If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)

Betty White
254 pages

This book contains many anecdotes about Betty White's life.  Some of the stories are from her early T.V. days, but much of the book focuses on the last few years of her career.  I found some of her stories very relatable, such as the resolution to clean the papers off her dining room table.  I also liked her advice for weight loss.  However, I was a little disappointed because I was expecting the book to be funnier.  I'm not sure why, but I had hyped it up to be a humorous memoir, but that's just not what it was meant to be.  On the bright side, she did read her own audiobook, so you got to hear her voice throughout.

This Time Together

by Carol Burnett
267 pages

This audiobook was entertaining and enjoyable.  This book is a collection of memorable stories from Carol Burnett's past.  Carol Burnett narrates it, so her emotions shine through as she tells each story.  Many are funny, but some are sad.   I enjoyed the fact that she had the ability to be starstruck, like when she meets actors like Jimmy Stewart and Marlon Brando. Overall, this was enjoyable and a great way to get to know a legendary figure better.

Seriously...I'm Kidding

by Ellen DeGeneres
241 pages

This book contains some personal recollections, but most of it is just humorous ramblings.  I listened to the audiobook that Ellen DeGeneres narrates, which kind of cool.  However, I didn't find this book all that funny.  I do appreciate that Ellen is a sweet, caring person, but I do not share her sense of humor.  Some of her book was rather random, and I was expecting it to be a bit more biographical in scope.  I probably wouldn't recommend this to others.

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak
Narrated by Allan Corduner
552 pages

This is an incredible novel about a German girl living in Nazi Germany during World War II.  This novel, narrated by Death, tells how Liesel became a book thief.  This is the story of Liesel, the people she loves, and the negative impact of the Nazis.  This is an incredibly sad and moving tale.  Be prepared to cry.

I loved this book.  This is a great book for teens and adults.  However, I would not necessarily recommend this one for pre-teens because there is a fair amount of cursing in both German and English in this book.  If cursing is not an issue, this is a great read.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

409pgs/2011

Maggie Stiefvater is so creative and talented! Who knew that racing water horses could be so engaging and make up a book that I loved? Puck and and Sean are both such great characters-Puck is the underdog in the race, wanting to win to save her family home. Sean has a talent for the horses and is the top choice to win (he's won many times before), but he's still under the rule of the Malvern family, who own the horses Sean works with and trains, including his beloved Corr. The two lives intersect when they both compete in the races, making a wonderful story that I got lost in. The island of Thisby was so rich and real and the characters really came to life. I listened to this one on audio and the narrators have such wonderful, velvet voices, the audiobook was so addicting to listen to!

Fair Weather

by Richard Peck
Read by Estelle Parsons
146 pages

This was a short and sweet audiobook.  This story is told by Rosie a 13-year-old country girl from rural Illinois.   The year is 1893, and the World's Fair is going on in Chicago.  However, this does not affect life on the farm, until Aunt Euterpe sends four tickets to the Becketts so that the kids can go to the fair and experience life outside the farm.  The book recounts the experiences of Rosie, her two siblings, her grandfather, and Aunt Euterpe as they take in the fair and learn all about city life.

I am a fan of Peck.  His books always have a homey flavor that reminds me of my own family, and his down-to-earth humor is ever-present in this novel.  I also learned some interesting stuff about the World's Fair.  I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I have enjoyed other Peck novels.

The Amulet of Samarkand

by Jonathan Stroud
Read by Simon Jones
462 pages

This story takes place in an alternate form of modern London where magicians rule.  Nathaniel is a capable, ambitious apprentice who has been apprenticed to an inferior master named Arthur Underwood.  During the previous year, Simon Lovelace, a powerful magician, had been visiting Nathaniel's master.  During this visit, he demeaned Nathaniel, and Nathaniel has been plotting revenge against Lovelace ever since.  Nathaniel summons the sarcastic and antagonistic djinni Bartimaeus to help him steal the Amulet of Samarkand from Lovelace.  Bartimaeus is able to carry out this charge, but the theft has many unintended consequences.

This was great on audio.  Simon Jones really embodies Bartimaeus.  Jones is able to give the djinni just the right amount of sarcasm and haughtiness to make him come alive.  I wasn't a big fan of the end, but it was an enjoyable read overall.

