Audiobook Review: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (narrated by Cassandra Clare; 10 hours, 1 minute) tells the story of the mixed race family, the Lee's, who live in suburban Ohio in the 1970's. As the book opens, the family has discovered that Lydia, the middle child and oldest daughter, is missing. When her body is discovered two days later in the nearby lake each family member begins to unwind their history and to try to make sense of the tragedy. With each family member's unwinding, the reader learns all that went unsaid and misunderstood between these family members and how it all combined to crush Lydia.

James Lee, the son of immigrants, attended a prestigious prep school at which his father worked as a janitor. Decidedly out of place due to his race and socioeconomic class, James longed to fit in but never quite achieved it. While at Harvard, he met Marilyn - a young, beautiful student with ambition to do more than just satisfy her mother's dream for her - to become a wife. Marilyn wanted to challenge her mother's and other's expectations of her and to become a doctor. She defied her mother's expectations once again when she fell in love with James, an Asian man at a time when mixed race marriages were still illegal in many states. Despite this and maybe a little due to her need to defy her mother, Marilyn marries James and becomes a young mother when their son, Nath, is born. With the arrival of motherhood, Marilyn places her dreams of being a doctor on a shelf but not without some regret and even resentment. With the arrival of the Lee's second child, Lydia, Marilyn sees a vessel for her own shelved dreams and begins to prepare her daughter to become a doctor. Meanwhile, James, pushes her to be popular and to "fit in" - no one asks or assesses what Lydia might want.

Lydia is uncomfortable with her status of favored child and the pressure of living out both of her parents' own dreams. Despite Nath's occasional resentment of his younger sister and the attention of their parents which she commands, the siblings are close and depend on each other to understand their unique family dynamic as only siblings can. The Lee's youngest child, Hannah, is almost the forgotten sibling - conceived at a time when her parents were going through a difficult time and born into a family preoccupied with their own issues, Hannah moves through the household largely unnoticed. From this hidden vantage point, Hannah sees things the other family member's miss - she takes precious belongings from each family member and through them learns what is important to them. She may not always understand the insights her observations offer but she does see things most family members miss. Her insights into Lydia are especially revealing as they all deal with her disappearance and death.

My Thoughts
This intelligent, debut novel tells a tragic story  - and not just the tragedy of a drowned sixteen year old. The real tragedy is how little the parents know about their own children and vice versa. Clouded by the need to see their dreams lived through their children, James and Marilyn never really see their own children or their needs. They give them what they think they need but repeatedly miss the mark. In much the same way, although more understandable since they are children, the Lee children don't know what drives their parents to push them they way they do. Everyone is moving through life propelled by desires they don't understand or acknowledge. The result is the story of a dysfunctional family which fascinates. Cassandra Campbell is a favorite narrator of mine and does an excellent job with this book.  Definitely recommend (the book and the audio production!)

Audiobook Review: Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming

Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming: Alan Cumming is a Scottish actor who currently plays Eli Gould on The Good Wife and stars in the Broadway production of Cabaret. This book, however, is not about his life as an actor or how he found his calling to act - it is about his tortured relationship with his father who physically and emotionally abused him throughout his childhood. At times difficult to listen to, the book is raw and insightful and ultimately, quite brave.


Alan Cumming is the youngest son of Mary Darling and Alec Cumming and, with his older brother Tom, grew up in Scotland on an estate for which his father was the caretaker. His father was stern and had high expectations of both boys but seemed to reserve his greatest ire for young Alan. In talking about his childhood, Alan Cumming describes fearing his father and how the family walked on eggshells expecting the next outburst. His father often put the boys to work around the estate doing very manual labor and then criticizing the work they did including physically beating them when it was not to standard. In the rare moments when Alan got to act like a child such as when he rode his bike through the village, he recognized how little of that happiness was in his daily life and how he lived with a pervasive anxiety. He repressed that through much of his life but as an adult, its effects began to become obvious and he could no longer ignore it.

As the book begins, Alan is about to appear on the British version of Who Do You Think You Are? and the producers are going through his family tree looking for a line/story to follow. When his father learns of this, he worries that they will discover his secret so he abruptly discloses to Alan that he is not his real father and that Alan was conceived following a dalliance by his mother. At this point, Alan's relationship with his father was non-existent but this news rocks him and prompts him to re-examine what he thought to be true about his father and their difficult relationship. Interestingly, the show actually ended up exploring Alan's mother's family and focuses on Alan's grandfather. Through that, Alan discovers his Grandfather also had secrets and discovers parallels between the his own life and that of his Grandfather.

My Thoughts
At times, this book was difficult to listen to - I could feel my own chest tightening as Alan recounted the cruel words his father spat at him or the blows he struck. There is a tenderness in how he tells the story because, despite all the therapy he has obviously been through to cope with his history, there is still a rawness to his emotions and he has insights which are revelatory.  I thought the story line of the work on Who Do You Think You Are? provided a nice counterbalance to the conflict with his father. It is also emotional but in a different way and I looked forward to the revelations in that story line. After listening to the book, I actually watched Alan Cumming's episode on the show and it was interesting to see what I had listened to played out on the screen and see expressions on his face which he had described in the book.

The book is read by the author and I enjoyed his Scottish accent but more than that I appreciated the authenticity of the reading of a memoir that only an author can bring to the production. In addition, Cumming is a trained stage actor and his professionalism comes through in the reading of the audiobook. All in all, although his story is very painful, his journey through it is a triumph and provides hope. Definitely recommend.

Sunday Salon: December 21, 2014

The Scene: 9:45 am  - sitting on couch, coffee in hand, surveying the apartment and trying to remember what I have forgotten to pack. Prince is lounging next to me - he is down for the count after getting vaccinations on Friday.  The pics below sum up the before and after pretty accurately.

