Most of the books I will add to my reviews are at least Two Paws Up. But lest you think I only award praise to books, I offer my opinion on The Mermaid Chair
What the Producers say:Sue Monk Kidd's stunning debut, The Secret Life of Bees, became a best-selling phenomenon and a modern classic. ...
The Producers say a lot more but for this book (and all others), my opinion trumps theirs
My Turn: Screaming Hissing Fit
I selected this book because 1) I enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees and 2) it was on Laura Bush's list of summer reads. DO NOT MAKE MY MISTAKE.
To be fair, I only listened to half of this book; that was all the pain I cared to endure.
In my opinion, if the author knows the Secret of the Universe or even how to boil water, he/she should not hide it from the reader. Neither should the author beat the reader to death with worthless thoughts that only serve to obscure plot, character, direction, and purpose.
Above all, the author should not piss off the reader. If he/she drew them in with the first book, suckered them in with the second but left the reader having a screaming hissing fit, the reader will not come back a third time no matter what marketing tricks are used.
Not only that, the reader will broadcast said hissing fit far, wide and LOUD!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
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3 comments:
It sounds like you have listened to some wonderful books while driving. I have never been able to experience that as yet. I don't drive far over here. The other day I was gone for quite a bit to run all my errands and only put 4 miles on the car. So you can see, it would be next to impossible to get much read or listened to. But I think I will try to find them in print.
I use an MP3 player (with ear buds) that I carry around with me more than I use tapes or CDs in the car. I can download books to the computer, then to the MP3. I can listen to stories while I run errands, get stuck in traffic, sew stuff, pretend to clean house etc.
That is not to say that I don't use the car player. Au contraire! I am a true story addict; I often have two stories going at the same time, one on the MP3 and another in the car.
I even listen to stories when I go to bed. The result is that I have to restart the stories a dozen times because I never stay awake to the end of it. In Baghdad, that was SOP
I like my MP3 better than the car player because it keeps going when I get out of the car etc.! Plus I don’t really mind traffic, long lines at the store and other potentially frustrating things when I’m listening to a story.
Do you have Half Price books over there? I've found a wide variety of books there. I use Audible.com, the library, Cracker Barrel, anywhere I can find ‘em.
A long time ago, I had to drive to work in the dark via some small, twisty and desolate country roads. Fog often made it worse and I was a bundle of nerves by the time I got there.
Then I found some books on tape by James Herriot, read by the author. These were worth all the tea in China to me. His voice was so soothing, that soft brogue telling gentle stories about Yorkshire animals and people. I played those tapes to death.
That is a great idea,
I, too read the books by Herriot and aboslutely loved them. I loved the TV program that was on years ago also.
I do envy you for your trip there. Only in my dreams.
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