crutcher come immediately to mind. Mark Twain, too. And then there are more even more shocking, or perhaps, infamous examples: Smack' by Melvin Burgess' or 'Weetzie Bat' by Francesca Lia Block.
Donna--I almost ALWAYS have multiple books going...so much that I have to keep it under control. Right now besides the kid's book ('Odd and the Frost Giants'), a graphic novel ('Logicomix' about Bertrand Russell), and two 'professional' books ('Tools of the Mind' and 'Conversations with John Piaget'). Usually, I have an 'adult' novel going, too, but I just finished 'The Story of Edgar Sawtelle,' which I liked, and am waiting for my hold on 'The Children's Book' by A.S. Byatt to come through. The more I read, though, the more I realize how much I haven't read.
Lars wrote: "The more I read, though, the more I realize how much I haven't read."
I agree totally!!! If there's one thing i've found it is how many amazing books are out there and how little i know about most of them! The number one reason i started listening to audio-books was to cram more books into my life!
How's the Piaget book? I have a degree in Wildlife Biology and a minor in education - when i graduated all i needed to teach high school bio was student teaching. I never did get the teaching degree but have used the info i gleaned from child development classes frequently. Piaget's ideas were interesting and if nothing else made me look at child development in a new light.
a graphic novel on Bertrand Russell - interesting. I have a tough time with graphic novels. Does it make sense to say that i find the pictures distracting? I know they're hugly popular with some of the kids and young adults though. My daughter and her husband collect various titles from many countries.
Edgar Sawtelle is on my shelf - i was able to pick it up for free while working a charity booksale - turned in with no dust jacket and we don't sell hardbounds without a dust jacket. Okay, so I still gave a donation for it anyway :)
Julie at All Ears wrote: "if you ever decide to move to the Bay Area and want to work in a bookstore, let us know!"okay you just made my day!
Next time I'm in the Bay Area i'm going to look up the shop! I'm going to be in San Francisco in July for a conference and to visit my daughter so you're warned.
Lars wrote: To me, the important thing is to get kids reading. Most kids unconsciously self-censor, because they know they're not ready for some stuff, or it's just too complicated to deal with. ..."
agreed. A few years ago when the Jurassic Park movies were popoular, some of my then 5-6th grade friends were reading the books. The original books not the YA versions. I was a first concerned that the books were a little violent and dark for them, but the boys explained to me that the science was cool, the bad guys creepy and that while the dinosaurs were scary they didn't really exist so they couldn't hurt anyone except in the book. No problem there!
I totally agree with your comments on language too. Kids know if you're selling them short and if a group of hard-knocks kids uses refined language they know it's not real.
One of my big complaints about many kid and YA books is the lack of parental influence in the story. Many books i've read start out with one or both parents missing for some reason and the child having to deal with situations on their own or even having to bring the other parent into safety. It seems like a lot of responsibility for a child to shoulder.
Donna--"One of my big complaints about many kid and YA books is the lack of parental influence in the story."
But don't you think that's what makes those kind of stories so perennially popular? The orphan, the abandoned child, from Dorothy to Harry Potter? I don't think these books are telling kids they have to shoulder responsibility but are giving them way for them to vicariously experience independence and command(and also not having any adults telling them when to go to bed, or how to behave, etc.).
Donna--Re Piaget and comic books:
I'm reading the Piaget book in conjunction with another book about Vygotsky--my guru of child psychology and development. In the teaching credential program I was in, Piaget and Vygotsky were presented as opposites, but I'm finding many points of convergence. Both are extremely heavy going as far as reading. 'Conversations with Piaget' is just that, some interviews with a non-expert, so it's accessible and more fun than struggling through Jean's rather dense text.
Many friends have the same difficulty getting into comic books as you do. I loved them as a kid and still do. 'Visual' reading is different in some ways, but very rewarding. Comics can do things that regular text or even movies can't do--shift point of view or focus, for example, in a unique and immediate way. And there is so much amazing work coming out right now.
for those of you who have read Atwood's Oryx and Crake...Growing meat without animals -
I've heard this is happening but what is really creepy about this article is the researcher's belief that marketing will cure all dissention... just like in Oryx and Crake.
