I'd seen a number of great reviews for this book when I got a copy of the audio from Penguin, which was great timing! Penguin Audio is the bomb! I'm always curious and excited when I hear of a strong debut mystery thriller novel.
The eerie thing about the release of this novel is that its premise...about a group of women held hostage in a basement by a madman...coincided with the real life story that broke at the same time about the three women in Cleveland who escaped after ten years of a similar fate. Koethi Zan must have been shaking her head at the coincidence, and served to strike a chord with anyone who reads this book.
Synopsis: Sarah and her best friend Jennifer, scarred after being involved in a tragic childhood auto accident, have since constructed a extensive list of things to avoid for the sake of their safety. In a weak moment, however, they accept a cab ride home from a party in college, and are kidnapped and held captive in a basement with two other girls for over three years.
A decade later, Sarah (who has since changed her name) lives the life of an agoraphobic, and has no contact with the other girls who escaped all those years ago. Sarah is still haunted by the fact that Jennifer never made it out, but her body was never recovered. When Sarah learns that her captor is up for parole, she decides to take action and try to find Jennifer's body to provide proof of murder, and put the man away forever.
With the assistance of the other two girls, who harbor deep grudges against Sarah, they set off on a quest that forces them to confront their past, a sub-culture of BDSM, torture experimentation, and the truth behind what happened to Jennifer.
My thoughts: On the surface, I found this audio to be very fast-paced and spine-tingling based on the general plot. As I said before, there have been enough real-life cases of this nature to make this story all too believable. The descriptions of what these girls experienced were cringe-worthy. I don't want to minimize that.
But I had some issues that just didn't sit well with me. The idea that someone who is scared of people, who is a serious agoraphobe, and doesn't even leave her apartment to get groceries...suddenly decides it was time for action and proceeds to fly all over the country, sneak into warehouses, interview people and chase suspicious characters...really?
And for her to partner up with two other girls that previously HATED her, and cleverly solve mysteries as a team?
It seemed too easy and contrived. I liked the idea that these women could shake off their past in this way for the greater good, like a damaged version of Charlie's Angels, but I didn't buy it. Also, in an effort to spin a healthy number of red herrings, there were a number of plot threads dangled in our path, but were never resolved. The story just felt incomplete. The author definitely has potential though, and I'm anxious to see what she comes up with next.
A few words about the audio production: Our narrator Kristin Sieh, appears to be a new voice on the scene (she did also narrate Bristol House, which is on my list), but did a great job here. She has a great tone...tough sounding, with a hint of vulnerability underneath. She was a great pick for this book.
Listening length: 8 hours and 39 minutes (320 pages)
3 out of 5 stars
Hello everyone from icy-cold Florida! Well, maybe not icy but we had a "cold front" run through there this week and we are now enjoying frigid temps of 80 degrees during the day and lows around 60. Woo hoo! It cracks me up how the TV stations go nuts when this happens. Bundle up the kids! Wind chill! Haha! They need to go visit New York or Colorado or Canada.
So this was the week from hell, I'm not afraid to admit, and I am so glad it is over. Hubby was gone all week, so I was solo. Over a 7 day period my son had four football games and two practices. My daughter had afternoon practices everyday (versus the mornings which are much more convenient) and a Districts meet. Plus a few other incidents. So when my husband flew in late yesterday I told him not to expect ANYTHING out of me today. Maybe not even church. I want to lay in bed and do nothing.
And if we are going to look at the glass half full, my son lost his playoff game yesterday, HANDILY. I was really sad to see them end their season this way, but at least now they have a small break before they start another sport. By the time you get to the end of this football season (which started August 1st) you are ready for it to end.
My daughter and I worked an adoption event last Sunday and I fell in love with another dog. This one was only 6 months old and was a love muffin. She was so good, and so affectionate. I was sternly told NO by my other half. We have too many cats. But you can see that I have serious dog sadness. I go through these phases.
I've been making progress on the reading. I finished my last Jack Caffrey book by Mo Hayder on audio, and now I am left wanting. She does have three stand-alone books (one I've already read) so I guess I have to move on to those. I then moved on to the audio of "The Woman Upstairs" by Claire Massud. I was a little hesitant on this one...people either love it or hate it. I have to admit that the narrator/protagonist is annoying me. She is quite whiny and pathetic. We will see if my mind changes.
