206 Bones

by Kathy Reichs

Libby audiobook 10 hours

read by Linda Emond

Published: 2009

Genre: murder mystery

I used to love watching the TV show Bones, so when I saw this book I thought I'd give it a try. Some of it was too focused on the forensic science aspect, but I definitely liked this narrator's voice much more than actress Emily Deschanel. Temperance Brennan is an interesting character. I was surprised that she was more of a pushover than I expected. It was easy to see that there was trouble brewing in the lab!

My favorite part was when a character named Otto was asked about his mother's death. His given name was Othello (and his sister was Desdemona). He said he "added a T and got the hell out!" I genuinely thought that was a funny line . . . but then the other characters snidely commented about how funny he thought he was.

The murdered elderly women, the missing bones, the young pathologist determined to make her way in the lab (unethically, to raise her own profile), the moody lab assistant Joe, the neighbor "Sparky" who hated Brennan's cat, the underground graves, detective Ryan,  . . . there was a lot going on here!

So funny! I didn't realize I had read and blogged a different "Temperance Brennan" book until I published this one. Apparently I blogged Break No Bones on 7.30.2019 and vowed to not read any more of her books! Perhaps watching the TV show ruined the books for me.

I also forgot to add that it was frustrating that in a couple of places, the audio track SKIPPED. It's an mp3 and it sounded like I was listening to a scratched CD! To whom would I even comment? Libby? My local library? Ugh.

Break No Bones

by Kathy Reichs
Carver County Library audiobook 10 CDs
read by Dorothee Berryman
genre: murder mystery fiction

This book really bugged me . . . but I'm not sure how much was the text and how much was the reader's voice. Berryman did a great job with differentiating voices, speaking French, etc. but I found Dr. Brennan to be incredibly irritating. She was a pathetic and stupid character. Perhaps my perception was formed too firmly by the character portrayed on TV's Bones.

She was irrational, bossy, and impulsive. The murders and detective work had interesting elements. There were lots of clues. It kept my attention. But I won't seek out other Reichs' books, no matter how talented or popular she is. (I wonder how much of herself she writes into her protagonist . . . the pathetic "romance" stories between her and her estranged husband, and her lover Ryan . . . she was just too pathetic to me.)

Each chapter ends with a mini-cliffhanger. Interesting tactic. 

And seriously. Why didn't she bring Boyd out with her at the end of the story? She always had the dog with her. Stupid storyline. What a shocker when we find out who the attacker / murderer is . . . dude!

"Virals

by Kathy Reichs
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Cristin Milioti
genre: YA murder mystery

I started to read this in eBook format, but didn't get far. Then I got the audiobook and kept renewing it. Finally, I was in "just get it done" mode. A lot of my middle schoolers (and a few adults) have raved about this series. I'm not sure if it's the story itself or the reader's voice, but I didn't love it. Considering how much I love the TV show Bones, I thought I would love stories by Reichs. This just didn't work well for me.

Tory (Victoria) Brennan is the fictional Temperance Brennan's niece. Mom died and Tori went to live with her father Kit (Christopher), who didn't even know that he had a child! Tori is 14, intelligent, and missing her mom. A science nerd, she befriends Hiram, Ben, and Shelton, who are also science geeks. Most of their parents work in animal research on nearby Loggerhead Island, where Professor Karsten is in charge. They live on Morris Island but go to school in Charleston.

The "young-ness" of the story was part of what bothered me, though it's very middle-school appropriate. Whitney and the cotillion were ridiculous. Just say no, Tory. The wolves, research, many break-ins, skeleton, clues, bad guys . . . there was enough action to keep the story moving. Just not sure I feel like reading book two.