Published by: Penguin

Published on: October 31, 2011

Page Count: 288

Genre: Memoir

My Reading Format: Audiobook sent to me for review through Audiobook Jukebox’s Solid Gold Reviewer program

Audiobook Published by: Blackstone Audio

Narrator: Carrington MacDuffie

Audiobook Length: 9 hours and 4 minutes

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook and Audiobook

My Review

Donna Johnson’s mother grew up in a strict religious home. Her mother had a talent for playing the organ and, after a disastrous marriage, returned to her hometown with her tail tucked between her legs. She gains her footing once again when a young traveling preacher by the name of David Terrell visits her church. When Brother Terrell left town, Donna’s mother went with him, serving as the music minister. She brought her two young children with her. Donna was only three years old at the time. What follows is a childhood lived off and on the great sawdust trail blazed by Terrell and what happens when fundamentalist Christians don’t live up to the tenants of their faith.

Knowing nothing more than the premise of the memoir when I began, I found the unfolding of the story enthralling. For those readers who haven’t read a more detailed description, I am not going to discuss anything specific here. Donna Johnson has lived an extraordinary if not chaotic life. That she took the time to share the experiences of her young life is a gift. There were things that happened on that revival trail that were shameful, hurtful and dangerous. At the same time, people outside of David Terrell’s inner circle were healed in all ways possible. Johnson had all the reason in the world to simply shine the harsh spotlight on the scandalous, but she never hid those things that she cannot to this day explain. In that way I understood the draw of the tent. What’s real is what is in the heart of the believer. It matters not what is in the heart of the preacher or whether another single person under that tent believes along with you.

I was more than interested in reading this memoir and was pleased to have been selected for the Solid Gold Reviewer program. Growing up Roman Catholic, my religious upbringing was traditional and, while strict, not stifling. I was often bored of the services and wondered what it was like to have been brought up in a fundamentalist home. From the outside, those services always seemed lively and passionate. I wanted to know more. Donna Johnson wrote her memoir as if directly answering my questions. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me that this was a case of the grass being greener.

Carrington MacDuffie was fantastic as narrator. She made the atmosphere of a tent revival come to life. When she narrated Brother Terrell’s sections, I was glued to the story. She brought his charisma through the speakers. The Paris Wife was my first experience with MacDuffie as narrator. While I thought she did a good job with the story, it’s clear to me now that it didn’t do her justice. She thoroughly shined while reading Holy Ghost Girl.

Holy Ghost Girl is, like The Glass Castle, an example of why I enjoy reading memoirs. Donna Johnson grew up in less than ideal circumstances and was able to grow as a result. What might have given others an excuse not to take responsibility for their lives led her to ask questions. In her memoir, she explores the past and the questions it raised without bitterness. I find memoirs like this thought provoking and inspirational. You will, too.  Pick up a copy of Holy Ghost Girl and see for yourself.

A Year and Six Seconds: A Love Story by Isabel Gillies

Published by: Voice

Published on: August 2011

Page Count: 256

Genre: Memoir

My Reading Format: Audiobook provided to me by the narrator for consideration

Audiobook Published by: Tantor Audio

Narrator: Karen White

Audiobook Length: 6 hours 48 minutes

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook and Audiobook

My Review

Isabel Gillies, the actress best know for playing Detective Stabler’s wife on Law & Order: SVU, was married with two young sons living in an Ohio college town when her husband asks her for a divorce. He has fallen in love with another woman. As there was no turning back, Isabel moves with her sons back to her parents’ lovely rent controlled apartment in Manhattan. It is there that she grieves her marriage, adapts to single motherhood, and finds a new footing for her life.

