Rescue by Anita Shreve (audio book)

Synopsis from GoodReads:  A rookie paramedic pulls a young woman alive from her totaled car, a first rescue that begins a lifelong tangle of love and wreckage. Sheila Arsenault is a gorgeous enigma--streetwise and tough-talking, with haunted eyes, fierce desires, and a never-look-back determination. Peter Webster, as straight an arrow as they come, falls for her instantly and entirely. Soon Sheila and Peter are embroiled in an intense love affair, married, and parents to a baby daughter. Like the crash that brought them together, it all happened so fast.

Can you ever really save another person? Eighteen years later, Sheila is long gone and Peter is raising their daughter, Rowan, alone. But Rowan is veering dangerously off track, and for the first time in their ordered existence together, Webster fears for her future. His work shows him daily every danger the world contains, how wrong everything can go in a second. All the love a father can give a daughter is suddenly not enough.

Sheila's sudden return may be a godsend--or it may be exactly the wrong moment for a lifetime of questions and anger and longing to surface anew. What tore a young family apart? Is there even worse damage ahead? The questions lifted up in Anita Shreve's utterly enthralling new novel are deep and lasting, and this is a novel that could only have been written by a master of the human heart.

My thoughts:  This was my first experience with Anita Shreve's work although she's been recommended to me several times.  I absolutely loved this book on audio.  It was engaging and highly entertaining.  There were a few times that I was pretty sure I knew what was coming  and I would get so exasperated at Peter.  Couldn't he see what I could see what was clearly going on?   There was at least one occasion where I was surprised by the turn that the story took.  The story was constantly moving at an appropriate pace. 

I never liked Sheila, she was one of those characters that you love to hate.  The story asks a difficult question, can you ever rescue someone?  I think that we can try, but they have to want it too.

The story was narrated by Dennis Holland.  He did an excellent job.  Through his voice and the character descriptions I had a definite picture in my head of what each of them looked like.  According to the audio book jacket he has over 100 audio books to his credit.  I can certainly understand why.  


Assuming you like like this kind of story or Shreve's work in general, this would be a great starter audio book. 


I received my copy of Rescue from the publisher for review.  This is my honest opinion of the audio book.



This is my January entry for the 2011 Audio Book Challenge.

Audio Book Challenge January Link up

Welcome Audio Book Challengers! I'm so excited that you all have decided to join the group. I've been trying to make it to each of your blogs to welcome you. If I haven't made it to your blog yet, I'm still working my way through the list. You haven't been forgotten.

How are things going so far? I've completed a couple of audio books that I'm working on writing the reviews for. I've got some great ideas for other posts as well. If there is anything that you'd like to see, please leave me a comment or shoot me an email.

Make sure you link up your reviews so that the rest of us can check out what you've listened to.

Oogy- the dog only a family could love by Larry Levin (audio book)

My thoughts:  It is without hesitation that I say that Oogy was a very special dog as was the family that adopted him.  Oogy was discovered by the police when the busted up a dog fighting ring.  He had been used as a bait dog to train other dogs to fight.  The problem was that Oogy didn't have a vicious bone in his body, even under the worst of circumstances.  It was through sheer determination on his part as well as his care takers that he pulled through.  

Enter the Levin family.  They are at the Veterinarian's office dealing with one of the toughest situations an animal lover can face, the loss of their furry friend.  The immediate connection between this dog and this family was undeniable.  They immediately agreed to adopt the pup.

This story is as much about the dog as it is about the man and the family.  We learn about Larry's fears as he becomes a father for the first time. We are with him as he embraces fatherhood and grows as a parent. I am in awe of the lengths that Larry goes to caring for Oogy.  What starts out as a tragedy quickly becomes a very heartwarming story that will restore your faith in people.

The story is narrated by Larry Levin and I think that that it helps to convey the emotion in this story. As an animal lover and adoptive person to a rescue dog I recognize that helping these animals is extremely rewarding but can be very difficult.  I see what the Levin's gave to Oogy, but I can also see what Oogy gave to them.  

Seek this one out, you won't be sorry.

I received my copy of Oogy from the publisher for review.  This is my honest opinion.

Room by Emma Donoghue (audio book)

Narrated by: 
     Michael Friedman
     Ellen Archer
     Robert Petkoff
     Suzanne Toren


Synopsis from Publisher:  To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.


My thoughts:  When I first read the synopsis of Room I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to handle it.  I thought it might be too emotionally wrenching for a mother to a young boy.  There is no way that I could handle any sort abuse against Jack.  I wondered if it was going to be painful to read as the story is told from the perspective of five year old Jack.  

As I listened to Jack I was constantly picturing my little monkey.  This made it a little difficult to listen to at times, but it was well worth it.


