The End of 2015

I'm still having a hard time believing that this is the final week of 2015. I'm not exactly sure where it went, but looking back through my reading log, I think I spent a lot of it buried in a book.

My final reading numbers for this year were:

115 books read
114 authors (the only author I read twice was Neil Gaiman)
88 authors who were completely new to me

87 books were fiction
28 non-fiction
78 print books
37 audiobooks
26 debuts

67 books were written by male authors
43 were written by female authors
5 were written by male and female writing teams (that number surprised me)

For next year, I'm adding a column onto my reading log for authors outside the United States. I read a number of translated works this year and quite a few non-American authors, but I'm not positive how many in total.

So for my favorites lists this year, I'm going to divide it into two posts. Today I'll cover my favorite debuts, non-fiction and audiobooks. Since they comprised a smaller fraction of my overall reading, I'm making each of these lists 5 books long. It was a challenge to narrow the non-fiction down to 5. I didn't read a ton, but what I read was good! So here we go.

My 2015 Favorite Debuts Are (in no particular order):

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe. I still have to post this review to my blog, but it was a starred review at Shelf Awareness and I chose this book as my co-pick for the November Nerdy Special List. A fun new female protagonist with a lot of gumption. She calls to mind a female Sherlock for some.

The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young. This book is so atmospheric and richly written, I simply lost myself in it. The language is gorgeous and the complexity of the plot makes it an engaging read. I'm looking forward to more from Hester Young.

The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell. Charming is the word that best describes this lovely little memoir. I finished it wanting a penguin of my own. The events of this book made my heart swell, laugh and rejoice. If you need a glimmer of hope, this is the book to pick up.

Wanted by Chris Hoke. A powerful look at our prison system and its residence from the perspective of a prison chaplain. Hoke humanizes those individuals our society feels are worthless monsters. It's a harsh reminder that life isn't that simple. This one isn't a easy, feel-good read because it challenges stereotypes and brings reality up close and personal, but it's written with stunning beauty and amazing compassion.

A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders. Flanders isn't technically a debut, but this is her first go at fiction. I listened to this one on audio and it's fun. The perspective of the publishing world adds an entertaining angle to the murder mystery. I hope there's more from Flanders.

I also wanted to make a mention of The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton. I had this one on my favorite debuts list last year, which was in error. I read it early for a Shelf Awareness Max Shelf issue and forgot that its release date was January of 2015. Ooops. So I mention it again this year.

My 2015 Favorite Non-fiction Works Are (again, in no particular order):

Wanted by Chris Hoke. See above for gushing on this title.

A Force for Good by Daniel Goleman. Writing this I discovered that I never posted this review to my blog. Yeesh! This was the most inspiring book I read this year. I've recommended it to many people and believe whole-heartedly in the importance of compassion over greed. I appreciated that this book gave focus to the individual, showing me how I can make a difference. I don't need to have a lot of money or power or influence in order to do so.

Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich. The former U.S. Labor Secretary makes a strong argument for why Capitalism is failing now when it was so successful in the 60s, 70s and 80s. He outlines how the trend toward a shrinking middle class can be reversed and why that's so vital. His insights are eye-opening and he has a strong understanding of what he's professing, so he's able to explain it in layman's terms. You don't need an advanced degree in economics to comprehend these ideas. I'd rank this as the most important book I read this year.

The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson. Now at the other end of the spectrum I offer you some humor. I don't watch TV, so I'm not an Office groupie, but this book was fantastic. It's funny, insightful, inspiring and just overall enjoyable. Wilson's wicked wit wins in The Bassoon King.

The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell. Again, see above for gushing on this title.

Last but certainly never least, my 2015 Favorite Audiobooks Are:

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, narrated by Scott Brick. It's often difficult for me to read books that people recommend to me simply because of time constraints, but I did pick up The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry because several friends raved about it. And they certainly were right to do so. It's a glorious tale and a delightful audiobook. I'm not always Scott Brick's biggest fan on thrillers, but he struck gold in his narration of this book. He truly taps into the soul of this story. If you haven't experienced this one, definitely put it on your list to read or listen to.

Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty, narrated by Gerard Doyle. As an audiobook listener, I appreciate the narrations that obviously delve into the heart of the author's work. They connect with the emotions, the atmosphere, the tone. Adrian McKinty has a very distinct tone to his novels and Doyle is without a doubt in tune with it. The darkness is palpable and the element of crime is rich. And the icing on this delectable cake is Doyle's grasp of McKinty's humor. An all-around excellent recording.

