The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons – Audiobook Review

Mar 022012

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons, narrated by Justine Eyre
Published in audio by Blackstone Audio, published in print by Plume, an imprint of Penguin

Synopsis:

From the publisher:

It’s the spring of 1938 and no longer safe to be a Jew in Vienna. Nineteen-year-old Elise Landau is forced to leave her glittering life of parties and champagne to become a parlor maid in England. She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay, where servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn. But war is coming, and the world is changing. When the master of Tyneford’s young son, Kit, returns home, he and Elise strike up an unlikely friendship that will transform Tyneford – and Elise – forever.

Thoughts on the story:

The House at Tyneford is certainly a charming story, with the well-off young Jewish woman from Austria leaving everything she knew to be safe from the encroaching war as a parlormaid and subsequently falling in love with the heir to the estate. However, the story was also utterly predictable. At any given time while listening I could likely have predicted at least the next hour’s worth of plot. This, in turn, made for a less-than engaging experience with the story. If there are no surprises and no wonder, if the plot is all but formulaic, then what, really, is the point? Nothing amazed me, and as a result I find The House at Tyneford to be more than a little lackluster.

soundbytes picture Thoughts on the audio production:

Eyre gave a fairly good performance, although she didn’t really blow me away. I was impressed, however, with her ability to switch between Austrian and British accents. For a more detailed audio review, please see my review for Audiofile Magazine.

Overall:

Although many others have loved this story, I cannot particularly recommend it either in print or audio.

Buy this book from:
Powells: Audio/Print*
Indiebound: Audio/Print*

I encourage you to review any audiobooks you review on Fridays and include the link here. If you have reviewed an audiobook earlier in the week, please feel free to link that review as well. Thanks to Pam for creating the button.

Source: Audiofile Magazine.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung – Book Review

Feb 282012

Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung
Published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin

In every generation of Janie’s family, one sister is lost. Her aunt, for instance, was ostensibly kidnapped from her college dorm by North Koreans, never to be heard from again. Even worse, the family could not attempt to look for her, because the insinuation that one had dealings with North Korea could ruin a Korean family. Janie, at least, has the freedom to look for her sister Hannah. For one thing, their family now lives in America, having moved there when the girls were young for fear of repercussions from Janie’s father’s politics.

When Hannah disappears without a trace – although clearly voluntarily – it would certainly be possible for Janie to track her down and, initially, she contemplates doing so. After their father is diagnosed with late-stage cancer, though, Janie begins to feel increasingly frustrated with and betrayed by her sister. Hannah is not their for their father, their family, so why should Janie expend energy on trying to draw her back into the fold? When the girls’ parents return to Korea in hopes finding a doctor who can cure their father – or at least prolong his life – Janie is forced to track Hannah down, whether or not she actually wants her sister to return.

With Forgotten Country Chung has created a beautifully sad portrait of a family. That they are Korean and have immigrated to the United States and return to their native land is in some ways incidental to the universal story of family love, jealousy, and betrayal. At the same time, it is their cultural heritage and immigration status and the authentic ways that these aspects of who they are inform their lives that brings Chung’s characters so vividly to life.

Chung’s writing is beautiful and her characters are alive, so I can recommend Forgotten Country without reservation.

Buy this book from:
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Source: Publisher, for BOOK CLUB.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy

Feb 162012

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy
Published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin

This is the fifth book in the White House Chef series. I have previously reviewed the first four books: State of the Onion, Hail to the Chef, Eggsecutive Orders, and Buffalo West Wing.

Having to scope out party locations with White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant doesn’t rank particularly high on Olivia’s list of best ways to spend a day. Actually, it is more likely to fit in as one of her personal circles of hell. Sargeant has, after all, had it in for Olivia ever since he began work at the White House. Olivia’s bad day only gets worse when she and Sargeant arrive at the First Lady’s preferred location for the party and find two fellow White House staffers already there – dead. Not only is Olivia back in the middle of another White House mystery, this time she’s stuck investigating with Peter Everett Sargeant.

