Author: ondbookshelf

Time for more audiobook reviews! Since I tend to put them up in a group, they are short and sweet reviews. For more information, and lots more reviews from readers, click the Goodreads link provided for each one.

Title: All the Stars in the Heavens
Author: Adriana Trigiani, Blair Brown (narrator)
Published: October 13, 2015 by Harper
Length: 14 hours 35 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

My review:

Interesting fictionalized account of the relationship between Loretta Young and Clark Gable in old world Hollywood. Mostly told from the viewpoint of Young's faithful secretary Alda, this novel takes place during a time period that fascinates me. Dragged a bit at times, but overall I enjoyed this one.

Title: A Land More Kind Than Home
Author: Wiley Cash,  Nick Sullivan, Lorna Raver, Mark Bramhall  (Narrators)
Published: April 17, 2012 by William Morrow
Length: 8 hours 56 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

My review:

An engrossing tale about a weird cult religion and the effect on the town when things at the church go horribly wrong. Lots of twists and turns in this one, and an overall theme that while it may seem implausible, was not that uncommon (and maybe still isn't) in backwoods southern towns. A creepy preacher, faith healing, snakes........intrigued yet? Cash is one of the best at writing about the backwoods south.

Title: The Bookseller
Author: Cynthia Swanson, Kathe Mazur (narrator)
Published: March 2, 2015 by Harper
Length: 11 hours 32 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

My review:

With a cover like this, how can you go wrong? I didn't think I would like this one as much as I did since it involves an alternate reality. Kitty (by day) is a bookstore owner with her best friend, single, and mom to a cat. Katherine (in her dreams at night) is married with triplets, one of whom is autistic. How these two worlds intersect is the premise of the book, and then ending was completely unexpected.

Title: The Pearl That Broke Its Shell
Author: Nadia Hashimi, Gin Hammond (narrator)
Published: May 6th, 2014 by William Morrow
Length: 16 hours 10 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 3/5
Goodreads

My review:

A story told by two women in Afghanistan, 100 years apart, that illustrates that not a lot has changed in this country from a woman's perspective. I really loved the way this book brings light to the awful treatment and disgusting thoughts about a woman's worth that still exist in a lot of these countries. It was a rather depressing, but yet enlightening read. I did think that it was a bit long, and the writing did not always flow as I thought it should. Still worth a read, and a nice start for a debut author.

Title: The Aviator's Wife
Author: Melanie Benjamin, Lorna Raver (narrator)
Published: January 15, 2013 by Delacorte Press
Length: 16 hours 24 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy
Rating: 3.5/5
Goodreads

My review:

I knew very little about the Lindberghs, other than the famous kidnapping of their son and his flight across the Atlantic. This was a well documented fictionalized account of their lives, written from the perspective of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I really like Benjamin's writing style, although this one could have used a tad more editing as I did get bored in a few places. Overall, a good glimpse into the lives of a much beloved couple with a lot of issues behind the scenes that the public was not privy to.

Title: Best Boy
Author: Eli Gottlieb, Bronson Pinchot (narrator)
Published: August 24, 2015 by Blackstone audio
Length: 7 hours 20 minutes
Source: Overdrive (library) and own copy via BEA
Rating: 4.5/5
Goodreads

My review:

This was one of the books talked about at BEA 2015 that I was highly anticipating reading. A wonderful story told by an autistic man living in a care facility. Beautifully written, I loved the voice of Todd, and teared up many times as we are made aware of the fact that his way of looking at things is not always the way we would see them. Definitely a must read/listen!

Title: The Swans of Fifth Avenue
Author: Melanie Benjamin
Published: January 26, 2016 by Delacorte Press
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher via BEA
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

Centered on two dynamic, complicated, and compelling protagonists—Truman Capote and Babe Paley—this book is steeped in the glamour and perfumed and smoky atmosphere of New York’s high society. Babe Paley—known for her high-profile marriage to CBS founder William Paley and her ranking in the International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame—was one of the reigning monarchs of New York’s high society in the 1950s. Replete with gossip, scandal, betrayal, and a vibrant cast of real-life supporting characters, readers will be seduced by this startling new look at the infamous society swans.