After reading A Year and Six Seconds and reflecting on Eat, Pray, Love while doing so, I’ve come to realize that divorce memoirs aren’t my cup of tea. I suppose on the one hand this is a good thing because I certainly never want to live through the experience myself. Even though these types of memoirs seem to end with the author in a much better place, I’m just not very interested in the details of why this person’s marriage  didn’t work out. These books start off strong for me. I enjoyed the first sections where Gillies describes how someone can fall in love in six seconds. The endings of her marriage and the beginnings of her new life back in her parent’s rent controlled apartment in Manhattan were interesting. It was what happened between those rough and tumble beginnings and the happy ending that seemed long and repetitive. At that point, unimportant details seemed like unnecessary speed bumps. For example, there is an important scene between Gillies and her mother. At the beginning of the scene, she is in her childhood bedroom with her sons. Before getting to what was important in that encounter, Gillies makes a point to write about her telling her sons to say hello to their grandmother. I know she loves her children. She is a good mother. However, in that situation, their presence and the prompt to say hello added nothing to the story. It made this reader, who was more than ready to get beyond the “what did I do wrongs,” impatient.

This audiobook is narrated by Karen White. She did a wonderful job rolling with the punches and small joys that filled Isabel’s Gillies’ account of her divorce and its aftermath. It was her reading of the book that made it possible for me to finish. Regardless of how I liked Isabel Gillies, I would have lost interest in the book in print somewhere in the middle. Luckily, with Karen White narrated the meat of the story, it was impossible not to continue. The way she read the scene where Gillies parents’ had to have bars placed over their beautiful window was perfect. I can honestly say that I’m glad I finished the book because the last 45 minutes redeemed the experience for me. There is a scene where Karen’s reading brings out the beauty in an otherwise sad experience that warmed my heart.

To Gillies credit, I never once considered tossing the CD across the room the way I did with Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir. She is a kind, down to earth woman who means well in all that she does. I did think she was overly generous to her ex-husband, but in a world where people are tearing each other’s throats out in the public arena for less, this was something like a breath of fresh air. I liked her and I wanted her to be happy. While A Year and Six Seconds wasn’t a perfect read, but I am glad that I finished it. I simply would have preferred the middle section of the book to have been condensed.

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron

Winner of the 2010 Bellwether Prize for Fiction

Published by: Algonquin Books

Published on: January 3, 2012

Page Count: 384

Genre: Literary Fiction

My Reading Format: Review copy sent to me by the publisher for consideration; read and reviewed to coincide with Book Club, hosted by Jen from Devourer of Books and Nicole of Linus’s Blanket.

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook and Audiobook

My Review

Jean Patrick Nkuba was just a little boy when his father was killed in a car accident.  His father was an educated man who believed that the Hutus and Tutsis could live together in Rwanda peacefully. As that little boy, Jean Patrick had only a vague notion of what it meant that he was a Tutsi. His biggest concern was training to outrun his older brother. Once he’d reached that goal, he set his eyes on the true prize, an Olympic gold medal. It took Jean Patrick a war and a lifetime to understand who he was and why it meant life or death in the country he so desperately wanted to represent in the Olympics.

From the first pages, I fell in love with Jean Patrick. He found his heart’s desire and he never let it go. Because he wanted to run, he put his whole soul into it. Because he wanted to run, he studied hard to be accepted to the schools that would allow him to compete that would that would otherwise not give a Tutsi a chance. The desire to run and do himself, his family, and his country proud gave him the focus he needed to survive the terror and death around him.

Jean Patrick could have only been the person that he was, but his story is not that of a Pollyanna character set in Africa. There were no shiny prisms to bring smiles to all of the grumpy people around town. Despite what Jean Patrick’s talent could have brought to Rwanda, there wasn’t an outpouring of communal support and good will when the chips were down. There wasn’t even a UN envoy there to keep him safe. There was nothing there for him but his own spirit and the war that was raging all around him without reason and without end.

Running the Rift is a novel about the Rwanda leading up to and including the genocide of  1994. There are so many characters I hated. There were so many characters I loved. There were so many naive people. There were so many cynical people. There was so much corruption. There was so much love. It took each of those people and that unique and volatile situation to nurture the boy who became the athlete who became the man. Naomi Benaron took these horrific events full of blood, terror, and despair and wrote nothing short of an amazing novel. It is a novel which steadfastly bore witness to human determination, loyalty, the love of family, and, against all odds, hope.