Another fun book from Julie Hyzy! I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as Eggsecutive Orders and Buffalo West Wing, but that seems to have more to do with the fact that I read those three in quick succession and just needed to space them out a bit more. I love that Hyzy is continuing to keep this series fresh by changing up how and where Olivia investigates the various crimes that come across her path. Teaming up with Sargeant is certainly not a plot point I ever imagined seeing.

Okay, everyone, I’ve spent the last year recommending Julie Hyzy, and this series in particular, to you. If you haven’t read it yet, why not?

Buy this book from:
Powells | Indiebound*

Source: Personal copy.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney – Audiobook Review

Jan 272012

The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney, narrated by Dan Stevens
Published in audio by Penguin Audio, published in print by Putnam Books, both imprints of Penguin

Synopsis:

From the publisher:

Small-time private investigator Ray Lovell veers between paralysis and delirium in a hospital bed. But before the accident that landed him there, he’d been hired to find Rose Janko, the wife of a charismatic son of a traveling Gypsy family, who went missing seven years earlier. Half Romany himself, Ray is well aware that he’s been chosen more for his blood than his investigative skills. Still, he’s surprised by the intense hostility he encounters from the Jankos, who haven’t had an easy past. Touched by tragedy, they’re either cursed or hiding a terrible secret-whose discovery Ray can’t help suspecting is connected to Rose’s disappearance. . . .

Thoughts on the story:

With The Invisible Ones, Penney created a fascinating, twisting mystery with a level of detail about the lives of the Romany people that lends the story an air of authenticity. The characterization was very well done, particularly as the cast of characters expanded with the extended Janko family. My only real qualm is that I figured out the majority of the conclusion by about halfway through the book. Now, this may have been partially because I overheard a bit of discussion between two others who had read the book and something they said may have sparked the answer in my brain, I’m honestly not completely sure if I was looking for the answer or if it just was a bit too obvious. The good news is that even with being fairly certain of the ending I enjoyed the road Penney took me down to get there.

Thoughts on the audio production:

Let me just say a two things here. First of all, Dan Stevens has a super dreamy voice. Second, he is an extraordinarily accomplished narrator, both in imbuing the authors words with genuine life and in his ability to differentiate between characters. For more, please read my review for Audiofile Magazine.

soundbytes picture Overall:

An absorbing mystery that is only enhanced by the absolutely amazing narration of Dan Stevens. Grab the audio!

Buy this book from:
Powells: Print*
Indiebound: Print*
Audible.com

I’m launching a brand-new meme every Friday! I encourage you to review any audiobooks you review on Fridays and include the link here. If you have reviewed an audiobook earlier in the week, please feel free to link that review as well. Thanks to Pam for creating the button.

Source: Audiofile Magazine.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

Come in and Cover Me by Gin Phillips – Book Review

Jan 242012

Come In and Cover Me by Gin Phillips
Published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin

Ever since discovering the work of a potter and artist, Ren has been a star of the archaeological community – although she hasn’t told anyone that it was the ghost of the artist who led her to her find. Professionally, she is a rising star, but personally she is damaged. The death of Ren’s brother Scott when she was twelve, and the ensuing distane the occurred between Ren and her parents, has permanently scarred her, making her unable to meaningfully engage in any relationship. Now Ren has been called in on a new dig with a man named Silas who believes he has discovered her artist in another location. Working with Silas will push Ren both personally and professionally, as she struggles with her feelings for him, and struggles to explain to him that her hunches on site are actually the result of ghosts showing her the way.

The first fifty pages of Come In and Cover Me work beautifully to draw the reader in. What is going on with Ren? Is she really seeing her dead brother’s ghost? Who is this artist whose work she has found, and how are the two of them connected?

From there, though, the book falters a bit. Phillips is a strong writer, but Ren is very difficult to connect with. Something isn’t quite right with her response to her brother’s death, namely her inability to make peace with it more than twenty years later. Her alleged ability to see ghosts also functions to distance her from the reader. Part of the issue is the question of whether or not she is actually seeing the spirits of the deceased, Silas obviously doesn’t think so, and it is never particularly clear to the reader. It does seem at times that the ghosts are a manifestation of her unconscious, but that returns to the question of how precisely she became so damaged that she pushes away relationships and sees things which aren’t really there.