 Reading: I have a few books in progress right now (which is rare for me but it has to do with all the formats). In print, I am reading The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline - I am really enjoying it.  I never read her most famous novel - The Orphan Train - but likely will after this one.  On my reader, I am reading a Christmas book - Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan.  It is set in London, light and fluffy and perfect for this time of year! Finally, on audio, I am also transported to England by Jo Jo Moyes's One Plus One. I read The Girl You Left Behind (my review) by the author and loved it.  This book is also shaping up to be quite good!

Listening: See above for current audiobook. Need to queue up some others with a long flight coming up next week - any recommendations? I have been hearing a lot about Serial and will try that podcast while traveling too.

 Blogging: This week I posted my review of We Are Not Ourselves - this is easily my favorite read this year and based on feedback, it seems very popular with many of you too!  I also want to feature a post I did at last year at this time as part of the Virtual Advent series - review of Christmas on Jane Street.  I think about this story each time I walk past the tree vendors in the city.  If you are looking for a good read this time of year, I definitely recommend this! It reminds me a bit of a modern day Gift of the Magi.  And today, the ebook is only $1.99!

Watching : With holiday parties, year-end stuff at work and holiday prep miscellany, I haven't been watching much TV (which is really just fine).  But I have become fascinated by the holiday decorations on the buildings and townhouses throughout the city. I have been following a hashtag called #festivefacades on Instagram (follow me) which got me looking at all the #festivefacades in Manhattan!  Here is a sample from my wanderings while running errands yesterday.

Looking Forward To: So much to look forward to - heading to Texas to visit with family over Christmas and then on to Cape Town for New Year's (hence the packing stress right now - I am sure something will be forgotten).

Hope everyone has a relaxing Sunday!

Audiobook Review: Americanah by Chimamamda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah by Chimamamda Ngozi Adichie (narrated by Adjoa Andoh; 17 hours and 28 minutes) tackles many big themes - immigration, race and class - in a story about a young couple who are separated when they both leave military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Ifemelu and Obinze meet in school in Nigeria and quickly fall for each but with their homeland under dictatorship they, like many of their peers, decide they must leave Nigeria. Ifemelu departs for the US where she has some family and Obinze initially intends to follow her but then is not allowed to enter the US and he goes to London. The book follows each of their stories as emigrants separately until they both return to Nigeria and reconnect. At that point, the book follows them together again as they face returning to a Nigeria they left and the realization that their lives have become more complicated.

When Ifemelu arrives in the US, she faces racism for the first time and in addition to adjusting to a new country, she also struggles with learning about "American blacks" (AB) and "non American blacks" (NAB). With the benefit of an outsider's perspective who is also a member of the race facing discrimination, Ifemelu's observations on the topic are incisive. She begins writing a blog about her experiences which is popular but controversial. Ifemelu is conflicted about her life in the US - on one hand, she welcomes the freedom and the bounty of options available in the US but, on the other hand, she does not understand the constant optimism and apparent lack of grit she finds in her new home. 

Obinze's immigration takes a different route when he ultimately ends up living illegally in London. This educated, self-assured man is relegated to poorly paying jobs and living on the fringes of society. He enters into an agreement for an arranged marriage that will guarantee his British citizenship. Although he thinks of Ifemelu frequently, Obinze does not reach out to her and continues to live a lie in his new homeland. Ultimately, he is deported to Nigeria where he marries a woman and becomes a successful businessman. He continues to think of Ifemelu and is reunited with her when she returns to Nigeria from the States.

My Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself stopping often on walks to consider the beauty of the sentences created by the author. I wish I also read this book in print so that I could underline passages and quotes because they so perfectly expressed a concept. This book is about Ifemelu and Obinze but their stories, individually and together, are really just a vehicle for the themes the author addresses in this wide ranging novel - themes of immigration, race and class.  It certainly has given me much to consider and months later I find myself reflecting on  the book and its characters. This is the first audiobook I have listened to by narrator Adjoa Andoh (others may be familiar with her as the narrator of Alexander McCall Smith's No.1 Ladies Detective Agency) - her British accent tinged with an African twang is perfect for this novel and its main characters although her narration of American characters sounded a bit generic.  Overall, I recommend this audiobook and also recommend the print version to better enjoy the excellent writing.

Audiobook Review: Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink

Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink (read by Kirsten Potter; 17 hours, 33 minutes) recounts the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina from the perspective of inside the walls of the city of New Orleans's large downtown hospital. Caring for many of the city's most vulnerable, those at the hospital made fateful decisions amidst the chaos following the hurricane - decisions for which some of the physicians and nurses faced criminal charges in the aftermath of the storm. A physician and investigative journalist, Sheri Fink takes the reader right into the hospital during the storm and tells the stories of the doctors, nurses, administrators and patients caught in the frantic deterioration following the devastation of the storm.

 The book opens a few days prior to the storm as the city prepares for the forecasted hurricane. Inured to the rituals of hurricane prep, many took the warnings less than seriously and didn't heed all the warnings. At Memorial, they arranged to have staff on hand but otherwise additional precautions were not taken. In addition, many of the staff and those that lived near the hospital used it to shelter during the storm. As the storm bore down on New Orleans, the hospital was bustling but everyone felt the hospital would ride out the storm without issue. Of course, the storm was stronger than expected and the breaking of levees with the resulting flooding was not anticipated. As conditions worsened at Memorial in the days following the hurricane, the shortcomings of the city and the hospital's disaster planning became increasingly evident. With power out over the city, the hospital was dependent on back-up generator power. The generators, however, were on lower levels below the flood line; very quickly, the hospital had no power. With patients on ventilators and other equipment, the situation soon became dire. The hospital staff had to figure out how to get patients evacuated from the hospital.

