Review: Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister

Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

At an intimate, festive dinner party in Seattle, six women gather to celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer.  Wineglass in hand, Kate strikes a bargain with them:  to celebrate her new lease on life, she'll do the one thing that's always terrified her:  whitewater rafting down the Grand Canyon.  But if she goes, each of them must promise to do one thing in the next year that is new, or difficult, or scary - and Kate gets to choose their challenges.

Shimmering with warmth, wit, and insight, Joy for Beginners is a celebration of life:  unexpected, lyrical, and deeply satisfying.

My Thoughts:  Joy for Beginners is a book about second chances.  Each woman is looking forward to a fresh start, a chance to correct past mistakes and move forward.  The chapters can be viewed as short stories, as each woman's story is told in alternating chapters.  The reader gets an in depth look into the womens' lives.  Kate accurately chooses a challenge that will push them outside their comfort zone and moves them toward the life they've imagined.

Narration:  This was my first audio book narrated by Campbell.  At times I thought the characters' voices started to sound the same and it was hard to distinguish between them.  As a result, I felt lost at times and had to think back to the beginning of the chapter to remind myself who was speaking.

Final words:  I thought I would love Joy for Beginners as much as I did the author's debut novel, The School of Essential Ingredients.  Sadly this was not the case.  I did like it, however I think this one was a book I should have read and not listened to.  The confusion with the voices prevented me from feeling connected to the characters.

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Audiobook Details:

Release Date:  June 9, 2011

Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks

Length:  7 hours, 55 minutes

Genre: Women's Fiction

Source: Audiobook borrowed from library

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline
Narrated by Cynthia Nixon

Review:
Melly is different than the other girls in her class. She doesn’t play with the American Girls dolls or wear cute dresses. She has a birthmark on her face that makes her an easy target to be teased by the other school children. And that is exactly what Amanda does the day Rose, Melly’s mother, volunteers as lunch mom. Rose witnessed Amanda smearing jelly on her face to make fun of Melly. Melly starts to cry and runs out of the lunch room. This isn’t the first incident of Amanda bullying Melly. Rose speaks to Amanda about her behavior just as another volunteer approaches. She scolds Rose saying the moms are not allowed to reprimand the children, it's the responsibility of the teachers. The volunteer leaves to find a teacher. The moment Rose, Amanda and two other girls are about to leave the lunchroom, the kitchen explodes .

Rose frantically tries to get the girls out of harm’s way so she can rescue Melly from the bathroom. Thinking she led the girls to safety, she sets out in search of her daughter. Relief sets in when she’s able to locate her and rescues her from the burning school. Minutes later Rose learns that Amanda did not make it out of the lunchroom. Soon the other parents turn on Rose for her negligence of not getting Amanda out of the school. Everyone begins to think this is Rose’s way of punishing Amanda for bullying her daughter.

When I first began reading Save Me, my expectation was it’s a story about a mother trying to save her daughter from the school bully. So I was very surprised when the storyline went into an entirely different direction. The plot is full of twists and turns, although it’s a little far-fetched, at times.

Narration:
My original intent was to read Save Me. Then I learned Cynthia Nixon narrated the audio book. I’ve heard glowing reviews about her as a narrator and decided to listen to the audio book instead. I’m glad that I did. Nixon did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. Quite honestly, I think had I read the book, I may have skimmed and even skipped pages here and there. But Nixon kept me invested in the story. I will definitely seek out other books that she has narrated.

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Length: 11 hours
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Source: Library

The Postcard Killers - James Patterson & Liza Marklund

The Postcard Killers by James Patterson & Liza Marklund
Narrated by Katherine Kellgren, Eric Singer and Reg Rogers

Paris is stunning in the summer

NYPD detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe's most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren't what draw him--he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each cafe through the eyes of his daughter's killer.

The killing is simply marvelous

Kanon's daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders, other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim.

Wish you were here

Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter, Dessie Larsson, who has just received a postcard in Stockholm--and they think they know where the next victims will be. With relentless logic and unstoppable action, The Postcard Killers may be James Patterson's most vivid and compelling thriller yet.

