July 22, 2014

Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls

Essays written and narrated by David Sedaris

David Sedaris is awesome!  That’s all I can say.  I love his wry and ironic humor.  As always, his essays start at one point, wind their way through many twisted paths, and then end up back where they started… which often turns out to be an entirely different place.  My husband and I listened to the seven-hour, audio version of Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls during a recent road trip.  It made the time go quickly.  We laughed our way there and back.  Personally, I think that listening to David Sedaris’ books is the only way to go.  His reading adds so much to the experience.  I’m sure I’d love the book, too, but for me, the audio version is the best.   Definitely a great listen!!!

Russian Winter

By Daphne Kalotay

Russian Winter came to me recommended by an avid reader.  I was between audio books at the time, so I decided to give it a try.  The Audible version proved to be a great audio book, and the person who had actually read it had said the same.   The setting fluctuated between modern times and the late 1800’s, and between Russia and Massachusetts.  That may have been easier to follow on the audio version that in the book format.  The plot centered on the life of a Russian ballerina, and those around her.  Although it is a novel, I felt like I was getting a peek into life, as it must have existed for Russians during that time in history.   Without giving away any spoilers, I was surprised by the ending.  Russian Winter was a very enjoyable audio book, and I would definitely recommend it in any format.

Top Secret Twenty-One

By Janet Evanovich

Narrated by Lorelei King

Top Secret Twenty-One … As I began to listen to the Audible versions, I quickly pulled out my cellphone to check the publication date.  It was released in June 2014, so clearly we hadn’t heard it before.  The Stephanie Plum series is one of our first choices for audio books on long, tedious, road trips.  They’re always entertaining and don’t require a lot of effort to follow or comprehend.  Top Secret Twenty-One turned out to be just as engaging and entertaining.  But at times, we felt like it was so formulaic, we could fill in the blanks and could have written the story ourselves.  We know all of the characters and situations too well.  Sometimes, I long for Stephanie, or any of the characters, to do something unpredictable.  That probably won’t happen and, predictably, we will continue to look forward to the next Stephanie Plum mystery… what will Stephanie do in Twenty-Two???

July 21, 2014

Plague of Doves

By Louis Erdrich

Plague of Doves is one of the only books that have left me confused when I tried to sneak a peek at the ending. Part of the reason for that is different narrators used throughout the story.  Each chapter is told in the first person by a different character.  Some of the characters have only one chapter, while some narrate more than one.  At times, this caused confusion and I had to look back and refresh my memory. 

The characters in Plague of Doves were Native American, early pioneer, and some with mixed heritages, who were all somehow involved in a long, unresolved murder mystery.  The setting was a desolate community on the edge of a Native American reservation in North Dakota.  It gave a real feel for the poverty and personal conflicts that can occur in and/or near reservations.  While I’m sure the story reflected the reality of those communities, it made a story that was, at best, pretty depressing.  It’s not a light read, but one that is historically and socially significant.  I’m glad that I read Plague of Doves, but beware… it’s not a pleasant read. 

Paper Towns

By John Green

Once again, I couldn’t put this John Green book down.  I really think he is a great writer and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything of his that I’ve read, even though I’m far older than his target audience.  Paper Towns was no exception. 

The characters were real and well developed.  I love that he always has a strong, female character and that she isn’t focused on being a ‘nice girl’.  His characters all deal with significant, real- life issues. In Paper Towns, the story was woven around a character named Margo and the mystery of her disappearance.  While searching for clues to find Margo, the other characters find out a lot about themselves.  I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I was very happy with the ending.  It’s a great story and was totally engaging.

An Abundance of Katherines

By John Green

I’m sure that I didn’t read John Green’s books in order, because An Abundance of Katerines was the final book that I read.  Once again, I loved the strong female character of Lindsey.  In this book, however, the focus was on the two male characters: Colin, a child prodigy and Hassan, a young Muslim.  Although the title suggests that Katherine(s) would be characters, they are only seen through the eyes of Colin.  The story is a modern, coming of age for two young men who think and live outside the box.  I thoroughly enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines, and once again, feel it imparted cultural awareness and values, even though that may not have been the intent.  Very engaging book!  

July 5, 2014

How Jesus Became God

By Bart D. Ehrman

I listened to the Audible version of How Jesus Became God a while ago.  It’s been difficult for me to figure out how to review it. I thought Walter Dixon was a convincing narrator for this book.  I could imagine the author speaking in the same tone.  The book was well written.  I really wanted to like the How Jesus Became God because I believe its premise.  However, I wish that Ehrman had used something other than Biblical verses and Biblical history to support his claims.  I was familiar with much of his source material and understood what he was trying to say, but I wanted to hear validation outside of the realm of religion.  Maybe that was unrealistic, given that it was a book on religious beliefs.  Living in 2014 and in the era of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, I guess I wanted more.  Perhaps I just wasn’t looking in the right place.  From my perspective, How Jesus Became God was a good audio book, but a disappointment.

The Fault in Our Stars

By John Green

I loved this John Green book.  Fault in Our Stars took a sensitive topic and once again, made it relevant for teens (and adults) living in 2014.  I love his characterization, which always seems well developed.  The story was real, without being overly sentimental.  I couldn’t put my Kindle down once I started reading. 

I’m not sure that I want to see the movie.  I don’t know how it could be as good as the book.  I want to hold onto the images of the characters that I have created in my mind.  Definitely a very good read!