Dare Me - Megan Abbott (Audio)

OK, lots of noise on the Net about this one, all positive.  A mystery!  Mean girls!  Snark!  I could almost imagine the loads of nasty, promiscuous narcissism!  And see, to me this is easy reading.  This is exactly what you would expect from a book about a group of current-day cheerleaders.  Hey, the cheerleading politics were pretty bad even in my day!  

It took like three months for me to get to the front of the line for the audio at the library.  This was another good sign.  I couldn't wait.

Synopsis: Addy Hanlon and and Beth Cassidy have been best friends forever, and there has always been an understanding about their relationship.  Beth is in charge, and Addy is Beth's lieutenant.  Beth decides who gets to be popular, sets the trends, gets the first pick of boys.  She is the captain of the Varsity cheerleading squad too, until a new, young beautiful coach shows up at the beginning of their Senior year.  

Coach French is suddenly a threat to the social structure as it has always existed.  She draws the cheerleaders into her life, befriends them, advises them on not only their athletics but on their weight and their boyfriends.  She simultaneously knocks Beth off her pedestal and takes Beth's toy - Addy - under her wing and into her confidence about matters no teenage girl should know about.  Then suddenly things take a sinister turn.

There is a suicide that draws a spotlight on the cheer squad.  Was it really a suicide or was it murder?  Who was involved?  What is the motive?  Jealousy?  Shame?  Ambition?  Lust?  Or just plain, old-fashioned crazy?

My thoughts:  This was definitely one book that plays with your head.  It is nearly impossible to be without opinion.  The behavior of ambitious, self-absorbed teenage girls ALONE is horrific.  Is it realistic, this portrayal?  It is edgy but not too far off the mark in my opinion.  I was not a cheerleader in high school, but some of my friends were.  And even 30 years ago in a rural community, it was pretty brutal.  Mean, bully-ish, political.  There is one girl from my high school class who is still harboring ill feelings to this day over things that happened when we were 16.  So I think Abbott nailed it on that front.  

Then there is the behavior of the coach, a person who has personal issues of her own.  While she is not a pedophile, the damage she is doing to these girls is bad enough to warrant an equally harsh label.  The relationship she establishes between herself and these girls is so totally inappropriate.  I was enraged!  And WHERE THE HELL ARE THE PARENTS???  With the exception of a drunk mother sashaying on and off the stage a few times, there were no present parents concerned about the crazy coach, the emergency calls at 3:00am, girls starving themselves, or taking risks with these crazy cheerleading maneuvers.  

The mystery is worthy of any good crime novel.  I had no idea what was going on, and all of my suspicions were wrong, wrong, wrong.

Overall, this was a very satisfying, very disturbing street-level view of the dark side of the modern teenage girl.

A few words about the audio production:  The narrator for this audio was Khristine Hvam, who was new to me but has definitely built up a respectable resume of some very popular YA titles, as well as voice-overs in TV and video games.  She was the perfect mix of youth and snotty, snarky teen-ness to make this listen very authentic and enjoyable.

Audio book length:  9 hours and 10 minutes (304 pages)

4.5 out of 5 stars      

        

Not So Wordless Wednesday: New York #2

On our walk to Times Square

Central Park

Bergdorf Goodman window

Here are a few shots I took around New York City on our visit.  As much as we try, Orlando just doesn't convey the same sense of holiday that NYC does.  It was pretty magical to us.

Where'd You Go Bernadette? - Maria Semple (Audio)

It is kind of hard to be milling around the bookish world and not have heard of this book.  Great reviews, just recently nominated for the 2013 Women's Fiction Prize, AND has already been optioned for a movie (no release date or casting info announced)!!!  I have Bermudaonion to thank for gracing me with this audio so I'm not the last person on earth to read it for once.

Synopsis:  Who is Bernadette Fox?  She is the wife of geek-genius Elgin Branch, of Microsoft.  She is a famous architect who abandoned her career in San Francisco after a bad scene, and moved with her family to Seattle (which she HATES).  She is mother of Bee, a gifted 8th grader who attends a private school.  She is a madcap, reclusive rebel who refuses to play nice with the private school "gnats", and outsources her entire life (shopping, making appointments, handling paperwork) to a personal assistant in India.  True, her actions may seen a bit eccentric, but her heart is in the right place.  

