'Days of Blood and Starlight' Audiobook Review

Audiobook: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Read by: Khristine Hvam
Genre: YA Lit

Ok. I was walking through the YA section at the library and nearly fell over when I saw this audiobook. It's a pretty new book. A book that I bought not too many weeks ago and have been too busy to start. A book I have been waiting and waiting for since finishing Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I got it, of course, but it felt like cheating. Like I should be READING the book, for real.

I got over that pretty quickly, as I fell back into Karou and her situation and powerful mix of emotions. In a sentence: this audiobook was ammmmazing.

With Laini Taylor, you don't so much "read" her books, as you're pulled under the spell of her words, her characters and her world. It's big. It's deep. It's a rollercoaster ride of action and emotions.

I'm not sure I can summarize this story easily or without spoilers, as it's the sequel and so much happened in that first book. Karou is a human with blue hair who moves between two worlds, our human world and one made of beasts called Chimera and Angels. And they have been at war for thousands of years. Enter the Romeo and Juliet story; Karou (is kinda Chimera) falls in love with an Angel named Akiva. And all hell breaks lose.

Like any second book, there is a lot of set up in this story -- they build armies and alliances, get revenge, feelings grow, tension mounts -- and nothing will pan out until the next book when the battle really begins. But there's certainly enough action and plotting. And Karou continues to mature and kick butt. She's no longer nieve and with so much knowledge, she's bubbling with longing, regret and the need to set things right. Sure, there's a lot of repetition, it's Taylors way of reminding you what's important.

The reader Khristine Hvam is super, too. She's great at all the voices, especially the Czch accent of Zuzana and Mik. And though it was a 12-disc audiobook, time went quickly by in my car.

The last chapter blew my mind! And the third book isn't due until next year ... at the earliest! So, I'm in for a long wait. Worth it, though. Oh so worth it.

Grade: Green Light!

'French Women for All Season' Audiobook Review

Audiobook: French Women for All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano
Read by: Mireille Guiliano
Genre: Memoir / Self-help

I'll admit it. After finishing French Women Don't Get Fat I missed Mireille's common sense wisdom, anecdotes about growing up in the French countryside and her accent. So, I was delighted to find my little library had her sequel.

Listening to her thoughts about eating in season and for pleasure was such a relaxing way to spend my commute.

Sure, some of her advice is a little crazy or not at all based in reality. Her most outlandish story is about savoring one banana. Eating it for dessert ... on a dainty plate ... with a knife and fork ... and being too full/satisfied to eat the whole thing. So the second half goes into the fridge for later. Huh?

And I do so wish I had a weekly farmer's market to go to, packed with goodies from a large assortment of farms. I don't. And certainly not in walking or peddling distance. But I do agree with her about eating seasonally and locally. And I'm really trying to cultivate my eating pleasures and compensating when I've over indulged. Really! I'm trying!

Awww, Mireille! I miss her already.

Grade: Green Light

'King Dork' Audiobook Review

Audiobook: King Dork by Frank Portman
Ready by: Lincoln Hoppe
Genre: YA Lit

A few years ago I read Andromeda Klein, and while I ended up skimming much of the first half of the book, looney Andromeda stuck with me. She was this great mix of brash punk and sweet innocence. King Dork came before, so I was always curious about it. When I found it on the shelf, I hoped I'd find another Andromeda.

I found Tom, a dork with dreams of being in a rock band and a rampant imagination with a very exciting sophomore year to tell me about. And a pretty good story to boot.

The book description talks a lot about finding Catcher in the Rye among his dead dad's things as a major plot point. I didn't think so. It was the whole library that changed everything. And I loved all the band names Tom and his one friend would come up with. Names that included first album titles, credits and song. Also, Tom hates The Doors, which I quite agree with.

The one problem with this audiobook is Tom would trail off into wild, imaginative tangents -- so if I got distracted by merging traffic or what I was making for dinner, I'd be confused as to why Tom can suddenly fly or was being chased by KGB spies. An editor could have been a little more diligent with the red pen.

The narrator, Lincoln Hoppe, had a great voice that captured Tom's wryness and sarcasm. And it was a male voice which, up until now, I thought I had problems listening to. Must have been just some male voices that bug me. 

Grade: Green Light

'The Undomestic Goddess' Audiobook Review

Audiobook: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Ready by: Rosalyn Launder
Genre: Chick Lit

Occasionally I like to read about adults -- take a break from the teens and find out what my own demographic is up to. Sophia Kinsella is a well-liked "chick-lit" author so I browsed her section at the library last week and pulled the one that sounded the most likeable.

What was I thinking!?

My absolute most loathsome, pet-peevish plot device is creating a web of lies. Samantha, the main character here, bumbles into a housekeeper job interviews and, thanks to a rather powerful narcotic, gets the job – even though she’s actually a workaholic city lawyer. When she realizes it the next day, instead of coming clean, she keeps up the charade. Lie and lie builds up until I wonder how dumb any of these people can be. And how low can Samantha go?

And this was just after the first disc.

Like I do with any book I'm not into but feel invested enough (and for me, it doesn't take much) to find out what happens to the protagonist in the end -- I skimmed. I listened to odd number discs and forwarded haphazardly. I stumbled upon the first-kiss scene and was able to keep up with the gist of the plot. Then, I listened to the last disc (I think there were 11 in total) and felt she got a much better deal than she deserved.

As for me, I learned my lesson and will be sticking to nieve teens and nonfiction, for now.

Grade: Red Light 

'Made By Hand' Audiobook Review

Audiobook: Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World by Mark Frauenfelder
Ready by: Kirby Heyborne
Genre: Memoir/How To

I'm all for making by hand, so I thought this audiobook might be stuffed with fun ideas and tips.

Nope. It wasn't bad but without illustrations, it was hard to follow what was being talked about. Clearly, it's aimed at geeky men who like to tweak their iPods and soup-up hybrid cars. I do not fall in this category.

I might even question the wisdom of such a book to BE in audio, at all. I can't imagine building a guitar using a cigar box without some visual cues.

Grade: Red Light

This Week's Library Stash

So, most weekends I end up at the library getting a stack of audiobooks for the week ahead. Some are so bad, I don't even mention them on this blog. Hoping this is a good batch! There's snow in the forecast, so I could be doubling my commute time. Again.

Notice the New French Theme?!