My thoughts:
Last summer when The Postcard Killers was first released I attempted to read it. Key word: attempted! For whatever reason, I could not finish the Prologue. Never a good sign. I put it down thinking it was just the mood I was in and didn't think much about it.

Last week I was at the library and noticed The Postcard Killers in the audio book section. I decided maybe listening to it would be a better option. I was able to move past the place where I first stopped and soon found myself engaged with the story.

While listening to the audio book, it took me awhile to warm up to the narrators. This was my first experience with multiple narrators and the switching back and forth didn't work with me initially. I found myself paying more attention to which narrator was speaking instead of the plot itself. As the plot started to develop, and true to Patterson's style of twists and turns, I was able to let it go and focus on the storyline.

I certainly wouldn't say The Postcard Killers is Patterson's "most compelling thriller" (the Alex Cross series, in my opinion, is more compelling), but it's worth a listen for Patterson's fans. Be warned, some scenes are graphic and the killers are dark and twisted.

Length: 7 hours, 30 minutes

Source: Library

This review can also be found at Audiobook Jukebox.


Blast from the Past by Meg Cabot

Blast from the Past by Meg Cabot
Allie Finkle Rules for Girls, Book 6
Narrated by Tara Sands

Mini-review:
Allie Finkle has never been on a school field trip. At her previous school, her class went to the children’s museum (which included a Barbie exhibit!) and Allie was beyond excited about. Her then BFF Mary Kay suggested Allie give her signed permission slip to Mary Kay because Allie may lose it. So of course Allie did. On the day of the field trip, Mary Kay accidentally on purpose forgot to hand Allie’s in. So Allie had to spend the day at school while the rest of her class went on a fun day to the museum.

When Allie’s teacher Ms. Hunter announced the class would go on a field trip, Allie was thrilled! This time she would hand in her permission slip! And the best part is the class would have to take a school bus there! Allie walks to school so she’s never been on a school bus before. Unfortunately Allie’s excitement is short lived when she learns her former school will also be joining in on their field trip. Which means she will have to see Mary Kay and other the mean girls from her former school. To make matters even worse, Mary Kay is assigned to be her buddy! Can anything good come from this day?

Length: 3 hours, 55 minutes

Source: Library


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This review can also be found at Audiobook Jukebox.


Queen of Babble in the Big City - Meg Cabot

My Summary:
After spending the summer in France, Lizzie, Luke, Shari and Chaz move to New York City to begin the next chapter in their lives. Luke and Lizzie move in together and their relationship quickly turns serious. Meanwhile, Chaz and Shari are drifting apart.

As her three friends begin school and work, Lizzie struggles to find her niche. Chaz suggests she apply for the front desk receptionist at his father's law firm. It's about this time when she volunteers her services at a wedding gown boutique.

Lizzie and her friends soon realize their dreams and goals for the big city may not go as planned.

My thoughts:
I enjoyed Queen of Babble in the Big City more so than the first book, Queen of Babble. Lizzie appeared to be more mature in this book. She still found herself in sticky situations, but overall handled them pretty well.

What didn't work for me was her relationship with Luke. Luke appeared to be "too perfect" in Queen of Babble. In Queen of Babble in the Big City, I couldn't help but wonder what he was really up to.

All in all, it was a quick read. The ending didn't feel abrupt and flowed with the storyline. I was quite pleased with the events that led up to the ending (actually I secretly wished for it all along). Then Luke had to throw a wrench in it.

Why I read this book:
Queen of Babble in the Big City has been sitting on my unread bookshelf for almost two years. And, okay, I just really enjoy reading serial books written by Meg Cabot!

Do I recommend?
Yes, but read the series in order. Fans of Meg Cabot will enjoy this trilogy.

Book Details:
Series: Queen of Babble #2
ISBN-13: 9780060852016
Pages: 307
Release Date: May 20, 2008
Genre: Chick Lit
Source: Purchased from Barnes & Noble

Queen of Babble - Meg Cabot

Lizzie Nichols is about to have the best summer of her life. She has graduated from college (the first in her family to do so) and will spend a month in London visiting Andrew, her boyfriend. Unfortunately things do not go as planned.

