AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

TITLE: Twilight
SERIES: Book #1 of The Twilight Saga
AUTHOR: Stephenie Meyer
NARRATOR: Ilyana Kadushin
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
DATE OF PUBLICATION: June 27, 2006
FORMAT: Unabridged OverDrive WMA Audiobook (12 hours, 52 minutes)
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0739345306

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

MY REVIEW:

This is the first book in The Twilight Saga. I think I am one of the few that has not seen the Twilight movies or read the books!

This book is a lot more tender – more innocent -- than I expected, but then again it was marketed to the Young Adult demographic so maybe that has something to do with it. It is filled with teen angst, and the star-crossed lovers have so much sexual tension that it is palpable.

Edward is very charming, and Belle is the typical damsel-in-distress. Even though I have not seen the movie, I have seen from magazines and newspapers the photos of the characters that play the roles in the movie which is unfortunate. I much prefer my own mental imagery. While reading, I couldn’t help but picture Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, although I have no idea what actors portrayed the other characters which was nice.

The book builds up slowly, and I enjoyed that because I became immersed into their characters.

Did you ever read a book with a smile on your face? Well, this book did that for me. I think the innocence of “first love” was portrayed very sweetly. It wasn’t until the last third of the book that it became suspenseful. I was totally captivated, and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next!

The ending was bittersweet, and I was sad to see the book end. I was happy to have the second book, New Moon, to start on right away!

I don’t normally read the same book over again, but I can see that this is one of the select few that I could read again and enjoy it just as much.

Because it is marketed to the Young Adults, I think a lot of adults wouldn’t think to pick it up for themselves which is a shame because it is so good.

I am a pretty tough critic and don’t hand out five-star ratings lightly (the only other one for adult literature being The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society).This book is very deserving of its 5-star rating!!

I enjoyed Ilyana Kadushin's narration. I hope she does the rest of the series.

MY RATING: 5 stars!! Loved it!!

This book qualifies as:
#22 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#14 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#14 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#7 for my 1st In a Series Challenge 2011
#3 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge IV
#1 for my 2011 YA Reading Challenge
#1 for my Vampire Challenge 2011
#1 for my 101 Fantasy Perpetual Reading Challenge (Item #2)
#1 for my Banned Books Perpetual Challenge
#3 for my 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Island of the Sequined Love Nun

TITLE: Island of the Sequined Love Nun
AUTHOR: Christopher Moore
NARRATOR: Oliver Wyman
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: August 1, 2009
FORMAT: Unabridged OverDrive WMA Audiobook (11 hours, 41 minutes)
GENRE: Dark Humor
ISBN: 978-1433293238

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Take a wonderfully crazed excursion into the demented heart of a tropical paradise—a world of cargo cults, cannibals, mad scientists, ninjas, and talking fruit bats. Our bumbling hero is Tucker Case, a hopeless geek trapped in a cool guy's body, who makes a living as a pilot for the Mary Jean Cosmetics Corporation. But when he demolishes his boss's pink plane during a drunken airborne liaison, Tuck must run for his life from Mary Jean's goons. Now there's only one employment opportunity left for him: piloting shady secret missions for an unscrupulous medical missionary and a sexy blond high priestess on the remotest of Micronesian hells. Here is a brazen, ingenious, irreverent, and wickedly funny novel from a modern master of the outrageous.

MY REVIEW:

Christopher Moore books are not for everyone. He has been described as, “A very sick man, in the very best sense of the word.” His books are an escape for me, and I desperately needed one after reading A Child Called "It". He is zany, his humour is dark, and his books are totally off-beat.

My massage therapist recommended Moore to me because his books are easy to read, don’t take a lot of brain power to follow, and leave you entertained.

I have read four of his other novels (Fluke, A Dirty Job, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, and Practical Demonkeeping), and this one was my least favourite.

This book is about a pilot, Tucker Chase, who winds up in a lot of trouble after crashing while engaged in a drunken tryst. He winds up taking an extremely lucrative job offer to fly medical supplies for a missionary on a remote island.

It was an enjoyable book, but not Moore’s best work.

If you are interested in reading one of Moore’s books, I recommend starting with A Dirty Job about a guy whose job it is to gather up souls before the Forces of Darkness get to them.

Oliver Wyman is the perfect narrator for Moore's novels. He is thoroughly enjoyable to listen to!

MY RATING: 3 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#21 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#13 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#13 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#8 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge IV 
#2 for my What's in a Name 4 Challenge

BOOK REVIEW: The Twenty-One Balloons

TITLE: The Twenty-One Balloons
AUTHOR: William Pène du Bois
PUBLISHER: Puffin
DATE OF PUBLICATION: May 6, 1986 (first published 1947)
FORMAT: Paperback, 192 pages
GENRE: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0140320970
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Professor William Waterman Sherman just wants to be alone. So he decides to take a year off and spend it crossing the Pacific Ocean in a hot-air balloon the likes of which no one has ever seen. But when he is found after just three weeks floating in the Atlantic among the wreckage of twenty hot-air balloons, naturally, the world is eager to know what happened. How did he end up with so many balloons . . . and in the wrong ocean?

