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Audiobooks for Postal Employees! |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
July
2009 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 Was
there ever an actor more iconic than Paul Newman? Since the star's
death in the Fall of 2008, author Shawn Levy has been compiling
anecdotes and opinions for his new book PAUL NEWMAN:
A LIFE. What he reveals is a man of contrasts. A rebel yet devoted
husband, Newman was also a Hustler and philanthropist--an average
student who took acting seriously and became Nobody's Fool. Like his
colleagues Steve McQueen and James Dean, Paul also loved fast cars,
but not Hollywood glamour. So he became one of those rarest of stars
who cared little for stardom, and therefore surprised everyone by
actually being kind and giving to everyone on the set. (As opposed to
the egocentric Madonna, as revealed in her brother's recent
biography.) Levy is in obvious awe of the man, and since there is
little here on the negative side of the ledger, this biography sounds
like a love poem to one's favorite actor. Of course there's not much
negative to say about this blue-eyed charmer, either. (As opposed to,
say, Sinatra). On audio, the book is narrated by Marc Cashman, a
voice-acting coach who has dubbed foreign films and created voices for
video game characters. From his tone on this generous production, it's
a sure bet that both author and narrator consume plenty of Newman's
Own spaghetti sauce and popcorn. (Random House Audio; 6 hours
abridged)
Next, if you remember when you were fifteen, you can probably relate
to feelings of angst. Few teens have a sense of perspective, and so
problems seem magnified at a time when peers can seem cruel and
vindictive, and self esteem at an all time low. For Colie Sparks in
KEEPING THE MOON by Sarah Dessen, summer in a seaside town in North
Carolina--while her mother tours Europe--naturally portends disaster.
Saddled with a bad self image to begin with, Colie expects the worst.
But this is a summer that will change her life forever, with the help
of new friends at the waitressing job she takes. Dessen also drafts a
cool eccentric to help Colie, in the form of a nonjudgmental aunt. The
young adult novel boasts believable characters enhanced by a spirited
performance by Stina Nielsen. Nothing too dramatic or evil happens
here, except that, in the eyes of a teen, everything that
happens--particularly romance--has infinite repercussions. (Penguin
Audio; 6 1/2 hours unabridged)
Imagine that a gathering of billionaire corporate big wigs, meeting
for a private party at a ski resort in Montana, gets invaded by an
armed militia seeking to put them on trial for greed and environmental
pollution. The trials are broadcast live on the internet, and everyone
gets to vote on the executions. That's the premise of TRIPLE CROSS by
Mark T. Sullivan, author of Labyrinth and Serpent's Kiss. As the
markets crash on the news, an FBI financial crimes specialist, (along
with the exclusive Jefferson Club's director and his three children),
seek to undermine the plot and uncover a twisting secret. Narrator
Lloyd James interprets the character voices, adding color to the text,
although not without a few glitches (including a couple repeated lines
not caught by the editor). Nothing stunning here, either, just an
original plot that could have been more deftly written, knowing how
hostage stories always seem to rely on the usual cliches of language,
surprise ("no, no, noooo!"), and pedestrian romance ("wasn't I good?).
