My Day of Fame: My Interview with Nicole at That's How I Blog

A very exciting day for me friends!  Nicole from Linus's Blanket is interviewing me for her podcast "That's How I Blog".  I've been listening to her interviews for at least a year and a half and wondered if I would ever get the chance, and voila, here it is!  Please click through on this link if you are interested in hearing me yammer on about my blogging habits (or lack thereof), my beloved audios, and a few of my favorite books.   

Worth Dying For - Lee Child (Audio)

There is something incredibly comforting about starting a book and knowing there will be absolutely no learning curve.  You know the characters, you know their personalities, you know exactly where they are in their lives.  It's like hanging out with an old high school friend, knowing time never seems to pass between visits.  This is the beauty of a series, of which a few have snagged my heart years ago.

The Jack Reacher series is one that I will always follow, without fail.  I may lose some credibility by saying this, but it doesn't really matter at this point what Lee Child writes, I'm always going to be sitting here waiting like a slobbering dog, begging for the next scrap of Reacherness. I've read every one of them, which is now 15 installments, and I'm invested.

I don't want to repeat myself, because I've reviewed a number of books from this series since I started blogging.  I always say the same thing (prepare for the standard Reacher profile), and that is that Reacher is a big, bad hottie who is virtually indestructible.  He can take on thirty members of a biker gang and leave them all bleeding and broken.  He champions women and children.  He's not afraid to knock someone off if they are bad people.  He has the occasion sweaty tryst, but won't commit because he is a wanderer by nature.  I foolishly fantasize that if trouble came my way, he would have my back. 

OK, now that I've gotten myself all revved up, here is a look at what Reacher is up to these days.

Synopsis:  Obviously, he has survived what seemed to be sure death in the last book "61 Hours".  Child had me scared for a few minutes there.  Reacher is on his way to Virginia to meet Miss Sexy Voice in person when he stumbles onto what seems to be a case of domestic abuse in a rural area of Nebraska.  As you might expect, this isn't even the tip of the iceberg.  Reacher finds a community filled with fear of one family of men, the Duncans, a mysterious but lucrative business, and the case of one missing little girl twenty years ago.  That is pretty much all Reacher needs to know to get involved.

Before Reacher leaves this town of tormented folks less than two days later, all hell breaks loose.  A whole covey of evil guys, all the way up the distribution food chain comes into town to rid themselves of "the big stranger" who is causing all this trouble, and get back to the business of raking in the cash.  Trouble is, nobody really knows who is on which side.  Reacher helps them figure it all out.

My thoughts:  I never tire of Child's brand of ass-kicking and fast-paced action.  I can ease right into step with the plot, and I'm amused and titillated by Jack Reacher's raw manly brute force and cunning.  As I was listening to this episode though, it occurred to me that most of these books all feel the same.  There are always innocent victims, there are evil profiteers, there is fighting and bodies and blood, and often there is a military thread within the plot (although not this time).  The series needs an overhaul. 

I would love for Child to surprise me.  Maybe Jack could get married.  Hell, Lucas Davenport did!  That didn't stop HIM from finding trouble and being studly.  Maybe he could come into some money, find a long lost family member.  Something.

I always try to recognize the aspects of each book that make it unique.  In "Worth Dying For", it was the mysterious money-making venture that all the antagonists felt was worth dying for.  It was particularly heinous, and it chilled my blood.  If I forget everything else about this book, it won't be that part of it.

A word about the audio production:  As always, this series installment was narrated by Dick Hill, who by now IS the voice of Reacher.  He has a hard edge to his voice, and clips off his words when things get hairy.  He does a respectable job with accents, and when the action goes into hyper speed, his voice gets loud and fast.  It makes for an exciting audio experience.  I would be terribly disappointed if they ever used another narrator.

3 out of 5 stars  

   

Repost: Jack and Me - Danette Haworth

Note:  This post was originally published on May 3, but due to my incompetancy, it published incorrectly and most of you missed it on your Google Reader.  This is such a dear book, it seemed a shame, so I am re-posting the review (this time on the right date).

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 When it comes to the precarious place between childhood and adolescence, the carefree innocence of summer vacation, and the confusion of growing up, Danette Haworth has a lock on the market.  This has been proven by her utterly charming "Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning", followed up by "The Summer of Moonlight Secrets".   Reading her novels is like closing your eyes and remembering what it was like you were 12. 

I was beyond excited when I heard that she was finished with her third book, "Me & Jack".  I knew this particular book was a labor of love, because it drew from her experience of living in a military family.  I also knew she'd been working on it for some time.  I prepared myself for greatness, and I wasn't disappointed.

Synopsis:  Josh's life has never been what you would call easy.  He lost his mother when he was in fourth grade, and is required to move often because his dad is a recruiter for the Air Force.  With each new town he must make new friends, and prove himself all over again.  And lately there has been added pressure.  Because the Vietnam war is so unpopular amongst most Americans, he and his father are not always welcomed by their community.


