Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Age Level: Children
Format: Unabridged Book on CD

Reader: Jim Dale

 

 

Let me begin my review by saying that I am an avid listener to audio books.  I unfortunately don’t get a lot of time to read novels, so when I am driving in my car I listen to novels.  In a year, I will listen to 30 or 40 audio books.  

 

However, no listening experience of any novel compares to the reading of Jim Dale of the Harry Potter series.  It has been a complete delight to listen to these novels over the years as read by this very talented and gifted performer.

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows completes this series and the reading by Jim Dale is again extraordinary.  He has created a new voice for each and every character in the story.  An immense achievement in reading, considering the hundreds of voices he has had to work with over the past years.

 

How do you review the story?  It is as gripping as any other of the books.  Revelations come fast and furious, especially on the later CD’s when the battle which we have been waiting for finally appears to be forthcoming.  It is the type of story which makes you drive one more time around the block because you don’t want to turn the car off yet.

 

This is the most adult of the books in the series.  Harry has some moments of childish indecision, but for the most part he is coming into his adult hood and his experiences are processed as an adult.  Jim Dale reads his character with all the confusion and angst of  the late teenage years  but with an understanding of his characters.  

 

The series is a true masterpiece of the audio book genre.  If you have not experienced an audio book before, this series is the perfect introduction.  If you have read the books, the audio books give you a whole new perception of the story.  Can you tell I like them?

 

Reviewed by Rob Lesher

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Age Level: Teen
Format: Book

**Warning: May contain spoilers**

We’re a bit sensitive to blood around here. I’m sure you can understand that. — Bella Swan

In Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer’s Isabella Swan series, Seattle is being ravaged by a string of mysterious murders and it seems that a malicious vampire is on a rampage looking for revenge.  If that wasn’t enough drama, the time has come for Bella to choose and she knows that whatever decision she makes, it has the potential to ignite the ageless struggles between werewolf and vampire.  Who will Bella choose – Edward, the vampire and love of her life or Jacob, her best friend and werewolf?  Will her decision be one of life – or death?

I enjoy Stephenie Meyer’s books.  I’ve read both Twilight and New Moon numerous times.  Her characters have the ability to suck (no pun intended) you into their world.  You view the world through Bella’s eyes and it’s easy to understand why she is in love with Edward and why she would have such a hard decision to make between the love of her life and her best friend.  Now, I will admit that I am probably more of a Jacob fan than Edward, but they’re both pretty awesome guys – once you get past the whole vampire and werewolf thing.

From page one of Eclipse I was once again drawn into the world of Forks, Washington and was not able to come up for air until I finished the book.  I think my favorite part of Eclipse is the final chapter, I won’t tell you what happens, but just note that it’s different from the rest of the book and it leaves me wondering about how book four (supposedly the final book in the series) is going to evolve.  Next year can’t come soon enough!

Do you ever think that your life might be easier if you weren’t in love with me? — Edward Cullen

Reviewed by: Sara

Death of a Scriptwriter by M.C. Beaton

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

In the fourteenth installment of the Hamish Macbeth mystery series, readers find the town of Drim, Scotland, center stage for a television adaptation of Patricia Martyn-Broyd's book. Rumors surface that the scriptwriter for the television adaptation, Jamie Gallagher, has completely changed Martyn-Broyd's character from a respectable woman to a wild hippie from the 1960s. Police Constable Hamish knows trouble when he sees it, and he can only think of bad things happening in Drim. Tempers flare on the set, and pretty soon three deaths take place, making Hamish hard at work again finding the killer or killers.

I absolutely love the Hamish Macbeth series. Over the years, patrons have recommended the series to me, and when I started reading the books a few years ago, I have been hooked since. Each book in the series is a quick read and a very interesting and at times comical look at the townsfolk of Lochdubh. Hamish seems to have a brilliant mind, though he is a self-proclaimed unambitious soul with no intention of making his mark in the police world. Beaton has created a delightful mystery series, one that cozy mystery readers will adore. If you are not familiar with the Hamish Macbeth series, I would suggest starting with the very first in the series, Death of a Gossip. Beaton also writes the Agatha Raisin mystery series and books under her real name, Marion Chesney.

Reviewed by Jessica

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

Cambridge, England in the 12th century is rocked by a serial killer targeting young children. The people of Cambridge, thinking no one else is to blame, target the Jews of the town, killing the most prominent moneylender and his wife. The other Jewish townspeople are locked up in the castle, guarded from the mob by the sheriff. King Henry II, hearing of the childrens' deaths, asks the King of Sicily to send his best "minister of the art of death," or coroner. Unknown to Henry II, the best "minister" is actually Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, a doctor from the well-known medical town of Salerno. As tensions mount in Cambridge, Adelia, along with the help of Simon of Naples and Mansur, uses her skills to track down the murderer. She also crosses paths with Sir Rowley Picot, a knight whose demeanor and attention to her every move makes her wonder about his true intentions. Can she discover the murderer's identity before he or she strikes again? Filled with twists and turns, this captivating historical novel will keep the reader guessing until the very end.

I really enjoyed the intriguing mystery of the book. With so many plot twists, I was pretty surprised with the the novel's outcome. The storyline was engaging, with some very unique characters. There are some anachronisms (or using a person, place or thing in a time period when it did not exist) thrown into the storyline. The language at times was a little hard to follow, and I found myself slowed down a bit in the reading. Franklin's research of 12th century England becomes apparent in the novel; if you are not a historical novel reader, you may not like this novel.

For a taste of CSI in the 12th century, read this book!

Reviewed by Jessica

Trigger by Susan Vaught

Age Level: Teen

Format: Book

Jersey Hatch can remember very little about his life before the accident. He has spent the past year of his high school life in a rehabilitation center, trying to put his shattered existence back together, piece by painful piece. He can't remember how to hold a conversation. He can't remember why his best friend hates him. He can't remember why he tried to kill himself. Now the true test has come. It's finally time for him to leave the rehabilitation center and head back into as normal a life as is possible for him. Somehow he needs to relearn algebra, repair lost friendships and graduate high school.

The reader travels with Jersey as he tries to piece his life back together. The reader sees the struggles he goes through and struggles along with him. It navigates the triumph of family, depths of despair, and humor in life's most mundane details.

It's a very compelling read.

Reviewed by Sara.