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Showing posts with label Audio Book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Audio Book. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Audiobook Review: Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

 

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):


From the beloved and best-selling Anne Tyler, a sparkling new novel about misperception, second chances, and the sometimes elusive power of human connection.

Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life. But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a "girlfriend") tells him she's facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever. An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler's signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation

Review:

Ever since this pandemic began, I have taken the opportunity to up my reading game.  I try to read at every opportunity, and listen to audiobooks as I work.  I've always loved how Anne Tyler creates sweet, quirky characters and makes us truly care about their happiness.  Redhead by the Side of the Road is a lovely novel about love and second chances.  It is a perfect book for our time.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Micah has many set routines.  Having order in his life is his way of keeping himself frogetting hurt.  I don't think he is consciously doing this.  But his distance (even from his "woman friend") means there won't be an opportunity to blame himself if someone leaves him.

He observes others (like his clients who neehis help with mundane computer issues) with a slight disdain.  But you could feel that he is not quite happy.  I know a few people like this.  People who have a lot to offer, if only they (and others) take the time to get to know them.  This book gives me hope for the people in my life who are like this.

Story:

When Micah loses his steady "woman friend", he is unsettled.  I think when anyone goes through this you go through a period where you reflect on past relationships.  Patterns emerge and you can't help but wallow in self pity.  But (of course), our memories aren't necessarily an accurate chronicle of what actually happened.

Micah gets his reality check when the son of one of his former girlfriend's comes knocking at his door.  This brings his past romances into focus.  Is there something wrong with him?

He begins to understand a pattern.  Once Micah gets a girlfriend, he becomes complacent.  It's like he's checked a box (girlfriend, achieved), and then loses interest.  His many"woman friends" sense this and the  relationships are doomed.

This is not a complicated story.  It's a character study of one man and his journey to understand his life.  This is just the kind of story that Anne Tyler excels at.  If you've ever read her classic book The Accidental Tourist, you understand how she goes deep into a character, makes you adore them, and then picks apart their life.  The fun of the story is how the subject puts their life back together again.

Theme:

I loved the theme of this book, that we can find happiness when we open our hearts to those around us.  Micah isn't ever unhappy, but he certainly seems like he's missing something in his life.  By closing himself to strong ties with others, he is shielding himself from getting hurt.  But his life is less satisfying because of it.  When he finally takes a chance to really connect with others, life is so much better.  In a time where we are forced to keep apart, it's a lovely reminder that when this is over, there will be better times.  I know I will appreciate family gatherings, and get-togethers with friends all the more due to our collective hibernation.


Rating: 


 

 

Release Date:  April 7th, 2020

Author:  Anne Tyler

Audiobook Publisher:  Random House Audio

Audio Length:  4 Hrs, 50 Mins.

Print Publisher:  Knop Publishing Group

Genre:  General Fiction

Page Length:  192 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  I lovely story of a man assessing his life.  A great listening experience.

 

 


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Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Audio ARC Review: The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40700317-the-secrets-we-kept?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=eCAKuQOKUL&rank=1
Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice—inspired by the true story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with propaganda, but with the greatest love story of the twentieth century: Doctor Zhivago.

At the height of the Cold War, two secretaries are pulled out of the typing pool at the CIA and given the assignment of a lifetime. Their mission: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR, where no one dare publish it, and help Pasternak's magnum opus make its way into print around the world. Glamorous and sophisticated Sally Forrester is a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit all over the world--using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Irina is a complete novice, and under Sally's tutelage quickly learns how to blend in, make drops, and invisibly ferry classified documents.

The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story—the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who was sent to the Gulag and inspired Zhivago's heroine, Lara—with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk. From Pasternak's country estate outside Moscow to the brutalities of the Gulag, from Washington, D.C. to Paris and Milan, The Secrets We Kept captures a watershed moment in the history of literature—told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail. And at the center of this unforgettable debut is the powerful belief that a piece of art can change the world.

Review:
Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres.  I love how people's lives are affected by world events.  The Secrets We Kept, by Lara Prescott, takes place during the Cold War among spies, paranoia in America, and the brutal suppression of dissent in the Soviet Union.  Add to that the backstory of the great literary classic, Doctor Zhivago, and you have the makings of an intensely riveting novel.