MY REVIEW:

I read this book aloud to my daughters. It is the winner of the 1948 Newbery Medal.

We loved it! What a great adventure story! It is about a man who yearns for a peaceful, solitary sojourn in his hot air balloon, only to end up on an inhabited but undiscovered island called Krakatoa.

The book is very entertaining, and we loved the "way of life" on the island of Krakatoa. The author has a great imagination!

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#20 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#2 for my 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

BOOK REVIEW: Viking Adventure

TITLE: Viking Adventure
AUTHOR: Clyde Robert Bulla
ILLUSTRATOR: Douglas Gorsline
PUBLISHER: Avyx
DATE OF PUBLICATION: January 1, 2000
FORMAT: Paperback, 117 pages
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 978-1887840415

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Sigurd, a Viking boy, cannot see the value of learning to read and write. All he can think of is adventure. But then he has an adventure that he cannot help but tell. And to do that, he decides, he must learn to write. A fine story for young readers.

MY REVIEW:

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

We enjoyed this book. We have read other Bulla books, and we have not been disappointed yet.

This is a great historical fiction novel to read while studying the Vikings. Sigurd leaves his family behind to sail on a journey to Vineland (what the Vikings called North America).

This book has it all: friendship, treachery, danger, and survival. Tied all together, it is a great adventure!

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#19 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: A Child Called "It"

TITLE: A Child Called "It"
AUTHOR: Dave Pelzer
NARRATOR: Brian Keeler
PUBLISHER: Recorded Books
DATE OF PUBLICATION: July 18, 2007
FORMAT: Unabridged Audible Audio Edition (3 hours, 46 minutes)
GENRE: Biography & Autobiography, Nonfiction
ISBN: 978-1402510052

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

MY REVIEW:

This book is not for the faint-hearted. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, it is extremely disturbing and describes child abuse in graphic detail. It is the victim’s story, which was identified as one of the most gruesome and extreme cases of child abuse in California history back in the early 1970s.

As a mother, I cannot fathom how someone could do what this sadistic woman did to her own child. My heart ached reading this book, and the only thing that got me through it was wanting to find out what happened to his parents. I don’t know what is worse: the abuser or the parent who stood by and let it happen and never stopped it. I find myself feeling sicked by the mother and very angry at the father.

I have now discovered that the victim has written a total of seven books. Apparently, one of the victim’s brothers also wrote a book about how he was abused after Dave was taken away. The author’s website is here: http://www.davepelzer.com/.

As much as I do want to find out what happens in the rest of the books and hopefully see some justice, I cannot stomach reading any more about child victims. I read too many of them this month: Boneman’s Daughters, Room, and now this book. I need to take a break from these sad stories. 

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#18 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#12 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#12 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#6 for my What's in a Name IV Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Breathless

TITLE: Breathless
AUTHOR: Dean Koontz
NARRATOR: Jeffrey Cummings
PUBLISHER: Brilliance Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 12, 2009
FORMAT: Unabridged OverDrive WMA Audiobook (8 hours, 8 minutes)
GENRE: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
ISBN: 978-1423357070

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz delivers a thrilling novel of suspense and adventure, as the lives of strangers converge around a mystery unfolding high in the Colorado mountains—and the balance of the world begins to tilt….

In the stillness of a golden September afternoon, deep in the wilderness of the Rockies, a solitary craftsman, Grady Adams, and his magnificent Irish wolfhound Merlin step from shadow into light…and into an encounter with enchantment. That night, through the trees, under the moon, a pair of singular animals will watch Grady's isolated home, waiting to make their approach.

A few miles away, Camillia Rivers, a local veterinarian, begins to unravel the threads of a puzzle that will bring all the forces of a government in peril to her door.

At a nearby farm, long-estranged identical twins come together to begin a descent into darkness…In Las Vegas, a specialist in chaos theory probes the boundaries of the unknowable…On a Seattle golf course, two men make matter-of-fact arrangements for murder…Along a highway by the sea, a vagrant scarred by the past begins a trek toward his destiny…

In a novel that is at once wholly of our time and timeless, fearless and funny, Dean Koontz takes readers into the moment between one turn of the world and the next, across the border between knowing and mystery. It is a journey that will leave all who take it Breathless.

MY REVIEW:

Who wrote this?? I am a die-hard Koontz fan, and this is the first of his novels that I have read that didn’t “feel” like his.

