Sunday, March 23, 2014

Audiobook Mini-Reviews

I've been on a bit of an audiobook kick lately in between my regular reads, so I decided to do a bit of a round-up instead of individual posts. These were all on the shorter side and perfect for car trips and general multi-tasking around the house. I gave these a mix of ratings, but would recommend all of them except for the Stephen Colbert one, though my 1-star rating probably gives that away...


If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)
Series? No
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Date: 2011
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

What's not to love about Betty White? When I spotted this one available as an audiobook from my library, I couldn't resist. I remember the Golden Girls fondly and have enjoyed seeing Betty pop up in other projects and shows more recently. This is basically a series of anecdotes from her life along with a lot of great lessons she's learned throughout the years. A wonderful & quick read!

P.S. I was surprised to see how "high" the page count was of the print book when I looked this one up on GoodReads -- 258 pages -- given that the audio version was only 2 1/2 hours long. Turns out there are a lot of photos in the print book which I took a peek at the next time I visited the library.

* * * * *


Books, by Larry McMurtry
Series? No
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Date: 2007
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

I usually love books about books, but this one is much more about book-selling and the book trade than anything else. There is nothing wrong with that, but there were a lot of names and places McMurtry seems to assume the reader would be familiar with that were not necessarily well explained, but I decided to not let that bother me. I gave up on keeping track of every single store and book dealer and enjoyed the stories as the anecdotes they are, even if I couldn't keep up with all the name-dropping. If I read this in print, I may have given up on it (or taken much longer to read it), but found it quite enjoyable on audio. An interesting look into the world of rare and antiquarian book selling. (P.S. The one location I knew right away was England's Hay on Wye from reading Charlie Lovett's The Bookman's Tale -- such a good book if you haven't read it!)

* * * * *


I am America (and So Can You!), by Stephen Colbert
Series? No
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Date: 2007
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 1 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

I really did not care for this one. I don't watch The Colbert Report, but have seen occasional clips and thought this might be entertaining as an audiobook. That turned out to SO not be the case. I know Stephen Colbert is known for satire and dead-pan delivery, but something got lost in translation from performing in front of a live audience to narrating an audiobook. It was really hard to remember he was poking fun at the various topics he addresses without an audience's laughter or the comedic timing involved in a live show. If you didn't know anything about Colbert previously, you would probably think he meant everything he was saying seriously (and literally). If you like him, I recommend sticking with the show.

* * * * *


Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns), by Mindy Kaling
Series? No
Publisher: Random House Audio
Date: 2011
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

I picked up a whole slew of audiobooks from the library on a whim and then went to check reviews on GoodReads after I got home -- when I realized by friend Christy gave this one 5 stars, I bumped it to the top of the pile. I don't watch The Office and the few clips/episodes I've seen haven't inspired me to watch any further despite my brother's pleading to give it another chance. I was still intrigued by Mindy and am really glad I read her book. She seems so down to earth and I can probably relate to her upbringing and outlook on life a lot more than other celebrities out there. I particularly loved her list of "best friend rules" and her plea for men to leave their chest hair alone. Enjoyable all the way though and made even better by Mindy own narration.

* * * * *


I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I've Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High, by Tony Danza
Series? No
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Date: 2012
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

I only vaguely remembered that Tony Danza had a (short-lived) show about his year as a teacher, so thought this one would be a fun listen and it definitely was. His experience is different from a regular teacher's, given that he only taught one class and had cameras following him around, but it was still an interesting look inside a profession I've only viewed from a student's desk myself. It's clear Danza cared about his students and their education and his year in the classroom really affected him. This book reminded me a bit of The Freedom Writers' Diary, but not quite as intense for obvious reasons.

_____________
Reading Challenges:
Audiobook
Non-Fiction
New Author
Diversity on the Shelf

Friday, March 14, 2014

Sh*t Like This Makes My Head Hurt

I haven't actually read anything by John Green, but when I came across this post of his yesterday about two of his books being challenged (along with quite a few others), I couldn't resist sharing my two cents ranting a bit here. I host a Banned Books Reading Challenge after all, so that should give you a big clue about where I stand on the subject! If you haven't heard, the basic story is that a Colorado school has approved a new Young Adult Literature course (an elective, no less!) and some parents are objecting to the reading list for the class. The teacher has defended her curriculum and the matter is going to be addressed at a board meeting in April. The teacher reached out to Green who in turn reached out to his readers to support his books and this teacher.