Although Ren is a difficult character, Phillips has put together and interesting book – the archaeology is particularly fascinating – and I am interested in reading her first book, and whatever she may write in the future.

Buy this book from:
Powells | Indiebound*

Source: Publisher.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson – Book Review

Jan 232012

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Published by Putnam Juvenile, an imprint of Penguin

Rory Deveaux is used to her life in Louisiana, but she’s still excited about the prospect a year at a British boarding school. Her parents will be teaching in England for the year, so going with them seems like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, Rory’s arrival in London coincides with the anniversary of the first Jack the Ripper murder, and what appears to be a spate of copycat murders. When Rory sees a man who seems to be the number one suspect, she suddenly finds herself in very real danger.

The Name of the Star is an incredibly entertaining book. Rory is an interesting and complex character, in a fascinating – if somewhat unconventional situation. Johnson has a very engaging writing style, and she can draw the reader into even a Jack the Ripper ghost story.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Name of the Star, although I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it being a series. I think it was a great success as a standalone, but Rory’s continued adventures with the cast of characters she met in The Name of the Star don’t terribly excite me, although I’ll be more than willing to read the next book and see where Johnson takes the story.

Buy this book from:
Powells | Indiebound*

Source: Library.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

Crossed by Ally Condie – Audiobook Review

Jan 202012

Crossed by Ally Condie, narrated by Kate Simses and Jack Riccobono
Published in audio by Penguin Audio, published in print by Dutton Juvenile, imprints of Penguin

I previously reviewed the first audiobook in this series, Matched.

Synopsis:

From the publisher:

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky – taken by the Society to his certain death – only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia’s quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander – who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia’s heart – change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Thoughts on the story:

So, the reason I used the publisher’s description here is that nothing much really happens during Crossed. Yes, Cassia searches out Ky in the border provinces, but even as they are both living much more difficult lives than they ever did in the heart of the Society, and yet it seems that nothing occurs. Basically the entire thing is a set up for the third book in the trilogy. What Crossed does have going for it, though, is that we learn a great deal about Ky’s history, and about just how deep the uprising against the Society really goes. This set up is promising for Condie’s next book, however.

Thoughts on the audio production:

Kate Simses is still a great casting call for Cassia. She is young-sounding enough to be convincing as a teenager, and conveys the teenage drama well without making it overly angsty. I was somewhat less impressed by Jack Riccobono. He is ever so slightly old-sounding for Ky and is a bit ridiculous when trying to give voice to Cassia during Ky’s sections. Simses does a much better job doing voices for the boys surrounding Cassia.

The sound effects in Crossed are not used as judiciously as they are in Matched. They are nearly absent in Crossed until a point near the end where music is used for no apparent reason. It is quite odd, really.

soundbytes picture Overall:

I have to hope that the last book in this trilogy will be told exclusively from Cassia’s point of view, so that Kate Simses can narrate the entire audiobook. Other than this, Crossed was very much the transitional book for this series and, although it was not nearly as strong as Matched, it is setting up what will hopefully be a very interesting conclusion. If you liked Matched, you probably need to read this before the third book is released.

Buy this book from:
Powells: Audio/Print*
Indiebound: Audio/Print*

Source: Library.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy – Book Review

Jan 162012

Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy
Published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin

This is the 4th book in the White House Chef series. I have previously reviewed the first three books: State of the Onion, Hail to the Chef, and Eggsecutive Orders.

Ollie had a good run in the White House kitchen under President Campbell. Mrs. Campbell, in particular, was a big fan of hers, which helped to shield Ollie during some of the more outrageous happenings. President Campbell decided not to run for a second term, however, which means that Ollie’s job situation is currently a bit tenuous, as she serves at the pleasure of the President and First Lady. When a mysterious box of buffalo wings shows up in the kitchen, addressed to the President’s children, Ollie makes the decision not to serve them, a decision that proves unpopular with the children and their mother. It turns out that Ollie may have saved the children’s lives, but as she has been forbidden to share this information with the First Lady, her job as Executive Chef remains in jeopardy.