When they find their next home in a small town in Pennsylvania, Josh adopts a new dog, Jack, who is immediately blamed for a rash of dead animals and spilled garbage cans.  Josh must defend his dog against townspeople who want him gone, and prove there is something more sinister roaming the town at night.  Adding to Josh's angst in transitioning to his new home, he is instantly at odds with the town's mean rich kid, and the war begins to take its toll on the young men who have left this small town and will never come back.  Life couldn't be more complicated, but anything is possible when you have a dog like Jack by your side.


My thoughts:  Total reading pleasure.  Danette's stories are filled with childlike delight, adventure, heartbreak and a little bit of growing up.  These books are perfect for the middle grade reader - they are clean and filled with positive messages (in a literary world full of bad ones).  But you'll want to read it as well, escape for a few hours back to a time that was a little easier, and remember what it is like to be a kid again.


Danette always manages to throw in a little something special to make her books stand out above the rest.  In "Me & Jack", you learn about the effects of the Vietnam war from the street level, through the eyes of a 12 year-old boy. You also learn a little bit about the rare Pharaoh hound, Jack's breed.  It's all about the details, you know?


Tiny complaint?  That the ending was wrapped up pretty tidily (Walt Disney-ish tidily) but I believe middle readers want this kind of ending.  We really need to wait until they are teens before we start killing off the protagonists or leave open endings!  (Plus, I never would have forgiven Danette if she would have killed off the dog!)


4.5 out of 5 stars     

Wordless Wednesday: Napa #11

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Fallen - Karin Slaughter (Audio)

About two years ago, I read my first Karin Slaughter book titled "Undone", a continuation of two series that merged somewhere along the line.  Being an avid fan of mystery thrillers, I enjoyed this book.  While it was a little heavy on the body parts, violence and shock value, I turned the last page vowing to read more from this series.  Well, of course, here I sit two years later having done no such thing.  Coming to my rescue was Jill Ovren at AudioGo, who offered not just a copy of the ARC of "Fallen", Karin's latest in the series, but one on audiobook.  It was an offer I couldn't refuse.

Synopsis:  The focus of this installment of the series is Faith Mitchell, Will Trent's partner.  Upon arriving at her mother's house late one day to pick up her infant daughter, Faith finds a horrific scene:  blood everywhere, a dead man in the kitchen, the baby hidden in the backyard shed, her mother missing, and gangsters wielding guns.  Faith takes the situation into her own hands and she kills the intruders, but their identities raise more questions than answers.  What were they after?  Did it have anything to do with Faith's mother's questionable connections to the drug trade when she was in the police force before she suddenly "retired"?  And where was her mother now?

Will and his ball-buster boss Amanda intend to get some answers, but chasing down leads only leaves a trail of dead bodies and dead ends.  Underlying every issue is the quandary:  Was Evelyn Mitchell a dirty cop and is the past coming back to haunt her, or is there something else completely different at work here?

From the personal angle, we meet back up with Dr. Sara Linton, the compassionate widow with whom Will Trent has found some chemistry.  Will not only struggles with his feeling of inadequacy because of his dyslexia, but also of a childhood spent in foster homes, and a mostly-absent, vindictive wife who refuses to let him go.  We can only stand by and champion the development of a relationship that can conquer all of these obstacles.

At the heart of this mind-bender is the theme, a popular one with Slaughter, of the strong female spirit.  Of Evelyn and Amanda, both pioneers for women in the police force, Faith Mitchell who is not only a respected police officer but a single parent and a diabetic, and Sara Linton, physician and survivor of a broken heart.

My thoughts:  My initial reaction to my second experience with Karin Slaughter was surprise.  While there were certain consistent elements between "Undone" and "Fallen" (the most obvious being the best kind of girl power), they were also very different.  This novel was much less of a bloody murder mystery, and more of a intellectual thriller.  I went into it feeling cocky, and figured I knew what was going on, but I really had no idea.  And I like that.  The twists were respectable, and the plot was complicated.

But too much complication can get frustrating.  To take the edge off, Slaughter throws us some really rewarding romance between Will and Sara.  These are two sympathetic, likable characters that really NEED to get together.  While they don't ride off into the sunset in this installment, we get enough to whet our whistle and come back for more next time.

With every crime thriller, I ask myself the same standard question.  What makes this novel or series stand out above the rest?  God knows there are so many of them that are forgotten in a week or two.  I believe where Slaughter shines is in her very realistic portrayal of strong female characters.  These ladies aren't perfect, but they try their best, refusing to be left behind in a man's world.  They hide their tears and their weaknesses, go cry in a bathroom if they have to, then come out and kick butt.  That is a credo in which I am willing to invest.

A word about the audio production:  The narrator for this audio was Shannon Cochran, a new voice for me.  Initially, she started out a little too brusque for me, but as time passed, I appreciated that her vocal personality was a match for some of the strong female characters in the book. 

Giveaway:  AudioGo has been generous enough to offer five copies of this audio for giveaway.  Simply indicate in the comments that you are interested, leave me your e-mail, and I will pick five winners next Tuesday, July 12th.

4 out of 5 stars     

        

Sunday Salon: Downtime

Happy Sunday and Happy Long Weekend!  We've been home for over a week now, and I am finally feeling like I have my life in order.  Jet lag is finally gone, everything is cleaned, weeded and restocked, the cats are just now able to relax and not go nervously pacing through the house crying like poor orphaned creatures.

