Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN: 9780545101424

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: In the conclusion, Gale finally gets flesh-out, and it becomes even more apparent that there is no chemisty between him and Katniss, which just makes Katniss more infuriating.  The story, though, moves at a better clip than the second book, but Collins still figured out how to incorporate the Games without having the characters in the arena.

 

Rating: 3 stars

2014 Audio Book Challenge Recap

Challenge:  Audio Book Challenge
Host:  Teresa's Reading Corner
2014 Level: Lover (25 books) - FAILED
Thoughts:  So close!  Now that I have a longer commute to work, I should have no problem with this next year.
1. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolpho Anaya
2. Once by Morris Gleitzman
3. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
4. Rotters by Daniel Kraus
5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
6. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
7. The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann
8. Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin
9. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
10. Enduring Courage by John F. Ross
11. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
12. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
13. Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
14. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
15. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
16. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
17. Sold by Patricia McCormick
18. Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie
19. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by David Eggers
20. Junky by William S. Burrough
21. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
22. On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony
23.
24.
25.

On a Pale Horse

Title: On a Pale Horse
Author: Piers Anthony

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: 9781449844493

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Audio Book, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Very fun premise, and manages to tackle some tough subjects without becoming preachy.  A little dated in parts, but that just adds to the fun.

Rating: 5 stars

Blood Meridian

Title: Blood Meridian, or The Evening Redness in the West
Author: Cormac McCarthy

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: The name says it all - blood.  That is pretty much want every minute of this book is filled with.  I am going to assume it does has some modicum of historical accuracy, and if so, I am glad that I was not around during the establishing of the West.  I will say thought that Richard Poe is an excellent narrator and the only reason I finished a book that I could not figure out the plot of.

Rating: 2 stars

Junky

Title: Junky
Author: William S. Burroughs

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This semi-autobiographical narrative was a very interesting read for the fact that it deals in depth with drug culture in a time that I was not even aware there was one.  I also had absolutely no clue that Burroughs was from St. Louis.

Rating: 4 stars

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Title: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Author: David Eggers

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: 978-0-06-232807-6

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: The title of this memoir with fictionalized parts can seem misleading until you get to know the narrator who is given to hyperbole.  This is actually a very entertaining listen which surprised me.

Rating: 4 stars

Let Me Stand Alone

Title: Let Me Stand Alone: The Journals of Rachel Corrie
Author: Rachel Corrie

Publisher: Blackstone Audio
ISBN: 9781482909326

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Books, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Rachel Corrie was a very gifted writer, even at a young age,  but this book just was not for me.  I have a feeling, she and I could never have been friends if we met, and the parts about Collin made me feel the same way I do whenever I watch the movie version of Caberet (which is not a good thing).

Rating: 3 stars

Sold

Title: Sold
Author: Patricia McCormick

Publisher: Tantor Audio
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Audio Books, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Even though this is a fictionalized account, it is very disheartening to know that a story like this can happen today.  While it is a short listen, it is a very heavy story, and very well-done.

Rating: 5 stars

Ancillary Justice

Title: Ancillary Justice
Author: Ann Leckie

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Audio Books, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I chose the audio book of this because space sci-fi is one of my least favorite genres, and I since I had to read and finish this, I knew I would if I listened while driving to and from work.  Well, I listened to it, but this is definitely the worst audio book I have listened to so far.  The narration had very odd pauses, phrasing, and inflections that at times hurt to listen to.  Leckie's story is interesting enough for the genre, and I did really get into it in parts, but the performance left too much to be desired.

Rating: 2 stars

Enchanted

Title: Enchanted
Author: Alethea Kontis

Publisher: Ember
ISBN: 978-0-375-86564-0

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I have read a lot of books based on fairy tales, and a good handful that tries to combine fairy tales, but none have completely hit the mark as well as Kontis.  Enchanted is a fun and adorable read for any fairy tale lover, young or old.

Rating: 5 stars

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Title: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Publisher: Blackstone Audio
ISBN: 9780786105113

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, British Books, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I think I prefer Sherlock Holmes stories one at a time.  This many all at once just made them seem so similar.  I can appreciate how Doyle was a pioneer in the mystery field, but the story that I liked the best was the most gothic, "The Adventure of the Copper Beaches".

Rating: 3 stars

Death Cloud

Title: Death Cloud
Author: Andrew Lane

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners
ISBN: 9781427211224

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Historical Fiction, British Books, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  This was a good old-school teen mystery.  Some of the action, though, felt like it came out of nowhere, but the mystery was solid and very thought-provoking (like you would expect from a Holmesian novel), even if the denouement was a little early.

Rating: 4 stars

The Prince and the Pauper

Title: The Prince and the Pauper
Author: Mark Twain

Publisher: Blackstone Audio
ISBN: 9781441795991

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Historical Fiction, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I think I just did not like the style, or maybe it is because I knew the concept of the story, but I had a very hard time pay attention to this one even though I liked the narrator's voice and he did an great job narrating.  I tried reading it when I was younger, and could not get into it then, either.

Rating: 2 stars

The False Prince

Title: The False Prince
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Publisher: Scholastic Audio
ISBN: 978054577222

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  While, as usual, I was able to pick out the twist almost from the start, I loved this.  The intrigue makes for a highly entertaining listen, and Sage's personality keeps the reader coming back.

Rating: 5 stars

Enduring Courage

Title: Enduring Courage
Author: John F. Ross

Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 978-1-4272-3923-5

Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I had never heard of Eddie Rickenbacker, WWI Ace, before, but his life was very interesting.  I actually found his years of racing before any safety standards come out to be the most exciting.  This is simply a wonderful biography.

Rating: 4 stars

Grave Mercy

Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: 9781464023835

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Historical Fiction, British Books, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, YA Mythology, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  With a kick-ass heroine and plenty of court intrigue, Grave Mercy is a very fun read.  LaFevers has a very unique concept for this trilogy and I love how she really brought out the medieval feel with the gods of old Brittany.

Rating: 4 stars

The Peculiar

Title: The Peculiar
Author: Stefan Bachmann

Publisher: Green Willow
ISBN: 978-0-06-222769-0

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Normally, I enjoy listening to books, but this is one I wish I had read.  I had trouble understanding some of the voices which made it hard to focus on the story.  What I did get, though, was a cute story with a great cliffhanger.

Rating: 3 stars

Carter Finally Gets It

Title: Carter Finally Gets It
Author: Brent Crawford

Publisher: Brillance Audio
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I don't know when I have last read a book that portrayed a 14-year-old boy so exactly.  This was frickin' hilarious!  Might just even hit a tad close to home for readers of the same age as the protagonist.  The only thing I didn't get was that these teens did not seem to have cell phones.

Rating: 5 stars

Frankenstein

Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley

Publisher: Listening Library
ISBN: 9780736685986

Why Read?: Bookclub
Challenges: Audio, British, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: OK, so I seem to have really known nothing about the original Frankenstein story.  Turns out, there is no Igor and the monster ends up with a wonderful command of language.  There is also a tremendous lack of action, so I am very glad I listened to this instead of reading it or I never would have finished.  I will say, though, I now understand the beginning of the movie I, Frankenstein much better.

Rating: 2 stars

Rotters

Title: Rotters
Author: Daniel Kraus

Publisher: Listening Library
ISBN: 9780449014950

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: OMG. This was unlike any book I have ever read. It was dark and gets kinda psychological towards the end, so I would categorize it as Horror, but not a traditional horror. The narration also set the tone, but the parts with repetitions just seemed odd when listening.

Rating: 4 stars