What I Liked:
Settings:
The book alternates between the lives of Poet Boris Pasternak in the Soviet Union, and CIA headquarters in Washington D.C.  Both places are full of intrigue.  In the USSR, even being associated with Pasternak gets people thrown in prison.  The brutality of the Communist government makes the point of how dangerous it is to challenge the system.  The novel details the great lengths to which the Soviet government went to suppress even the hint of dissent.

In Washington D.C., the end of WWII is a time of transition for those involved in espionage.  Women are "retired" to the typing pool, while the men get to continue their spy games.  But a few of the women are still used as couriers.  Even those low-level activities are filled with danger.  America in the 1950's comes alive with all the male chauvinism of the era.  It is infuriating to read what these women had to endure.

Characters:
Most of the action is told through the eyes of the women of the story.  In Washington, Irina (a Russian-American) joins the secretarial pool at the CIA.  Her beauty, and Russian language skills, are put to good use as she is recruited into being a spy.  I loved Irina and her fierce determination to lead a better life.

Sally is a more experienced spy who trains Irina.  As they become closer, it's clear that both Sally and Irina have other secrets that are just as dangerous as espionage.  Their affair is both lovely and heart-breaking.

 In Russia, we follow Olga, Pasternak's fellow poet and mistress.  Olga pays a high price for her relationship with Boris when she is torn from her children and thrown in prison.  I liked Olga's determination to protect her children, but still support Boris.  But she was far from a love-struck woman.  As the years progress, Olga begins to notice how Boris has little regard for the danger he has put her in.  He chooses to be oblivious about how brutal Olga's prison experience was.  And this has an effect on her love for Boris.

 In both worlds, women seem to pay a steeper price for their choices.

Narration:
The novel is performed by a full cast.  This makes for a very enjoyable and easy listening experience. 

Story: 
The story is based on actual events and people, following the creation and publication of Boris Pasternak's novel, Doctor Zhivago.  If not for a few brave people, the world may never have heard of this book, which sharply criticizes the Soviet revolution.  This was also a golden opportunity for the U.S. to broadcast the fact that not all Soviet citizens were enthusiastic about communism.  Not surprisingly, the Americans don't seem too concerned if Pasternak and his family are persecuted for the book.

In Washington D.C., we get a glimpse of female office workers who moonlight as spies.  While the women do get to lead dangerous and exciting lives, they are primarily used for their youth and beauty.  When those things fade, their usefulness evaporates and the women are thrown aside.  It's amazing (and sad) to read how oppressed these patriotic women were.

Rating: 




Release Date:  September 17th, 2019

Author:  Lara Prescott

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Audio Publisher:  Random House Audio

Audio Length:  10 Hours, 56 Minutes

Print Publisher:  Knopf

Page Length:  368 Pages 
 
Source:  Random House Audio

Format:  Audio Book

Recommendation:  A compelling historical fiction filled with spies at the height of the Cold War.  Very enjoyable.
  
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Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Audio ARC Review: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42975172-the-testaments?ac=1&from_search=true

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.

When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her--freedom, prison or death.

With The Testaments, the wait is over.

Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.

"Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in."

Review:
The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is one of my all-time favorite books.  I read it about 30 years ago as a young woman.  It is one of the few novels I have kept over the years and read again and again.  The Testaments (co-winner of the Booker Man Prize) is a very satisfying follow up of the classic.  It is a more in depth look at Gilead, as seen through the eyes of three very different women.  And it's themes continue to be relevant to today.

What I Liked:
Narration:
I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook of The Testaments, and as it is performed by a full cast, it is a delight.  My favorite narrator is easily that of Ann Dowd, who portrays founding Aunt Lydia.  Her voice is rich with age and sarcasm.  We hear her weariness as she recounts the small (and giant) ways she compromised in order to survive.  I could listen to her all day long, she is so compelling.   

Characters:
The three main characters, Aunt Lydia, Agnes, and Daisy, show us various aspects of Gilead society.  Lydia is one of the founding "Aunts" who enforce strict female gender roles on women.  Her character shows us the origins of Gilead.

