The Good Thief's Guides are… OK

OK, time to play catch up on blog postings.

I think I found this series of books by British author, Chris Ewan, when I was searching for audiobooks read by Simon Vance. These came up on Library to Go and even though I hadn’t heard of them, I thought I’d give them a try. The series features Charlie Howard, a moderately successful mystery novelist who supplements his income with a secondary career as a more than moderately successful thief. Old-style burglary is his crime of choice.

Not willing to stay in one place for too long, Charlie moves from city to city, avoiding most of the trappings of long term relationships and settling instead for a pattern consisting of: write a novel, commit some heists, and then move on. Oh, and there’s the fact that he usually gets the crap beat out of him at least once in every book, double crosses some bad guys, and is encouraged by local authorities (who can’t convict him of anything because he’s usually helping them) to move along at the end.

The first book, The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam, was published in 2007. Paris, Vegas, and Venice followed. It looks like AudioGo picked up the audio rights in 2011. I don’t think these are the best books I’ve ever listened to – not by a longshot, but they have all been irritatingly intriguing – maybe this time he won’t get the crap beat out of him???? The mysteries have been pretty good, too.

As always, Simon Vance is an outstanding reader, and will more often than not sway me toward listening to a book that he narrates just for the simple reason that I’m pretty sure he won’t disappoint me.

I don’t think I would ever lose sleep waiting for the next edition of the series to come out, but at the same time, I just noticed that The Good Thief’s Guide to Berlin has just been released. I’ll have to go download it. Maybe this time he won’t get the crap beat out of him!

It seems I'm unable to embed or link directly to the soundbite  of the reliable Mr. Vance reading from a Good Thief's Guide so you'll have to click here and click on the sample button when you get to the page for the audiobook.
 

 Listen Up!

The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam, (7 hrs, 16 mins), AudioGo, 2011

The Good Thief’s Guide to Paris, (8 hrs, 20 mins), AudioGo, 2011
The Good Thief’s Guide to Vegas, (8 hrs, 9 mins), AudioGo, 2011
The Good Thief’s Guide to Venice, (8 hrs, 47 mins), AudioGo, 2011
The Good Thief’s Guide to Berlin, (8 hrs, 30 mins), AudioGo, 2013

 

Still Life a work of art - Louise Penny paints with words

I'm coming up for air after nearly a month of obsessive listening to Ralph Cosham as he and author Louise Penny lured me into the mythical village of Three Pines, Quebec. I feel like I know Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir, Peter and Clara Morrow, eccentric poet Ruth Zardo, and other fictional characters better than I know some of my friends – most don't listen to audiobooks so I doubt they'll be reading this anyway.

Penny writes like a painter, and Cosham is the only possible reader who could translate her brush strokes into sound. I have listened under the covers when I know I have to get up early the next morning, in the car waiting to meet a friend to go cross country skiing when normally I would do a lap around Stake Lake while I waited.  I've gluttonously grabbed at five minutes here and two minutes there for just another taste of the story – they are just that good. I know there is another reader, Adam Sims, who read another version of Bury Your Dead, and no offense to him, but it's Cosham or nothing for me!

So far there are eight books to this series, beginning with Still Life and ending with The Beautiful Mystery, and they need to be listened to in order as the greater story builds through each book. Another book is due this summer and I'm trying to find enough things to distract me until it arrives. I may need to take a week's worth of holidays in solitude so I'm not interrupted when it comes out. The final scene of the most recent book, The Beautiful Mystery, was so shocking and heart wrenching that sleeping may be difficult until I know what happens next. These are not gory murder mysteries, they are more about the people than the blood, much like P.D. James, who I also admire. In fact, Chief Inspector Gamache and Adam Dalgleish would likely be very good friends if they knew each other.

Trust me, if you love a good mystery, a good story, and a passionate look at the humanity in the world around us, just go get the books.

I got some of the books from Library to Go (why they don't buy an entire series is beyond me), and some on disc at the library.

 

Since Audible and the publishers don't seem to be including embeddable links for sound bites, I have a different treat - a Youtube video of an audio excerpt (I know, weird) from the fifth book - Bury Your Dead.

 

Click here for a soundbite.

 

Listen Up!

