Sunday Book Review: Rise and Shine

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlin narrated by Carol Monda - A very belated posting of this review.  I started writing it over a year ago.  So take the review for what it is.

I picked this audiobook up because of the narrator. At least I thought I did.  I thought Monda had narrated at least one of the books in the Ember Series by Jeanne DuPrau. I was wrong.  If you like to listen to audiobooks and find you really like a certain narrators voice all you need to do is put the narrator in the author field at the library or on amazon you can find other books the narrator has read.  Just make sure you have the right one.

I still liked Monda's reading of  Rise and Shine. Her voice really seemed to fit for the narrator of the story, Bridget or Brightie as her nephew called her. I found the story compelling although at times hard to listen too. It's hard for me when I know someone has made a mistake even if the character in the book was a jerk. I don't want to give too much of the story away. There is some sad parts in the very end. Over all a very real story and one about relatonships: sisters, family, comittment, love, parenting etc.

Recent Reads

Teen/Parent Breakthrough by Mira Kirshenbaum, if you haven't figured it out already it's a parenting book. I'm kind of burnt out on them but I am glad I read it and will want to re-read in a few years. I did learn a few things, I think I knew them already but it was a good reminder.

• Before you help your kids ask if they want you help. This was a VERY good reminder. One of my kids does not like help unless she asks for it or gets to refuse it. I think she sees it as an affront to her intelligence but I am not sure she can articulate that. I just know she doesn't like it.
• The other thing is to not to get bent out of shape in how your kids talk to you or some of the things they say. It's better to let it go and connect later. (Easier said than done.)
• The other tip that stood out for me was kids need to develop their own view of the the world. So as much as we want to pass on all our 30-40years worth of wisdom in hopes our kids will not make the same mistakes we made, we can't. It's not that we don't share our wisdom ever, we can't prevent them from making mistakes. Ideally we become our child's best friend then you will have the best chance of helping them and sharing your wisdom.

The Incredibly Revolting Ghost by Cornelia Funke, the first in the Ghosthunter series. Nine year old Tom is afraid of Ghosts but soon gets a crash course in ghost removal. Corbin loved this book, it's the first chapter book he has listened. He is looking forward to the next book. I'm excited my son likes chapter books. Yeah! (It would be fine if he didn't but I love books. So it's nice to finally find a book we can enjoy together)

The audiobook of The History of Love by Nicole Krause. I enjoyed the story but for some reason I had hard time keeping with it. The narrators were good but there was something about it that I might have liked it better as a read, rather than a listen. I did get lots of crocheting done.

I re-read Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear a novel suggesting a big genetic change for our species. Lots of science type stuff in this but I was in it more for the relationships. I was horrified how the government reacted to the the change.

I'm also read the Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards. I'll get to discuss things with my book club after the first of the year. I enjoyed the read. It was so sad. Keeping secrets is dangerous.

I'm currently reading The Revival by Max Yoho which is pretty funny. I have a little bone to pick with the author. There is one passage in the book where he pokes fun at crochet. I can forgive him a little because I do agree that not all crochet is beautiful and it was kind of funny. Yet, I do think crocheting is cool. Hmmmf.

On and off my book shelf

I recently finished an audiobook, The Last Days in Dog Town by Anita Diamant and narrated by Kate Nelligan. The Last Days in Dog Town shares the stories of widows, orphans, and spinsters in the mid 18oo's. In some ways it's so sad the trial so many had to face. At the same time the stories are so uplifting because the main women in the story are so strong and true to themselves. They see the good in everyone. I really enjoyed the story and felt I got to know the characters.

The narrator,Kate Nelligan, did a superb job with the voices. She's narrated a few books by Mary Higgins Clark, a mystery author I enjoyed in my college years. I may have to check some of those out when I'm in the mood to listen to a mystery.

I'm currently listening to The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. So far I have met who I believe to be the two main characters of the book. At some point, so the review at amazon says, the character's lives intertwine somehow. Last night, I put that on my shelf to finish listening Dragon Fly in Amber, which I have been waiting impatiently for.

Before bed I'm trying to read some from The Revival by Max Yoho but I am not having much luck staying awake. We are staying up too late. I'm torn between reading it now and reading Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear. I read this book a while back and enjoyed and felt like reading it again. It's a futuristic novel so maybe I'm needing a break from the historical fiction I have been reading lately.

I'm off to take a break form the cleaning I've been doing to finish up on an afghan and Listen to Dragon Fly in Amber.

Audio Books - NaBloPoMo#15

I'm new to audiobooks. My daughter has been listening to audiobooks ever since she fell in love with Harry Potter. I re-read several of the books a few times then said no more when we found the audiobooks. I wasn't sure I would like them for myself but lately my love of crochet has clashed with my love of books. So finally I found some audiobooks I wanted to give a try. I've decided I like it just fine, maybe even better than reading them. Even better, I can keep up with my "reading" and my crocheting.

I just finished Hot Six by Janet Evanovich which is the 6th book in the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie is a bail bonds agent who doesn't like guns or to run. She gets herself in the craziest situations but always lands on her feet. In Hot Six her relationship with Joe Morelli heats up as well as her relationship with Ranger a sexy bail bonds agent. I love this series because I tend to laugh a lot so it's good therapy.

Currently, I'm listening to the the Dragonfly in Amber the second book in the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I tried reading this book a few months ago and lost interest but I am enjoying the audiobook. I'm curious to find out what happens next. In the first book Outlander Claire goes back in time to the 17th century and returns to her time at the end of the book. In Dragonfly in Amber she is back in her real time and several years have passed. Then the book goes "back in time" again with Claire sharing in more detail her life in the 17th century. I don't want to share too much more but if you need some light reading, like a bit of steamy romance and historical stuff you will enjoy it.

It's both a blessing and a curse but dang it of the books in the Outlander Series are LONG! I just finished the 17th cd and I am only halfway through the audiobook. I am now thoroughly hooked and I am quite frustrated as I can't listen to more until I get the 2nd set of cds from the library. Please, please let it be in! I'm anxious to see what happened when she returned to the 20th century.