Agnes is the favored daughter of a Commander and is planning to become a Wife.  Her role in the book is to show how life is for young woman in the present.  Even though she is not a handmaid, her life is far from favored.  Every plan for her is meant to prepare her as a prize for a Commander.  After knowing her story, we can see that no woman has any real value in Gilead.

Daisy is an outside character living in Canada.  We don't know why she is part of the narrative at first.  She provides the outside perspective of how people living outside America must see Gilead.  This is really fascinating.  I was reminded of how this might be like how an Abolitionist in 1850's America might look at slavery in the South.

In-depth look into Gilead:
In The Handmaid's Tale, we only have a limited perspective of what Gilead is about.  The Testaments goes deep into the origins and process of how Gilead came into being.  It really is scary how the rights of women, for the most part taken for granted, are stripped away with most people barely objecting.  This is eerily similar to events in real life.  Does this occur out of apathy or fear?

Story:
The story follows Agnes as she grows up as a young woman in Gilead.  She is being groomed to lead the life of a Commander's wife.  She actually looks forward to it at first.  But a tragedy has left her motherless and now she is unsure of her future.

As Lydia narrates the past, she also is affecting the present time in the novel.  She will have her revenge on those who have hurt her.  Her plots take decades to mature, but when they do, they may blow up all of Gilead.

Daisy, at first, doesn't seem to fit in the story, but that quickly changes.  her role is really exciting to behold. 

 Themes:
When I read The Handmaid's Tale, the idea that women might lose hard won rights seemed unimaginable.  But as we see reproductive rights being challenged in real life, the world of Gilead seems somewhat more possible than I am comfortable with.  And that is the point of the book.  When people are afraid, they will cede rights in order to feel more secure.  This can be exploited by those who have authoritarian tendencies to seize power.



Rating:




Release Date:  September 10th, 2019

Genre:  Speculative Fiction

Author:  Margaret Atwood

Print Publisher:  Nan A. Talese

Page Length: 422 pages

Audio Book Publisher:  Random House Audio

Narrators:  Ann Dowd, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Mae Whitman, with Derek Jacoby, Tantoo Cardinal, and the author.

Audio Length:  13 Hrs, 19 Min.

Source:  Random House Audio

Format:  Audio Book

Recommendation:  A stirring reminder that democracies can become authoritarian governments with just a little nudge.  A very satisfying novel. 
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Thursday, May 16, 2019

Audio ARC Review: Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43601774-field-notes-on-love?ac=1&from_search=true
Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Having just been dumped by his girlfriend, British-born Hugo is still determined to take his last-hurrah-before-college train trip across the United States. One snag: the companion ticket is already booked under the name of his ex, Margaret Campbell. Nontransferable, no exceptions.

Enter the new Margaret C. (Mae for short), an aspiring filmmaker with big dreams. After finding Hugo's spare ticket offer online, she's convinced it's the perfect opportunity to expand her horizons.

When the two meet, the attraction is undeniable, and both find more than they bargained for. As Mae pushes Hugo to explore his dreams for his future, he'll encourage her to channel a new, vulnerable side of her art. But when life off the train threatens the bubble they've created for themselves, will they manage to keep their love on track?

 Review:
YA books often have rather contrived premises, and Field Notes On Love, by Jennifer E. Smith has a doozy!  A boy from England is going on a cross-country trip of America but all his reservations are in the name of his ex-girlfriend.  What can he do?  He must find a person with the exact same name willing to take the trip with him.  Silly premise aside, I found this book to be very sweet and romantic.  I loved the characters, and their families, and the many ruminations on Love.  This was a fun book.

What I Liked:
Setting:
I love books about long trips, as travel can bring out the best, and worst, in people.  A cross-country train trip was a perfect way for the characters to get to know each other, and interact with many different people and places.

Narrators:
Anthony Mark Barrow & Karissa Vacker do a wonderful job inhabiting all the characters.  I enjoyed the cute British accent that the male narrator brought to the mix, as well as his American accent.  It was done well enough that I couldn't tell if Anthony Mark Barrow was actually British or American.  Karissa Vacker also does a good job of portraying May.  This character could easily come off as annoying, but May seems like a very smart, but lonely, kid. 

