Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris (audio)

I listened to my first David Sedaris audiobook just a couple of months ago, after hearing much ranting and raving from my blogger friends. That pretty much sealed the deal for me...love at first listen. I then ordered everything my library had of Sedaris on audio (which isn't really much) which brought me to "Me Talk Pretty One Day". I'm probably repeating myself, but nothing I say here will properly capture the genius of his dry humor, and the magic of his whiny, nasal-toned narration. Just trust me that he is a funny, funny man.

I am not easily satisfied with humor either. Comedic books and movies tend to annoy me, because they are usually trying too hard. My entire family could be wetting themselves over some inane film (cough...Nacho Libre...cough) and I just sit there like a stone. Fart humor doesn't cut it. (No pun intended!) Falling down doesn't either. But Sedaris seems to have what I need. He doesn't take himself too seriously, and openly exposes every one of his frailties for all to see, even the more serious ones.

As with the last audio I listened to, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Sedaris covers his childhood, his quirky parents and siblings (including his now-famous sister Amy), his addictions, his time spent living in other countries and the difficulties in trying to speak another language.

I didn't laugh at every single segment. But on the ones where I did laugh, I laughed BIG. I loved his term "tapeworm", which is sort of like "bookworm" but replacing the love of books with the love of audio tapes - something to which I can totally relate! I loved his story of an encounter on a French train with a group of tourists from Houston, and their annoying and loud stereotyping of the French people. I appreciated his honesty about his drug problem and years of shiftlessness.

But I think my favorite part was when he was relaying stories about attempting to speak French. For any of you that have attempted to learn a new language, you will appreciate this. When you know only a finite number of words, you try to communicate by piecing these words together, usually with your conjugation completely hosed up. (And I wonder why every time I open my mouth in Poland, my in-laws laugh!) In his French-speaking class, a cultural melting-pot, some of David's classmates wanted to understand the meaning of Easter. Here is how the conversation went:

The Poles jumped in first. "It is" said one, "a party for the little boy of God who calls his self Jesus and....oh, s***." At a loss for words, her fellow countryman tries to help out.

"He calls his self Jesus and then he die one day on two....morsels....of lumber."

The rest of the class jumped in, offering bits of information that would have given the pope an aneurysm.

"He die one day and then go above my head to live with your father."

"He weared of himself the long hair and after he die, the first day he come back here to say hello to the peoples."

"He nice, the Jesus."

"He make good things, and on the Easter we be sad, because somebody makes him dead today."

They struggled because explaining complex theological concepts was beyond their linguistic ability so they turned to food.

"Easter is a party to eat of the lamb." The Italian nanny explained. "One too many eat of the chocolate."

"And who brings the chocolate?" the teacher asked.

I knew the word, so I raised my hand, saying, "The rabbit of Easter. He bring of the chocolate."

"A rabbit?"....

"Well sure," I said. "He come in the night when one sleep on a bed. With a hand he have a basket and foods.


After listening to this, my husband shouldn't be surprised if I never utter another word in Polish! I'd rather run around playing charades and talking really loud in English!

My next adventure in fun with Sedaris will be "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim", which I will save until I need a break from murders, wars, treachery and physical abuse!

4 out of 5 stars

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling (audio)

Well, it has been like a very long relationship, between me and this audio. The kids and I have been listening to it since (checking library records) before Christmas. 23 discs is a long haul when we only listen in the car, when everyone is in the car, and when there is nothing urgent to discuss.

If you haven't read the Harry Potter series or seen the movies, and you don't want any spoilers, please cease and desist here, and proceed to my final two paragraphs!!!

When I reflect on my journeys with Harry Potter, the Order of the Phoenix is one that tends to be blurred in my memory, sandwiched between Cedric's death in The Goblet of Fire and Dumbledore's death in the Half Blood Prince. But in re-reading/listening, there is much to remember about this installment:

* One of the literature's most vile villains comes to life. Delores Umbridge is described as toad-like, with a girlish giggle, pink cardigans, and a blood-thirsty taste for torture. Reading about her makes me squirm with discomfort, she is so nasty. One of the top ten moments in the series is when she is dragged off by angry centaurs.

* The "gang" grows a couple cajones. In response to Umbridge's effort to suppress all productive education in the area of the Dark Arts, Harry and friends form a subversive army whose sole mission is to learn the skills that enable them to defend themselves against Voldemort.

* The prophecy is revealed. See, Trelawney isn't good for nothing!

* The death of Sirius. This is possibly one of the most heart-breaking moments, next to losing Dumbledore. Harry finally finds "family", to lose it again forever. I shed a tear every time I read it or see it.

* More history on Severus Snape. Dare we feel pity? This character development is critical for further plot, and makes the hook-nosed, greasy-haired teacher just a tad more complicated.


Strangely, I felt an emotion with this audio book that I hadn't felt before in previous readings, and that is an irritation and annoyance with Harry. Had he focused on learning how to block out Voldemort from his thoughts (occlumency), the death of Sirius and injury of his friends could have been prevented. But then I guess it wouldn't have been nearly as exciting an ending, huh? Still, when I listened carefully, I could hear an internal dialogue in my mind that was pretty harsh..."Harry always sticks his nose into things that are best left alone", "Harry should stop trying to rebel and listen to Dumbledore already" and "Harry is always trying to be a hero and save people". I know Harry beats himself up over it, and Dumbldore isn't innocent in the whole mess, but I was less forgiving this time around.

******

Jim Dale continues to perform at a level that I feel puts him in the top narrators of all time (under Simon Vance of course). Whether he is singing "Weasely is Our King", uttering Umbridge's little clearing-the-throat "hem hem" noises (which makes the kids and I laugh uncontrollably every time), or portraying a devastated Harry who is no longer comfortable in his own skin, he is truly remarkable.

To me, The Order of the Phoenix is where my stomach started to hurt from the tension and tragedy of the plot. (I mean this with love in my heart of course. It is a good thing if a book causes physiological reactions in me.) By the end of The Half-Blood Prince, however, I'm almost nauseous. I guess what I am trying to say is that the climax of the Harry Potter series begins it's ascent here, and steadily climbs to its peak late in book 7. Make sure your seat belt is secure and your hands are inside the car.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Look Again - Lisa Scottoline (audio)

"Look Again" was the April selection for our Book Club. I'd not read anything by this author, although I do have a couple of her books sitting on my shelves. I went into the audio stone cold - no preconceptions or knowledge of the topic of the book.