(Tantor Audio; 12 hours unabridged)
SF author Robert Sawyer's 2000 novel CALCULATING GOD has won a recent
Audie award for its production at Audible. The plot features a curator
for the Royal Ontario Museum who encounters a spiderlike alien
paleontologist named Hollus, and begins an in depth conversation about
science and religion. Hollus is only one of three species of alien,
and proves to be a surprise in several ways. One, he turns out to be a
she--and a mother--despite assumptions to the contrary. Second, Hollus
believes in God, and argues proof linked to astronomical events common
to both of their worlds. So it's intelligent design vs. natural
selection, but not in the context of limiting God to a short history
or having to dupe man by creating light waves en route to Earth from
distant galaxies. Curator Jericho is dying of cancer, which adds
tension and urgency to an understanding of these deep mysteries, but
although one of the races has a near light speed spaceship, none of
them can cure Jericho. What they do is even more astonishing, though,
and explains why they can't cure him. Great books have big themes, and
push the envelope, and this one certainly does. Is it great? Well,
it's better than most, and with the narration of Jonathan Davis, whose
talents encompassed both Star Wars on audio and Snow Crash--a true
masterpiece--you can hardly do better. (Audible; 10 hours unabridged)
Finally, a London financier named John Stone either fell to his death
or was murdered, and it's up to the journalist hired to write his
biography to find out in STONE'S FALL by Iain Pears. Given the scope
of this epic multi-generational historical mystery, however, finding
out the truth will take time. Lots of it. Moving backward from London
in 1909 to Paris in 1890 to Venice in 1867, the full telling of the
tale requires three separate narrators: John Lee, Roy Dotrice, and
Simon Vance. What is revealed is more ambitious than any mere
whodunit, too, for the real story here is the evolution of
international finance and the eventual arms race. Money and politics
figure high as the theme of this triptych, unfolding amid an age that
saw the birth of espionage. The narrators are all first rate, equipped
with the requisite vocal and pacing skills to keep the tale
engrossing. You need narrators like these, too, considering that a
full day is needed to listen, nonstop. Pears is author of An Instance
of the Fingerpost, and The Dream of Scipio, as well as much non
fiction in the field of finance and history. (Random House Audio; 24
hours unabridged)
(Jonathan interviews Dan Rather at JustSayNoWay.com) |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
June
2009 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 Dave
Cullen spent a decade researching COLUMBINE for
release on the anniversary of the tragic high school attack. The
effort shows, and with as much dispassionate authority as an episode
of Frontline. How were two antisocial students able to plan and
execute this act of terror, utilizing multiple guns and explosive
devices, without attracting attention? How and why did the media get
the facts wrong? Culler busts the myths prevalent at the time,
exposing a complicity of ignorance in stereotyping the killers. They
were not gang members or vindictive outcasts seeking revenge on
certain school jocks. Dylan Klebold was a manic depressive consumed by
self loathing, and Eric Harris a charming psychopath craving the
destruction of society itself. Both kids wanted and intended to die in
a blaze of "glory." Planned as more than a mere shooting, the attack
would have produced many more than 13 casualties had the boy's bombs
actually worked. Not satisfied with mere reportage, Cullen lays out
all the ethical and sociological arguments inherent in the case.
Narrated by Don Leslie to engaging effect, the audiobook version moves
like an inexorable lawnmower, covering parallel ground from all points
of view so as to cut down all the high grass and weed out the hidden
bugs. Why do these tragedies happen? Because we fail to apprehend the
hidden complexities of disturbed young people weaned on sex, violence,
and apathetic materialism. (Blackstone Audio; 14 hours unabridged on 1
Mp3 disk)
Speaking of apathetic materialism, Paulo Coelho, author of The
Alchemist, has written a new novel excoriating the vain and idle rich.