The Pearl

by John Steinbeck
Read by Hector Elizondo
87 pages

This classic novella could really be summarized by the phrase, "Money is the root of all evil."  It begins with a small, young family of Mexican pearl fishers.  The baby has been stung by a scorpion and needs medical treatment that the parents, Kino and Juana, cannot afford.  They go pearl fishing and pray to find a pearl large enough to pay for treatment.  Their prayers are answered, and they find "the pearl of the world."  They think that the pearl will solve all of their problems, but it doesn't.  The pearl complicates their lives and does more harm than good.

I really enjoyed this classic parable.  It is beautifully written, and Hector Elizondo is the perfect narrator for this story. I would definitely recommend this audio book, available on Overdrive, to anybody interested in reading this tale. 

The City of Ember

by Jeanne DuPrau

Narrated by Wendy Dillon

270 pages

The City of Ember was built by the builders as a last refuge.  The sky is always black, and there are no stars.  Without electricity, the city would be completely dark.  The builders did not plan for the residents of Ember to stay in this city as long as they have, but the instructions for exit have been lost.  Nobody knows that they are supposed to leave.  Supplies are running low, and the generator is beginning to fail.  Things look bleak for the citizens of Ember, but two 12-year-olds, Lina and Doon, are determined to find an answer to all of Ember's problems.  

I enjoyed this book.  It's definitely a unique idea, and I enjoyed the originality of this story.  The plot was a little predictable in places, but I'm an adult.  I'm guessing the intended audience would not feel this way.  This is definitely a great read for grades 5-7.  The book finished with a cliffhanger that left me anxious to read the next book.

I listened to the audio version, and I must say this is the best audiobook I have listened to so far.  The sound effects made the story come to life, and the narrator really brought the characters to life.  Each character had a distinct voice and manner of speaking.  However, I think I might have enjoyed this book more in print.  I know I almost always say this, but this time I feel it's more true than usual.  There is this document fragment that Lina and Doon are trying to piece together and figure out.  I would have liked to have seen it, so I could try to piece it together with them.  It's really hard to do that with the audio version.  That being said, I'd definitely recommend the audio version to others.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

2011/277 pgs

My husband and I can rarely agree on audiobooks to listen to, but we're both big fans of 30 Rock. So when we had to carpool to work for awhile, we decided to listen to Tina Fey's book on audio-it was narrated by the author herself after all, which was sure to make it a fun car ride.

We both enjoyed it. Tina makes a great audiobook narrator and the story is even better when she's telling it to you. We both laughed throughout this book and while it's a biography, it's also a story we could relate to. The awkward moments of childhood, odd jobs, crazy families, and summer's at drama camp (ok that one was just me). It's one of the funniest books I've read (or listened to) in a long time and I highly recommend it.

Mismatch

by Tami Hoag
282 pages

Bronwynn is a quirky Boston socialite and former model who just jilted her two-timing fiancé at the alter.  Wade is an overworked Indiana Congressman with an ulcer who has been ordered on vacation by his doctor.  These two very different people meet by chance in rural Vermont.  They quickly realize that they bring out the worst AND best in each other.  Is it possible that these two very different people can fall in love and form a lasting relationship?

I enjoyed this book, mainly because the characters were so real.  They have flaws, but they are good people.  They aren't stereotypes, and I appreciated that.  This book was predictable, and the end was definitely contrived.  There are also some tastefully spicy scenes in this novel, so I would not recommend it to every reader.  I listened to the audio version of this book and would recommend that format to others.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

459 pgs/2011

Saba has lived in Silverlake all her life. When one day mysterious strangers arrive and her brother is kidnapped and her father is murdered, Saba and her younger sister are on the run. They have to save her brother Lugh before the king gets to him.

This was an interesting dystopian, although it took me awhile to get through it. There is no puncuation and the dialect is odd, so it was hard to get a grasp of the narrative for awhile. I finally downloaded it on audibook and tried it that way, which made it easier for me to follow along and make distinctions between the characters. It wasn't my favorite dystopian novel-it was very long and there seemed to be lots of stops along the way of the major storyline, but I liked it enough to keep reading (or listening) and I think it'd be a good readalike for The Hunger Games.

Midnight Sons, Volume 1

by Debbie Macomber
392 pages

This book is actually two novels in one.  The first novel, Brides for Brothers, tells the story of how some lonely, bachelor pilots cook up a scheme to lure women to move to an isolated Alaskan town in the Arctic circle.  The story spells out the consequences of luring women to Alaska and the effect it has on one bachelor's heart.  The second novel, The Marriage Risk, picks up right where Brides for Brothers left off.  This book deals with a family feud and its effect on two potential lovers.