Night Life by David C. Taylor, narrated by Keith Szarabjka. The Night Life audiobook shares many of the attributes of Gun Street Girl. The atmosphere is so vital in this novel and Szarabjka is keenly aware of it, bringing it to life as much as the human characters. Szarabjka also excels with the range of dialects he portrays in this novel, which are essential to the setting. This is also another debut and most worthy of your attention, most especially if you're a crime fiction fan.

The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson, narrated by Rainn Wilson. You can see my above entry for gushing on the book itself. As for the audiobook, Wilson is dynamic, funny and puts his acting chops on display as much as any stage or screen performance he's done. His humor is well-timed, as is dramatic inflection. He saves the passion for perfect emphasis. And you realize just how intelligent this man is. Superb recording!

The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein, narrated by Kirby Heyborne. This is the only children's title on my list this year, and unfortunately I didn't fit in the review of it. Heyborne does an exemplary job with the hilarious cast of this book. From a very self-assured Robin Hood to a bit of a bumbling Hercules, this narration is fun and I would have to believe young readers would be just as entertained as I was. Its focus age group is middle grade, so 4th-8th grade, give or take depending on reading ability.


That's just about enough for one day. Please share with me your favorites in any of these categories. It's always fun to hear what others are enjoying. Plus I love to have ideas I can share with other people even if I'm not always able to read them all myself.

I'll share my favorite crime novels and my favorite overall books of 2015 tomorrow. Hope you'll stop back. Happy Reading!

Catching Up on Audiobooks

I have been terrible about getting my audiobook reviews on the blog this year. I am listening to them regularly and reviewing for AudioFile Magazine, but neglecting to get them up on the blog once they've appeared in the magazine. Part of this is because my intention was always to rewrite them with a bit more about the content of the book. My reviews for AudioFile focus on the recording. Time just hasn't allowed that, so I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you from this year with AudioFile's permission. So, let's take a look:

A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders

Deviating from her bestselling non-fiction, Judith Flanders tries her hand at mystery in this debut novel. Susan Duerden gives voice to Flanders' narrating protagonist, publishing editor Samantha Clair. With consistency and emotion she creates a high level of authenticity in the reactions of a woman unaccustomed to big money book sales, let alone murder and mayhem. Duerden maintains a swift pace without hurrying and her dialects are distinct as Sam travels by foot, train and plane throughout Europe searching for clues about her missing author, Kit Lowell. Edgier than a traditional cozy, Duerden offers a light tone, while still delivering the occasional profanity with spunk. The only disappointment in this enjoyable recording is a flat delivery of the novel's sharp humor.

Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey

Hold on to your sun screen and shades, Florida's own Serge A. Storms is back and so is his versatile narrator, Oliver Wyman. A cast recording isn't necessary with Wyman at the helm. The wrinkles and white hair on a crew of plucky senior women ride the waves of Wyman's geriatric sound as assuredly and confidently as Mahoney's smooth gumshoe jive rolls off his tongue. Whether it's Coleman's dawdling drugged diction or Serge's speeding caffeinated chatter, Wyman is seamless in his delivery, highlighting subtle nuances in each character. Dorsey's series is famous for the wacky humor and Wyman delivers it with verve, leaving listeners chuckling heartily throughout. Veteran listeners or newbies are sure to enjoy this addition to the Serge A. Storms oeuvre.

Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty

Gerard Doyle returns to Adrian McKinty's Detective Sean Duffy series to give a stunning performance in his reading of the fourth installment, GUN STREET GIRL. The plot, involving a suspicious murder-suicide possibly connected to arms dealers, is packed with subtle nuances and passions that underlie a tired, beat down, highly complex RUC inspector. Simultaneously Duffy's protégé, Alexander Lawson, possess the unrestrained wonder and eagerness of an optimistic youth. Doyle narrates these mirroring roles with an elegant grace that makes listeners forget he's even there. From the subtle changes in dialect to McKinty's distinct writing cadence--and most especially the dark humor--Doyle hones in on and perfectly enacts all the minute details making this police procedural engaging and a joy to listen to.