I love Koontz because his plots are plausible, always involving some kind of psychopath that is playing psychological mind games to terrify his victims. This book is not at all like that. I didn’t even find it particularly suspenseful. The book is more sci-fi than anything.

The beginning of the book was very confusing with six different storylines. They do, in the end, come together but I found it hard keeping track of all the different people (one of the downsides to listening to audiobooks is that you can’t easily flip back and forth in the book). The main character, Grady Adams, is going out for a walk with his Irish Wolfhound, Merlin, and they spot two furry animals as large as dogs but as nimble as cats that aren’t like anything previously known to science. The sudden arrival of these creatures seems to be linked to other strange phenomena.

I kept waiting for the “action” to occur, but it didn’t happen. I did not feel totally captivated by the story, as I usually do with Koontz. For me, this but was just “ok”. This is a more recent novel, although nothing like Velocity which was the latest Koontz novel I read in January which is much more like his earlier works.

I hope that this is not the new Koontz! I’ll go back to reading his older novels. 

MY RATING: 2 stars (this is the lowest rating that I have ever given, and it saddens me to give it because I'm such a Koontz fan)

This book qualifies as:
#17 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#11 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#11 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#2 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge IV

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Room

TITLE: Room
AUTHOR: Emma Donoghue
NARRATORS: Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Suzanne Toren, and Robert Petkoff
PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: September 13, 2010
FORMAT: Unabridged OverDrive WMA Audiobook (10 hours, 45 minutes)
GENRE: Fiction
ISBN: 978-1607886280

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary. Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered, as though, like Jack, they are seeing the world for the very first time.

MY REVIEW:

This book was on both Amazon.ca and Indigo’s Best Book of 2010. It was listed as Amazon's Best of the Month for September 2010. It was actually sitting at #1 on Macleans Fiction List for the week of March 8^th, 2011.

It is a pretty disturbing book written from the perspective of a five-year old boy named Jack, who has spent his entire life in captivity. He was borne to a woman who was kidnapped at the age of 19 and held captive in a single room for seven years. Jack’s mom tries to make his life as “normal” as possible. I do not want to give any further details, as I do not want to spoil the story for others.

The website, http://www.roomthebook.com/, has a floor plan of room, as well as discussion questions.

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#16 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#10 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#10 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: BoneMan's Daughters

TITLE: BoneMan's Daughters
AUTHOR: Ted Dekker
NARRATOR: Robert Petkoff
PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: April 14, 2009
FORMAT: Unabridged OverDrive WMA Audiobook (10 hours, 25 minutes)
GENRE: Suspense, Thriller
ISBN: 978-1600246050

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is on the loose, choosing young girls as his prey, His signature: myriad broken bones that torture and kill - but never puncture.

Military intelligence officer Ryan Evans is married to his work; so much so that his wife and daughter have written him out of their lives. Sent to Fallujah and captured by insurgents, he is asked to kill children not unlike his own. The method: a meticulous, excruciating death by broken bones that his captor has forced him to learn.

Returning home after the ordeal, a new crisis awaits. A serial killer is on the loose, and his method of killing is the same. Ryan becomes a prime suspect, which isn't even the worst of his problems: Ryan's daughter is BoneMan's latest desire.

In a story that is devastating in its skill and suspense, - Ted Dekker brings to bear his ability to terrify and compel in BONEMAN'S DAUGHTERS.

MY REVIEW:

This is my first book by this author.

The beginning of the book reads like two separate stories: One story tells about Military Intelligence Officer Ryan Evans, who is psychologically tortured by insurgents in Iraq; the other story is about a serial killer nicknamed “Boneman”, who kidnaps young girls and breaks their bones but not their skin, leaving them to die of internal bleeding. The two stories eventually meld together, which is where the story starts to pick up pace.

The narrator, Robert Petkoff, did a great job…even Boneman’s voice was creepy!

I enjoyed the book well enough to look for other works by this author.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#15 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#9 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#9 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge

BOOK REVIEW: Beezus and Ramona

TITLE: Beezus and Ramona
SERIES: Ramona Quimby Series, Book #1
AUTHOR: Beverly Cleary
ILLUSTRATOR: Tracy Dockray
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
DATE OF PUBLICATION: March 1, 2000 (first published 1955)
FORMAT: Paperback, 160 pages
GENRE: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 978-0439148023

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Beezus Quimby tries very hard to be patient with her little sister, but four-year-old Ramona has the habit of doing the most unpredictable, annoying, embarrassing things in the world. How many nine-year-old girls have to put up with a silly little sister who hops around in rabbit ears and bakes a rubber doll into her sister's birthday cake? Sometimes Beezus doesn't like Ramona very much, and that makes her feel very guilty. Sisters are supposed to love each other, but pesky little Ramona just doesn't seem very lovable to Beezus.