My review:

Oh how I love a good book about high society, and this one packs a delicious punch! While I certainly have heard of Truman Capote, I admit I haven't read anything written by him (including In Cold Blood....gasp). I need to change that after reading this book. I need to scrounge up a copy of Le Cote Basque 1965, which is the scandalous story written by Capote exposing all the secrets of his beloved friends (his swans). The Swans of Fifth Avenue is a wonderful story, not only about the high society of the 50's and 60's, but a look at the characters lives when they were not in the spotlight. The insecurity of the swans, who knew that their beauty would only last so long. The fact that each of them just wanted to be loved and accepted as a person, not as a famous face. What happens to Truman is perhaps the most shocking, as he goes from loving friend to social pariah. This is a work of historical fiction, so while all events truly did occur, the thoughts and feelings of the people were at the liberty of the author, but I thought she did a wonderful job capturing this story.

One of my favorite quotes that I think does a great job of describing the characters:

Tell me -- What is your greatest fear?

There was a long silence. No sounds but the low hum of the pool filter, the faraway grazing of a lawn mower, and the determined "clip clip" of a gardener on the other side of some tall azalea bushes, trimming away.

"That someone will see," Babe whispered, while at the same time, Truman murmured, "That someone will find me out."

"That no one will love me," Truman added after another moment. While at the same time, Babe admitted, "And that I'll never be loved, truly."

If you love books about rich people and the lives they lead, and how those lives are not always as they seem.......pick this one up. It's fascinating.

I was thrilled to be able to meet Melanie Benjamin and hear her speak about this book, as well as her other notable works.

Title: The Gates of Evangeline
Author: Hester Young
Published: September 1, 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 416
Source: Publisher via She Reads book club
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

When New York journalist and recently bereaved mother Charlotte “Charlie” Cates begins to experience vivid dreams about children she’s sure that she’s lost her mind. Yet these are not the nightmares of a grieving parent, she soon realizes. They are messages and warnings that will help Charlie and the children she sees, if only she can make sense of them.

After a little boy in a boat appears in Charlie’s dreams asking for her help, Charlie finds herself entangled in a thirty-year-old missing-child case that has never ceased to haunt Louisiana’s prestigious Deveau family. Armed with an invitation to Evangeline, the family’s sprawling estate, Charlie heads south, where new friendships and an unlikely romance bring healing. But as she uncovers long-buried secrets of love, money, betrayal, and murder, the facts begin to implicate those she most wants to trust—and her visions reveal an evil closer than she could’ve imagined.

My review:

Color me surprised that I liked this book! This book is my example of how the book blogging world has opened my eyes to appreciate books that I never would have picked up before. This book is considered to be a "gothic mystery", and when I read that there were paranormal visions involved, I filed it under "not my type of book". Then I started reading reviews from bloggers who I trusted, who had led me to lots of great reads, and then this book was picked as one of the She Reads blog network books of winter. Ok, I caved and picked it up. And just like Mikey (in the Life cereal commercials of old), I liked it, I really liked it! It's filled with a little bit of everything. There are the dream visions that the main character sees (truth be told, I still didn't like this part, but I understand how it fits into the story, and it wasn't a huge part of the book, so I'm letting it go). There was a wonderful old Southern manor, and the whole southern culture of the elite and old established families. There was the mystery of what happened to the Deveau baby thirty years ago. There was the great family interactions, especially those with the dying matriarch. There was romance, although that was tempered with deep distrust, which made it all the more interesting. Dead bodies, cover-ups, a mother grieving for her dead son, family secrets, police work, all come together to build a page turner of a novel. The writing was superb, there are plot twists and turns along the way, and best of all this is the first in a trilogy (which I did not know until doing a bit more research about the book).

If you are like me, this will not necessarily be something you would pick up without a recommendation. Consider this your recommendation, I'm looking forward to seeing what Ms. Young comes up with next.

Title: The Secret Wisdom of the Earth
Author: Christopher Scotton
Published: January 5, 2016 by Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 496
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3/5
Goodreads

After seeing the death of his younger brother in a terrible home accident, fourteen-year-old Kevin and his grieving mother are sent for the summer to live with Kevin's grandfather. In this peeled-paint coal town deep in Appalachia, Kevin quickly falls in with a half-wild hollow kid named Buzzy Fink who schools him in the mysteries and magnificence of the woods. The events of this fateful summer will affect the entire town of Medgar, Kentucky.

Medgar is beset by a massive mountaintop removal operation that is blowing up the hills and back filling the hollows. Kevin's grandfather and others in town attempt to rally the citizens against the "company" and its powerful owner to stop the plunder of their mountain heritage. When Buzzy witnesses a brutal hate crime, a sequence is set in play that tests Buzzy and Kevin to their absolute limits in an epic struggle for survival in the Kentucky mountains.

Redemptive and emotionally resonant, THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH is narrated by an adult Kevin looking back on the summer when he sloughed the coverings of a boy and took his first faltering steps as a man. His story is one with a rich cast of characters and an ambitious effort to reclaim a once great community.

