Topic: Audio-books

[Garrison Bain]

Do yourself a favor and DON'T read Orsen Scott Card's new book titled "Magic Street".  

It's no "Ender's Game"...

Interesting plot...horrible delivery.  Sorry Orsen, but it just didn't work.

-Garrison Bain-

[Garrison Bain]

Just finished:

-The Pillars of the Earth-
Author: Ken Follett
Read by: John Lee.

I don’t even know how to describe this book except to say…amazing!  I mean, simply amazing!  
If you don’t read this book (or even more preferably listen to it) you are doing yourself a historic disservice…I feel *that* strongly about it.  Not only is it a gripping story and adventure…but it teaches about the time period as well.  I learned a ton of obscure things that I never thought about in that time period.   Really amazing.  I can imagine that our British friends won’t learn as much as I did…simply because they will have studied their own history…nevertheless, the story is unmatched…and its delivery is masterful.

The story is set in England in the early 1100’s.  It follows a certain Monk and a Master Builder and his family.  That’s all I’ll tell you…I don’t want to ruin it for you at all.  I know it doesn’t sound very interesting…but it really is incredible!  

If you like George R.R. Martin at all I think you’ll really like this book.  It’s not full of fighting action (although there is some) but the *feel* of the writing is very similar.  It's a dark period...especially for people down on their luck.

Next up, 'World Without End', by Ken Follett

[Genia]

I concur. Pillars of the Earth is Follett's best work. I've also read with fascination his introduction, describing how he got "into" cathedrals in the first place. I wouldn't always count on it as a mnu.script of historical accuracy - I've spotted several problematic issues - but that doesn't diminish from the book's merit.

[Jianna]

Just finished...

"Appaloosa" by Robert B Parker
Read by Titus Welliver

I'll begin by saying that I am an unabashed fan of Robert B Parker.  That he is the literary heir to Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett is, in my opinion, an established fact.  I have read every "Spenser" novel (there are, like, a bazillion) more than once, and almost feel like Spenser, Susan and Hawk are friends of mine.  (I'm about to start on the Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall books.  I confess that I've let myself get caught in the Tom Selleck portrayal of Jesse Stone rather than reading the books - something I've been told I should immediately rectify.)

I'm also a fan of westerns - admittedly, more in film than in the printed word.  I saw the trailer for the movie, "Appaloosa", and saw that it was based on a novel by Parker and was intrigued.

Rightfully so...

Parker's style translates easily from the streets of Boston to a frontier town of the old West.  Spare, clear, precise, no wasted motion.  Parker doesn't waste a lot of time on describing the setting because, hell, if you've seen one western movie, you already know what the town, the saloon, the people look like.  The story is a simple one.  Robber baron cattleman treats a town and its people as his own personal chattel.  The town fathers reach out in desperation to a pair of gun hands with a clear moral code.  Justice ensues - more or less.  (There are a few twists and turns along the way.  It wouldn't be Parker, otherwise.)

The casual reader (listener) with some knowledge of the author's other work could be forgiven for making the assumption that he's simply taken Spenser and Hawk and put them in another setting.  The similarities are there in the stark moral centers of Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch.  One important difference is that "Appaloosa" (and the sequel, "Resolution") is told from the pov of Hitch, who is Virgil Cole's sidekick.  Cole is the unquestioned leader but Hitch is the more educated, more human of the two.

In the Spenser novels, Parker uses the character of Susan to be the bridge between the heroics of Spenser and Hawk, and the fallibility of mortal men.  In "Appaloosa", the two most important women are an adventuress (Allie French) and a prostitute (Katie Goode).  Of those two, the one with the clearest vision of what is going on is Katie.  Neither of them is the "bridge"; the acceptance or denial of Cole's and Hitch's heroism is strictly between the writer and the reader.

Titus Welliver reads very well.  He doesn't try too hard to affect a feminine delivery in those characters, and I like that.  He's comfortable with the profanity (of which there is a lot).  In fact, the first time he uses the f-word, it's almost... affectionate.  He manages humor, anger, despair, dissolution easily.

