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Archives: March 2006 - July 2006

Books to Read While Working - July 2006 - Audiobooks Reviewed by Jonathan Lowe

In his recent Audie award winning audiobook FINDING GOD IN UNEXPECTED PLACES, author Philip Yancey finds hope in some pretty diverse situations. As narrated by Mel Foster, what's inspiring about his commentary is that he's able to look outside the box, meaning any church walls. That's a huge leap of faith, considering how enamored of those big, beautiful boxes many Americans are. If we believe in God at all, we seem to imagine that God only visits us when we're singing hymns in a million dollar sanctuary, where a collection plate is passed, and where we can pretend to be good for an hour. The cover of the audiobook, however, shows flowers growing in a hole in the middle of a road. Whatever one's faith, Yancey isn't afraid to be open minded, and unlike those who say "my way or the highway," he shows that God is waiting on the highway, too. (Brilliance Audio/7 hours unabridged)

Willie Nelson has his own short inspirational book out titled THE TAO OF WILLIE, subtitled "A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart." Texas Monthly writer and friend Turk Pipkin helped him write it, and both authors read it with the help of veteran narrator Tom Stechschulte. Willie's 250 albums have sold 50 million copies, and this is his third semi-biographical book, just sharing lessons learned, plus jokes and wisdom. So if you don't know Willie's story, or need some friendly advice on life from a man who's been around the block a few times, this is a refreshing bit of common sense. Stuff that often gets left behind in an age of gangster rap and insane competition. (Penguin Audio/4 hours unabridged)

Next, Julia Glass is a National Book award winner whose new novel THE WHOLE WORLD OVER is once again about some familiar, eccentric, or disfunctional people just trying to cope with the complexities of family relationships. Greenie Duquette runs a bakery in New York, has a depressed husband, and stumbles on the opportunity to become cook for the governor of New Mexico. She decides to leave hubby behind, and therein lies the story. Actor Denis O'Hare narrates this richly textured novel, which, like real life, doesn't follow any direct path, but always seems to digress into the kind of unaccountable family dramas that are both unique and recognizable. (Random House Audio/9 hours unabridged)

In his latest golf novel, SHANKS FOR NOTHING, author Rick Reilly introduces us to Raymond "Stick" Hart, a man who writes greeting cards for a living, and has a bunch of eccentric buddies who hang out at the worst golf course in America. The owner is planning to sell the place and move to a nudist camp in Florida, but if Stick can qualify for the British Open he might get $250,000 from a Will, and manage to save the course from being paving over to build a parking lot. It's a sometimes funny tale narrated by Nick Stevens, who hosts a weekly comedic variety show. However, Reilly, a writer for Sports Illustrated, really only achieves par here, if compared with his previous "Missing Links" and "Who's Your Caddy." (Random House Audio/6 hours abridged)

Finally, in his memoir HEAT, New Yorker staff writer Bill Buford details his experience working in the kitchen of Babbo, a famous New York restaurant run by the infamous Mario Batali. Batali is not quite as evil or bullying as the chef on the TV show "Hell's Kitchen," but one wonders what he thinks of the subtitle here: "An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany." The memoir is different than "Hell's Kitchen" in other ways, as well. Buford is not without humor, is a sharp observer--not just of slicing and dicing--plus he actually tells a story, instead of just being offered a job as prize while we watch other fumbling wanna-be chefs get insulted and yelled at for being amateurs. My advice? Skip the TV show, and get this audiobook, which Buford narrates himself with an enthusiastic mastery of timing. (Random House Audio/6 hours unabridged)

(These audiobooks may be rented from Audio Adventures by calling 1-800-551-6692. Jonathan Lowe is author of "Awakening Storm," narrated by Barrett Whitener with full sound effects for BlackstoneAudio.com)

