Posts Tagged ‘eAudiobook’
Thermopylae: The Battle That Changed the World (by Paul Cartledge: Nonfiction) c. 2007
Posted on: May 31, 2012
Summary: In 480 BC, the great Persian King Xerxes led a vast army into Greece, intending to add the city states there to his empire. Squabbling among themselves even as Xerxes approached, the Greek polities mustered only a small contingent of 300 Spartan soldiers (supported by several thousand allies) to make a stand in the narrow pass of Thermopylae. The battle that followed, while a Persian victory tactically, would prove to be a rallying cry that would not only turn the war in the Greeks favors but echo down through history.
Review: Cartledge does a reasonable job summarizing the Greek and Persian worlds and world views in the first stages of his book. Beyond that, he falters. The description of the battle itself is woefully brief, and virtually no description of the effect of the battle on the rest of Greece or on the subsequent course of the war is offered. No more than a sentence on the great battles at Plataea and Salamis is offered. Instead, after the brief description of the battle, Cartledge offers many chapters following the effects of the battle on art, culture, and society throughout the world and through the ages. He thus provides excellent examples that the battle ‘changed the world’, while doing virtually nothing to document how or why this was the case. For readers interested in Greek history or the Persian Wars, there are much better and more balanced books available. The audio version of the book is, at least, beautifully read by John Lee.
Read-a-likes: For those more interested in action than strict fact, the movie 300 remains the most recent and popular portrayal of Thermopylae. For fiction readers, Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield is a stirring and largely accurate rendering of the battle. For those interested in a better examination of why the Greeks and Greek civilization echo through western history, I would recommend Sailing the Wine Dark Sea by Thomas Cahill.
Availability: This book is available from the Lake Bluff Public Library as an eAudiobook, downloadable through My Media Mall.
Review by Eric.
Summary: Ankh-Morpork, the foremost city of Discworld, is on the verge of chaos thanks to warring factions of dwarves and trolls. The anniversary of the battle of Koom Valley, source of hundreds of years of animosity, is drawing near, and a dwarf newly arrived in the city is determined to see the conflict reenacted in the city streets. Can Commander of the City Watch Sir Samuel Vimes prevent violence from sweeping through the city, and solve the mystery of Koom Valley?
Review: There is, simply put, no one who manages the balance of humor, insight, compassion and fantastic setting of Pratchett. Gaiman, who collaborated with Pratchett on Good Omens, comes close on occasion. Vimes remains a likable series mainstay, and Discworld continues to be fresh and funny after 39 books (this is the 34th). The volumes also stand alone extremely well.
Read-a-likes: While nobody is exactly Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, Christopher Moore and Neil Gaiman certainly have some of his genre defying panache.
Availability: This book is owned by the Lake Bluff Public Library as a book and an eAudiobook. Click here to check on the availability!
Review by Eric.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Adult Fiction, eBook, eAudiobook
c. 2010
A forkful of her mother’s homemade lemon cake changes everything for eight-year-old Rose Edelstein. Overpowering the sugar, lemon, and chocolate frosting is the taste of her mother’s sadness. From that point forward, Rose’s meals become defined by a single ingredient: the emotions of the cook. Her unusual ability casts a revealing light on the inner lives of her family, ultimately forcing her to analyze and explore the nature of human relationships in a fascinating and original way.
Aimee Bender’s talent for gorgeous and evocative prose shines in her latest offering. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is a novel that is more about the journey than the destination. Fans of magical realism will enjoy this quirky, thoughtful read.
If The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is right up your alley, you might also like Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and Blindness by Jose Saramago.
Review by Martha
Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
c. 2009
[Adult Fiction]
[Adult Audiobook]
[Electronic Resource (MyMediaMall eBook)]
[Electronic Resource (MyMediaMall eAudiobook)]
Almost everyone knows Alice Liddell Hargreaves as the real Alice in Wonderland and the muse of Lewis Carroll. Now approaching her 81st birthday, Alice reflects on her remarkable life and the strange and scandalous circumstances of her friendship with Lewis Carroll.
This novel doesn’t quite deliver on the high expectations it generates. Benjamin is fairly adept at developing the character of Alice, but the overall narrative lacks the focus and consistency it needs. There was also some struggle in building believable suspense. Lewis Carroll and the Liddell family had some sort of falling out that resulted in the two parties severing ties. Alice knows that she was somehow involved, but can’t remember what happened. This device comes off as more contrived than effective. The second half of the book was much stronger than the first because Benjamin moves Alice’s developmental journey to the forefront of the narrative. The psychology of the character is rendered very well, especially in regards to her emerging public role as Alice in Wonderland.
If you enjoyed Alice I Have Been, you might also like Gatsby’s Girl by Caroline Preston, Romancing Miss Brontë by Judith Gael, Drood by Dan Simmons, and Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper. Lake Bluff Library also owns both Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. If you’re interested in exploring the world of Wonderland, you might also enjoy Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars. If you’d like to read some nonfiction about Lewis Carroll, try Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin J. Wilson.
Pros: Contains some interesting psychological development.
Cons: Lacks the polish it deserves.
