Worst Case by James Patterson - (audio book review)

Title: Worst Case
Authors: James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Read by Bobby Cannavale, Orlagh Cassidy, and John Glover
Publisher: Hachette Audio

BEST CASE: SURVIVAL  The son of one of New York's wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage.  His parents can't save him, because this kidnapper isn't demanding money.

WORST CASE: DEATH   Detective Michael Bennett leads the investigation.  As another student disappears, another powerful family uses their leverage and connections to turn up the heat to stop this killer.  Their reach extends all the way to the FBI, which sends its top Abduction Specialist, Agent Emily Parker.

THIS CASE: DETECTIVE MICHAEL BENNETT IS ON IT   Before Bennett has a chance to protest the FBI's intrusion on his case, the mastermind changes his routine.  His plan leads up to the most devastating demonstration yet -- one that could bring cataclysmic ruin to every inch of New York City.   (Synopsis from back cover)

My thoughts:  Sorry about using the canned synopsis, but I am too far behind on reviews.  I loved this audio cd, not just for the narrators but for the story itself.  There was good chemistry between Bennett and Parker, not necessarily the romantic kind, but just how they were always on the same wavelength - especially coming from different lifestyles.  Bennett is a single dad of a bunch of kids.  His wife has died and he has a housekeeper/nanny that helps out who is also sporting a crush on Bennett.  Parker is also a single parent of  only one, a girl who she has left in the care of her brother.  They worked well together and I don't feel like there was any power struggle between the two of them.  In a male/female pairing of this sort, you think you would either have strong romantic vibes or that the woman would be working hard to "prove" herself - or maybe the man would be playing "protector".  I like that they just came together as colleagues towards a mutual goal.  The narrators were wonderful!  You could hear the Bronx in Bennett just by the dialogue.  And in listening to the kidnapper, you could just feel the little bit crazy, little bit sinister in his voice!  I have a feeling that even in reading it, I would have felt the same way because of the choice of words - it wasn't just in the voices - it was in the words.  I have read quite a few by Patterson, but I think I am going to be listening to more of his in the future!

Listen to an excerpt

~I received a complimentary copy of this audio CD from Hachette in exchange for my review.~

Worst Case
Publisher/Publication Date: Hachette Audio, Feb 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60024-784-2
Approx. 7 hours

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (Audio Book Review)

Title: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Author: Seth Grahame-Smith
Reader: Scott Holst
Publisher: Hachette Audio

My thoughts: I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would.  It took the historical things we know about Lincoln and intertwined how it could have happened if there were really vampires.  From the deaths of Nancy Hanks (Abe's mom) to Ann Rutledge (first fiance) and all the way through to his election as President and subsequent assassination. 

You see, Abe was really a vampire hunter. He learned about them at a young age when he saw his father making a deal with one for a loan.  He later went on his own to hunt them down and kill them.  During his travels he actually is befriended by a vampire who saves him when another tries to kill him.  When Abe asks why he didn't kill him - he says that some people are too interesting to kill (sorry if I didn't get the quote quite right - I finished this some time ago). Over the years this vampire feeds information to Abe about "bad" vampires in the area so that Abe can go and kill them.

I must say that I did enjoy it.  With audiobooks I have discovered that if I don't like the narrator, then it is hard to get involved in the story line.  Obviously, this was a narrator (Scott Holst) that I liked.

~I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from Hachette Audio in exchange for my review.~

 

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Publisher/Publication Date: Hachette Audio, Mar 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60788-173-5
9 CDs - 10 hours

Priceless Memories - Audiobook Giveaway!

My last audiobook giveaway from Hachette and Anna this week is Priceless Memories by Bob Barker. (Applause sign on for Anna and Hachette!)

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble)

In front of the camera, Bob Barker has been invited into the homes of millions of Americans as host of The Price is Right, Truth or Consequences, Miss USA, Miss Universe, the Rose Parade, and many other programs and specials. He has been part of the lives of generations of viewers connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds. Now Bob shares stories of favorite contestants, episodes, celebrity encounters, and behind-the-scenes happenings.

Beyond his public persona, Bob opens up about his personal life, sharing a lifetime of fond memories. He recalls his early years spent on a Native American reservation and being raised by a single mother through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. He writes about training as a fighter pilot in the Navy during World War II and how he met, fell in love with, and married the love of his life, Dorothy Jo. It was with Dorothy Jo's encouragement and insight that he launched his career in the entertainment business, starting in radio and moving to television, where his work has been honored with nineteen Emmys (fourteen as a performer, the most any performer has ever won), induction into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the TV Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Pioneer Broadcasters Golden Mike Award, among many other awards.

Bob's support of animal rights has always been a central part of his life. In these pages he delves into stories of how and why he put his personal passion above his career, including his antifur standoff with beauty pageants, and his involvement in cases that exposed animal abuse in movies and television. He shares heartwarming personal stories of the four-legged friends he has adopted and rescued, ranging from dogs and rabbits to elephants. Bob is a complete success at retirement and continues to actively advocate on behalf of animals, including working on successful legislation to control the pet population.