If you haven't read this book yet it's a very disturbing look at the possibilities for the not to distanct future.
Donna wrote: "for those of you who have read Atwood's Oryx and Crake...Growing meat without animals -
I've heard this is happening ..."
Also check out Margaret Atwood's most recent visit to the Oryx and Crake dystopia - The Year of the Flood. This is a great listen and equally disturbing a far as her vision of society. I think it's so unsettling because it seems more than possible that something like this could happen.
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Growing meat without animals -
I've heard this is..."
Hi, Donna -
I loved Oryx and Crake - but I definitely didn't think anything like that could happen in my lifetime. Interesting article! I thought the comment "If every package of naturally grown meat by law should have the text, 'Beware, animals have been killed for this product,' I can imagine a gradual cultural shift..." was interesting. I have to say when I buy meat at the store, I don't stop and think about where it comes from. I have Jonathan Safran Foer's latest, Eating Animals, on my shelf. I have to admit that I am a little worried that once I read the book, I will be too aware of everything that happens in the meat industry that I will no longer be able to ignore where my groceries come from.
Thanks, Susan, for mentioning The Year of the Flood. I love Margaret Atwood - add another to that never ending book shelf!
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For months, I have been hearing rave reviews of Kathryn Stockett's The Help. My bookclub was discussing it this month and I got a chance to listen to it in audio. Fantastic book! The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, during the Civil Rights movement and is told from the point of view of 3 women, Minnie and Abilene - two black women who are maids and Skeeter, a recent white college graduate. It was eye opening to hear the different stories from both sides of the race issue. I still can't believe that this is part of our history, and not that long ago. The stories are well told, dealing with a tough subject but keeping a light overall tone. The audio version is spectactular. The Southern accents and dialect of the maids gives you the feeling of being in the heart of the Deep South. Great book for a bookclub. We had some interesting discussions on what society values and the whole issue of racial equality then and now.
I also finished the classic, A Passage to India, by E.M. Forster. I enjoyed 2 of his other books - A Room with a View and Howard's End. Both of those other books seem to poke fun at English Edwardian society in a light and humorous way. This book had a much more serious tone. It takes place in India where an young Indian man, Dr. Aziz, is accused of molesting a young English woman. Forster's criticism of British colonialism is much harsher than the other novels. Excellent story! It was interesting to listen and compare this book with The Help - two different time periods and places with the same underlying issue of racism. This book is narrated by Frederick Davidson, who for some reason I dislike. He is definitely talented at accents and voices, but I find his normal voice to be very 'British' and stuffy. But, for this book, where many of the characters were British and stuffy, it ended up being a good match. Definitely a classic worth listening to!
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There is a new book in the '1001 to before you die' series ... it's
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1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow up. Someone has posted an Excel spreadsheet of all the titles here.
I did a quick scan - many of the books are not in English, but definitely interesting to see what made the cut! Some of my favorites are on there, but I was surprised by some. Do you really think everyone needs to read Thomas the Tank Engine before growing up??
Julie at All Ears wrote: "Lars and Donna (and everyone else who likes to read children's books) -There is a new book in the '1001 to before you die' series ... it's 1001 Children's Books You Must Read."
Thanks, Julie. This was news to me and right up my alley. I'm especially grateful to you for the link to the spreadsheet. As far as I could tell, everything on the list has been available in English, although many cultures were represented. I'm not sure everything is in print. The thing with any of these lists is you're going to agree with some choices and disagree with others, but that's what's good about them: they help you to frame your own opinions. I never have 'Thomas the Tank Engine' and feel pretty good about what children's books I have read. After a cursory look, I'd say the list is pretty comprehensive and valuable.
The Lost Symbol by Dan BrownMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
So far so good. I am loving this book!
It did not disappoint. This is his best book yet from Dan Brown. I learned about a new science, Noetic, and the power of the human mind. I enjoyed Brown's exploration into the "god like" potential in every person and in the end I had some desire to become a Mason.
From Wikipedia a quick definition of Noetic Science: This research includes topics such as spontaneous remission, meditation, consciousness, alternative healing practices, spirituality, human potential, psychic abilities and survival of consciousness after bodily death, among others.