 

Still Life, (9 hrs, 30 min), Blackstone Audio, 2006

A Fatal Grace (a.k.a Dead Cold), (10 hrs, 30 min), Blackstone Audio, 2007
The Cruelest Month, (12 hrs), Blackstone Audio, 2008
A Rule Against Murder (a.k.a. The Murder Stone), (11 hrs), Blackstone Audio, 2009
The Brutal Telling, (13 hrs), Blackstone Audio, 2009
Bury Your Dead, (13 hrs), MacMillan Audio, 2010
A Trick of the Light, (11 hrs, 43 min), MacMillan Audio, 2011
The Beautiful Mystery, (13 hrs), Blackstone Audio, 2012

Death Comes to Pemberley - A visit with the Darcys

One of my favourite authors of all time, P.D. James, left her long-suffering detective Adam Dalgleish behind on some grisly murder case and escaped to the lush world of Jane Austen and the Darcy's of Pemberley. When we last saw Mr. Darcy (played to perfection by Colin Firth in the BBC Miniseries of Pride and Prejudice) he and Elizabeth Bennett were just getting married and preparing to live happily ever after. Now, six years and two adorable children later, they are about to throw an annual ball at their home when a murder occurs on the estate. Of course, if there is the overdramatic and selfish Lydia and her scoundrel of a husband, Wickham, who is accused of the murder, making things difficult for the Darcy's. Sigh, why can't they just live happily ever after?

Others have tried to explore what could have happened to this timeless romantic couple, but I think James is the one who really succeeds. She captures the characters and their necessary restraint perfectly. Her writing style is as simultaneously restrained and passionate as Austen's. The flow is seamless between the two. And, of course, P.D. James is the grand dame of the British murder mystery and the story itself is as well plotted as those starring Commander Dalgleish. I loved it!

Rosalyn Landor, who I previously heard as part of the group who read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, is amazingly well suited for the part. She has a broad variety of both male and female voices that match the era and the characters perfectly, instilling each with a great sense of depth that rises above merely narrating the text.

All in all Death Comes to Pemberly  is a lovely murder mystery for a cold winter's evening. I downloaded it from Library to Go and here (if the computer gods are willing) is a sample I pulled from Random House Audio:

                                                       
Listen Up!


Death Comes to Pemberley, (9 hrs 47 mins), Random House Audio, 2011

The Night Circus – unnerving magic

I listened to The Night Circus just after Christmas, but I've been holding off writing about it. Partly it's because I've been busy freelance writing, but also because I was still swimming through the currents of the book long after I'd finished listening to it. Author Erin Morgenstern, whose website is titled, "erin's emporium of discount dreams & well-worn wonders," and offers a free mystery with purchase, has managed to create something that, for those who are susceptible, is very alluring and seductive, yet hard to grab hold of. Reviewers seem split on the book, with some outright disliking it, and others liking it, but having a hard time explaining why. I'm firmly camped in the latter category but I have a very hard time describing what it's really about.

Released in September, 2011, The Night Circus is a quirky tale of a mysterious circus, Le Cirque des Rêves, that suddenly appears overnight, the illusionists who work there and create earthly illusions to mask the real magic that underlies each of the tents. The circus itself is an organic being and the people who work in it and the patrons who would follow it to the end of the earth are the blood and heart of it. The story is about a contest between two old magicians, who pit their very young apprentices, Celia and Marco, against each other in a dual to the death that will last for decades, and that they are unaware of until it is too late to get out. The competition becomes more complicated when Celia and Marco fall in love.

This book, and Jim Dale's excellent narration, got under my skin. I may need to re-listen to it to see what else happens the second time around. I can't imagine it would be the same twice.

I downloaded The Night Circus from Library to Go. You can listen to an excerpt below.

 

Listen Up:

 

 

The Night Circus, Random House Audio (13 hrs, 40 mins), 2011

 



Dr. Siri Paiboun Finally on Audio!

As someone who is charged with the responsibility for finding books for my mystery-hungry mother, I came across Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun mysteries a few years ago. She loves them, and I thought they looked interesting, but they weren't available on audio, so I let them go. I was totally shocked, therefore, when I saw a few of the books pop up on the new audiobooks list on Library to Go. Of course, the wizened selectors at Library to Go only purchased books 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8 of the series – I think exploring that logic may be a whole other blog post. I had to use less appropriate means to secure the rest of the audiobooks and have now purchased the CD sets for my library. Thankfully, it was worth it!

Dr. Siri, (pronounced 'Silly') is the National Coroner for the People's Democratic Republic of Laos in the early 1970's, shortly after the communist revolution. Siri, who is in his 70's and had been hoping for a peaceful retirement where he could tend a garden and read, is appointed coroner despite the fact that he's never done an autopsy and has spent much of his medical career as a field doctor in the war. To say that he is reluctant would be an understatement. Siri is insubordinate and mocking of his superiors, and he would love nothing more than for them to fire him and leave him alone.

In Laos, a country that has no money, and a new and inexperienced government, the fact that Siri has been a paid member of the communist party for over 40 years makes him the ideal candidate in the eyes of those in power. Siri inherits a morgue with no chemicals for testing, little equipment or reference materials, a nurse who he initially believes is a 'bubble head' and spends her time reading Thai fan magazines (he is later proved wrong in dramatic fashion), and a morgue technician with Down's Syndrome, who knows more than both the doctor and the nurse about performing autopsies. Together the three make a very happy and loyal team.

