{Audiobook} Review: American Elsewhere

American Elsewhere
by Robert Jackson Bennett


Genre: Science Fiction
Source: my own copy
Date Read: 06 February 2014
Narrator: Graham Winton
Length: Unabridged - 22 hours; 24 minutes 

Some places are too good to be true. Under a pink moon, there is a perfect little town not found on any map. In that town, there are quiet streets lined with pretty houses, houses that conceal the strangest things. After a couple years of hard traveling, ex-cop Mona Bright inherits her long-dead mother's home in Wink, New Mexico. And the closer Mona gets to her mother's past, the more she understands that the people of Wink are very, very different.

My thoughts:
I had a really hard time writing this review.  When a friend asked what I thought of American Elsewhere, I really had to search for words to describe my feelings.  

I cannot decide if I even liked it. I know I am in the minority, looking at all the glowing reviews on Goodreads, but I am sure I would have dropped it if it was not an audio version.  I find that I read outside my normal "comfort zone" when I listen to audiobooks (which just makes me love audiobooks all the more!).

The story started off very slowly and is written in very descriptive, what I image, would be considered prose (my reading style is usually much more relaxed).   Huge sections are just very flowery language describing for example the valley and mountains near the village or just the beautiful night and pink moon.   This is not your usual Sunday afternoon beach read.

Towards the middle, the story starts and it is very, very strange. Not sure why some would consider it horror though. It is at most very loosely based science fiction (mostly alien) or maybe fantasy. 

There is some action towards the end and a lot happens in just the last few chapters.  By this time, I was invested in the story and I just had so see what the author would do to tie up all the loose ends.   I think all fell in place very easily.

I would recommend this to readers of more literary fiction or to people like me who enjoy stretching their reading experience with audiobooks.  

 

Come join the Write On Review-a-thon

 

The Write On review-a-thon is a monthly event created and hosted by Brianna at The Book Vixen. It’s 2 days dedicated to getting reviews done, whether you have one review to write or 30+. This edition of the review-a-thon takes place all day Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st. Let’s get those reviews done!  

I am working on Friday (urghhhh), so I will only be able to start Friday evening but I might just continue further until Sunday or when I finish. 

Luckily I am only 4 reviews behind.  (3 books and 1 movie)

Joyland by Stephen King

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry

and  Argo.

There will be a Twitter Chat on Friday, February 28th at 6 am PST (time zone converter). Follow @reviewathon and use the #reviewathon hashtag to follow along and participate. (Participating in the Twitter chat is not required to participate in the review-a-thon.)

I have not taken part in a twitter chat before but I might try for the first time. :) 

Edit:  I only completed my movie review.  Bad me!

{Movie} Review: Ender's Game

Ender's Game (2013)
Starring:  Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis
Genre:  Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi 

The Earth was ravaged by the Formics, an alien race seemingly determined to destroy humanity. Seventy years later, the people of Earth remain banded together to prevent their own annihilation from this technologically superior alien species. Ender Wiggin, a quiet but brilliant boy, may become the savior of the human race. He is separated from his beloved sister and his terrifying brother and brought to battle school in orbit around earth. He will be tested and honed into an empathetic killer who begins to despise what he does as he learns to fight in hopes of saving Earth and his family.  (from IMDb)

My thoughts:
I have been ill for some time and even though I do have the audiobook, I decided to watch the movie of Ender's Game instead.  

I was under the impression that this would be full blown action sci-fi movie from start to finish.  And there was action, a lot of action, with beautiful special effects but this movie was more about the relationship between Ender and Colonel Graff  - his teacher and mentor. (not something that my husband was very interested in -so for him, this movie came up short.)

Ender and Colonel Graff have a difficult relationship and it was hard seeing that Ender was purposely put into conflict with his schoolmates to make him become the leader he was meant to be.  Colonel Graff was continuously very hard on him and kept on saying "you are Earth's last hope".  A lot of pressure for a young boy.  I thought that came through very clearly throughout the movie. 

Even though I enjoyed the movie and was caught up in the excitement of the war, I am not sure that I will be listening to the book or any of the sequels.  I have been reading some reviews of devoted fans of the books and I am not sure if this was maybe a compilation of parts from more than the first book.  Either way, I did not enjoy the ending of the movie and am not really interested in where it might lead in the rest of the series.

But for a few hours of fun, this fit the bill perfectly.

 

 Perfect for a lazy afternoon.

  

Book Blog Walkers: Commit to Exercise 2014

This year I want to get healthier.  I am really bad at excersise but I want to at least make the effort.  Felicia, The Geeky Book Blogger,  is hosting a great motivator and I am joining in.  The goal is to walk at least 30 minutes every day.  As I am much too unfit, I will start with a 15 minute walk and built up from there.  I will also have to sit out every 3rd week because of the side effects from chemotherapy but I am committed to make the effort for the other weeks in the month.

February 2014:
Week 1:
Sunday: 15 min walk with the dogs
Monday:  powerwalk around office building
Tuesday: powerwalk around office building
Wednesday: rest
Thursday:powerwalk around office building
Friday:  rest
Saturday: rest

Week 2:
Sunday: rest
Monday: powerwalk around office building
Tuesday:powerwalk around office building
Wednesday:powerwalk around office building
Thursday:powerwalk around office building
Friday:  powerwalk around office building
Saturday: rest


Week 3:
Sunday: rest
Monday: hopsital
Tuesday:hospital
Wednesday:hospital
Thursday: rest
Friday:  rest
Saturday: rest

{Audiobook} Review: The Partner

The Partner
by John Grisham

Genre: Legal Thriller, Crime Mystery
Source: my own copy
Date Read: 16 January 2014
Narrator: Frank Muller
Length: 11 hours 31 minutes 

They watched Danilo Silva for days before they finally grabbed him. He was living alone, a quiet life on a shady street in Brazil; a simple life in a modest home, certainly not one of luxury. Certainly no evidence of the fortune they thought he had stolen. He was much thinner and his face had been altered. He spoke a different language, and spoke it very well.But Danilo had a past with many chapters. Four years earlier he had been Patrick Lanigan, a young partner in a prominent Biloxi law firm. He had a pretty wife, a new daughter, and a bright future. Then one cold winter night Patrick was trapped in a burning car and died a horrible death. When he was buried his casket held nothing more than his ashes.From a short distance away, Patrick watched his own burial. Then he fled. Six weeks later, a fortune was stolen from his ex-law firm's offshore account. And Patrick fled some more.But they found him.

My thoughts:
I have never read a John Grisham book before. I have always known that he is much loved for his legal thrillers and movies but have always assumed that it would be just to complicated for me to enjoy. Wow, was I wrong! I loved this book! It was very cleverly constructed up to the very unexpected (and sad?) ending.

The story starts when Patrick is caught and tortured. We already know what he did. We know that he faked his own death and stole millions of dollars. But as we get into the story, the facts are revealed and it becomes clear that we might have to change our mind. “Was he so wrong?”.

I just loved how every move is revealed and how we slowly become part of the solution. And isn't it fun when the bad guys get their reward in the end. And there are lots of cheers in this story – from the corrupt lawyers and insurance company to Patrick's very unlikeable trophy wife.

While searching the web to learn more about the narrator, Frank Muller, I found that he died in 2008 from multiple injuries after his motorcycle accident a few years prior. His website promises a few more hours in his company as he has also narrated some other books that is in my TBR list. This will be a pleasure as I enjoy his calm voice slowly revealing the details of a story.