Author Archive for Jan – Page 2

From Here to Eternity cover

Review: From Here to Eternity

By Jan
 on October 26, 2019

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

From Here to Eternity coverAuthor: Caitlin Doughty;
Genre: Non-fiction;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Caitlin Doughty;
Publisher: Recorded Books (2017);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

A fascinating review of the death practices of a few other countries, and how we Westerners might benefit from rethinking our own methods. Written (and narrated) by a young mortician who clearly has some alternate views on the funeral industry, this was so interesting that I almost listened straight through. Highly recommended.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Non-fiction Tagged with
Queen Victorias Mysterious Daughter cover

Review: Queen Victoria’s Mysterious Daughter

By Jan
 on October 3, 2019

Queen Victoria’s Mysterious Daughter: A Biography of Princess Louise
Queen Victorias Mysterious Daughter coverAuthor: Lucinda Hawksley;
Genre: Biography;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Jennifer M. Dixon;
Publisher: Tantor Audio (2018);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

Queen Victoria had nine children (who all looked exactly alike, btw) between 1841 and 1857, although she was frightened of childbirth and didn’t like children. And she wasn’t a very good mother… Go figure.

This is an interesting and well-written biography of Princess Louise, the sixth child and fourth daughter born to Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert. Louise was an artist, although her family didn’t always take her seriously in that respect. She fought for independence from her tyrannical mother and for more equality for women, while still performing many of the state duties of a royal princess. She was definitely the least “royal” of her family, in the way she interacted with people of all classes and was easy to talk to. The book doesn’t skip over the rough parts of her personality, either; Louise had a fiery temper and little patience at times.

She also had quite an appetite for love, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, based on her upbringing. Her marriage was not a love match, and in fact, her husband was probably gay. They spent a lot of time apart, and Louise was rumored to have had several serious affairs, and even a child born out of wedlock.

The reason for the “mysterious” part of the title is that many of the first-hand accounts of the family’s life were purged by Beatrice, the youngest princess, after the queen’s death. Letters and documents related to Louise were very difficult to find, and some conjecture is necessary. But Hawksley makes sure to note when that was the case, and the amount and quality of the research behind the known facts are quite amazing.

The book is organized well and is mostly chronological. Even listening to the audiobook, I didn’t have a difficult time with the many names and titles of the royals, aristocrats, artists, and servants mentioned throughout. Jennifer M. Dixon does an outstanding job with the narration of the audiobook.

The book will interest anyone who wants to learn more about the royal family in general, and especially about Victoria’s children. Louise was definitely a woman ahead of her time.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review Tagged with , ,
A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World cover

Review: A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

By Jan
 on September 19, 2019

A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World coverA Boy and His Dog at the End of the World
Author: C.A. Fletcher;
Genre: Fantasy;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: C.A. Fletcher;
Publisher: Hachette Book Group (2019);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

A boy lives with his family on a remote island after most of the people on Earth are long gone. A stranger steals his beloved dog and the boy decides to get her back. That’s the plot in a nutshell, and that’s the only thing you need to know going in. There are several big twists in the story, and I hope fellow reviewers don’t give them away.

This book, for me, was very sad. So many bad things happened to Griz that it started to get a little much. The author did quite a bit of foreshadowing via the first-person POV, and after a bit, I wasn’t surprised when another disaster came along. Griz showed constant resiliency and optimism, which equals hope. That was supposed to be enough to keep folks reading. It almost wasn’t for me, but I’m glad I stuck with it and hope you will, too. The themes are love of family, loyalty, and toughness in the face of adversity shine through.

The author narrated the audiobook and did surprisingly well. The writing was good enough that he didn’t have to use a lot of different accents so the listener could tell who was speaking, and those he did use were fine. The volume was solid throughout and the pacing was just right.

Includes lots of violence, including danger to animals. Some foul language. Animal lovers will find it hard-going.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Fantasy Tagged with ,
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek cover

Review: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

By Jan
 on September 19, 2019

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek coverThe Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Author: Kim Michele Richardson;
Genre: Historical Novel;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Katie Schorr;
Publisher: Blackstone Audio (2019);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

Set in 1930s Kentucky, this was a fascinating story about a young woman who delivers books to rural homes. She rides a mule as she works for the Kentucky Pack Horse library service, a short-lived, but important literary outreach to the isolated poor. The people of the hills are starving, both in body and soul, and she considers it a privilege to provide them with books and magazines to feed their intellect.

Cussie Mary is one of the rare blue-skinned people of that area of the country. She’s considered a “colored” and is treated as bad—or worse than—blacks. Themes include physical abuse, black lung disease, and labor struggles, but also redemption, forgiveness, and compassion. And love of books and reading, of course.

