Monthly Archives: April 2012

Defending Jacob by William Landay 2012/432 pages narrated by Grover Gardener rating 8 (high for crime) Andy Barber is a district attorney in a small suburban town where a teen-age boy is killed in the park. .  Jacob,  Andy’s 14 … Continue reading →

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 2011 / 384 pages rating I’m just not familiar enough with mythology to be able to read and really understand these books.  I’ve read The Illiad by Homer and Ransom by David Malouf,  The … Continue reading →

Break In by Dick Francis 1985 / 320 pages read by Simon Prebble 9h.15m Rating – 6 I do like a good Dick Francis book.  Because Francis was a horse jockey before his injury,  his books are about the horse … Continue reading →

Another blogger got me thinking about this.  I have a different “best of list for sci-fi” than my normal literary reads.    I don’t read so much sci fi anymore,  but when I was in about the 5th or 6th … Continue reading →

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell 1864-1865 (serial) narrated by Patience Tomlinson 37h. 35m  (440 pages in the Empire edition) I’m finished the audio version.   It’s pretty boring until about half way.  After that it’s really rather interesting.  The … Continue reading →

Well – I volunteered today in World Book Night project: http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2012/0423/World-Book-Night-coming-your-way-but-no-room-for-Amazon And I had a really great time! My chosen book was Zeitoun by Dave Eggars – a book I read a few years ago and really enjoyed. First I … Continue reading →

Snowdrops A.D. Miller 2011 – 272 pages rating –  9 Okay – I’m rereading this as there is apparently more to it than I got from the first exposure – listening.   The first time I listened to  it as … Continue reading →

So I’d like to try reading a lot more slowly – read a book twice maybe.  I’m tired of trying to read every book that every group reads and comment intelligently.  I’m not going to drop more than 1 group … Continue reading →

Kafka on the Shore Haruki Murakami 2002 – Rating – 7 I first read this back in 2006 and very much enjoyed it but anymore I’m just not interested in the sexual fantasies of teenage boys.   I’m far more … Continue reading →

The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen 1938 – 418 pages Rating – 9 A sensitive and subtle classic coming-of-age story about Portia Quayne, a 16 year-old girl who has to live with her brother and his wife after … Continue reading →

A Vine in the Blood by Leighton Gage 2011 / 289 pages narrated by Peter Berkrot – 7:44 Rating – 5 I finished this several days ago but forgot to enter it. The mother of Brazilian soccer star Tico Santos … Continue reading →

The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition by Stephen King 1990 / 1185 pages Narrated by Grover Gardner 47h 46m Rating 6 Yup – I listened to the whole 48 hours worth. When a super-powerful virus is accidentally released into the … Continue reading →

Snowdrops by A.D. Miller 2011 / 272 pages narrated by  Kevin Howard 6h 12m rating – ? I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed this after hearing a couple rather negative reviews.  Part of that may be due to … Continue reading →

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith 13th in the “Ladies’ #1 Detective Agency” series 4/2012 – 278 pages narrated by Leslie Lecat rating – 10  (because I love these books – it’s a soft spot) Oh I … Continue reading →

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brian 1990 / 232 pgs rating  –  ? I didn’t really go into this book with an open mind.  I don’t like war stories,  I especially don’t like Vietnam stories – probably because it … Continue reading →