Book on CD performed by Adrienne Rusk, Mia Barron, and Barbara Goodson.
Williams gives us a novel of romance, family secrets, and scandal in New York SBook on CD performed by Adrienne Rusk, Mia Barron, and Barbara Goodson.
Williams gives us a novel of romance, family secrets, and scandal in New York Society, set during the Roaring Twenties. The title refers to two things: the age of the era in American society, and a woman of “a certain age.�
Theresa Marshall is a married woman with a Fifth Avenue apartment, and a boy-toy lover, basically the same age as her grown son. Her family is an old, established one in NYC social circles, but they are without much money. (Theresa’s wealth comes from her husband.) When her brother, a confirmed bachelor, announces that he’s going to marry a young woman with wealth but no family history, Theresa asks her lover, Octavian, to research the girl’s family. And things get complicated once he meets the lovely Sofie.
I was not a great fan of Theresa; I thought Williams made her far too cold and calculating. Sofie, by contrast, was treacle-sweet. Still, it certainly held my attention, though I saw through the old murder mystery pretty quickly. Williams definitely gives the reader a sense of the era � speakeasies, flappers, bathtub gin, horse races, etc.
The audio is performed by three talented voice artists. Unfortunately, I don’t know which performer did which sections. They were equally good, and the change of voice did help with the changes in point-of-view during the novel....more
Book number four in the Leaphorn & Chee mystery series focuses Navajo Tribal Police Sergeant Jim Chee, as he tries to unravel a 30-year-old my3.5****
Book number four in the Leaphorn & Chee mystery series focuses Navajo Tribal Police Sergeant Jim Chee, as he tries to unravel a 30-year-old mystery in pursuit of a missing box of “trinkets and mementos� that has been stolen from a very wealthy man.
I came late to the Tony Hillerman fan club, but I’m glad I got here and I’m enjoying the series. I read one of the later novels, written by Tony’s daughter, Anne, after his death in 2008. While each mystery can easily stand alone as a story, I thought I should go back to the beginning to get a better sense of the relationships between the characters in the series, as well as to understand their growth over time.
Leaphorn is just in the background, offering advice once or twice, but Jim Chee is really at the forefront of this story.
Regardless of which character is front and center, Hillerman does a marvelous job of weaving Native American (particularly Navajo) traditions, culture, and myths into his mysteries. In this case it is the peyote religious practices of the “People of Darkness.� I really appreciate learning more about this very rich culture through these books. ...more
Book number two in the League of Pensioners series, featuring elderly Martha Anderson and her friends � Brains, Rake, Christina and Anna-Greta. They’vBook number two in the League of Pensioners series, featuring elderly Martha Anderson and her friends � Brains, Rake, Christina and Anna-Greta. They’ve escaped the nursing home and are living the high life on their ill-gotten gains, but they long for “home.� So, they return to Sweden where they purchase a secluded property where no one will find them. But they discover that their nest egg has gone missing and now they need to plan another robbery so they can continue their mission of improving the lives of the elderly.
The first book was a hoot, and I rather enjoyed the outlandishness of it all. But this one�. Well, it took me over a month to read it because I kept getting bored and putting it aside. It seemed to me that the author was just trying too hard to make this a comical crime caper, but it came across as tedious.
I’m crossing the rest of the series off my tbr. ...more
From the book jacket: The girl is a dead ringer for his long-missing sister. And Jed Albright’s chance encounter with her outside a Cowtown depo3.5***
From the book jacket: The girl is a dead ringer for his long-missing sister. And Jed Albright’s chance encounter with her outside a Cowtown depot draws the railway mail clerk into a perilous web of lies, treachery, and vengeance. Soon, he’s a man on the run with a price on his head.
My reactions I was introduced to this work by my F2F book club; the author lives nearby and one of our members recommended this Depression-era saga. At heart it’s about a family of siblings who tried their best to make it on the Kansas plains but met with disaster. The oldest brother, Arthur, is a detective with the nascent FBI; Jed is a postal clerk on the railroad; Tim is still trying to work the homestead; their sister, Carrie, disappeared years ago and they’ve completely lost touch. Or have they?