Books to Read While Working - June 2006 - Audiobooks Reviewed by Jonathan Lowe

If wacky characters and funny wordplay matter more to you than plot, you will enjoy CALLAHAN'S LEGACY, read with quirky yet straightforward gusto by its author, Spider Robinson, a man who is a favorite at science fiction conventions, and also a possible successor to Douglas Adams (of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" fame). Mike Callahan's Crosstime Saloon is again open for business, and a motley crew of intergalactic guests are soon to witness several monstrosities that pose a risk for all of humanity. Sound familiar? Since the book abounds in puns, one might call it as much a "pun fest" as an Adams send-up. Written in 1996, it has been recently narrated by the Canadian Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of the "Callahan's Place" series. Not much makes sense here, though, so don't expect any deep truths or rational behavior while ordering or renting. (Blackstone Audio/6.5 hours unabridged)

Next, British reader Simon Vance gives a chillingly realistic reading of V FOR VENDETTA, a novelization of the screenplay by the Wachowski Brothers written by Steve Moore. As you may or may not know, a totalitarian regime has taken over a Britain stripped of democracy, (hey, it could happen), and a girl named Evey will soon be saved by a masked revolutionary out to change the world. As novelizations go, V is better than most, since it's not a hastily penned product in the style of a graphic novel, but possesses lush descriptions and careful evocations of insight into the characters. As to whether such a regime could actually come to be? Well, if Hitler had won WWII, absolutely. It also makes sense that the authors of the Matrix trilogy would continue their successful theme--nefarious world domination, with salvation supplied by an enlightened self-empowered twist. (Blackstone Audio/9.5 hours unabridged)

Speaking of revolutions, the best thing about REVOLUTIONARY WEALTH by Alvin and Heidi Toffler is on the last disk, where the authors of "Future Shock" finally get down to brass tacks after rambling for hours on economic theory and history. Not that there are no new insights along the way, but they do have to fill a book somehow. If you rent this audiobook, and listen to just the last disk, it's worth the price, though, because you'll learn the basics of world economics (which, as we all know, is what really runs things), and yes, there are quite a few eye opening revelations about China and oil, and about American "imperialism " as well. As read by Kevin Gray and Laura Dean, here is one point: we may be overreaching in our global influence, but at least we don't have as our GOAL the continued occupation of conquered countries, which was the case with all previous such expansions of influence--a truth the world hasn't considered, and doesn't understand. Another point: why has Europe lagged behind us, as they will with China, the next great superpower? Because they cling to dead industrial age thinking, fearing change, while information and technology is what rules today-- a truth China is quickly seizing. (Random House Audio/9.5 hours unabridged)

Looking back in time instead of forward, Elizabeth Peters has her own Tomb Raider-style franchise going, with a collection of historical mysteries featuring the eccentric Emersons. In the latest, TOMB OF THE GOLDEN BIRD, Radcliffe and Amelia are in search of a treasure in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, while their rivals--Lord Carnarvon and Carter--discover King Tut's tomb. But of course all such discoveries are said to have curses, and so when an odd group of villains begin to demand the location of a mysterious "someone" who has been lost, Amelia must think beyond her own predicament to avoid a regional war. Best thing about this audiobook, though, is narrator Barbara Rosenblat, the most talented female reader in the business, hands down. She could breathe life into a rusty nail, if she had too. Not that there's anything too rusty here, just the usual adventure, wit, and wisdom from an author boasting a Ph.D. in Egyptology, and a Grand Master award from the Mystery Writers of America. (Harper Audio/14 hours unabridged)

Speaking of historical franchises, Louis L'Amour has a lock on the western genre, even from the grave (or tomb). In THE DAYBREAKERS, Orrin Sackett and his brother Tyrel head west to Santa Fe, a frontier town in need of a marshal. They both get jobs, one of them crossing the line of the law to protect the other. Shifting loyalties and the allure of romance tempt them both, until a climax puts things right again. It's an often repeated theme with L'Amour, one of the most prolific writers of all time. (That's 90 novels and 27 short story collections, do the math!) Reader here is David Strathairn, most recently seen in the movie "Good Night and Good Luck," and while he is given nothing new or cliche-free, Strathairn does lend L'Amour with simple grace and dignity, as well as the ring of truth--which is the true test for all fiction. (Random House Audio/6 Hours unabridged)