In the first book, The Coroner's Lunch, Dr. Siri discovers the source of a lifetime of dreams where he routinely encounters the souls of the recently departed. Much to his alarm, he discovers he is the embodiment of a 1,000-year-old shaman spirit. Learning to use, rather than fight the dreams, Dr. Siri makes up for his lack of resources in the real world by solving mysteries using logic, a little luck, and a bit of help from the spirits.

These books, which I listened to back to back while mourning the fact that there are only eight of them, are read by actor Clive Chafer. Chafer's reading style is dry and initially I was a bit worried I'd want to kill him before 5 minutes were up, but his character voices are outstanding and very consistent, and the dry narration makes the wry humour even funnier. I laughed out loud more than once and will likely listen to the series again because I missed parts because I was laughing.

One of the nice things about listening to a story that takes place in a non-English speaking country, in this case Laos, is that someone else has already worked out the pronunciations for the difficult Lao, Vietnamese, and Thai place and character names. If I was reading the books my eyes would stop and the flow of the story would be interrupted as I tried to figure out how to pronounce the word. That jerkiness when reading makes it harder for me to get into or enjoy a series. In audio, all the hard work has been done for me!

Another interesting thing about these books is that they open up a world that I have had not yet experienced. Life in Asian countries like Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia during the tumultuous 1970's is portrayed from the point of view of the people who live there, and their struggles for independence, and the struggles that arise from their success, are captivating.

You can listen to samples of Chafer's reading by clicking on the titles below and choosing the sample on the page.

Listen Up!

The Coroner’s Lunch, (6.8 hrs), Blackstone Audio 2011, (book published in 2004)
Thirty-Three Teeth, (6.8 hrs), Blackstone Audio 2011, (book published in 2005)
Disco For the Departed, (6.8 hrs), Blackstone Audio 2011, (book published in 2006)
Anarchy and Old Dogs, (6.8 hrs), Blackstone Audio 2011, (book published in 2007)
Curse of the Pogo Stick, (5.6 hrs), Blackstone Audio 2011, (book published in 2008)
The Merry Misogynist, (6.8 hrs), Blackstone Audio 2011, (book published in 2009)
Love Songs from a Shallow Grave, (8 hrs), Blackstone Audio 2011, (book published in 2010)
Slash and Burn, (8 hrs), Blackstone Audio 2011 (book published in 2011)

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane – Serendipity

I recently read an interview with Margaret Atwood where she was talking about how she felt that the internet promoted literacy. In the interview she said she didn't think bookstores would disappear due to the internet and ebooks because bookstores offer an opportunity for serendipity that the internet does not. To a certain extent I agree - when you walk in a bookstore you see the big pyramidal stacks of best sellers, but when you wander in further, meandering along shelves, a book will often grab you, metaphorically speaking, and not let go. But I also believe there is opportunity for serendipity everywhere, you just have to be open to it.

I found my most recent listening pleasure, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, purely by happy accident. I was cruising Library to Go for something to listen to as I was between books. I had recently listened to one of L.A. Meyer's Bloody Jack books (more about that in a future post) and I really like the reader, Katherine Kellgren. I had listened to her read a number of other books and have always been impressed. So I did a search for books she had read, and one that didn't have any holds on it looked interesting. So, through online serendipity, I gave it a try and after a bit of a slow beginning, I was hooked. I always know it's a good one when I plug my speakers and MP3 player in at work and grab a couple of minutes of listening when there is nobody in the library with me.

I'm not sure if this book, which tells two parallel stories that swirl around the 1692 Salem Witch trials, would be considered high literature, but it seemed to be just what I was needing in that moment. It was a book about self-discovery, magic (usually one of my main criteria, but not always), history, books, and a little light romance thrown in to sweeten the pot. I always find myself in a quiet, reflective mood in the time between Christmas and New Years. It seems to be a time of possibility and great dreams – the perfect time to listen to a book by a great reader, that features a woman discovering herself and her ancestors at the same time. Hmmmm... serendipity? I managed to find the perfect book, for the perfect time, when I wasn't looking for it.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, features Connie, a young Harvard graduate student who is searching for a new source of material as she works on her thesis in American Colonial history. At the same time, her mother, Grace - a new-age ex hippie in New Mexico, makes her daughter visit her grandmother's old home near Salem to prepare it for sale. The house is overgrown with vines and has no phone or electricity. It hasn't been visited for over 20 years. Connie finds a key in a bible, and in a chamber in the key, finds a parchment with "Deliverance Dane" written on it, which launches the woman's quest for her own connection to the Salem Witch Trials and the gifts passed down through the women in her family.

In her prologue, author Katherine Howe, who was doing her own thesis when the idea for the story came to her, explains how she looked at the people of the Puritan age when the trials occurred and their firm belief in witchcraft. Instead of dismissing the belief of this large group of people like most historians and authors did, she approached the story from a different point of view. "What if they were right?"