Go now and read this book.

For more discussion about Running the Rift, visit Jen’s blog throughout the day for the Book Club discussion. I can guarantee that the discussion will be well worth the read.

First You Try Everything by Jane McCafferty

Published by: Harper

Published on: January 17, 2012

Page Count: 288

Genre: Fiction

My Reading Format: ARC sent to me by the publisher for consideration

Available Formats: Hardcover and eBook

My Review

When offered the opportunity to review First You Try Everything, there was just something about the description that made me want to read it.

An engrossing tale of a marriage that’s falling apart and a wife who will stop at nothing to keep it together.

From their early days in college, Evvie and Ben were drawn to each other by feelings of isolation stemming from their wounded childhoods, passionate idealism, and zeal for music. Sheltered by their love, they weathered the challenges and trials of the imperfect world around them. But as the years passed, they grew apart. Now Ben has his sights set on a completely different kind of future—alone, or with someone else.

Convinced that Ben cannot live without her, Evvie begins to unravel, as she obsessively devises ways to reclaim the love that she cannot let go of. She gambles on a spectacularly dangerous scheme, one that may ultimately have devastating consequences.

Divorce isn’t a new topic, but the idea of the wife going to extreme lengths to repair her marriage must have caught my eye. Unfortunately, the premise was not enough to carry the novel.

There are things I loved about First You Try Everything. I loved Ben. Had it not been for Ben, I wouldn’t have read beyond the first 50 pages. His voice and his moral nature grabbed my attention and my affection. I wanted him to be happy and the more he worried about Evvie, loving her despite her mental illness, made me want the ordeal to be over for him so that he could move on and find a place in life where he could experience joy. I also loved the location. I have an aunt who lives in the Pittsburgh area and, early on in the book, Ben is driving to Cranberry for work, I knew exactly where he was headed. We drive through there to visit Aunt Donna. I also have familiar enough with downtown Pittsburgh that I could picture the location where certain events took place.

Unfortunately, what I liked about this novel was not enough to salvage it for me. Evvie’s mental instability, which first made me want to stop reading the novel, was what ruined the experience for me. There was nothing for me to grab on to with Evvie. Sure, she and Ben had a good relationship at the start, but there was nothing about her specifically that made me care about her future. In addition, I simply could not follow Jane McCafferty where she took the story of Evvie and Ben. Not only could I not buy the chance encounter that brought about the ending, I couldn’t pin a true or even plausible motive to the outside forces involved. It simply was frustrating.

If you have read First You Try Everything, I would love to hear your take on the book. In the meantime, I’m moving on.

Published by: Knopf Doubleday

Published on: September 13, 2011

Page Count: 256

Genre: Literary Fiction

My Reading Format: Audiobook sent to me via the Solid Gold Reviewer Program organized by Audiobook Jukebox

Audiobook Published by: Highbridge Audio

Narrator: Anne Flosnik

Audiobook Length: 7 hours 44 minutes

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

My Review

Miles Garth, a man brought to a dinner party by an invited guest, gets up from the dinner table and locks himself in an upstairs guest room. Without explanation, he refuses to leave. His only request, as a vegetarian, is for the appropriate food to be supplied to him. This decision seems to defy logic and the home owners research the man in order to contact those who may know him and may, therefore, assist them in getting their home and piece of mind restored. While no one who knows him very well can be located, we do hear from four unrelated people who know bits and pieces about him. It is through their eyes that we learn of Miles’ encampment, bits and pieces of his past, and about the events that follow.

There but for the is not a standard narrative novel. Certainly there is a basic storyline, but the thin thread that draws out the stories of Anna, Mark May, and Brroke could just as easily be an excuse for highlighting the human condition as evidenced in modern day London. How better to understand ourselves than put us in an unusual situation? Some people rally around things that can’t be explained. Some try to make money off of them. Still others, those not yet world weary, go with their curiosity, attempting to understand.