Finally, an author known for walking the hard edge of suspense is Lee Child, whose latest, THE HARD WAY, does take a new and slightly different tack. Here is a more laid back mystery for Child, about Jack Reacher's witnessing of the payoff for a kidnapping, and then being hired by those paying the ransom, only to discover that they themselves have much to hide. For the entire middle section of the novel we listen to the plausible explanations for the kidnapping, along with who the kidnappers might be, until we're lead back to a recollection of what exactly Reacher saw that first day of the payoff. Then come the unexpected reasons to believe that what Reacher initially assumed was, indeed, totally wrong. This deepens the plot more than Reacher previously reached. At last, at the climax, the old Child returns, with hard action and plot twists. . . although it's a long wait. Dick Hill is once again amazing in his ability to evoke the loner and ex-military cop's suspicions and cynicism (or, as he would call it, "realism.") Hill is especially noteworthy in creating a character whose front teeth are missing. You will believe every word, or rather whistle. (Brilliance Audio/12 hours unabridged)

(These audiobooks may be rented from Audio Adventures by calling 1-800-551-6692. If you have an iPod, be sure to download Jonathan's satirical audio adventure "Fame Island" at Audible.com.)

Books to Read While Working - May 2006 - Audiobooks Reviewed by Jonathan Lowe

Let's start off this month with "the book that ate the world," as many call THE DA VINCI CODE. Author Dan Brown can be heard giving a rare speech at the end of the new abridged audiobook production of this bestselling novel of all time. As you probably know, the plot concerns a dead curator covered in symbols, a long guarded secret linked to a famous painting and a secret order, and a race against an unknown entity to reveal a mystery before the truth is lost forever. If you haven't heard an audiobook in quite a while, this is a good start. It may not quite be a masterpiece, but it's certainly intriguing and fast paced. Narrator Paul Michael will never have a larger audience, either, as he nails the accents while giving each character distinction. Why has The DaVinci Code sold so many copies worldwide, and is now a Ron Howard movie? Probably the controversy over its subject matter---the Catholic church. But as Dan Brown says, it's fiction based on fact. Meaning it can be interpreted however you like. All things to all people. Now there's one sharp marketing tool! Balanced, dual edged, ready to hit every target it's thrown at, including Target Stores, Wal Mart, K-Mart, you name it. (Random House Audio/6 hours abridged)

Many writers have written non-fiction books about the DaVinci code, while others try to mimic the story with similar suspense thrillers of their own, either involving secret societies and/or famous paintings. Even master storyteller Jeffrey Archer now has his own twist in the same vein. In FALSE IMPRESSION the painting in question is Van Gogh's famous self portrait, stolen for possessing a secret beyond its multi-million dollar pricetag. The art world, both legitimate and criminal, comes under scrutiny as an inside job reels those with connections around the world, until the truth is revealed in a small English village. Known for his plot twists, Archer layers the story with his usual aplomb, while narrator Byron Jennings acquits his job with dutiful skill. What you're left with is an entertaining tale that, although not original in idea, is certainly original in content and scene-by-scene surprises. (Audio Renaissance/12 hours unabridged)

Award winning narrator Scott Brick lends his talents to THIS BOOK WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE, an unusual tale by A.M. Homes that I'm hard pressed to describe, except to say that it's like a reality show about a day trader in L.A. who is emotionally challenged when he encounters weird happenings and strange people. Case in point, a sinkhole appears in his yard, trapping someone's horse, and he responds by befriending a weeping housewife from the grocery store, a donut shop owner, and a counterculture icon. Make any sense? Probably not, but it may confirm to you that life isn't supposed to make sense, and that may be a life saving realization. (Penguin Audio/12.5 hours unabridged)