At this point, the lack of coordinated effort between the hospital, its corporate ownership and government became obvious. Messages were going out from the hospital but either not being heard or responded to with inaccurate information that drove some bad decisions. Ultimately, doctors in the hospital triaged patients for evacuation by making judgement calls on the likelihood of surviving the evacuation but they were not operating with the best information about the conditions and timing of any evacuation. Based on where they were triaged, some patients were essentially sentenced to death. Faced with patients they believed were not going to be able to leave the hospital and increasingly deteriorating conditions outside, some doctors and nurses made decisions to hasten the deaths of patients with lethal injections.

 My Thoughts
This story was gripping and read with the pacing of a thriller - the narrator was new to me but kept me gripped throughout without overdoing the drama.  Although the outcome of the storm and the fact that some patients were euthanized was known at the start of the book, I found myself anxiously listening to hear the details and the analysis that was not well understood outside of this book. The author tells the story from a neutral viewpoint and didn't demonize the doctors, nurses or officials but let the facts speak for themselves.

One statement that really stayed with me was that the lack of planning on so many levels is actually the failure of morality in the situation - not necessarily the actions of any individual. During Hurricane Sandy in NYC, seven years after Hurricane Katrina, I watched on television as they evacuated patients from NYU Hospital because the storm waters flooded the lower levels of the hospitals which is where the generators were located - the same situation faced by Memorial. I hope our government and public health officials commit themselves to adequate disaster planning so patients never have to face what was faced at Memorial.

Audiobook Review: The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin

In The Testament of Mary (3 hours, 7 minutes; narrated by Meryl Streep), author Colm Toibin gives voice to Mary, mother of Jesus. Now elderly, Mary remembers the crucifixion of her Son and retells it in grim detail. She also provides her perspective on his followers - and it is not an exalted view. In much the same way, she is cynical about her Son's death; she does not share his view that He will rise again and questions whether His violent death was "worth it". Her bitter, resigned tone is in stark contrast to the portrait painted of her in Bible as a long-suffering but gracious martyr who sacrificed her only Son for the greater good of humanity.

In this novella, Mary is a grieving mother, mourning the loss of her only Son. With mourning, comes anger - anger at those that killed him, at herself for not doing enough for him on his path to crucifixion and anger at his zealous followers and what she sees as their celebration of his death. To them, he was a leader of a movement and he has left a legacy they must carry on by telling his stories in Gospels and starting the Church. To Mary, however, he was her son - completely human, cruelly executed and his death is nothing to be celebrated. His supposed legacy does not bring her comfort. Rather, she is suspicious of His disciples, questions their motives and finds their efforts to care for her cloying and overbearing.

My Thoughts
This book fascinated me not only because it provided a provocative view so contrary to everything I learned in Catholic school but also because the author executes the narrative with such artistry. In typical Toibin style, the language is spare but beautiful. The spare narrative only emphasizes the raw grief experienced by Mary and brings that to life. Mary in this tale is, first and foremost, human. She experiences grief you would expect from any mother but it is still shocking as it runs counter to all we have been told about the martyr Mary who gave up her only Son to save the world. Even though the events of the story - walking to the cross, His death, and the discovery of the empty tomb on the third day are well known by those familiar with the New Testament, this novella is gripping because we hear it from the perspective of someone who cannot celebrate the miracle but rather mourns her Son and questions how there can be any value in his cruel death.

The audiobook is narrated by Meryl Streep and her performance is exemplary. I felt as if I was sitting in a theater listening to a Broadway performance.  She imbues each line with such emotion that I actually had a heavy heart listening in places as Meryl as Mary describes her overwhelming grief. As beautiful as Toibin's written words are, I think they were made all the better by Streep's performance.  Highly recommend this provocative but beautiful novella.

Audiobook Review: While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax (10 hours, 24 minutes) narrated by Orlagh Cassidy: Samantha, Clarie and Brooke all live in the prestigious Atlanta condominium, The Alexander. Behind the Beaux Arts facade of this building, personal dramas unfold for each of the women. The women's lives and stories were each moving in their own orbit until Edward, the building concierge, decided to schedule viewings of Downton Abbey for building residents; as a Brit, he has a special affinity for the show and is excited to introduce it to the residents. By bringing them all together to watch Downton Abbey, Edward unwittingly also creates a vehicle for these relatively solitary women to find friendship and support right in their own "backyard".

 Claire has moved to the Alexander following the dissolution of her marriage and at the same time as her only daughter heads for college. She is newly alone and struggling with all of these changes at once. Claire is also a writer and is on a deadline for her next novel - she spends a lot of time alone in the Alexander holed up in her apartment battling writers block. Brooke is also newly single although her arrival at singlehood was a little more dramatic - her husband left her for a much younger woman and then moved post-divorce with the younger woman into another apartment at the Alexander. Although her husband supposedly did this to be near their two young children, Brooke is at her limit with the proximity to her ex-husband and his new (and pregnant) wife. In addition to facing her ex-husband's infidelity on a daily basis, she also watches his new wife be lavished with luxuries while she slaved to put her now wildy successful husband through medical school. Finally, Samantha has the apartment and lifestyle that everyone envies - tastefully luxurious and "correct" in every way. Of course, beneath that exterior lies some cracks. Orphaned at a relatively young age with her two younger siblings to care for, Samantha chose her husband for the stability and resources he offered with his privileged background. Now, years later, Samantha questions her decision while also trying to make sure her brother doesn't bring scandal to them all.

My Thoughts
This book was thoroughly enjoyable with the added bonus of Downton as a backdrop. The book really doesn't cover much about Downton - just the basic sketches of a few episodes and the topic of superficial conversation among the ladies while they gather for the screenings. It works well as a backdrop - it doesn't exclude those who do not follow Downton or interfere with where you might be in the series when you read the book.