Characters:
I enjoyed Hugo and his five siblings.  He is one in a group of sextuplets, and is finding it hard to be his own person.  This is especially hard when everyone around them wants to use them for advertising.  He even has a scholarship to go to college, but only if all his siblings go to the same school.

I liked that while he wanted some space from his sibs, he also had great affection for them.  The group chats in the book were a smart way to show the back and forth that goes on between teens.  It's also smart because group chats are THE WAY teens talk with each other.

 Hugo, himself, was very sweet and romantic.   I liked that he didn't want to jeopardize his siblings scholarship.  In that, he was a very selfless character.  He also was very cute with May.  I could totally understand why she would fall for him.

May also is a fun character.  She is devastated not to get into the college program of her dreams and can't understand why.  As the parent of a Senior in high school, I get how difficult rejections from colleges can be.  Often, there is no rhyme or reason to it.  But I like that May tries to improve her film-making skills, rather than blame the admissions committee.

Ending:
I liked that there was not a tidy ending to this book.  As silly as the premise was, the author kept the ending pretty realistic.  It also didn't provide all the answers (could there be a book two in the works?).  I think the transition between high school and college is an unpredictable moment in a teen's life.  It's a moment when our dreams meet real life.  Some of our dreams do come true, but parts of it may look different from what we imagined.  This is what I liked about the ending, and message, of this book.


What I Was Mixed About:
Premise:
This premise, that Hugo must find a girl with the same name as his ex in order to take this trip, is ridiculous.  I also found some of the plot twists about his college scholarship to be contrived.  Every teen wants a different college experience.  Why would all of his siblings be okay with having to attend the same college, even if it was free?  What if the school didn't offer the programs that they wanted?  Why would his parents agree to this?
Rating: 



Release Date:  March 5th, 2019

Genre:  YA Contemporary

Author:  Jennifer E. Smith

Audio Publisher:  Listening Library

Audio Length:  8 hours, 23 minutes
  
Narrators:  Anthony Mark Barrow & Karissa Vacker 

Print Publisher:  Delacorte Press

Page Length:  271 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation: If you can get past all of the silliness of the premise, I think you will enjoy this very fun book.
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Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Audio ARC Review: Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichl


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41644326-save-me-the-plums?from_search=true
Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this audio book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis (From Goodsreads):
When Condé Nast offered Ruth Reichl the top position at America's oldest epicurean magazine, she declined. She was a writer, not a manager, and had no inclination to be anyone's boss. And yet . . . Reichl had been reading Gourmet since she was eight; it had inspired her career. How could she say no?

This is the story of a former Berkeley hippie entering the corporate world and worrying about losing her soul. It is the story of the moment restaurants became an important part of popular culture, a time when the rise of the farm-to-table movement changed, forever, the way we eat. Readers will meet legendary chefs like David Chang and Eric Ripert, idiosyncratic writers like David Foster Wallace, and a colorful group of editors and art directors who, under Reichl's leadership, transformed stately Gourmet into a cutting-edge publication. This was the golden age of print media--the last spendthrift gasp before the Internet turned the magazine world upside down.

Complete with recipes, Save Me the Plums is a personal journey of a woman coming to terms with being in charge and making a mark, following a passion and holding on to her dreams--even when she ends up in a place she never expected to be.

Review:
I have long been a fan of Gourmet magazine, and it's last editor-in-chief, Ruth Reichl.  This memoir chronicles her tenure at the magazine and its change from staid, old-world dinosaur to a more democratic take on eating.

What I Liked:
Narrator:
Just as she made the world of gourmet eating more accessible, Ruth Reichl is the perfect narrator for her own book.  She brings a warmth to her presentation that invites the reader to be on her side. 

Setting:
I am an avid home cook and still have many issues of Gourmet on my shelves.  Under Ruth Reichl, the publication went from a stodgy dinosaur to a chronicler of American culture through food trends.  I loved the behind the scenes look at how a food magazine worked (the critiques of recipes seemed particularly brutal!).

This is also a love letter to the city of New York.  From the old-school power lunches to how the city came together during the 911 crisis, you just know how much Ruth loves The Big Apple.