This book was much more cerebral than his others and I thought Langdon was a more realistic protagonist in this book than in his previous novels. I can relate to Langdon's exercise routine where he swims 52 laps in the Harvard pool. If this pool is the 50 meter type pool he is swimming 2500 meters a day which is a pretty good work out but if he is doing it on his own he is not working as long or as hard as I do in my swimming work outs. Plus Landon is claustrophobic like me.
The bad guy was really bad and I figured out who he really was about 15 minutes before his true identity was revealed which made me like the book even more. I listened to the book. The narrator was good if not spectacular.
I was a little disappointed with the ending since I was hoping for some great revelation but as I look back with time I find the ending more plausible than if he Brown had ended it a different way.
In the end this book and its ideas are going to stay with me for the rest of my life and so this makes the book a great book for me, but I can see why others may not enjoy the book or find it heretical for its ideas. I find the ideas fascinating, uplifting, and faith affirming.
View all my reviews >>
Julie at All Ears wrote: "For months, I have been hearing rave reviews of Kathryn Stockett's The Help. My bookclub was discussing it this month and I got a chance to listen to it in audio. Fa..."
Wasn't The Help wonderful? We just read it for my book groups this fall, though unfortunately I wasn't able to check out the audio version. Just curious, did they use different narrators for each of the different characters' chapters? I imagine that would really add to the experience of the book.
Lars wrote: "Julie at All Ears wrote: "Lars and Donna (and everyone else who likes to read children's books) -There is a new book in the '1001 to before you die' series ... it's 1001 Children's Books You Mu..."
interesting list. Love having the spread sheet - thanks for posting it!
I'd rather read Thomas than Twilight anyday. Pop culture vampires are NOT my thing :) Ugh!
fyi - i've been kinda quiet the past few days because i'm recovering from bronchitis and just haven't been sitting in front of a computer much. I'm starting to feel better and will be picking up conversations soon!
thanks again!
The Professional by Robert B. ParkerMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
I am not sure if it was the narrator or the story but I came very close to not finishing this book. I think Parker must be getting soft in his old age with this book his main recurring protagonist, Spencer, spends more time talking about love than in action against bad guys.
I think I want my Spencer to be single, killing bad guys, and bedding hot babes than talking to his girl friend about how sex and love are inseparable to long lasting happiness and satisfaction. I don't need to read about my life I need to read or listen to books that transport me to a different life.
Also the dialog in this book drove me crazy. Robert Montangna is the narrator and he reads it just like it is written and the conversations are all Susan said, "Hello". I said "What is happening." Susan said "nothing". I said "Cool". I am exaggerating but it felt like this was maybe a screen play rather than a novel and I got a little tired of the dialog.
I love Parker but this book was terrible!
View all my reviews >>
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For months, I have been hearing rave reviews of Kathryn Stockett's The Help. My bookclub was discussing it this month and I got a chance to l..."
Hi, Diana. Yes, the book uses 3 different voices for Minnie, Abilene and Skeeter. I loved the way the Southern accents were done - I kept on hearing the voices in my head even when I wasn't listening. Very engaging and such a good read!
Julie
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There is a new book in the '1001 to before you die' series ... it's 1001 Children's ..."
Hi, Donna.
Welcome back - glad you are over your bronchitis!
Julie
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Mossflower, by Brian Jacques, is the direct prequel to Redwall, Jacques' first book. Mossflower tells the story of Martin the Warrior's first quest. Mossflower woods and the creatures that live in it are under siege from a tyrant wildcat named Tsarmina. Together, they must band together to fight back against the usurpers, as Martin and his two friends Gonff, a bard and Dinny a young mole travel to distant lands in search of the great fire mountain Salamandastron to find the legendary Boar the Fighter, who is their only hope to once and for all defeat the wildcats.
Though Mossflower doesn't have as much romance or puzzles as Redwall does, it has more adventure and conflict, along with the same qualities that readers have come to enjoy in all of Jacques' books.
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Virgil's Aeneid is a classic for sure, but a challenging read or listen. Attempt at your own risk. Cliffnotes advised.