Each of the ladies' storylines is interesting and I liked hopping between them and seeing how they worked through their respective problems. They were good company on my walks!  I wished  my building had events like this - we all live such solitary lives in apartment life, it would be nice to connect with each other a bit more!  Orlagh Cassidy is a favorite narrator of mine and does not disappoint in this audiobook - she switches among the different characters easily and is plesant to listen to.  Whether or not you are a Downton fan, this book has something to offer and entertain.

Audiobook Review: Defending Jacob by William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay (narrated by Grove Gardner, 12 hours 25 minutes) is told from the point of view of Andy Barber, assistant District Attorney for a town in Massachussetts and father to fourteen year old Jacob. When a boy in Jacob's class is found brutally murdered in a park one weekday morning, Andy is initially the DA assigned to the case but when Jacob becomes implicated, Andy must be removed from the case (and his job). The author skillfully takes us through the ins and outs of the investigation and case but, most especially, the inner workings of the Barber family as this drama unfolds. The Barbers thought they knew their son Jacob and want desperately to believe in his innocence but will what they learn in the case shake their trust?

Andy Barber is a level-headed, straight-shooting DA living in an affluent Boston suburb with his wife and,  their only child, Jacob.  Jacob is awkward and withdrawn at times but also goofy and has a seemingly good relationship with his parents. Andy is quick to attribute Jacob's reticence or any odd behavior to the fact that the boy is on the cusp of adolescence. When Andy is informed that Jacob is the suspect in the bloody murder of his young classmate, he is stunned and his instinct to protect his son kicks in. Using his skill as a DA, Andy tries to steer the case before being removed from it and once he is removed. he finds Jacob an excellent defense attorney and begins to work with him on the case. Interestingly, he does not believe in the "system" and doesn't want to entrust his son's future to the vagaries of the judicial system  - no matter how fair he is supposed to believe it.

Andy's wife expresses some concerns about her son and is the first to possibly doubt his innocence. The mounting, damning evidence contributes to that but, more than that, she relies on her memory of him as a young child. The problems he often had with other kids on the playground or in school; the anger he would display even as an infant when crawling. More than Andy, she punishes herself for not intervening sooner or for things she felt may have contributed to any problems Jacob now has - like putting him in daycare at a young age so she could return to work.  Meanwhile, Andy remains rational and tried to calm his wife even as he is frustrated with the fact that she is even questioning Jacob. He remains steadfast in his faith - almost as if he must otherwise he may need to admit some responsibility and he can't bring himself to that.  Afterall, Andy has his own secret.

My Thoughts
I devoured this book - from the beginning, I got on the roller coaster ride of courtroom drama and did not want to get off. The story is told primarily through the transcript of the trial of Jacob and the dialogue is riveting. Between the trial transcript, however, are the inner thoughts of Andy Barber which provide insight to the emotions of the parents and the horrible conflict of loving your child unconditionally but being horrified by what he may have done.

The narrator, Grover Gardner, is new to me but I chose this audio on the recommendation of Jennifer at Literate Housewife  and am glad she spoke so highly of it. The narrator's deep voice is perfect for Andy Barber; between the excellent narration and gripping tale, 12+ hours went by in a flash.  Highly recommend!

Audiobook Review: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (narrated by Cassandra Campbell; 6 hours, 4 mins)introduces us to Lillian and her restaurant where she teaches a Monday night cooking class. Food has always played an important role in Lillian's emotional life and she gets pleasure not just in bringing food to her patrons but in teaching her students how cooking can bring them joy and solace. Each of the students arrives at the class fleeing loss or drama in their life and ostensibly looking for cooking skills but really looking for companionship and distraction from their daily troubles. Lillian and the school offer much more than that. 

There are eight students in the class and each has their own story driving them to seek something from the experience of this class. Antonia is a kitchen designer who has recently immigrated from Italy hoping to start fresh in the US; Chole is a teen who doesn't quite fit in and is seeking acceptance; Claire is an overwhelmed mother who has lost her identity in taking on the role of mother; Tom is a young widower and still grieving the loss of his wife; Carl and Helen are an older couple with their own troubles in their marriage even though they appear quite content and Ian is a software engineer living a very linear but lonely life. Each of their stories are told throughout the book and are weaved together by the Monday nights at Lillian's cooking school. Lillian has her own difficult history and, perhaps because of that, seems to intuitively know what each of her students needs. She tailors the dishes and the intructions to meet them where they are emotionally and to teach lessons that go far beyond meal preparation. The cooking heals as does the companionship of the other students.

My Thoughts
This book is delightful - certainly anyone that enjoys food or cooking will love it but even those that struggle with cooking (see my last Weekend Cooking post!) will find something to love in this book because the food and the cooking is really a conduit to the telling of the emotional journeys of the eight students. The descriptions of food are beautiful and sensuous  - while I listened to this on my walks, I found myself getting hungry or feeling as if I could smell the dish being prepared.

Cassandra Campbell has become a favorite narrator of mine - I could listen to her voice for hours (and do!). The audio is excellent - listening to the descriptions of the food makes them come alive in a way I am not sure they would on paper.  I am looking forward to listening to the next installment in the series, The Lost Art of Mixing, to return to Lillian's and her students.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Audiobook Review: Rococo by Adriana Trigiani

Rococo by Adriana Trigiani (Abridged, narrated by Mario Cantone; 4 hours 42 minutes): Bartolomeo di Crespi is part of a large Italian family living in New Jersey. He is especially close to his sister Toot who has taken care of "B" since their mother brought home this late in life baby to his big sister. When Bartolomeo vies for and wins the contract to redecorate Our Lady of Fatima Church, the family is proud and "B" sees it as his opportunity to wow his hometown and show them what he's got. Hilarity ensues as a cast of larger than life characters is brought in to help with "B"'s vision for the project and the di Crespi family drama hums along in the background.

