Category Archives: Audiobook Review

Audiobook Review: The Penelopiad

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Cover via Amazon

Rating: 4 out of 5

It seems that I just can’t get enough of ancient Greek mythology, but it’s difficult to pick a good adaptation in the Aegean-sized sea of mediocrity. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry when Margaret Atwood is the one penning the words.

Atwood is, of course, the author of the renowned The Handmaid’s Tale, so it’s no surprise that she reimagines Homer’s Odyssey from Penelope’s perspective. Since the original poem concerns itself with warrior Odysseus and his arduous journey to return home to Ithaca, Atwood depicts what his wife was doing for those twenty years while he was gone.

True to her feminist form, Atwood gives Penelope more depth and dimension. The princess proves resourceful and cunning, evolving from a naive young girl into a strong leader of a kingdom. And as for those pesky suitors, she simply plays coy as to what really happened and whether she was really as faithful as history has made her out to be.

And given that Penelope is narrating her tale from the underworld, the reader also hears her insights on how religion and spirituality has changed from ancient Greece to the present day. For a woman who experienced the meddling of gods, it’s disconcerting to watch immortal power mocked by foolish fortune tellers and magicians.

What haunts Penelope the most, however, was her husband and son’s massacre of her 12 maids while she was asleep. I mean “haunt” literally, since the maids torment Penelope and Odysseus in the underworld for their unjust deaths.

This is one of the reasons many people, even Atwood herself, are hesitant to call The Penelopiad a feminist retelling. Penelope is naturally a biased narrator. Typical of ancient Greek drama, every now and then the maids appear as a chorus to reveal their point-of-view.

This proves most insightful, because while Penelope complains how her sister Helen’s vanity ruined her life by inciting the Trojan War, the maids point out that they were born poor, enslaved into an existence where they were raped by men and treated like cattle. The princess’ woes seem minor in comparison, as if the chorus serves as a reminder of real suffering unlike her #FirstWorldProblems.

The maids are probably the only reason why I would recommend this novella in audio. It was nice to hear them sing both as individuals and as a group, especially since their voices were enhanced with echoing to give off an even creepier vibe.

The Penelopiad (2005) would be a great addition to courses in classical literature, since its parallels to the Odyssey are so nuanced that they deserve closer academic research. I also learned that as a novella in the great Canongate Myth Series, The Penelopiad shares literary acclaim alongside other modern adaptations, including The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (2010) — a story by my favorite author Philip Pullman which I haven’t had the chance to read yet.

So if you also enjoy ancient Greek mythology, pick up The Penelopiad for an interesting take on one of the world’s most popular tales.

Audiobook Review: Why We Broke Up

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Image via Indie Bound

Rating: 5 out of 5

Well, I didn’t think that any book this year would be able to top David Levithan’s Every Day, but it turns out that Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman created an even better tale of teen romance!

Why We Broke Up (2011) is written in the form of a very long letter by Min (short for Minerva) Green, a teenage girl who has left her boyfriend Ed Slaterton. But instead of a typical break-up story, each chapter revolves around a particular item from their relationship. Min has accumulated various odds and ends–bottle caps, a movie ticket, an egg cuber–and now she is dumping the box of love trinkets on his doorstep just as she is dumping him.

One of the many cool things about this book is its creation story: An interview at the end of the audiobook explained that Handler (author of A Series of Unfortunate Events under the pen name Lemony Snicket) and Kalman (artist for books, magazines, and fashion designers) had worked together on a previous project called 13 Words when Kalman suggested a bunch of items that she wanted to paint. Handler then constructed the novel around the illustrations, rather than vice versa.

Not knowing this tidbit before buying the book, I regret not having a print version since I didn’t get to experience the magic of Kalman’s illustrations, a few of which have been included below:

Image via the Junior Library Guild and created by Maira Kalman

Image via RISD and created by Maira Kalman

Image via NYT and created by Maira Kalman

I was intrigued by this novel because I loved Handler’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and I had not yet read any books published under his real name. Disappointed after Meg Cabot’s Jinx, I hoped Why We Broke Up would better depict teenage struggles in life and love.

I certainly wasn’t disappointed! Handler does an excellent job getting inside the mind of a high school girl: Teenagers and adults alike can relate to Min’s body image issues, fights with her mother, and anxiety over her reputation after losing her virginity. Unlike many female protagonists, she’s multidimensional. Outspoken about her Jewish heritage and passion for classic cinema, she manages to juggle her boyfriend and friends with relative grace.