I listened to this on audio, and for the most part I enjoyed it.  The only complaint I had is that all the voices were done by a male narrator, which made some of the female characters sound a little weird.  However, I think the narration added to my overall enjoyment of the book and helped me feel the emotions of the characters.  My only complaint is that sometimes the "love" was a little too thick, but I am not a huge romance fan.

A Great & Terrible Beauty

by Libba Bray
432 pages

Recommended to me by teens that read and like similar titles as myself, I thought this would be a new series I could get into. I was wrong. Well, I guess I shouldn’t be that harsh. I think I just didn’t like the readers voice. Otherwise, it had several elements that I did like; set in a historical time period that I love with beautiful writing and complex characters.

I might give Rebel Angels, the second in the series, a try, but definitely in print. No more soothe-me-into-a-sleep voice of that reader.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

2011/313 pgs

After Hazel's friend is kidnapped by an evil witch, Hazel must travel into a dark fairy tale forest in order to save him.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I thought I would really like this book. It was getting lots of Newbery buzz and I really enjoy fairy tale retellings. But sadly, this book was not for me. I felt it started off very slowly and I don't know how many times the author repeated that Hazel felt like she didn't belong, she was alone, she was different, she was an outcast, she was odd-OK we get it!!

I did like the way the author mixed various fairy tales-there were hints of all sorts of tales-The Red Shoes, The Snow Queen, Hansel and Gretel, as well as hints of Narnia. I also really liked that Hazel was a big reader and mentioned books a lot. She does it in such a way that the reader would need to have a prior knowledge about the books, otherwise they might be a bit lost, so I wonder if that would alienate readers or if they would seek the books out.

This was an OK read and I would give it to readers who enjoy ABC's Once Upon A Time series.

Mimi by John Newman

2011/144pgs



About the Book: It's been 157 days since Mimi's Mammy died. Her father only serves overcooked pizza for dinner and is always sad, her brother plays drums loudly every day and Mimi knows that her sister has a terrible secret (thanks to the peeks she has in her diary). As her family struggles to pull themselves together after tragedy, they learn to come together rely on each other and help each heal.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: Mimi is a sweet yet sad story about family and loss. Mimi is struggling to understand the tragedy of her mother's death and is feeling out of place as each of family members grieve in their own way. Her brother plays drums, her father is distant and her sister has a secret that she's afraid to tell others. Even though Mimi feels a bit lost, she's surrounded by a great support group of extended family. Her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins each take turns caring for Mimi's family and give Mimi a piece of normalcy in her chaotic world.

Mimi can be a bit innocent and naive at times and sometimes the story is over the top (for example, when Mimi's teacher goes into labor in the middle of class). Some of Mimi's family members are a bit eccentric, but I felt this all balanced out well with the sadness of the story and offered a glimmer of humor and hope. I especially liked Mimi's friend who is always telling her silly jokes. The author includes side storylines on adoption, bullying and shoplifting, making the plot well rounded. I felt that with the additional subplots, no storyline felt overly dramatic, but instead offered hope to readers.

This is a sweet and sensitive tale great for middle grade readers.

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss

2011/69pgs

I think this book is best enjoyed on audio with wonderful narrators!!

The Bippolo Seed: Narrated by Neil Patrick Harris-I loved this story and I really thought it was the strongest of the book. It had the classic Seuss feel to it of silliness and a lesson in the end. I also liked the rhymes and felt they all worked well in this story.

The Rabbit, The Bear, and the Zinniga-Zanniga-narrated by Angelica Houston-This one was just OK. I think part of it was the narration-it was good, but not great. I also felt the story was a bit weak. It's still fun, just not a stand out story.

Gustav the Goldfish-narrated by Jason Lee-Jason Lee, I like you, I really do! But I really disliked your narration of this story! Just because you're reading for kids doesn't mean you have to be overly excited all the time! I wasn't a fan of this story, mostly because I felt the ending fell flat and the narration was annoying.

Tadd and Todd narrated by Joan Cusak-I liked this story and the narration is good. I did feel a bit sad in the end though. I felt like Tadd and Todd wanted to be unique and instead resigned to the fact that they were twins and had to be like each other. I would have liked to see them be able to embrace their originality instead of accepting they are the same.

Steak for Supper narrated by Edward Hermann-This story made me laugh and it was another strong classic Dr. Seuss. Filled with a menagerie of Seuss creatures, this one has lots of humor and silliness. It also has a nice twist to add to the humor. The narration helped make this one of the stand out stories of the book for me.