Bartolomeo loves his community but also harshly critizies their style (or lack thereof) as any good decorator would. After training at FIT and worshipping at the House of Scalamandre,  it is hard for "B" to return home to New Jersey but that is where his roots are and despite his issues with the decor of the neighborhood homes, he knows it is where he belongs. The opportunity to bring the utmost style and a sense of grandeur to his home parish (Our Lady of Fatima) is an opportunity he can't resist and vehemently pursues..  Fortunately, he is betrothed (since birth by their parents) to Capri Mandelbaum whose mother is the church benefactor and happy to throw her support behind "B" in exchange for his promise to marry her daughter. Bartolomeo adores Capri but really more like a sister - he keeps ignoring that realization while in pursuit of his dream job at OLOF.

Meanwhile, Toot is in crisis - her sons have all left home and now divorced for thirteen years, Toot is lonely.  She acts out by complaining about her one son living in sin with his girlfriend but at the root of her dissatisfaction is a profound loneliness and even Bartolomeo can't ease her out of this low. When she seeks comfort in her ex-husband, things get really interesting.

My Thoughts
In Rococo, Trigiani does what she does best - delivers funny dialogue, larger than life characters and a peek into a tight-knit family. Despite all the humor, the real message is the power of family to gather, provide comfort and ground each of its members.  This quote captures that:

We have a way of being as a family that is purely Italian, beginning with the food we eat and ending with the regalia of our funerals. The care we take with our recipes, the slow preparation of the food, the retelling of old stories with the same familiar punch lines, bring us joy. Of course, there's also the dark side-the arguments, the freeze-outs, the Evil Eye. But eventually forgiveness washes away bad memories like clean rain. To an outsider, this may seem hypocritical. So what? We are what we are. What makes us different is what helps us stick together. We're Italian first and foremost; we can be wily and consistent, and to the outside world we may appear temperamental, moody and clannish, separating ourselves from the greater culture with a cup of arrogance and a dose of superiority. But the truth is, we are bonded by all of it, the best and worst of ourselves, by what we are, how we walk in the world, and the way we hold one another close. We are the sum of all of it, the devotion, the blind faith, the disappointments, the slights, the hurts, the surprises, the insanity, and, yes, that passion that drives us to make love with careless abandon and hold a grudge with the same intensity. What would I be without them?"

I think you could replace Italian with most nationalities and arrive at a similar conclusion regarding the role family plays in our lives.

I generally do not listen to abridged audio - I feel like I am cheating on the book - but Diane from Book Chick Di  had been recommending this production with Mario Catone as the narrator for some time and I am so glad I took her advice. He is genius as this narrator and brought Bartolomeo to life! I could easily have listened to him for an extended period of time but, alas, he only does the abridged version but it was well worth the listen!

Audiobook Review: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (narrated by Rob McQuay; 9 hours 47 minutes) - Bill Bryson is a favorite travel writer of mine - I love his wry observations and dry wit. In A Walk in the Woods, Bryson takes on the Appalachian Trail. In addition to facts about the AT and a brief ecological survey, Bryson does what he does best - recounts his experiences on the trail with self-deprecating humor and keenly observes those around him.

Bryson decides to tackle the AT despite a relative lack of hiking experience or even stellar physical fitness.  Needing a partner, he recruits his college roommate, Steven Katz, to join him on the trail. Katz is even less well-prepared for the rigors of hiking hours each day and his inexperience and misunderstanding about what lies before them is evidenced by his hiking pack which is full of heavy canned food and Twinkies.  Bryson seems to take some pleasure in musing at Katz's ineptitude if only because it makes him the superior hiker. Katz certainly gives Bryson material to work with in his funny re-telling of their time on the trail but there are really no shortage of characters encountered by the two along the trail.

Perhaps their funniest encounter, however, was with a bear while camping one evening. Bryson so perfectly describes the scene, including his absolute terror, that I found myself laughing out loud while listening.  Prior to the scene, there had been much commentary from Bryson about bears and his fear of them which made the scene all the funnier.

“Black bears rarely attack. But here's the thing. Sometimes they do. All bears are agile, cunning and immensely strong, and they are always hungry. If they want to kill you and eat you, they can, and pretty much whenever they want. That doesn't happen often, but - and here is the absolutely salient point - once would be enough.” 

Bryson also tosses in some commentary on  people's general lack of respect for nature

and inability to peacefully coexist with it - you are either immersed in nature doing a trek like the AT or completely divorced from it living in a land of concrete with little natural influence.  Over time, nature has become less interwoven into people's daily lives. His other favorite commentary, despite his own admitted less than stellar fitness level, is about our lack of movement.

“I know a man who drives 600 yards to work. I know a woman who gets in her car to go a quarter of a mile to a college gymnasium to walk on a treadmill, then complains passionately about the difficulty of finding a parking space. When I asked her once why she didn't walk to the gym and do five minutes less on the treadmill, she looked at me as if I were being willfully provocative. 'Because I have a program for the treadmill,' she explained. 'It records my distance and speed, and I can adjust it for degree of difficulty.' It hadn't occurred to me how thoughtlessly deficient nature is in this regard.” 

 My Thoughts
This is another winner from Bryson for me. I was a little disappointed to see he doesn't read the unabridged version of the book (only abridged) and it took be some time to get used to the the narrator's voice - likely because I had been looking forward to Bryson's dry delivery. Over time, I got used to his narration and felt he did a good job telling Bryson's story but would have preferred to listen to Bryson.