Titled THE WINNER STANDS ALONE, the book chronicles one day in the
life of a mad Russian entrepreneur at the Cannes Film Festival as he
murders people in order to attract the attention of his estranged
wife, who has proved to be unfaithful. We use the word "mad" to
describe him since no sane person would imagine that shooting a needle
dipped in curare to kill a film producer would ultimately convince
one's wife that he's a great guy with whom to spend the rest of her
life. While the book is interesting to listen to, particularly given
the understated performance of actor Paul Boehmer, it's basically a
reaffirmation that the rich are not like you or me, and that maybe we
shouldn't be so entranced by a lifestyle achieved through ruthless
pragmatism. Ironically enough, Coelho is now a multi-millionaire with
a film deal himself, inspiring awe among those so inclined. We'll have
to wait and see if he donates his money to charity or buys a yacht to
park off Cannes. (Blackstone Audio; 12 hours unabridged on 1 Mp3 disk)
It has been said that a large percentage of the population would
rather die than give a speech in public. Not Jeffrey Gitomer, for
sure. In his new book is GETTING YOUR WAY, Gitomer advises joining
Toastmasters, recording yourself, and offering to give presentations
whenever and wherever possible. Subtitle of the book is "How to Speak,
Write, Present, Persuade, Influence, and Sell Your Point of View to
Others." He says nothing about how to determine whether your point of
view is the correct one to take. He assumes that you're a thinking
professional with a well defined agenda, wanting to persuade others to
buy what you're selling. This "Little Green Book" is a followup to the
bestselling "Little Red Book of Selling," and naturally it is narrated
by the author, who uses his congenial persuasive ability to convince
you to drop the fear and stand up behind that podium, soap box, or
supervisor's desk and lay out your case. Or get in the casket. Your
choice--but just be sure that, if you do decide to give a speech, you
don't memorize it. Rather, know the material cold, anticipate
questions or objections, interject humor, and understand your
audience. Simple enough, right? Well, maybe you should keep an outline
handy just in case you forget your own name. (Simon & Schuster Audio;
4 hours unabridged)
A former FDA commissioner has written a scientific explanation of why
dieters find it so difficult to lose weight. THE END OF OVEREATING:
TAKING CONTROL OF THE INSATIABLE AMERICAN APPETITE by David Kessler is
read by Blair Hardman. This could be a thriller involving conspiracies
within the food industry, since the method here is similar to what the
tobacco industry did in duping the smoker, and so the truth is also
more frightening. Like Pavlov's dogs, we have been conditioned to
overeat by those who want to sell the most highly processed,
nutritionally vacant foods. Indeed, our brains set up patterns that
are easily repeated. If sugar, fat, and salt are layered in just the
right combination, our reward mechanism is triggered, while ads on TV
call to us like siren songs. Can we restore our self regulating
system, and regain control of eating? Kessler shows how with Blair
Hardman's help. (Simon & Schuster Audio; 7 hours unabridged)
In WICKED PREY by John Sandford a family in Wisconsin is murdered by
the "Iceman," a killer whose identity is a mystery blurred by the ice
sheets of winter. Contrasts abound, as the killer also likes to burn
things. Lucas Davenport, Sandford's ex Minneapolis cop, arrives amid
all the local buzz, and gets on the killer's track while dabbling in a
romance with a local doctor. Although the ending is something of a
letdown, the novel is quite observant and multi-faceted, and as such
lends itself to the careful appraisal inherent in the tone of longtime Sandford mystery reader Richard Ferrone. (Penguin Audio; 6 hours
abrdiged)
Finally, Clive Cussler, with the aid of several co-writers, has been
churning out adventure novels for over three decades. His
thirty-eighth book is MEDUSA, a Kurt Austin suspense written with Paul
Kemprecos (a professional diver and undersea mystery author).
Depending on whether you prefer the bare bones action sequences or the
full text (with more character development), you may choose the
abridged version as narrated by actor Richard Ferrone, or the
unabridged as read by veteran Scott Brick. The plot involves the
disappearance of an undersea lab conducting experiments on a rare
jellyfish that can provide vaccine for a deadly virus. The Chinese
underworld is involved, and with all the plot twists of a James Bond
film. Ferrone is used to narrating mysteries, and so is best suited
for laying out those elements in a straightforward manner with an air
of curiosity, while Brick conveys an element of awe to the proceedings
in telling the full story. Either way, it's typical Cussler, and an
escape from the more mundane (if more relevant) aspects of real life
chronicled by those with higher literary aspirations. (Penguin Audio;
6 and 13 hours, respectively)
LOWE: Tell us about your collaborations with other writers.
CUSSLER: They are spinoff series. I come up with most of the plotting
and they'll start the writing, and I'll edit, that sort of thing.
LOWE: So you switch off with Craig Dirgo or Paul Kemprecos or Jack Du
Brul.