Night Life by David C. Taylor

Keith Szarabajka ferries his audience back into David C. Taylor's McCarthy-era New York City with such authenticity they may start seeing their surroundings in black and white. Taylor's richly atmospheric debut crime novel, NIGHT LIFE, is only enhanced by Szarabajka's vast range of meticulous dialects, reflecting the diversity of the period. Szarabajka also subtly teases out the harsh ugliness of a nation in fear and leaders who profit from it. He delivers Taylor's stellar dialogue with a gritty grace befitting hardened cops and dirty politicians while never missing a beat of the deadpan humor that serves as the icing on this delectable performance. A brilliant pairing of narrator and story makes NIGHT LIFE a superb audiobook.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman's stunning tribute to life, death and fairy tales chronicles the story of Elsa, a seven-year-old tasked with delivering apology letters for her grandmother after her death. Joan Walker reads this delightful novel with a perfect balance of reverence and playfulness, bringing out Backman's wonderfully authentic child's-eye perspective as well as his heart-warming humor. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry is populated with a rainbow of eccentric characters, and Walker provides each a distinct persona. Elsa's dialogue is, unfortunately, the most disappointing. Often Walker sounds as though she is over-reaching for a childish high-pitch instead of expressing Elsa's character. This small glitch aside, the audiobook is utterly enchanting and a must for anyone who appreciates story.

The Dog Master by W. Bruce Cameron

David Colacci reveres the wolf in his narration of W. Bruce Cameron's The Dog Master. Guiding listeners through three time periods, multiple early tribes of humans and the wolf packs, he keeps the momentum of the plot swift, the characters distinct and the atmosphere rich. The tensions, anxieties and frustrations of both these early people and their canine counterparts are palpable in Colacci's boundless reading of a tale about the first dog. Without resorting to exaggerated dramatic effects, he builds an authentic tone of constant danger in an uncertain world of hunter and prey while also establishing passionate relationships--human to human and human to wolf. Exciting, engaging and enjoyable, The Dog Master should have a wide appeal for many audiobook listeners.

These have all been audios--and books--I thoroughly enjoyed. Here's a list of a few that I probably wouldn't recommend to anyone, but if you want to check out my reviews, click on the links to the Audiofile site:

The Empire of Night (Robert Olen Butler)
The Swimminer (Peter Ganim)
Ruins of War (John A. Connell)
Second Life (S.J. Watson)
Eeny Meeny (M.J. Arlidge)
After the Storm (Linda Castillo)
City on Fire (Garth Risk Hallberg)

If you haven't checked out the AudioFile site, I encourage you to do so. Sign up for their newsletters and subscribe to the magazine if you're an audiobook lover like I am. I've discovered great audiobooks through them and I hope these that I've shared here have been of interest to you. Thanks and happy reading/listening!

Empire - John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard

First line: "The predators circled, each taking a turn to snarl at her, some more vicious than others, but every one determined to take their piece of flesh."

**NOTE: if you plan to read this series in order and have not yet read Conquest, you may want to save this review for later so as not to spoil your experience with the first book of the trilogy.


The second book in John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard's Chronicles of the Invaders young adult series picks up after Syl and her best friend, Ani, have been sent to the Marque and the Nairene Sisterhood. Paul and his brother, Steven, were shipped off to the Illyri Brigades to fight.

Light years apart, Syl and Paul are both learning about the alien organism that Archmage Syrene of the Sisterhood infected Syl's father with. And both teens are determined to do whatever may be in their powers to fight back against the evil Illyri forces.

The audiobook of Empire is remarkably narrated by Nicola Barber. The cast of this trilogy and their various locations in space have anything but common names. Barber breezes through the pronunciations allowing them to naturally blend into the narrative while bringing out the strong personalities of characters. This is especially important in the Novice girls on the Marque. Their personalities range from naive to petty to downright cruel and Barber is attuned to the subtle differences in each. Much like a clique of high school girls, the Novices use the group mentality to wield power, and listeners will easily envision the distinct body language of callous adolescent girls.

The gifted Novices also have "special" talents. Their training on the Marque helps them hone these skills so that they can ultimately become part of the Nairene army and continue the evil reign of terror. This seasoned evil is present in the older members of Nairene, and Barber is just as adept with Grandmage Oriel's chilling malevolence as she is with Ani's innocent reverence.

Off the Marque, Barber is tasked with the slight dialect differences of the Brigade soldiers, in addition to their unique personalities. As Connolly and Ridyard develop an unusual bond between the rag-tag group of conscripted soldiers, listeners connect with them and ride along in their space odyssey.

Barber is keen to changes in the plot's pacing and intensity, adjusting for boosts through wormholes, covert investigations of the Marque and all the creepy, crawly, deadly creatures that rear their heads throughout the book. Empire is a bit more dark and graphic than Conquest.