And then one day, after a series of events that have escalated Bernadette's anxiety (including an impending family cruise to Antarctica), she disappears. 

Through a collection of e-mails, letters, itineraries, invoices, police reports and school newsletters, we trace Bernadette's steps over the years, through her MacArthur grant and rise to fame, her crash back to earth, a mudslide, a fishing vest, anxiety medications, the FBI, an intervention, and hours of laughter.

My thoughts:  I don't know what I expected with this book, but it knocked my feet out from under me.  I can't remember when I laughed so hard!  How on earth do you encapsulate everything that Bernadette is?  

So much of this story hit close to home for me.  Once a career woman, now a stay-at-home mom myself, I could completely sympathize with our protagonist. Yes!  There are days (weeks!) when I don't want to leave the house.  (It usually starts around April for me.)  Outsource the calendar and the shopping?  I'd love to!  Or how about the meddling, micro-managing, clueless helicopter parents that basically run a private school?  I love the term "gnats".  I know a few of those.

The tone was wild was sarcastic, Bernadette was a pisser, and I loved it all.  I've got your back Bernadette.  You want to run away?  I'll come with you.  I loved Bee too.  Whip smart and independent.  The apple didn't fall too far from the tree.  

But there was a sneaky, dark side to the tale.  Just a little bit of one, to keep the story grounded.  Still, the pace never got bogged down.  You could hardly keep up with all the action.  

But I must admit that 75% of my enjoyment of this story was due to the audio version...

A few words about the audio production:  Our narrator (one I won't soon forget) was Kathleen Wilhoite.  So when I look on Amazon, I see this is her first audio book.  What the hell?  But then on IMDb, I learn she is an actress and a singer-songwriter.  Now it makes sense, except for the fact that this is one of the best-narrated books I've ever listened to, and the audio world is totally missing out if they don't snap her up NOW.  She absolutely made this book for me.  Not only does she have perfect comedic timing, but holy crap CAN SHE SING.  I didn't expect that little treat.  For those of you who have been around and listened to me rant and rave about Lenny Henry's narration of Anansi Boys, I'd put Ms. Wilhoite right up there with him.  I'd like to see (hear) more from Ms. Wilhoite please.

Audio book length:  9 hours and 39 minutes (336 pages)

5 out of 5 stars      

Monday Matinee: Limitless (2011)

 Somehow, this movie registered on my radar...barely.  I remember the trailers, it looked pretty good, the reviews were OK, but there must have been more compelling movies out at the time.  

Anyway, having just seen Bradley Cooper at his finest in "Silver Linings Playbook", and whoa!  Robert DeNiro!  This suddenly seemed like an attractive option on Netflix streaming.

The premise is pretty easy to grasp.  Aspiring writer Eddie Morra (Cooper) has let himself slide...doesn't shower, loses his girlfriend, can't pay his rent, can't conjure any muse to get the words flowing.  Then he runs into an old acquaintance who offers him a freebie on the house...a pill "just FDA approved" that helps a person access the 70% of his brain that naturally remains untapped.  Cool.  It works...it is magic!  The words flow, the book is finished in days, and Eddie would like more please.     
  

He looks up his friend for a refill, finds him dead and his apartment ransacked, but discovers the stash of pills and runs for the hills.  The pills work their magic.  Eddie has mastered the stock market, speaks dozens of languages, gets his girl back, and is rolling in the cash.  But his supply is running out, and he is not the only one that knows about the power of this drug.  People are willing to kill to get it.  And there is a little problem if you ever try to wean yourself from the drug as well...

The plot is intriguing, no?  I mean, really, how far are we from the day when there are pharmaceuticals that boost our brain power?  Wouldn't that be an addictive little pill to get your hands on?  It was addicting just thinking about it. Having every corporation wanting your mad skillz, every publisher wanting your words on paper, and even being able to take out a group of muggers because you watched that Jackie Chan film 8 years ago.  

The movie was certainly entertaining to watch.  Lots of action, Bradley Cooper is easy on the eyes, and DeNiro is never a bad cameo to throw into the mix.  But there is little in the way of depth here.  The relationships are superficial, the characters stereotypical...a lot of flash and no fiber.



But.  I will commend the screenplay for the questionable ending, which sparked a little debate in our house.  Sort of an "Inception" kind of ending...yes or no?  What do you believe to be the truth?  I liked that.  