The Strange Shirt Spot narrated by William H. Macy-A great story with great narration! This is somewhat of an adventure story as a young boy can't get a spot off anything! The trials of cleaning make for some laugh out loud fun and the end is sure to have parents and kids giggling with it's "oh so true" statement. This was another favorite story.

The Great Henry McBride narrated by Peter Dinklage-I enjoyed this story of a dreamer. The narration is fantastic and makes it a likable story. I also liked the idea of the story-that you can dream anything and no goal is too lofty. One of my stand out stories and favorites.

If you do listen to the audio, make sure you listen to the commentary at the end (which is the introduction in the book). It adds a lot to the book to examine each story and learn where they came from. The whole audio is about an hour long and worth every minute!!

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

2011/ 468pgs

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin



I listened to this book for a couple of reasons. 1) It was compared to Downton Abbey, which I loved, and 2) because it's narrated by one of my all time favorite narrators, Katherine Kellgren. Kellgren's narration is wonderful as always and she gives a nice range of characters which I enjoyed. She really makes books to come life! The story itself was good but I also felt it was missing something. At first Cora is difficult to like, but she grew on me as the book went on. I felt bad for her humiliation and wanted her to succeed in England society. The ending was was threw me off though. I felt like it wrapped up without much hope and I kept thinking "That's it? After all that, that's the end??" I would have liked a bit more something in the end-and honestly I couldn't even tell you what that was, only that it fell a bit flat for me. But I would recommend the book to readers who like historical soaps and are fans of The Luxe Series.

Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones

2011/345pgs

Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne Jones

Oh, how I wanted to like this one! I listened to it on audio since it's narrated by a narrator I normally love, MacLeod Andrews. (Really, he's awesome-listen to Will Grayson,Will Grayson) But this one just didn't pull me in. The mystery was a bit over the top and felt a bit too "bad guys are such doofuses and teens can outwit them easily" which never seemed to fit with the depth the author was trying to give the characters. Both Blink and Caution have troubled pasts that they are trying to deal with, but I felt this was downplayed because of the hokey mystery. I also was very bored by the narration, which I think made me dislike the book more.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

2011/480pgs

Rating: 5/5 Stars

About the Book: Princess Azalea is the oldest of twelve daughters who love to dance. But when their mother suddenly passes away after the birth of their newest sister, the princesses are to go into mourning-which means no dancing. So when they find a secret forest they can escape into and dance the night away, the princesses disappear each night to dance. What they soon discover is that a man named Keeper is trapped in their dancing world and he's trying to lure them and keep them there for deadly reasons.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I'll be the first to admit that fantasy is a genre I sometimes have  hard time getting into, but I do love me some fairy tale retellings. I think it's because I love discovering how an author will take a familiar story and twist it around and make it something new. In the case of Entwined, Heather Dixon takes the tale of the 12 Dancing Princesses and turns it into a lush, romantic mystery.

There were many things I loved about this book. First off, I really liked that while Azalea and her sisters were princesses, they were poor. They weren't spoiled and living a life of luxury. This really stood out to me and I felt it made the characters more real because I could relate to them more-instead of trying to understand their extravagent lifestyle that you sometimes find when royalty is involved.

The cast of characters is rich and developed. Twelve sisters can be hard to keep track of, especially on audio, which is how I read this one. But the author makes each girl unique and gives each girl her own voice and personality. There's also romance to the story-and not just one romance storyline, but three-an extra treat for romance fans! Some of the romance stories are a bit predictable and another is a nice twist to the story that took me by surprise. I liked how at first I wasn't a fan of the character but I grew to like him as the romance developed. All the suitors are sweet and kind in their own way and while there are nice romances to the story, it never overpowers the story. There is plenty of mystery and intrigue with Keeper and his backstory and why he is so intent on the girls dancing.

The King is one of the characters that stood out the most to me and development in his realtionship with the princesses is what made the book really work for me. The King is standoffish at first and not sure how to deal with the loss of his wife and not having to care for twelve daughters. But he works at it and he learns how to be a father and the princesses learn how to be daughters.  You don't often see a positive growth of adults in YA and I liked that the King tried his best and learned how to be father. I also liked that the princesses accepted that there was growth that they could mend their relationship with the King instead of brushing him off. This growth between them gave the book a nice sensitive story and made the characters more human, if that makes sense.

This is magical retelling and I loved it on audiobook. The narrator had a nice, lilting voice with just the right amount of mystery. If you're looking for a standout fairy tale retelling with depth to the story, be sure to check out Entwined-in book or audio!