Audiobooks

Andrews, Andy. Island of Saints. Nelson Books, 2005.Oasis Audio, 2005. Narrated by the author.

Forgive, forgive, forgive and forgive some more. This is the topic of Andy Andrews’ latest fiction offering. The year is 1942 and Lieutenant Josef Bartels Landermann is shot while on board the U-166 a German submarine. When he floats to shore, he is found by Helen Mason, a beautiful young American woman who is mourning the death of her husband due to the war. When Mason sees Landermann’s German soldier’s uniform, she is so angry and bitter that she contemplates leaving him to die. But will she? Andy Andrews has created a simply written novel that tells its reader that forgiveness is the only way to have complete peace. In the audio addition, read by the author, the story is told clearly and concisely. Andrews’ pleasant and energetic voice makes this audio book well worth the listen.

Ephron, Nora. I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman. Knopf, 2006. Random House Audio, 2006. Narrated by the author.

The honest truth is that it's sad to be over sixty," concludes Nora Ephron in her sparkling new book about aging. With 15 essays in 160 pages, this collection is short, a thoughtful concession to pre- and post-menopausal women (who else is there?), like herself, who "can't read a word on the pill bottle," follow a thought to a conclusion, or remember the thought after not being able to read the pill bottle. Aging, according to Ephron, is one big descent—and who would argue? There it is, the steady spiraling down of everything: body and mind, breasts and balls, dragging one's self-respect behind them. Ephron's witty riffs on these distractions are a delightful antidote to the prevailing belief that everything can be held up with surgical scaffolding and the drugs of denial. Nothing, in the end, prevents the descent. While signs of mortality proliferate, Ephron offers a rebuttal of consequence: an intelligent, alert, entertaining perspective that does not take itself too seriously. (If you can't laugh, after all, you are already, technically speaking, dead.) She does, however, concede that hair maintenance—styling, dyeing, highlighting, blow-drying—is a serious matter, not to mention the expense. "Once I picked up a copy of Vogue while having my hair done, and it cost me twenty thousand dollars. But you should see my teeth." Digging deeper, she discovers that your filthy, bulging purse containing numerous things you don't need—and couldn't find if you did—is, "in some absolutely horrible way, you." Ephron doesn't shy away from the truth about sex either, and confesses, though with an appropriate amount of shame, that despite having been a White House intern in 1961, she did not have an affair with JFK. May Ephron, and her purse, endure so she can continue to tell us how it goes. Or, at least, where it went.

Flagg, Fannie. Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven. Random House, 2006. Random House Audio, 2006. Narrated by Fannie Flagg.

Fannie Flagg, the incomparable Southern writer and actress, returns to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, to paint and portray feisty, inquisitive octogenarian Elner Shimfissle. Elner falls out of her fig tree and is presumed dead. While her family and friends mourn, she makes a "temporary" visit to heaven, where she runs into her deceased sister, Ida, as well as Ginger Rogers and Tom Edison. When she "returns," she shares details of her experience with her niece as well as communicating her thoughts on the wisdom of life and its meaning with townspeople. While this touching slice of Southern life stands well on its own, having Flagg herself breathe life, love, and laughter into her heroine and her acquaintances, living and dead, makes for the most rewarding and entertaining experience of the year.

Gerritsen Tess. The Mephisto Club. Ballantine Books, 2006. Random House Audio, 2006. Narrated by Kathe Mazur.

