Lawn Boy Returns

by Gary Paulsen
PRMS, hardcover, 101 pages
genre: YA fiction, capitalism, humor

I didn't enjoy this one as much as Lawn Boy, but it was still a fun quick follow-up to the narrator's rise to fame and fortune in the first book. Zed is a nasty scoundrel who adds some zest to this story of what sudden f&f can bring to life. Very quick read.

My Antonia

by Willa Cather
Dakota County Library, audioCDs, 8 hours
read by Patrick Lawlor
genre: Pioneer America fiction

I'm so glad I grabbed this! It's one of those classics that I'd heard of but never read. I had to return it to the library before I finished, so I've got a copy from PRMS to finish the story of Jim Burden and his friendship with Bohemian Antonia. This narrator was fantastic! He brought the characters, the ethnic nuances, and the era to life. I wish I would have shared this one with my dad before it was due. I think he'd really enjoy it. Wonderful, lyrical, beautiful story.

Added 12/7/10:
My Antonia – print version PRMS
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook, but almost wish I’d read the print version. Unfortunately, I have more to do than time to do it right now. I got the book from my library, but want to put it away. I DID find time to read the introductory material, and found it very interesting. I didn’t really know much about Willa Cather earlier. She was quite an intellectual. How interesting that she’s best known for “pioneer” and “prairie” writing.


Added 12/31/2019:
Got the audiobook again (Scott County Library this time). Finally finished it! Took me a while (no driving during knee replacement surgery), but I finally got done. I think I prefer O Pioneer to this, but they're both quite good. It sure took me a long time to find out that I like Willa Cather's writing!

Antonia Shimerda and Jim Burden -friendship, potential romance . . . I was a little surprised at the way their stories turned out. Lena Lingard was a fun character, but I was glad when Jim left for Harvard. Tiny Soderball also surprised me, becoming an enterprising business owner and then a Klondike gold rush gal. The three young women had different personalities and life trajectories, but worked well together.

The part of the story where the "Russians" - Peter and Pavel - had their back story told was really creepy. The wedding party beset by wolves in Russia and them throwing the bride and groom off the sled to save themselves . . . No wonder bad luck followed them to the new world!

Listening to this, I had to remind myself that it is set in the 1880s to early 19teens . . . post Civil War. Beautifully written. Glad I spent the time.
 

Holy Bible: the gospel according to Luke

contemporary version
Dakota County library, audioCDs, 3 hours
read by Peter Jay Fernandez
genre: Scripture

I found it interesting that my mind wandered more listening to the book of Luke than during my earlier listen of Deuteronomy (or was it Numbers?). I wonder if that is because the book of Luke is so much more familiar to me. That is both saddening to me and instructive. As I've been reading through the Bible in a year, I am aware that there is always so much more to grasp. I am continually amazed when I read something as though for the first time (knowing that I've read the entire Bible cover-to-cover at least twice). Hmmm. More time and focus to really concentrate on Scriptures!

Finding God in the Lord of the Rings

by Kurt Bruner & Jim Ware
home paperback, 117 pages
genre: theology

This has taken me more than two years to read! I couldn't decide if it was intriguing or far-fetched. By the end I decided that the authors are devoted Christians who are LOTR buffs as well (a good fit for me). This is actually written almost like a devotional, but each section is much longer than the traditional daily devo that most of us use. They make some good points. It's interesting to hear people theorize about Tolkien's faith (or lack thereof). Some people vehemently deny that he had any Christianity at work in his life or writing and others who point out his close relationship with Christian author C.S. Lewis. Maybe someday I'll read some Tolkien biographies. Interesting to read the parallels in LOTR themes and Biblical teachings.

Erak's Ransom

by John Flanagan
Ranger's Apprentice #7
PRMS hardcover 373 pages

Going back in time to when Will was still an apprentice, this book covers the capture of Erak (as he goes on a raid to break up the monotony of being Oberjarl) by the Arradi. Cassandra and the other young ones, with the help of Halt and Gilan, go to ransom him but are instead drawn into a deadly battle in the desert.

Enjoyable as usual! My favorite part was probably the race. It reminded me a bit of Hidalgo. Looking forward to getting #8.

 

Above from 10.8.2010. Below added 6.9.23.

 

The start of the book is about Halt and Pauline planning their wedding. I only got to chapter 5 over several weeks (reading via Libby ebook) and just wasn't into it. I don't like all the jokes at Halt's expense. I don't like that this story jumps backward in the timeline (taking place before Will has his own post). I just have so many other books to read. 

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

by Ben Sherwood
Dakota County Library, hardcover, 273 pages
genre: romance, supernatural

Charlie feels guilty about the accident that killed his little brother Sam. Since Charlie was dead for ten minutes before paramedic Florio shocked him back into life, Charlie can see and talk to dead people. He has made a promise to his brother to always be there for him, and as the cemetary caretaker, he keeps his promise. Every night, the brothers play ball, swim, and talk. Then Tess Carroll comes into Charlie's life.

I suspect that this is one story where I may actually enjoy the movie more than the book . . . I'll have to watch the movie to test that theory out. The most frustrating aspect of this book to me was the New Age-y approach to the afterlife. Hokey and sentamental, this is better than Nicholas Sparks, but not by much. I'm going to try really hard to *listen* during our book club discussion and not just spout my opinion.

Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror

by ???
full-cast audio, with William Hartnell, William Russell, and Carole Ann Ford
Dakota County Library audioCDs 2:31
genre: SciFi, historical fiction

Based on the older Dr. Who tv show, this story was NOT enjoyable in audio format. It made me crazy how stupidly the characters behave. Was the old Dr. Who really such an idiot? Maybe it's just been too long since I've watched the older version, but this was really frustrating to listen to. The setting of the French revolution was interesting, but also sad. The madness, anarchy, and murder were really the tone. I would not want to have lived during that era. Of course, they get away and all is well in the end.

The other frustration I have with most stories like this is that the audio track for voices is too quiet, but the sound effects and music are super-loud. I thought the tweeting birds would break my eardrums . . .

Northanger Abbey

by Jane Austen
Dakota County Library audioCDs 7 hours
read by Donada Peters
genre: romance

I hadn't read this Austen story before. For the most part, I liked it. Catherine Morland goes to Bath with her friends the Allens. There she meets Henry Tilney and John Thorpe, among other people. I liked this story much better than Emma and Persuasion, but not as well as P&P and S&S. The reader does a fine job of relating the story. In fact, I stayed up too late on a work night to finish it because I was enjoying it so much!