Each of those who tell their story about themselves and, to a lesser degree, about Miles correspond to a word in the title. Anna’s story uses “there.” Mark’s story uses “but.” May’s story uses “for.” Brooke’s story uses “the.” Writing this out it feels odd to me, but in the midst of the novel, it was brilliant. I didn’t catch the connection until Mark’s story. It was at that point that I connected more deeply with the prose. There are sections of the novel where the dialog follows this pattern:

“[dialog],” Character A says.
“[dialog],” Character B says.
“[dialog],” Character A says.
“[dialog],” Character B says.

I began noticing how the rhythm of those sentences all ending in the word says was. Regardless of what the characters were saying, it was like poetry in that it was pleasing to the ears. To me, this was the brilliance of the novel. While the individual stories were interesting (especially May’s and “The cleverest” Brooke) and I wanted to know what was going on with Miles, the beauty of the prose was all that I needed.

There is often concernt that a complex or experimental novel doesn’t translate well into audio. The belief is that you need to closely study what has been written. I don’t doubt that this is true in some cases, but not here. There but for the made a wonderful audiobook. Anne Flosnik, who is fantastic at interpreting what must have been a daunting novel, provided vocal cues that helped me navigate the landscape. I could sit and listen to her read scenes such as the dialog above ad nauseum. Her narration also had me rapt as May and Brooke were speaking.

The premise of the story was what led me to request this audiobook through the Solid Gold Reviewer program, but it was the performance of Anne Flosnik and the prose of Ali Smith that made this audiobook one to treasure. When I listed this book in my top 10 reads of 2011, I mentioned that I was quite certain that I had no idea what this book was about. Writing this review made me realize that regardless of the author’s intent, I know quite well what it was about for me. I hope this novel gets more exposure because this is a book that will impact and affect each reader differently. I highly recommend There but for the. It is the perfect choice for a read that will challenge and delight you.

Come In and Cover Me by Gin Phillips

Published by: Riverhead

Published on: January 12, 2012

Page Count: 352

Genre: Fiction

My Reading Format: ARC sent to me by the publisher for consideration

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

My Review

Ren is an archeologist who has made a name for herself through her discovery of specialized Southwestern American Mimbres pottery that she has attributed to one artist. Currrently working for a museum, she receives a call from a dig where they believe they may have found new sherds of bowls that may have been crafted by her artist. She arranges with the museum to head to the dig to see what has been found. What no one knows is that there is a supernatural aspect to her work. She frequently is in touch with the ghost of her older brother and often sees things from the past when she is on site. It was these visions that led her to her big archeological discovery. She fears what her colleagues might think of her if her secret gets out. Her visit to the site and her keeping her secret becomes more complicated when she begins a relationship with a fellow archeologist on the dig, Silas. Not only is getting close to another professional emotionally risky, the visions she begins having of her artist seem to be sending her warnings.

Beginning in junior high, I wanted to be an archeologist. Perhaps it was the influence of Indiana Jones, but the idea of discovering history in the ground was appealing to me. In the end I found I lacked math skills and, more to the point, the discipline required to keep digging when nothing seemed to be there. It’s still a subject that interests me, so when I had the opportunity to read an ARC of Come In and Cover Me, I jumped. Throughout the book, I enjoyed the aspects that pertained to the work itself and about life on a dig. The long days working in the sun followed by quiet evenings eating around a camp fire felt real. Partaking in philosophical discussions about how to interpret findings and spending quite hours working with your hands outside. I could imagine having a vocation to for it all and living that life like a archaeological prayer.