Ellen Gleeson is your typical working single-parent, raising a spirited 3 year-old son whom she adopted as a baby. Layoffs threaten her position as a journalist, but hopes that the tall, dark and handsome boss of hers, with whom she has a mutual crush, might protect her. But when she sees a little white card in the mail entitled "Have You Seen This Child?", and the age-progressed picture looks eerily like her little boy, her life is turned upside down. Ellen goes into investigative journalist mode, determined to get at the truth, and also make the right decision for her little boy. She ultimately discovers much more than she ever expected.

Despite the subject matter, which is very serious, the tone of the book still came across as light. Maybe it was the prose, maybe it was the narrator, maybe it was the Latin Antonio Banderas-ish boss that was so easily wooed, I'm not sure. It was also predictable, and tightly tied up with a bow at the end, which I am sure contributed to my lasting impression. Scottoline does throw out good discussion questions and ethical quandaries though, which I am sure will fuel our Book Club chatter. If you discovered your child was adopted illegally, would you say anything or keep it to yourself? OK, so say you think you might say something, but what if you found out that the biological parents of your child aren't model citizens, then what? Is it our right to judge, and play God with this information? What would YOU do to protect your family?

In her subplot, the author also paints a picture of life as a single parent with a more than full-time job...the chaos, the jealousy of a babysitter spending more time with the child than the parent, the never-ending exhaustion. Scottoline, a single parent herself, seems to be intimate with these emotions. She also addresses the loss of a mother, and the dynamics of a father/daughter relationship when dad establishes a new life wants to remarry. All of these topics are what elevate this book from boorishly mediocre to an entertaining read.

So on to the Book Club discussion:

The girls all seemed to feel a little snarky about the book. There was one who hadn't finished it, and wanted us to fill her in. When we walked her through the last half of the book, it became obvious how absolutely ludicrous the whole climax and chain of events really were. However, as I expected, we did have spirited discussion over wine and appetizers. We covered the gamut, including how far we would be willing to protect our children, examples of adoption nightmares, the downside of open adoptions, cheating spouses (which OF COURSE got us steaming about Jesse James and Tiger Woods and the cop-out of "rehab"), the feasibility of single-parent adoptions, and other books we've read with similar topics.

The bottom line on Look Again was lukewarm. I believe most of us would give her other books another chance though.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Two More Challenges Complete!

Well, you can tell what I've been up to! In the challenge class of 2010, these two beauties were my nominees for "most likely to succeed".

I am an avid user of my local public library. Not only do they have an amazing selection of audio books, but they also deliver to my home. It's like door-to-door service for crack addicts! Anyway, I chose the 25 book challenge, and here they are:

The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E. Pearson
The Given Day - Dennis Lehane

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
The Good Pig - Sy Montgomery
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County - Tiffany Baker
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami
The Liar's Club - Mary Karr
Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson
Open - Andre Agassi
If You Come Softly - Jacqueline Woodson
When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris
Olive Kitteredge - Elizabeth Strout
Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay
Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane
Hold Tight - Harlan Coban
The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova
Mystic River - Dennis Lehane

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix - J.K. Rowling (review coming 4/29)

The Dead and the Gone - Susan Beth Pfeffer

Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris (review coming 5/18)

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

Behind You - Jacqueline Woodson







As you can see from THIS challenge, most of my library rentals are audio books, with a few exceptions. I accepted the maximum challenge of 20 audios:

The Given Day - Dennis Lehane

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County - Tiffany Baker

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

The Liar's Club - Mary Karr

Got the Look - James Grippando
Cemetery Dance - Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston
The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

Open - Andre Agassi

When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris

Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay

Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

Olive Kitteredge - Elizabeth Strout

Hold Tight - Harlan Coban

The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova

Mystic River - Dennis Lehane

Harry Potter and the Order of Pheonix - J.K. Rowling

Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

Look Again - Lisa Scottoline (review coming 4/27)



I have to admit, these challenges were not really a challenge. Still, I can mark them off my list and focus on some of my neglected children...Vietnam, E-Book and Graphic Novels.

How are you all doing with your challenges so far?

Behind You - Jacqueline Woodson

"If Jeremiah wanted, he could be in the front row of his favorite ball team's game. He could be swimming or eating ice cream. He could know what it feels like to fly. If he were a different kind of boy, he could stand in fire just because it was something he'd always wanted to do, or take steps down into the ocean and touch some shark's fin. Braid up the tentacles of a jellyfish. But he's not that kind of boy. He's just a boy who can't let the world that he left behind get behind him."

I've described Jacqueline Woodson's various works, reviewed here at You've GOTTA Read This over the past six months as precious. Gentle. Delicate. Beautiful. Unassuming. I'm really not sure how much more I can say about her books. They are spare - rarely over 150 pages. But they are rich and complex and so very efficient, getting the very most from every word. I can't recommend her enough.

I reviewed If You Come Softly at the end of February. I fell in love with this sweet, heartbreaking story. I melted into a puddle when I heard there was a sequel called "Behind You". As hard as it was, I needed to know the "afterwards".

It would be difficult for me to talk about "Behind You" without spoiling the end of "If You Come Softly". If it is important to you to maintain the integrity of the story, please skip ahead to my conclusion.

********

In the aftermath of Miah's death, the lives of his loved ones are shattered - their day-to-day lives have come to a complete halt. His mother, his father, his best friend Carlton, and classmate Kennedy. But most of all, his first true love, Ellie. "Behind You" gives us the perspective of each of these people, their grief, their memories of Miah, and how they attempt to cope with the hole in their hearts. We also hear from Miah's dead grandmother and Miah, who both reside in the "in between" (to steal the term from The Lovely Bones). Miah is reluctant to travel to the other side, watching his family, friends and girlfriend reach out to each other for solace and attempt to move on with their lives.

*******

And, typical of Woodson, she also addresses some taboo subjects with grace. At the top of the list, and the most poignant, is a young man's struggle to come to grips with his sexual orientation. While I feel that the issues with this struggle were superficially addressed, and were resolved a little too smooth to be realistic, I do admire that it was addressed at all. I mean, we have 118 pages to work with here. We're not going to solve world hunger or the issues of coming out in 118 pages.

