Before we even get into this post, let me say that I’m behind. Eight books in January, maybe nine? Done! Or maybe, not so much. I started out gung-ho on the first and managed to finish 3 books in the span of a week. And then… nothing. Well, just two more somethings, then nothing else. To be fair, I did embark on the journey that is The Fiery Cross, book five of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander saga. This 55-hour audiobook is going to span multiple months, so making a dent of about 10 hours into that isn’t too shabby. I hope to use this leap year to my advantage and crank out more books in February to catch up on my progress.
Best Finale – World of Wonders by Robertson Davies
Rating: 4 stars / Really liked it
World of Wonders is the third and final book of The Deptford Trilogy, the stories of three men who all have ties to one small town in Canada. I honestly don’t recal
l how the trilogy ended up on my to-read list as I don’t remember adding it myself, but I’m glad that it did. The entire series has a magnetism that I can’t explain: there’s none of the battles, love triangles or time travelling that usually comprise my favorite books but it is still fantastic. World of Wonders details the life of conjurer Magnus Eisengrim, from his childhood in Deptford to his rise to fame. World of Wonders, my favorite of the series, wraps up the trilogy with some final twists and revelations. Unraveling the whole story and ultimately finding out “Who killed Boy Staunton?” was an adventure, and I look forward to reading The Deptford Trilogy again in the near future. A quote I saw from the Observer really nails it: “The kind of writer who makes you want to nag your friends until they read him so that they share the pleasure.”
Most Likely to Deafen You with Sound Effects – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase by Douglas Adams
Rating: 4 stars / Really liked it
I will admit, this entry is getting a little liberal with the definition of “book”. Rather than choosing the book of the same title that was later written by the author, I’ve chosen to take in the Hitchhiker’s Guide series in its original radio play format. Despite being in audio format only, Goodreads lists these plays in their catalog as books, and each one of the five part series counts individually. Hitchhiker’s Guide is a science fiction classic that mixes fantasy and British humor in an exciting way. The volume of the track could use a little fine-tuning; the dialogue seems to be at normal sound levels while the sounds effects are a bit louder. The problem could be mine, though, as when I have a difficult time understanding the narrator(s) (like when they’re a cast of four fast-talking Brits) turning the volume up helps me understand better. So here I am in my car, turned up to 11 trying to understand these accents, when a robot comes through a door or a planet explodes and suddenly my ears are bleeding. Despite the medical bills it may present, the Hitchhiker’s Guide radio plays are entertaining, and at just 30-minutes per segment you can find time to enjoy them in between your normal daily tasks.
Most Likely to Give You the Travel Bug – Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
Rating: 4 stars / Really liked it
Last year, I got Sarah Vowell’s Unfamiliar Fishes as an Audible Daily Deal and was not a huge fan. Before that, though, I had heard lots of praise for her work and decided to give her another try when her books popped up on another Audible sale. Assassination Vacation doesn’t just tell the stories of the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley, but also includes their back and side stories: stories of John Wilkes Booth’s brother, the controversy behind the Lincoln memorial, the curse of Robert Todd Lincoln and more. This is probably the only book that could make me think “You know what, visiting the site where John Wilkes Booth was killed would be a great way to spend a Saturday.” I enjoyed Vowell’s humor and look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Most Inspirational – I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
Rating: 5 stars / It was amazing
I’m not great at getting emotional and prefer to hide behind my wit and sarcasm, so this review will be a challenge. Malala is an inspiring individual and the story of her and her family truly puts things into perspective. While some of us are able to take education for granted, there are still many around the world fighting for their right to even enter a school. Becoming a public speaker, standing up for her right to get an education, being shot by the Taliban, and winning the Nobel Peace Prize all before the age of 18, Malala will truly make your accomplishment of hitting 10,000 steps on your Fitbit for a full month seem insignificant.
Biggest Life-Changing Moment – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Rating: 5 stars / It was amazing
There’s nothing I could say about Harry Potter that hasn’t already been said many times by me in the company of my fellow hobbyists as I rave about the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version of this childhood classic, and was even able to catch some of the UK to US changes as an adult (crisps to chips, chips to fries, etc.). One moment in this book, however, changed how I look at the Harry Potter franchise forever. You know that scene at the very beginning, where Hagrid tells Harry those four words that forever change his life? If you don’t, here’s a reminder:
I’m sitting there in my car, knowing that this moment is about to happen in the book, and what do I hear? “Harry, you’re a wizard.” What?! One of the greatest quotes of the whole series was completely (read as: ever so slightly) different in the book! I know this is the dumbest and most minuscule thing to focus on, but it really threw me off. The rest is fantastic as always and I am ready to power through Chamber of Secrets in February.
Biggest Fall by the Mighty – Obsessed by T.R. Ragan
Rating: 1 star/Did not like it
This book. Where do I start? Should I be ashamed that the first two of this series were in my 5-Star Reads of 2015? Books 1 and 2 of the Lizzie Gardener series were great, but as I mentioned in my previous post book 3 was a little predictable and left me disappointed. Cue Obsessed. What is the emotional equivalent of the word “ugh”? Because that was my state of being for the entirety of this book. It follows the same tired formula of the other three in the series: alternating narration among main characters and the killer, main characters taking questionable risks (“I don’t have time to call anyone, I have to go to the house of the person who I think is the killer now!”), Hailey out for blood, etc. Obsessed ups the ante though, not leaving you with a simple capture of a murderer (spoilers ahead, if you plan on actually reading this). Want a murderer to have his head chopped off with a machete, and for the chopper to have no legal action taken against them? You got it. Need a Grand Theft Auto-esque break-in of a drug kingpin’s concrete-and-barbed-wire compound, complete with tear gas? Check. Mass shooting at the main character’s wedding? We thought you’d never ask. This series has definitely jumped the shark, but I will admit to reading the summary of the next book in the series, just to see how the wedding cliffhanger resolves itself. What can I say? I can’t stand a mystery.
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