Loved the story, loved the reading, and had that warm, tingly, happy feeling (tinged with that sense of loss that always happens when I finish a good book) when it was over.

I downloaded The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane from Library to Go, and Hyperion doesn't seem to have much of an online presence for their audiobooks so you can listen to a sample here at Library to Go.

Listen Up!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, (12 hrs, 45 mins), Hyperion Audio, (2009)

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows – an early Christmas Present

Finding out that the wise publishers at Random House released Alan Bradley's new Flavia DeLuce novel, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, just in time for Christmas was a nice way to ring in the season. For a few lovely days I was jumping in the car to drive through the snowy mountains to my little library listening to the best Christmas present ever, and the fact that it takes place over Christmas made the whole early present even better.

In this instalment of Flavia's adventures, Flavia's father, Colonel DeLuce has allowed a film company to make a movie at Buckshaw starring the most popular movie stars of the time, over Christmas. The revenue generated by renting the house will keep the struggling family afloat for a little longer.

It always seems that the town Vicar starts these murderous scenarios when he comes up with a plan to raise funds for the church. This time he plots to have the movie stars perform a Shakespearean vignette in the main hall at Buckshaw on Christmas Eve. Of course, as you can well imagine, hidden relationships, a snowstorm that leaves everyone trapped, and a scandalous murder, are really the presents under the tree. Add in the fact that Flavia's older sisters have taunted her with the notion that Santa, or Father Christmas as they call him, doesn't really exist, and you have a recipe for a Flavia-styled disaster. While everything else is going on below her, Flavia is in her chemistry lab brewing up two concoctions – an explosive one to create a spectacular fireworks show from the roof of Buckshaw to ring in Christmas Eve, and a sticky one to capture the man in the red suit in the act of delivering Christmas cheer. If you have read the three earlier books in this series, you know where those plans are heading!

I think this was my favourite of the books, although I really love them all. Jayne Entwistle's reading is as fantastic as ever, and I even think she produced an even richer rendition of Flavia and her world than in the earlier books, which would be hard to do because the voices were already so original, consistent, and perfectly suited to their characters.  

So, now that I've enjoyed a Christmas murder at Buckshaw, I must wait for more from Mr. Bradley and Ms. Entwistle. This will be a challenge, but definitely worth the wait!

If you haven't yet read the first three books, go and do so now!

They are:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

A Red Herring Without Mustard

I downloaded I Am Half-Sick of Shadows from Library to Go. Check out this delightful soundbite for a sample of Flavia DeLuce!

Listen Up!

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, (7 hrs: 24 min), Random House Audio, (2011)

Death Cloud - Young Sherlock Holmes

In 1868 fictional (?) character Sherlock Holmes was only 14. According to this Andrew Lane series, which is actually approved by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, young Sherlock has been sent by his brother, Mycroft, to live with their un-child-friendly aunt and uncle in Hampshire. There he is sent a tutor, mysterious American Amyus Crowe. This is where his skills at deduction and reasoning are first encouraged. When two people die from what Sherlock and his new friend, street urchin Matty, think looks like a plague, their investigation uncovers a dastardly villain and dangerous plot. No spoilers here!

I liked this audiobook and liked the window it opened into Holmes' world – the isolation, fear, and uncertainty were very touching.

Author Andy Lane is well known for writing spin off novels from the Doctor Who  and James Bond series. I'm hoping the Young Sherlock Holmes series has some staying power as well.

I've only listened to the first book in this new series, Death Cloud. There are three sequels to date – Red Leech, Black Ice and Firestorm (coming in November 2011).  Library to Go, and our library, don't have the sequels yet but I'm on the prowl for them.

    

Dan Weyman did a very nice job of reading the book. It was very English, yet not inaccessible to teens. In researching this I discovered that there is an abridged version read by Dan Stevens. Now, I haven't listened to this version, but seriously? The original version is only 7 hours – not very long by audiobook standards. So why bother making an abridged version that's 5 hours? I don't get it. And don't get me started on abridged versions in general – that atrocious concept I'll save for another posting!

Library to Go has the first book unabridged. Audible has the first book abridged and unabridged, and the 2nd book abridged. I can't find unabridged copies of the next two but I will keep searching and report in.

You can listen to a sample at Audible.

Listen Up!

Death Cloud, (7 hrs, 16 mins), Hachette / AudioGo, (2011)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children – a peculiar piece of work

Back from holidays! Apparently you work more when you get home from holidays than if you hadn't gone in the first place! But, I'm back at it now and I've got lots of posts to catch up on.