Does evil have a face--an inhuman one that merely *looks* human? Gerritsen tackles this intriguing topic via The Mephisto Club, a group of individuals--some wealthy but all intelligent specialists--who track down "demons". In theology, there is a theory that the OT verse about the "sons of God laying with the daughters of men" refers to the origin of demon spirits. The sons of God were supposedly angels who then procreated with human women, and Nephilim (demons) the result of such a union. Some also theorize (although Gerritsen doesn't mention this) that the Nephilim were a race a giants spawned from such a union (think Goliath and the Philistines). Regardless if you believes that there is such thing as 'pure evil', possession, or demons, The Mephisto Club grips readers with three-dimensional characters, smart writing, plot twists, and quick pacing. The killer in this story begins offing people at an alarming pace, drawing upside crosses, mirror writing and enigmatic symbols in walls and bodies. Some of these gruesome crimes occur right under the nose of both Dr. Isles and Jane Rizzoli. When Dr. Isles is mistaken for a member of The Mephisto Club, things get personal. Surprisingly, what I found the most interesting about this book isn't the murders or the mysteries, but two subplots: the crazy behavior of Rizzoli's parents and the relationship between Dr. Isles and Father Brophy. I don't want to give away any plot secrets, but all I can say is "Ms. Gerritsen, PLEASE let Father Brophy betray his vows and give up the church!" Dr. Isles has suffered enough already.......... You may want to read Gerritsen's other books that feature Isles/Rizzoli to understand some plot points (such as why Dr. Joyce O'Donnell taunts Rizzoli and why Dr. Isles' mother, Almathea, is mentioned in the context of "pure evil"). However, if you've already read the other Isles books (The Surgeon, The Apprentice, The Sinner, Body Double, and Vanish), then you'll LOVE The Mephisto Club. I had a hard time putting this book down, staying up WAAAAAY late to read "just one more chapter"!

Inspired by . . . The Bible Experience: New Testament. Zondervan, 2006. Narrated by an ensemble of distinguished African-American actors, musicians, and personalities.

This audio presentation has been called "the most ambitious undertaking in recent recording history." Packed with characterizations performed by 80 black celebrities including Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kirk Franklin, Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood as Jesus, the Bible Experience is truly a work of art. The actors, singers, musicians, pastors, writers, poets, etc. came together and donated their time and talents to create a collection that would celebrate and offer a diverse and flavorful interpretation of the Bible. The Bible Experience introduces its listener to a different type of Bible production. Complete with the latest technological sound effects and a moving and uplifting soundtrack, this 19 CD collection is interesting, informative and entertaining. You will be captivated by Blair Underwood’s impeccable depiction of a teaching, preaching and crucified Jesus. Bishop T. D. Jakes skillfully portrays Father Abraham in the retelling of The Rich Man, Lazarus and Abraham. Traitor, Judas Iscariot, is brilliantly performed by Cuba Gooding Jr. This multimillion-dollar project with financing and text provided by Zondervan, the nation's largest Bible publisher, hit audio book shelves in the fall of 2006.

Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible. HarperCollins, 1997. Recorded Books, 1999. Brilliance Audion, 1998. Narrated by Dean Robertson.

The Poisonwood Bible is Kingsolver’s most ambitious book. The landscape is the Belgian Congo, rift with the kind of clashes and misunderstandings that exist between cultures. Well researched and deeply moving, it tells the story of a missionary's family from Georgia who move to the Congo in the late 1950s. The father, Nathan Price, is a religious fanatic, driven to convert the world to his brand of Christianity .His wife and four daughters have no choice but to respect his wishes. Using the technique of alternating first-person voices, each chapter is told from the point of view of these five female family members. A poisonwood tree grows by their house. It is beautiful but it causes rashes and boils on the skin. It's a great metaphor for the rest of the story. The mother, Orleanna, struggles daily with the effort of keeping her family together in a world that is suddenly devoid of electricity, plumbing and food. Precious wood must be found for the stove, water must be boiled to remove parasites, and vegetables do not grow. The oldest daughter, Rachel is 16. She misses her friends and her life in Georgia and yearns for nail polish and hairdos. Then there are the 14 year old twins: Leah and Adah. Both are smart and open to learning about the world around them. Leah in a budding Amazon/tomboy, but Adah cannot speak or move one side of her body. The littlest one, Ruth May, at age 5, teaches the native children to play games. Each one of these voices is totally distinct from each other and tells her tale in her own distinctive way. Their overlapping views of the same incident turned them into multifaceted prisms instead of simple story lines. I wanted nothing more to go on reading, finding myself in their world, feeling the heat and the beauty of Africa as each one, in her own way, discovered her own Africa. But Africa was changing even as they were . Revolution was happening. It was dangerous for the missionaries. The father refused to leave. And the family gets caught up in total upheaval. Throughout you feel an impending sense of doom, as things spin more and more out of control. One of the daughters dies, and the entire family splinters. I would never have imagined the paths that each character took from this point. The last third of the book follows the surviving women through the next 30 years of African and American history. It is a political statement and it opened a world for me I never even knew existed. Often in books that span 40 years, the first part of the book is the best. But this book even got better as it moved along. It's 543 pages long and I was sorry to see it end.

