Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

I first came across this book when I ordered the print copy for my library. It didn’t occur to me to read / listen to it at the time but it looked interesting. Little did I know!

I have always struggled with being a person who doesn’t like parties, who hates crowds and finds them exhausting, and who needs a lot of alone time to think and organize my thoughts. I couldn’t possibly be in introvert, however, because I know I am “On” when I’m in front of a crowd. I come across as confident and outgoing, even talkative. I have no problem speaking in front of a group of people. In my younger (much) days I made much needed extra money as a nude model for art classes. I have dabbled with acting classes in the past, and when I was young and living in Ireland, I made it to the front door of the Gaeity School of Acting (the National Theatre School of Ireland) before I chickened out and turned around. The person I described above couldn’t possibly be an introvert.

Yet, I definitely didn’t feel like an extrovert. I know I have a way of turning on my outgoing nature, it actually feels like I’m turning on a switch and this outgoing person takes over for a brief period. She can do anything! I used to fantasize about an invisible cave, floating high above parties. It’s filled with quilts, books, music, art, and me… and probably some popcorn or chocolate and ice cold Coke Zero, or Gingerbread Spice tea. In my cave I can float above the crowds and watch the people, see how they move, talk, interact with each other, but I never have to participate.

Recently, while idly clicking through some links on Twitter, I noticed that actor Mark Ruffalo had tweeted a link to a Huffington Post article with a quiz – 23 SignsYou’re Secretly an Introvert. I was dumfounded…. and just a little vindicated! The next day at work at the library I told my friend Wendy about this quiz I did and how shocked I was. Her response? “Duh, you should read this book….”

So, here I am.

This is the first non-fiction book I’ve listened to and I was a bit worried. I also placed a hold on the print copy at the library just in case. What helps make up for the lack of dragons and wizards is that reader Kathe Mazur is awesome. This is the first time I’ve listened to her and she’s quickly jumped onto my favourite readers list. She’s perfect for this book – reassuring and not patronizing, confident and light hearted, serious when she needs to be. The other thing that helps is Susan Cain’s writing – she’s just plain excellent. She has a very engaging and inviting way of manoeuvering through studies, facts and numbers and getting to the heart and humanity of an issue. Brilliant.

In this book Cain talks about how the current extrovert-driven culture undervalues introverts, and explains the physiological and psychological differences between the two. She also talks about how the two sides actually need each other, and function better together, but just require different styles of working. It’s almost like she’s explaining the care and feeding of your inner introvert. I was captivated by every story, and even every study she discussed because they related to real people like me.

One thing I’ve noticed, however, is that I take in this kind of factual information differently when it’s verbal than when I read it. Different pathways and I'm a visual learner. This is information I desperately want to absorb, so I actually invested in the ebook as well.  

Click on the Audible page here and you'll find a link to a sound bite of Kathe Mazur reading Quiet. 

Listen Up!

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, (10 hrs, 39 mins), Random House 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

 



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)

The Oracles of Delphi Keep

OK, time to catch up a bit here. Apparently if I think about writing, it doesn't actually happen. It seems one must actually write. Freelance writing doesn't count, either! 

I listened to the Oracles of Delphi Keep by Victoria Laurie last summer while I was on holiday in Saskatchewan. I was surprised to learn that the reader was Susan Duerden, who I had just listened to in the awesome Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I wouldn't say this was a fabulous book. It seemed a bit disjointed and far fetched, like it was the first third of an actual story and the reader / listener is left with more questions than answers at the end. There were some great characters, mysterious creatures, orphans, a bit if magic, and the threat of World War II (all my usual criteria). I listened to the end and will probably listen to the rest of the series if it becomes available on audio, but I just didn't think the writing was the best and the mythology that the story is based on was a bit confusing. The reading, however, was excellent. Susan Duerden is a compelling reader who brings the main characters of Ian and Theodosia, orphans who are the subject of an ancient prophecy, to life in a fantastic way.

The story follows Ian and Theodosia, two orphans who are as close as brother and sister, living in Delphi Keep, an orphanage near Dover, England in the years leading up to World War II. While exploring tunnels near the famous White Cliffs of Dover, Ian discovers a silver box embedded in the tunnel floor. When he removes it, he unleashes hell hounds and starts a deadly chase with Theodosia, their friend Carl, two of their teachers and a professor travelling through portals to gather ancient objects in order to prevent the end of the world. Sounds simple enough. 

A sequel, The Curse of the Deadman's Forest, has just been released but I haven't come across an audio version yet. Like I said, I will probably listen to it if only to try and figure out what is supposed to be going on.  

I think this is a case of a reader being able to make or break a story, even possibly rescuing it.

I listened to this recording of the Oracles of Delphi Keep on CD.  To listen to a sample click below or visit Random House Audio.

Listen Up!

