'Chasing the Sun' Audiobook Review

Audiobook: Chasing the Sun by Tracie Peterson
Read by: Renee Raudman
Genre: Historical Romance

Something about the cover appealed to me. (Look at it, it's gorgeous!) And it sounded like a solid romance based on a Civil War-era Texan ranch, so I didn't think I could go wrong.

And I didn't. It was just the right, light romance I was looking for.

First, let's get this out of the way. I didn't realize until several chapters in this was Christian Lit. While I admire people of faith, I am not a textbook Christian. But I have almost no issues reading stories with religious undertones, to me it's a kind of fantasy. I mean, I read books all the time with different belief systems (ruling dragons, fairy queens, sun gods, etc.), so I can certainly deal with a main character who is motivated by her belief in a son of God delivering life ever after. As long as I am not being preached to follow the character's belief systems, or there is no tolerance for other beliefs, I can usually get through any kind of faith-based story.

And that's true here. The toe-curling romance, my interest in this era of "fine" manners and life on the range (cowboys! Indians! Longhorns!) certainly overshadowed any "God made me do it" explanations. It was just part of the weave of the story.

But the best part is the narrator, Renee Raudman, also read all of the Gallagher Girls books. And although her Spanish accent is horrendous, it was great to hear her voice again.

Overall, Hannah and William's Texan love story is pretty satisfying. Though, another warning, this is a series so the ending is a little too quick and open-ended.

Grade: Green Light

'Skinny Dip' Audiobook Review

Audiobook: Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaason
Read by: Barry Bostwick
Genre: Adult Lit, Rom Com

I've always admired Carl Hiaason's breezy, south-Florida style and reputation, but I haven't read too much of his work. Given that it's summer, this seemed like a good beach read -- with possibly a love story, so I picked it up.

It was breezy -- but a little heavy on a few points.

It's a story about a girl, Joey, who is pushed overboard by her stupid husband, Chaz. She's saved by Mick and together they create a plan to avenge the stupid husband and, in doing so, fall in love. At least, that's my take on it. But, actually, this book is really about is the plight of the Everglades.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for saving the Everglades. I've never seen them, but I'm sure it's beautiful and obviously well-worth saving. But you should know that a huge amount of this book is spent lamenting the misuse of the land, heartless builders destroying the sanctity of the environment and so on. The plot lines are really just catering to the educational message. (I get it. Where do I send my donation check?)

Also, this story had about six endings. I don't actually know how it ends because after the sixth ending, when I was absolutely sure there couldn't possibly be any further resolution, I started skimming the CD. And was startled that I skipped through several more chapters before I hit the end. For a brief moment, I thought of doubling back and listening to the "other" endings, but decided I was satisfied with MY ending. Justice was serviced, the end.

Overall, it had all the humor of a classic Hiaason, but was a Save the Everglades propaganda pamphlet (not that it's a BAD thing) with a sugary little caper wrapped around it.  

Grade: Green Light

'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)' Audiobook Review

Audiobook:  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Ready by: Mindy Kaling
Genre: Comic Essays, Memoir

I don't normally do memoirs or these collection of comic essays but after reading Tina Fey's book, which I found laugh-out-loud funny, I took a chance.

With very little payoff.

On the good side, it's short. Only about 4 discs that I got through quickly. Mindy's essays are quick, many in list form, and you get a very vague and abstract sense of her life, her career and her obsession with having health benefits. And she's really riding off her new-found fame, name-checking her cool friends and showcasing her very single-girl-in-the-city conversational style. ("Be cool, okay?")

If you watch her show, The Mindy Project, you'll hear a lot of the same material that is in this book; she loves rom coms, wants to be happily married with kids, doesn't believe in one-night-stands. But because she's reading it herself, you get to hear her intention behind sentences (sarcasm!) and her famous pals come on to read a few lines, too.

Overall, not many laugh-out-loud moments, as I was hoping. I nodded a few times in agreement. And enjoyed her diatribe on the modern-day romantic comedy and where did that genre go. But, in the end, it made me think I was just a weekend of solitude away from producing my own book of humorous essays about my own life -- and thinking they would be just as funny, or maybe funnier. And thinking "this is easy," is a good indication that the book wasn't so great.

Grade: Yellow Light