If you like Parker, and if you like westerns, you won't go wrong with "Appaloosa".

(Really looking forward to the movie...)

[Garrison Bain]

Holy moly...do I have some books to review!!!

I've got a list a mile long that I need to put up here....geez.  A lot of work ahead...I'll see what I can do.

Ok...so, to get you started...I just finished this book:

'Fluke, or, I know why the winged whale sings' by Christopher Moore.

I don't know if you've heard of Christopher Moore yet...but, you will.  He's really good...and while some of his books encroach upon religious blasphomy...this particular one doesn't.  He's a good writer...he's funny...and the fiction is really really awesome!

Of course, I listened to the audio book version and the reader did an excellent job with the voices...especially a special Rastafarian character that is hilarious!

Anyway, get this book and read it...or better yet...get the audiobook and listen to it.  And remeber to give the book until Part II to really take off.  It's good up until Part II...and then it becomes awesome!   

-Garrison Bain-

[Garrison Bain]

Title: The Archer’s Tale
Author: Bernard Cornwell
Reader: Colin McPhillamy

This book is the first in a series of books (series titled: The Grail Quest) that Cornwell has written about a 14th Century English archer, Thomas of Hookton.  Thomas begins the book as a young man in a very small English coastal town of Hookton.  Soon, some French marauders come and sack his small town.  Thomas is the only survivor and actually makes the French leave earlier than they wanted to by employing his English bow.  But, alas…the French get away with a holy relic from Hookton’s church, the Lance of St. George.  As his father dies Thomas promises his father (the Priest of the town) that he will avenge the town and peruse the Lance.  Thus begins Thomas’ grim and bloody adventure…

Thomas joins up with an English company of Archers and they participate in the invasion of France under the direction of the King of England.  The story follows Thomas as he experiences the pure savageness of 14th Century battle.  The sacking of cities and towns and the brutal murder and rape of the French countryside are here.  In most cases Thomas rises above the animal instincts of his peers in arms…which is easily explained because Thomas is an educated man, whereas his compatriots are criminals and murders who have joined the war to stay out of prison.

This is an excellent story and written well…it reminded me of Ken Follett’s ‘Pillars of the Earth’ and ‘World without End’…which I loved.  Cornwell’s tale, however, concentrates more on the military aspects of this time and by the end you have a great sense of the brutal nature of battle and the terror English archers spread through France.

While this book is part of a Trilogy it ended very satisfactorily…no glaring loose ends!  I’d recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in English tales of valor, archery, or anyone who liked Ken Follett’s ‘Pillars of the Earth’ or ‘World Without End’.

(I usually put what’s up next here…but, since I have a million books that I’ve finished but haven’t yet reviewed I’ll just skip this part!  *s*)

-Garrison Bain-

[Garrison Bain]

Title: Lonesome Dove          
Author: Larry McMurtry
Reader: Lee Horsley

Has anybody actually read this book?  I loved it!  There was a mini-series made out of these books back around 1989 that was pretty popular.  And the mini-series actually followed the book pretty well…of course the book is way better.  But, honestly…it’s not often that the movie beats the book. 

Anyway, this book is about a group of famous Texas Rangers who basically become bored (because they’ve defeated all the bad Indians and Mexican around) and decide to take a huge herd of Cattle up into Montana.  The book focuses mainly on one of the Rangers, Augustus.  He’s an old Ranger who is tough and quick witted…but, he obviously misses the adventure of his glory days. 

While Augustus is the main character, the book actually follows many characters as their paths intertwine and mingle out in the ‘Wild West’.  If you decide to read this…which I highly recommend…be forewarned that the author, Larry McMurtry, is not necessarily a romantic novelist.  He tends toward realism…and the reality of the real Wild West is harsh, bloody, and raw.  Happy endings are not unheard of…but they are rare.

I really liked this book because I learned a lot about how cowboys lived and worked as they drove the herds.  Very interesting! 