MY REVIEW:

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

Cleary was one of my favourite authors as a child, and I loved the Ramona Quimby series. It was a pleasure to re-read this one with my girls. Ramona is hilarious, and we all laughed out loud at her antics. My girls are nearly the same age as Ramona and Beezus in this book, so it was especially fun for them to read how other sisters their own age relate to each other...and maybe they see that they don't have it so bad :)

We will be reading the rest of the series together.

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#14 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#6 for my 1st In a Series Challenge 2011

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: 1st To Die

TITLE: 1st To Die
SERIES: Women's Murder Club Series, Book #1
AUTHOR: James Patterson
NARRATOR: Suzanne Toren
PUBLISHER: Hachette Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 1, 2005
FORMAT: Unabridged OverDrive WMA Audiobook (8hours, 56 minutes)
GENRE: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
ISBN: 978-1594834400

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

James Patterson, bestselling author of the Alex Cross novels Along Came a Spider, Kiss the Girls, and Pop Goes the Weasel, offers the first of a new series dubbed The Women's Murder Club, featuring a four-woman team that occasionally works outside the system. None of the gritty darkness or frenzied action is lost in 1st to Die, although the female protagonists offer an even deeper emotional context to this suspense thriller.

Inspector Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Department suddenly finds herself in the middle of two horrifying situations: The first is that she's just learned she has an often-fatal blood disease. The second is a double homicide case she's now heading up that involves the murder of newlyweds on their wedding night. Burdened with Chris Raleigh, a new partner reassigned from the mayor's office, Lindsay finds that she has too much to deal with and turns to her best friend, Claire, the head ME on the case. Claire offers helpful advice and human, friendly contact amid a job filled with violence, cruelty, and fear.

Soon a fledgling newspaper reporter, Cindy, makes contact with Lindsay looking for a career-making story. Although Lindsay can't officially comment on the case, the two women form a rapport, and Cindy joins Lindsay and Claire for their weekly meeting. When a second pair of newlyweds is murdered, and later a third, the investigation leads to a prominent crime writer, Nicholas Jenks, who has a history of spousal abuse and a predilection for kinky, dangerous sex games. With the help of an understanding assistant D.A., Jill Bernhardt, Lindsay tries to make a case against Jenks, who even had an affair with one of the slain women. Eventually Jill joins the "Murder Club," and the four ladies share private interdepartmental information in an effort to track and stop the killer before he strikes again.

The major subplot -- Lindsay's facing up to her illness even while she learns to fall in love again -- carefully compensates for the novel's coarse scenes of brutality. Lindsay Boxer isn't merely an obsessed cop trailing a maniac; she's also a terrified woman confronting the onslaught of disease. The story lines balance out to show us the true mettle of someone who puts the safety of others before her own.

Again, Patterson's skill for producing furiously paced fiction are evident as the novel breezes by rapidly. The short chapters keep the narrative leaping with increasingly taut plot elements, but there's an emotional commitment that makes our protagonist even more amiable and involving. 1st to Die is a novel that works as an intense series of character portraits that will leave the reader touched and delighted.

MY REVIEW:

This is my first book by this author and also the first in the “Women’s Murder Club” series.

The pace was good and kept my interest. I would have given this book four stars, except that I found that the plot twists were predictable and that I thought the “Women’s Murder Club” formation was a little lame. I appreciate that series is about four women who collaborate to solve crimes, but to name it a “club” seems to trivialize the intention of the quartet. Even so, I enjoyed the book.

It was more graphic than I expected, but I am interested enough to continue on in the series. 

MY RATING: 3.75 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#13 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#8 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#8 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#5 for my 1st In a Series Challenge 2011
#1 for my What's in a Name 4 Challenge
#1 for my James Patterson Reading Challenge II

BOOK REVIEW: White Stallion of Lipizza

TITLE: White Stallion of Lipizza
AUTHOR: Marguerite Henry
ILLUSTRATOR: Wesley Dennis
PUBLISHER: Avyx
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2008 (first published 1964)
FORMAT: Paperback, 111 pages
GENRE: Juvenile Fiction, Historical Fiction
ISBN: 978-1887840293

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

The magnificent Lipizzan stallions of Vienna come to life as never before in this exciting story by award-winning author, Marguerite Henry.

A young boy named Hans dreams of one day working with the famed stallions of Lipizza. But coming from a family of bakers, Hans is discouraged from ever becoming a rider. That is, until the day he is invited to watch the extraordinary Ballet of Lipizzaners -- from the Imperial Box! -- and his life is changed forever.

Marguerite Henry artfully weaves authentic details about the skillful training of both horse and rider, as she unfolds the story of Hans and his beloved Lipizzan stallion, Borina.

The brilliance of Hans's dazzling public performances and his devotion to the art of classical riding make this story uniquely rich in history and horsemanship -- a story to be treasured by horse lovers of all ages.