CUSSLER: Right. We did a fiction book which has nothing to do with
NUMA or Pitt or anything. In one book, "Flood Tide," I had this ship
that looked like an old beat up tramp steamer, had all the exotic
gear, and people who ran it were like corporate mercenaries, they go
around the world, like a Mission Impossible plot.
LOWE: Where did the name Dirk Pitt come from?
CUSSLER: My son's name. He was six months old when I started
writing. His name is Dirk, and I used it for fun, really. I was
looking through an encyclopedia about the British prime ministers
during the Revolutionary war, Pitt the younger and Pitt the elder. So
I thought, well, that works, 'cause I wanted a one syllable name.
LOWE: I was thinking, you know, like one letter less than James Bond,
and easier to type than Brandon Tartikoff or something.
CUSSLER: (laughs) Well, that's it. It's easier to say "Pitt jumped
over the wall" than that. I think that's why Fleming wanted a simple
name. James Bond. There was an ornithologist by that name too.
(Jonathan Lowe has a new article on audiobooks in Costco Connection
magazine in June, and his new novella "Who Moved My TV?" is available
as a free serial at JustSayNoWay.com) |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
May 2009 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 The
re-publication of ANGELS & DEMONS by Dan Brown is timed to the release
of the Ron Howard film starring Tom Hanks, and the audiobook version
couldn't have a better narrator in Richard Poe. In some ways Poe aids
in making this book almost as interesting as the mega blockbuster The DaVinci Code, with a plot involving Robert Langdon seeking out the
Illuminati before it can blow up the Vatican. Brown here combines
particle physics with the usual hunt for clues among the relics of
Christendom, but it is Poe's unerring guidance of the narrative arc
that keeps the listener enthralled. A Broadway and film actor, Poe
lends a believable presence to the text, while the Mp3 format--a first
for the publisher--places all 19 hours of his unabridged performance
on just 3 disks, and at a price comparable to the hardcover. So there
is no excuse left not to consider the audiobook. (Simon & Schuster
Audio)
Next, Vikas Swarup was an unknown author until he penned an unusual
novel titled Q & A, which became the even more remarkable movie
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. The story opens in Mumbai, where Ram Mohammad
Thomas is being questioned about winning India's biggest quiz show.
The reason why Thomas knows the answers frames the narrative as a
brilliant plot device ably performed by Christopher Simpson, who
captures the characters with impeccable dialectic mimicry and realism.
Unlike the magnificent movie version, this fascinating cultural
adventure isn't so focused a romance, but by juxtaposing Western
values against Eastern, it does succeed in codifying the
transformation sweeping India while telling a universal tale of
survival. (BBC Audiobooks America; 10 hours unabridged)
Stuart Woods is not an easy interviewee, but then his character Stone
Barrington probably wouldn't be, either. Having been booted by the
police department and various women in his life, Stone has learned the
easy way out, and is mostly looking for the least stressful way to
accomplish a job while enjoying all the available amenities. He relies
more on wit than brawn, and has acquired a playboy's taste, so in
LOITERING WITH INTENT he heads to Key West with hopes that the job is
merely to get some legal papers signed, (only to end up in a fraud
case that turns deadly.) The best thing about the Barrington novels on
audio is the narrator. Tony Roberts, Stone's longstanding interpreter
and a favorite of Woody Allen, is an actor well chosen for the role
due to his conspiratorial tone and sophisticated vocal attributes.
There is talent involved in assuming the charming, opportunistic world
view that propels Barrington's--if not Woods' and Woody's--ego.
(Penguin Audio; 7 1/2 hours unabridged)
Finally, Judith Orloff is a psychiatrist in private practice, and an
assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA. She is author of
Positive Energy, Dr. Judith Orloff's Guide to Intuitive Healing, and
Second Sight. She narrates her own new audiobook EMOTIONAL
FREEDOM--Liberate Yourself From Negative Emotions and Transform Your
Life, a book which presents a spiritual view of emotions while
differentiating between various emotional types. Her guidance to
overcoming various emotional distresses is linked to understanding
these types, and she uses her own relationship with her mother as just
one example of dealing with depression, bitterness and death. The
objective here is to alleviate pain by understanding the self, and to
thwart conflict by discovering those hidden factors which suppress
real communication. (Random House Audio; 4 hours abridged)
Jonathan Lowe: You talk about knowing what type of personality one has
as a step toward understanding one's emotions, and how the emotions of
others affect our own reactions. If the goal is to become balanced,
compassionate, and happy, which types have the hardest time doing so,
and which the easiest in changing their old perceptions?