The series is engrossing and will captivate the young adult science fiction fans, possibly those looking for alternatives to Star Wars or V. For the readers who may struggle more than others, the audiobook version is a great option to engage them in an exciting fantasy world where they can discover the magic of story. Stellar readers can also take away a good deal from this recording as Barber tickles the imagination and ignites the creativity of her audience.

Empire is available as an unabridged audiobook download (ISBN: 9781442376540) from Simon & Schuster Audio. Empire is also available in hardcover (ISBN: 9781476757155) from Atria/Emily Bestler Books.

       

Guantánamo Diary - Mohamedou Ould Slahi

First line: "The music was off."

Guantánamo Diary is an astounding memoir of a prisoner in the U.S. detainee camp in Cuba. Mohamedou Ould Slahi has been imprisoned for over 13 years without any charges being brought against him. He not only hand wrote this memoir, originally weighing in at almost 500 pages, but he learned English to do it.

The book itself is heavily redacted and footnoted, which makes the audiobook a tricky beast, but it was produced superbly, allowing listeners to easily follow along to the content. Narrator Peter Ganim has a distinct sound for Mohamedou Ould Slahi's words and a completely different one for editor Larry Siems' notes throughout.

While the content is highly disturbing and should make every American uncomfortable with policies and procedures followed in our "War on Terror," there is also a very endearing human element to the book. Mohamedou's strong ties to his family, the ties he develops to other prisoners in an effort to get through his ordeal, ties he makes with the guards, even. These all reflect his similarities to each and every listener. He expresses his fears and anxieties, his hopefulness and determination. Mohamedou's English is at times awkward and sometimes funny as he uses idioms and cliches, but incredibly proficient for someone who learned the language through such a traumatic experience.

Ganim's presentation of Mohamedou's voice vividly reflects his myriad emotions as the prisoner endures year after year of threats, torture, humiliation and isolation. He easily wraps his tongue around foreign words and names. And he manages to bring a text littered with redactions to life. Listeners will experience an eerie feeling of being in the interrogation rooms and prison cells with Mohamedou.

Editor Larry Siems clearly did a tremendous amount of research into Mohamedou's case. This is reflected in the Introduction and footnotes throughout the book. He ties together pieces of the story that might otherwise be overlooked or misunderstood by listeners, and he assists in understanding sections through the redactions.

Guantánamo Diary is a long audiobook, but an important one. Allowing these voices to be heard is vital, and that's one of the added benefits of this audiobook. As a people we need to be questioning these tactics and approaches. If we simply take the stand that "it doesn't involve me" then we are as complicit as those directly involved in the wrong-doing. We might also think of Martin Niemöller's famous words. Mohamedou Ould Slahi is a brave man to endure what he has and then put his story out for the world to hear. Are we listening?

Guantánamo Diary is available as an unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 978-1478986942) from Hachette Audio and Blackstone Audio. It is also available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0316328685) from Little, Brown and Co.

       

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin

First line: "On the ferry from Hyannis to Alice Island, Amelia Loman paints her nails yellow and, while waiting for them to dry, skims her predecessor's notes."

Scott Brick provides an incredible narration for Gabrielle Zevin's beautiful story of A.J. Fikry, a widowed bookseller who unexpectedly finds himself taking on the role of father when an infant girl is left in his bookshop.

Fikry, a bit persnickety by nature anyway, has been further hardened by the tragic death of his wife. His people skills are rough around the edges to say the least--his wife always provided the smoothing--and he has a tendency toward book snobbery. Not the best combination for a bookseller, but he squeaks by knowing he has in his possession a valuable copy of Tamerlane--an early collection of poems by Edgar Allen Poe. It will provide him a comfortable retirement when he's ready to give up his bookstore.

One night in a drunken state of self-pity, Fikry removes the Tamerlane from its locked case and toasts the book until he passes out into oblivion. When he wakes the next morning, the apartment above the bookstore is spotless and the Tamerlane is gone.  Horror number one introduces Fikry to the island's police chief, Lambiase.

Shortly after the fervor from the theft of Tamerlane dies down, an infant is left in Fikry's bookshop with a note asking Fikry to take care of the little girl. Her mother no longer can, but she wants her daughter to grow up around books. Horror number two introduces Fikry to Maya. And when Maya's mother is found dead from suicide, Fikry can't bring himself to let the small girl go off into the unknown of the child welfare system, so he sets the adoption process in motion and becomes a single father.

Finally horror number three comes when Fikry is stuck with nothing else to read but a memoir called The Late Bloomer, a book he berated the sales rep for even suggesting to him. When he discovers that he actually likes the book--a la horror #3--Amelia Loman enters his life.