MY REVIEW:

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

We loved this book! My elder daughter especially loves horses and riding, so she was particularly interested in the details that Henry provided with regards to training of both the horses and riders.

This inspirational book teaches that dreams can come true through hard work and perseverance. Hans did, at times, feel discouraged but he persisted. We should all work hard to attain our goals, which is a good value for young children to learn.

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#12 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#1 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge IV

BOOK REVIEW: Henry and Ribsy

TITLE: Henry and Ribsy
SERIES: Ribsy Series, Book #1 (also catalogued as Henry Huggins Series, Book #3) 
AUTHOR: Beverly Cleary
ILLUSTRATOR: Tracy Dockray
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins
DATE OF PUBLICATION: March 1, 2000 (first published 1954) 
FORMAT: Paperback, 208 pages
GENRE: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 978-0380709175 

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Henry's father promises to take him salmon fishing if he can keep Ribsy out of trouble for the next month. But that's no easy task, especially when Ramona gets into the act.

MY REVIEW:

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

Cleary was one of my favourite authors as a child. Even though this book was originally written over 50 years ago, it is just as enjoyable to today's children as it was back then. My elder daughter was amazed at how Henry was allowed to go to the store alone, stay back on land alone while his father went fishing, etc. It is certainly a different world today!! We chuckled when reading that Henry was excited that his allowance was raised to 40 cents a week.

It's hard to go wrong with a Cleary book. There is just one more book in the Ribsy series, and we will also be reading that one.
 
MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#11 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#7 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge IV
#4 for my 1st In a Series Challenge 2011

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Quitters, Inc.

TITLE: Quitter's Inc.
AUTHOR: Stephen King
NARRATOR: Eric Roberts
PUBLISHER: Phoenix Books
DATE OF PUBLICATION: January 1, 2006
FORMAT: Unabridged OverDrive MP3 Audiobook (43 minutes)
GENRE: Horror, Short Stories
ISBN: 978-1597770774

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

Dick Morrison tries the ultimate stop-smoking method, founded on the sternest principles of pragmatism. Just how important is another drag?

MY REVIEW:

This is a short story by Stephen King, which was recently been released in audio format. The story was dramatized in the movie “Cat’s Eye” back in 1985, which featured three of King’s short stories.

It is a typical King story -- dark and twisted with a bit of dark humour – about a man who is a chain-smoker who runs into an old college friend who gives him the business card of a firm called “Quitters, Inc.” who he says helped him to kick the habit. The main character, Dick Morrison, decides to contact the firm, more out of curiosity than a true desire to quit...and the results are not quite what he expects!

I enjoyed it!

It was narrated by Eric Roberts. I found the jazz music playing at the beginning of the book to be a little distracting, making it difficult to hear Eric’s narration until the music faded into the background and then finally ceased.

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#90 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Bloodroot

TITLE: Bloodroot
AUTHOR: Amy Greene
NARRATOR: Emily Janice Card (as Myra Lamb), Lorna Raver (as Byrdie Lamb), and Jessie Bernstein and Rebecca Lowman (as Myra's twins)
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: January 12, 2010
FORMAT: Unabridged CDs (13 hours, 34 minutes)
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
ISBN: 978-0307713230

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

Bloodroot is that rare sort of family saga that feels intimate instead of epic. Set in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, it’s told largely in tandem voices that keep watchful eyes on Myra Lamb. She is a child of the mountain, tied to the land in ways that mystify and enchant those around her. There’s magic to Myra--perhaps because she has the remarkable blue eyes foretold by a nearly-forgotten family curse--but little fantasy to her life. Bloodroot is as much about the Lambs as it is about a place, one that becomes ever more vivid as generations form, break free, and knit back together. Its characters speak plainly but true, they are resilient and flawed and beautiful, and there's a near-instant empathy in reading their stories, which--even in their most visceral moments--are alluring and wonderful.

MY REVIEW:

This is Greene's debut novel. I saw it recommended on a list as one of the Best Top 10 Debut Novels, so I decided it try it. It was also rated as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Month for January 2010.

It is a sad, touching story. The book is unique in the way that Greene uses six voices to tell the story through four generations, and it is set in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee. Greene did a great job in developing the characters, and I felt myself feeling their happiness and sorrow throughout the book.

I intended to give a higher rating of 4 stars to the book, but there was an animal abuse scene in the last quarter of the book that disturbed me so much that it almost ruined the book for me. I could have done without that. I am glad that I pushed on and continued the book because the ending is very satisfying.

The audiobook narrators were superb! 