Review by Martha
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
c. 2003
[Juvenile Fiction (Paperback and Hardcover)]
[Juvenile Audiobook]
[Electronic Resource (MyMediaMall eBook)]
[Electronic Resource (My MediaMall eAudiobook)]
Ani was never cut out to be a crown princess. She lacks confidence and is far more at home chattering to swans and horses than holding court. When Ani’s mother decides that Ani is unfit to rule Kildenree, she is sent to far off Bayern to marry the prince as a peace-keeping ploy. On the months-long journey to Bayern, Ani’s lady-in-waiting, Selia, and a treacherous inner circle of guards stage a mutiny. Barely escaping with her life, Ani is forced to find work as a goose girl while Selia takes Ani’s rightful place in the palace. Will Ani be able to reclaim her title before it’s too late?
A word of warning: you will not want to put this book down until you’ve reached the very end, so clear your schedule. The Goose Girl is captivating in the rare way that makes you leap to your feet and shout “No!” at the most climactic moments. But the real strength of The Goose Girl lies in its protagonist. Despite her royal background, Ani is relatable and fiercely believable. Her search for identity and struggle to accept herself are both well-rendered by Shannon Hale.
If you like The Goose Girl, be sure to check out the sequel, Enna Burning. Fans of Shannon Hale might also enjoy books by Robin McKinley, Donna Jo Napoli, Tamora Pierce, Gail Carson Levine, Edith Pattou, and Diana Wynne Jones.
Pros: Charming, original, and masterfully told, The Goose Girl will delight all lovers of fantasy.
Review by Martha
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
c. 2009
[Teen Fiction]
[Electronic Resource (My Media Mall eAudiobook)]
Long before Mary was born, her village was surrounded by a fence. The fence keeps the villagers safe from the Unconsecrated, the ravenous undead that roam through the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary has already lost her father to the Unconsecrated and when her mother becomes infected, she has little choice but to join the Sisterhood and devote her life to the Scripture. When her village is breached by the Unconsecrated, Mary must journey into the Forest where she begins to discover that her world is not quite what she thought it was.
Thrilling and gripping, The Forest of Hands and Teeth provides an interesting take on a dystopian future. The book’s strongest feature is the humanity of its main character in her struggle to realize her dreams while restricted by the narrow scope of her world. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a rewarding read for fans of post-apocalyptic dystopian books.
If you enjoy The Forest of Hands and Teeth, you might also like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, and Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder. The Dead-Tossed Waves, the sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth, is available via Interlibrary Loan.
Pros: Strong female protagonist, good development of protagonist, thrilling story.
Cons: Relationships between characters lack sufficient development.
Review by Martha
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
c. 1989
[Young Adult Fiction]
[Electronic Resource (My Media Mall eAudiobook)]
Alanna of Trebound wants to be a knight more than anything in the world. The problem? Girls aren’t allowed to be knights. But a few pesky rules aren’t about to stand in the way of Alanna achieving her dreams. With a haircut and the new name of Alan, Alanna enlists as a page and begins her unlikely journey to knighthood. But as Alanna develops her skills as a warrior, her gift for magic begins to make itself apparent, ultimately forcing Alanna to make a difficult choice: to expose herself for who she really is or risk the lives of everyone in the castle.
Alanna: The First Adventure is merely the first installment in a fantastically written quartet. Alanna is a memorable character, remarkable in both her strengths and her flaws. Pierce deftly handles all the tribulations and self-doubt that comes with being eleven in a way that is realistic and relatable. Pierce also succeeds at writing a book with strong feminist leanings without beating the reader over the head with her beliefs. The entire quartet is a beautiful coupling of adventure and growing up.
If you enjoy Alanna: The First Adventure, check out the second book in the Song of the Lioness quartet, In the Hand of the Goddess. Readers who enjoy the Song of the Lioness quartet might also enjoy Pierce’s other books, including her follow-up quartet The Immortals, which begins with Wild Magic. Fans of Tamora Pierce might also enjoy the works of Robin McKinley, Patricia C. Wrede, Shannon Hale, and Donna Jo Napoli.
Pros: Strong female protagonist, accurate portrayal of the trials and tribulations of growing up.
Review by Martha
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
c. 2009
[Adult Fiction]
[Electronic Resource (My Media Mall eAudiobook)]
In his debut novel, Seth Grahame-Smith takes on the challenging task of retelling a classic love story—with zombies. In this novel, Elizabeth Bennet is not only a feisty and intelligent Englishwoman, but a highly disciplined warrior determined to protect the populace from the zombie scourge. But the arrival of Mr. Darcy proves to be an unwelcome distraction from her purpose. Can Elizabeth find love without betraying her warrior identity?
Although Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has the promise of a humorous parody, Grahame-Smith doesn’t quite live up to the book’s potential. The text is definitely worthy of a few smiles, but Grahame-Smith’s humor has a tendency to become slightly formulaic after the first couple hundred pages. Grahame-Smith also relies very heavily on Jane Austen’s original text and often chooses to recycle her words rather than using his own. This is a book that is probably best suited for fans of Pride and Prejudice who are looking for a good laugh. Readers searching for more originality might be interested in Grahame-Smith’s latest novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Pros: Humorous, interesting premise.
Cons: Becomes slightly formulaic and predictable.
Review by Martha
Astounding Audio!
Posted on: July 24, 2010
Looking for a truly well-done audiobook? Look no futher! Below is a list of carefully selected audiobooks that I have given my offical stamp of approval!
As an extremely picky audiobook “reader,” I have listened to my fair share… these definitely made the cut! Click on them to check their availability on both our catalog and My Media Mall!