Armstrong goes back and forth in time from 1930 to 1911. Times and conditions are tough in both timeframes, but we learn how the siblings came to the homestead and their efforts to make a go of it, and how their fate becomes intricately linked to that of the town’s wealthy railroad executives.
There’s a lot of intrigue here and the reader is just as clueless as Jed. I’m not sure that I ever figured out who was really behind all the treachery, and while I thought the family saga had a satisfactory resolution, the epilogue threw me for a loop.
It certainly held my attention, and I particularly liked the way Armstrong made the landscape and conditions (dust storms, blizzards, heat, etc.) part of the story. I also really liked Jed’s wife, Amanda, though she didn’t play a central role until half-way into the novel. ...more
Book on CD read by the author 4.5**** (rounded up)
Subtitle: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness
Montgomery spent a year volunteeBook on CD read by the author 4.5**** (rounded up)
Subtitle: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness
Montgomery spent a year volunteering at the New England Aquarium to study and learn about octopuses. This is her memoir of that time, and it’s marvelous!
I had heard that octopuses are quite intelligent, and I had read the novel Remarkably Bright Creatures featuring a particular Giant Pacific Octopus. But Montgomery’s writing about her experiences really brought these animals and their very individual personalities to life for me. I am, frankly, jealous of her experiences and wish I had a nearby aquarium where I could volunteer and get to know the octopus(es).
Montgomery narrates the audiobook herself. I cannot imagine anyone else doing a better job. ...more
First published in 1960, this is book number eleven in the 87th Precinct mystery series. During a downpour, a beat cBook on CD performed by Dick Hill
First published in 1960, this is book number eleven in the 87th Precinct mystery series. During a downpour, a beat cop notices that a tote bag was left behind at a bus stop. He can’t get to the bus in time to stop it, so he opens the zipper case hoping to find identification. What he finds, though, is a severed hand.
McBain never mentions the city, though it seems to be a stand-in for New York. It’s a classic police procedural mystery that held my interest throughout. The detectives of the 87th precinct have their work cut out for them, but they pound the pavement looking for clues and suspects. McBain populates this unnamed city with a wide variety of colorful characters. There are several red herrings (both for the cops and for the reader), but the boys of the 87th precinct are nothing if not tenacious. They WILL get the guy or gal responsible.
I’ve read one of these books before, and thought I’d try another. I don’t think it’s necessary to read them in order (I certainly haven’t), and it may be difficult to find some of the older ones. The series began in 1956 with Cop Hater, and ended in 2005, when McBain died, with Fiddlers.
Dick Hill does a fine job of narrating the audio. His gruff voice is perfect for several of the precinct cops, and he even does a reasonable job of voicing the women. ...more
I was not a great fan of Under the Tuscan Sun, so I’m noBook on CD read by the author 3.5*** rounded up
Subtitle: Journeys of a Passionate Traveler
I was not a great fan of Under the Tuscan Sun, so I’m not sure why I had this on my TBR. But a prompt to read a travel book brought this one to the forefront and I’m glad that I decided to try it.
Mayes recounts her many adventures traveling across Europe and Northern Africa from her home base in Tuscany. This was not one great adventure, but separate trips she and her husband took over time. Mayes shares their experiences as they roam through the British Isles, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, France and other areas of Italy. Her passion for travel certainly comes through loud and clear!
I particularly enjoyed the way she wrote about food. I could practically smell and taste the dishes, and I was constantly hungry for “more.� I also enjoyed the personal glimpses she gave of local citizenry or of fellow travelers. I was reminded of the adventures my husband and I had in his many years in international business; especially the surprise meals we had when we’d enter a restaurant and leave the selection up to the staff. We never had a bad meal doing this and enjoyed some truly spectacular ones (even when we didn’t know what we were eating).