Story:
It seems strange to talk about a memoir in terms of a "story", but the rise and fall of Gourmet Magazine held a great deal of suspense and poignancy.  While Ruth did turn the monthly publication into required reading for home cooks, their publisher, Condé Nast, was too slow to embrace the Internet.  Their failure to understand that home cooks wanted the ease of online access was their fatal failure.  The Great Recession of 2008 hastened their downfall.

 Rating: 




Release Date:  April 2nd, 2019

Genre:  Memoir

Author:  Ruth Reichl

Narrator:  Ruth Reichl

Audio Publisher:  Penguin Random House Audio

Audio Length:  7 Hours, 55 Minutes

Print Publisher:  Random House

Page Length:  288 Pages 

 Source:  Publisher

 Format:  Audio Book

 Recommendation:  Even if your too young to remember Gourmet Magazine, anyone who loves cooking will get immense pleasure from this book.
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Monday, April 22, 2019

Audio ARC Review: No Country for Old Gnomes by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35440590-no-country-for-old-gnomes
Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
The Skyr is a rich, verdant land claimed by both halflings and gnomes. For centuries, the halflings have worked to undermine gnomish power structures and seize total control--through legal means, certainly, but more insidiously through their extensive organized crime network. Now, threatened with being pushed out entirely, the gnomes are desperate and ready to fight back. Gustave the Goat King faces his first test as a leader: Can he bring peace to a fraught region or will a civil war consume the entire kingdom?

Review:
The first book in this series, Kill The Farm Boy, was a fun romp incorporating several fairy tales.  No Country for Old Gnomes continues the pun-filled collaboration of
authors Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne. Although both books are set in the same universe, only a few of the characters from the first book appear in the second.  

I enjoyed the many fascinating characters and the quest they embarked on.  Plus, as is often the case with fantasy novels, the authors cleverly wove in issues relevant to real-life such as immigration, and political corruption.

But with so many different characters and story lines occurring, I got a bit lost trying to keep all everything straight in my mind.


What I Liked:

 Audio Narration:  
With the vast array of characters in this book, narrator Luke Daniels does a stellar job of making each person distinct.  He achieves this with the use of many hilarious accents.  Halflings have a stereotypical French accent, while the dwarves seem to all sound like they live in Minnesota (don'cha know).  I don't know how many takes it must have taken, but reading this book must have been exhausting!

 Characters:
There were a LOT of characters in this story.  Each character has an issue that makes them question themselves.


                
via GIPHY

A few of the characters I really like are Båggi, Agape, and Offi.

Båggi, a dwarf, must rid himself of his violent tendencies, but is all violence bad?  What if he kills someone while defending others?  Shouldn't he feel remorse when this happens?  

Agape, an Ovitaur (a character with a human head and torso, but has a sheep's legs), has been belittled by her parents for so long, she has zero self-worth. 

Offi, an "emo" gnome, is a twin who can never measure up to his perfect brother's reputation.  Black is his favorite color, is sullen, and he likes to think of creative new inventions.
Story:
The story is basically a fairy-tale road trip!  

               
via GIPHY
As the new king of The Skr adjusts to being human (he was a goat, after all), various factions in the kingdom try to consolidate power.  The ensuing violence leaves death, destruction, and refugees in its wake.

 The characters all come to the realization that they must find King Gustave and set off to find him.  Along the way they encounter characters that reference mermaids, ghosts, vampires, and witches, with clever takes on stories such as Hansel and Gretel.  I love the road trip concept.  These stories always incorporate ways for the characters to learn about themselves and others.

Themes:
What happens when there's a regime change in the Skyre?  Pretty much what goes on in real-life:  Chaos.  I found the use of a refugee crisis in the story to be a very effective way to comment on the current mass migration of people fleeing violence in various countries throughout the world.  


What I Didn't Like:
Confusing array of characters:
There were so many different types of characters (some with very similar names), that it was hard to keep track of who everyone was to each other.  There were gnomes, halflings, dwarves, elves, gryphons (note: these are how they are spelled in the book), and many more!  There were so many story lines that I found it very confusing.



Rating: 




Release Date:  April 16th, 2019

Genre:  Fantasy/Parody

Authors:  Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne

Audio Book Publisher:  Penguin Random House Audio

Audio book Length:  14 hrs, 8 min

 Narrator:  Luke Daniels

Print Publisher:  Del Rey

Print Length:  352 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation: If you enjoy pun-filled humor, silly situations, with a bit of social commentary mixed in, then this is the book for you!  Very fun.