My review:

When I first started reading this book, I knew that it was likely going to be a 5 star review from me. The writing was exquisite, the characters were wonderful, the story sucked me in, and I was crying before I'd reached the halfway point! Unfortunately, while the writing remained stellar, shortly after the middle, it took a turn for the worse. Pops, Kevin, and Buzzy take off for a two week trek to an old camp up in the mountains. It turns into a huge adventure story that lasts almost until the end of the book, and despite the writing, I was bored stiff. I should note that adventure stories are not my thing, because I don't want to keep anyone who enjoys them from reading this book. It really was lovely, but I just can't give it a higher rating because of having to slog through 100+ pages of an adventure that seemed almost unbelievable at times. I very much enjoyed the sub plots about the hate crime that occurs in the town, and the fight to stop mountaintop removal. These were both very informative of that time, and very well done.

If you don't mind adventure stories, please pick this one up, I'm sure you will love it. For the rest of you, once they take off for the mountains, I would suggest skimming through this part. Your read will be all the better for it.

Title: What Was Mine
Author: Helen Klein Ross
Published: January 5, 2016 by Gallery Books
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher (via She Reads blog network)
Rating: 3/5
Goodreads

Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends.

When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood.

Author Helen Klein Ross, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, weaves a powerful story of upheaval and resilience told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy, Mia, Mia’s birth mother, and others intimately involved in the kidnapping. What Was Mine is a compelling tale of motherhood and loss, of grief and hope, and the life-shattering effects of a single, irrevocable moment.

My review:

This is a tough one for me to review because while this book had some very positive things going for it, it never really grabbed me. I should disclose that I am an adoptive mother (the legal way), so I'm not sure if that has bearing on my take or not. First the positives.....I loved the idea behind this book. Who cannot imagine the horror of discovering your child was missing, while at the same time starting to understand the motive of the abductor? This reminded me of a Jodi Picoult novel in that it was told in different perspectives, and you grew to understand the various character's motivations. I also enjoyed the teenage character of Mia, I thought she was well portrayed, and her reactions were spot on. It's a very quick read, and one that you definitely want to get to the end to find out what happens. What I didn't enjoy was the two mothers. I didn't like either of them! I felt that they both tended to let their work get in the way of parenting. The biological mother becomes kind of a kook in the end (which may, but probably wasn't just because of her trauma), and the adoptive mom freaks out when the truth comes out (well, duh). Also, while I liked the differing perspectives, it felt a bit too much like a police record of the account. A lot was a retelling of the past, which may have had something to do with it. In other words, I liked this book, but I didn't love it.

Bottom line, this book is getting rave reviews from many sources, so I think it may have just been me that couldn't entirely warm up to the story. It's definitely worth a look, don't take my word for it.

This book is one of the She Reads blog network books of winter selections. Click the link to find out more.

Title: The Sound of Glass
Author: Karen White
Published: May 12, 2015 by NAL
Pages: 432
Source: Own copy
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

It has been two years since the death of Merritt Heyward’s husband, Cal, when she receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by Cal’s reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt.

Charting the course of an uncertain life—and feeling guilt from her husband’s tragic death—Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort, where the secrets of Cal’s unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff. This unknown legacy, now Merritt’s, will change and define her as she navigates her new life—a new life complicated by the arrival of her too young stepmother and ten-year-old half-brother.

Soon, in this house of strangers, Merritt is forced into unraveling the Heyward family past as she faces her own fears and finds the healing she needs in the salt air of the Low Country.

My review:

I recently listened to another Karen White book on audio, and while I did enjoy it, I found this one to be so much more substantial! White is a wonderful storyteller, who creates visions in her books that you feel that you could just step into. You are absorbed into the story and carried along with the characters. This book was not all southern sweetness though. It starts with a horrific plane crash that one character spends a lifetime reliving. It also speaks to the issue of domestic violence, in this case the type that is handed down from generation to generation. Along with what you are probably thinking is all doom and gloom, there are many bright spots of beauty within the pages. From the beautiful wind chimes and the amazingly real dioramas created by the matriarch of Heyward house, to the life prophecies and advice in her Journal of Truths written by Merritt's stepmother. There were many great characters in this book, one of my favorites being Merritt's ten year old stepbrother. There is a mystery mired within the pages, which was fulfilling once it was revealed, but lordy it took forever to get to 🙂 I especially liked that while there was romance, it was not a focus of the book.

A truly good read, with a great emphasis on domestic violence, and an overall theme of forgiveness.