-Garrison Bain- 

[Garrison Bain]

Title: Fahrenheit 451         
Author: Ray Bradbury
Reader: Scott Brick

First of all, let me just say that any book read by Scott Brick automatically gets ‘points’ in my reviewing scale.  He’s such a great voice performer…the words really come alive through his voice.

Now, on to the book.  This is a classic and if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading this one, you need to do it as soon as you can get your hands on it.  Initially, I had passed this one up on the shelf because it was written so long ago…and it was about the future.  So I thought that whatever the Mr. Bradbury was writing about would surely be outdated and completely debunked by now.  But, I kept seeing that this book was on the top 50 lists of science fiction books…all over the place.  So, I gave in and tried it out.

Wow!  What a story…what an amazing vision Mr. Bradbury has.  I mean, this book was published in 1953 and a lot of the futuristic things he wrote about were amazingly accurate.  Plus, a few of the things he wrote about are things that I totally want to see happen!  Haha!   Like full wall screens for your television…and interactive sit-coms and shows that let you participate and be part of the show.  Totally sweet!

Anyway, the premise of this book is that in the future books are outlawed by the government. The Fire Department is actually employed to seek out book owners and burn the books…or, in some cases, burn their houses to make examples of them.  Books are completely and totally outlawed; if you have one (or more) you can expect your family members or neighbors to rat you out and the ‘Fire Department’ to show up shortly. 

The main character is one of these ‘Firefighters’ and the story follows his life as he meets a strange girl who sets him to thinking about the purpose of his job.  Why burn books?  What is the government so scared of that books have? 

During one of the ‘calls’ he participates in…the main character has the opportunity to steal a book.  He takes the book and brings it to his own home.  At home his marriage is falling apart and his wife is ‘addicted’ to the technology of the age.  She immerses herself in her TV shows and at night in bed she immerses herself in sleeping ‘shells’ (I’ll let you read about those cool things!)

Well…everything soon crashes down around him…and things spin out of control.  The fire department is suspicious of him…and people keep finding out about his books.  Sooner or later the secret is going to get out…and then he’ll be on the run!

Awesome book!  And the ending is a heart-thumping page turner!

-Garrison Bain-

[Garrison Bain]

Title: 100 Cupboards
Author: N.D. Wilson
Reader: Russell Horton

I think this first book of N.D. Wilson’s is going to open up a fantastic world and excellent series!  Like the Harry Potter books, this one is geared toward a younger audience.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next installment! 

In this book we only get a small glimpse into what appears to an alternate (and magical) world which is connected to ours through cupboard portals.  But that glimpse, made through a series of forays into one of the cupboards is really exciting and wonderful! 

The main character is an 11 year old boy and his ‘cousins’…which we later find out might not be his real cousins at all.  The boy is taken to his uncle’s house to live because his parents have been kidnapped in some other Country and are being held for ransom.  (at least, that is the story so far…I’m sure there’s something more to it than that…but I guess we’ll have to ROAFO)  Anyway, the boy is placed in the attic of the Uncle’s house where he discovers a bunch of weird cupboards and other devices. 

Curious, the boy and his cousins fiddle with the cupboards and devices…and suddenly strange things start to happen!  The attic is magical…and some of the cupboards are wonderful…and some are the opposite of wonderful!  …and, of course, they let something out that shouldn’t be out! 

The writing is wonderful…and the fantasy of this story kicked my imagination into overload.  There were so many teasers of this great alternate and magical world that I can hardly wait to discover more about it in subsequent books! 

So, even though the story is geared toward a younger audience…I still recommend this book to anyone with an imagination!  And if you enjoyed the Harry Potter books…you’ll love this one!  Hopefully, the author keeps up the good work in future installments.

-Garrison Bain-

[Todd]

Did I say I listened to a audio book awhile back. It was a Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic story. Can't remember much about it, but it was more like a radio show then an audio book and it wasn't very good. Bad acting. Plus it was on tape so I had to play it on my old RCA boom box. So uh, yeah, don't get it or something.