Next, in TO HELL WITH ALL THAT, Caitlin Flanagan describes the loving and loathing of the inner housewife. Why do kids sometimes bond with their nannies rather than their mothers? Are weddings as lucrative as funerals to those who prey on emotionally vulnerable clients? Why is marriage the ultimate testing ground for every hidden vice and unresolved frustration known or unknown to both sides? This candid collection of essays on family life, read by Julia Fletcher, shines a spotlight on things that usually don't get analyzed, including any creepy crawlers in the pantry, lint in the bedroom, ring in the bathtub, and bats in the attic. As a woman, you must pay the ultimate price for a chance at the ultimate reward. If you're that lucky. Good luck. (Highbridge Audio/5.5 hours unabridged)

Finally, for an out of this world escape, you'll discover tiny Earth has few problems in comparison with the rest of the galaxy. And ours is only one galaxy amid billions, to boot! In XENOCIDE, science fiction author Orson Scott Card postulates a world called Lusitania, in which three different alien species live together in peace. Alas, there's also a virus among them that, if released, would kill off all humans. So the Starways Congress decides it must wipe out the planet with a fleet of battle cruisers. Now for the twist. On the way there, the fleet disappears, and everyone turns to a superintelligent female mind called Glorious Bright to solve the riddle and decide the planet's fate. Wow, there's who we need in Iraq/Iran policy! Read by Scott Brick, Gabrielle De Cuir and a full cast, this Ender Wiggin saga continues in the tradition of "Ender's Game." (Audio Renaissance/20 hours unabridged)

(These audiobooks may be rented from Audio Adventures by calling 1-800-551-6692. Jonathan Lowe is an Audie award judge and author of the audio novels AWAKENING STORM, FAME ISLAND, and the hardcover medical thriller GEEZER.)

Books to Read While Working - April 2006 - Audiobooks Reviewed by Jonathan Lowe

Did the flu cause WWII? That's one intriguing question raised by a new book about the pandemic of 1918 which postulates President Woodrow Wilson's own illness led to harsh treatment of Germany at the Paris peace treaty following WWI, in turn giving rise to Hitler's success soon after. Indeed, it has since been proven that Wilson's illness was caused by the same virus which killed more people than any disease in history, including AIDS. So forget Stephen King, the truth is even scarier in THE GREAT INFLUENZA by John M. Barry, a book that tracks the path of the epidemic from an army camp in Kansas to claim the lives of as many as 100 million worldwide, or over 5% of the human population at the time. As narrated by the talented Scott Brick, this sobering true story lays out the subject from many different viewpoints while closing in on the astonishing projections for our own time should the bird flu now spreading infect us all in a similar fashion. Because 5% today equals 300 million dead. (Penguin Audio/19.5 hours unabridged)

I'm not sure if you can really call DARK LIGHT a suspense thriller, but I liked Randy Wayne White's new novel all the same. It's about some odd artifacts that are uncovered by storms off the coast of Florida, and the efforts of a marine biologist to salvage a boat that sank in a hurricane in 1944. The ghosts of the past haunt the present in this tale that is more literary than thriller, but not without moments of high drama, as Doc Ford wades through the wreckage of lives and estates to get to the truth. Henry Strozier has the voice of a salty sea dog, and is therefore a good choice as narrator here, reading this south Florida regional author's work, which is almost on a par with that of James Lee Burke. (Penguin Audio/12.5 hours unabridged)