In print I finished "Rose Under Fire" by Elizabeth Wein and I LOVED it. It was even better than "Code Name Verity". Wow that woman can write, and has proved to me that I can still be blown away by a WWII book. Then I read "The Silent Wife" by A.S.A. Harrison for my book club. I freaking blew through that one in two days. Almost a record for me I think. I liked it obviously, but the ending was not satisfying for me. There is definitely plenty to talk about and look forward to that discussion. I am now digging into "Eleanor & Park", the much-beloved.
I want to take a special moment here to let you know that my baby boy will be turning 14 tomorrow! I know everybody says this, but it is true...I can remember the day he was born. Those first steps, first words (or in his case sentences), his grade school years, all those teacher conferences (ha), all those hugs and kisses and tears...they just fly by. Gone - poof! Now he is looming over me in height, deciding where to go to high school and giving me life advice. It is scary. We celebrated last night at our favorite steak house.
So we will see if I am left to decompress in peace today or not. Hope you all have a great day!
It's really no great shocker that in wrapping up my reviews before I take leave, this one would be the last one that I'd have to write. I've been allowing the story to brew and stew in my mind, and I'm still a bit tormented about what to say. I'd seen the reviews for this, but it was Melissa at Avid Reader's Musings that finally convinced me.
Synopsis: June Elbus is not your average fourteen year-old. She is socially awkward and shy, is in love with the medieval ages, and is pudgy. Her older sister is smarter, prettier, is popular and is destined for Broadway. The only one who understands Junie is her maternal uncle and godfather, artist Finn Weiss. When Finn dies of AIDS, Junie is left adrift, confused about her family's attitude towards Finn and Finn's "special friend", and confused at why her sister is so hateful towards her. She is all alone.
But then she strikes up a tentative relationship with Finn's partner Toby, and realizes that there is someone else out there that misses Finn as much as she does. Although her family believes that Toby was the one who killed Finn, Junie finds comfort and kinship with him.
With this intense debut novel, Brunt adeptly tells a coming-of-age story filled with friendship, loss, jealousy and healing.
My thoughts: It is very hard to sum up all the feelings that this story conjured. The whole coming-of-age thing is complicated and emotionally-loaded all by itself. Fourteen is a tough age when you are trying to figure out who you are, where you fit in, and what love is. My heart physically hurt for Janie.
But then you combine the whole stigma of AIDS in the 80's, with everyone trying to figure out the why and the how, and not being comfortable talking about it. I can't imagine navigating through that as a teenager.
For spice, we then throw in the hurt and anger and jealousy between Finn and his sister (Junie's mother), the hurt and anger and jealousy between Junie and her sister, the resentment of Junie and Finn's relationship, the anger and blame at Finn's partner? The frustration at being perfect, the frustration at being labeled weird, and the need for human connection?
This book? It's SAD, people, so much that it will break your heart. But it is also so tender, and the characters are so delicately drawn. And at the end, you can sit back and feel a sense of peace for where the author leaves us. So my advice is, don't let the dire subject matter drive you away from this one. It is a beautiful story.
A few words about the audio production: Our narrator for this audio was Amy Rubinate, who was a new voice for me. Apparently she has a full career in voiceovers for animation, video games, commercials, as well as a career on-stage. She has a very youthful sound, and is perfect to read for young protagonists.
Listening length: 11 hours and 46 minutes (368 pages)
4.5 out of 5 stars
For some reason, when I received this audio in the mail from Penguin Audio, it didn't initially pique my interest, despite the fact that I do love true stories. But then I heard that some friends were reading it for a book club, and Kathy told me SHE had listened to it and been blown away. I pulled the discs off the shelf, loaded them on the iPod, and then waited until I was in a non-fiction mood.
Synopsis: This is an amazing story about a team of nine boys from the University of Washington...a rag-tag group of farmers and blue-collar workers with a special bond...who trained and competed during their years in college and in their senior year went on to the 1936 Olympics and captured the gold.
The heart of the story is focused on Joe Rantz, one of the rowers who grew up without any support of family. His mother died when he was young, his step-mother had no use for him so he was kicked out of the house as a teenager to fend for himself. He scrapped for work to pay for college, and refused to accept defeat in any part of his life. We also get to know the charismatic yet nonverbal coach, the eccentric British genius who designed the team's boats, as well as their other boys.