A small mystery in the theft of Tamerlane exists in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, but the novel is actually a love story. A love story in many different dimensions and levels. It's funny and serious and sad and extraordinary. Scott Brick not only captures all of that but he adds the color of perfect performance to it. Listeners will hear the softening of Fikry's heart and the expanding of his mind.

The pacing of the narration creates the atmosphere and the setting. Alice Island is remote and sparsely populated. The slow and deliberate reading from Brick embodies that casual, unhurried way of life for the islanders.

Each character has a distinct sound, and dialogue is especially enjoyable since it is both written eloquently and performed authentically. Even Fikry's thoughts are satisfying. His rather humorous reaction to his texting: "(He is only slightly mortified by that exclamation point.)" Or an observation I've often made about the mystery aisle of bookstores, "He looks across the spines, which are, for the most part, black and red with all capitalized fonts in slivers and whites."

Zevin fills the novel with references to all kinds of books, through chapter titles, recommendations in the bookshop and letters Fikry writers to Maya as well as myriad other ways she finds to sneak in allusions. Her love of books and her characters' love of books are treated with a reverence by Brick that further enhances the novel's dedication to reading.

I picked up The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry because several friends recommended it, and for that I'm grateful. I would not have wanted to miss this one. But I'm especially glad I opted to listen to the audiobook version. I believe it penetrated my soul a bit deeper with Scott Brick's wonderfully insightful interpretation.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is available in hardcover (ISBN:  978-1616203214) or trade paperback (ISBN: 978-1616204518) from Algonquin Books. The unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 978-1622313532), narrated by Scott Brick, is available on CD or as a download from Highbridge.

The Morgue Drawer series - Jutta Profijt

I don't often have the freedom to read numerous books in a series back to back these days, but I made time in the case of Jutta Profijt's Morgue Drawer series, which I listened to on audio. I'm going to combine the reviews here because so much of what I loved carried over in each book--without become tiresome, I should add! Unfortunately I haven't been able to get ahold of the second audiobook yet, so that's the only one from the series missing in the review to follow. Hope you enjoy...

Book 1: Morgue Drawer Four

First line: "I hope you'll read this account from top to bottom because it's the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and so--eh, I'm sure you've heard the saying."

Morgue Drawer Four introduces Pascha (formerly known as Sascha) Lerchenberg, a car thief. He's dead due to a fall from a bridge and presently cooling in morgue drawer number four. Martin Gãnsewein is the forensic pathologist who is responsible for Pascha's autopsy. Despite Pascha's physical death, his soul is still hanging around and Martin turns out to be the only human who can hear him.

Once Pascha gets over the issue of his death, he begs Martin to help him prove that his death was not a suicide. He didn't kill himself and he doesn't want to be remembered that way. Pascha believes if he can prove his death was murder, his soul will be at peace and he can pass on. Martin, desperate to have this voice inside his head gone, agrees to help.

So straight-laced, well-educated, upstanding citizen Martin and crude, womanizing, law-breaking Pascha set out to find Pascha's killer. Hilarity, chaos, crime and mystery ensue.

Book 3: Morgue Drawer for Rent

First line: "So if I were going to put a date on when the series of crises at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Cologne began, it would have to be July twelfth."

Pascha is still very much a part of Martin's life, much to Martin's chagrin. He is trying everything he can to find a way to prevent Pascha from haunting his daily life. Now Martin and his girlfriend, Birgit--who doesn't know about Pascha--are talking about moving in together, but Martin fears Pascha's interference in their lives and seems to be doing everything possible to sabotage the apartment hunting.

Meanwhile on the morgue front, Martin has a new boss who seems dead set on making his life a living hell--as if Pascha wasn't enough--while body parts and whole bodies are disappearing from the morgue.

Book 4: Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter!

First line: "The Renault Kangoo van was wedged between the narrow piers under the bridge like a boil in a butt crack, but the driver's seat was empty."

As the series presses on, Pascha begins to follow accidents in hopes of finding others trapped like he is between this world and the next. He'd like a friend, someone other than Martin.  He gets more than he bargained for in the fourth installment of the series, however.

An accident leaves a teacher missing and four young children in comas with their souls flittering around while their bodies are in limbo. They attach themselves to Martin and suddenly he's become the babysitter of the undead.

The teacher is being accused of a terrible misdeed in the accident but the children know she was kidnapped. Martin is determined to discover what happened to the teacher but he also has to make sure the children are not far away when the doctors bring them out of their comas or their young fates may be altered for eternity.