Although I loved the idea of this novel and how the spirits of the departed could still play a role in the uncovery of what they left behind, I didn’t fall in love with the novel a whole. There are three story lines: Ren’s brother Scott and how his lingering presence impacted Ren’s adolescence and adulthood, Ren’s new relationship with Silas, and her interactions with her artist. Mixing and mingling the three together slowed the novel down. Had there been just two story lines or if one had been much less prominent than the other two, I think it would have worked better for me. It isn’t that the stories weren’t interesting. Far from it. It just seemed to take forever to get anywhere. Just when something significant happened in one area, it got  unnecessarily bogged down in another. Perhaps it wouldn’t have felt that way had I thought that Ren’s interpretation of her vision was in any way correct. It just reaffirmed that Ren over analyzed everything. Combined with her inability to reach out for help or advice, it drove me just a little crazy.

While Come In and Cover Me wasn’t a book I fell in love with from cover to cover, I enjoyed the peak into life in the Southwest of an archeologist of today and of a Mimbre potter of long ago. Spending time in this book made me want to take a trip to explore that area of the country.  I haven’t read Gin Phillips first novel, The Well and the Mine. I have a feeling that either that book or another book down the road will simply be amazing to me.

As a child of the 80s, the title Come In and Cover Me immediately reminded me of a Bruce Springsteen song.I couldn’t close this review without sharing it. It really has nothing to do with the novel whatsoever, but it’s my blog and it makes me happy. Ha!

Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor

Published by: Farrar Straus Giroux

Published on: January 1965

Page Count: 272

Genre: Short Stories

My Reading Format: Audiobook won during June Is Audiobook Month

Audiobook Published by: Blackstone Audio

Narrator: Bronson Pinchot, Karen White, Lorna Raver, Mark Bramhall

Audiobook Length: 9 hours and 5 minutes

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

My Review

When I first endeavored to read Flannery O’Connor I began with her novel, The Violent Bear It Away. If the wrong and somewhat inappropriate titles I kept tweeting about were any indicator, it didn’t click with me. It was suggested that I start with her short stories, specifically A Good Man is Hard to Find. I have been wanting to give Everything That Rises Must Converge a listen ever since I won it from Karen White’s June Is Audiobook Month giveaway, so I took most of that advice. While I’ve yet to read A Good Man is Hard to Find, O’Connor’s short stories are fantastic.

I would have to reread Everything That Rises Must Converge in order to talk in more depth about each story. O’Connor has much to say about discord in family relations, faith, and race relations. What stood out the most to me was the relationship between adult children living with or near their parents. In every occurence, this situation led to nearly paralyzing resentment for at least one of the parties involved. With each story, O’Connor shines more and more light on how common yet unnatural those living arrangements are. The story that most brilliantly illustrates this is “A View of the Woods.” You have the struggle of a parent to manipulate and control his daughter seep down into the next generation with the most devastating results.

I had a personnally hilarious Aha moment listening to this audiobook for reasons completely unrelated to the text. I have been interested in listening to one of Bronson Pinchot’s audiobooks since I first learned that he was a narrator. He, along with Karen White, Lorna Raver and Mark Bramhall narrate the stories in this collection. A male narrator read the first story. I assumed it was Mark Bramhall. Then, Karen White narrated “Greenleaf.” I knew that the second male narrator was a) different from the first and b) the same man who narrated A Prayer for Owen Meany (which I really must finish). Unfortunately, the audiobook didn’t list which narrator read which story. So, I thought, was Bronson Pinchot the first male narrator? I assumed it couldn’t have been him, but how? I guess I thought I would know it was him when I heard him. To be sure, I went on Audible.com and listened to a clip from Matterhorn. Yes, the first male narrator was, in fact, Bronson Pinchot. As soon as I hear that clip I realized I had been expecting some kind of foreign accent like Balki Bartokomous from Perfect Strangers. I laughed myself to the point of tears. Reading clears up ignorance in more ways than one. Bronson Pinchot is a fantastic narrator.

All of the narrators who collaborated on Everything That Rises Must Converge were outstanding. Audiophile Magazine has selected this audiobook as one of the best of the year and rightly so. The magazine also recognized Lorna Raver and Bronson Pinchot for their particular roles on this project. For me, each of the narrators brought life to the stories they read. Karen White, who I’ve previously experienced in a whimsical romantic novel, was impressive as the self-righteous Mrs. May, ranting against the world, but most especially the bull running rough shot over her land. I think the voice of Grandfather Fortune as rendered by Mark Bramhall will remain with me forever. He made me love an otherwise unlovable cantakerous old man.