I would recommend that you read "If You Come Softly" first, before you read "Behind You", otherwise the relationships and emotions will be meaningless to you. In fact, just get both of them at the same time, block off a couple hours of your time, get a wad of tissues, and behold one of the best middle grade authors that the literary world has to offer.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Read the Book/See the Movie: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston (audio)

When I first signed up for the Read the Book/See the Movie Challenge, hosted by my friend James (Ready When You Are, C.B.), I came up with a list of potentials to complete the required four movie/book minimum. I have yet to make good on any of them. See, I get drawn into an unplanned read, am blown away by the book, then realize there's a movie that goes with it. Voila! This is what happened with Fingersmith, Shutter Island, and the latest inspiration, Their Eyes Were Watching God.

My curiosity got the best of me. Folks are quite proud of Zora Neale Hurston down here in Central Florida. She grew up in Eatonville, Florida, (just north of Orlando) the first all black town incorporated in the US, and is heralded as a great African American folklorist during the Harlem Rennaisance. Every year in Eatonville, they have a huge festival celebrating Zora's life. It was only proper that I appreciated her contributions to the literary world.

The story is narrated by Janie Starks, a woman with a reputation around town. She's beautiful and elusive, and has been widowed twice in her young life, which inspires the townsfolk, sitting on their front porches, to speculate and envy the woman. Having just returned from the Everglades to her home in Eatonville, she tells her story to her friend Phoebe. Through her eyes, we see the development of Eatonville in the early 1920's...the establishment of the town store, the town's first street lamp, the town's first mayor. We witness the famous flooding of the Lake Okeechobee as a result of a hurricane in 1928. Jamie make not always make the wisest decisions when it comes to men, but we witness her finding love and finding herself.

I found the story compelling in the hands of Hurston. Florida's fascinating black history came to life - history of the area in which I live to which I was clueless. Janie, her husbands, and the townsfolk, were vivid, entertaining characters. The men dominating over their wives, the "porch drama", the love of baseball, life in a farm camp in the Everglades, and the immigrant Bahamian music. But the main attraction above and beyond all is Hurston's writing. It is rich and poetic, and oh so beautiful. This woman had some MAD writing skillz! It nearly put me into a trance, sort of like the intoxicating smell of night jasmine or gardenia.

There is quite a bit of dialect, and it took a little while to get used to listening to it. I'm not sure how easy or difficult it would be to read in print. In the care of the narrator, Ruby Dee (who was also in the movie) it was like watching a movie with my ears. It was breathtaking. This sets some pretty high standards for the movie, but I had to give it a go.

***************

They filmed part of the movie in Orlando and in the Everglades, which caused a stir at the time. In fact, my parents, who had a home in a fish camp in the Everglades back then, had a Seminole Indian friend who had a bit part (the Indian who warned Janie and Teacake about the coming hurricane). Everyone down here was talking about the movie. We even taped it, but I never ended up watching it.

It was a made-for-TV movie (by Oprah), so who knew what we were going to get. On the other hand, the beautiful Halle Berry starred as Jamie, with her almond eyes, high cheekbones and long curly hair. She was the perfect Janie! I found the movie to be generally similar to the plot of the book, but it took much of the emotional, jagged parts of the novel and smoothed it over. Like the translation of book to film in Fingersmith, there is just no way the poetic beauty of the words can translate. This was Zora-Lite.

Besides Halle Berry, there are also cameo parts played by Terrance Howard and Ruby Dee. These are not parts that would ever gain your attention, but it does signify the support of this film by the African-American acting community.

Is the movie worth seeing? Yes, absolutely. But don't expect it to even come close to the masterpiece of the novel.

Book: 5 out of 5 stars

Movie: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The Dead and the Gone - Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Last Survivors Trilogy has been flying above the radar for some time in the Young Adult literary circles. The series is also one of many that are fueling a sort of apocalypse fever gripping young readers (and a few older ones). I read the first book in the series, Life As We Knew It, with my daughter, and we both loved it. We knew at this point the deal was done...we had to see it through to the end.

The premise of both books is that an asteroid has hit the moon, pushing it closer to the earth, and unleashing tsunamis, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, flu outbreaks, loss of electricity, food shortages...your basic end-of-the-world fun. In The Dead and the Gone, we experience the after-effects through the eyes of Alex Morales, a lower-income 17 year-old living in New York City. Alex is a model kid, attending a Catholic school on scholarship, an over-achiever, and a good example for his two younger sisters.

When the asteroid hits the moon, Alex's father is in Puerto Rico attending a funeral, and his mother is in transit to her job at a Bronx hospital. With both parents missing in action, names on the list of those "gone", Alex becomes the head of household and caregiver for his sisters. He must live by his wits, bartering objects in his apartment building and objects taken from dead bodies for food and clothing. While he is determined to protect his sisters, he is spiritually distraught at what actions the circumstances have forced him to take.

Unlike the first book, where religious leaders were corrupt, religion plays a significant and positive role in the emotional and physical survival of these children. They pray, they attend church, the Catholic school continues to feed and educate throughout the crisis, and Alex receives guidance from various priests to help him reconcile his conscience with God.

Inevitably, as electricity is lost, the volcanic ash causes arctic conditions, and New York is quarantined due to the flu epidemic, humanity starts to circle the drain, including the Morales children. While the situation is oppressive and hopeless, with a significant body count to keep us humble, Pfeffer also rewards us with moments of beauty. Alex's spoiled, brattish 12 year-old sister grows up and pulls her weight in the family, Alex finds a special friendship with a boy he had previously disregarded, and faith prevails.

The novelty seems to have worn off after having experienced the asteroid event in book one, and maybe for this reason, book two wasn't quite as riveting. Nevertheless, I read this book in a day and a half, and was entertained and touched by the different perspective. I was especially thankful for the fact that we Catholics, who are usually on the receiving end of the media truncheon, were cast as a positive force.

The third and final installment, This World We Live In, is launched in less than a month. Knowing that the worlds and protagonists of books one and two converge in this novel makes the anticipation in the Nawrot house feverishly high. We hope it lives up to our expectations!

Here are my daughter's thoughts:

The Dead and the Gone turned out to be an interesting book in all. I wasn't jumping out of my seat in the beginning. It actually made me want to put the book down it was so boring. But, as the book progressed, it continued to get more interesting and made me want to read more. It starts just telling about a boy's life and his family. Then, when the asteroid hits the moon, it talks about
Alex and his two sisters trying to survive. At this point, events start to happen, leading the three kids to different places, having to do different things, and protecting one another. It was at this stage that I actually got more attentive to the book.

The characters in the book were very different from one another. Julie, Alex's youngest sister sounded like a spoiled brat to me. On the bright side she acted very tough at times, which was an advantage, based on everything that was happening. Bri, Alex's oldest sister, was a lot more kinder and gentler than Julie. She does not act like a normal teenager would.