The audiobook I got from the library was read by the author, but it was an abridged version of the book. (There is a full-length audiobook version, narrated by Cassandra Campbell.) I’m glad I had the text handy to fill in the blanks. However, reading of one adventure after another became repetitive. I think this book is best enjoyed as a collection of short stories that one reads a few at a time, rather than trying to do the whole thing in one fell swoop....more
Book number six in the Chet & Bernie mystery series takes our intrepid duo East to the Louisiana bayous to search for a missing man, the law-abiding bBook number six in the Chet & Bernie mystery series takes our intrepid duo East to the Louisiana bayous to search for a missing man, the law-abiding brother of a convict known to Bernie. It’s a whole different world of sounds, sights and smells for Chet, especially that odd sort-of-peppery-snake smell.
I just love this series. Chet (the dog who failed obedience training; a cat was involved) narrates the adventures that he and his human, Bernie (the smartest man in the room), have when they take on various cases as part of their business, the Little Detective Agency. Chet is easily distracted by smells that humans don’t even notice, and he doesn’t quite grasp idioms or metaphors (still haven’t caught scent or sight of that wild goose they are frequently chasing), but he is fiercely loyal to Bernie and knows how to stop a perp!
Quinn gives us a fast-paced book, with sprinkles of humor to lessen the tension.
I usually listen to the audios, which are masterfully performed by Jim Frangionne. But this time I chose to read the text. I missed Frangionne’s voice but could still “hear� it in my head as I read. ...more
Feiler is a writer whom some have called “this generation’s George Plimpton.� He got a rare opportunity to spend a sSubtitle: A Season With the Circus
Feiler is a writer whom some have called “this generation’s George Plimpton.� He got a rare opportunity to spend a season with the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus, as a clown (he had, after all, learned to juggle when he was twelve). He detailed his experiences and the life of circus workers in this book.
I found this quite interesting, given that I have never seen a circus performed in a big tent, and didn’t realize that this show was still in existence (the largest tented circus in the world) until as recently as 2015. Feiler didn’t sugarcoat the difficulties of life on the road, nor did he pull any punches when describing the personalities, foibles and downright illegal activities of some of the workers. But I got a clear sense of the wonder and magic of “the greatest show on earth,� both for the audience and for the performers, hawkers and workers.
I was disappointed, however, that there were no photographs accompanying the text. ...more
This is a lovely children’s story book that relates some of the Native American legends about the wildflower that is thSubtitle: An Old Tale of Texas
This is a lovely children’s story book that relates some of the Native American legends about the wildflower that is the Texas state flower � the Bluebonnet.
Drought is adversely affecting the Comanche people. They sing and dance and plead with the Great Spirit, but still there is no rain. Many of the elderly, the sick and the youngest children have died as a result of the drought. Finally the Shaman tells the people that the Great Spirit is ashamed of them, because they have become selfish, always taking from the Earth, but not giving back. So they are instructed to make a burnt offering of their most cherished possessions, scattering the ashes to the four winds. But one by one they refuse to make give up their treasures.
One young child, an orphan now called She-Who-Is-Alone, has only one possession left after losing her entire family � a doll made of buckskin. It was made for her by her grandmother but she willingly gives it up for the good of the people. The Great Spirit is so moved by her sacrifice that after the rain finally falls, the landscape bursts into beautiful blue blooms.
It’s a wonderful lesson about family, community, sacrifice and selflessness.
DiPaolo provided the beautiful illustrations, too. ...more
Book two in the “Holmes on the Range� series of mysteries set in the American Wild West, circa 1893. TheDigital audiobook performed by William Dufris
Book two in the “Holmes on the Range� series of mysteries set in the American Wild West, circa 1893. The Amlingmeyer brothers are Gustave (Old Red) and Otto (Big Red), iterant cowhands but with aspirations to become detectives. Well, Gustave has the aspirations fueled by the stories of Sherlock Holmes, and Big Red takes on the role of Watson. This time out they’ve hired on as “Pinkertons in disguise� to ride the Southern Pacific and fend off the Give-‘em-Hell Boys, a notorious gang of robbers recently plaguing the railroad.