Each of the books in this series is creatively fresh. The mystery plots are plausible and Profijt does an excellent job of utilizing her entire cast of colorful characters. The individual books have their own unique guest characters, and they are as dimensional and fun as the regulars. It's actually sad to see those guests leave at the end of an installment.

The Morgue Drawer series is translated from the original German by Erik J. Macki and of course I mentioned that I listened to all three books on audio. They are narrated by Macleod Andrews.  This is truly a team effort here. Jutta Profijt has written a great series, but she's created a protagonist who is snarky and street-wise and he throws a lot of slang--and attitude--around. Macki brings that into English brilliantly and Andrews hits the tone with perfection. Pascha's first words to Martin in Morgue Drawer Four are, "Dude, get your monkey beaters off my balls!" Martin is about to emasculate Pascha in the post-mortem and Pascha hasn't come to terms with his death yet. The word choice is pitch perfect for Pascha and Andrews' desperate yelp of the exchange will convince readers he himself is about to be sliced. This trio is akin to a three-legged stool. If anyone came up short the entire thing would fail, epically. Instead, they simply seem to be floating around with Pascha, on the exact same wavelength.

MacLeod Andrews does an incredible job with this series. From things as simple as Pascha's disinterested "blah, blah, blahs" to his emotional outbursts. You don't just hear Andrews, you feel Pascha. And Profijt has sculpted this character who is simply over-flowing with swagger. Andrews delivers that without over dramatizing it. Since Pascha is a former car thief, he pays a lot of attention to cars, especially Martin's car. Andrews will deliver Pascha's lines about Martin's "trash can on wheels" with complete seriousness, which makes it hysterically funny for the listener.

And Pascha's attitude toward women, especially compared to Martin's. Pascha will rip out something completely sexist and piggish, and Andrews can turn on dime to deliver Martin's rebuke in such a way that listeners will burn from the heat the blush in his face creates. The complete mortification Martin endures when Pascha tries to help him with his romancing of Birgit (a la Cyrano)--in the middle of a private bedroom scene--is so well performed by Andrews that readers will look to make sure they are covered up.

This isn't a series that's heavy in social commentary, although social issues do arise. But the focus tends more toward the relationships, both human to human and human to not-quite-so-human-anymore. A overall humor pervades these novels, but there's an endearing element to them as well, an element readers and listeners can identify with even if they don't hear voices in their heads.

The stars aligned and the perfect combination of creators came together. The result is a wonderfully entertaining--and addictive--mystery series. I can not wait for the next one!

All four books in the Morgue Drawer series are available from AmazonCrossing in paperback and from Brilliance Audio in unabridged audiobook.

Morgue Drawer Four (ISBN: 9781611090321)
audio (ISBN: 9781455876526)
Morgue Drawer Next Door (ISBN: 9781611090406)
audio (ISBN: 9781455876334)
Morgue Drawer for Rent (ISBN: 9781611090420)
audio (ISBN: 9781455876327)
Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter! (ISBN: 9781477826409)
audio (ISBN: 9781491578773)

The Shotgun Rule - Charlie Huston

First line: "It's a bad house."

Teens George, Paul, Hector and Andy make an odd little gang, but for the most part they are good kids. Each has his oddities: Andy is George's brainy little brother. He's skipped several grades so that he's now at the same level as George and his pals. Paul has a secret at home that makes staying away the most appealing option.

When Andy's bike is stolen by the youngest of the infamous Arroyo brothers, the boys set off to retrieve the stolen property. The boys find Andy's bike, but they also find something they weren't expecting, a crank lab. The know better than to mess with the drugs, but boys being boys, Paul decides taking some of the meth is worth the risk. He pictures a new car procured with the money he could make from selling the drugs.

However, the drugs don't result in a car for Paul. Instead, a level of trouble the teens never fathomed invades their lives, unleashing their secrets as well as the secrets of the generation that preceded them.

Read by Charlie Thurston, the audiobook version of The Shotgun Rule brings out the stark contrast between the teens' youth and naivete and the gravity of the danger they find themselves in. Thurston builds up the immaturity and lack of sophistication through his light-hearted treatment of Huston's humorous scenes with the boys, including Andy's repeated references of himself as "such a dildo" and an episode about "the shotgun rule" that ends with Paul saying, "Shotgun. It's a complicated issue." Their troubles are minor and relatively insignificant.