The beginning of the book made me feel bored. The middle section of the book made me feel surprised and sick, because of all the disgusting things. The end made me feel completely sad because of a big shock that happens, that you'll just have to find out when you read it.

Tip: Read the first book in this series, Life As We Knew It - it is a way better book than this one, in my opinion.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Emma's rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Mystic River - Dennis Lehane (audio)

After I read and reviewed my first Dennis Lehane book, The Given Day, several bloggers told me Mystic River was his best work. I'd considered picking it up, but was waylaid by the audio of Shutter Island, inspired by the release of the movie. So here I am, my third Lehane book, and on the verge of adding him to the very prestigious list of authors who are _____ - worthy. (Insert appropriate word...crush, drool, panty, obsession, whatever feels right.)

The movie received such huge accolades, with its star-studded cast and trunkload of Oscar nominations and two statues, it was hard not to at least have a clue about the plot. There are some friends, there is a murder, something about molestation. I must have known that I would read the book someday though, because I managed to keep the important spoilers at bay and with childlike enthusiasm blasted through the five audio discs in a couple of days.

I was right, there are some friends. They grew up together in the old neighborhood, and were all permanently altered when one of them was kidnapped off the street in broad daylight, held captive and molested over a period of four days before he escaped. They grew up and apart, one becoming a policeman, one a mob boss, and one a sometimes-employed underachiever. Their lives intersect again when one of their daughters is murdered. The friends (and their wives) are forced to consider some difficult questions. Can anyone be trusted? This is a study in human frailties, in all of its disturbing hopelessness.

First and foremost, I was horrified when I learned that I had gotten hold of an abridged version of the audio, hence the reason why it is only five discs long. (I really wish I hadn't known.) Upon further investigation, I was not able to find an unabridged version anywhere, except in the form of a cassette. *Sigh* With that being said, though, it still worked. Damaged characters, emotional angst, all in five discs. Unlike The Given Day, which seemed a few discs too long with description and plots to spare, this story was abrupt, concise, focused and raw. Could there have been more character development? Yes absolutely, and perhaps there was in the unabridged 10 discs. These people were complex and messy, and we barely scratched the surface with some of them. I was not left unfulfilled however. Lehane packs so much intensity in such a small space, you finish the book with a long release of breath you had been holding for awhile. A long "hooooh"! And you walk away done. It is dark. It is murky and thick. I'm not thinking you would want it longer than it is.

The narrator, David Strathairn, held his own. He is no Tom Stechschulte, who took the audio of Shutter Island and made it into a masterpiece. He is no Simon Vance, who makes my ears happy and my body swoon. But he delivered the intensity necessary to get the job done. Would Stechschulte have taken this book to a five star like Shutter Island? I don't think so.

In the spirit of obsession, are there any other Lehane novels I need to read? I know he wrote Gone, Baby, Gone, as well as a few others. Any recommendations?

4 out of 5 stars

Hold Tight - Harlan Coban (audio)

Right after I started blogging, I listened to my first Harlan Coban novel, Tell No One. It was an insanely wild ride, with twists and turns that no one could predict, and had I been rating my books at that time, I would have probably given it a 4.5 or 5. In my mind, he certainly established himself as mystery thriller writer with serious chops. My BFF, who was responsible for introducing me to the world of audios years ago, offered to loan me her library copy of this audio, and I didn't have to think twice. My blood pressure could use a little jolt!

Now normally in this portion of my review, I tell you about the plot. That is going to be difficult in this situation, because we had plots coming from every crevice of the story. The story is primarily focused on Tia and Mike Baye, a fairly normal suburban couple, and their children. Adam, their teenage son, has been going through a rough patch since his best friend's suicide, and his parents are concerned. They have even installed a computer program to spy on Adam's computer activities. Then Adam goes missing.

After two or three discs, I began to take notes on all of the plots that develop from chapter to chapter. We have a serial murderer on the loose, abducting, torturing and killing middle-aged women. We peek into the lives of the parents of Adam's friend that killed himself, and their belief there was more to it than just a depressed child. We learn about how a careless comment made by a teacher nearly ruined a young girl's life. About a little boy who needs an organ transplant, and in the process of testing, it is discovered that the child's father is not his biological parent. We enter a world of prescription drug dealing. Holy cow. Coban does manage to tie everything together in the end, but navigating through the maze of storylines became almost distracting. The coincidences and connections that had to occur to pull all the threads together tested my patience with its outlandishness.

The pace was frantic and quite satisfying though. The tension started out high, and continued to steadily build, to the point where you couldn't help but compulsively listen. Coban also introduces not only heart-racing action, but some philosophical issues that will hit close to home in the heart of any parent. What right does a child have to his or her privacy? Are you willing to jeopardize trust with your child to ensure their safety? Is there such a thing as parent over-involvement in their children's lives, thereby smothering them and not allowing them to rebel as all teenagers do?

The beauty about Coban's writing, if I may be so bold to judge after two of his books, is that he infuses passion into his words. Loss of a spouse, loss of a child, trying to do right by your family, making tough decisions...it has never been better expressed than through his novels. It is clear that Coban is writing what he knows and what he feels. The emotion is palpable. Throw in some intrigue and murder most foul, and this is the package you are handed.

Put all that through the wine press, and you get another solid thriller with substance. It wasn't perfect, but worth your time. Just bring your compass.

4 out of 5 stars

Read the Book/See the Movie: Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane (audio)

Many bloggers have told me Lehane's best work was Mystic River. I've not read this book yet, but that is soon to be remedied. I did read The Given Day in January, and it was solid, albeit a few discs too long. But with the movie Shutter Island on the horizon, a Scorcese film no less, I was compelled to give this one a shot. Perfect for the Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge, yes?

I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into. Holy crap.

U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels, with his partner Chuck, have been summoned to Aschecliffe Hospital, home to the most dangerous, criminally insane, located on isolated Shutter Island. Apparently, a psychotic patient named Rachel Solando has escaped and cannot be found. While the marshall's flounder in their investigation, running into roadblocks, secretive and unhelpful hospital personnel, and more questions than answers, we begin to get some history on Teddy. The man is seriously, emotionally damaged as a result of recently losing his wife tragically and from his experiences in WWII. He has dreams that take on significance, he hears his dead wife counseling him, he questions the existence of a God that allowed the Holocaust to occur.