Not a whole lot to report on my activities this week besides just busy-work.  The kids and I went to see "Super 8" one day because nothing else looked appealing.  This movie is EXACTLY what you would expect from Spielberg and Abrams...kid chemistry and aliens.  Did some shopping at the outlets to appease my daughter who had money burning a hole in her pocket.  Serenity now.  (Uh...now would NOT be the time of year to visit the outlets FYI.  They are busing them in at this point.)

Despite the fact that now I have kids underfoot for most of the day, I was able to get some reading in.  I read Michael Koryta's "The Ridge" quickly - it was enjoyable.  I then started "The Poisoner's Handbook" by Deborah Blum, a book I picked up at the UCF Book Fest.  I've had a slow start, but it is fascinating stuff.  Every way you could poison a person at the turn of the century!  Yeah baby! 

In my wonderful world of audios, I finished "The Peach Keeper" by Sarah Addison Allen, which was for Books, Babes and Bordeaux.  I had some 'tude going into this book because I really did not like "Garden Spells".  I found this one to be moderately better, but Allen is not really well-served by her narrators.  I am now in the middle of "Clara & Mr. Tiffany" by Susan Vreeland, for next month's Heathrow Literary Society.  So far I am entranced.  After our meeting on this book next month, I think our book group is planning on taking a field trip to the Morse Museum, which houses a large Tiffany collection.  Isn't that cool?   

Last week's Skype book club was postponed until this week, so I am looking forward to discussing not only "Bloodroot" but also "The Mango Season" later today.  Then tomorrow my good friends the Murphys are having their annual humongous 4th of July celebration complete with bigger fireworks than some towns.  Hope you have a wonderful long weekend as well.  Are any of you up to anything fun?  
   

The House of Tomorrow - Peter Bognanni (Audio)

I guess it has been over a year since this book first came out, and all of us blog-reading people were inundated with reviews for "The House of Tomorrow".  And for some reason, it just never stuck its hand up and grabbed me by the hair and demanded to be read.  But I should have known better.  After all, it is an Amy Einhorn imprint, and for all of you who don't know, Amy Einhorn imprints are as close to a "sure thing" as you're going to get in the reading world.

But then someone (was it you Literate Housewife?) inspired me to get it on audio.  So I did, and I fell in love with this book.  And I'm pretty sure that no matter what I say, I'm going to come up short on this one, so I'll just preface my ramblings with a mandate...just read it.

Synopsis:  Sebastian Prendergast lives in the Iowa countryside with his Napa in an experimental geodesic dome.  Nana is a new age kind of gal, and is an apostle of R. Buckminster Fuller, a new age kind of guy who was an inventor, designer and futurist.  Nana keeps Sebastian sequestered, home-schooling him and keeping him from the evils of society.  She has high hopes for him one day, to save humanity or some such thing.

But when Nana has a stroke, and is temporarily incapacitated, Sebastian is befriended by Jared Whitcomb, his mother Janice and his hot sister Meredith.  Jared is unlike anything Sebastian has every seen before.  He smokes, he cusses, he loves punk rock, he has an angry chip on his shoulder, and has recently had a heart transplant.  The boys form a unique friendship, though, a bond born of feeling like outsiders trying to belong somewhere.  They decide to start a band and compete at the local church talent show.  Meanwhile, Sebastian has to make sense of a world he never knew existed, and begins to question the wisdom of his eccentric grandmother. 

Part coming-of-age novel, part ode to friendship, part ode to punk rock, and part comedy, this is one story you won't soon forget.

My thoughts: It is hard to put my finger on one specific reason why this book touched my heart.  It just has "that something special", a trait I'm beginning to assume is part of the bargain with Amy Einhorn.  The writing is approachable and it flows easily.  It is familiar.  Nana's obsession over a man who really existed, and was quite the strange bird, is fascinating. 

But I think it is the characters that got me.  Sebastian is an innocent.  He doesn't know anything about music, or guitars, or smoking, or drinking.  He doesn't understand slang.  He is dear.  His sudden friendship with Jared was like a cataclysmic explosion.  Jared, in total opposition, is a big pain in the ass.  He is foul and belligerent and abusive.  It becomes obvious quickly, though, that he is a scared little boy who needs his missing father, and needs someone to treat him like a normal kid, not one who just got a new heart.  The friendship touched me to the core. 

The music is pretty cool too.  I've never been a big fan of punk rock (although my husband is), but just as I felt in "Revolution", or with "A Visit From the Goon Squad", music was the little added touch that made this story a sum greater than its parts. 

A word about the audio production:  The narrator of this audio, Lloyd James, was a new voice for me.  It appears he mostly narrates non-fiction, which is fine, but my advice to him would be to come on over to the fiction side a little more often.  He was wonderful.  He GOT this book, he got the essence of the teenage boy (both innocent and jaded ones), he got the essence of the tormented mother and the eccentric old lady.  Mr. James was the cherry on top of this incredible listening experience.

5 out of 5 stars