The Oracles of Delphi Keep, 13 sound discs (16 hr, 45 min), Random House Audio, (2009) 

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 Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Greetings from Saskatchewan! I had planned to offer you a profile of reader Jayne Entwistle today, but she'll have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, I'm going to tell you about the awesome audiobook I listed to yesterday on my 13 hour drive to the lake. I was a bit pressed for time in the week before I left so I browsed through some of the Books on CD at one of the libraries I was working at. Hoping for a gem I grabbed a bunch and ended up listening to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece, Annie Barrows. When I started I literally knew nothing about it. The book has been out for a few years and while I was always intrigued by the title, I never checked into what it was about. Yesterday I plopped it into the CD Player in the car and started my drive. Almost instantly I felt like I'd won the audiobook lottery! I also now desperately want to visit (and possibly get lost in) Guernsey!

Set in 1946, the story is told completely in correspondence with each reader voicing the letters written by that particular character. I was really impressed with how the authors managed to tell the complexities of the story without allowing it to become overly dramatic or emotional. The story looks at the Island of Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, and talks about the effects the 5-year German occupation of the island in WWII had on the island residents. The islands were completely cut off from the rest of the world and starvation, lack of fuel, and the occasional cruelty (and compassion) of the German soldiers had a dramatic impact on the community even after the war had ended.

Shortly after the end of the war, Juliet Ashton, a young writer who is enjoying the success of her first book, receives a letter from a stranger from Guernsey. He had obtained a book she used to own at a used bookstore and would like more books by the author or about him. This begins a long correspondence between Juliet and many of the island's inhabitants who had formed a literary society as a way to rebel against the Germans and maintain a sense of normalcy.

I loved this book! I was crying at parts and laughing out loud at many others. I can't recommend it enough! Author Mary Ann Shaffer, a former librarian, editor, and bookseller, passed away in February of 2008. This was her only novel and she never lived to see it published. She wrote it with her niece, Annie Barrows, who is a noted children's author. Learning the author had passed away made the story even more poignant. This is the kind of book I would love to write someday.

I was leery about listening to a book read by a collection of readers because  I was worried it would be read like dialogue. Instead, each reader reads the letters written by their character – perfect! Paul Boehmer I had listened to already in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel and his distinct voice was perfect here. The other readers, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills, were all new to me and absolutely excellent.

I listened to the CD version but I discovered today that it is available for download through Library to Go. You can listen to an audio sample there or at the Random House Audio link below.

Listen Up!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, (8 hrs, 7 mins), Random House Audio, (2008)

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!

Anything special going on today? ... oh yeah! HARRY POTTER!

I thought I'd save my Harry Potter post for a special day and since the last movie opens today and I'm going to the 10:30 show tonight, today was perfect. It's 6:00 am right now, so today's going to be a looong day with a guaranteed HP hangover tomorrow.

I had already read the first 5 HP books when I discovered audiobooks (and got a job that involved commuting) so I've only listened to the last 2 books. I am planning a marathon soon where I listen to all of them in order. Unfortunately, they are not available for download (legally, anyway) so I'll be slogging through many MANY discs to make this marathon happen. Maybe the new Pottermore site, where ebooks will finally be available, with have an audio component as well. That would be convenient!

Since you'd pretty much need to be living under a rock to not know about HP, I won't bore you with the plots. Boy wizard – Voldemort - Hogwarts – J.K. Rowling – enough said.

The HP audiobooks are ready by the lovely Jim Dale in Canada and the US, and Stephen Fry in the UK. I haven't listened to the Fry versions so I can't comment on them. I've heard they're good and he's very funny so I imagine they're good. Jim Dale, however, is considered to be the voice of Harry Potter audiobooks and I think he's fantastic. I've listened to other things he's read and they're all excellent - I'll be profiling him in a later post as well. He is also the voice you often hear at the end of other audiobooks talking about the literacy and family benefits of listening to stories together.

I did dig up some interesting info about Dale's version of the books:

• There is no Canadian audio version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – only Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I guess the UK version must be correct. That little switch up drives me nuts – they're all sorcerers so why would a sorcerer's stone be special? And there is a big difference between a philosopher and a sorcerer! Don't get me started!

• Random House Audio has a 'guess the voice' quiz where you can listen to Dale speaking and you have to guess which character it is – it's very ominous (scary thunder) if you get it wrong, but it's ominous (more scary thunder) if you get it right, too, so I guess it doesn't matter.

• Dale created over 200 voices for the entire series, and is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most voices created for a single book – 146 for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

• According to an ezine article, he never read the entire text of a book before he started narrating. He was only given the manuscript 2 or 3 days before he would start recording, and only ever read about 100 pages ahead of where he was in the narration.

• The shipping weight (from Amazon.com) for the entire HP Audiobook set is 8.2 lbs!

There is an excellent interview with Dale in the NY Times about how he does the recordings.

I listened to Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince on the way home from Saskatchewan one summer with my mom. Both of us had read the previous books so we were on the same page with the story. The drive home is about 14 hours and that particular audiobook is 19 hours. We never really did the math ahead of time and if it was just me, it wouldn't have been a problem. I have long drives to work so I'd have finished it the week after. The problem is – we still had 5 hours to finish when we got home. We actually had to schedule an hour of Potter time each evening to finish it off. We do the math better now and choose books that will fit the trip length more accurately! Good thing I wasn't driving for that last bit too because we were both bawling at the end. That's a bad thing about listening to audiobooks – it's pretty much impossible skim the text and jump ahead at the sad parts.