This inspirational story recounts obstacle after obstacle that these boys encountered...everything from the overwhelming competition of the money and tradition of the Ivy League crew teams, sickness, lack of funding from the university, the Great Depression, and the heavily favored German team on their home turf. It is a true testament to the tenacity of the human spirit.
My thoughts: I am so glad I was persuaded to listen to this...what a heartwarming story. It just doesn't hit any closer to home than this, and makes you stand up a little straighter knowing what can be accomplished if the will is strong.
There is much to be learned here. The author educates us in the basics of the sport of crew. I had no idea it was so intense and physically rigorous. We learn about the engineering of the perfect boat. We learn about the rumblings of trouble in Berlin, the efforts made to elevate Nazi Germany to world class status, and the documentation of these efforts made by Leni Riefenstahl.
The human perspective was equally as compelling. The average boy would have admitted defeat had they battled against the odds thrown at Joe Rantz. One particular story I will never forget...that at the Olympics, one of the rowers was deathly ill - nearly comatose - but the team refused to compete without him. So they put him in the boat, though he could barely sit up, and everyone compensated for him. And they still won gold.
This is the type of book that I would compare to "Unbroken" or "Devil in the White City"...pieces of history that everyone should read and appreciate.
A few words about the audio production: Our narrator for this book was Edward Herrmann, who actually did read "Unbroken" as well as many other non-fiction audios. His voice doesn't vary much, and does take some time to get used to. Eventually, however, you get accustomed to his style and is actually pleasant to listen to.
Listening length: 14 hours and 25 minutes (416 pages)
4.5 out of 5 stars
Good morning my bloggy friends. I write today with a slightly heavier heart than usual. No fewer than a half dozen people I consider good friends are having some major troubles going on right now, if not to them, then to people they love. Everything from illness, surgeries, cancer, troubled teenagers, children taken into protective custody...it is like everyone was drinking from the same tainted water, man. So before I begin blathering about silly things, please let me send out my heartfelt prayers to those who are suffering. I'm thinking about you, and you know who you are.
Now as far as hangovers. You all know I love my wine, but I'm not talking about THAT kind of hangover. I'm talking about what happens when you immerse yourself in something, become addicted to it, then suddenly it is gone from your life. The first hangover I had was when I finished the last episode of Breaking Bad last Sunday night. EPIC ENDING. But it was over! I'll never be able to watch it again for the first time, never be amazed at the stunning writing from week to week. I'll probably never see anything this close to perfection on TV ever again. I'm not exaggerating. And no more Jesse! I cried for over an hour. My family thought I was nuts.
I also finished the 21-disc audio of "Insomnia", a re-read from my earlier days. That is a long book. So much that when I finished (especially after the incredible ending), I was sort of at odds with what to do with myself. The only solution was more Mo Hayder. My last in the Jack Caffrey series. Once I finish this installment, I'll have to wait for her to write another one. Yet another hangover in the making.
I've also started reading "Rose Under Fire" by Elizabeth Wein. This is a sort-of sequel to "Code Named Verity", which I read about a year ago and really liked. I'm about 40% of the way through, and it is excellent. She writes such strong, young female characters!
We saw Gravity yesterday in 3D IMAX. It felt pretty Hollywood-y and there wasn't much in the way of character development beyond the surface, but the effects were stunning. Definitely worth paying a little extra for 3D IMAX for this one.
So the week I'm facing is going to be a humdinger. It is football playoff time, and my son is facing three or four games this week plus two practices. My daughter has Cross Country Districts this week. And my husband is out of town. Methinks I'll be living in my car for the week. Thank God for audios, is all I have to say.
Hope you all have a restful, peaceful Sunday!
If done well, there is nothing quite like a book that gives cooking and the healing powers of food a leading role in its plot. The perfect example that comes to my mind first is "The School of Essential Ingredients"...wow, what a magical book that was. I truly believe that flavors and textures and smells can be combined to heal and soothe the most tired soul. Obviously Ms. Erica Bauermeister gets it too, because I'll never forget that story.
So when reviews started popping up for this book, my ears perked up when I learned that one of the central themes was food. I was lucky enough to nab it on audio from my local library.