So don't expect anything mind-blowing, just some fun and an overt cautionary tale about drugs.  

3 out of 5 stars    

Sunday Salon: Vacation and rumination

 Good morning from a gorgeous morning in Key Largo.  My family and I have spent the last three days down here for spring break, trying to make the most of a shortened vacation due to my daughter's commitments to her track team.  (Grumble)  Unfortunately one day was filled with torrential rains and wind, but we still managed to do some snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, a visit to a wild bird rehabilitation sanctuary, and A LOT of seafood consumption.  This place is exploding with fresh (like...hours fresh) seafood at every restaurant.  How could a person only eat seafood for three days and gain weight?  I don't know but I've done it.  I'll be dragging my sorry ass back to Andre on Monday morning. 

I have used this intermission in life to do some serious ruminating about my priorities and blogging.  Things are changing, I think we can all agree.  The blogging world is not what it was when I started almost five years ago.  I'm doing some cost/benefit calculations on time spent writing, reviewing, commenting and such.  Is it worth the payback?  The demands on my time in real life are growing exponentially, and that is where I need to focus right now.  

I don't think I'm ready to walk away, but I'm going to be scaling back significantly and permanently.  It is the only way I can stay sane.  It isn't something you will notice immediately, but starting in a few weeks there will be fewer posts.  The Not So Wordless Wednesday is going to disappear, and probably the weekly movie discussion.  I'll review a couple of books a week, but probably not everything I read will make it to the blog.  I'll try this plan on for size and see how it works.  

So other than this deep thinking, what have I been up to?  I've been reading The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, that is what I've been doing!  Talk about one weird reading experience, but I have to say that I love this book.  I will join the multitudes that can't quite figure out how on earth to review the thing.  Could we call it an existential acid trip?  I'll decide later.  Just know that it is worth the effort to read...at least so far.  I've finished Book One and Two, and will probably dig deeply into Three on the 4.5 hour ride home today.

On audio, I've been listening to Rob Lowe's biography (narrated by the man himself) and have been thoroughly entertained.  Dude is a huge name-dropper, but with good reason.  He was in the right place at the right time, almost his entire life.  Talk about someone meant to be an actor!  I'm hoping I can at least start Wendy Wax's new book "While We Were Watching Downton Abbey" on audio before I see her next weekend at the UCF Book Festival.

Today we will enjoy a few more hours of this gorgeous paradise before we head home back to a heavy dose of reality.  I won't go into detail about the week I have coming up, but suffice it to say that I need all the positive thoughts you can send me.  I will save that fun for next Sunday!

UCF Book Festival Feature: And Then I Found You - Patti Callahan Henry

The gang at She Reads has been on a roll, choosing some amazing books for their monthly selections.  I was hopeful when I heard that April would feature the latest from Patti Callahan Henry.  I've never read her books, but she has a great reputation down here in the South, and was happy to have the opportunity to experience her work.  Have my hand forced (as it were) because honestly that is the only way I get anything read these days!  

But the bonus was that Patti Callahan Henry is also going to be an attending author at the UCF Book Festival in another week.  Score!  Very exciting when everything works.


Synopsis:  When Katie Vaughn was 13, she made a promise, underneath a South Carolina moon, to always love Jack Adams.  It was the first day of spring, a day that would always bear significance in her life.  A day of firsts.  And even though Katie and Jack were together through college, circumstances caused them to part, but not before Katie finds herself pregnant.  In a heart-breaking decision, Katie gives up her baby Luna for adoption to a hand-picked family.  It is a bond that she and Jack will always share, but will not acknowledge to the outside world.  It is just too painful.   

Now Kate is grown, has a successful boutique, is surrounded by a loving family, and has a gorgeous, successful doting boyfriend who may soon propose.  The trouble is, she has never found closure with Jack nor her decision, despite the fact that Jack has since married and had a child.  Kate wonders if she will ever be able to give herself completely to anyone with these old memories haunting her heart.  

But then the past comes crashing back into Kate's life, and must be confronted.    She must put it behind her so that she can move on.  But the bigger question is...does she really want to?