Whether you’re new to Flannery O’Connor or would like to revisit her work, I highly suggest picking up this audiobook from Blackstone Audio. It’s a reader’s treat.

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

Published by: Random House

Published on: January 10, 2012

Page Count: 464

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Reading Format: eGalley downloaded from NetGalley

Available Formats: Hardcover and eBook

Book Tour: I am pleased to be Eva Stachniak’s tour host today. Today is an extra special day because The Winter Palace is officially published today. Please read my review and be sure to come back on Thursday for a guest post from the author about the perils of researching too much. I will also have a copy of the book to giveaway.  In the meantime, you can also view the book trailer at the end of my review.

My Review

Barbara is the story of an immigrant book binder. He may not be a rich man, but he is the best at what he does. It is his skill and dedication that first catch the eye of Empress Elizabeth. Because of his work for her, he is able to request a place for Barbara in her court should anything ever happen to him. Too soon, Barbara’s father does pass away. That promise from the Empress does not immediately pave her way to a better life. Quite the contrary. She is at a disadvantage because of her background. It is her intelligence that brings her our of her initial miserable servitude. Count Bestuzhev, always vying for favor, discovers how clever she is. It is he who teaches her how to spy effectively to become one of Empress Elizabeth’s most trusted tongues. His other introductions to court life were less desirable, but Barbara’s downfall was ignoring his most valuable advice.

There is nothing more intriguing, especially at a safe distance, than a royal court in turmoil. The Winter Palace brings this non stop tumult directly to the reader. Empress Elizabeth forcibly took over power from the infant Ivan VI. She intentionally has no children of her own and brings a nephew in to be her heir. Her nephew Peter is an odd young man, putting his ascension in jeopardy. It is most important to Elizabeth to find a suitable wife for him, one who will bare him many heirs. When she joins Elizabeth’s court, Barbara takes it upon herself to help Catherine. By acting on her own, she puts her place in the Winter Palace in jeopardy, but that isn’t the only consequence. In the end, it will cost her so much more.

I became very much engaged in Barbara’s story. She herself makes some cruel decisions, but mainly in her youth. For the most part, she acts as she does to keep those she loves safe. The rest of the characters are not always so noble. Elizabeth lived the life of one who constantly has to remain on guard. Overthrowing the government did not bring security and no one is too precious not to willfully sacrifice when needed. She lived up to her promise not to execute her subjects, but she found much worse ways to punish those who crossed her. Count Bestuzhev was the most distasteful character of all. His life was entirely about getting ahead and using everyone he can in every way he can. He reminded me a great deal of Thomas Howard with a couple extra helpings of depravity. Young Catherine is new to everything in Russia. She couldn’t afford to be naive and impressionable long. She, too, has a role to play and a place to secure.

Although this book is subtitled A Novel of Catherine the Great, it was aptly named. This book is about the comings and goings of the Winter Palace leading up to the end of Empress Elizabeth’s reign. Certainly Catherine is there and is central to Barbara’s story, but what connects the beginning to the end isn’t the emerging monarch. It’s the palace in which Barbara interacts with the every shifting powers that be that define the story.

The Winter Palace was my introduction to Russian historical fiction and I enjoyed my time there. In many ways, the Russian court makes Henry VIII’s seem forgiving and peaceful. Not only did this book inspire me to learn more about Catherine the Great, I thought the ending of this book was just perfect. I cared for Barbara and I was so pleased with the life she went on to have. Given the title and the setting of this novel, it makes an excellent selection for this time of year.