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I just finished the very long [21h:] The Forgotten Garden. I could only give the book 2 stars. Rather than recapitulate my review here, I wanted to criticize its musical interludes. They were very helpful in marking chapter boundaries, which in this book were important because it switched between 3 time lines. However, the insipid tune became irritating by the 40th or so chapter. I can't quite figure out what was so irritating other than the tune's maudlin character. What makes a good interlude? Should it vary or always be the same recording?
Lars wrote: "Donna--"One of my big complaints about many kid and YA books is the lack of parental influence in the story."
But don't you think that's what makes those kind of stories so perennially popu..."
Perhaps... but it's sooo overdone. Not every kid's book has to have inept or missing parents. I'm currently listening to Cold Sassy Tree - a great coming of age book about a 14 year old boy in 1906 Georgia. He gets into all kinds of mischief, has great friends and confronts some really tough life issues and his parents aren't gone, in fact they are important to him.
I don't have a problem with books about orphans, or kids who struggle with being accidentally separated from parents, but there are just soooo many books out there where parent is missing. It got to be a running joke at the mother daughter book group - yet another book where parents are MIA.
Susan wrote: "Also check out Margaret Atwood's most recent visit to the Oryx and Crake dystopia - The Year of the Flood."Oh wow! I didn't know she had another one out. Will have to get a copy of that! Thanks for letting us know.
Julie at All Ears wrote: "I loved Oryx and Crake - but I definitely didn't think anything like that could happen in my lifetime."Yeah, having kept up in the biological sciences I've been hearing about this for a while - which is exactly why Oryx and Crake was soooo creepy for me.
You are not alone in giving little thought to where the meat in the grocery store comes from. For an enlightening but not overwhelming look at where food comes from, try Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Polan. Scott Brick narrates it and it's an interesting look at modern food chains.
Donna wrote: "Lars wrote: "Donna--"One of my big complaints about many kid and YA books is the lack of parental influence in the story."
But don't you think that's what makes those kind of stories so perenni..."
Get your very valid point, Donna and it made me think of stories where the support and love of parents is left in the plot...Joseph Krumgold's 'Onion John,' Beverly Cleary books, Cynthia Lord's 'Rules,' and also about stories where orphaned children find parents...Kate DiCamillo's 'The Magician's Elephant' comes immediately to mind, since I just read it.
At some point, have to look into 'Cold Sassy Tree!'
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Hi, Don. The plot summary of The Forgotten Garden reads like a book I would love - too bad it wasn't that good.
What a great question about special 'sound effects.' For many books you need some kind of indicator when there is a visual break in the book, but I don't know if a musical theme is the right thing. For the audio version of The Inheritance of Loss, the narrator gave loooong pauses. At first I kept on checking to see if my earbuds had come loose! The pauses were important though because it indicated a different point of view for the story. I'm currently listening to David Benioff's The City of Thieves. The book is excellent and will probably be one of my favorite audiobooks of the year. But, it also uses these musical themes that I find annoying. At first I thought it just played music towards the end of the cd, but I noticed it plays this melancholy violin theme whenever something sad happens. It is extremely annoying - almost like a laugh track that is cueing the audience that there is something funny going on. I don't think I would mind it if it didn't happen in some of the most poignant and sad parts. Still a fantastic book, even with this small flaw.
Has anyone run across any books that do clever audio cues?
One Second After by William R. ForstchenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Imagine the destruction 1 nuclear weapon could bring to the United States if the enemy exploded the bomb 100 miles above Kansas. Mr. Forstchen thoroughly scared the crap out of me. Such an attack on the US would wipe out 80 to 90 percent of our population. There would be no nuclear waste, not death attributed directly to the explosion in fact no one would feel or see the explosion but an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) would destroy every electronic device in the country.
Think of how much we depend on electronic circuitry. Cars, planes, trains, boats, electrical grid, generators, cell phones, radios, and of course computers. All would be destroyed by one carefully exploded nuclear device. Most deaths would be disease and starvation that would follow the attack.
In an entertaining and very detailed way Mr. Forstchen gives us a look into a family living in a small town in North Carolina and how they try to survive the attack. This is a work of fiction but Forstchen has done extensive research into the potential danger of an EMP attack. Since before 9-11 our government has known about our Achilles heel and refuses to act. The old Soviet nuclear arsenal is likely going to supply a terrorist with a nuke. An old scud rocket could take the nuke 100 miles above the US. A container ship in the gulf of Mexico could easily carry a scud missile launcher and could place the nuke in the exact spot needed to destroy the United States.