While I enjoy day hikes, I have no grand designs to hike the AT and this book did not inspire me to do that. Rather, it allowed me to get the AT experience and learn about the trail without actually having to hike it myself. I had a lot of laughs along the way an enjoyed seeing how the experience changed Bryson and Katz. Whether or not you are a hiker, you will find a lot to like in A Walk in the Woods.

Audiobook Review: Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella (read by Jayne Entwhistle, Fiona Hardingham and Mark Bramhall; 13 hours, 13 minutes) introduces us to sisters Fliss and Lottie. Lottie has her heart set on marrying Richard and is convinced he is about to propose when they meet for a extravagant lunch in London. When Richard doesn't propose, Fliss is devastated and, in a fashion very typical of her, she throws herself into the next thing - which happens to be her ex-boyfriend Ben. Meanwhile, Lottie's sister, Fliss, is recovering from her recent divorce and still harbors a lot of resentment towards her ex-husband - in fact, she logs every violation of the custody arrangement for their son Noah on a flash drive she wears tucked away on a necklace around her neck. She is determined to keep Lottie from making the same mistakes of the heart as she has and the antics begin.

Lottie is on the rebound from Richard after he failed to propose when she hears from Ben. She and Ben spent a magical summer on the Greek island of Ikonos when they were eighteen. Coping with the aftermath of her own failed marriage, she doesn't want to see Lottie go through the same pain as a result of a quick decision to marry her old flame. Fliss needs to stop the wedding and, barring that, she needs to stop the couple's wedding night.  If the marriage is not consummated, no divorce is necessary - it can simply be annulled. Fliss's single-minded focus on this mission has her going to great lengths to interrupt the couple's honeymoon.

My Thoughts
Even as I write the summary above, I think, "This is ridiculous!" However, I truly enjoyed this book and even found myself heading out on extra walks just to listen a little more. The secret is the heroines, Fliss and Lottie - you begin to care and root for them which allows you to suspend disbelief in their crazy antics.  As I have said before, Sophie Kinsella does this better than any author in this genre. If you are looking for a fun, enjoyable read (or listen) this summer, I definitely recommend Wedding Night.

Your Audiobook Year - Audiobook 2013 Week Post

Audiobook Week is being hosted by Jen of Devourer of Books and she has daily topics selected for the week to explore people's audiobook habits, favorites, etc. Today's topic is "Your Year in Audiobooks" and the prompt is:

Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is your chance to introduce yourself and your general listening experience.

I am not new to audiobooks - I tentatively started listening to them about 3 years ago when I acquired a frequent 2 hour drive to Connecticut for work - I realized how pleasantly the time passed while I listened to a book.  I originally started with non-fiction and mostly stuck with humor in that genre. I felt as if I couldn't follow plot on audio. I did, however, move on to listening to fiction on audio and realize with the right narrator I can enjoy a book on audio even more than in print. In the past year, I notice I have listened to more fiction than non-fiction. Here are a few of the fiction audiobooks (you can see all the audiobooks I have reviewed here)  I have especially enjoyed on audio (links are to my reviews):

American Dervish by Ayad Aktar (read by the author)

Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani (read by Orlagh Cassidy)

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (read by Orlagh Cassidy)

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris (read by the author)

In addition to listening in the car (the commute to CT doesn't happen everyday), I listen throughout the city - walking to work, on the subway, waiting for the bus. Now that I have my Fitbit and am trying to increase my steps, I want to work on going out for walks with my audiobook as opposed to just getting incidental steps in.

What type of audiobooks do you like? Where so you listen to your audiobooks?

Audiobook Review: Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani

Lucia, Lucia (narrated by Cassandra Clare, 9 hours, 35 minutes) by Adriana Trigiani is the story of Lucia Sartori, a young woman living in 1950's Greenwich Village. Lucia is the daughter of immigrant parents who, along with her older brothers, run a successful grocery on Commerce Street. Lucia, however, is independent and has big dreams for herself - she wants a career, not just a job. She does, however, have one foot in each world. She is engaged to her childhood sweetheart from the neighborhood, Dante Demartino whose family has traditional expectations of their soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Lucia desperately wants to make her own parents, Dante and even his parents happy but she also wants to pursue her own dreams. Will she have to sacrifice love for independence and a career?

Lucia Sartori is a woman ahead of her time. At twenty-five, she should be married with children but even though she loves her fiance, Dante, she bristles when he and his family suggest that she will leave her successful job as a seamstress once she marries. Unlike her peers, Lucia wants to delay having children after getting married so she can continue to develop her career. Dante is not comfortable with this but his mother is completely outraged and things come to a head at a family dinner with both sets of parents. Lucia's parents love her but they want her to conform and to have a happy, albeit conventional and boring, life with Dante. In a bold move of rebellion, Lucia breaks her engagement with Dante, scandalizing her parents.

Lucia takes comfort in her career at B.Altman and in her colleagues there. Soon, however, she catches the eye of dashing John Talbot who lavishes Lucia with gifts and takes her to the best NYC destinations. Unlike Dante, he doesn't seem concerned with convention and respects her career. They talk of building a dream home on the water in Long Island. There are a few things about John which remain mysterious - including his family and what he actually does for a living but Lucia is in love and riding the upward trajectory of her life.

My Thoughts
This book has many of my "book triggers" - NYC setting, independent woman who also really wants love, and immigrant/second generation themes.  Author Adriani Trigiani beautifully wraps a story around these elements and the result is an audiobook to which I could not stop listening. I did not want to say goodbye to Lucia or her big Italian family.

This is my first listen with narrator Cassandra Campbell but I will definitely be looking for other audiobooks read by her. Her voice has a rich tone to it which is easy to listen to and she did a great job with the accents of Lucia's Italian parents. A satisfying listen for sure!