And this is where I must stop. Telling you any more makes no sense. The further you get into the novel, the more you begin to live in Teddy's skin. You feel his doubts, his anguish, his confusion and desperation. There are smoke and mirrors. You begin to question everything. What is real? What is an illusion? Are you losing your mind? Is this a setup? Teddy has no clue, and you won't either. The book ends with a climax like I have never seen before. It is a total mindf**k.

I can't speak for the printed version, but the audio was beyond powerful. And when this climax occurs, about halfway through the last disc, prepare yourself. I can't remember EVER having a reaction quite as...physiological...emotional...as this one. I stumbled off my elliptical trainer, and shaking, had to sit on the floor for awhile. I will even go out on a limb here, and double-dog dare you to listen to this audio and not have a intense reaction. I promise you, it will bring you to your knees.

This audio would not be what it is without the narrator Tom Stechschulte. While he has acting creds, he has also narrated McCarthy's No Country for Old Men and The Road, Ellroy's The Black Dahlia, and O'Brien's The Things They Carried. His voice is raw, rough and emotive, perfectly suited for the genre with which he is affiliated.

Knowing now, in advance, the twists (but with just as many questions as ever), how will the movie hold up? If I would have read a book version of The Sixth Sense, would the movie have made the same mind-blowing impact on me?

Additional note: After this book had its way with me, I mentioned it to one of my book club buddies, and we agreed this HAD to be the next book club selection, in which we would read the book, then reunite to see the movie together, then discuss the whole mess over drinks!

*******



The book club members were all extremely excited to see the movie. We all grabbed hotdogs, popcorn and beer, and nestled in for a wild ride. Overall, the movie stayed fairly true to the book, up until the last sentence, but more on that in a minute. I felt there was perhaps more attention given to Teddy's emotional baggage with WWII, and less attention given to his relationship with his wife. Also, knowing the plot, its twists and turns, it was interesting how we easily spotted non-verbal cues that hinted that things weren't as they seemed. The climax (the one that forced me off my elliptical trainer) was just as impactful as on audio. My friend next to me cried. It made me nauseous. It was as visually disturbing as a scene could be.

But here is the deal guys. Mr. Scorcese or his screenwriter, or whoever, added one sentence to the end of the movie (that was NOT in the book) that completely changed the meaning and tone of the ending. I sat up in my theater seat and exploded "WHAT??". I couldn't believe it. Do I think that the edited ending added to the plot? Yes! Still, how dare they? I think I was the most insulted of the group...the others didn't get quite so passionate over it.

I thought all of the actors were well-cast. No complaints there. I used to sneer at DiCaprio, and thought him a twerp. I suppose he has proven himself enough times recently that I can now take him seriously.

Had I not read the book, I think I would have been a little confused throughout the movie. While the twists were not a surprise, we had the benefit of the back story, which really enhanced our viewing experience. The entire book club did feel, at the end of the day, that the book was better than the movie.

Book: 5 out 5 stars
Movie: 4 out 5 stars

Olive Kitteredge - Elizabeth Strout (audio)

The book has been on my list since it was rated as one of the best fiction reads of 2008 by Entertainment Weekly. Then it won the Pulitzer. It was only when my BFF told me she had borrowed the audio from the library and offered to let me upload it did I finally grab the opportunity to experience what everyone else out there already had.

A small seed of doubt sat dormant down in the corner of my brain though. I knew this was a collection of stories loosely gathered around a character named Olive Kitteredge. I'd tried short stories on audio before with Haruki Murakami and I crashed and burned. Was I setting myself up for failure? Several discs into the book, my BFF and I compared notes, and we both were not feeling the love for Olive yet. Was this the wrong media choice? Are we Pulitzer idiots? I told her I was going to ride it out. There had to be something to it.

What we have here is a collection of stories about various inhabitants of a small town in coastal Maine over a period of about 30 years. Some of the stories are directly about Olive Kitteredge, a bull-headed, opinionated, pain-in-the-arse woman, her husband Henry and son Chris. Other stories tell about the day-to-day joys and heartbreaks of the townsfolks, with Olive in the periphery. We see depression, aging, tragedy, adultery, births, deaths...the underbelly of any small town, including yours or mine. A slice of life, a snapshot of raw humanity.

Olive is an easy person to dislike. She is pushy, inconsiderate of others' feelings, controlling with her husband and son, and intimidating. She is angry, she gets depressed, and has wild mood swings. She has brow-beaten her husband and alienated her son. Throughout her life though, she leaves nuggets of wisdom and strength with random people, and we are witness to this. Perhaps she has a heart? She is never quite able to solve her own personal issues, however. Her son's physical and emotional distance baffles her - it is someone else's fault. Just when you think she is going to have an epiphany, and gain perspective on her frailties, the door closes. I'm not sure if she ever gets it, and is frustrating as a reader. I suppose this is reflective of many of us, is it not? At the end of the book, I admit I begin to warm up to her curmudgeonish ways, but I'm not sure I would like her if I met her in real life.

Strout's writing is very good. It is straight forward and well-balanced - both descriptive and emotive without being too flowery. The narrator, however, was not good. I know this had something to do with the experience. My BFF, born and raised in the northeast, said the Maine accent was butchered. I wouldn't know, but I found her voice to be very one-dimensional.

Frankly, I am a little surprised this won the Pulitzer. It left me a little chilly. Am I glad I read it? Yes, just to say I have. Would I read it again, this time in print? Nah.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Sarah's Key - Tatiana De Rosnay (audio)

This book's reputation definitely preceded itself. I've been hearing about it since it was published in 2007, friends kept asking me if I'd read it yet, and insisting I must do so NOW. I was pretty excited when it was my book club's selection for February, and even more excited to find that my library had the audio.

The story alternates between 2002 and 1942. In 2002, our narrator is Julia Jarmond, an American living with her arrogant, cheating French husband and daughter in Paris. She's not in a great place with her marriage, but doesn't spend much time worrying about it as she races through her life as a journalist and a mother. She has been assigned the task of covering the 60th anniversary of a particular Parisian Jewish round-up during WWII, in which thousands of men, women and children were arrested by the French police and ultimately sent to their deaths. While doing her research, she realizes that her husband's grandmother's present day apartment was formerly the home of one of these Jewish families. Julia becomes intrigued with the story of Sarah, the little girl who lived there, and her fate. The answers she uncovers is utterly devastating. It re-opens old wounds within her husband's family, forces Julia to do a little self-examination, and changes her life forever.