  
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Thursday, March 14, 2019

Audio ARC Review: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40597810-daisy-jones-the-six?ac=1&from_search=true
Please Note:  I received an audio ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

Review:
I first heard of author Taylor Jenkins Reid when my book club selected her novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, a few months ago.  It put me straight into the Hollywood of the 1950's and 1960's.  Her newest book, Daisy Jones & The Six is set in the 1970's.  With wildly entertaining characters, I felt like I was a groupie following this fictional rock band.  The audio book, itself, has a full cast and is delightful.  One can understand why Reese Witherspoon snatched up the movie rights even before publication.

What  I Liked:

 Audio Narration:
The audio book has a full cast of very accomplished actors.  Jennifer Beals  portrays Daisy as a woman who has done it all: tough, self-assured, but also with some battle scars.  Pablo Schreiber plays rock star Billy Dunne as a genuinely nice guy... but perhaps in denial about the harm his drug and alcohol addiction had on his family.  

Even the secondary characters are memorable, as played by this talented group.  I particularly enjoyed the performances of Fred Berman (as Eddie) and Ari Fliakos (as Warren).  Both acted as though they were the main characters.  I loved every scene they were in.

Setting:
The setting is the rock music scene in the Los Angeles of the 1970's.  With all the vivid details of recording studios, wild parties at the infamous Chateau Marmont (where John Belushi died), and life on a tour bus, readers will feel as though they are getting the ultimate behind the scene access pass!

 Characters:
I loved all the characters in this book.  Daisy was heartbreaking in her longing, while Camilla (Billy's wife) was a study in how a person can have faith in their partner.  I also really liked Karen and Graham.  They were so wonderful together, but you knew their differences would tear them apart.  

 Story:
This book was set up like an oral history.  There was a "reporter" interviewing all of the characters.  This format was great because each person speaks from their own perspective.  And, since they are remembering event from decades ago (and most were drunk or high at that time), everyone remembers what happened a bit differently.  It also makes the reader question the motives of each character.  What do they gain by recollecting in this way? 

I liked that there were multiple story arcs involving all the characters.  This made me really invest in each person, not just Daisy and Billy.

Rating: 

 


Release Date:  March 5th, 2019

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Author:  Taylor Jenkins Reid

Audio Publisher:  Random House Audio

 Audio Length:  9 Hours, 4 Minutes

Print Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Page Length:  368 Pages

Source:  Random House Audio

Format:  Audio Book

Recommendation:  Very entertaining.  I think you should really listen to the audio book version as the actors add so much to the story. 

 
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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Audio ARC Review: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34213319-four-dead-queens?ac=1&from_search=true
Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book in audio format from Listening Library in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Get in quick, get out quicker.

These are the words Keralie Corrington lives by as the preeminent dipper in the Concord, the central area uniting the four quadrants of Quadara. She steals under the guidance of her mentor Mackiel, who runs a black market selling their bounty to buyers desperate for what they can’t get in their own quarter. For in the nation of Quadara, each quarter is strictly divided from the other. Four queens rule together, one from each region:

Toria: the intellectual quarter that values education and ambition
Ludia: the pleasure quarter that values celebration, passion, and entertainment
Archia: the agricultural quarter that values simplicity and nature
Eonia: the futurist quarter that values technology, stoicism and harmonious community

When Keralie intercepts a comm disk coming from the House of Concord, what seems like a standard job goes horribly wrong. Upon watching the comm disks, Keralie sees all four queens murdered in four brutal ways. Hoping that discovering the intended recipient will reveal the culprit – information that is bound to be valuable bartering material with the palace – Keralie teams up with Varin Bollt, the Eonist messenger she stole from, to complete Varin’s original job and see where it takes them.

Review:
When I first saw the title and cover of Four Dead Queens, by Astrid Scholte, I immediately thought of the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake.  Would this be a copycat story of Queens fighting to the death?  Thankfully, no.  With a richly built setting, characters that all are deeper than they appear, and a lovely romance, this was a unique whodunit and a compelling page-turner.  

