Sizzling Sixteen

I just listened to Sizzling Sixteen,  Janet Evanovich's latest installment in the Stephanie Plum series. As usual it was very fun to listen to!

Bounty huntress, Stephanie Plum is at it again. This time she must rescue her boss Vinnie from the mobsters who have kidnapped him because of a $1.3 million debt. In their attempt to raise the funds, Stephanie, Connie and Lula will keep you laughing with their antics. Wait until you meet Mr. Jingles! There is also a surprise relating to either Ranger or Morelli....can you guess which one it will be?

Lorelia King, who narrates for Janet Evanovich is great: her reading helps your picture the characters and keeps you rolling with laughter!  If you have the time, I highly suggest listening to a few of Evanovich's books.

-Denika


You can view the Stephanie Plum series in order here at Janet Evanovich's website.


If you liked Sizzling Sixteen, you may also wish to read:

Sarah Strohmeyer, especially those books featuring the Bubbles Yablonsky character.

Anthony Bruno, especially those books featuring the Loretta Kovacs character. Start with Devil's Food.

The Help

I just finished listening to The Help written by Kathryn Stockett and performed by Jenna Lamia, Bahni Turpin, Octavia Spencer and Cassandra Campbell. It is a wonderfully written and performed first novel.

Ms. Stockett set her book in Jackson, Mississippi at the beginning of a very difficult time in our history. The stories of two African-American maids and one white socialite were touching, enlightening, sad, joyful and often funny.

The Help left me feeling sad that my time with these women had ended but confident in the ability of the women, both black and white, to overcome the limitations set upon them by the time in which they lived.

Listening to books is a great pleasure and a way to extend my “reading time” and this book is by far one of the best I have ever “read”.

-Audrey

Not My Daughter

Barbara Delinksy has written some great fiction, so it is no surprise that Not My Daughter follows suit. Not My Daughter is told from the point of view of a mother and daughter who are dealing with teenage pregnancy. Three best friends have made a pact to get pregnant and have and raise their babies together. They do not realize what kind of trouble this will cause for everyone else. Best friends, moms, daughters, fathers, grandparents and coworkers find themselves at odds with each other when they should be helping one another. The story gathers complexity when two crises occur.

This was a wonderful book to listen to. The narrator was wonderful at conveying the feelings of the characters. I found myself laughing and smiling, and sometimes had tears in my eyes.  Barbara Delinsky has done an incredible job yet again.

-Denika

Note: In addition to the audiobook, the Library owns a standard print and large print copy of Not My Daughter.

The Christmas List

Last week I listened to the unabridged audio book The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans. It has taken me a week to wrap my mind around it enough to be able write a review. I had my doubts about this book at first because after listening to the first couple of chapters, I had it written off as another spoof off of the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, but I urged myself to read on.

The Christmas List begins with a man who is mistakenly listed as dead in the newspaper and online. Through comments made online he discovers -- much like Scrooge -- that he not well regarded, even by his so-called best friend of years. As the story moves on, he strives to change his ways and the negative perceptions that others have of him. He asks his assistant to compile a list of people he has wronged in his life. At first it is a means of making him feel better about himself, but it takes a turn that not even he expects.

This book can truly alter the way you think, act, and perceive things. In my opinion, everyone has a “Christmas List,” and maybe during the Holiday Season we should all compile such a list and act on it. It could make a difference in your life and the life of others you hold near and dear to your heart.

-Denika

Kingdom of Silence (and Kingdom of Lies)

With a daily drive to and from work, I take great advantage of the audio book collection at Kelley Library. I just finished listening to Kingdom of Silence by British author Lee Wood. Another in the Kingdom series (along with Kingdom of Lies) of Detective Keen Dunliffe mysteries set in Yorkshire, England.

The crime procedural format of the books is realistic, and both plotlines and dialogue convincing, with well developed and likeable characters. Dunliffe is the classic divorced policeman, trying to reconcile a life separated from his boys, but still consumed by detective work. Living on a Yorkshire farm begrudging a fond affection for his cat Thomas, Dunliffe presents an interesting character; rural by first impression, but perceptive and persistent enough to be a respected detective.

In Kingdom of Silence, Dunliffe is charged with mentoring a fledgling female undercover officer in a surveillance operation aiming to infiltrate a radical animal rights group connected with several violent actions. Set against the backdrop of England’s Hoof & Mouth Disease outbreak of 2001, the author gives voice to his obvious dissatisfaction with the British government’s handling of the epidemic at the expense of the lives of thousands of uninfected livestock. A factual chronology of events during the outbreak introduces each section of the book, providing a backdrop to the action, along with a view of the extent of the devastation of the rural English culture at the time.

I was happy to find the second installment of the series again read by English actor Ralph Cosham. His authentic Yorkshire accent and measured tone compliment the story in a way some accented readings don’t.

-Andy