In 1942, we walk in the shoes of little Sarah, learning about the events that took place on that fateful day in July of 1942, when she was 10 years old. It doesn't take much imagination to anticipate the events to follow. Sarah, however, is a remarkable little girl, and through her eyes we fully appreciate her struggle to find bravery deep inside herself and never let go of hope.

It is not much of a shocker to know that this book is simply a two-ton truck in the form of words, that will break your heart and run you over before you can even prepare yourself. The heart and soul of this novel is Sarah. It is her story that fuels the plot, brings tears to your eyes, and prevents you from laying down the book. I was much less intrigued with Julia, and although I liked her, her life was much less compelling. Sarah's story ends about halfway through the book, the rest being dedicated to Julia's life after all is revealed. It was slightly anti-climatic and as a result, lost some steam.

The fluctuation between past and present is particularly effective, deftly weaving the two stories together. Julia researches Sarah's life in one chapter, then the next chapter we are experiencing the events of the past as they happened. As I said above, I was more invested in Sarah than Julia, so I did experience some swings of momentum from chapter to chapter. Because of the gut-wrenching emotion in Sarah's chapters, I suppose it made the journey a little more bearable.

With the exception of one critical incident in Sarah's life, I found the book to be extremely predictable. Nothing surprised me. In fact, about halfway through the book, I knew, almost down to the letter, how it would end. Not that it is wrapped up neatly and happily...it was not. The writing was smooth and the story grabbed me by the heart and squeezed, so I can forgive this I think.

Historically, I loved the insight into the French society during WWII. Their active involvement in the persecution of the Jews, the shame of it years later, and the individuals who dared to defy authority to make a small difference.

Do I seem a little bi-polar with my opinions on this read? That is because I am not altogether sure how I feel. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but there were enough small faults that kept me from loving it. Here is what the book club had to say:

The book club, as a whole, loved the book. After some discussion, they all did admit they preferred Sarah's voice over Julia's and felt more could have been done to enhance the ending. None of the club members have had much experience with WWII fiction (unlike me, who is just a tad over-obsessed) so they were blown away by France's involvement in the persecution of the Jews and seemed to have been affected more by the plot. They felt that it was easy to read, and difficult to put down. I would gauge their reaction to perhaps a 4.5 out of 5.


4 out of 5 stars

If You Come Softly - Jacqueline Woodson

I think I've established that through my reading of three Jacqueline Woodson novels over the past six months, I am officially a fan. All of the books I've read have been of the YA genre, and address various forms of black and white issues, with other hot topics thrown in for flavor. Woodson's books tend to be relatively short...150 pages give or take...but overflow with emotion and gravitas. It is a true talent to be able to say so much in so few words.

So when I read a review of this book (sorry, I cannot recall who wrote the review) it was an impulsive library request. This is why I can't remember whose review inspired me...I read it, then immediately log into the library website to order. I needed another Woodson fix.

Ellie and Miah both go to a high-end private school in NYC. They each have their own problems at home. Ellie's mother has walked out on their family twice over the years, which has created some distrust and abandonment issues. She is virtually an only child because her siblings are much older. Miah's father, a famous Hollywood director, had an affair with a family friend and now lives with the fling across the street from Miah's mother. Both are lonely, and find a kindred spirit in each other. Theirs is an intense, first love. The only problem is that Ellie is white and Jewish, and Miah is black. People stare. Ellie's lesbian sister refuses to speak to her. Will they ever be able to have a "normal" relationship without being judged?

This book is precious. It not only captures the magic and depth of first love, but addresses some pretty heavy topics...the public's nonacceptance of bi-racial couples, infidelity, same-sex unions, to name a few. But not with a preachy or overblown attitude. There are no stereotypes - that is not Woodson's style. Instead, the tone is gentle, delicate, unassuming and beautiful.

Woodson continues to impress. Just one word of warning...have your tissues ready. She will make your heart ache.

5 out of 5 stars

When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris (audio)

David Sedaris, where have you been all my life? How many bloggers have to tell me he is God's gift to pee-in-your-pants laughter before I actually check him out? I guess it all started with a review I read recently of a 4-disc Sedaris audio (sorry, can't remember the blogger or the book), but ended up with "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" because that is what was available at the library.

I'll just start out by saying I can't do this man justice. If you have read him, heard him on audio or in real life, you already know this. If you haven't, you will just have to trust me. No excerpt will capture the essence of the dry, sardonic yet brutally honest wit of the man, or of Sedaris' own high, whiny voice that delivers it. (On a side note, Sedaris reminded me alot of Sarah Vowell, author and narrator of "The Wordy Shipmates". I say this with love in my heart.) I cannot even conceive that reading his books would be half the experience of hearing him in all his glory.

Since this was my first Sedaris adventure, I'm certainly not an expert. But assuming that his modus operandi is consistent from book to book, here is what you can expect: A series of essays about nothing, sort of like the TV show Seinfeld. Sedaris ruminates on various events in his life...living with a full-sized skeleton in his apartment and imagining that it is continually telling him he is going to die, sitting in a doctor's waiting room in his underwear, sneezing a cough drop into the lap of the lady sitting next to him on a flight, and a nasty boil on his rear end, just for some examples. He even spends two discs talking about his efforts to quit smoking. But on this path of enlightenment, he also takes short detours of the mind. Digressions, if you will, that are just as much fun as the primary train of thought.

For those easily offended, Sedaris may push your buttons. Bad language, the occasional gay reference, the slaughtering of a few sacred cows...it's in there. But in Sedaris' little-boy voice, it all seems OK. I was snickering or laughing out loud about every 5 or 10 minutes, languishing in his style of humor. Now when I find myself in a depression from too much literary family dysfunction or WWII dramas, I know where to turn.

Are you one of the millions of worshipers of Sedaris? What is his best novel?

4.5 out of 5 stars

Open - Andre Agassi (audio)

I first learned about Agassi's tell-all memoir when I saw him promoting it through the interview circuit. I was strangely moved by the man's obvious desire to purge all of his demons, and his brutal honesty. I mean, look at the face on the cover of the book! This is the face of a man who's been through it, and taken a big swallow of humility. While memoir-writing is the latest form of therapy for the rich and famous, this one seemed it could be a little different. After all, this was the cocksure bad-boy who was happy to flip the bird to the media, dated Barbara Streisand, and is one of the most decorated tennis stars in history. I wanted to hear his side of the story.