The ending was not entirely unexpected, but still surprising if that makes any sense at all. 


On the narration: I thought the narrators did an excellent job.  At first I thought that "Old Nick" sounded like too much of a good guy to be the monster who could do such a thing.  After further pondering I realized that he HAD to sound like a nice guy in order to have gotten Ma to go along with him in the first place.  


I loved the youthfulness of young Jack's voice and the wonder about the world that was conveyed each time he spoke.  


The bottom Line:  I fully understand why this book has received so many award nominations.  I would encourage you to seek out either in audio or in print.  It is certainly worth the read and the subsequent discussion.

I received my copy of Room from the publisher.

Announcing the 2011 Audio Book Challenge

<a href=”http://teresasreadingcorner.blogspot.com/p/2011-audio-book-challenge.html” target=”_blank”><img src="http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/7479/audiobookchallengebutto.png"></a>

I would like to cordially invite you to participate in the 2011 Audio Book Challenge.  This challenge was formerly hosted by Alaine at Queen of Happy Endings.  Earlier this fall she was looking for a new home for the challenge and I happily volunteered.  

I am going to shoot for the Addicted level.  I think one per month is pretty reasonable.

I hope that you'll jump over the the 2011 Audio Book Challenge Page and join me!

The Heights by Peter Hedges (audio book)

Narrated by: 

     Peter Hedges

     Any Ryan

     Alison Pill

Unabridged CDs, 7 CDs, 8 hours 

Released March 2010 by Penguin

Synopsis from Penguin:Tim Welch is a popular history teacher at the Montague Academy, an exclusive private school in Brooklyn Heights. As he says, "I was an odd-looking, gawky kid but I like to think my rocky start forced me to develop empathy, kindness, and a tendency to be enthusiastic. All of this, I'm now convinced, helped in my quest to be worthy of Kate Oliver." Now, Kate is not inherently ordinary. But she aspires to be. She stays home with their two young sons in a modest apartment trying desperately to become the parent she never had. They are seemingly the last middle-class family in the Heights, whose world is turned upside down by Anna Brody, the new neighbor who moves into the most expensive brownstone in Brooklyn, sending the local society into a tailspin.

Anna is not only beautiful and wealthy; she's also mysterious. And for reasons Kate doesn't quite understand, even as all the Range Rover- driving moms jockey for invitations into Anna's circle, Anna sets her sights on Kate and Tim and brings them into her world. 

My thoughts:  I wasn't really sure what to expect when I popped in the first disk.  Hedges is a new to me author.  If I am honest I have to say that I probably wouldn't have picked this one up on my own based on the cover art.  (yes, I am influenced by these things) I will say that I loved the narrators.  Their voices easily guided me through the story.  The story is told in segments narrated by the different characters.  An approach that was new to me just a few months ago, but appears to be increasingly popular. 

This story had potential but I think it fell short.  The characters never felt connected to one another and I never connected with them.  There wasn't much depth to the characters or to the story.  Kate and Tim are often described as being "normal".  I think this couldn't be further from the truth.  I suppose if life were like a soap opera they would be considered the "normal" couple.  Their relationship was nowhere near normal.  Kate and Tim NEVER communicate with one another.  

The author goes off on tangents on occasion into seemingly unrelated stories involving Tim's parents and sister or some of the other mothers in their circle.  There were a couple of these tangents that did eventually wind back around, but weren't really necessary in the story as a whole.  There are a couple of segments that are pretty sexually explicit.  I'm still undecided as to whether they were needed to tell the story or just there to grab a certain audience.  I'm leaning toward the latter.  

My copy of The Heights was sent to me by the publisher as part of a contest win.  This is my honest opinion of the story. 

A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand (audio book)

Narrated by:  Isabel Keating

Synopsis from Goodreads:  Claire Danner Crispin, mother of four young children and nationally renowned glassblower, bites off more than she can chew when she agrees to co-chair the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala. Claire is asked to chair the benefit, in part, because she is the former high school sweetheart of rock star Max West. Claire agrees to play the gala and it looks like smooth sailing for Claire-until she promises a "museum-quality" piece of glass for the auction, offers her best friend the catering job, goes nose-to-nose with her Manhattan socialite co-chair, and begins a "good-hearted" affair with the charity's Executive Director, Lockhart Dixon.

My thoughts:    I was really excited to dive into A Summer Affair after my wonderful experience listening to The Island.  This one was tough for me to get through in part because of the subject matter. To me the title and the cover graphic  presented something much more light hearted than what it delivered. I was never able to relate to Claire, I disliked the way that she handled the situation she was in and much of her behavior. I honestly never understood why Claire began the affair.  She didn't seem like she had a bad marriage.  Four kids under the age of 10 has to be a lot of work, but it can be done.  The only thing that I could come up with was that she was bored. The Affair never felt "good-hearted" as the synopsis indicates, but rather tawdry.