My thoughts:  I really struggled with how much information to give you in the synopsis.  The author includes a letter to her readers at the beginning of the book, confessing that this story was inspired by actual events that happened to her family, with quite a bit more detail than I've given.  Ultimately, I felt that the topic of adoption was important enough to spoil just a tiny bit.  For those invested in the subject of adoption, this could be the tipping point of whether or not you would read this book.  But I haven't told you much - trust me!  There are miles of ground for you to discover.  

I found the author's style to be incredibly readable and conversational.  As in, just try to put the thing down...you can't.  The characters felt comfortable and genuine, and I felt myself drawn to most of them.  And a chic boutique in a small town, with exposed brick and an apartment upstairs?  Yes please, I like these fantasies.  

Just a small disclaimer...I will admit, I found myself annoyed with Kate more than once.  She wanted her cake and to eat it too.  She would get upset when she couldn't have it all, often at the expense of other people's feelings, and waffled around.  I could see where she was coming from, but I found her to be a bit self-absorbed at times.  It didn't stop me from liking her, but I would have liked to shake some sense into her. 

The ending was very predictable as well, but I have found that is not always a bad thing.  The story is very sweet and made my heart warm, so if it had ended badly, I might have felt betrayed and thrown something.  The cats and all things fragile thank Patti Callahan Henry for her thoughtful resolution!  I shall be reading more of her in the future.

4 out of 5 stars  

Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

About two seconds after I read "Gone Girl", as I was wallowing in Flynn's sick and twisted muck and brilliant writing, I pledged to read the rest of her books (she has two others).  Yes, that book was seriously screwed up, but she has a way with a phrase that is different than anything else I'd ever read.  

So I progressed to her debut novel, "Sharp Objects".  Same brilliance in the turn-of-phrase department.  Same disturbing subject matter.

Subconsciously, I dragged my ass on reading "Dark Places".  Because that was the end of the line, until Flynn writes something else.  But I was in a situation where I was sitting with no book, so I pulled it up on the Kindle app on my phone and I didn't look back.

Synopsis:  Libby Day was only seven years old when her mother and two sisters were brutally murdered in their home one night.  Libby walked away relatively unscathed, her fifteen-year-old brother Ben was locked up for life as the cold-blooded killer who committed the crime, thanks to Libby's muddled testimony.  Libby has since existed by sucking dry a trust account established by her community who have, after 25 years, written her off for more current headlines.  Then her trust runs dry, and Libby finds herself to be not only an emotionally stunted shell of a human being, but broke as well.

Just in the nick of time it seems, she is approached by a representative of something called "The Kill Club", a group of people who obsess over true crime cases.  It seems they are willing to pay for anything related to the case...memorabilia, unknown facts, or even better...information pertaining to the case that might get Ben Day out of prison.  It appears that many people believe him to be innocent.  With nothing but greed in her heart, Libby agrees to visit Ben for the first time in 25 years.  But soon, it becomes apparent that these people may be right.  There may be more to her family's murders than originally thought.

My thoughts:  So you must know that if you have ever read any of Flynn's books, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  There is an underlying mystery here...what really happened 25 years ago?  Did Ben Day really kill his family?  What about the drug-dealing deadbeat dad with anger issues?  Or the devil worshipers that were out killing cattle?  The slow reveal of the true events of this night is complicated and layered and terrifying.  But that is not all that is going on here.  Oh no.

Libby is damaged.  She admits it.  She knows something is broken inside her, and she makes no excuses.  As you read her narrative, you feel uncomfortable and a little skeezed out...she is not a nice person.  The skeezy feeling doesn't stop with Libby either.  Flynn delivers a whole platter of humanity's ugliest examples.  But unlike "Gone Girl", where you'd prefer to throw the whole cast of characters into a trash pit and let them eat each other, some of the folks in this book actual start to take a human form.  Flynn gives them a voice...we hear from not only Libby, but her mother and her brother, and get some insight into what actually went down in that farmhouse 25 years ago.  I felt my heart beginning to thaw, towards a few of them anyway.

Flynn's brilliant phrasing doesn't disappoint.  It is dark and oily, but strangely conversational as well, that makes it nearly impossible to put the book down.

I might even go out on a limb and say this could be my favorite of her three books.  Because Flynn gives us a solid dose of horror, but you don't finish the book feeling ill.  You are allowed a tiny ray of hope.  

5 out of 5 stars