I don't think it matters that I haven't read all the books on the list -- I have read a couple as well as plenty of others that contain the same kind of dialogue/scenes/language/themes under scrutiny. It makes me mad when people don't give teenagers credit for being able to think and read critically. It makes me mad when people don't give teachers credit for teaching teenagers to think and read critically. It makes me mad when people make books out to be the enemy and try to discourage reading out of fear. It makes me mad when things are taken out of context and pointed to as evidence of "inappropriateness." And it makes me really mad that people think lit curriculums need to be "cleansed" of all books that include anything they don't agree with. People (teenagers included) don't live in a bubble. If we cut ourselves off from every single thing we don't agree with, we might as well unplug our TVs and computers, throw out all our books, and never leave our houses ever again.

Books make people think -- they put you in another's person's shoes and let you experience things from another's perspective. In my opinion, books are a safe way to explore the world without actually putting ourselves in every possible situation. Why some people think reading about something (in a classroom, no less!) is an automatic gateway to doing it themselves is beyond absurd to me. Are teenagers impressionable? Of course they are. We are all impressionable to an extent. But banning books and shielding students from how things are in the real world is not the answer. Teaching and empowering kids to make intelligent decisions is the answer. Books that deal with tough subjects or bad decisions should facilitate discussions and learning, not be shoved out of sight to avoid "corruption." Knowledge is power, and yes power can be used for good or for evil, but ignorance is a far greater danger than knowledge ever will be.

* * * * *

P.S. If you're in my banned books challenge this year and have read any of the books on the list (since Jan. 1st), make sure you count them toward your goal!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

The World's Strongest Librarian

The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne
Series? No
Publisher: AudioGO
Date: May 2013
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

This audiobook was an enjoyable listen, but I can't honestly say it was especially memorable. As indicated in the book's subtitle, it covers many aspects of the author's life and it was interesting to read about Josh's unique experiences. I especially liked his stories about his childhood, his parents, and the snippets of his life as a librarian. Admittedly, I was hoping for a bit more of the latter, but I did know going in that wasn't truly the focus of this book.

Josh is Mormon and it was interesting to see how his relationships with his family and his wife intersected with his faith, struggles and all. Not a very religious person myself, I find stories about other people's experiences with faith fascinating for some reason.

One particularly difficult topic that is also addressed is infertility. I only point this out because I know it is a fairly common problem that is not often talked about. I think it was very brave to share such a personal account of how this affected his life and marriage. A condition like Tourette's is out there in the open whether you like it or not, but infertility is a kind of silent issue that many couples deal with only behind closed doors. I think there will be many readers out there who will appreciate his honesty on that particular subject.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

While Beauty Slept

While Beauty Slept, by Elizabeth Blackwell
Series? No
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books, a Penguin imprint
Date: Feb 20, 2014
How did I get this book? free Advance Reader's Copy from the publisher via Shelf Awareness for my honest review
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

Right around the time I started this book, I also started seeing glowing reviews for it pop up all over the place. They were actually making me nervous because I kept wondering what I was missing. I was at the point where I wasn't really in the groove of the story yet and didn't know what to make of all the positive feedback. But once I was about 200 pages in, everything started coming together and I was hooked! I know that is a long time to get invested in a story, but I'm glad I didn't give up and knowing how everything plays out, I would absolutely love to re-read this one with a greater appreciation of earlier events.

Basically this is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty as if the fairy tale could have "really" happened, told from the perspective of Elise, a servant at the castle and companion of the young princess. There is still a curse, but there are no magic spells or dragons or anything like that. It's not true historical fiction, but it definitely reads like historical fiction which I thought was a completely fascinating take on the subject (and is what originally piqued my interest.) There is not a specified place or time period, but it has a definite medieval feel.