A more traditional thriller can be heard in THE WALL by Jeff Long, about two veteran climbers who attempt El Capitan one last time, for old times sake. Disaster dogs them, and then stalks them when they come upon the dead bodies of some women who fell victim to mistakes easily made on the sheer rock wall. Hugh and Lewis once met the women they married here, long ago, and now it seems that the spirit of someone is luring them higher, to their possible doom. It's an interesting and straightforward tale, told mostly chronologically until the climax, when an eerie and unforgettable ending is elicited in the final moments, with an element of the supernatural. The best thing about the audiobook version is the narrator, Grover Gardner---one of the most versatile, mellifluous and prolific readers in the business. (Tantor Media/8.5 hours unabridged)

What would Hank Aaron say about Barry Bonds muscling in on his home run record, thanks to the ministrations of steroid drugs? The "shocking" story of illicit drug use among athletes (ever since a "nutritional supplement company" was discovered to be supplying them) is chronicled in GAME OF SHADOWS by reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams. I put the word "shocking" in parenthesis since nothing is really shocking anymore, given the endless rounds of scandals plaguing professional sports. Read by writer/producer Arnie Mazer, the book is abridged to six hours in tallying mainly this current scandal involving steroids and human growth hormone---substances which allow sports gods to run faster, hit harder, and also sign more endorsement checks and autographs. Well written and comprehensive, the book is presumed to be another nail hammered into the coffin of baseball. But dreams die hard, and so, like vampires, the dark forces have already risen again to the words "Play ball!" (Random House Audio/6 hours abridged)

Finally, a tongue-in-cheek how-to book that's different and cute. HOW TO SURVIVE A ROBOT UPRISING was written by a doctoral candidate at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University named Daniel H. Wilson. It borrows an irrational fear of robots from such movies as "I, Robot" and "2001: A Space Odyssey" to imagine the coming possibilities when our culture embraces mechanical substitutions completely. Using dry wit, Wilson has put together a survival manual on each type of robot and device we might encounter. Naturally, for entertainment value, there is some deviant and sinister tendency for robots to malfunction and threaten us. Even that robot fly on your wall could really be spying on you. How do you avoid detection by robot radar? What will you do when a robot the size of a demolition crane suddenly attacks you across the parking lot? You learn quite a bit about robotics here, and the many different types of metal mimics on the horizon, although why they may target humans is unclear until you realize that if they didn't harbor innate hatred for us thin skinned creators, they'd be pretty boring. Not that Stefan Rudnicki's deep yet cautious voice could ever be boring as narrator! (Blackstone Audio/3 hours unabridged)

(These audiobooks may be rented from Audio Adventures by calling 1-800-551-6692. Jonathan Lowe is award-winning author of POSTMARKED FOR DEATH, AWAKENING STORM, FAME ISLAND, OSCAR'S HIJACK, TALL TALES FOR THE ROAD, and the new medical thriller GEEZER.)

Books to Read While Working - March 2006 - Audiobooks Reviewed by Jonathan Lowe

Believe it or not, there are other star wars than those created by George Lucas. Although Lucas has made more money than God delivering pulp science fiction, and his legacy continues with a series of books based on Star Wars, (like the recent "Outbound Flight" written by Timothy Zahn, and read by Jonathan Davis), another lesser known series of SF adventures continues in "GALACTIC CONVOY" by Bill Baldwin, the sequel to "The Helmsman," about starship pilots who encounter heavily armed aliens and power-drunk warlords in their quest for glory. Forget about why we should project our own insecurities and petty rivalries--our greeds and lusts--onto other advanced civilizations, imagining them to be as immature or insane as we are. What "Galactic Convoy" has going for it are some funny names, decent writing, and high production values. Meaning it is full cast, with a dozen actors participating in what, over 13 hours, will keep you entertained and away from watching "American Idol" or "Survivor," those shallow television time wasters which don't even allow a moment's indulgence of the imagination. Neither SF series may have you missing your clock out time, but if you're stuck in traffic, it beats listening to frozen oldies, political talk radio, or even beating your forehead against the steering wheel. Although that last option is certainly more satisfying than watching R2D2 and C3PO trade banalities...unless you're six years old. (Timberwolf Press/13.6 hours unabridged)