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#10 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#7 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#7 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge

BOOK REVIEW: Peter the Great by Diane Stanley

TITLE: Peter the Great
AUTHOR: Diane Stanley 

ILLUSTRATOR: Diane Stanley
PUBLISHER: Scholastic Inc.
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1986
FORMAT: Paperback, 32 pages
GENRE: Juvenile Nonfiction, Biography
ISBN: 0439226449

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

In this reissue of her acclaimed picture-book biographies, Stanley captures the fabulous world of tsarist Russia and the greatness of its larger-than-life leader whose spirit, impatience and vision brought Russia into the modern world. Full-color illustrations.

MY REVIEW:

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

We really enjoy Stanley's biography series. This is the third one this month! The books are exquisitely illustrated, and the text is factual without being overwhelming for children.

We will look for more of Stanley's biographies.

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:

#71 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

BOOK REVIEW: Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema

TITLE: Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England
AUTHOR: Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema
ILLUSTRATOR: Diane Stanley
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
DATE OF PUBLICATION: August 1, 2001
FORMAT: Hardcover, 40 pages
GENRE: Juvenile Nonfiction, Biography
ISBN: 978-0688179618

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

She was a queen whose strong will, shrewd diplomacy, religious tolerance and great love for her subjects won the hearts of her people and the admiration of her enemies.

Elizabeth was born into an age of religious strife, in which plots and factions were everywhere and private beliefs could be punished by death. When she became queen, her counselors urged her to marry quickly and turn the responsibilities of governing over to her husband, But she outwitted them by stalling, changing her mind; and playing one side against another, as she steered her country to the glorious era of peace and security that would be called the Elizabethan Age.

Elizabeth's forceful personality, colorful court, and devoted subjects come vividly to life in this stellar picture-book biography. When it was first published, Good Queen Bess was named a Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies, an American Library Association Notable Book, a Booklist Editors' Choice, an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, and an IRA Teachers' Choice.

In this welcome reissue, celebrated author and illustrator Diane Stanley and her husband, Peter Vennema, paint an impressive portrait of the remarkable queen who loved her people so dearly and ruled them so well.

MY REVIEW: 

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

Another great biography by Stanley! We are really enjoying her books, which are richly illustrated. The historical information is just enough and not too overwhelming for young readers.

This would be a great addition to your history books! 

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:

#70 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

BOOK REVIEW: Michelangelo by Diane Stanley

 

TITLE: Michelangelo

AUTHOR: Diane Stanley

PUBLISHER: HarperTrophy

DATE OF PUBLICATION: May 1, 2003 (first published 2000)

FORMAT: Paperback, 48 pages

GENRE: Juvenile Nonfiction, Biography 

 

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

When he was born, Michelangelo Buonarroti was put into the care of a stonecutter's family. He often said it was from them that he got his love of sculpture. It certainly didn't come from his own father, a respectable magistrate who beat his son when he asked to become an artists apprentice.

But Michelangelo persevered. His early sculptures caught the attention of Florence's great ruler, Lorenzo de' Medici, who invited the boy to be educated with his own sons. Soon after, Michelangelo was astonishing people with the lifelike creations he wrested from marble—from the heartbreaking Pieta he sculpted when he was only twenty-five to the majestic David that brought him acclaim as the greatest sculptor in Italy.

Michelangelo had a turbulent, quarrelsome life. He was obsessed with perfection and felt that everyone—from family members to his demanding patrons—took advantage and let him down. His long and difficult association with Pope Julius II yielded his greatest masterpiece, the radiant paintings in the Sistine Chapel, and his most disastrous undertaking, the monumental tomb that caused the artist frustration and heartache for forty years.

With her thoroughly researched, lively narrative and superbly detailed illustrations, Diane Stanley has captured the life of an artist who towered above the late Renaissance—and whose brilliance in architecture, painting, and sculpture amazes and moves us to this day.

Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib., Books for Youth Editor's Choice 2000 (Booklist), Lasting Connections 2000 (Book Links), Best Books 2000 (School Library Journal), Top 10 Youth Art Books 2000 (Booklist), and Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council

MY REVIEW: 

 

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

The book is beautifully illustrated, and it provided just enough biographical information to make it suitable for young listeners.

We plan to read more of Stanley's biographies.

MY RATING: 4 stars!

 

This book qualifies as:

#69 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Alone

TITLE: Alone
SERIES: Book #1 of the Detective D.D. Warren Series
AUTHOR: Lisa Gardner
NARRATOR: Anna Fields
PUBLISHER: Books on Tape
DATE OF PUBLICATION: June 27, 2006
FORMAT: Unabridged WMA Audiobook (10 hours, 10 minutes)
GENRE: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
ISBN: 9781415921937

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

Alone . . . Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge watches a tense hostage standoff unfold through the scope of his sniper rifle. Just across the street, in wealthy Back Bay, Boston, an armed man has barricaded himself with his wife and child. The man’s finger tightens on the trigger and Dodge has only a split second to react . . . and forever pay the consequences. 