She also learns how difficult relationships are when she would rather relax in coffee shops than sit through Ed’s basketball practices; although many adults flourish in opposites-attract partnerships, it’s a monumental challenge in school when your cliques try to pull you two apart. I appreciated how Min still preserved her identity, even though she couldn’t preserve her relationship.

Of course, the reader quickly gets addicted to this story, as I found myself listening to chapter after chapter hoping to get more kernels of information on exactly “Why We Broke Up.” And although Min and Ed ended as quickly as they began (they didn’t even make it to their second month anniversary), there were plenty of ups and downs on their emotional rollercoaster.

So if you’re looking for a realistic portrayal of puppy love, regardless of your own age, you’ll greatly enjoy Why We Broke Up. It’s beautifully written and illustrated, so it’s no surprise to hear that its movie adaptation will be released next Valentine’s Day, starring “True Grit” actress Hailee Steinfeld (also portraying Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet“ and Petra in “Ender’s Game,” both of which are in theaters this year!).

And the fun doesn’t stop there! (or as the infomercials say, “But wait! There’s more!”). If you’re a little bummed that you can’t fully relate to the break-up of Min and Ed, check out The Why We Broke Up Project Tumblr, where citizens and celebrities alike have revealed the details behind their relationship downfalls.

My favorite entry? David Levithan’s, if you can imagine!

“The boy I loved didn’t know I existed. Then again, he was obsessed with Camus, so he didn’t know if any of us existed.”

Levithan, I loved Every Day, but Handler just stole the spot for my favorite book of the year! However, with nine months left, who knows what could happen?

Audiobook Review: Jinx

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Cover of "Jinx"

Image via Amazon

Rating: 2 out of 5

If you’ve been reading Book Club Babe, you already know that I’m a devoted Meg Cabot fan. I may have a whole shelf of her work, but this was the first time that I bought one of her books in audio.

I’m still waiting for Awaken, Cabot’s sequel to Underworld, which will be released this July. So I decided to check out Jinx (2007), one of her few stand-alone novels. Unfortunately, it was aptly named, but it was one big ball of bad luck.

Jinx is titled after the protagonist Jean Honeychurch’s nickname. Terrible things seem to keep happening to this 16-year-old, so she runs away from her home in rural Iowa to live with her aunt, uncle, and three cousins in New York City.

One of those cousins, Tory, immediately becomes Jean’s rival when Jean catches the eye of her crush, Zack. But what happens when this competition between cousins takes a paranormal turn for the worse?

I could go into more detail, and honestly, I wouldn’t spoil much. What’s the point of keeping part of the plot a secret for the whole first third of the novel, if you already know about it from reading the summary? Talk about anti-climactic!

I also already knew that Cabot has a tendency to be melodramatic, but I figured what should I expect when she’s writing about teenagers? Well, even young adult fiction has to have standards.

I kept getting horrible vibes a la Fifty Shades of Grey: whether it’s E.L. James droning on about her “inner goddess” or Meg Cabot harping about “the knot in my stomach,” authors need to tone down the obnoxious metaphors!

You know why the green light is such a powerful symbol in The Great Gatsby? Because Fitzgerald doesn’t talk about it every five sentences! I understand that Jean is a nervous outcast, but I wanted to drive into oncoming traffic every time she described her stomach knot. I get it, you’re scared! Stop wasting my time with over-used clichés and move on!

I empathized most with Zack, who seemed completely fed up with all this petty cat-fighting. Although cat-fighting might be inaccurate, since Jean is the typical girl oblivious that her love is actually not unrequited after all. Yawn.

Maybe I’m just too old for high school drama. It’s easy to tell a fictional character to snap out of it and get some confidence, but I know that it’s easier said than done in real life. I wish that I could go back and tell my 16-year-old self to stop worrying what the “popular” kids think about you, because those bullies weren’t worth the brain space anyway.

I’m just going to chalk Jinx up to being an older novel that’s not representative of Cabot’s level of work. I’m also skeptical of trying audio versions of her books in the future, since I may be more accepting of teenage immaturity in print. Hopefully, Awaken will redeem my previously high opinion of this queen of teen fiction! Fingers crossed!

Audiobook Review: Secrets of a Shoe Addict

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Cover of "Secrets of a Shoe Addict"

Image via Amazon

Rating: 4 out of 5

Well, silly me, it looks like I dropped the ball on a couple of things. First off, I was told that “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is indeed playing at an indie theater near me, so I’ll be checking it out tomorrow! Keep an eye out for that upcoming review!