I also have always loved tennis. I played it in high school (with a bit of an attitude, but then again, McEnroe was our role model), and was even the activity of my second date with my husband. Before Robert and I had kids, we watched ALOT of tennis. (OK, I still watch it now when that hot little number Nadal plays!) We were among the masses that scoffed at Agassi's antics, jeered at the parade of women sitting in his spectator box, gaped at the loss of his poofy hair, and begrudgingly gave him credit for being the last man standing in his generation.

What we see in this memoir is a completely different side of the public Agassi. He was raised by a hot-headed, controlling father who forced his dreams onto his son, creating Agassi's fear and loathing of the sport. Predictably, Agassi rebelled, quit school in 9th grade, and forever defied rules. Despite his brash persona however, he was an introvert, preferring to stay in with friends and detesting the social demands of his job. In fact, I found him to be very emotionally needy (albeit bratty), and would cling to a core group of friends for support...a reverend-turned-songwriter, his trainer, his coach, a childhood friend. In return for their support, he was loyal to a fault, and would give his last penny to help them if they needed it. After all was said and done, Agassi outgrew the brattiness and came to realize that giving to those in need brought more peace to his life than winning any Grand Slam Tournament.

We also get a peek at the juicy stuff...his brief dabble with drugs (and getting caught by the ATP), his struggle with losing his famous mane of hair, that Jimmy Connors is a total ass, and the progression of his relationships, particularly with ex-wife Brooke Shields and his current wife Steffi Graff.

A majority of the book, however, is play-by-play details of his training and his matches, including some pretty classic battles with Becker, Courier and Sampras. If you aren't interested in tennis, you might find these portions of the book a little slow. On the contrary, I found it exciting to relive these phenomenal matches, all the while thinking with fascination...did he really go commando in that match? Did he really use a spectator's shoe to replace his own damaged one in that match? Did he really intentionally blow that match because his friend's daughter was clinging to life in a hospital?

The prose in this book is far from what you would call literary. It is straight-forward and blunt, with a number of swear words. It all feels authentic though; it's Agassi. I wouldn't expect him to recount his life with poetic, flowery words. Similarly, the narrator isn't a Jim Dale or a Simon Vance, but did sound an awful lot like Agassi's voice, which worked well.

I didn't so much like Agassi during my years of tennis worship, and I usually rooted against him. I wish I would have known then what I know now. I find it heart-warming to know that he has found a soul mate who understands him, and that his mission and reason for being is to give back to children in need. All has been forgiven.

4 out of 5 stars

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life As We Knew It has been an overnight sensation on the blogs lately. It is the first book in a Young Adult trilogy about what could perhaps be the end of the world. Seems like heavy stuff, and it is. But after reading the reviews from Lisa (Books on the Brain), Carrie (Books and Movies), Amy (My Friend Amy) and Nymeth (Things Mean Alot), YA connoisseurs all, could there be no doubt that I was missing out if I did not read it? Yet another impulsive library request...

In fact, my daughter got her hands on it before I did. She was visibly shaken by the book but at the same time couldn't put it down. I happened to be finishing up "Brooklyn" at the time, and she asked me at least once a day whether I'd started this book yet. She was anxious to talk about it.

And for good reasons. This was an incredible, unforgettable book. The setting is in the current day, and our narrator is a 16-year-old girl named Miranda, who is keeping a diary. Her parents are divorced but amiable. Her father has remarried and is expecting a new baby. Her older brother Matt goes to college, and her younger brother Jon is in middle school, and lives with Miranda, their mother and the family cat. Typical family these days.

Nobody thinks twice when the news reports that an asteroid is going to collide with the moon. In fact, it is sort of a media event, like an eclipse. But upon impact, everyone understands, with a sickening fear, that the situation has been underestimated. The moon is pushed closer to the earth, disrupting the gravitational balance. Tsunamis are the first catastrophic result, wiping out everyone living anywhere near the coast (Florida and California are always getting the short end of the stick!). Then there are the earthquakes, volcanoes in unlikely locations, the heavy ash, the deadly communicable diseases...

Because of Miranda's mother's survival instincts, quick reflexes and desire to protect her family, they secure plenty of food, water, gasoline and warm clothing. But how long will the supplies last? When will things be back to normal, or will they ever be normal again? Miranda documents their daily struggles, which include food rationing, communicating with long-distance loved ones, gun-wielding bandits, death, and finding one's own personal space in an ever-shrinking world. Despite conflict, the family works out their problems and stays strong for each other. They begin to take pleasure in the smallest of blessings...ice-skating at a nearby pond, a game of chess, an old forgotten box of baseball cards. In what is an incredibly dark story, there are shards of hope:

"I never knew I could love as deeply as I do. I never knew I could be so willing to sacrifice things for other people. I never knew how wonderful a taste of pineapple juice could be, or the warmth of a woodstove, or the sound of Horton (the cat) purring, or the feel of clean clothes against freshly scrubbed skin. It wouldn't be New Year's without a resolution. I've resolved to take a moment every day for the rest of my life to appreciate what I have."

Miranda is a delightful protagonist. She is like any other teenage girl in how she longs for a boyfriend, needs her personal space, and is defiant of her mother (they have a few fights that are doozies). But she digs deep and finds strength within herself that she never knew she had. She loves her family and would make any sacrifice to help them. You can help but love her.

The overall premise is terrifying. It does not appear there is so much science behind Pfeffer's books as there is intuitive consequences (based on her blog here) but it is believable enough to keep you up at night. With the rains, the unusual cold temperatures, and earthquakes, you'd think it was starting now!

As I speak, I have "The Dead and the Gone", the second book of the trilogy, is on order from the library. It is my understanding that the book centers on another teen in New York City during the same time period. My daughter and I wait anxiously!

My daughter's rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson (audio)

It has been a few days since I finished this glorious book on audio, and I'm dragging my feet to write a review. Why? I have lots to say about it. I went on small tangents talking about it over the last couple of weeks in various posts and e-mails. I guess I am afraid I won't do it justice. I don't have those kinds of skillz, I don't think.

I loved this book's predecessor, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". As soon as I finished it, I rushed to the library's website and ordered this audio, and was on the wait list for about three months. When I finally received it, I loaded it on iTunes as fast as a body can, and off I went, giddy and excited as a girl on her wedding day.

We are reunited with our endearing yet horn-dogish Mikael Blomkvist, who is enjoying the fruits of his successes earned in the first book. However, he is dispirited to find that Lisbeth Salander wants nothing to do with him. Meanwhile, an investigative journalist has approached Mikael and Millennium Publishing with idea for an expose on sex trafficking that will once again put Millennium in the spotlight.