We can protect our country from this devastating type of attack but it would require a huge retrofit and probably lots of money so they try to ignore this as a real potential problem. At the very least the military should have all their computers, radios, vehicles, and networks hardened against such an attack. It is our weakest spot and we should not bury our heads in the sand and ignore this weakness. Our politicians need to act now.
A great end of the world as we know it book. A real page turner and the end was a depressing and scary surprise.
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Jeff at All Ears Audiobooks wrote: "Spark, by John J. Ratey is a part motivational/part science book ..."Jeff, I recently had the pleasure of watching Ratey give a presentation in SF at a Parents Educators Network thing. You can watch a similar one on YouTube but having read the book, it may be repetitive, but does have visuals. He touted another book which interested me called, in the one-word title way that seems so prevalent for this type of book, 'Play' by Stuart Brown, that sounds most interesting/
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In all honesty, I really can't recommend this book in good faith. However, for my part, I'm such an easy critic that it really grew on me. However, a book that takes until halfway through to really get moving and only really comes together at the last chapters has some problems in the workings.
Andromeda Klein tells the story of a misunderstood teenage girl who is obsessed with Tarot cards and the occult. Her life is falling apart at the seams. Her best friend died while she was on a family trip, her much-older boyfriend has lost interest in her and the library is weeding out all her favorite books. And now, she is receiving odd signs in her Tarot readings and from the world around her. What does it all mean, and what is the universe trying to tell her? You'll have to slog through the book to find out.
Andromeda Klein read more like a blog, based on the rate it told the story. It was very slow moving, and heavy on character inside jokes based on the main characters mis-hearings of words. However, the book is very well researched and packed with names, dates, references and lexicons to all things magic. I enjoyed the story by the end, but most readers will have closed this book and shelved it away long before the chapters reach the double digits.
Rough Country by John SandfordMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a fun book, a little lighter than the Prey series and Lucas Davenport only shows up in phone conversations with our main protagonist Virgil Flowers. Virgil is a fun somewhat new main character for Sandford and I like the direction the author is going with him. Virgil is described as looking like a surfer, which seems to make him appealing to the fairer sex and he is the sort of guy that just the right woman would tame.
The book opens with a business woman sitting in a canoe on a lake in Minnesota who is shot and killed while watching Eagles in their nest. Virgil is on vacation on another lake in a fishing competition when Lucas Davenport orders him to the scene of the murder. It turns out Virgil loves to fish and is known to tow his boat to places throughout "The Land of a Thousand Lakes" where as basically a state policeman he is sent to solve hard to solve crimes. He is really good at solving crimes to Davenport turns a blind eye to the boat towing and fishing on the job. We get to learn a little about fishing in this book, and Flowers is also an avid Indie Music fan and wears a different band's tee shirt every day.
The woman killed is a successful business woman who is just about to take over ownership of an add agency, so the immediate suspects are the employees who might lose their jobs when she takes over. The main motivation for killing is money or sex according to Virgil and both begin to come into play. The woman killed was on vacation at a resort called the Eagles Nest that was a women only resort. Many of the patrons are gay and if not gay there are beautiful young boys who work at the resort who for a price would entertain these successful women.
All the women who Flowers interviews tend to like him, even the gay ones, and his conversation skills are remarkable. (I need Sanford to write my lines) Anyway, the charming Detective Flowers begins to narrow in on the suspect and it is looking like the suspect is a serial killer. I didn't figure out the killer until just a little bit before Detective Flowers figured it out and in the end it sort of seemed obvious so maybe others might figure it out quicker than I did.
The pace is fast, and I couldn't put the MP3s down. I enjoyed this latest Sanford novel.
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Nancy Farmer is one of my top pics for creepy distopian novels for teens. The House of the Scorpions is very interesting and at points very believable. The Ear, The Eye and the Arm is also an interesting read.
my other favorite teen distopian novels - Feed by M. T. Anderson and Green Angel by Alice Hoffman. Both of them absolutely creep me out! Way too close for comfort.