I noticed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransome Riggs was a new release on Library to Go and since it was read by Jesse Bernestein, who read the Percy Jackson series, I thought I'd give it a go. It seemed like it was right up my alley. When I downloaded it the file came with an 'enhanced' addition – a pdf with a set of unusual (carnival-like) black and white photos. I didn't pay much attention to them and just listened to the story.

A teen named Jacob, who lives a wealthy, yet shallow life with his family in Florida, has been enthralled since he was a child by his grandfather's story of Miss Peregrine and the other orphaned children he grew up with in Wales during the war. His grandfather has a small collection of photos that feature strange children doing very unusual things – a girl who's feet are not touching the ground, another girl with what look like flames in her hands.

As it looks like Jacob's grandfather is going insane, becoming obsessed with weapons and monsters, Jacob starts to distance himself from the older man. Then his grandfather is killed in the woods, and dies in the arms of Jacob who was trying to find him. This, and the support of a psychologist, starts Jacob and his father on a path to the very same island where Jacob's grandfather said the peculiar children had lived. As Jacob discovers, the children might still be alive, and are all in grave danger.

I won't go into any more details so I don't spoil the surprises, but imagine lots of fog, a remote island cut off by a storm, and perhaps some strange goings on. You get the picture.

Author Ransom Riggs writes short films in Hollywood and this book seems perfectly formatted for a movie script. Surprise! (no surprise!) 20^th Century Fox bought the film rights.

The book is described by the publisher as, "A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows." I found it interesting, more so at the end than the beginning, but not something I would listen to again. One thing that bothered me was when I was about half way through the book I decided to take a look at the photo document that came with the audio file. The last photo is one of a note that basically tells the entire ending of the bloody story! Usually I like spoilers but this one irritated me. I'm not sure if the photos are spread out in the actual print book or not but it's something to be aware of. I'm also not really sure the photos were all that necessary as they were described very well in the story – repeatedly!

I have heard that the photos are real and that they were found and the story created around them. The writer in me completely understands and appreciates that as it's definitely something I would do.

Jesse Bernstein did a good job of reading the story and created a couple of new voices that I hadn't heard him use before. The problem is that I've listened to the Percy Jackson series a few times so I found myself listening to this book and thinking one of the characters was Poseidon and another was the centaur Chiron.

P.S. I heard there is a sequel in the works - big surprise!

I downloaded this book from Library to Go. You can listen to an audio sample there or from the Random House Audio link below.

Listen Up!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, (9 hrs 42 mins), Random House Audio, (2011)

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place - The Mysterious Howling / the Hidden Gallery

OK, blogging while on vacation can be a bit dodgy with a less than stellar internet connection and a computer that seems a bit homesick. Nonetheless, here is another series I can't get enough of. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is a hilarious series by Maryrose Wood. No magic, trolls, etc. so far but I think there might be something dark and hairy coming in the next book.

Penelope Lumley is a fifteen year old graduate of the Swanburne School for Poor Bright Females. Yes, she's an orphan – it seems all the best stories are written about them! She's also extremely smart and highly resourceful. In the first book, The Mysterious Howling, she accepts a job as a governess with Lord and Lady Ashton of Ashton Place.

Penelope knows nothing of the children before she takes the job, only that any potential governess, "must love animals." Penelope loves ponies and dogs and all kinds of animals. When she arrives, however, she discovers her charges are three feral children who were taken out of the woods less than a week earlier and are currently sleeping in the barn. Then she discovers she must have them ready to be presented to a Christmas ball only two months away. She immediately sets to work, using the words of Agatha Swanburne (founder of her school) to guide her, and gets the children bathed and into clothing - she has to get one of the young male servants to demonstrate to the two boys how to put on pants – apparently it's harder than it looks.

The new governess sets about teaching the three, Alexander, Beowolf, and Cassiopea to speak English, learn poetry, and use basic skills for eating and manners. Her ground breaking squirrel desensitization program, intended to prevent the children from chasing and eating squirrels, could almost be called revolutionary.

In the end, it seems someone is trying to sabotage Penelope's efforts, which may put the children in grave danger as Lord Ashton and his friends are particularly fond of hunting and not very concerned with the species of their prey!

In the second book, The Hidden Gallery, Ashton Place is being renovated due to the damage caused by the children (completely not their fault!) at the end of the first book. Unable to live in such squalor, Lady Ashton moves the entire house to luxurious rented accommodations in London. Penelope tries to teach the children about art, architecture, theatre, and all things that are plentiful in London. Again, her plans are thwarted and much danger and merriment ensue. The origins of the children, and even Penelope herself, begin to come into question.

Katherine Kellgren, who narrates part of the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, does a smashing job narrating this story and as the prim, proper, and oh so practical Penelope Lumley she is fantastic!

I downloaded both of these books from Library to Go. I liked them so much I also bought the print and CD versions for my library. I couldn't find samples on the Listening Library or Harper Audio sites so you'll have to listen to them at Library to Go, or take my word for it that they're just plain awesome.

