Three Audiobooks - A Mixed Bag

Daddy's Gone A Hunting
by Mary Higgins Clark
Published in 2013.
Audiobook narrated by Jan Maxwell.

I read my first MHC mystery on recommendation of my sister 30 years ago while visiting my family during Christmas break from college. I was so scared that I ended up sleeping at the foot of her bed because I didn't want to be alone on the ground floor of the house. Over the years I've read almost every other MHC mystery, usually eagerly anticipating the new releases.

Unfortunately - or maybe not - I think my tastes in reading material have changed in recent years. While Daddy's Gone A Hunting was a satisfactory accompaniment to my commute over the past week or two, I found the story and the characters to be only so-so. I didn't see much that I hadn't seen before.

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Al Capone Shines My Shoes
by Gennifer Choldenko
Published in 2009.
Audiobook read by Kirby Heyborne.

When my son was in fifth grade, I was the leader of one of the several book groups organized in his classroom by the teacher. One of the books we read together was Al Capone Does My Shirts. The fifth graders and I all liked it a lot.

This sequel finally made its way to the top of my to-read list - partially because of my high expectations of narrator Kirby Heyborne - and I think I liked it even better than the original. The book has great characters and exciting adventure, as well as emotional insight. Well done!

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Bellwether by Connie Willis
Originally published in 1996.
Audiobook read by Kate Reading.

One of my all-time favorite books is Connie Willis's Doomsday Book. Perhaps apprehensive that I'll be disappointed, to date I haven't read a lot of her other work. I'm glad I took a chance on Bellwether.

The blurb on the back of the CD case explains that "pop culture, chaos theory, and matters of the heart collide in this unique novella." I found it delightful!

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Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Published in 2012 by Hyperion. 339 pages.
2013 Printz Honor Book.

Code Name Verity was the pick for my October meeting with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club). I was eager to read it both because I'd heard good things from several friends whose book opinions I value and because I'm all about "girl power" - and I definitely have an affinity for World War II novels. (I mentioned a number of World War II novels that I read with another book club in this blog post.)

Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the book and just never really connected to the characters. Maybe I missed something? I was hoping that my book club will fill me in - but, alas, only two of the other members had finished it before our meeting and, given the plot twists, we couldn't really talk about the book. I did discover that both of those that finished had listened to the audiobook - which might be related to the fact that they liked the book better than I did. Also relevant, I think, is the fact that I started the book during a week when I could only read a few pages at a time before bedtime; if I'd been able to invest an hour or two at the start, I think the whole experience might have been a better one.

Melissa Mc at Gerbera Daisy Diaries loved Code Name Verity when she read it last year. Tricia at Library Queue had mixed feelings.

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Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Published in 2013 by Dutton Books. 369 pages.

Based on my reading of Gayle Forman's previous young adult novels If I Stay and Where She Went, I had very high expectations of Just One Day. Unfortunately, that may have colored my reading experience.

The novel also suffered in my comparisons of it to some of the excellent young adult books I've read. For example, early on, I was reminded of Maureen Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but I felt that Ginny's European trip was of greater significance than Allyson's. Then, with Allyson's venture into Paris, I was reminded of Anna and the French Kiss, but I didn't feel the same chemistry between Allyson and Willem that I did between Anna and Étienne. Finally, although the book picked up for me once Allyson started taking control of her life, Allyson's search for Willem unfavorably compared in my mind to the journey undertaken by Laura Resau's "Sophie la Fuerte" in Red Glass.

That said, I did really love all the Shakespeare references in this novel - beginning with the epigraph ("All the world's a stage ...") from As You Like It. I also liked Allyson's interactions with college classmate Dee, who I thought was a terrific character. There were also several beautifully written, even poignant passages that I marked as I read:

Willem laughs again. The sound is clear and strong as a bell, and it fills me with joy, and it's like, for the first time in my life, I understand that this is the point of laughter, to spread happiness. [page 83]

I have a full life. How can I be this empty? [page 224]

I realize then it's not enough to know what someone is called. You have to know who they are. [page 310]

Maybe accident isn't the right word after all. Maybe miracle is. Or maybe it's not a miracle. Maybe this is just life. When you open yourself up to it. When you put yourself in the path of it. When you say yes. [page 367]

So despite my unfulfilled expectations, I will definitely be looking for Just One Year in October to find out what happened to Willem and to discover if he and Allyson have some chemistry between them after all.

For an eloquent discussion of the novel's weaknesses, read Priscilla Gilman's review in The New York Times. For a couple of reviews from those who loved the book, check out Madigan Reads and It's All About Books.

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Sister by Rosamund Lupton

Originally published in 2010 by Piatkus Books.
Audiobook narrated by Juanita McMahon.

Both tear-jerking and spine-tingling, Sister provides an adrenaline rush that could cause a chill on the sunniest afternoon — which, perhaps, the friendly company of a sister or two (or, in a pinch, a brother) might help to dispel.

~ Liesl Schillinger

(See the full New York Times Sunday Book Review here.)
I found Sister to be a solid mystery story, and I liked the character development, particularly the relationship between the two sisters. On the other hand, I found the structure - the character Beatrice writing a letter to her dead sister Tess about giving testimony in the murder trial - distracting and sometimes confusing. I would still recommend the book, though, and I will be looking for more mysteries from Lupton in the future.

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The Lions of Little Rockby Kristin Levine

Published in 2012 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. 298 pages.
Audiobook read by Julia Whelan.

I absolutely loved this one (which was one of the 2012 Cybils finalists)!

The Lions of Little Rock provides a great exploration for middle grade readers of racism (and to a small extent sexism) in the late 1950s. It introduces such important figures as Emmett Till, whose 1955 murder was a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement, and the Little Rock Nine, the African-American students who entered Central High in 1957 - and it looks closely at the perhaps lesser-known "Lost Year" that followed the 1958 closure of Little Rock's high schools to prevent their integration and the work of the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools.

This history lesson is wonderfully presented through the eyes of twelve-year-old Marlee as she tells us of her experiences that year, the things she learns and the ways she grows, specifically through her relationships with her family and her new friend Liz. Marlee's voice was just perfect.

I "read" this one via audiobook, excellently performed by Julia Whelan - who I've also heard read the wonderful The Sky is Everywhere and the interesting Forgotten.

By the way, for those who would like to learn more about Emmett Till, I recommend Chris Crowe's Getting Away with Murder.

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Son by Lois Lowry

Published in 2012 by Houghton Mifflin. 393 pages.

I had hoped that Son would be my final read of 2012 - but I ended up finishing it on New Year's Day. It was a wonderful first read of 2013!

The Giver is one of my all-time favorite books. (I blogged about my January 2008 re-read via audiobook here.) Late in 2012, in anticipation of the publication of this conclusion to that story, I read both of what were previously published as "companion books" - Gathering Blue and Messenger - both of which were great.

After finishing Messenger, I tried to summarize the themes of The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger in three words, and I concluded with choosing, valuing, and healing - with the emphasis of all three being on community.

Filled with symbolism, Son brings together themes and characters from the previous novels of The Giver Quartet in a powerful and thought-provoking way. It had me contemplating the nature of good and evil, and it had me thinking about spiritual gifts. It also had me experiencing the healing properties of community and the transforming power of love - as well as considering the social and political implications of it all.

I particularly loved the portion of Claire's story that paralleled the timeline of The Giver. Oh, and I particularly loved the portion of Claire's story that immediately followed. Oh, and I particularly loved how the stories of Jonas and Gabe (from The Giver), Kira and Matty (from Gathering Blue and Messenger), and Claire came together.

Yes, I loved the entire book!

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