Alone . . . that’s where the nightmare began for cool, beautiful, and dangerously sexy Catherine Rose Gagnon. Twenty-five years ago, she was buried underground during a month-long nightmare of abduction and abuse. Now her husband has just been killed. Her father-in-law, the powerful Judge Gagnon, blames Catherine for his son’s death . . . and for the series of unexplained illnesses that have sent her own young son repeatedly to the hospital. 

Alone . . . a madman survived solitary confinement in a maximum security prison where he’d done hard time for the most sadistic of crimes. Now he walks the streets a free man, invisible, anonymous . . . and filled with an unquenchable rage for vengeance. What brings them together is a moment of violence—but what connects them is a passion far deeper and much more dangerous. For a killer is loose who’s woven such an intricate web of evil that no one is above suspicion, no one is beyond harm, and no one will see death coming until it has them cornered, helpless, and alone. 

MY REVIEW:

This is a new author for me, and it is also a book that is first in a series.

I had initially planned to give this one 3.5 stars. For me, the beginning of the book read too much like a police tactical how-to manual…way too much detail and my attention span was beginning to wane. But the action-packed ending upped my rating to 3.75. There are some disturbing issues in the book, so be forewarned.

The narrator, Anna Fields, did a good job.

I plan to read more of this series.

MY RATING: 3.75 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#9 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#6 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#6 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#3 for my 1st in a Series Challenge 2011

BOOK REVIEW: Meet Kirsten: An American Girl by Janet Beeler Shaw

TITLE: Meet Kirsten: An American Girl

SERIES: Book #1 of the American Girl Kirsten Series

AUTHOR: Janet Beeler Shaw

ILLUSTRATOR: Renee Graef

PUBLISHER: American Girl

DATE OF PUBLICATION: August 1, 1986

FORMAT: Paperback, 61 pages

GENRE: Juvenile Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chapter Books 

 

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

In the summer of 1854, after a long & dangerous journey on a small ship, Kirsten Larson & her family arrive in America. Everything in the new land is different from the small village Kirsten left behind in Sweden. The way people dress, how they talk, & the ways they travel all seem strange to her. Will she ever feel at home in this new place? Getting lost in a big city & parting with her best friend make her wonder. It is only when the Larsons arrive at a tiny farm on the edge of the frontier that Kirsten believes Papa's promise -- America will be a land filled with happy opportunity for all of them

MY REVIEW: 

 

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

This is the first book in the American Girls Kirsten Series. This is also our first book in any American Girl series and our first book by this author.

We love reading books that take place during the 1800s time period. In this book, Kirsten's family immigrates from Sweden to America in 1854. They are travelling to Minnesota to join family members already settled there. Along the way, they experience some difficulties. The series continues with five more books.

We really enjoyed the book! When I told my daughters that there is an American Girl website and that there is an historical Kirsten doll, they were so excited! They went from not knowing who American Girl was to now having American Girl dolls, catalogs, and playing games on their website! Smart marketing! We are hooked on the American Girl historical books and dolls. 

MY RATING: 4 stars!

 

This book qualifies as:

#68 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

BOOK REVIEW: The School Story

TITLE: The School Story
AUTHOR: Andrew Clements
ILLUSTRATOR: Brian Selznick
PUBLISHER: Aladdin Paperbacks
DATE OF PUBLICATION: August 1, 2002 (first published 2001)
FORMAT: Paperback, 224 pages
GENRE: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 978-0689851865

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Natalie's best friend, Zoe, is sure that the novel Natalie's written is good enough to be published. But how can a twelve-year-old girl publish a book? Natalie's mother is an editor for a big children's publisher, but Natalie doesn't want to ask for any favors.

Then Zoe has a brilliant idea: Natalie can submit her manuscript under a pen name, with Zoe acting as her literary agent. But it's not easy for two sixth graders to put themselves over as grown-ups, even with some help from a couple of real grown-ups who are supportive but skeptical. The next best-selling school story may be in their hands -- but can Natalie and Zoe pull off their masquerade?

MY REVIEW:

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

The book was outstanding!! We all loved it! Zoe and Natalie were loveable characters, and the plan they concocted to get Natalie's manuscript published was very entertaining. The book was brilliantly written, extremely enjoyable, and very empowering for children.

I loved the warm, genuine friendship between Zoe and Natalie: Two friends who would do anything for each other and stick by one another.

We haven't yet read anything else by Clements, but we will definitely look into his other novels!

MY RATING: 5 stars!!