Lizzie discovers she hasn't graduated after all. As part of her independent study, she is to write a thesis—a requirement she claims to know nothing about. Her topic is the history of fashion and it has to be at least fifty pages. The problem is in two days she's traveling to London to visit her boyfriend.

Her trip to London quickly turns into disaster. Andrew isn't the same as she remembers in college. When Lizzie discovers the truth about him, it sends her scrambling to her best friend, Shari who, along with her boyfriend Chaz, is spending the summer in France. Chaz is friends with Luke, whose father owns the chateau that he is working at with Shari. Their job is to assist with the wedding details of Luke's cousin.

While on the train traveling to Souillac to meet Shari, Lizzie meets a gorgeous stranger: an American man! Before she knows it, she's telling him everything about not graduating to her breakup with Andrew. Little does she know that this stranger will become a significant part of her life.

Queen of Babble has been sitting on my shelf unread for awhile now. I adore Meg Cabot and have read nearly half of her collection. At one time, Queen of Babble was on my "must read" list along with the other two books in the series. I wish I could say it was worth the wait. Sadly, it wasn't.

Early on, I thought Cabot was repetitive with Lizzie's thoughts that it took away from the story. And yes, Queen of Babble is quite predictable. The moment she meets this "stranger", the reader knows who he is and can quickly see where the story is headed. The formula of "girl dates boy only to find out he's not the one for her and then finds her true love" didn't work for me in this novel. Even though the story fell a bit flat for me, I still want to continue with the trilogy. I am curious to know what Lizzie gets herself into while living in New York City.

Book details:
Series: Queen of Babble #1
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-085199-6
Pages: 308
Release Date: May 23, 2006
Genre: Chick Lit
Source: Personal Copy

A Deep Dark Secret - Kimberla Lawson Roby

Book summary:

The New York Times bestselling author returns with the moving story of a family who learns to overcome betrayal and secrets with courage and love

On the outside, twelve-year-old Jillian Maxwell is the perfect child. She's helpful with chores around the house, gets straight As in school, has plans for college, and stays out of trouble. She seems to have everything a girl could want: a big, beautiful new home, an adoring little sister, a mother who cares about her, and an attentive stepfather.

But inside, Jillian harbors a terrible secret.

Too frightened to tell, convinced that her friends and loved ones, especially her mother, won't understand—and worse, will blame her—Jillian endures her pain in silence, believing that things will get better. However, as time passes and her dilemma intensifies, the bright, hardworking girl becomes sullen and disinterested in her studies. Then, just when it seems she's on the verge of losing everything, Jillian discovers she has more strength than she ever imagined…and the power to change her fate.

With sensitivity and grace, Kimberla Lawson Roby addresses a very real and serious issue, while delivering the inspiring tale of one family's mission to shed light into the darkest corner of their lives.

My thoughts:
A Deep Dark Secret is a disturbing novel about a young girl who is being molested by her step-father. The molestation begins when she is seven on the night her baby sister is born. Now Jillian is twelve and the abuse has escalated between her father.

Jillian's father has threatened her if she breaks her silence. Jillian is quite convinced his threats will come true so she remains quiet and continues to live her life as normal as she can. Jillian's facade starts to slip when she begins a relationship with a boy at her school, Kyle. Also her best friend Nikki is dating a popular boy at school and will do just about anything to remain his girlfriend.

A Deep Dark Secret is a short novel, with 179 pages, but is difficult to read. The abusive scenes are quite graphic and the reader's heart breaks as Jillian is forced to perform these acts with her step-father. My only issue was it was hard to know the author's target audience. The main character is a twelve-year-old girl, however the book is listed as adult contemporary African-American Fiction.

Book details:
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-144309-1
Pages: 179
Year Published: 2009
Genre: African-American Fiction
Format: Audio Book
Source: Library