For the innumerable fans who have welcomed Bob into their homes over the last fifty years, this book will be like catching up with a dear and familiar friend who continues to lead a full and endlessly interesting life.

Rules are:
1. Canada or U.S. only - NO P.O boxes! (books will be coming direct from Hachette)
2. 3 copies to give away
3. Contest runs from May 8 - May 22 (midnight CST)

How do you enter? (put all entries into one comment please)

1. For your first entry please tell me if you have ever been on a game show or what your favorite game show (or reality show) is. W/o this entry, no other entries will count. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

2. If you sign up to follow my blog (or already do) - 2 entries

3. If you sign up to follow in a feed reader, email subscription or facebook - 2 entries

4. If you tweet or post this giveaway on your blog and leave the link back here - 2 entries

MAXIMUM entries is 5.

Mr. Popper's Penguins - Audiobook Giveaway!

Today's giveaway from Hachette is one of my favorite kid's books - Mr. Popper's Penguins audiobook!

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble)
The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.

Rules are:
1. Canada or U.S. only - NO P.O boxes! (books will be coming direct from Hachette)
2. 3 copies to give away
3. Contest runs from May 7 - May 22 (midnight CST)

How do you enter? (put all entries into one comment please)

1. For your first entry please tell me what your favorite children's book is/was or your child's favorite book. W/o this entry, no other entries will count. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

2. If you sign up to follow my blog (or already do) - 2 entries

3. If you sign up to follow in a feed reader, email subscription or facebook - 2 entries

4. If you tweet or post this giveaway on your blog and leave the link back here - 2 entries

MAXIMUM entries is 5.

The Horse Boy - Audiobook Giveaway!

Today's giveaway from Hachette is The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson.

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble)

When his son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson was devastated, afraid he might never be able to communicate with his child. But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, rode their neighbor's horse with Rowan, Rowan improved immeasurably. He was struck with a crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, the one place in the world where horses and shamanic healing intersected?

THE HORSE BOY is the dramatic and heartwarming story of that impossible adventure. In Mongolia, the family found undreamed of landscapes and people, unbearable setbacks, and advances beyond their wildest dreams. This is a deeply moving, truly one-of-a-kind story--of a family willing to go to the ends of the earth to help their son, and of a boy learning to connect with the world for the first time.

Rules are:
1. Canada or U.S. only - NO P.O boxes! (books will be coming direct from Hachette)
2. 3 copies to give away
3. Contest runs from May 6 - May 22 (midnight CST)

How do you enter? (Put all entries into one comment please)

1. For your first entry please tell me why you think it is important to have a pet - or if you don't, why not.( I didn't want to ask anything about autism as I thought this might be too personal) W/o this entry, no other entries will count. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

2. If you sign up to follow my blog (or already do) - 2 entries

3. If you sign up to follow in a feed reader, email subscription or facebook - 2 entries

4. If you tweet or post this giveaway on your blog and leave the link back here - 2 entries

MAXIMUM entries is 5.

Boneman's Daughter by Ted Dekker - Audiobook Giveaway!

It is time for some new giveaways from Hachette! To start them out I have 3 copies of Boneman's Daughters audiobooks to give away. (Thanks Anna and Hachette!) I will be hosting giveaways for another audio book everyday this week - so be sure to come back by!

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble)

They call him BoneMan, a serial killer who's abducted six young women. He's the perfect father looking for the perfect daughter, and when his victims fail to meet his lofty expectations, he kills them by breaking their bones and leaving them to die.

Intelligence officer Ryan Evans, on the other hand, has lost all hope of ever being the perfect father. His daughter and wife have written him out of their lives.

Everything changes when BoneMan takes Ryan's estranged daughter, Bethany, as his seventh victim. Ryan goes after BoneMan on his own.

But the FBI sees it differently. New evidence points to the suspicion that Ryan is BoneMan. Now the hunter is the hunted, and in the end, only one father will stand.

Rules are:

1. Canada or U.S. only - NO P.O boxes! (books will be coming direct from Hachette)
2. 3 copies to give away
3. Contest runs from May 5 - May 22 (midnight CST)

How do you enter? (Put all entries into one comment please)

1. For your first entry you must tell me your favorite Ted Dekker book, or if you haven't read anything by him, then tell me that also. W/o this entry, no other entries will count. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

2. If you sign up to follow my blog (or already do) - 2 entries

3. If you sign up to follow in a feed reader, email subscription or facebook - 2 entries

4. If you tweet or post this giveaway on your blog and leave the link back here - 2 entries

MAXIMUM entries is 5.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Book Review)

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Random House Listening Library
Narrated by: Jim Dale
Genre: YA/Fantasy
I listened to this book for fun!