I really like this series, and I sure do wish I hadn’t waited so long to get to this second episode. In addition to the brothers, Hockensmith populates the books with an array of interesting and colorful side characters. One of the best things about the series is Hockensmith’s way with words. Here are some examples: ”When so much is sumptuous and shining, the gaudy spectacle of it is enough to make you forget, just for a moment, the ramshackle shoddiness of your everyday world.
“I hadn’t just put my foot in my mouth � I’d dipped it in arsenic first.�
“I would say he was three sheets to the wind, only I think he had a good many more sheets a -flapping than that.�
William Dufris does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. I love the way he interprets the Amlingmeyer brothers, particularly Otto, who narrates the story. ...more
Sunny is a 38-year-old American woman who has run from her Book on CD narrated by Mozhan Marnò 3***
Also issued as The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
Sunny is a 38-year-old American woman who has run from her bad choices, and found a “home� in war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan, running The Coffee Shop and (sort of) living with her boyfriend Tommy, who is a mercenary. She has collected a group of locals around her to help run the business, and whom she, in turn, helps, sometimes in defiance of long-held religious and cultural beliefs.
This is the author’s fiction debut, after her memoir Kabul Beauty School. I found it more engaging than the memoir, though Sunny displays some of the same faults the author had in her own memoir � being willfully blind to local customs, beliefs, traditions. Yes, the traditional treatment of women is appalling, but running headlong into the fray seemed not only naïve but extremely dangerous. That her business thrives is mostly due to the ex-pat community that she serves.
I did love Yazmina and Halajan, two of the women who work with Sunny in the coffee shop, and especially Halajan’s forbidden love story. However, one character’s complete turnaround was totally unrealistic.
There are two sequels, but I’m in no hurry to read them.
Mozhan Marnò does a fine job narrating the audiobook. I really liked the way she interpreted Halajan and Yazmina. ...more
Betty MacDonald’s “memoir� of her life as a newlywed on a chicken ranch in the Olympic Penninsula area of Washington was a runaway bestseller when it Betty MacDonald’s “memoir� of her life as a newlywed on a chicken ranch in the Olympic Penninsula area of Washington was a runaway bestseller when it first appeared in 1945. It was made into a movie which also did well at the box office. And MacDonald went on to write additional books.
I remember hearing my mother’s laughter as she read this book when I was a young girl. And I remember watching the “old� Ma & Pa Kettle movies on TV as well. (The characters were a spin off from MacDonald’s book.) I’ve had this book on my TBR since I was a young teen, I think.
But I was highly disappointed in the book. I do not at all like the way MacDonald portrays the local people, especially the Kettles, and really dislike the way she portrays the Native American population. To hear her tell it, they are all “drunk, lazy Indians,� and she isn’t shy about saying how much she dislikes them.
I have to give her credit for making a life “in the wilderness� with the man she loves, despite her own background of relative privilege. She endured a house with no indoor plumbing, a cranky “Stove,� extremes of weather, few modern conveniences. But she was young, fit and intent on supporting her husband’s dream. I loved the descriptions of the excellent food they enjoyed, harvesting from their own garden and from the natural world (clams, fish, game, etc.).
In a forward to the paperback edition, reissued in 1987, her daughters write that MacDonald would probably treat the Native Americans differently “today.� They state that she was just trying to make the best of a situation she found frightening, and that humor was a way to do that. Well, I know times were different then, but I don’t find denigrating others funny or charming or even excusable. ...more
This is a collection of short stories set around the Christmas holidays. It begins with our lovely Anne Shirley and an early Christmas with Marila andThis is a collection of short stories set around the Christmas holidays. It begins with our lovely Anne Shirley and an early Christmas with Marila and Matthew, and the “puffy sleeves� fashion trend.
There is one other story that involves Anne, but most do not. The plots involve lonely people taken into the fold of neighbor families, poor families making the best of the season, rich families sharing their bounty with those less fortunate. I took my time reading this, having begun it in December, and reading a story or two every couple of days.