Lewis, Beverly. The Postcard. Bethany House, 1999. Recorded Books, unabridged, 1999. Narrated by Barbara Caruso.

Rachel Yoder and her daughter lived with her parents and helped run their bed and breakfast in the heart of Lancaster County Amish country. Her parents, Ben and Suzanna Zook, and other Amish became very suspicious and aloof when Philip Bradley, a writer, came as a guest of the B&B. Rachel's daughter, Annie, was young and eager to be friends with Mr. Bradley. When he found a postcard written in Pennsylvania Dutch he became quite curious about its translation and then the sender and the intended receiver. Blind Rachel was also curious, even more so when Susanna became agitated at the mention of Gabe Esh. She obviously wanted that subject to remain closed. Her interest was in having Rachel accept the pow-wow gifts from Blue Johnny. Then maybe she would see again. Philip Bradley thoroughly enjoyed his time in the peaceful Amish country, far from the hectic pace of New York City. He became fascinated with the customs as well as the people he met in the Plain communities. His research for two articles involved mostly talking with people willing to share about their lives and beliefs. And what they know about Gabe Esh and his "English" friend.

Macomber, Debbie. The Shop on Blossom Street. Mira, 2004.

Lydia Hoffman decided to open A Good Yarn after she'd battled and survived brain cancer-twice. Knitting had been very important therapy for her during all those years and treatments. Now opening a shop devoted to yarn and knitting was a way of sharing this enjoyment with others. The group that came to her first knitting class seemed to be totally mismatched. Lydia met with a society matron named Jacqueline, a girl named Alix who had a major chip on each shoulder and Carol who wants more than anything to have a baby. They came to learn how to enjoy knitting and make baby blankets. Along the way they somehow found common interests and concerns and lasting friendships formed. Lydia put all she had into opening The Shop on Blossom Street. And the women in her class truly put themselves into their changed lives.

Paolini, Gerard Doyle. Eragon: (Inheritance, Part I). Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2003. Listening Library, 2003. (Unabridged) Narrated by Christopher Read.

Eragon’s ordinary life as a simple farm boy is shattered one day when he finds a treasure: a blue stone. Assuming that it is a gem, he plans to sell or trade it. Imagine his astonishment and fear when the stone begins to move . . . and when it hatches, releasing a dragon. A dragon will not emerge from the egg until it is in the presence of its ideal companion and rider, and Eragon has been chosen for this honor. Caught up in the novelty of befriending this creature, Eragon soon finds himself far from his home and all that he has ever known, sharing adventures with his new friend and learning to defend himself against new enemies. Paolini wrote Eragon while he was in his teens and for a novelist of that age, it is quite an accomplishment. Experienced fantasy readers will spot ties to great novelists of the genre such as Tolkien, Le Guin, and McCaffrey, but for younger readers this could be an ideal introduction to some of the common themes and situations of fantasy novels. Audio fans will enjoy Gerard Doyle’s skillful reading; he has a special knack for accents and other unique vocal patterns for each character. He is especially good when interpreting the dragon Saphira, creating a believably reptilian voice that is nevertheless appealing. Eragon is the first novel in the Inheritance series. It is followed by Eldest.

Patterson, James. Cross. Little, Brown & Company, 2006. Random House Audio, 2006.