It's rare that a female mystery author jumps genres to pen an international military thriller involving pirates and mercenaries, but Dana Stabenow has jumped genres before, with three SF novels to her credit, besides 17 mysteries. In BLINDFOLD GAME, Stabenow sets part of the action in her native Alaska by postulating that a pair of terrorists can ship black market radioactive material to America via freighter across the Bering Sea. Narrator Beth McDonald is a good choice for narrator as she brings this potentially realistic prospect to life within some dramatic and likeable characters, such as Hugh Rincon. McDonald is an accomplished stage actor with an ability to keep one listening, a most desired trait to possess if you're reading stories. (Random House Audio/5 hours abridged)

"Cosy" is a comfortable word, and an indication of that subclass of mystery which eschews overtly bloody violence. There may be murder involved, but the criminals appear more civilized, and are therefore more likely to move among us unnoticed. Martha Grimes is one practitioner of this class of mystery, with 21 novels featuring Richard Jury so far. In THE OLD WINE SHADES, Jury sits down in a English bar with a fellow named Johnson to hear the tale of a dog that has returned without its master. Johnson has some explaining to do, which he does in interesting fashion, divulging his views on the nature of reality itself. All this leads to Jury's investigation, and turns up a dead body. Actor John Lee narrates, and while he's no Martin Jarvis, he's certainly an appropriate choice, given his mild English accent, acting skill, and pleasant voice. (Penguin Audio/11 hours unabridged)

Here's a scary thought: the people in ultimate control of our military, our laws, and our purse strings are politicians, who in turn are mostly lawyers. Now, to a lawyer or actor or wannabe, the truth is a relative thing. Ambition gets in the way of reason. So in order to sleep nights, you must demonize the opposition, and avoid mirrors at all costs. Certainly the current administration has enough blind stupidity to go around, but you'd be shocked to learn how its detractors brazenly assume you're blind to their own ambitions as well. So says Peter Schweizer in "DO AS I SAY--NOT AS I DO," an audiobook that details the hypocrisy of those who pretend moral superiority. Would it surprise you to learn that Michael Moore owned stock in the very companies he assused of treasonous greed? Or that he lives in an exclusive all-white neighborhood, with only a couple token blacks on his staff? What truths do Al Franken, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Streisand, Edward Kennedy and Ralph Nader not want you to hear about their own records? Narrated by the very listenable and prolific Grover Gardner, this is one book that will have you shaking your head, mouth agape, as the facts, mostly devoid of opinion, are uncovered. Because you have to ask yourself: if what is here isn't true---as backed by the world's largest publisher---why aren't these people suing? We all know they play golf with lawyers, if they're not lawyers themselves! (Random House Audio/6 hours unabridged)

Finally, a newcomer has arrived to the genre of medical thriller in the form of Joshua Spanogle, a student at Harvard Medical School. How Josh finds time to write books while studying is a mystery in itself, but with ISOLATION WARD he has certainly jumped headlong into another potential career. Whether it will derail his parallel career in medicine remains to be seen. The novel, set in a large Baltimore hospital, involves the mentally impaired victims of an odd virus, a young CDC investigator who uncovers a scheme involving organ transplants, and some old flames doing some very uncharacteristic things. What I enjoyed most about this novel was the pacing, which, despite some obvious cliches, propelled the story forward under the capable hands of Christian Rummel, an actor new to narration who has a gift for very realistic nuances of dialogue. Both of these newcomers have talent, but will they be the next "Story Stars," like American Idol? That's entirely up to you, and the advertising dollars their publishers are willing to risk. (Random House Audio/6 hours abridged)

(These audiobooks may be rented from Audio Adventures by calling 1-800-551-6692. You can sample Jonathan's acclaimed adventure FAME ISLAND, read by Emmy-winning actor Kristoffer Tabori, at BlackstoneAudio.com.)

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