Audiobook Review: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

The Uncommon Reader (read by author; 2 hrs, 27 mins) by Alan Bennett presents a fictional Queen of England who has recently discovered the joy of reading. Having always been a "doer" with a tremendous sense of duty, Her Majesty viewed reading as passive, much like spectating, and therefore did very little of it. When her Corgis get into a mobile library that has pulled up to the Palace grounds, the Queen selects a book out of courtesy. She soon finds herself transported by reading and shirking her duties to just sit and read.

 Her staff are initially perplexed and then troubled by her reading. Their concerns range from the impact of the reading on the Queen's ability to maintain her schedule to the fact that her need to share what she is reading exposes the fact that she has preferences. The Monarch should take an interest but not be interested in a particular topic; in this way none of her subjects feel excluded. Her equerries and even the Prime Minister are worried about the Queen's state of mind when she asks if she should read from a book as part of her Christmas message. They begin to intervene in unusual ways to get between the Queen and her books. As dedicated readers know, however, that is difficult to do.

  My Thoughts
When I reviewed Mrs. Queen Takes the Train last year , many people commented on that post recommending The Uncommon Reader. The premises are similar - a fictional Queen takes on an everyday activity and reveals a little of her own frailty and vulnerability in the process. When the Queen first started visiting the mobile library, she was not unlike any reluctant reader - skeptical about reading with relatively narrow tastes. Norman, who also visits the mobile library, runs through a number of potential book recommendations before he lands on one that will sufficiently interest the Queen and not squelch her budding taste for reading. She quickly becomes absorbed in the joys of reading and is soon making recommendations herself to anyone that would listen. There is a tragic element to the story as the Queen is portrayed as largely alone and often on the outside of things looking in.

This audiobook was such a pleasure - how can you not love a book which is essentially an ode to reading and the love of all things literary? The book is read by the author and each line is delivered with theatrical precision  - I especially enjoyed the witty lines and laughed out loud (while walking down the street) many times. This whimsical tale which also offers keen observations about the joy and value of reading is a must listen (or must read!) and would make a great gift for any reader.

Audiobook Review: American Dervish by Ayad Aktar

American Dervish (read by author, 9 hours, 28 minutes) is a coming of age novel layered with themes of religious faith and awakening, marital strife, racism and immigration. Despite the many themes, the author expertly weaves them together and wraps them in a story with a compelling young protagonist and the result is an immensely readable (in this case, listenable) book which I won't soon forget.

Hayat Shah is the son of Pakistani parents and lives with them in Wisconsin. His parents marriage is troubled and Hayat is often his mother's confidant as she shares her frustration with his father's dismissal of her - she is educated and gave up much to marry her husband which further deepens her resentment of the marriage which does not satisfy her. Hayat's father is a successful doctor who eschews the Muslim community of which everyone expects him to be a part.  He sees all religion as the root of many of the world's problems and his scientific mind questions much of what the faithful believe without question.  Hayat's mother wants to adhere more to her faith and culture than her husband - at one point, she forbids Hayat from attending a local carnival because it is sponsored by the Church. As a result of his parents' conflicted attitudes towards religion, Hayat is bereft of faith - he has not real familiarity with the Muslim religion.

When Hayat's mother's friend, Mina, arrives to live with them from Pakistan, she breathes life into the Shah home and an awakening begins. Mina is very religious and sets about teaching Hayat about the Muslim faith.  Hayat, enraptured by this introduction to his faith and Mina's beauty, soaks up these teachings eagerly. Mina doesn't get caught up in some of the more archane rules of the religion and teaches Hayat the fundamentals and emphasizes that "doing right" is what is most important.

Mina, meanwhile, has her own problems to deal with - she has left Pakistan with her young son after her husband divorced her through an emissary.  A man came to her bedside after she had given birth to her son and told her that her husband repeated Talaq three times thereby divorcing her. Mina is a modern, educated woman living in a family and country with outdated ideals and a view of women as secondary to men.  This conflict manifests itself in an eating disorder for Mina and an apparent inability for her to find happiness.  These patterns repeat themselves even when she comes to the United States.

The conflicting views of faith, culture and a woman's role in her family and society all come to a head in a variety of scenes throughout the book.  The scenes are powerful and nuanced  - there is no obvious right and wrong even though the issues are so divisive.  Hayat is the ideal protagonist for these conflicts because he looks at this issues with less nuance than the adults around him and thereby offers a very clear view of the issues.

As often happens with a book that blew me away, I am not sure that I am giving it justice - American Dervish  is beautifully written and deals with difficult issues without hitting you over the head with a point of view.  As an audiobook, it was a pleasure to listen to - read by the author, the characters' voices were distinct from each other and the accents were executed perfectly. I found myself standing inside the door after my walk home just listening and unable to stop.  This will definitely be in my Best of list for 2013!

Audiobook Review: The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

The Shoemaker's Wife (17 hours, 51 minutes; narrated by Orlagh Cassidy) by Adriana Trigiani is the sweeping tale of Ciro and Enza and their journey from first love amid the Alps of Italy to the beginning of their lives together in the streets of Little Italy in New York City to the establishment of their own businesses a mining town in Minnesota. The book, loosely based on the author's grandparents' lives is a love story, an immigrant story and the story of dreaming big and making those dreams happens step by small step.

 Ciro Lazari lives in a small Italian village with his widowed mother and brother. When their mother can no longer care for them, she turns the boys over to the care of nuns in a nearby convent. The boys are well cared for and learn important life skills but they sorely miss their parents. Ciro meets Enza Raveneli from a nearby village and their young love is sparked - it is obviously not a mother's love but there is a sense that Enza fills a hole for Ciro and that, in part, fuels his attraction to her. Enza, the oldest in a large family, feels tremendous obligation to her family and despite her fears she knows her family's best chance for survival is for her to go to the US with her father and earn money. And so begins the first of a number of separations (and reunions) between Ciro and Enza.