What I Liked:
World-Building:
The society of this Queendom is quite complex.  There are four quadrants, each with a different function, that provide agriculture, innovation, entertainment, or education to the culture.  The Queens rule their separate quadrants.  But they rule the whole country equally together.

 The author spent a good deal of time detailing what made each quadrant unique.  There were different rituals, food, clothing, attitudes, and customs for each quadrant.  The amount of planning and detailing that author Astrid Scholte must have done was truly impressive.

Narration:
The book alternates between Keralie's viewpoint, and that of the four queens.  The two voice actors, Amy Shiels and Elizabeth Knowelden, perfectly embody the characters.  Keralie is spoken with a lovely Irish accent, while the queens are all spoken in the poshest of British voices.  I loved it.

Characters:
The story focuses on not just the would-be detectives, Keralie and Varin, but also on each of the four queens.  They may each be sovereigns, but they essentially live in a gilded prison.  Every aspect of their lives are regulated by "queenly laws".  But following these traditions means they will give up love, companionship, and even more.  While they are expected to have daughters, once they are born they are taken away to be raised by others.  They only return to be crowned queen themselves once their mother dies.

What sad lives they lead.  Is it any wonder that each found ways to fight back from all the rules imposed on them?  I loved this.  


Romance:
I enjoyed the romance between Keralie and Varin.  They come from different quadrants, and thus have very different opinions on everything.  But this was better than the standard "hate at first sight" trope.  I think that while they couldn't agree on anything, they respected each other from the start.  As the story progresses, they learn details about each other's lives.  This lead to greater empathy towards each other, and made it inevitable they would fall in love.

              
via GIPHY

What I Was Mixed About:
Keralie always wanted to be a thief.  This was her choice, and she wasn't forced into it.  I liked that she was unapologetic about getting what she wanted in the easiest way possible.  It was refreshing.  But Keralie also didn't really grow as a character.  She showed no guilt for a variety of morally ambiguous actions.  No one else seemed to have a problem with what she did either.  Wouldn't there be a few judgemental people out there who would be demanding punishment for what happened?  Wouldn't she feel more than a passing moment of guilt?

What I didn't Like:
The "Twist":  
Of course, I am NOT going to say what this is, but I was not happy with the big reveal at the climax of the book.  While I was truly surprised by it (which is a good thing), I felt like the twist came out of left field.  I freely admit that there were a few clues as to what would happen, but the hints were so subtle that I missed them.



Rating: 





Release Date:  February 26th, 2019

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Author:  Astrid Scholte

Audio Publisher:  Listening Library

Audio Length:  11 hours, 33 minutes

Narrators:  Amy Shiels, Elizabeth Knowelden

Print Publisher:  Putnam

Page Length:  432 Pages 

 Source:  Publisher

 Format:  Audio Book

 Recommendation:  This was a fun book with surprising characters, and a sweet romance.  The world-building, alone make this a very special experience.

 
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Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Book Review: Family Trust by Kathy Wang

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Meet Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For years, Stanley has claimed that he’s worth a small fortune. But the time is now coming when the details of his estate will finally be revealed, and Stanley’s family is nervous.

For his son Fred, the inheritance Stanley has long alluded to would soothe the pain caused by years of professional disappointment. By now, the Harvard Business School graduate had expected to be a financial tech god – not a minor investor at a middling corporate firm, where he isn’t even allowed to fly business class.

Stanley’s daughter, Kate, is a middle manager with one of Silicon Valley’s most prestigious tech companies. She manages the capricious demands of her world-famous boss and the needs of her two young children all while supporting her would-be entrepreneur husband (just until his startup gets off the ground, which will surely be soon). But lately, Kate has been sensing something amiss; just because you say you have it all, it doesn’t mean that you actually do.

Stanley’s second wife, Mary Zhu, twenty-eight years his junior, has devoted herself to making her husband comfortable in every way—rubbing his feet, cooking his favorite dishes, massaging his ego. But lately, her commitment has waned; caring for a dying old man is far more difficult than she expected.