Being the lifelong Disney fan that I am, I had to do my homework on this one -- what fun is a retelling without revisiting the original? Now I know the Disney movie is a retelling in itself, but it is likely the most popular version so I thought it worth watching alongside this book. I also pulled out my Grimm collection so I could read the actual original and compare all three. I won't do a point-by-point comparison because that would definitely ruin the book, but there is one key thing worth noting without going too much into specifics. Contrary to popular belief, some Grimm stories actually do have happy endings! Not all of these stories were drastically warped when they got "Disney-fied." While certainly embellished and re-imagined in its own way, I was very happy to realize the Disney movie I grew up loving is fairly true to the original tale in this case. (Of course this now makes me want to read all the other original stories Disney movies were inspired by, but that is a project for another day.)

It kind of blows my mind how well Elizabeth Blackwell molded her story around Grimm's original, keeping its true essence while at the same time taking the story in a whole new direction -- a very rich, complex, intriguing direction that makes for quite a compelling read. I had never read a retelling before, but this book just may be my gateway into that particular sub-genre. I'm still extremely wary about YA re-tellings for some reason, so if anyone has recommendations, throw 'em at me! And if you know of any other adult re-tellings, please share those, too -- I'm super curious now :)


P.S. Any Game of Thrones fans out there? A very kind and noble character in this book is named Joffrey and it really messed with my head! If you've watched the show or read the series, you know what I'm talking about!


Explore further:
Discussion Questions on the publisher's site
A much more articulate & less meandering review than mine over on Doing Dewey
Once Upon a Nightmare, a post by Elizabeth Blackwell on the Penguin books blog about the upcoming movie Maleficent

_____________
Reading Challenges:
Review Pile
New Author
March 2014 Take Control of Your TBR Pile

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

How to be a Woman

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
Series? No
Publisher: HarperAudio
Date: 2012
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

Bloody f***ing brilliant! I can barely put into words how much I love this book. The narration of the audiobook by Caitlin Moran herself is absolutely perfect. One complaint I've seen in reviews is an excessive use of CAPS LOCK FOR EMPHASIS, but that is not an issue with the audiobook for obvious reasons. I listened to much of this book while outside doing yardwork (gives away how long this post has been in draft, doesn't it!) and laughed so often and so loudly, I am now convinced the neighbors think I've gone mad.

Each chapter focuses on a particular point in Moran's life and she hilariously discusses a lot of day-to-day stuff that affects modern girls and women. She can be very blunt and I doubt anyone reading would agree with her on every single point, but overall there is such truth in what she is saying and so much of it really resonated with me. She captures the absurdity of a lot of the silly crap women think about, deal with, and worry about on a daily basis in addition a lot of the "big issues". She talks about body image, weight, high heels, shaving, Brazilian waxes, work, relationships, fashion, weddings, having babies, not having babies, being a mother, abortion, porn, and so much more.

It's important to realize this is first and foremost a memoir. It is not meant to be a feminist manifesto that comprehensively addresses every single issue and speaks for every single woman out there in the world. Moran writes about her own experience as a modern, middle-to-upper-class, western woman and she does so brilliantly. I'm not trying to discount the experiences of women who do not fall into that demographic, but I think in the format of a memoir, it would have been disingenuous for Moran to try to speak for absolutely every woman out there. This is the story of her life as she struggles to establish her identity in a society where women are constantly bombarded with mixed messages and unrealistic expectations. It is a story I can relate to and I think many other young women will relate to as well, at least in part.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

March 2014 Take Control of Your TBR Pile challenge sign-up

I've been reading a lot of review books lately, so I didn't think I was going to participate in this year's Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge, BUT then I realized two of the March book club selections at my local library are ones I have in my towering TBR pile! I'm not 100% sure I will make the deadline for both since the meetings are only two days apart, but I'm definitely going to try and use this challenge as some extra motivation. So my main goal is to read those two books and if I manage to read anything else, I will consider it a bonus!

View on GoodReads


View on GoodReads

If I actually succeed in making it to either of the book club meetings, I will post more about it afterwards -- there are also transportation issues, but I will start off on the right foot with reading the books -- wish me luck!