August 28, 2013

One of the best parts of this vacation has been the time to read.  I've been able to read a lot every day.  Today, I finished my book club selection for the month:  The Books They Gave Me: True Stories of Life, Love and Lit by Jen Adams.  At first, I wasn't sure I would like it, which I didn't.  I LOVED it!  It was full of stories about people receiving books as gifts.  I loved it for the stories the people told about the occasions surrounding the giving of the books.  They were both personal and charming.  However, most of all, I loved the descriptions of the books.  We made a special trip to a wonderful bookstore in Lydonville, Vermont called Green Mountain Books, where I picked up two of the books that were included in The Books They Gave Me.  I have two more "must reads" on my list which I am going to order right away.  There is nothing better than a good book that leads you to other great books.  The Books They Gave Me was a great read!

At the same time, we've been listening to the audio books ever since we left home.  On the long, 10 hour ride to Vermont, we listened to Redshirts by John Scalzi.  This is one of those books that was probably much better as an audio book than it would have been as a straight read.  I can't say that for sure because I didn't actually read the book. (Added 9/4/13:  Obviiously, it's just as good as a book.  Redshirts just won the 2013 Hugo Award.  Congratulations, John Scalzi!)  However, the narrator was wonderful and his expression and interpretation of the characters really enhanced the story.  Without giving away any spoilers, I think that Scalzi needs to work on stopping when the story is done.  In Redshirts, he had a perfectly plausible ending that was satisfying and yet left the real ending up to the interpretation of the reader or listener. Then he added a snarky, one-liner that felt like whip-lash.  I'm not talking about the Coda, which I loved.  It definitely added to the story and was clearly separate from the main story.  You will see what I mean if you listen to or read the book.  I would definitely recommend Redshirts as a very good listen, especially good for a long drive.   I'm giving it 5 stars because we loved the book, despite the ending.  I feel the editor should have caught the weak ending to an otherwise great book.