After a few stories, they become rather formulaic, but they are all heart-warming and charming. And isn’t that what the holidays are all about? ...more
Book # 6 in the Inspector Armand Gamache series of mysteries set in the fictional town of Three Pines, QuebBook on CD performed by Ralph Cosham 3.5***
Book # 6 in the Inspector Armand Gamache series of mysteries set in the fictional town of Three Pines, Quebec.
This episode actually involves multiple mysteries. Gamache is on leave after a major incident in which several officers were killed or injured, including Gamache. He decides to go to Quebec City for his recuperation, where he bunks with a long-term friend, and spends his days reading in the library of the Literary and Historical Society. But when an local historian is found murdered in the basement, the board asks Gamache to please assist with the investigation.
In the meantime, he is also haunted by a case he had previously solved. A hermit was found murdered in a cabin near Three Pines, and a local bistro owner was sent to prison for the crime. But his partner has written to Gamache daily with a key question that makes the Chief Inspector rethink the evidence. He sends his deputy, who is also on leave as he recovers from the same incident in which Gamach was injured, to “recuperate� in Three Pines and to reopen the investigation.
The storyline, already complex with two ongoing investigations, is further complicated by the flashbacks to the events that resulted in Gamache’s injuries � a complex terrorist plot involving kidnapping, bombs, and psychological terror. And, the original case of the murdered historian hinges on a centuries old mystery as to the whereabouts of Quebec founding father Samuel Champlain’s grave.
What I like about the series is the way Penny builds her characters, and their relationships to one another, over the course of the series. We get to know Gamache, his strengths and weaknesses, his joys and disappointments, over the various books, each episode giving the reader more insight into the man’s complex character.
Ralph Cosham does a fine job narrating the audio version. There are a lot of characters to deal with and he is up to the task. THIS episode, however, is probably best read in text format because of the multiple storylines and the flashbacks that often come without any warning. While I read about a third of the book in text format, the jumps in time sometimes caught me off guard even when reading rather than listening. But at least with the text, it was easier to reference a previous paragraph or two to figure out what was happening. ...more
Digital audiobook read by Winston James and Mari 2.5** (rounded up)
This is the first in the Windy City series.
Zanders is a pro hockey player who enjoDigital audiobook read by Winston James and Mari 2.5** (rounded up)
This is the first in the Windy City series.
Zanders is a pro hockey player who enjoys his reputation as a bad boy. He spends significant time in the penalty box, but always leaves the arena with a stunning woman on his arm; a different woman each time. Stevie is an experience flight attendant who has just landed a job on the hockey team’s private plane. She’s also sworn off athletes after getting her heart broken. Zanders decides to push her buttons, literally using the call button multiple times per flight to irritate her. But is that all that’s going on?
Tomforde is known for her steamy, sexy, romances, and this one delivers on that promise. These two are in lust almost from the beginning. Who cares if they like each other, they are definitely HOT for one another. And they act on that attraction � often. Of course they do eventually realize that there is more than just sexual chemistry between them.
The novel also deals with body image, social medial bullying/shaming, and celebrity culture.
Mariel Prager’s restaurant is bleeding money by the day. The Lakeside Supper Club has been in Mariel�Digital audiobook performed by Aspen Vincent 3***
Mariel Prager’s restaurant is bleeding money by the day. The Lakeside Supper Club has been in Mariel’s family for decades, but it also was the cause of a rift between Mariel and her mother, Florence, that has never quite healed. Her husband, Ned, is heir to a chain of homestyle diner, and he believes his family’s chain could provide a better future that The Lakeside. But these struggles pale in comparison to a devastating tragedy. Can they find a way to rebuild their lives?
I really like Stradal’s writing. He is spot on in revealing the small-town Midwestern vibe. These are ordinary people, leading ordinary lives, full of hope, dreams, hardship, fights, reconciliations, tragedy, and perseverance. His books remind me that we ALL have stories to tell.