We also catch up with Lisbeth and find her wandering aimlessly around the globe, and trying to decide what to do with her life. Despite being independently wealthy, she feels lost and alone.

Then Lisbeth's past, when "all the evil" happened, catches up with her. Lisbeth and Mikael's worlds converge again, and a tangled web of murder, political corruption and decades-old grievances surface and are unleashed.

I have said this before, and I will say it again. Lisbeth Salander is one of the most enigmatic, sympathetic and charismatic characters developed in modern literature. You can't put your finger on her...she is a social outcast, a brilliant computer hacker and mathematician, violent when cornered, and moralistic to a fault. I'm pretty sure if I met her, I wouldn't like her. But on the page (or in my ear, as it were) I want to revere her and protect her at the same time. We get to spend alot more time learning about Lisbeth in this book, with not one dull moment. We begin to understand what made her into the girl she is today, every bit of it horrifying.

As with the first book, Larsson takes his time setting up the story. He slowly reveals the desolation of Lisbeth's new life, the ways in which she is currently protecting herself from those who want to exploit her or hurt her, the state of Millennium's business, the sex trafficking trade, and even Mikael's sex life. Then the cogs begin to turn, and a multi-dimensional mystery unfurls itself. The characters, even the most insignificant, are interesting and drawn with depth. I was invested in the story right up to my armpits. Invested to the point, when Larsson pulls a fast one on us near the end of the book, I nearly had a coronary. (Seriously, I was in the middle of a walk when I got to this point, and I had to sit down.) In the land of dime-a-dozen crime thrillers, this one stands out like a beacon of light.

Now let me just wax lovingly for a minute about Simon Vance, the narrator. Yes, he is my ear candy (BTW, he also narrated The Little Stranger as well), the embodiment of listening pleasure. His voice, his accents, the lilt in his words just makes me purr. I could walk to California and back if I had him in my ear. If you have a chance to listen to his work, you shouldn't pass it up. He brings his stories to life.

So now, here I sit, waiting for the release of the third and final book in the series, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest". It is released in the US in May, and most likely it will take me another three months to wait my way through the hold list at the library for the audio. I trust that every agonizing day of waiting will be worth it.

5 out of 5 stars

The Liar's Club - Mary Karr (audio)

Memoirs can be a dicey business. It has almost become standard fare these days to find yourself slogging through tales of childhood abuse, molestation, alcoholism, and drug addiction...some true stories, and some fabricated. And for anyone who has read The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, the standard has been set for tell-all excellence. Mary Karr's name kept coming up though, and eventually I couldn't ignore it. Her latest release "Lit" was ranked as one of the top non-fiction books in 2009 by Entertainment Weekly. I soon learned that it was the third in a loosely-formed trilogy about the author's life. "The Liar's Club" focuses on Mary's childhood, "Cherry" on her adolescence, and "Lit" on her adult life. Far be it for me to read things out of order, so I ordered the first book on audio from the library.

There really are no surprises here - it is your garden variety dysfunction. Mary recounts her life, spent growing up in Texas with a brief stint in Colorado. Her parents both drink and fight, her mother just a few cards short of a full deck and prone to bouts of depression and psychosis. She fondly remembers her hapless, doting father spending countless hours at the lodge with a group of other petroleum factory workers, deemed The Liar's Club, drinking and telling tall tales, often with Mary in tow. When Mary's bad-natured grandmother is diagnosed with cancer and comes to live with them, the tide turns for the worse, which ultimately results in the equivalent of an implosion in the Karr family.

Mary also finds herself battling against a lifetime supply of unanswered questions regarding her mother's behavior, actions and secrets, always imagining that she was to blame somehow. I found it to be rewarding to witness Mary's eventual reconciliation with some of the demons which drug her down paths already traveled by her parents.

Mary uses level-headed, slightly dry-humored southern prose to lay out her life before her readers. Whether she is telling about being raped by a neighbor boy when she was 7, molested by a babysitter at 8, witnessing her mother making a bonfire out of family possessions, or digging food stamps out of the garbage in order to redeem them for a gift for her father, she never permits despair or martyrdom to consume her. She reports it all as matter-of-fact, with a touch of sardonic humor. Her voice is incredibly entertaining.

But compare this to The Glass Castle I must. While The Glass Castle inspired outrage as a reaction to the behaviour of Jeanette Walls' parents, I wasn't nearly as emotional with this memoir. The Liar's Club never found itself wallowing in self-pity, but there wasn't quite the wisp of hope I would've liked to see either. I guess understandably, Mary has two more books of crappy life experiences to share before she hoists herself out of the quagmire! (Which I will absolutely be reading in the near future.)

4 out of 5 stars

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (audio)

The kids and I listened to The Hunger Games this past March on audio, and were completely entranced by this compelling story. It is against this novel that all Young Adult novels shall be judged. In fact, it could stand up to many works of adult fiction as well. It was physically painful then for us to wait for the release of the second installment of the trilogy in September. Throw in a healthy waiting list for the audio at the library, and here we are, in late December, with Catching Fire behind us, banging our heads against the wall, waiting now for book number 3.

I have no idea how one goes about reviewing this book without spoilers. So I guess you won't get much of a synopsis. I'll see how far I can go without crossing the line...

Katniss and Peeta return from the Hunger Games to their home district, presumably to a heroes' welcome and life of luxury. There is some spirited love triangle action going on between Katniss, Peeta and Gayle, as you would expect, but other than that, they are getting settled back into their routines. The government, however, has their knickers in a knot. Sensing district unrest, they are becoming more militaristic, more brutal, more manipulative, than ever before. And they have a few bones to pick with Katniss.

It is with some anticipation that Panem awaits the next round of Hunger Games, which will mark the 75th anniversary. Every 25 years, they hold a special Hunger Games called a Quarter Quell, each with their own sadistic little twists and special rules. What will the government have up their sleeves this time? Let the games begin.

If there is one thing I hate, it is being able to figure out plot twists before they happen. I am pleased to announce that this DID NOT HAPPEN in Catching Fire. In fact, we didn't quite know what hit us. We laughed at the ironies, screamed with our arms upraised at the evil, the twists, the unfairness of it all. Was this book as good as The Hunger Games? Not quite, but almost. The premise is no longer new, and you just can't get that magic back once you've traveled down that path. Still, our expectations were met and exceeded.

Now we are back to Harry Potter. I'm not sure if our little hearts can stand all this excitement!

4.5 out of 5 stars