[Garrison Bain]

Title: The Ambler Warning         
Author: Robert Ludlum
Reader:

This is another of Robert Ludlum’s *clandestine-operative-gets-amnesia* type of story. It was just an okay read with occasional hot spots that I really enjoyed.  Of the few Ludlum books that I’ve read I’ve come out with the impression that he could’ve skipped this chapter or that chapter and really made the book flow better.  However, with this particular book and this particular plot…there was a lot of explaining to do.  So, in the end, everything made sense...even if it was far fetched.

Basically, we start the book with the main character locked up in a top secret mental ward.  This ward is reserved for clandestine operatives that have lost their mental facilities yet who know too much to be entered into a normal “civilian” hospital or ward.  Our antagonist is coming out of a drug induced mania and has to escape the ward with nothing more than the hospital gown he has on and the help of a kind hearted nurse.

Of course, the drugs he had been administered in the ward have caused a high degree of amnesia in him.  And, to make things worse, they apparently tried to brainwash him while he was there so that his memories were replaced.  So, he has to sort some things out in his head…while at the same time avoiding government ‘recovery’ teams that have been sent out to snatch him back up again.

In the meantime we learn that our antagonist has a special ability to read peoples faces and instantly tell if they are truthful or lying…or hiding something…or nervous.  He does this by noticing small muscle contractions around the face that subconsciously give up this information.  As far as anyone knows, he’s the only person in the world that can do this without the assistance of video and slow motion playback.  On top of that…he’s a seasoned clandestine operative with all the right skills to survive.

Now, he’s gotta figure out why his own government put him up in the loony bin while avoiding said government officials…who’d apparently just as soon shoot him dead rather than let him roam free.

It’s a good read and entertaining…with a pretty slick ending.  The only problem I had with it was that there were parts of the book that just seemed like a bit too much...they could’ve easily skipped some chapters and the story would’ve been just as good. 

-Garrison Bain-

[Jianna]

At some point, I'm going to find the time to write up a very positive review of Dean Koontz's "Life Expectancy"...

[Garrison Bain]

Title: Inkheart
Author: Cornelia Caroline Funke
Reader: Lynn Redgrave

Well…I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this book.  At the time of this writing, it’s been about 3 weeks since I read it.  So, you’d think that I’d have time enough to process it and decide whether I really liked it or not.  But, alas…I’m still debating the whole thing in my head.  I have to admit that I’m currently leaning towards the ‘I liked it’ side of the debate.

Anyway, the book was written by a German, in German, and the translation to English was apparently done well.  At least, that’s what some review that I read before listening to the book said.  So, there ya go. 

When I read the book I had just started to hear about it being turned into a movie.  So, I immediately thought of ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Narnia’ and got excited.  So, maybe I was just expecting too much going into it.  Oh well…

Ok, so enough of lowering your expectations…here’s how I really feel about it.

The book was pretty good.  The concept was really good.  The mingling of our world and an alternate fantasy world was totally cool.  But, the problem was that the real fun action just took too long to start.  I mean I got *well* into the book before I started looking forward to listening to it.  Nevertheless, by the end of the book I was totally and completely hooked!  I felt that I knew the main characters very well and loved the interaction between them and the *bad* guys.

The magic abilities that some of the characters possess in the book is really unique.  At first the ability seems kinda lame…but, by the end…it’s totally wicked!  :-) 

Basically, a man has the power to “read” characters and items out of books and into our world.  So, when the main character’s father (who goes by the name Silvertongue) reads a very bad guy out of a book called ‘InkHeart’…bad stuff starts to happen.  And that bad guy isn’t the only person he read out of the book.  There is a secondary character named, Dustfinger, who is read out of that book too.  You’ll spend most of the book trying to figure out if this Dustfinger character is a good guy or bad guy.

Anyway, the main bad guy, Capricorn…wants to be ‘read’ back into his book.  And he’ll stop at nothing to get Silvertongue to do it.  But, Silvertongue is in hiding with his daughter and he wants nothing to do with reading out loud again (for reasons you’ll have to read about).  So, when Silvertongue’s hidout is discovered by Capricorn…the fun begins.

Like I said…the book just took too long to get rolling in my opinion.  However, I give it high marks for a great finish.  And I’ll be reading the trilogy written in this series.