Patterson's departure from the nursery-rhyme titles in his latest Alex Cross yarn is a tip-off that the focus this time is not so much on the case as on the man. For the first time in Patterson's 13-year-old series, we relive the day in 1993 when Cross' wife, Maria, was murdered. Alex was a young gun with the D.C. police then, and Maria was a social worker in the poorest and most dangerous section of the city before she became the victim of a drive-by shooting. Cut to the present, and Alex--who has been with the FBI for some time, become a successful crime writer, and started to lose a bit of that "dragon slayer" touch--decides to devote more time to his three kids, much to the delight of Nana Mama, Alex's nonagenarian three-in-one grandmother, nanny, and guiding light. Alex is nothing if not loyal, so when his former partner John Sampson asks him to help track down a sicko who is serially raping Georgetown coeds, Alex cannot say no. Little does he know, however, that the search for the rapist will have ties to Maria's death. That her killer was never found is a constant source of frustration for Alex, and this case offers a chance to finally put Maria's memory to rest. Even as the story whips by with incredible speed, Patterson manages to pack it full of suspense, emotion, and a resolution that, while perfectly satisfying, carries the author's trademark teaser hinting at the "more" that surely will come.

Patterson, James. Judge & Jury.

Perfecting the mobster's attitude, as well as that of the FBI agent tracking him, could be difficult for some, but innuendo, accent, and timing are Joe Mantegna's trademarks in narrating, and he does a superb job here. Nick Pellisante comes alive as the emotionally burdened agent, as does Andie DeGrasse, the not-so-willing juror, as their lives become entangled while the Mafia don laughs in the face of the law. Using wise-guy accents for the mobsters and a sincere tone for the agent, Mantegna weaves this story flawlessly, bringing the listener into a gritty world in which the villains get the upper hand, but only for a short while.

Piper, Don and Cecil Murphey. 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life. Revell, 2004. Revell, Unabridged , 2006. Narrated by the author, Don Piper.

Piper recounts the dramatic story of his ninety-minute journey to heaven. When a truck crushed his Ford Escort in a head-on collision, he was declared dead on scene. But a passing minister sensed that God wanted him to pray, so he reached through the wreckage to clasp Piper's bloody hand while he did so. Piper's incredulous voice speaks of what he believes he saw: heaven's luminous gates through which he could see streets paved with gold, as well as relatives and loved ones who surrounded him yet wouldn't let him pass through because it wasn't his time. This incredible story is one of faith and inspiration. I had hoped for more, based on the title. It was interesting and reassuring to hear the author's experience "in Heaven." However, what overshadowed the entire book was his whining about his injuries and road to recovery. The focus here was clearly a telling of his difficulties on earth. It would have been more inspirational had he focused on his 90 Minutes in Heaven. Also, the narration, provided by the author, is one of the most annoying I have ever sat through. If the pregnant pauses were taken out, an entire disc could have been eliminated!

Slaughter, Karin. Triptych. Delacorte Press, 2006.

In her first stand-alone thriller since she began writing her best-selling Grant County series (the latest is Faithless, 2005), Slaughter continues to obsess over her favorite theme--the close link between intimacy and violence. In this intricately plotted page-turner of a novel, there's a serial killer at work in Atlanta, and he likes his victims young. His telltale m.o.--biting off his victims' tongues--brings in Will Trent, an agent from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, but the latest vicious murder doesn't fit with the previous cases. For one thing, the victim is a drug-addicted black prostitute in her thirties. Will is assigned to work the case with local detective Michael Ormewood, a hard-to-read veteran who resents Will's presence. Will also calls upon vice-squad undercover agent Angie Polaski, a lifelong friend he first met in an orphanage where they were both placed after suffering severe abuse--their on-again, off-again romantic relationship is a source of comfort and frustration for both of them. Suspicious of authority and severely dyslexic, Will slowly pieces together an investigation that leads to feckless ex-con John Shelley, a man so stunted by his prison stint that he can barely function yet comes roaring back to life when he senses that his newfound freedom is about to be snatched away. Slaughter is keenly interested in the root causes of sexual perversity, and she writes about them so affectingly that her fascinations also become the readers'.

Vanzant, Iyanla. Iyanla Live! Our Relationship With Money.