Linda Liang, Stanley’s first wife, knows her ex better than anyone. She worked hard for decades to ensure their financial security, and is determined to see her children get their due. Single for nearly a decade, she might finally be ready for some romantic companionship. But where does a seventy-two year old Chinese woman in California go to find an appropriate boyfriend?

As Stanley’s death approaches, the Huangs are faced with unexpected challenges that upend them and eventually lead them to discover what they most value. A compelling tale of cultural expectations, career ambitions and our relationships with the people who know us best, Family Trust skewers the ambition and desires that drive Silicon Valley and draws a sharply loving portrait of modern American family life.  

 Review:
Set in Silicon Valley, Family Trust, by Kathy Wang, is reminiscent of Crazy Rich Asians in its portrayal of the ultra-wealthy.  But it is also a family drama about the complications of second marriages, and the generational differences between parents and their adult children.  This was a highly entertaining book.

What I Liked:
Setting:
The novel is set in Silicon Valley.  I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I could recognize many of the places in this book.  The mix of various immigrant cultures, luxury shops that cater to new money, and people working themselves to death launching the latest tech start-up, are all part of the culture of the Bay Area.  This book gets all the details right.

 Narration:
Joy Osmanski does a wonderful job of voicing all the characters.  From self-important Stanley to overworked Kate, Ms. Osmanski seamlessly juggled it all in this dialogue-heavy novel.

Characters:
The book focuses on two generations of the Huang family.  Stanley has a younger second wife, and is coming to terms with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.  When everyone starts asking about who he will leave his money to, Stanley is vague but reassuring that everyone will be "taken care of".  But what does that mean?  Will he leave everything to Mary, his second wife?  What about his children?  How much money does Stanley actually have?

Linda (the first wife) is chiefly concerned with making sure Stanley doesn't shut out their children in favor of Mary.  But she is also considering dating again.  I found it so realistic that Linda is ambivalent about Stanley's requests for her to attend "family" dinners.  Why should she be forced to cater to any of his whims again?  That's why they're divorced!

I really like their daughter, Kate.  She is every super stressed working woman in the Bay Area.  She works full time, but is still expected to manage the children, and a home by herself.  Is it any wonder her marriage is in distress?  

Story:
Each Huang family member has their own story-line, with alternating viewpoints for each chapter.  This allows for events to be seen from multiple angles and adds layers of meaning that we couldn't receive in single voice narrative. 

 I really like how each story is told in a way that makes me empathize with each character.  I came to care about the characters, even the ones I thought I despised. It came as a shock to me that I actually cried when Stanley died!  This is a testament to the ability of the author to show me how complicated each person is.

 This story shows how delicate and complex trusts, wills, and end of life decisions are in to a family.  What do you do when you know someone has a terminal disease?  Do you push for clarification of a will or trust?  Will that help, or make you look greedy?  Should people be forced to apologize for past wrongs, or should those issues be swept under the rug in order to make it easier on the dying?  So many difficult issues are brought up.

But, lest you think this book is super serious, I would be remiss in not pointing out how funny this story is.  The ridiculous spending, swagger, and name dropping of the characters was fun.  And there were some truly funny situations, such as when one character is hiding in the bushes, spying on their spouse.

 What I Was Mixed About:
Male Characters:
While I understand that the author wants to show the misogynistic culture of Silicon Valley, does every man in this book have to be a jerk?  These guys are sexist, and appraise women based solely on how they can help them elevate their social status.  Yes, many successful men want beautiful eye candy.  But I think it would have been good to have at least one decent man to show that guys do have a choice of how to behave. 

Fred, Stanley's son, is particularly awful.  He sees his girlfriend, Erica, as a pushy social climber, out to ensnare Fred into marriage.  But is he any better?  He is more than happy to have her on his arm during a business trip because she is beautiful, and he feels this will elevate his status.  But the moment she steps out of line, he sends her packing.  He was the one character I couldn't sympathize with.

Rating: 




Release Date:  October 30, 2018

Author:  Kathy Wang

Publisher:  William Morrow

Genre:  General Fiction

Page Length:  400 Pages

 Audio Publisher:  Harper Audio

Audio Length:  13 Hours, 43 Minutes

 Narrator:  Joy Osmanski

Source:  Public Library

Format:  Audio Book

Recommendation:  An entertaining choice for a book club.
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