First sentence: It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

Year six finds Harry, Ron and Hermione headed back to Hogwarts after passing their O.W.L.s. There is also a new Prime Minister of Magic after Fudge was fired over his handling of Voldemort's return. Ron and Harry are disappointed as they had not scored high enough on their Potions test to continue on in this class - but this is soon rectified by Dumbledore. Since they hadn't purchased Potions books, they must use some old ones from the classroom until theirs arrive. Harry is lucky and gets one filled with detailed notes and spells. Notes left by the Half-Blood Prince. But who is the Half-Blood Prince?

Dumbledore believes Harry (since he is the Chosen One) is ready to start learning more about his enemy Voldemort. Through a series of memories viewed through the pensieve, Harry sees Voldemort as Tom Riddle and watches his transformation into the Dark Lord. He is also able to discover what a horcrux is and how Voldemort has used them to gain his advantage.


Along the way we have Harry's adventures in Quidditch, learning to apparate and see him developing feelings for Jenny, Ron's sister.

I continue to enjoy this series, having read the first four and now listened to 5 and 6. I was happy to have finished this one before the movie comes out! I have decided though, that I enjoy listening to them more than reading them - probably because I can clearly see the characters (because of the movies) and very much enjoy listening to Jim Dale read them. If you have not read the Harry Potter series, I think you definitely should - regardless of your age. I guess I can admit now that I tried to read the first one when it came out and couldn't get past the first chapter. All the muggles and mudbloods and Quidditch! I am not sure what has changed.

Holes by Louis Sachar (Book Review)

Title: Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Genre: YA Fiction

First sentence: There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.


Holes is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who is wrongly convicted of stealing a pair of tennis shoes that were being auctioned off for charity. The tennis shoes really did fall on his head as he went under an overpass. He is sentenced to Camp Green Lake for 18 months. It is this kind of misfortune that seems to plague Stanley and his family. They blame these events on Stanley's great-great-grandfather and a curse that he brought on himself.

Now Camp Green Lake is not really a camp - nor is there a lake. It is a detention center for juvenile delinquents, at which they have to dig holes every day. Holes that are 5 feet wide by 5 feet deep, supposedly to teach them character. Stanley, or Caveman - as the other boys have nicknamed him, realizes early on that they are really searching for something for the warden.

After 45 days of digging holes and a week surviving away from "camp" - Stanley manages to bring history full circle. Will the curses finally be broken?

I enjoyed this book. The boys did learn something from digging holes -they learned perseverance and friendship - and something about dealing with guilty consciences. I like the way that the author wove three stories together - that of Stanley's great-great-grandfather, the legend of Kissin' Kate Barlow, and Stanley's emerging story in the present. I highly recommend this book for middle schoolers!

The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Book Review)

Title: The Road

Author: Cormac McCarthy

Publisher: Knopf

Genre: Robinsonades/Fiction

First sentence: When he woke in the woods, in the dark and the cold of the night, he'd reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him.

I listened to this book on audio tape and fell in love with the narrator's voice, Tom Stechschulte. The book was so good, that about 1/2 way through, I checked out the written version from the library so I could enjoy it whenever I was able. Well, after a few pages, I missed the narrator so much that I returned the book and continued with the audio version. I could just hear him saying "It's okay, it's o-kay."

The Road tells the story of a father and son in a post-apocalyptic world. The bond between them is evident from the beginning. The hope that the father is able to instill in the son in this seemingly hopeless and dire environment is amazing.

Though place names are not mentioned, they are following a map, and it seems they are going through the mountains to the ocean - so I pictured heading west to the Pacific. Along the way they are able to stay one step ahead of the 'bad guys' and with the boy's insistence, help others whenever they are able. People are few and far between, and food and supplies are even scarcer.

With every step traveled, every tin of food found or lost, every imagined and unimagined danger, I was kept on the edge of my seat. Travel with the boy and his Papa on their search for any good that is left in the world as the continue to carry The Light.

I just discovered that this book has been made into a movie to be released this year! This will be a must see for me!

Other reviews:

Things Mean Alot

In Search of Giants

Reading Adventures

Audiobook Challenge

Yeah - an audiobook challenge! I just discovered Audiobooks this year - it is great for reading some of those books that you want to, but that just seem to go on forever and ever!



Here are the guidelines:

1) You can join anytime at J.Kaye's Book Blog as long as you don’t start listening to your books prior to 2009.

2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.

3) You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

4) When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your library books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed. If you don’t have a blog, leave the URL blank.

5) Our goal is to listen to 12 audiobooks in 2009. No need to list your books now. You can do so as you go.

6) Feel free to post a link to your reviews in the comment section here (over at J.Kaye's!). That way, we can visit your blog and read your review.

Thanks j.kaye for hosting this event!

1. - The Road - Cormac McCarthy


2. - Cross Country - James Patterson


3. - A Long Stone's Throw - Frank McCourt
4. - Holes - Louis Sachar
   
5. - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling


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