Synopsis: This story focuses on three people who are struggling to find themselves and a place where they belong. Bobby is a young gay man who grew up in rural Georgia as a Baptist preacher's son, and was ostracized from his family because of his sexual orientation. He escapes to New York City and lands a job as a sous chef in a well-regarded boutique restaurant. Alice, the owner of the restaurant, is an African American woman who is a bit of a legend in the culinary world, but has kept her family and her history from North Carolina a secret from everyone, even her closest friends. Amelia is a Connecticut housewife whose life is upended when she discovers not only her husband's secret life but a few secrets from her background as well.
These three individuals are adrift, lost in a confusing world that they thought they knew. They converge in an 80's New York City, amidst the AIDS epidemic, and find a communion and comfort in each other's company, as well as friendship that acts as a reinforcement in their darkest hours.
My thoughts: This is just one of those books that warms the heart. The paths that these three characters take are not pleasant...they have all had the rug pulled out from underneath them. White makes you FEEL their pain - all different kinds of pain but all very alienating. We've got serious issues of racism (against skin color and sexual orientation), AIDS, grief, infidelity and standing strong for who you are. Heavy stuff.
But when these three find each other, in the presence of Alice and Bobby's Southern comfort food brought to the table of a chic, NYC cafe, it becomes somehow lighter, hopeful and magical. When Bobby adapts his Meemaw's pound cake (which she sold to her neighbors for years and from which the proceeds funded Bobby's escape to New York in the first place) into a famous dessert at the cafe, I think I gained 5 pounds just from reading about it!
If you are in the mood for a thoughtful, serious but heartwarming read, you really need to pick this one up.
A few words about the audio production: Each character had their own narrator, which worked really well here. Robin Miles, George Newbern, and Katherine Powell all did a fantastic job of capturing the essence of each of these characters. I don't think I've ever heard any of them before, but they made this a very satisfying and entertaining listening experience.
Listening length: 9 hours and 1 minute (336 pages)
4.5 out of 5 stars
This is not the kind of book I immediately grab. It has a flower, a butterfly and a teacup on the cover! Ugh! Really??? But a couple of trusted souls told me it was good for what ailed me. And up to the point I cranked this one up on the iPod, I'd listened to TWO Mo Hayder books back-to-back and my heart was feeling black and murky. (Honestly, Hayder is AMAZING but you don't really feel jubilant after you are done with her books.) So did this book fix me up? It sure did.
Synopsis: Cecelia Ross is a middle-aged, unmarried motivational speaker who does not always follow her own advice. She has recently lost her best friend to cancer, and is at odds with what comes next. One day she gets a postcard from "the one that got away", saying he still thinks of her. Hmmm. Who doesn't have a fantasy of the old boyfriend that was just in your life at the wrong time? Using this as a catalyst, Cecelia puts her career on hold, volunteers at a hospice facility, sells her house and rents a room in a house with three other women (a sous-chef, a doctor, and a lesbian advice columnist).
Cecelia has a certain way about her...she is warm, she is likable, she is a friend. Because of this, she bonds with a very sick young man at hospice and brings him out of his shell of depression. She is instantly friends with her roommates, and soon they are all planning a road trip that is intended to reinvent or resolve an issue that each of them have. This includes tracking down that love from long ago.
My thoughts: While I was reading this book, I kept thinking about that commercial where there is an "Easy" button you push when you need thinks to resolve with little fuss. I think it is Staples? Anyway, while the characters in this book each have their own struggles - a messy divorce, an angry daughter, a crappy job, a long-ago child given up for adoption, etc. - ultimately things work out perfectly. As in, a fantasy kind of perfect.
Not that I minded. I kept asking myself "what if Joni had gotten run over by a car?" or "what if Lise was sued by a patient and lost the house?". It wouldn't have worked. This was a book to soothe your ragged heart.
Cecelia was a wonderful main character, and there was chemistry with everyone that came into her life. Not every author can pull that off. Each player had so much personality and charisma, I wanted to be a part of their lives. In that way, this story so reminded me of a Marisa de los Santos or Erica Bauermeister book. It was precious. By the end, I didn't really care if things were too good to be true.
A few words about the audio production: Barbara Caruso was the narrator for this book, and while she was new to me, she has been around the block a time or two in this field (including the narrator for "Anne of Green Gables"). She had the perfect voice for Cecelia. She was obviously the right age, and she mirrored the warmth and easy nature of Cecelia's character. Wonderful performance.
Listening length: 7 hours and 5 minutes (240 pages)
4.5 out of 5 stars
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