Sorry...and Catching Up

Greetings! Long time no blog. First, I would like to send out big, warm virtual hugs to those people who sent me nice messages. They were so kind; not one of them said, "hey slacker, what the heck is going on?" I apologize for my hiatus.

For those that don't know, I went on vacation to Virginia during the second week of April, where I played with dogs and chickens and my wonderful friend Ginny Phillips who blogs over at gspotsylvania.

Henrietta Poppy

Millie

Tiffin

I'm sorta, kinda caught up from being away. As much as I'm ever caught up, I guess. Anyone else  feel perpetually behind? Ah well, 'tis life. It's all about the journey, right? While I was away, it snowed in NE Ohio. Left several inches on the ground. But then I returned to the mowing season. My dog Rufus was getting lost in the grass, so I figured it was time to drag the mower out. While I complain about the snow in Ohio, let me say right now, I'm glad I don't live in Denver. Unless you're a snow lover living there, I'm so sorry Denver folks. I hope this last storm is it for y'all now.

I did quite a bit of reading while I was on vacation--that's the joy of vacationing with a fellow book lover. Finished up a great book from Lindy West called Shrill, Steve Hamilton's new one--The Second Life of Nick Mason--fantastic, and the upcoming book from Ben Winters, Underground Airlines. I'm on a run of good books and worried about when I'm going to hit that bad one that wrecks everything. I don't think it's my current read, though--Broken Ground (Karen Halvorsen Schreck) is off to a great start.  You'll be hearing about them all in more detail eventually, of course.

Since I drove down to Virginia, I got plenty of good audiobook time in as well. Finished up Michael Robotham's Close Your Eyes; David Taylor and Keith Szarabajka once again blew me away with the audiobook for Night Work (the second Michael Cassidy historical crime novel); and now I'm listening to a fun audio called Spill Simmer Falter Wither, which is dog-centric instead of crime-centric.

What good books have you been reading or listening to lately?

I posted this on Facebook, so you may have already seen it, but it's in print so I feel like it's real now, and I can share it with people--even though I still have a hard time believing it. I'm going to interview Fredrik Backman for his bookstore appearance at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL next month. If you are in the area...whether you live there or are maybe in Chicago for BEA...I hope you'll come out. I'm so thrilled and excited about this. Hopefully I manage to keep my inner fan girl under control and won't make a fool out of myself.

Coming up on the blog I have plenty of reviews to catch up on, but I also have an interview with  debut novelist, Pamela Wechsler. She's a first time novelist, but she's writing and consulting for TV prior to her first book, Mission Hill.  I'll be sharing that interview with you tomorrow. I thoroughly enjoyed Mission Hill, a legal thriller, and it's due out next week, so I'll be reviewing that for you later this week as well.

I'm also hoping to get a new post up, probably next week, about the books I'm looking forward to this summer--as far as I know at this point anyway. And I have more posts for Where Jen's Book Thoughts' Readers Are Reading. I'm still taking submissions (details here). If you haven't sent one yet, I hope you'll consider doing so. I'd love to have YOU on the blog. It's been fantastic connecting with some of you for the first time through this feature. So thank you to everyone who's sent something in so far.

That's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow with Pam Wechsler. I hope you'll join us. Thanks so much, my book-loving friends. 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!

Five on Friday - David Taylor

It's back! After too long of a hiatus, I have rejuvenated the Five on Friday feature. We have a number of fun new faces that will be showing up in the coming weeks, so I hope you'll check in for their mini-interviews.

A look at a couple of things around the web first.

Alafair Burke has a fun contest connected to her debut at Yankees Stadium. If you guess correctly, you could win all of her Ellie Hatcher novels. And don't tap me for the answer on this one because she has me stumped. I had a couple of theories, but after checking into them, they were all wrong. Good luck!

I really enjoy Grant Snider's comic work, but this Reader's Manifesto is probably my favorite.

There's a lot of book love going on in NYC this week during BEA, but you can also find some book love (a.k.a. contests) at:

Criminal Element where they have the "Don't Blow It" Sweepstakes AND they also have a chance for you to win a load of Brad Meltzer's great thrillers.

And Friday Reads has Steve Barry's new novel, The Patriot Threat on audio! All my audio friends, don't miss out on that opportunity.

So let me quit yappin' and tell you about David Taylor. I recently discovered his debut novel Night Life because I'm reviewing the audio for AudioFile Magazine. This will be one of my favorite debuts of the year. It is fabulous: atmospheric, suspenseful, stunning writing. You'll hear more about the book in my review shortly, but I was delighted to hear from David and even happier when he consented to take the Five on Friday seat.

David spent a couple decades among the Hollywood folks, writing for TV and movies. He also wrote an off-Broadway play. He's dabbled in short stories and magazine articles. So in short, Night Life may be his debut novel, but he's an old pro at writing. It is my great pleasure to welcome him to the blog!

1. If I could have a secret superpower, it would be: Invisibility. What better power for a writer than to go anywhere unseen and listen to the talk, and watch the interactions?

2. The strangest dream I can recall having was: don’t exactly remember the dream, but it took place in a hotel under construction on the Pacific Island of Saipan. I was awakened by the slamming of my bedroom door and found myself standing naked in the hall as two Japanese honeymooning couples came up the stairs. They found me riotously amusing. My problem was how to get back to my room. Going downstairs to the desk did not seem a wise idea. I ended up climbing back off the balconies under construction to my balcony where I had, fortunately, left the door open.

3. My faith in humanity is renewed when I: When I see people rise up against the abuses of those in power.

4. My very first job was “Transportation Agent” at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley after freshman year at college. The restaurants in the hotel were staffed by college age people, so the parties did not start until after ten at night. I had to be at work at eight in the morning and survived on about five hours of sleep. It was a wonderful summer, but I was so inept at the job that at the end of the summer I booked myself out of a train station that had been closed for two years.

5. The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: To hike California’s Lost Coast trail with my wife and two daughters.

O.k. was this not a stellar way to restart the Five on Friday? I giggled and cheered and loved this contribution. I hope you did too. More to come, my friends. Thanks for stopping by today. I'll have a review of Night Life next week. The audio version will be a little later in AudioFile, but you don't have to wait on me, go grab your copy now!

Have a wonderful weekend and happy reading!