 Ultimately Enza and Ciro meet again on the streets of NYC and reignite their romance. They both struggle to fit into their new country and work hard to earn a living but they share their sacrifice and are better able to weather the hardships of their immigrant experience and celebrate each success together. When an opportunity becomes available in Minnesota, the family heads West and truly lives the immigrant dream when they establish their own business there. This historical saga covers more than just a broad geography - it spans an entire generation - we travel with Enza and Ciro from their young adulthood through to the young adulthood of their own son.

  My Thoughts
Simply stated, I loved this book. I was completely captivated - by the setting of the Italian Alps and NYC, by the characters and by their story. The author's descriptions are rich and detailed which allow the reader to become immersed in the world she has created.  Even after 17 hours of audio, I did not want the book to end.  It is expertly narrated by Orlagh Cassidy who brings the characters to life.  Adriana Trigiani has raised the immigrant story to an art form with The Shoemaker's Wife.

Audiobook Review: The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith

The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith (8 hours, 12 mins; narrated by Davina Porter) is book 9 in the author's Isabel Dalhousie series. When an art collector Duncan Monrowe discovers a painting is missing from his collection, Isabel is asked to help him solve the mystery of who stole the painting. Isabel is a philosopher and edits a journal on the topic but she is also an amateur detective who solves these mysteries in her hometown of Edinburgh. Since Duncan suspects his own son may be involved in the theft of the Poussin painting, Isabel is the perfect sleuth to assist in solving the mystery - she uses keen observational skills and her understanding of the human condition to solve her mysteries.

Duncan Monrowe planned to donate the Poussin to the Scottish National Gallery and is dismayed when it goes missing from his estate outside Edinburgh. Once Isabel gets involved, she soon learns that Duncan has a troubled relationship with his son and suspects there could be some connection to between their fractious relationship and the disappearance of the valuable painting. Duncan has inherited his estate from family and his son resents the titled class system and feels the estate should be distributed to those with fewer privileges. This irks his father as he is very invested in the family estate and wants his son to want to carry it on for the family. Isabel, after many discussions with both Duncan's son and daughter, however, begins to suspect the son may not be the only family member about which Duncan should be wary. Duncan's daughter also has motive to steal the painting and is quick to implicate her brother.

My Thoughts
This is my first novel by Alexander McCall Smith and I thoroughly enjoyed it - the mystery was by no means complex and in some ways is really a subplot to the human interest stories of those involved in the mystery and, of course, the detective Isabel. In addition to trying to solve the mystery of the Poussin painting, Isabel is embroiled in a power struggle with her young son's nanny and worries about the older woman's defiance of Isabel's wishes for her son. Isabel is immensely likeable - she is empathetic and that gives her an insight into those involved in these mysteries which allows her to see things more traditional detectives might overlook. I will definitely read more of the Isabel Dalhousie series although this book stands on its own - I didn't feel as if there were elements I was missing from earlier installments.

Perhaps my favorite part of this audiobook, however, was the narrator - Davina Porter.  This is a new narrator for me and I am glad to have discovered her.  Her Scottish accent was melodic and each sentence was spoken with such expression that is was like listening to a play rather than a book narration. My grandmother was Scottish and I felt as I was listening to her speak while listening to this audiobook.  All in all a success -  a new author, a new series and a new narrator - each with many more installments for me to enjoy!

Audiobook Review: Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch has achieved fame recently with her role as Sue Sylvester in the popular series "Glee" but her success was hard won and the result of a lot of hard work and soul searching . . . and just the right amount of luck. In Happy Accidents, the author recounts her early life, her decision to make a go of acting and her journey to embracing her sexuality and coming out to her family. Her story, told with her signature wit, is inspiring in its reminder to relentlessly pursue your dreams until you happen upon the happy accident that turns your hard work into success. It is also a reminder of the joy found in living confidently and comfortably in your own skin.

 Jane Lynch grew up in a middle class home in Dolton, IL with her parents and two siblings. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be an actor and even wrote to all the heads of the studios to introduce herself and ask for big break. Although she knew she wanted to act, Jane was not as sure about much else in her life as she entered adolescence. She felt she didn't fit in but couldn't put her finger on what made her different and that pervasive feeling of not fitting in chipped away at her confidence and made her uncomfortable in her own skin. As Jane entered adulthood, she tried to avoid these unpleasant emotions by drinking. At first Jane's drinking was social and not unlike her parents' nightly cocktail ritual which began with the toast "First today, badly needed".  But over time, Jane recognized her drinking as an attempt to self-medicate and did not like the person she became when she drank. Rather matter of factly, she got herself to an AA meeting and got on the road to sobriety. Around the same time, she came out to her family and actively pursued happiness in her personal life. As tends to happen, one good thing begets another and as her personal life blossomed, she also began to get traction in her professional life and roles started to come in and they got better. Her personal life culminated with meeting her wife and her wife's young daughter while her professional career culminates in the book with her landing the role of Sue Sylvester in Glee.  

My Thoughts
I loved this memoir from beginning to end. I was listening while on a business trip and on more than one night I was parked in the parking lot of the hotel unable to pull myself away from the story. Knowing Jane Lynch as a "funny girl", I expected her memoir to be one laugh after another. Although her signature wit is weaved all throughout the book, the story is less about her as the center of attention and more about revealing the lesser known sides to her personality and recounting her journey from a struggling actress terribly uncomfortable in own skin to a wildly successful actress with tremendous satisfaction in her personal life. Jane's authenticity oozes from this audiobook and it won me over completely. Even if you are not a Glee fan (I am not), I recommend this one!