ORLOFF: THE EMOTIONAL EMPATH IS THE EMOTIONAL TYPE I DISCUSS IN THE
BOOK THAT HAS THE HARDEST TIME BEING BALANCED. (IT'S MY TYPE, SO I
HAVE A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN IT.) THE EMPATH IS LOVING, INTUITIVE,
COMPASSIONATE BUT IS AN EMOTIONAL SPONGE, TAKING ON THE STRESS IN THE
WORLD INTO THEIR OWN BODY. THIS CAN CAUSE EXHAUSTION, DEPRESSION AND
ANXIETY UNTIL HE OR SHE LEARNS HOW TO CENTER AND NOT ABSORB FROM
OTHERS. THE GUSHER IS THE TYPE THAT HAS AN EASIEST TIME IN CHANGING
OLD PERCEPTIONS. GUSHERS ARE IN TOUCH WITIH THEIR EMOTIONS AND EXPRESS
THEM READILY BUT NEED TO LEARN TO GO INSIDE, AND TRUST THEIR INTUITION
A BIT MORE BEFORE PICKING UP THE PHONE TO CALL A FRIEND AND EMOTE.
Q: Have you known many emotional vampires? They are certainly more
prevalent than blood sucking ones, despite the popularity of Stephanie
Meyer.
A: YES INDEED, I'VE KNOWN EMOTIONAL VAMPIRES. THE KIND THAT REALLY
GETS ME IS THE CONTROLLER/CHRONIC TALKER. THIS PERSON CLAIMS TO "KNOW
WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU" AND DOESN'T HESITATE TO TELL YOU. I GUESS BECAUSE
MY MOTHER WAS SO CONTROLLING AT TIMES I HAVE A PARTICULAR SENSITIVITY
TO THIS. NOW IT'S EASIER FOR ME NOT TO REACT AND KEEP MY CENTER
WITHOUT FEELING LIKE MY POWER IS DRAINED. THE NARCISSIST IS THE MOST
MALIGNANT TYPE I TALK ABOUT IN EMOTIONAL FREEDOM. EVERYTHING IS "ALL
ABOUT THEM". THEY CAN BE INTELLIGENT, CHARMING AND SEDUCTIVE UNTIL YOU
DON'T GO ALONG WITH THEIR PLAN. THEN THEY BECOME COLD AND WITHHOLDING
AND LACK EMPATHY.
Q: Depression is a huge factor in society today, and perhaps it
results partly from a realization of the futility of anger. What is
the hope you bring for finding techniques to transform depression?
A: IN EMOTIONAL FREEDOM I WANT TO DIGNIFY DEPRESSION TO PRESENT IT AS
A SPIRITUAL PASSAGE, A TRUE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL--IT'S NOT JUST A
BIOCHEMICAL IMBALANCE, THOUGH THAT MIGHT PLAY A PART. IT IS THE NOBLE
STRUGGLE OF FINDING LIGHT IN DARKNESS, FINDING COMPASSION WITH THE
SELF AND ALL WE GO THROUGH ON EARTH. DEPRESSION CAN LEAD TO THE
SWEETNESS OF REBIRTH AND NEW POSSIBILITIES. THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE. MY
JOB AS A PSYCHIATRIST IS TO BE A BEARER OF HOPE.
Q: How do you keep yourself calm and focused, personally?