Then when the truly serious and deadly circumstances invade the Eden of these boys' lives, the terror and pain Thurston voices is intensified. This isn't just a scary situation, it's the destruction of youth's innocence.

But the effect isn't just in the young characters, Thurston is also able to elicit that intense fear from George and Andy's mother, as well as the helplessness of their father. His portrayal of Paul's father is eerily disturbing. Thurston also does a fine job juggling the Hispanic dialect with the Southern California accent.

But his crowning performance may very well be that of the obese, vocabulary-building drug boss, Geezer. His self-assuring air, his psychopathic tendencies, his need to control everything and everyone around him comes through in a powerful, yet also humorous portrayal.

Charlie Huston is a sure bet for a complex story that dwells in the gray shadows of life. He's a sure bet for humor amid the horror. Thurston has tapped into that magic to make the shivers stronger, the goosebumps higher and the laughs deeper.

The only minor distraction for me was Thurston's tendency to emphasize hard consonant sounds at the end of words, especially sounds like "t" and "p." Those stand out to me and can often pull me from the story for a temporary beat. But the overall strength of the recording is enough to fade my single listening quirk into the background.

The Shotgun Rule is now available on unabridged audio (ISBN: 978-1482948127) from Blackstone Audio. The paperback version (ISBN: 978-0345481368) of The Shotgun Rule is still available from Ballantine Books.

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

First line: "While I was still in Amsterdam, I dreamed about my mother for the first time in years."

Theo Decker is thirteen when he and his mother walk into the New York art museum. They are headed to Theo's school because he's been suspended, but the rain detours them into the museum. That's also the very day a domestic terrorist sets off a bomb in the museum.

Theo and his mother are separated when the bomb explodes, and when he regains consciousness Theo finds himself near a dying man. The man gives Theo his ring with directions to save a small painting of a goldfinch and return the ring to his business partner.

Theo escapes the museum, but his mother doesn't. Virtually orphaned, this event sets in motion the storm of Theo's life. From high society New York to loan sharks in Las Vegas, around the world with art thieves, Theo life, love, loss, fear.

As I mentioned at the end of 2013, The Goldfinch was one of my favorite audiobooks of the year. Narrated by David Pittu, the depth of emotion comes through so powerfully that many parts of the novel are physically and emotionally uncomfortable; the listener feels it that intensely. The loneliness and isolation Theo experiences are translated through Pittu's tone and pacing.

The portrayal of Theo's friend Boris, a Ukrainian immigrant, is award-worthy. Not only does Pittu deliver a convincing dialect, but he projects Boris' intelligence and humor. There's no question that Boris is a child, forced to mature and fend for himself because of his life circumstances. The bond that develops between Theo and Boris is unique because of their situations but also typical of teenage boys. Tartt's examination of this relationship is masterful and as stunning as the artwork that lends its name to the title.

Also worthy of mention is Theo's benefactor of sorts, Hobie. His age, place in society, dedication to his craft as well as his devotion and ethics all come through in Pittu's interpretation. From the old gentleman to the Hispanic doormen to the high society women, Pittu presents each with distinct voices that reflect all the facets Tartt has chiseled into their characters.

The novel's plot stretches out years--through Theo's childhood and young adulthood--yet Tartt maintains a level of suspense and mystery throughout. Despite it's length (over 32 hours), this isn't an audio that's easy to turn off and come back to. Pittu intensifies Tartt's well crafted anticipation by not giving away anything in the narration. Plot twists remain carefully cloaked, right up to the action.

The only criticism I would offer, and this is reflective of my penchant for crime novels, is that the last about half hour of the audio (about 10-12 pages) could have easily been left off. I'll leave it at that so as not to inadvertently reveal anything. But feel free to drop me a note and let me know what you think if you read or listen to the book. I highly recommend it. Yes, it's an investment of time, but an investment I have no regrets for making. What an incredible story! This one will stay with me for a long time to come.

Listen to a short excerpt of the audio:

The Goldfinch is available unabridged from Hachette Audio (ISBN: 9781600247118). It's also available in hardcover from Little Brown (ISBN: 978-0316055437).

Three Can Keep a Secret - Archer Mayor

First line: "Leo Gunther gingerly closed the squeaky door of his beloved and battered Ford Mustang and glanced up at the low-hanging sky."

Three Can Keep a Secret is Archer Mayor's 24th book in the Joe Gunther series, but this was my first experience with the Vermont law man. This time out Hurricane Irene is tearing through Vermont, leaving Joe and his VBI team with a odd array of cases. The most prominent of the cases is a woman missing from the mental institution. She's been hospitalized for years but in the aftermath of the hurricane, she simply walked out of the building. The woman calls herself "The Governor" and after investigating her, Joe discovers that she was indeed governor--for a day.