Listen Up!

The Mysterious Howling, (5 hrs, 27 mins), Listening Library, (2010)
The Hidden Gallery, (5 hrs, 57 mins), Harper Audio, (2011)

Outcasts and Molly Ringwald a complete surprise!

Today's book goes against everything I usually choose – no magic, no trolls, no dwarves, no other worlds, and it has tonnes of teenage angst, not to mention Molly Ringwald narrates it. Generally, any one of those features would have made me look elsewhere. It does have eccentric characters, though, which is probably what drew me to it in a time of audiobook drought.

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg, released in 2004, follows 12 year old Margaret Rose Kane, who is sent to Camp Talequa for the summer. Outraged that she is not allowed to go with her parents, or stay with her two beloved and eccentric uncles, she rebels at the camp by embracing the phrase, "I choose not to." Her rebellion against her bullying peers and the camp establishment lead to her being allowed to spend the summer with her uncles after all. The two uncles, Polish immigrant bachelors, have spent decades building tall porcelain towers in their backyard. When the city decides they are an eyesore and want to increase property values in the neighbourhood, they order the beloved towers to be torn down. One reviewer noted the similarity to the Watts Towers in California. After reading up on them I think they are pretty similar. Margaret is devastated that the beloved towers will be torn down. She discovers that her new favourite phrase, "I choose not to," serves her well as she learns the nature and power of non-violent civil disobedience.

The story is really about individuality, non-conformity, and personal property rights. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this book. Konigsberg has written many award-winning books throughout her long career, including From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, but this is the only one I've read. It's also not really a series, although Margaret does turn up as an adult and an older teen in other books.

As much as I'm not really a Molly Ringwald fan, I found that she voiced Margaret perfectly, and I can't imagine anyone else reading it. I have a newfound (maybe adult) respect for her. The story isn't about the kind of angst that sees a teenager throwing an emotional tantrum for 200 pages, so Ringwald's even-toned, logical, non-emotional way of delivering the story is wonderful and refreshing.

I downloaded this book from Library to Go, and you can listen to a sample of the recording there. I guess because it's a bit older and not super (ie movie rights) popular, there is no sound sample on the Listening Library site. You probably know exactly what Molly Ringwald sounds like so no really big surprises in that department. 

Listen up!

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, (5 hrs, 32 mins), Listening Library, (2004)

Unexpected Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

As with many great audiobook discoveries, I came across Alan Bradley's delightful Flavia de Luce series while trolling through Library to Go for a new book to listen to. It was even on my MP3 player for months before I tried it out. I'm sooo glad I did!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a fantastic mystery in the 'cozy' style – very Agatha Christie / Dorothy L. Sayers-like but young and fun at the same time – a very rare item indeed. Once I got started I was completely hooked. Flavia de luce is an 11 year old amateur chemist in 1950's England. She lives in a large, oddly designed manor house with her two older sisters, her distant father, and their handyman / chauffeur / gardener Dogger. Where other girls her age have pictures of film or music stars on their walls and mirrors, Flavia has pictures of Marie Curie and other famous chemists. She is particularly fond of brewing up poisons. When she finds a dead body in their garden, Flavia leaves her chemistry lab and sets out to help the police, whether they want her help or not, and clear her father's name.

I began spouting off about my newly found addiction at work and discovered several coworkers were also addicted. Now numbering three books, the series continues to be fresh and fun. One of the staff at the library I am branch head at laughed out loud when she looked at our hold shelf – the A-F section was filled with Alan Bradley books and audiobooks. She pointed out that it must have something to do with the fact that I tell everyone I know about this series! Obviously subtle is not in my nature. My patrons will be hearing me go on about this for awhile because Bradley has been contracted to expand the series to six books in total.

Although Flavia is eleven, the books are considered adult mysteries but their content is pretty tame and I can see adults and kids liking them – I would have loved these books as a teenager.

Jayne Entwistle, who also narrated the Hunchback Assignments series, does a fantastic job bringing Flavia and her family to life.

I downloaded all three titles from Library to Go. You can listen to the audio samples there, or at the Random House Audio links below.

Listen Up!
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, (9 hrs, 53 mins), Random House Audio, (2009)
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, (9 hrs, 50 mins), Random House Audio, (2010)
A Red Herring Without Mustard, (10 hrs, 46 mins), Random House Audio, (2011)
I am Half Sick of Shadows – due in November, 2011

Incarceron / Sapphique

Usually I'm not into alternate future sci fi books, but again, I was trolling for something to listen to and Incarceron looked intriguing.

Incarceron itself is a prison, and a living being, designed by the Sapienti (wise ones) in a world that was searching for peace. The prison was designed to nurture and rehabilitate the prisoners, but the outside world had no access to it – only the warden. Unfortunately, what began as a peaceful experiment turned into a living hell for its occupants.