From author/inspirational/motivational speaker Iyanla Vanzant comes a non-fiction work on a very relevant subject: Money. In this recording Vanzant discusses how we must have the right attitude about money, abundance and prosperity. According to Vanzant money is an attitude. She states that we serve a rich God who is anxious to bless us with more than enough and that we as a people are in lack due to our own spiritual attitudes about money. Vanzant puts the availability of prosperity or the lack thereof in the hands of the individual. An acronym that the author uses for M.O.N.E.Y. is My Own Natural Energy Yield. She states that whatever is going on in one’s bank account, wallet or purse is a direct reflection of that person’s own energy yield. Vanzant states that it is God’s plan that we should not be in want and that we should not be limited.

Vidal, Gore. Point to Point Navigation. Doubleday, 2006. Recorded Books, 2006. Narrator Gore Vidal.

Eleven years have passed since the publication of Palimpsest, the cleverly titled memoir of Gore Vidal that chronicles his first forty years. Now fans and other readers are treated to the second installment covering his next forty years – Point to Point Navigation. This title, though unusual, is quite apt. In a series of very short chapters, Vidal skips all over the timeline and even covers a fair amount territory from his first forty years. Many locales are visited as well including Mississippi, Washington, DC, Oklahoma, New York, Morocco, Hollywood and Italy just to name a few.

Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of his discussion is the celebrity anecdotes he shares that often include his own personal reasons for being attracted to these persons. Recognizable names include Saul Bellow, Paul Bowles, Truman Capote, Johnny Carson, Carson McCullers, Pope John Paul II, Orson Welles and Tennessee Williams affectionately referred to by his nickname, "The Bird." Quite humorous is his mention of the romance writer, Barbara Cartland, who happens to be the step-grandmother of Diana Princess of Wales. He characterizes her as "an authority on the royal family whom she ceaselessly defends in the press even when they are not under attack."

While Vidal’s gifts of wit and understatement are ever present, his account is not all wry chuckles or laughs. His ill view of the New York Times surfaces several times. The Times’ panning of his novel, The City and the Pillar (the first modern gay novel), coincided with his serious, but ultimately failed bid for a seat in Congress. He also lashes out at Fred Kaplan, his "authorized" biographer on several points wherein Vidal and Kaplan arrive at different conclusions of the truth. In these accounts Vidal does not come off as overly defensive; he is merely combative and succinct.

One account conveying both love and loss shows up in both installments of Vidal’s memoirs. It involves Vidal’s first love, Jimmie Trimble, a fellow student from St. Albans, an Episcopal prep school in Washington DC. Vidal and Trimble corresponded while Trimble went off to war. Trimble was killed at Iwo Jima leaving Vidal to later posit that Trimble and his fellow soldiers "were all being thrown away for no purpose other than the enrichment of war contractors." One can imagine the same sentiment being applied by some to the losses suffered from the United States’ invasion of Iraq. Vidal’s laconic approach does not allow for an all-out diatribe concerning the follies of the Iraq War, but he does briefly mention it as well as referring to the hapless victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Vidal ironically refers to the United States as "Freedom’s Land." No one could easily miss-guess Vidal’s political leanings, but he does not over play his hand and prefers to be merely himself. He handles his homosexuality in much the same way.

Vidal, at age 81, has witnessed the passing of many of his friends and colleagues. He remarks that "these rehearsals for death take more and more out of one." Perhaps his greatest loss of all was the death of Howard Auster, his partner for over fifty years. He writes about the closing out of their shared villa in Italy as the health of both begins to decline. This works well as foreshadowing for events to come. He appears to attempt stoicism as he writes sparingly and without a trace of sentimentality of the illness, passing and burial of Auster. This is easily the spiritual heart of the memoir. One senses that Vidal throughout the entire book is aware of his own march "toward the door marked Exit." (I am reminded of J. R. R. Tolkien’s statement, "Love and loss are inextricably bound together.")

Vidal reads his own memoir in the audio edition of this book. It is a pleasure to hear such a witty wordsmith read his own work giving it just enough intonation and dynamic quality to make the ironies and understatements ring valid. The effect is truly priceless. Listeners who are familiar with Vidal’s voice over the years can detect a weakening in its timber. After all, he is 81. After all, he is Gore Vidal. (While listening to this book far exceeds reading it, the listener should browse through the written work to view the photographs and read the often times amusing captions.)