Meanwhile the team is also investigating a coffin that was unearthed and only contained rocks as well as a former politician found dead in a retirement home. The death is initially ruled natural causes because of the man's age, but Joe has reservations and wants an autopsy to confirm the ruling.

Tom Taylorson narrates the novel for Blackstone Audio. This is Taylorson's first time with the series and those accustomed to William Dufris may find the switch a bit difficult. However, as a first timer to the series, I found that Taylorson keyed into Gunther's character well. He maintains a tone reflective of Gunther's age and gender. Gunther is a complex character but displays little of what's inside him for the world to see.

The tone is, likewise, reflective of the genre. This is a mystery and the pace is not that of a high-octane thriller. The storm has passed and there's no ticking time clock.

Taylorson was also attuned to the humor and emotion in the characters. A sly smile on a character came out in his narration as much as a heated argument would.

Taylorson does have a tendency to emphasize hard consonants like "t" and "p," which is a distraction for me. If it's a character trait, that's one thing, but having those sounds so pronounced when the average person doesn't enunciate them to that degree pulls me out of the story and causes me to focus on the narration.

Mayor does an impressive job of weaving the environment, the politics and the characters' histories into the plot. He has an interesting crew on this Vermont Bureau of Investigations team and the audiobook of Three Can Keep a Secret was an entertaining listen.

Three Can Keep a Secret is available on unabridged audio--about 9 1/2 hours (ISBN: 978-1482955415)--from Blackstone Audio. It is also available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1250026132) from Minotaur Books.

2013 Audiobook Favorites

Today's list of favorites is audiobooks. As I mentioned yesterday, I listened to fewer audiobooks this past year. Now that I'm not driving to work, my audiobook time has gone down a bit. So I'm going to limit my list a bit this year. As with my previous lists, these come from audios I listened to this year, they may not have been published this year. Given that, here are my seven favorite audiobooks of 2013:

Reconstructing Amelia (written by Kimberly McCreight; narrated by Khristine Hvam) Hvam sent chills up my spine as she sent me back to the brutal world of high school. The fact that I felt my heart being ripped apart by the evil children can do to one another speaks volumes for the performance Hvam put forth on this production. Harper Audio

Point and Shoot (written by Duane Swierczynski; narrated by Pete Larkin) This is the final book and audio in Swierczynski's trilogy and all three have been exceptional listening experiences. They are fun stories and Larkin simply has fun narrating them. His humor and energy mesh with Swierczynski's style and the listener reaps the rewards. Hachette Audio/AudioGo

Gun Machine (written by Warren Ellis; narrated by Reg E. Cathey) Cathey had a great book to work with here, but he wove his interpretation into the very fibers of the story. I was especially impressed with his range of character. Gritty, hardboiled and fun! Hachette Audio


Dare Me (written by Megan Abbott; narrated by Khristine Hvam) I haven't had an opportunity to review this one as I listened to it late this year, but Hvam is quite masterful with the high school world as she took the narration lead on this one as well but gave it its own unique sound. I didn't make the connection that she had narrated Reconstructing Amelia until looking back later. She nails the attitude, the energy and most especially the perspective of the novel. Hachette/AudioGo

The October List (written by Jeffery Deaver; narrated by January LaVoy) If my list would have been longer than 7, the eighth audio would have been Killer Instinct. It introduced me to January LaVoy and she knocked my socks off, but I had to choose The October List first because she was as important in the surprise of the plot twist for me as the writing itself.  She knew and understood the story and played it perfectly. Hachette Audio

The Goldfinch (written by Donna Tartt; narrated by David Pittu) I'm still finishing this one up, but have been transfixed for more than 20 hours already (the full audio is over 30) and have run the gamut of emotions. Pittu's easy transitions between the many dialects is stellar and I'm especially enamored by his portrayal of females. What a great listening experience this has been. Hachette Audio

The Graveyard Book (written and narrated by Neil Gaiman) Can I just say, "wow! This one blew me away!"? Is that sufficient? I felt like I was there in the graveyard with Bod. And Gaiman's sound made me feel safe there. I'm always skeptical of an author performing his/her own audiobooks, but this one was flat out amazing. So thankful I finally listened to it. Harper Audio


And that does it for the favorite audiobooks of 2013! How about you? What were your favorites?