Buffalo West Wing has an interesting flow, compared with the other books in this series. Most of the dangerous mystery happens away from Ollie and the White House, other than the relatively benign appearance of the poisoned buffalo wings – although inevitably Ollie does get caught up in the drama eventually. Instead, the majority of the plot has more to do with the internal politics of the White House staff, as a potential rival is introduced for Ollie just when she is at her most vulnerable with a new First Lady. Perhaps the brightest spot is a returning character who becomes a possible new love interest for Ollie, something that was much needed after her breakup with Tom in Eggsecutive Orders.

A slightly different entry in the White House Chef series, but still a strong one.

Buy this book from:
Powells | Indiebound*

Source: Publisher.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi – Audiobook Review

Jan 062012

A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi, narrated by Sean Runnette
Published in audio by Blackstone Audio, published in print by The Penguin Press Hardcover

Synopsis:

From the publisher:

Nassir Ghaemi draws on the careers and personal plights of such notable leaders as Lincoln, Churchill, Gandhi, JFK, and others from the past two centuries to build a compelling argument: the qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for the best leaders in times of crisis. By combining analysis of historical evidence with psychiatric research, Ghaemi demonstrates how these qualities have produced brilliant leadership under the toughest circumstances. Ghaemi’s analysis offers powerful tools for determining who should lead us and encourages us to rethink our view of mental illness.

Thoughts on the story:

Okay, so, fascinating! Ghaemi presents a very convincing argument to theory that leaders with mood disorders excel in a crisis. In addition to his examples of Sherman, Lincoln, Churchill, Gandhi, and JFK, he also offers counterexamples, such as Bush, Blair, and Nixon, which only helped to support his theory.

One thing that stood out to me, somewhat unrelated to what Ghaemi had to say, came as a result of having listened to The Psycopath Test by Jon Ronson not long beforehand. Both psychopathy and mood disorders, based on the the reportings of these two authors, seem to be noteworthy largely for the amounts of empathy persons with the disorder have. For psychopaths, of course, the the problem is a lack of empathy, but I was surprised to learn from Ghaemi that a noteworthy trait of depressive and bipolar mood disorders is actually an over-abundance of empathy, which is part of what makes persons with mood disorders such effective leaders, in Ghaemi’s point of view. For me, though, it was just fascinating to think about the variety of of disorders that could be caused by (or at least related to) either too much or too little empathy. Truly, the human brain is a complex thing.

Thoughts on the audio production:

Sean Runnette has recently become one of my favorite narrators of nonfiction. He delivers material in a straightforward manner, with an appropriate amount of interest and emotion. Thanks to Runnette’s strong performance, Ghaemi’s thesis is easy to follow.

soundbytes picture Overall:

Fascinating and well-narrated. Dive in with either print or audio.

Buy this book from:
Powells: Audio/Print*
Indiebound: Audio/Print*

Source: Audiofile Magazine.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio – Book Review

Jan 052012

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio
Published by Plume, an imprint of Penguin

Anne Calloway is newly engaged, but still unready to really settle down. Her fiance is staid and predictable, and Anne needs one last adventure in her life. When her best friend signs up to go to serve as a World War II Army nurse, Anne decides to join her in her South Pacific posting.

The nurses are unsurprisingly popular with the soldiers on Bora-Bora, and Anne is no exception. Although she has plans to be nothing but faithful to her fiance, the more time she spends with a soldier named Westry, the more their friendship – and eventually a romance – blossom.

Jio excels writing books that carry the reader away with both plot and setting. Anne and Westry are engaging characters, and their relationship is transporting, especially with Jio’s lush descriptions of Bora-Bora.

A lovely book to warm your heart on a cold winter day.

Buy this book from:
Powells | Indiebound*

Source: Publisher.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

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Devourer of Books

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons – Audiobook Review

Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung – Book Review

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy

The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney – Audiobook Review

Come in and Cover Me by Gin Phillips – Book Review

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson – Book Review

Crossed by Ally Condie – Audiobook Review

Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy – Book Review

A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi – Audiobook Review

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio – Book Review

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