Thank You Audiobooks!

Lately, I've been having trouble focusing for long enough to get through longer books. Thank you audiobooks for being there for me! This is a tribute to all the audiobooks that have helped me get through the past few months: 

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

I wasn't a huge fan of this one, but I totally get why people liked it. I liked the conflicts between faith and science, adding the immigrant experience, grief, and drug addiction on top of it. The complexity of it made the story feel very real to me. I also enjoyed the little scientific discussions scattered throughout, giving context and relevant analogies to the story.  Plus it's narrated by my faaaaavorite reader, Bahni Turpin. It was an engaging read, and this book would be great for those who like literary fiction and novels highlighting social issues. 

261 pages

Rage by Bob Woodward

I know, I know. Everyone is sick of politics by now. Why would I put myself through this book? (To be fair, I read this in October) It's partly because I've enjoyed Woodward's other books. He asks very good interview questions, and the answers given by the subject in this one are... mindboggling. Not surprising, just perplexing. I really liked how the audiobook had the actual recorded interview segments included in the Appendix. That was cool. This would be a good read for anyone who actually isn't sick of politics right now (so what, that's maybe 50 or so people, if that?).

452 pages

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

The premise of the novel is really good! A family is on vacation, only the homeowners show up to stay while the world is falling apart around them. My biggest issue with the book is that the actual details of the apocalypse are never described besides flashes and tidbits. Was it nuclear war? Climate change? Power outages? Something else? Who knows! That isn't really the point though. This is a well written apocalypse novel for dystopian junkies and literary fiction lovers alike. 

241 pages

Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness and Family Secrets by Luke Dittritch

Dittritch is a journalist, but his grandfather was the brain surgeon who sliced out Henry Molaison's hippocampus, leaving him incapable of storing long term memories. I remember learning about H.M. in a psychology course, but this book got so deep into the personal details of the people surrounding Henry's life. Dude, this doctor was nuts! He climbed the Brooklyn Bridge when it was still under construction! He experimented on (mostly female) asylum patients  just to see what would happen after chopping up their brains! He even conducted surgery on his own wife! That is seriously messed up. Also, the psychologist who worked with Henry later in life was so possessive of him and her research that we can't even look back at her research notes anymore. *insert anger emoji* This story was engaging and shocking, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in medicine, psychology, or narrative nonfiction. 

440 pages

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

The singer's name is Roxanne...Seriously... Alexa play Moulin Rouge's "El Tango de Roxanne."
....Bishop Romero....as in Oscar Romero... St. Oscar Romero... Who was martyred during the El Salvador Civil War...So the unnamed country is El Salvador.....
Oh my gosh, Gen. I'm fine.
....Three rosaries...that's a big penance.
352 Pages

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett

Rabbit. I love bunnies.
I am feeling things. I did not sign up for these feelings.
I love Ann Patchett's writing.
357 Pages

Setting Free the Kites by Alex George

Setting Free the Kites by Alex George
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So Alex George is a Missouri author, which is fantastic! (Go, Missouri!) I read this book with the full plan to love and adore it. Unfortunately, I shouldn’t have had so many expectations, because it made it hard for the book to live up to those.

I will say, that there are some things that I did really like, connect with, and found to be well-written, which means I definitely will try out more of his novels. It’s just that the important moments were too few and far between for me to stay invested in this story.

I do think this is likely a polarizing novel, which often happens with literary fiction. Either you are along for the random ride, or you aren’t. I thought at first that I was, but then I had to force myself to just stay on the train and not jump off at every stop. And there were more stops the further I got in the novel, which made it increasingly more difficult to push through to the end.

Honestly, up until that last 25% of the story, I probably would have given this book 3 stars, but the end just didn’t work for me on any level. I got over the rough start, and in the middle, I started to see more of the charm of the story, but I almost threw my hands up and quit reading at the final 2 chapters.

Because I was reading this as part of my work for a committee, I tracked things I liked and didn’t like about the book. Instead of rehashing it all, I’m just going to post them below, so you can decide for yourself whether or not this story might work for you.

For the sake of understanding, neutral items are things that are not necessarily cons, but that might have been reasons why this book might not be the best fit for my committee work. Since you aren’t on my committee, that’s probably not particularly relevant to you, but since the comments might be of interest, I have left them.

PROS:
• Friendship story of two boys
• Quirky setting
• Sometimes amusing
• Writing is okay overall and has engaging moments
• Original/Unique
• Diversity, especially in terms of medical issues
• Interesting themes for discussions: friendship, loyalty, grief, etc.
• The kind of story where everyone reads it differently and takes away completely different perspectives, so that makes for interesting conversation

NEUTRALS:
• Not particularly memorable
• It’s too literary fiction oriented to be YA, but it’s also somehow too YA to really be literary fiction. It’s like straddling the line, which is unusual, sometimes in a good way and other times in a less than good way.
• Could be slightly more challenging for librarians to book talk this one, but it could be done.
• On more of the dark and tragic spectrum, but with some occasional heartfelt moments

