How I live now by Rosoff, Meg

The reader is quite good. This book seems a little far fetched. It never really explains any of the plot topics. Daisy is sent to England to live with family after her father and stepmother can't deal with her any more. She has an eating disorder, a love affair with her first cousin, a third world war, and many other issues flood this book. None of which are ever really explained or dealt with.

It has feelings of World War II but also a touch of what could have happened after September 11th. More than once the vivid language caught me off guard. I liked the writing style, but I wouldn't say I enjoyed the book. It was very different, and I can't think of a person I might recommend this book too. Perhaps if it was read instead of listened to it would be even better. There is something about the audio that makes it even more realistic.

Cry the Beloved Country by Paton, Alan

So as part of the 1001 books to read before I die, I picked this particular novel. If I had to sum it up, it is the story of people from a small town. The kids move to the "big city," and they get into horrible horrible trouble.

It is much deeper than that, but that's all I got. I thought it was a bit too long. I was having a hard time seeing what the point of it was. The last 200 pages were quite good. The rest of it seemed unnecessarily long winded.

I can check it off the list, now only hundreds more to go.

Mercy Watson Collection 1 by Dicamillo, Kate

I wanted to like these. I like other things by Dicamillo, but this was not one. I am not sure if it was the reader or if it was the book. It was like Dumb Bunnies, but not funny or entertaining. It was just daft. I can see how they would be a big hit with some younger kids, but it was not one for me.

It would be a great thing for parents in the car with kids or for them to listen to on their own. It is perfect for beginning readers and well illustrated (yes I looked at the book too).

Millicent Min girl genius by Yee, Lisa

I thought this was a fun book. It was a read by Keiko Agena who also played Lane Kim on the Gilmore Girls.

I love Lisa Yee, she is a blast. Her writting and the reading by Agena meshed together to bring a great story together about Millicent and how hard it is for a genius. She goes through weeks of trying to adjust to the changes in her world.

She takes a college class and is getting ready to graduate high school at the ripe old age of 11.

I highly recommend anything by Lisa Yee. It is a good time.

A Room with a View by Forester, E.M.

Down loaded from Librivox.org. It was just not my tastes. I tried to like it. I tried to listen to the whole thing. I gave up with only an hour left. I just couldn't take it any more. I can't remember one thing about this book other than I would find any reason to not listen to this book.

Old Man and the Sea by Hemmingway

Done as an audio book. Read by Donald Sutherland. Painful. After the first half of the book (most of which I didn't listen to because I wasn't in my office), I gave up. I love Donald Sutherland but as an audio book reader, PAINFUL.

Sometimes you have to give up when the book is just that bad.