22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

Published by: Penguin

Published on: April 28, 2011

Page Count: 336

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Reading Format: Audiobook purchased from Audible.com

Audiobook Published by: Penguin Audiobooks

Narrator: Robin Sachs

Audiobook Length: 11 hours 19 minutes

Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

My Review

Janusz and Silvana are  a young married couple when Janusz goes off to fight as WWII  breaks out in Poland. Silvana was left behind to care for their infant son, Aurek. To escape both the Germans and the Russians, she learns how to survive in the wilderness with her son. When the two are rescued from a refuge camp and brought to Ipswich to be reunited with Janusz after the war, both husband and wife are hopeful of once again being happy, but  they each have secrets that make it difficult to easily piece their family back together.

This novel alternates between Janusz and Silvana together in post-war England and the past in Poland for each character separately. As they try to build a new life and recapture their relationship, the reader is introduced slowly to the events and secrets that shaped them while they were apart. This structure worked well for me. It built tension and peaked my curiosity. I did find Silvana to be more difficult to wrap myself around, so the sections focusing Janusz were essential. It was because of him that I was able to care about Silvana and Aurek. They were broken characters, but something solid came in between me and them that prevented compassion from taking over. Were it not for Janusz, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the book.

It was a pleasure to experience this novel through Robin Sachs narration. He has such a comforting voice, yet it lends itself well to mystery and human pain. I may never be able to spell Janusz without assistance, but I can still hear Sachs say his name in my memory. After now listening to his narration of 22 Britannia Road and The Last Werewolf, I truly appreciate how versatile Robin  Sachs is. If you’ve yet to listen to one of his audiobook, I strongly suggest it. His is a voice you’ll not soon forget.

22 Britannia Road is a novel about the impact of secrets on lovers and families. It is also a story about the strength of the human spirit during war and its aftermath. While I didn’t love Amanda Hodgkinson’s debut novel, I certainly enjoyed it. I hope to read excellent things from her in the future.

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Published by: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones (originally)

Published on: March 11, 1818

Page Count: 280

Genre: Gothic Fiction

My Reading Format: Audiobook downloaded free during a Tantor Audio promotion

Audiobook Published by: Tantor Audio

Narrator: Simon Vance

Audiobook Length: 8 hours 30 minutes

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook

My Review

When Tantor Audio offered Frankenstein as a free digital download in October, I didn’t hesitate taking advantage of the opportunity to hear Simon Vance read this classic. Having never read it before, I learned quickly that what I’ve seen in movies and in pop culture is vastly different from the book itself. I had been expecting spooky mad scientist’s mansion and villagers chasing after the monster with torches blazing. While Frankenstein did create his monster through science, the actual process was downplayed as it wasn’t the point. In his quest for knowledge, Frankenstein unleashed a beast into the world. The aftermath, both physical and psychological, is the story.

The first half of this novel had me glued to my car seat. You have the family tragedy followed by the story of how the monster acquired language and morality. While I enjoyed the novel as a whole, the second half was not as strong for me. Frankenstein spent so much time inside his head going over how he was the victim in this tragedy that I grew impatient with him. I think the way the story played out was for the best because he could never have been the husband and father his own father was. When one is constantly justifying oneself, there is little room left for love or sacrifice.

This audiobook was nothing short of incredible. Simon Vance brought his A game to this recording. He infused the novel with the perfect amount of emotion. While narrating the letter from Frankenstein’s father there was a point where I knew that if there was even another slight hint of a crack in his voice that I would start crying. I may sound like a broken record when it comes to reviewing Simon Vance’s narration, but what can I say? The man is talented. Happy are those who recognize and appreciate it.

I thank Tantor Audio for providing this delightful freebie during the month of October. What made this download even better was the eBook that accompanied it. I enjoy reading along from time to time and a copy in print always helps with spelling and reviewing what you’ve read.

I enjoyed Frankenstein more than I had imagined. It wasn’t just the stuff of monster movies and science fiction. While the nature of good and evil played a role, this novel played in the spaces in between: tenderness versus revenge and selfishness versus sacrifice. I fully understand why people love this story. It was a perfect fit for October, but anytime would be a good time to sit down and have a listen.