A: I MEDITATE. I SIT QUIETLY, CALM MY MIND, BREATHE--YES, BREATHE--IT
FEELS SO BEAUTIFUL. AND I DRIFT, CONNECT, INTUIT SOMETHING LARGER AND
MELT INTO IT. I WOULD GO CRAZY WITHOUT MEDITATION--THE MIND NEVER
SHUTS OFF AND IT CAN DRIVE YOU BATTY WITH ALL ITS OPINIONS AND FEARS.
I YEARN FOR DREAMS, FOR INTUITION, I AM ATTRACTED THERE, AND FOLLOW
THAT FLOW TO MY HEART.
Q: Your audiobook has worksheets and extras in a PDF file on the final
disk. Should listeners go to that first, maybe do the quizzes there?
A: IT IS VERY USEFUL TO TAKE THE QUIZZES EITHER BEFORE LISTENING TO
THE AUDIO, OR TO PAUSE AND TAKE THEM AS YOU APPROACH A TOPIC IN THE
AUDIO. FOR INSTANCE, IN THE EMOTIONAL VAMPIRE SECTION, IT WOULD BE
GREAT TO READ THE QUIZ "AM I AN EMOTIONAL VAMPIRE?" AS YOU READ THIS
SECTION. THE SAME GOES WITH WORRY OR FEAR --TO READ THE QUIZ "HOW
FEARFUL AM I". THE POINT IS TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE SO YOU CAN GROW AS
YOU PRACTICE THE TECHNIQUES IN EMOTIONAL FREEDOM.
(Jonathan audiobook website is JustSayNoWay.com) |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
April 2009 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 If
the rich are--as it's said--not like you or me, does our wanting to be
rich mean we agree with the assumption that we're ignorant, lazy,
and/or inept by comparison? If you want to leave behind such a
delusion, allow the green eyed monster of envy to be impaled on
MADNESS UNDER THE ROYAL PALMS, a new book by
Laurence Leamer about the sociopathic society mavens, gluttons and sex
fiends of Palm Beach. Here, scores of beautiful young women fall prey
to the same rich bastards (one of whom finances their breast implants,
dumps them upon getting bored, and then sues them for the cost of the
operation.) Here, murders can either be hushed or trumpeted, depending
on one's social standing with the editor of the "shiny sheet," the
local paper's society page, which Palm Beach multi-millionaires read
and worship like the Bible. Then there's the endless dinner parties
and shopping excursions along Worth Avenue, the trust fund brats vying
for admittance to exclusive clubs that shun Jews, the old money heirs
gloating over the scandals or downfalls of rivals, the endless buffets
and open bars at charity balls where one can pretend to be virtuous
while displaying not the slightest concern for homeless people living
only two miles away from one's protected mansion/enclave. It all
begins to erode whatever awe or envy the listener might have
entertained, prior to hearing. Because when narrator Todd McLaren has
finished chronicling all the pretentious misadventures of the wealthy,
(with an ear for irony) it's difficult not to reevaluate one's own
values. You might even come away not caring about the rich or famous,
anymore. Or at least not caring (or hoping) to become one of them. A
good companion to this ear-opening expose would be the documentary
"Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama," in which the producer concludes
that many of the happiest people on earth have the fewest possessions
of all. An enigma until you ask yourself this question: do I really
own my stuff, or does my stuff own me? (Tantor Media; 11 1/2 hours
unabridged)
If you loved the arcane side of The DaVinci Code, you'll enjoy
Kathleen McGowan's sequel to "The Expected One" titled THE BOOK OF
LOVE. Her earlier novel fictionally explored the mysteries of Mary
Magdalene, while this new novel has the character of Maureen Paschal
being invaded by a dream telling her to search for a missing gospel
written by Jesus himself. Paschal joins her former lover in France,
and together they begin to piece together the mystery, following clues
which lead them to Italy and Belgium, while being blocked from
uncovering the truth by those who want the deepest secrets kept
secret. This densely involved story eventually climaxes at Chartres
Cathedral, after a lengthy pursuit of the diaries of Countess Matilda
of Tuscany. As a Broadway stage and film actress, narrator Linda
Stevens does justice to the lengthy text, and although the book might
have been cut a fourth for pacing's sake, if such historical
postulations involving the church interest you, you won't be
disappointed. (Simon & Schuster Audio; 22 hours unabridged)