Secondly, I didn’t take into account the audiobook I’ve been listening to when I asked for votes on my last five books of the year (I also forgot that I could create polls in WordPress, but that’s besides the point).

Thus, this review discusses book #21, and based on your input, the other four choices will be Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian, My Week with Marilyn, The House of Mirth, and The Sandcastle Girls (reading order, however, is still tentative). Of course, I’d love to include a celebratory re-read of The Hobbit before its film release on December 14.

Anyways, Secrets of a Shoe Addict is Beth Harbison’s 2008 sequel to Shoe Addicts Anonymous. While Sandra and her friends began the series with a meetup group for female shopaholics, it’s Sandra’s sister Tiffany’s turn to get a group of women out of financial trouble.

During a chaotic PTA trip to Vegas, Tiffany accidentally purchases thousands of dollars worth of clothes, while her friends run into money mayhem of their own–Loreen by inadvertently hiring a male prostitute and Abbey by being blackmailed by an ex-boyfriend fresh out of prison.

For those who read Shoe Addicts Anonymous, their solution is unsurprising: Sandra reveals that her previous job as a sex operator was a great way to earn cash fast, so the women decide to create an adult phone service called “Happy Housewives” to get them out of debt.

This book was an excellent sequel; it was funny, outlandish, and not shy at all regarding the dirty talk. As I’ve said before, I only wish there were multiple readers on an audiobook, as if it were a theater production, so the dialogue feels more natural.

However, what Harbison does well in chick-lit is writing characters for every possible stage in a person’s life. Single, married, separated–she covers it all with finesse. She also balances the realistic with the escapist nicely. Even if you’ve never gone on a date with a puppeteer or hired an escort, you’ll have a blast hearing about these characters who do.

My only complaint would be the pacing, since once the conflict felt resolved, it took quite a while for the ends to get tied up. It took me over eight hours to finish the 26 chapters of this audiobook, and although the majority of it was entertaining, I felt the last few chapters were anticlimactic.

I know that most of you don’t read chick-lit, but if you ever want to step outside your comfort zone, Harbison’s a good author to try. Secrets of a Shoe Addict was a fun story of female friendship, and as an audiobook, a great way to pass the time–whether you’re battling morning rush hour, cooking dinner, or relaxing in bed. Perfect for sneaking more books into your busy schedule!

Audiobook Review: Something About You

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Image via JulieJames.com

Rating: 4 out of 5

It’s certainly been an eventful week, as I moved the last of my stuff into my new apartment and celebrated a close friend’s bachelorette party this weekend. It’s about to get even busier too, since I officially start my new job tomorrow (Thus, Masterpiece Monday may be postponed until I get the hang of my new schedule, or re-formatted to a different day entirely. I’ll keep you posted about my plans.)

With all the traveling that I’ve been doing the past few weeks, I’ve been able to finish another audiobook. This one was called Something About You by Julie James. I’ve read James before, so I had no doubts that this would be a fun read.

The novel features the relationship between Cameron Lynde, an Assistant U.S. Attorney from Chicago, and Jack Pallas, an FBI agent. The two met under tense circumstances, when Cameron was pressured to not press charges against a crime lord which Jack tried to take down.

Three years later, fate brings them together when Cameron witnesses a murder and Jack is assigned to the homicide case. Their icy dislike for one another soon melts into some electric sexual tension, especially when Cameron’s life is at risk and Jack becomes her personal security.

James has a background in law and lives in Chicago, so all the legalese felt natural. With four other novels under her belt, she’s quickly becoming a bestselling name in the world of romance. I also enjoyed Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Practice Makes Perfect, and her two other titles in her FBI/U.S. Attorney series on currently on my to-read list.

It was my first time listening to a romance novel, which was entirely different compared to the humorous memoirs of Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, and Chelsea Handler that I listened to earlier this year. Something About You is pretty steamy, so hearing the love scenes out loud amplified the experience.

A bad narrator can completely ruin an audiobook, but luckily Karen White did an excellent job given the circumstances. Although I would prefer a man to read male characters so that the dialogue sounds more realistic, I was engrossed nonetheless. Let’s just say on one road trip I missed my exit because I was so engaged with the story.

So whether you’re an amateur or veteran when it comes to romance novels, try listening to an audiobook version of one. The genre’s already great for escapism, and Something About You is a fun, sexy read to get sucked into. Just make sure that if you’re listening to it in your car, pay attention to the road!