The outside world, or the Realm, is one where, at a time of great technological advances, the king decreed that time would be stopped in the 18^th century, to free his subjects from the anxiety of change. Everything revolves around using technology to maintain an image of period authenticity. Only the poor live truly authentic lives as they have no access to technology.

The story centres on Finn, a prisoner in Incarceron, and Claudia, the warden's daughter. Finn suspects there is more to the world than life in Incarceron, and Claudia, who questions everything, believes that Incarceron is not the paradise they are being led to believe it is. When Claudia finds her father's key to the prison, the two worlds meet and everything changes.

Author Catherine Fisher has created a compelling and imaginative world in Incarceron and the sequel Sapphique. They are the only two books in the series. Both are a bit eerie, but compelling. I had to keep listening to see what happened. They are not 'go to' books for me, though. Listening once was definitely enough.

Kim Mai Guest is an excellent reader with a dreamy, ethereal quality that compliments the books very nicely.

I downloaded both of these books through Library to Go. You can listen to audio samples there, or at the Random House Audio links below.

Incarceron, (11 hrs, 36 mins), Listening Library, (2007)

Sapphique, (11 hrs, 58 mins), Listening Library, (2008)

The Hunchback Assignments - Steampunk Audio

I was trolling through Library to Go a few months ago as I was completely out of listening material and I happened upon the Hunchback Assignments. I downloaded it but didn't listen to it for quite awhile as the title didn't really jump at me. I had bought the books for my library as well but the covers really didn't grab me either (they still don't). However, a desperate day with nothing to listen to lead to me getting absolutely hooked on the steampunk world of Modo, Octavia, the Permanent Association they work for, and the dreaded Clockwork Guild they are trying to defeat.

According to Wikipedia, Steampunk is:

a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually the Victorian era Britain—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.

Modo, the main character, is a 14 year old secret agent with a gift for changing his usually grotesque figure (he brings to mind Quasi Modo of Hunchback of Notre Dame fame). He was taken in as an infant by Mr. Socrates, who raised and trained him for his future as an agent for the Permanent Association. For short periods he can reshape his entire physical structure to mimic that of someone else.

Octavia, a former thief who was also taken in by Mr. Socrates, is a few years older than Modo and works with him as an agent. Octavia cares deeply for Modo and knows there is something different about him, but he never lets her see his true grotesque form. Modo is absolutely in love with Octavia.

The Clockwork Guild is an organization bent on overthrowing the British government and taking over control of the country by creating super strong monsters that are part metal, part animal or human, and powered by steam.

Author Arthur Slade, hailing from Saskatoon, has created a dark Victorian world that exists alongside the real world. The books are excellent and the audiobooks are really well done. I've listened to the first two and I'm waiting for the third which is coming out soon.

I'd already enjoyed Jayne Entwistle's reading of Alan Bradley's Flavia DeLuce series (blog post on that series coming later this week). Occasionally she gets a bit squeaky when she voices Modo, but that's also part of his personality so it feels appropriate. He can be a bit of a whiner at times! It's a good contrast to Octavia's low, smooth tones.

I downloaded the first two books for free from Library to Go. You can listen to samples at the Random House Audio links below:

Listen Up

The Hunchback Assignments, (7 hrs, 15 mins), Listening Library, (2009)

The Dark Deeps, (8 hrs, 10 mins), Listening Library, (2009)
Empire of Ruins to be released soon!

Fowl is more than Fair!

 
Artemis Fowl, a brilliant series for kids (and adults) by Eoin Colfer, is another of my "go to" series that I keep around for when I need a guaranteed hit. I had to start the first book, Artemis Fowl, twice as the first time I didn't really like Artemis as a character so I stopped listening (too soon!). Then my brother, who has similar tastes in audiobooks, said, "You don't like Artemis Fowl? What's wrong with you?" I gave it another shot and LOVED IT! Occasionally my brother really is right.

Artemis is a boy genius / criminal mastermind, who figures out after extensive research that fairies really do exist. With his father missing after criminal dealings in Russia, and his mother delusional in her bedroom, young Artemis is left to manage the Fowl fortune on his own with his trusty bodyguard, Butler, at his side. Artemis decides to kidnap a fairy and ransom him to the fairy people for some of their gold, which he would use to fund a rescue effort for his father. He ends up kidnapping a girl, L.E.P.Recon (get it... Leprechaun?) officer Holly Short. The L.E.P. are the Lower Elements Police and Short, who takes her policing job very seriously, does not take her kidnapping lightly. I won't tell you what happens next but this series is a MUST LISTEN TO romp of good fun. I would like to meet the tunnel-digging dwarf, Mulch Diggums, in person. He is truly awesome and I am one of his biggest fans!