-Garrison Bain-

[Garrison Bain]

Title: Dandelion Fire
Author: N.D. Wilson
Reader: Russell Horton

Here is what I wrote about the first book in this series (100 Cupboards),  “I think this first book of N.D. Wilson’s is going to open up a fantastic world and excellent series!”  Oh, I was totally right!

In this second installment in the 100 Cupboards Trilogy, we pick up a few weeks after the last book left off.  Things are starting to settle down and our main child character, Henry, is learning that his folks are divorcing and he’s going to be sent back to Boston once things get settled from that divorce.

However, before that can happen, Henry is struck by a magical occurrence.  It’s a bit difficult to write about…but, magical powers are born in him in the form of dandelion fire.  Of course, he doesn’t know what’s happened…but things start happening to him that are very very strange.

An evil wizard from somewhere beyond the cupboards senses his magical manifestation and tries to take advantage of him.  And in the meantime, the evil witch from the first book has recovered from her defeat and is now growing stronger and stronger. 

Henry discovers that his parents from our world might not be his real parents after all…and his true father might not be dead.   The world beyond the cupboards is in deep trouble with the re-birth of the evil witch.  She’s on a trail of vengeance to the people the imprisoned her…and only a magic user has any chance of stopping her.  But, Henry also discovers that his powers with magic are weak and untrained.  And trying to stand up to the evil Wizard or evil Witch would be futile.

This second book explores the magical dying world which lies behind the cupboards in much more detail than the first book.  In fact, we spend a majority of the book in that world in this installment.  The family and friends that inhabit the house in Henry, KS are all sucked into the story…and the way N.D Wilson weaves their tales is really really neat!  In fact, I loved it!  This book started to delve into more of a Fantasy fiction realm…but it had some neat little turns and twists that made things interesting.

And the end is excellent. Again, I’m so looking forward to the final book in the Trilogy, The Chestnut King.

-Garrison Bain-

[Garrison Bain]

Title: The Magicians
Author: Lev Grossman
Reader: Mark Bramhall

This is an excerpt of an e-mail review that I sent some of my friends:

Just finished this book...and I have to say that it was an amazing book. 

The end wasn't what I expected...but, it *was* satisfying and left the story open for future installments.

As for the official review:
You'll love this book if you liked the Narnia books and/or you played D&D ever in your past!

The main character in this book, Quinton, starts out as a High-school junior who is obsessed with a Narnia like world called 'Fillory'.  Because of his outrageous IQ and magical aptitude, he is selected by a secret magical school to become a student there.   There he studies for five years to become a full-fledged magician. 

The first 3/4 of the book deals with Quinton's journey through the school (called Breakbills) and his subsequent graduation and life as a magician in the 'realworld'.  The last 1/4th of the book deals with his journey to 'Fillory' and the insane adventure he has there.

It's not a not a hack and slash kind of book...although there is a kick-ass bit of that towards the end!   Rather, this is a journey into more of a real-world reaction to someone suddenly thrown into his life-long/childhood dream!  What happens if your dream suddenly becomes reality?  What happens when you become a fairly powerful magician and graduate from the magicians school.  What do you do when you suddenly don't have to worry about anything…simply because magic provides it? 

Then, towards the end, when he and his friends actually give up on the real-world and travel to Fillory...the action begins.  But, it's action that quickly becomes too real...and pretty soon, their magical abilities are tested to the limit and then *way* beyond! 

Personally, I thought the Plot was really good!  I liked the Narnia books (I've read them all) and this Fillory world is really, really close to Narnia.  Nevertheless, the author used that information to twist and pull the story in really neat directions.  I thoroughly enjoyed the end of this book and how Fillory turned out to be so cool!

One final note:  The author is an incredible writer.  He knows how to capture a scene or feeling or general atmosphere.  He delves into the darker feelings of a person...but, at the same time he keeps a humor in his writings that I appreciated.  All in all, I think this author has something going...and I really do think you guys would like this one.

Awesome book!

-Garrison Bain-