Ann's August mostly Listening month

[Ann]

I managed to finish quite a few this month in part due to a week of vacation and lots of walks with my audio books. Four of them are short fiction or "between series" short story teasers, I spent some very enjoyable days in Three Pines with Inspector Gamache. A glimpse into the life and home town of Harper Lee was most insightful and a couple of books studying past wars, starting with WWI from those who resided in London and the Kent countryside and a deeply moving look at what soldiers carried into and out of Vietnam.
Think of a Number
The Death Factory
The Brutal Telling
Bury Your Dead
The Hangman
In the Tall Grass
The Care and Management of Lies
Wolverton Station
The Things They Carried
The Hundred-Year House
The Art Forger
The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee

Verdon, John Think of a Number finished 8/4/2014 on Audio rank 9 of 10 Clever hints and clues, an unusual perspective on a police procedural investigation from a retired homicide detective's pov; a decorated detective who sees things the others often don't, partly because he immerses himself in a case, to the detriment of his personal life. This case starts out as a favor for an old school chum, not much different than other high profile cases except that the stakes begin to get much higher.

Iles, Greg The Death Factory Penn Cage 3.5 finished 8/8/2014 short story on Kindle rank 9 of 10 For fans of Penn Cage, an insightful glimpse of back story and a reminder of Penn's integrity and sense of character that is in many ways like his father's. A good bridge between books, probably best read before Natchez Burning (or in my case, after) meaty for it's size.

Penny, Louise The Brutal Telling (#5) finished 8/10/2014 on Audio rank 9.5 of 10 One of the best things about Three Pines is the people who live there, even though the setting is so lovingly described it too is a well loved character. The story is about a story, several stories, and while the stories are revealed we are reminded how different people can be as they deal with adversity and how under the surface what we think we know, may not be the case at all. The investigation into the provenance and details of the hermit's treasure were a fascinating glimpse at history. The connection to the art world and artists adds to the pleasure of reading a Louise Penny book. Bring on the next, I have plenty more to get to someday thank goodness.

Penny, Louise Bury Your Dead (#6) finished 8/16/2014 on Audio Rank 9.75 of 10 Read back to back with The Brutal Telling, this was a good way to continue the story line that began with the murder of a hermit living near idyllic Three Pines. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his right hand, Inspector Jean Guy Beauvoir, both take a journey away from recent events to investigate different cases, separately, but in tandem; a plot device that works very well. We leave Three Pines behind and visit the walled capital city of Quebec, a place with a fascinating history that captures the imagination of Gamache and the reader.  Gamache, a student of history, first visits the Lit and His, the English language Literary and Historical Society library in Quebec City as an oasis (in the middle of a bitterly cold winter) to recover his strength and his sense of self, and the patrons and board members provide an environment for the focus he needs while Beauvoir seeks answers in a most unexpected place

Penny, Louise The Hangman (short story) finished 8/17/2014 on Kindle rank 8.5 of 10 short, sweet, satisfying

King, Stephen In the Tall Grass finished 8/19/2014 on Audio Rank 9 of 10 creepy! seriously creepy, just what you would expect from Stephen King and Joe Hill. Don't ever go into the tall grass.

Winspear, Jacqueline The Care and Management of Lies finished 8/19/2014 on Audio rank 9.5 of 10 Deeply moving, from a different focus, and yet similar to the Maisie Dobbs series in that The Care and Management of Lies brings an approach to the harsh realities of war with, as the title suggests, a sense of care.  I enjoyed the correspondence and mouth-watering descriptions of the food that Kezia prepared on paper for her dear Tom away in France and found the descriptions of the time before and during the war illuminating, and yes sad, though there was joy and love and devotion and honor and a sense of duty shining through.

Hill, Joe Wolverton Station finished 8/20/2014 on Kindle rank 9.5 of 10 Wow! What a good short story. Deliciously creepy and vivid. I am glad I don't have a train ride in my near future.

O'Brien, Tim The Things They Carried finished 8/22/2014 on Audio Rank 9.5 of 10 I am glad I read this; what a moving set of vignettes, stories that are fictionalized, but far from fiction. The stories are a testament of the author's post Vietnam war thoughts, and some of his pre-war thoughts and intense intimate insights into what it may have been like for the soldiers in Vietnam and of the impact this experience had on them. At the end, the author Tim O'Brien reads a segment of his story written when he returned to Vietnam in 1994, 25 years later, including a recounting of the My Lai massacre from a survivor, terribly disturbing, but important to remember as the author does, unable to forget. His daughter asks him over and over why he continues to write about the war, I think we can see why. We can't forget.

Makkai, Rebecca The Hundred-Year House finished 8/23/2014 on Audio rank 9.5 of 10 A deceptively intricate plot and an aptly named book - told in parts over the one hundred years of the house and estate owned by the Devohrs where some who live there are happy, some seem to be happy, and some are haunted in unusual ways. The doomed relationships and omens of the future are revealed like Matryoshka nesting dolls in a reverse timeline seen through the eyes of resident artists and family members. It is interesting to contemplate and reflect on each intriguing layer and group of inhabitants.

Shapiro, B. A. The Art Forger finished 8/30/2014 on Audio rank 9.5 of 10 An enjoyable narrative builds to a crescendo with cleverly devised flashbacks providing a deepening sense of awareness of art history, the work of art dealing and of museums, and the reproductions or copies of other artist's works. The insights into artist's techniques, motivations and working conditions pulls the reader into this world of color and texture and a deep longing to possess. The narration of the audio was masterfully done.

Mills, Marja The Mockingbird Next Door finished 8/30/2014 A very enjoyable glimpse into the life and family of Nelle Harper Lee, often so very reclusive that the author was shocked when she was accepted and invited to take down as many stories and insights into the life, family and friends of the beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird. This felt like Nelle Harper was just next door, dropping over for coffee and taking us all on adventures around Monroeville Alabama, a glimpse back in time to a world where Scout and Jem and Atticus showed the world what compassion looked like.

[Melodie]

Very good month!!

[Amy]

Good month.

[Sherry]

great month, ann!

[Susie]

Wow Ann! What a great month for you. I guess vacations do help a little :)

[[deleted user]]

Great month! I'm going to add a couple to my TBR list if ya don't mind. :)

[Carol/Bonadie]

Wonderful selection of books,Ann, and intriguing descriptions. Almost makes me want to do more walking,...

[Ann]

A good audio book queued up does help motivate my exercise, Carol!
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Wonderful selection of books,Ann, and intriguing descriptions. Almost makes me want to do more walking,..."

[Donnajo]

WTG ann, The walking is also helping towards book totals.
looks like some good books.