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Marcy's February
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Great month Marcy! I have The Sentry on my library audio wish list (going to take some time to get it).I just added the third Lucy Valentine to my Kindle and hope I enjoy it as much as the first two books ;)
I have to add the 3rd Lucy Valentine to my kindle. I think I'm going to hold off reading it till the time comes when I'm craving something light and wonderful. If you are a Joe Pike fan, you'll love The Sentry!
Oh dear...here goes my request list at the library! You had some great reads this month. I'm going to have to try the Lucy Valentine books. I've liked what I've read by Lisa Gardner, so I'll have to add Alone to the list too. I also enjoyed Split Second and would like to some day get to more in the series.Susie, Sentry is worth the wait!
Marcy, hmmm, we have similar tastes! I haven't yet read the 2nd in the Lucy Valentine series because the 1st one didn't trip my trigger as much as I thought it would with all of the good comments here. I have the sample from Unbroken on my Kindle and have just started it...may not buy it yet tho. I read Alone this past fall, and it was ok, didnn't wow me, and The Sentry is on my list, cause who can't live without a little Pike in their lives!So, a good month for you too!
Dawn and Liz - I'm actually surprised that I've liked the Valentine books so much because they are very light mysteries, but the humor and slight romance angles are very well done. I think whether or not you like them would depend on your mood at the time. Sometimes, I just need a little "fluff".
Liz - One of my complaints about Unbroken was that it very drawn out and repetitive. I have read that Louis Zamperini, about whom Unbroken was written, wrote his own book, Devil At My Heels, and that his book was considered better by many. I have not read that one.
Good month! I read the 3rd Lucy Valentine in February and just really enjoy the characters! THE SENTRY was stellar!
Good to have you posting, Melodie. How's the recuperation coming?
Marcy: Great month! I have my sights on several of the ones you enjoyed! I look forward to starting Catching Fire tomorrow! I am curious about the trilogy on audio, though I read The Hunger Games on Kindle and am continuing that method with the second book Re Split Second, I can easily imagine a book read by Scott Brick, that this audio narrator could save the experience with a less than compelling book!
Marcy wrote: "Catching Fire (Hunger Games book 2) by Suzanne Collins (audio) - This 2nd in series book picks up where the 1st, The Hunger Games (loved it), left off. Once again, I was totally immersed in this c..."
I know we've discussed the value of good audio narrators before, but I continue to be amazed by how the listening experience is either greatly enhanced or disappointinglyaffected by the voice you're listening to. I wonder if everyone feels this way.
Marcy wrote: "I know we've discussed the value of good audio narrators before, but I continue to be amazed by how the listening experience is either greatly enhanced or disappointinglyaffected by the voice you're listening to. I wonder if everyone feels this way"
I definitely feel that way. A number of so so books have been saved by stellar narration. I know I would never have gotten through "The Girl Who" books without Simon Vance and the same with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie which was read by Jayne Entwistle.
I know I feel this way Marcy! It truly enhances series books on audio. I am listening to the latest Kate Shugak series book by Dana Stabenow, Though Not Dead: A Kate Shugak Novel, and the the audio voice of Kate read by Marguerite Gavin is as much a part of the enjoyment as the book (which is as usual first rate!) Marcy wrote: "I know we've discussed the value of good audio narrators before, but I continue to be amazed by how the listening experience is either greatly enhanced or disappointingly affected by the voice you're listening to. I wonder if everyone feels this way..."
Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends
Books mentioned in this topic
Catching Fire (other topics)The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (other topics)
Though Not Dead (other topics)
Alone by Lisa Gardner - Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge kills a suspect, Jimmy Gagnon, just as he seems to be on the verge of killing his wife Catherine Gagnon during a domestic dispute. He is convinced it is a righteous kill, but Jimmy's dad, a judge, wants Bobby arrested for murder. Several plot lines slowly emerge and twist together for an exciting fast-paced story. Bobby and Catherine are both very complex, layered characters carrying lots of baggage. Soon, it is hard to tell victims from villains. This was a good read which kept my interest and kept me guessing.
The Sentry by Robert Crais - Joe Pike, as a man of honor sensing that a crime is about to happen, inserts himself into a situation which only gets more and more complex. Once involved and already drawn to the woman he is trying to protect, Joe soon learns that all are not who or what they seem. I loved this book and think that Crais just seems to keep on improving in his layering of characters and tight plot development. Highly recommended.
Mockingjay (Hunger Games book 3) by Suzanne Collins (audio) - Mockingjay was a great conclusion to The Hunger Games trilogy. Despite its harsh depictions of war, violence and loss, I loved this series for its imaginative look at a world gone mad and the lengths to which people can be pushed, yet still retain their humanity. Only at the very end, did I actually feel like I was reading a YA book as I thought the epilogue was a little sappy and preachy. Nevertheless, I'm sorry this reading experience is over.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (audio) - Unbroken is the amazing true story of Louis Zamperini, Olympic track miler in Berlin 1936, who joins the Army Air Corp at the beginning of WW II and is shot down over the Pacific Ocean. Louie astonishingly managed to survive at sea for record time only to have to endure cruel and inhumane treatment as a Japanese POW. While I thought Louie's ability to survive to be astounding and superhuman, I found this book to be somewhat tedious in pace and very repetitive in parts. This might be one instance for which an abridged audio would have been perfect.
Breach of Trust by David Ellis - Jason Kolarich, a young criminal lawyer is trying to rebuild his life after the tragic deaths of his wife and young daughter and takes on work as a consultant for the Governor's office. From this premise, comes a wonderfully complex story of political corruption, over zealous federal agents and a possibly related link to the cause of his family's accident. This was a very compelling legal thriller by a favorite author who in his other life is the prosecutor who convicted former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
Deeply, Desperately (Lucy Valentine #2) by Heather Webber - After Truly, Madly, this is another very entertaining paranormal mystery in which Lucy has expanded the family matchmaking business by specializing in finding lost loves and has also begun assisting the police solve cases. This series is quite humorous with interesting, though light intrigue and great characters - such a fun, easy read!
Split Second (Sean King and Michelle Maxwell #1) by David Baldacci (audio) - Sean King and Michelle Maxwell have each committed a major blunder as Secret Service agents, though the incidents happened 8 years apart. Together they investigate to see what, if anything, is common to their misfortunes. In the process, the suspense builds as the dead body count mounts. Unfortunately, too many unlikely coincidences and a convoluted plot made me say "really" more than once and the main characters remained very 2 dimensional. Thankfully, this audio was somewhat redeemed by having been read by Scott Brick, to whom I enjoy listening.