Download audio samples for this series through Random House Audio.

Listen Up!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, (8 hrs), Listening Library, (1999)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, (9 hrs), Listening Library, (1999)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, (12 hrs), Listening Library, (2000)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, (20 hrs), Listening Library, (2000)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, (26 hrs, 30 mins), Listening Library, (2003)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, (19 hrs), Listening Library, (2005)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, (21 hrs), Listening Library, (2007)

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

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Percy Jackson is what I call a 'go to series' – I have the entire series (5 books that aren't too long) on my MP3 player and whenever I'm between books they are like old friends I can visit and listen to again and again. I have real human friends who mock me for my ability to listen to the same book, or watch the same movie, again and again. I just ignore their jeers and turn the volume up to drown out their taunts.

The series, by Rick Riordan, starts with The Lightning Thief. It follows the adventures of Percy Jackson – a dyslexic young teen who discovers his missing father is really the Greek god Poseidon, and that he is considered a demi-god or halfblood (half god / half human). After spending a good deal of his childhood being chased by monsters, he ends up at Camp Halfblood, a summer camp where he and other halfbloods learn archery, chariot racing, Pegasus riding, and basic survival skills that include how to fight monsters. While at camp Percy is given a quest and if he succeeds he will save the world. If he fails we are all doomed – this pretty much happens in each of the books. His best friends Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, Grover, a Satyr - half goat / half human, and his half brother Tyson, a cyclops, join him on his adventures. I won't go into the plot of each of the books but by the end of the last book Percy and his campmates must save Mount Olympus, which currently resides on top of the Empire State Building, and the rest of the world in a giant battle of good vs. evil.

All of Rick Riordan's books are a great read / listen. They are full of excellent characters, plenty of action, and in this case – excellent lessons on Greek Mythology. Riordan successfully takes Greek myths out of the past and makes them a bit more immediate and relevant.

The relationships between the characters are also outstanding. I liken this series to the Harry Potter books and many people who like Harry Potter are also fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Jesse Bernstein, who narrates the series, is one of the few American readers I really enjoy. He voices the characters with amazing consistency and  switches so effortlessly between characters that I forget I'm listening to someone reading to me. I'm actually lulled into believing I'm listening to the characters themselves. I think this is the ultimate test of an audiobook reader – do I forget I'm listening to an audiobook? I've even started looking for other things Bernstein has read.

In 2010 Rick Riordan started a new series, The Heroes of Olympus, that starts where the previous one left off. I'll review that one later. Jesse Bernstein doesn't read it.

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 Lightning Thief, (10 hours, 2 minutes), Listening Library, (2005)
The Sea of Monsters, (7 hours, 56 minutes), Listening Library, (2006)
The Titan's Curse, (8 hours, 48 minutes), Listening Library, (2007)
The Battle of the Labyrinth, (10 hours, 33 minutes), Listening, Library (2008)
The Last Olympian, (11 hours, 0 minutes), Listening Library, (2009)

All things Bartimaeus

The Amulet of Samarkand, the first book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, was the first long audiobook I listened to that got me absolutely and completely hooked on the format. I listened a couple of summers ago when I was driving solo to Saskatchewan for my annual summer lounging at the lake event. I had heard Simon Jones' voice before in The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, but the combination of Jones and the devilish Bartimaeus was like someone poured fine chocolate in my ears. Someday soon I will create a blog post / shrine to Simon Jones.

I think the books are a bit confusing because Bartimaeus, a 2000 + year old djinny (mid-level spirit) with a serious attitude problem, is not the villain of the story, he's more like the hero although he comes across as a villain. He has intelligence, extreme wit, and standards. Nathanial, the boy magician-in-training who summons Bartimaeus, does not display many heroic characteristics early on. By the end of the third book I completely adored both of them. Nathanial, however, is definitely an acquired taste.

Together Nathanial and Bartimaeus battle a rebellion in the world of London magicians who parallel the politicians of our world. In their world, the magicians have all the political power, even though they rely on the spirits they summon and control for their magical powers. There is intrigue, murder, revolution, betrayal, and an enormous amount of humour – all the good stuff.

In the Prequel, The Ring of Solomon, which came out in 2010, Bartimaeus creates a similar kind of irreverent havoc in Jerusalem in 950 AD. There he is involved in a plot to by Asmira, a young woman who, as Captain of the Guard, has been enlisted by her Queen (the Queen of Sheba) to assassinate Solomon. More mayhem, murder, magic, and sarcasm – perfect!

I downloaded all four 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 links below.

Listen up!

The Amulet of Samarkand  (13 hours, 30 minutes) Listening Library, (2003)
The Golem's Eye (16 hours, 32 minutes) Listening Library, (2004)
Ptolemy's Gate (15 hours, 32 minutes), Listening Library, (2005)
The Ring of Solomon (12 hours, 38 minutes), Listening Library, (2010)