Mystery authors and publishers are enamored of series because it's a
means of retaining their audience with continuing characters. Once
you're hooked on a seres, though, how likely are you to try other
series? And how would you know whether you'd like another series less
or more unless you try it? This month let's consider Linda Fairstein's
legal thrillers, the 11th of which is LETHAL LEGACY, featuring an
assistant district attorney named Alexandra Cooper, who works out of
the Manhattan Sex Crime Unit. Before she became a writer, Fairstein
worked in that very unit for over twenty years. Her first novel,
published in 1996, introduced the character of Alex Cooper, and was
titled Final Jeopardy. In this new novel, with a plot involving rare
books and maps, a librarian named Tina Barr is burglarized by a man
posing as a fireman, but is unwilling to cooperate with police until a
woman is found murdered in her very apartment building. What follows
is an investigation by Alex into a family of wealthy benefactors to
the New York Public Library. The novel is not as gritty or clinical
as, say, Patricia Cornwell, but moves toward cozy with characters who
also display their lighter side. Narrator is actress Blair Brown, who
won a Tony award on Broadway, and has appeared in many films. Brown is
good at dramatizing all angles of a character's personality, hinting
at how they think, while steering the story forward with the
appropriate degree of mystery. As for the series itself, it's not
literature in the sense that classic series by John D. MacDonald, Ross
MacDonald, or even James Lee Burke are. Mostly it's believable fun.
(Random House Audio)
Next, sometimes the simplest language is the best way to tell a story.
In the case of ENGLISH by Wang Gang, the subject is language itself.
Originally published in 2004 in China, the novel was a bestseller
there, and concerns a twelve year old boy named Love Liu who comes of
age during the Cultural Revolution in the town of Xinjiang in a remote
northwest province. When a teacher from Shanghai arrives to teach
English, Love Liu becomes fascinated with the prospect of studying an
English dictionary, which opens a new world for him that he never
envisioned in such repressive times. When accusations are made about
the phrase "down with Chairman Mao" that appeared written on the wall
at the school, the plot turns to one confrontation and sacrifice,
while revealing the effects of repression through which maturity can
triumph. Narrator is, appropriately enough, a young actor named
Michael Sun Lee, who conveys Love Liu's innocent fascination with
remarkable understatement. The book is about friendship and courage
against the insanity of one's times, and shows the effects on
individuals from policies that ignore the humanity and dignity that
comes from individuality itself. (Penguin Audio; 10 hours unabridged)
Finally, don't miss A STIR OF ECHOES by Richard Matheson, as read by
Scott Brick. A film starring Kevin Bacon is based on this novel about
a man whose psychic abilities are awakened so that he can now hear the
thoughts of other people. Then, with his existence like a waking
nightmare, Tom receives a message from beyond the grave in a ghost
story that's chillingly interpreted by Brick. Scott told me recently:
"Richard Matheson has been my favorite author since I was a little
kid. Getting asked to narrate one of his books made my heart skip a
beat. I was literally stunned. I almost told them, "Don't tease me!" I
actually got to meet Matheson a few days ago at a book signing, and I
continually marvel at the amount of amazing material that's come out
of that man's head. Somewhere In Time, The Incredible Shrinking Man, I
Am Legend, Hell House, The Twilight Zone, Star Trek. . . the list goes
on and on, and never ceases to blow me away." (Blackstone Audio; 6 1/2
hours unabridged)
(Jonathan Lowe maintains the anti-TV book website JustSayNoWay.com) |
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Audiobooks are a great way to pass the time during those
long (and often boring) work hours at the postal service. To find the latest audiobooks
of note check out Jonathan Lowe's Audio Books Review (left). Lowe
recently retired from the Postal Service after 22 years.
Geezer
Postal:
Postmarked for Death
Audiobook Links