There were a couple of secondary stories that were interesting and I would have liked to see them developed a little bit more.  The effect of Claire's relationship with her sister in law and friend, Chavon is one of those.  It is something that many might not consider when beginning such an affair.

All in all I'd have to say that I would recommend this audio to those who like a story that is rife with sexual tension and aren't easily offended.

It seems that I have a love hate relationship with Hilderbrand's work.  I have The Castaways in my TBR pile so we'll see how our relationship continues.

Review based on an audio book version that I purchased. 

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand (audio book)- Review and Give Away

Narrated by: Denice Hicks

Synopsis: If you you've read any of Hilderbrand's works you know that they are always set on or around Nantucket.  This time Hilderbrand has set the story on the island of Tuckernuck.  Sisters India and Birdie along with her daughters Chess and Tate visit the family retreat for the first time in many years.  Initially they were planning a "girls" retreat in anticipation of Chess' upcoming wedding.  When Chess announces that she has called off the wedding, the retreat turns into something very different.

My thoughts:  I was hesitant to start this one as my introduction to Hilderbrand did not go as well as I had hoped.  I read Barefoot in 2009 and wasn't really that impressed with it.  The Island was so much better.  I really enjoyed this audio book.  It was engaging enough to keep me interested yet light enough that I didn't have to focus solely on listening, allowing me to multitask.

Each one of the ladies heads to the island under the guise of "helping Chess", but we  quickly learn that they all had other motives for making the trip.  Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the ladies.  The reader learns what is going on through description of current situations and the explanation of what it is that brought them to the Island. There were some twists and turns introduced that I didn't completely expect. 

The narrator did an excellent job.  She had a distinct voice for each of the characters that helped to reinforce their personalities and backgrounds. 
While it was a very different story, The Island has the same feel as Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer that I read earlier this year.    I was pleased how the story ended, even if it was pretty clear that it was heading in that direction.  I don't think it was feasible to give it any other ending.

This was my second audio book experience, the first being Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson.  On a recent perusal of the Bargain Bin at Barnes and Noble I saw that The Affair on audio book was deeply discounted.  Since I enjoyed this one so much I immediately purchased a copy and am listening to it in bits and pieces.

What is your experience with Elin Hilderbrand's work?  Do you have a suggestion for an audio book that I must listen to?

I received my copy of The Island from Hachette Audio.




Thanks to Hachette Audio I have One copy of The Island to give to one of my followers.  To enter the giveaway you must complete the form.  Comments will not be considered entries.  The contest will end  at 11:59 PM Mountain Time on October 29th.  The winner will then have 48 hours to respond to my notification email or I will select another winner.

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson (audiobook)

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first. 

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, TX back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best. 

My thoughts:  Backseat Saints was my first foray into the world of audiobooks.  Well, that isn't entirely true.  When I was young, my dad sat down with his cassette recorder and a microphone and recorded our favorite bed time stories onto cassette tapes so that we could listen to them when he had to work the night shift.  Then there was the time that I borrowed a books on tape from the library a zillion years ago.  That was a BAD experience so we won't even go there.

Backseat Saints was my first experience with an audiobook that I loaded onto my ipod.  The story was read by Joshilyn Jackson herself.  I think she was a fantastic choice.  Her accent made a huge contribution to the story.  You knew exactly when you were with Rose Mae and when you were with Ro.  The inflection in Jackson's voice as she read and changed her voice for each character had such an impact.  I don't know if I would have affected as much as I was had I read the book.

The story itself tackles the extremely difficult topic of spousal abuse.  Jackson presents a complex character in Ro/Rose Mae.   Ro Grandee knew she was in a bad situation, and knew that she needed to do something about it.  She remained stuck until she comes into contact with the appropriate catalyst, the airport gypsy.  How do you make the choice when presented with the option of only one survivor, you or him?  Does a reasonable person take a chance encounter in the airport and turn it into a quest to regain their life?  Was Ro a reasonable person at that point?  There were several times that I just didn't know what to think. 


Throughout the story I felt like I was riding the emotional roller coaster right along with Ro/Rose Mae.  I was caught off guard more than once during the story and I think that was a good thing.  I hate it when a story is so predictable that I could have written it.


The intensity of the story was not entirely unexpected as I have read Jackson's work before, but that didn't make it any less thrilling.


I don't think that this story is appropriate for anyone that is easily offended.  If you liked Gods in Alabama or Between, Georgia you should definitely pick this one up.


I received my copy of Backseat Saints from Hachette Audio.