CONS:
• Story lags at times
• Has a slow start with lots of backstory (which is often unnecessary to the story and disrupts the flow)
• Sometimes crams important lessons down your throat, so they don’t feel organic or necessary to the story.
• Sometimes gets bogged down in too many mundane details
• Sometimes the voice is off, and the dialogue seems far too young for actual the age of the MC
• Potentially lacks widespread appeal, only because it feels like literary fiction and lacks a clear, straightforward sort of plot. More of a character study, which is fine for avid readers, but it can be harder to engage those that don’t read often, or at all, with this kind of a story, especially as sometimes the character development is not strong enough.
• Progression between scenes doesn’t always seem fluid/logical, but I got more used to it as the story progressed---or maybe it improved as the story progressed
• Ending is frustrating and ridiculous, and unfortunately, for me, it was emotionless (which is the worst, IMHO). I think it was supposed to have a big dramatic effect, but because I felt so disconnected from the characters and story by that point (due to the random inserts of unnecessary backstory taking up space that could have been used for character development), I just found it to be annoying. I was discouraged that I read so long just for that. It was trying to make a point that I just couldn’t care about, and the MC’s reactions were so off that I found it to be completely off-putting.

OVERALL:
Not for me, but it is going to appeal to a certain type of reader, probably the one who gets lost in nostalgia and cares less about the actual writing style and story development. Teen appeal is low, so it’s probably best suited to adult readers who enjoy literary fiction and don’t mind reading about younger characters. This would make for some interesting discussions, particularly the middle of the story, which becomes richer and more captivating. It’s the start and end that are the roughest and most likely to lose readership.

Pages: 326

Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next series #2)

Lost in a Good Book
by Jasper Fforde
Pages: 399
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Literary detective Thursday Next goes on another adventure in her alternate reality of literature-obsessed England. A fun blend of fantasy, science-fiction and literary story-telling pulls you into the world of Thursday Next. Her husband, Landen is erased from time by the multinational Goliath Corporation, Thursday must decide what she is willing to do to get him back. Then Thursday learns about a whole other police force, one that exists inside the BookWorld where the Cheshire Cat is the head librarian and beloved characters of fiction protect their novels and others. But someone else is tracking her movements and changing her circumstances to create deadly consequences. Thursday now has to worry about her own survival if she is ever to have a chance to rescue her husband.

Wonderland by Joyce Carol Oates

From time to time I decide that I should read or re-read a classic or modern classic. This is considered by many to be a modern day classic, and I decided I should read, for reasons I no longer remember. After slogging through it, I'm afraid I consider it a LOT of wasted time.

The story follows Jesse Vogel (also Harte, then Pederson) as he experiences, as a young boy, traumatic family tragedy, is adopted into a very strange family, then works his way through medical school.

This recounting is choppy, often skipping several years, and has very little analysis of any kind, certainly not self-analysis by Jesse himself. He is a cipher; a mystery to the end. All in all, not a book I would recommend.




527 pages

All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg

All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I drug my feet while reading this multigenerational adult novel, because it’s so gorgeous and intense. Yoerg has a style that’s beautiful, simple, and subtle. She says powerful things that really sit with me.

Actually, she rarely tells me what to think. Instead, she shows the story in a way that makes me think knew things, different things, or forgotten things, which is what I love best about her stories. She has a real talent for storytelling, and nothing ever feels forced or false. It’s always truthful, raw, and introspective.

I confess, I was almost afraid of where this was headed--not that it might be bad--just that it might hurt to get there. But it doesn’t hurt, not any more than it should. There were moments when this story could have gone in 10 different directions, and I remain fascinated by the direction it chose. It took me time to wrap my head around the characters and the way their stories wove together across time, but it was so well done, with each generation and voice contributing another layer.

Also, I love the subtle interchanges between magic and reality, luck and choice, good and bad. There are so many fascinating contrasts in this story, and the historical elements were a nice touch, as well. It’s clear Yoerg did her research, and she approached the history of mental illness in a way that is honest, accurate, and sometimes disturbing.

Now, I’ve said plenty, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the lake-dwelling people of Vermont, who were endlessly fascinating to me. I’d read a whole story about these “pirates” if one existed.

Pages 368

PS: The release date for this book is tomorrow, May 2, 2017!

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So it goes.

I listened to the Audible version read by James Franco, which was good.

I now have a solid understanding of the ways in which Kurt Vonnegut has influenced the writing of Andrew Smith. I guess I went about it backwards by reading so much of Smith first, but if one brought me around to the other, that seems like a win.  I think I'm going to read more Vonnegut after this.  I'm not sure how I didn't read this one in high school or college, but I'm glad I finally cycled back around to it.

Pages: 215

The Pierced Heart by Lynn Shepherd

The Pierced Heart by Lynn Shepherd

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula this literary mystery weaves all of the atmospheric creepiness of the original classic with the detail and writing style of an Victorian English novel. Charles Maddox is called in to investigate a potential donor for Oxford University before they accept this unknown Austrian lord's sizable donation. Arriving at Baron Von Reisenberg's home in the Viennese woods, Maddox expects a boring task of reviewing paperwork,  financial and family records, instead the dark brings mysterious noises and nightmares. This is the darkest of the Maddox mysteries, but this chilling tale of suspense, science and possible supernatural fiends will keep you reading.

Lynn Shepherd is also the author of the award winning The Solitary House, which is reminiscent of a Charles Dickens novel; A Fatal Likeness inspired by the lives of romantic writers Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron as well as my favorite so far, Murder at Mansfield Park.

238 Pages.