This book qualifies as:
#8 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: A Is For Alibi

TITLE: "A" Is For Alibi
SERIES: Book #1 of the Alphabet Mysteries, aka Kinsey Millhone Mysteries
AUTHOR: Sue Grafton
NARRATOR: Mary Peiffer
PUBLISHER: Books on Tape
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 17, 2006
FORMAT: Unabridged WMA Audiobook (7 hours, 39 minutes)
GENRE: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
ISBN: 9781415930113

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

This first novel in the "Alphabet" series introduces the character of Kinsey Millhone, a twice-divorced private eye based in Santa Teresa, California. "A is for Alibi" covers the investigation by Millhone into the death of Laurence Fife. The investigation is initiated by his wife, Nikki Fife, who was charged and convicted of his death. Eight years later, and upon her release, she sets Millhone the task of finding the real killer. 

MY REVIEW:

This is a new author for me, and it is also a book that is first in a series.

It was a quick, enjoyable, easy read for me. The detective is likeable. Pretty light stuff, nothing really disturbing or heavy. I plan to read more of the series.

The narrator, Mary Peiffer, did a nice job.

MY RATING: 3.5 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#7 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
#5 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#5 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#2 for my 1st in a Series Challenge 2011
#1 for my Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2011

BOOK REVIEW: The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope/The Puzzle of the Pretty Pink Handkerchief by George E. Stanley

TITLE: The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope/The Puzzle of the Pretty Pink Handkerchief

SERIES: Books #1 and #2 of the Third-Grade Detectives Series

AUTHOR: George E. Stanley

PUBLISHER: Aladdin

DATE OF PUBLICATION: May 18, 2004

FORMAT: Paperback, 144 pages

GENRE: Juvenile Fiction, Chapter Books

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Mr. Merlin's Third Graders are known as the Third Grade Detectives — with some hints from secret code clues and help from Mr. Merlin's friend, the police scientist Dr. Smiley, they help solve cases. This two-in-one flip book contains the full text and illustrations for the first two Third Grade Detectives books. In their first case, The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope, the Detectives find out who has been sending Amber Lee anonymous letters. And in their next case, a dirty handkerchief provides a clue to who's been trespassing in Todd's tree house.

MY REVIEW:

I read these books with my daughters. What is really cool about the book is that #1 is on one side of the book and, if you flip it over, #2 is on the other side! It is a great value!

This is a cute series called The Third-Grade Detectives. Their teacher is a former spy, and he gives the students code clues to help them solve mysteries. My elder daughter and I stop and work on the code and try to figure it out before moving forward in the book. Don't worry if you cannot figure out the code because the teacher will give you a clue in the following chapter to help you solve it!

We enjoy the series and plan to read more!

MY RATING: 3.5 stars! We liked these books!

This book qualifies as:

#67 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Angela's Ashes - A Memoir

TITLE: Angela's Ashes
AUTHOR: Frank McCourt
NARRATOR: Frank McCourt
PUBLISHER: Simon & Shuster Audio
DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 15, 2005
FORMAT: Unabridged WMA Audiobook (14 hours, 55 minutes)
GENRE: Biography & Autobiography, Nonfiction
ISBN: 9780743541596

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood."

So begins the luminous memoir of Frank McCourt, born in Depression-era Brooklyn to recent Irish immigrants and raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. Frank's mother, Angela, has no money to feed the children since Frank's father, Malachy, rarely works, and when he does he drinks his wages. Yet Malachy does nurture in Frank an appetite for the one thing he can provide: a story.

Perhaps it is a story that accounts for Frank's survival. Wearing rags for diapers, begging a pig's head for Christmas dinner, and searching the pubs for his father, Frank endures poverty, near-starvation and the casual cruelty of relatives and neighbors yet lives to tell his tale with eloquence, exuberance and remarkable forgiveness.

Imbued with Frank McCourt's astounding humor and compassion — and movingly read in his own voice — Angela's Ashes is a glorious audiobook that bears all the marks of a classic. 

MY REVIEW:

I have wanted to read this book for a long time. It won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Biography & Autobiography.

The first hour was torturously boring. Sadly, the book became more interesting as the tragedies started occurring.

As a mom, I cannot fathom how Angela was able to get through the heartaches she had to endure. As a parent, I am equally appalled at how selfish Frank’s father was - how he could let his children go without because of his own selfish desires.

It was particularly poignant to hear the story narrated by the author. I felt as though he was in the room, sitting beside me, tell me his story.

I was not satisfied with the ending…I want to know what happens next! Frank had to beg, borrow, and steal to get to America; how did his behaviour change (or not) after he got there? Did he send money back to help out his mother and brothers? Did they stay in Ireland or come to America as well? Whatever happened to his father?

I realize now that there is a sequel called ‘Tis, which I feel compelled to read. I watched the movie after reading the book, and I thought it was very well done and lived up to how I had pictured things in my mind.

MY RATING: 4 stars!

This book qualifies as:
#4 for my 2011 Audio Book Challenge
#4 for my 2011 "Whisper Stories in My Ear" Challenge
#6 for my 2011 100+ Reading Challenge