Audiobook Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

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Rating: 4 out of 5

Ever since I listened to Tina Fey’s Bossypants, I loved how audiobooks made my commute more enjoyable. Only interested in light-hearted books that require little concentration (because how hard would it be to pay attention to Moby Dick while avoiding crazy text-and-drivers?), I decided that Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) would make a good follow-up.

Mindy Kaling became famous for playing Kelly Kapoor on the American version of “The Office.” Her character is so obnoxiously shallow and narcissistic, but Mindy is actually someone most women could relate to. She’s a 30-something size-8 who likes gossip, guys with chest hair, and sneaking out of parties. I loved learning all the quirky tidbits about her, like how she creates revenge fantasies for her workouts, or how she hates the color navy.

Mindy talks about her childhood friends, her jobs leading up to “The Office,” and how she handles fame. She dishes on her co-stars Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson. Even her friends BJ Novak, Mike Schur, and Brenda Withers provide the other various voices on the audiobook.

Bossypants literally made me laugh out loud, but Is Everyone… still got me to chuckle every now and then. Even though Mindy’s not as funny as Tina in my opinion, I think younger readers will appreciate Mindy’s struggle to date men not boys, over Tina’s frustrations with the mommy wars. But if you’re a fan of female comedians, you’ll probably love both of them.

So got any more great audiobooks ideas? Only requirements: must be read by the author and offer lots of laughs!

Favorite Quote: “Teenage girls, please don’t worry about being super popular in high school, or being the best actress in high school, or the best athlete. Not only do people not care about any of that the second you graduate, but when you get older, if you reference your successes in high school too much, it actually makes you look kind of pitiful, like some babbling old Tennessee Williams character with nothing else going on in her current life. What I’ve noticed is that almost no one who was a big star in high school is also big star later in life. For us overlooked kids, it’s so wonderfully fair.”

Audiobook Review: Bossypants

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Cover

Image via Wikipedia

Rating: 5 out of 5

I’m back, fellow bloggers! Hope you all started the new year with a bang! Determined to broaden my horizons in 2012, I decided to buy my first audiobook. I was never interested in the medium after my middle school English teacher tortured us with an audio version of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, an excruciatingly boring book about a boy lost in the wilderness.

But I thought I’d give audiobooks another shot and bought Tina Fey’s Bossypants on iTunes. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Tina Fey is the delightfully hilarious comedian who became famous for her work on “Saturday Night Live,” the chick-flick “Mean Girls” with Lindsay Lohan, and her show “30 Rock,” which is currently in its sixth season.

I had wanted to read Bossypants (2011) for the longest time, because absolutely everybody was raving about it. Since I knew it was going to be outrageously funny, I thought it would make my approx. 30 minute commute to and from work more bearable.

I was not disappointed. Tina narrated the audiobook herself, and her voice is so entertaining. She discusses everything from her bad-ass dad and facial scar, to her rise to fame with her various acting and writing gigs. She talks about meeting Sarah Palin after her popular impersonation with Amy Poelher, her horrendous honeymoon cruise, and her opinions on being a working mom. Part memoir, part improv, it’s what anyone should hope their life story sounds like.

What I love about Tina, and what makes her so relatable is her down-to-earth personality. She’s beautiful, but not of the supermodel quality, and when she says she was dorky as a child, she’s not just being modest (She even has a PDF full of old family photos to prove it!). But she’s also smart, sensible, and determined to battle sexism both at work and at home.

My only complaint is a practical issue. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to record an audiobook, but I spent over $20 for 5.5 hours of listening. If you paid attention to my commute time, I finished the book in less than a week. Thus, if I purchased audiobooks for the whole year, I would spend over $1000! Granted, I don’t regret buying it, but since paper books are so much cheaper and last a lot longer, audiobooks might have to be an every-now-and-then thing.

Overall, if you love Tina Fey, you’ll obviously love this book, but even you don’t know much about her, I bet you’ll still love it. I’m not lying when I say I was literally laughing out loud, to the point where I’m sure the drivers around me thought I was nuts. Sometimes when people can’t shut up about a book, you should tread lightly, but in this case, just jump right in! You won’t be sorry!

Favorite Quotes:

“This worked out perfectly for me in college, because what nineteen-year-old Virginia boy doesn’t want a wide-hipped, sarcastic Greek girl with short hair that’s permed on top? What’s that you say? None of them want that? You are correct.” 

“Politics and prostitution have to be the only jobs where inexperience is considered a virtue. In what other profession would you brag about not knowing stuff? ‘I’m not one of those fancy Harvard heart surgeons. I’m just an unlicensed plumber with a dream and I’d like to cut your chest open.’ The crowd cheers.”