It’s not a fun read with those dark topics, but the novel is written wonderfully. The description is outstanding, and I felt the cold wind and smelled the wood smoke. There wasn’t a time during the story that it dragged, which is unusual for a novel this long (9.5 hours of the audiobook and 320 pages in the paperback). The characters are all unique and interesting, too.

The narration by Schorr is first-rate; her accents sounded authentic and her pacing was excellent. This is a perfect example of why listening to a book, versus reading text, is so valuable and enjoyable.

 

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel, Reading Tagged with
The Sisters Brothers cover

Review: The Sisters Brothers

By Jan
 on September 19, 2019

The Sisters Brothers coverThe Sisters Brothers
Author: Patrick deWitt;
Genre: Western, satire;
Format: Ebook;
Publisher: Ecco (2011);
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5).

Damn that cover.

It drew me in and wouldn’t let me go. The designer was Suet Yee Chong at Harper Collins, and she perfectly captured the contents of this story.

It’s dark, it’s violent, and it’s quite silly at times. I laughed aloud at least twice, which is saying something… so to speak. It’s a western that involves a lot of drinking and shooting and stealing. You’re not supposed to actually like the protagonists, and you won’t, but you will at least pity Eli, the narrator. He doesn’t really enjoy killing, but he follows Charlie because, well, he’s his brother. And that’s enough . . . until it’s not.

The prose was an interesting mix of mid-19th-century language delivered in a sort of stream-of-consciousness, first-person viewpoint. Wow, that sentence used a lot of hyphens.

Not for the squeamish. I’m talking to you, animal lovers. Step away.

In categories Book Covers, Book Review, Historical Novel Tagged with ,
Just A Guy cover

Review: Just A Guy

By Jan
 on September 19, 2019

Just A Guy coverJust A Guy: Notes from a Blue Collar Life
Author: Bill Engvall;
Genre: Memoir, sort of;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Bill Engvall;
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (2007);
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5).

This isn’t really a memoir, so don’t expect to hear the nitty-gritty details of struggling as a standup comic. It’s just an extension of Engvall’s comedy routines, really, with a few tender-hearted stories about how close he is to his family. I like his comedy (except for the gross bathroom humor) so I enjoyed listening to him read the audiobook. But pay attention to the title: Notes. That’s what you get, and they’re all about being a guy. Meh.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review Tagged with ,
The King's Justice cover

Review: The King’s Justice

By Jan
 on September 18, 2019

The King's Justice coverThe King’s Justice (A Stanton and Barling Mystery, Book 1)
Author: E. M. Powell;
Genre: Historical Mystery;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: James Langton;
Publisher: Brilliance Audio (2018);
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5).

Fairly standard historical mystery that is very similar to several other series in this genre: A mismatched pair of investigators, one superior in rank and the other a would-be apprentice, is reluctantly sent to a remote location to solve a brutal murder (or two, or three).

The setting is twelfth-century England, and the usual prejudices and superstitions are in full force, as well as the dirt and stink. The number of killings was a little much, but the whodunit worked.

James Langton did an excellent job with the narration of the audiobook.

Similar:
Matthew Shardlake mysteries by C.J. Sansom
Matthew Bartholomew mysteries by Susanna Gregory
Knights Templar mysteries by Michael Jecks
Crowner John mysteries by Bernard Knight
Domesday mysteries by Edward Marston

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Mystery Tagged with
The Death of Mrs Westaway cover

Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway

By Jan
 on August 31, 2019

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Death of Mrs Westaway coverAuthor: Ruth Ware;
Genre: Gothic mystery;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Imogen Church;
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (2018);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

A British gothic mystery set in modern time about a young woman who tries to infiltrate an old Cornish family to get part of an inheritance. The setting was a spooky old estate that seemed like one of the characters. The mystery itself was complex but effective, and the suspense was well-done. A few plots twists at the end were fun and the conclusion was satisfactory.

There was a lot of repetition in the narrative, however, which was a little annoying; if I found it that way in the audiobook, I’m glad I didn’t read the print version.

Hal (Harriet) is the protagonist and the family and a nasty housekeeper are the rest of the cast. We’re supposed to be on Hal’s side throughout the book, but I didn’t really like her; she’s made some stupid choices and is living in a desperate situation, thus the decision to defraud an estate.

I enjoyed the story and the suspense. Imogen Church narrates the audiobook and used some good accents and inflections, but her pace was much too slow and drawn out for me; I listened at 1.25 speed.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Modern Mystery Tagged with ,
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