The series consists of seven books with an eighth and final book due out in 2012!

Eoin Colfer has created a truly unique set of characters in this series. I have tried listening to some of his other books, but they haven't grabbed me in the same way. I may try them again given that Artemis didn't grab me right away either.

Nathaniel Parker, the British actor famed for the Inspector Linley series (among other things) is the perfect narrator for this series. Even after listing to the entire series a few times, I still forget that there is one person standing in a recording studio masterfully voicing all of these characters. I honestly believe I'm listing to this group of characters speaking. Parker is right up there with Simon Jones on my list of top readers.

There are many parts to these books that have had me laughing outloud as I'm driving on the highway. The will not disappoint!

I downloaded six of the seven books for free through the BC Public Library's Library to Go site. They were very slow acquiring the Atlantis Complex so I ended up buying it from Audible because I couldn't wait. That right there should tell you how good the series is! Library to Go now has the seventh book. You can download excerpts from there, or from the Random House Audio / Listening Library links below.


Listen Up!

Artemis Fowl, (6 hrs, 6 min), Listening Library, (2001)
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, (6 hrs, 10 min), Listening Library, (2002)
Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code, (6 hrs, 54 min), Listening Library, (2004)
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception, (7 hrs, 28 min), Listening Library, 2006
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony, (8 hrs, 24 min), Listening Library, (2008)
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox, (8 hrs, 52 min), Listening Library, (2009)
Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, (7 hrs, 38 min), Listening Library, (2010)
Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian will be released summer 2012

 

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel … Waiting can be Torture

Currently I’m bulking up my patience muscles as I wait for the 6th and final book in Michael Scott’s brilliant series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. Unfortunately, Mr. Scott has ensured I will have lots of time to develop those muscles as the last book in the series, The Enchantress, doesn’t come out until May, 2012.

Unlike the other books I’ve profiled here, Scott’s series is more mature and darker that what I normally listen to. The humour isn’t there, having been replaced by mind-bending intensity and and an epic storyline that sweeps through 10,000 years of history in a few short days. The entire series, starting with The Alchemyst, takes place over the span of one month, but the characters move across the earth and through time in the span of a heartbeat.

The story centres around Josh and Sophie Newman, fifteen year-old twins who are believed to be the twins mentioned in an ancient prophesy - one to save the world and one to destroy it. Which is which? They are taken in by Nicholas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, when Dr. John Dee chases them to steal the Codex, a book that holds many secrets, including the formula for Flamel’s immortality elixir.

Each book moves the story along by focusing on one central character and their archetypal role in the story. The Alchemyst, the Sorceress, the Magician, the Necromancer, and most recently, the Warlock, are all unveiled as Josh and Sophie learn elemental magic and uncover their own extreme magical powers. Characters like  Scathach, Hekate, Prometheus, the Witch of Endor, Gilgamesh the King, Niccolò Machiavelli, Bastet, Odin, William Shakespeare, Joan of Arc and Mars Ultor join Nicholas Flamel, the French Alchemyst, and his wife, Perenelle as they try and stop Dr. John Dee. Dee, a scientist and mathematician who first appeared in the 1600’s, is trying to destroy the world (or at least rid it of humans). All of the characters, except Josh and Sophie, have encountered each other for centuries, but for the twins this magical world is all new, and frightening.

Michael Scott has written a number of fiction books for adults and young adults, and is well known for his non-fiction books on Irish and Celtic folklore and mythology. This deep understanding of mythology is definitely evident in the details associated with each of the characters.

Unfortunately, more than one reader has been brought in to bring this story to life. I’m not a big fan of this tactic but I know that sometimes it can’t be helped. Denis O’Hare read the first book, Erik Singer read the second, and Paul Boehmer has read the last three. Boehmer is definitely the best suited to the story, and once you’re into each book the discontinuity is nearly forgotten. It’s when you go quickly from one book to the next that you notice the difference. I’m hoping that Boehmer will finish the series.

I won’t reveal the surprises but these books are absolutely awesome! As book 5 (The Warlock) ended, a completely unexpected twist in the plot was revealed that will make my year-long wait almost unbearable. If you’re going to listen to these books, perhaps wait until March of 2012 so the wait won’t be so painful.

I downloaded all five books for free through the BC Public Library's Library to Go site. You can download excerpts from there, or from the Random House Audio / Listening Library links below.

Listen Up!

The Alchemyst, 10 hours 2 minutes, Listening Library, (2007)

The Magician, 10 hours, 58 minutes, Listening Library, (2008)

The Sorceress, 14 hours 3 minutes, Listening Library, (2009)

The Necromancer, 11 hours 13 minutes, Listening Library, (2010)

The Warlock, 10 hours 52 minutes, Listening Library, (2011)

The Enchantress scheduled for Spring 2012