I’ll admit that with all that is going on in real life right now, I sometimes lost the thread when listening to the book. I definitely caught the major plot points, but the novel is more about the characters and how they deal with what life throws at them, than it is about a particular plot point. I’m so glad that the supper club lives on in Wisconsin. And while relish trays are disappearing, the brandy old-fashioned is still readily available!
Aspen Vincent does a fine job of narrating the audiobook.
Joy is having a bad year. Her mother has died. She is recently divorced. She just cannot face Christmas, which was once her favoriA fable for adults.
Joy is having a bad year. Her mother has died. She is recently divorced. She just cannot face Christmas, which was once her favorite holiday. She decides she needs a change of scenery, NOW. So, she goes to the airport and buys a last-minute ticket on a charter flight to Canada. Joy winds up at a lakeside resort where a young boy and his father are also reeling from the loss of their mother/wife.
Can love � not romance, but love � heal? Can faith and hope see us through? How far would you go to follow a dream?
I found this a rather strange tale. I kept letting reality get in the way of just enjoying the magical realism of the story. And yet, I grew invested in Joy and Bobby and Daniel. And was cheering for them all to find a happy ending. Yes, it’s sappy. But who cares? Warms the heart on a cold winter’s day. ...more
Book on CD performed by Joy Nash and Sebastian York
From the book jacket: A steamy plus-size holiday rom-com about an adult film star who is semi-accidBook on CD performed by Joy Nash and Sebastian York
From the book jacket: A steamy plus-size holiday rom-com about an adult film star who is semi-accidentally cast as a lead in a family-friendly Christmas movie, and the former bad-boy pop star she falls in love with.
My reactions This is the first in a series written by this writing duo.
Oh, my! Part of my surprise is my own fault for not reading the blurb but picking this up strictly based on the cover, which is darn cute in my opinion.
Okay, one of the leads is a porn star, so I was expecting lots of sex, but it seems that is almost all I got. Oh, yes, there is a plot, but mostly these two are just in lust and f*&king each other’s brains out over and over and over again.
Still, I did come to like Bee, her unapologetic self-esteem, and her best friend’s constant affirmation that Bee is a wonderful woman who has chosen this career and become a success. Nolan seems a little lost in the snow by comparison, and while I totally understood his need to support his mother and little sister, the constant reminders of what a great guy he really his and how much he is counting on this Christmas movie to launch a career that will allow him to care for his family got tiresome.
I also enjoyed some of the supporting characters, even if they were rather over the top.
At heart it’s still a Christmas romance with a HEA ending.
The audio is performed by Joy Nash (voicing the sections narrated by Bee) and Sebastian York (voicing Nolan). They make a good team, and this was an effective way to produce the audio version. ...more
Digital audiobook narrated by Woodard, Erin Hunter and Garrick Hogan 2.5**
Schmidt’s debut novel takes a look at one of the most infamous crimes in AmDigital audiobook narrated by Woodard, Erin Hunter and Garrick Hogan 2.5**
Schmidt’s debut novel takes a look at one of the most infamous crimes in American history � the 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts.
What an unusual book! I’m not sure I really liked the way in which Schmidt chose to tell this story. It felt very disjointed and left me with more questions than answers. But then again, the case has never been adequately solved. Lizzie Borden was tried for the murder of her parents, but there was no blood on her clothing or hands, and she was acquitted.
Schmidt gives us a tale of a family in upheaval. The Bordens were well-off, but Lizzie and her sister Emma were at odds with their father and stepmother. Schmidt chose to tell the story with multiple narrators: Lizzie, Emma, the housemaid Bridget, and a stranger, Benjamin. Each has different perspectives to offer and the author tries to make a case for which was the killer. But I’m not sure she succeeded. I never connected with any of the characters as portrayed, although I did rather like Bridget.
The author is a native Australian, and I wonder why she chose such an iconic American story as the framework for her debut.
The audiobook is read by three different narrators, and I think part of my trouble with the book was the narration. The voice the actor used for Lizzie, made me think this woman was disassociated from reality. It really turned me off. On the other hand the voice actor who brought Bridget to life did a great job....more
Book Concierge
>
Books:
library
(2946)
Loading...
