An Overview

Grace (Eventually), Anne Lamott’s candid thoughts on her conversion and faith will make you think twice. Christians and non-Christians alike may disagree with some of the author’s political viewpoints or interpretations on the Bible, but one thing is for sure, Lamott lays herself out in the open as a flawed sinner who knows that she is just as much in need of grace as the next person.

Main Body

Lamott is certainly no goodie two shoes, and that makes her all the more reliable. In Grace (Eventually), the author continues with a series of essays similar to those found in her other books Plan B and Traveling Mercies. Her journey of faith is an imperfect but genuine one as she tries to live out her beliefs with a number stumbles along the way.

The best part about Grace (Eventually) is how seldom Lamott takes herself seriously. She readily owns up to her mistakes as well as her need for a God greater than herself. With humor and a dose of irreverence, Lamott gives us a peek into her pursuit of God and truth.

In “The Carpet Guy” the author wrestles with her own bad behavior in the face of an unfortunate misunderstanding when money for a returned rug goes missing. As her anger over the situation mounts Lamott thinks about Jesus in everyday terms “His message,” she writes, “is that we’re all sort of nuts and suspicious and petty and full of crazy hungers, and everything feels awful a lot of the time, but even so–one’s behavior needs to be better.”

Other essays deal with the everyday people and everyday events of life that shape us and that we shape. From a scary taxi ride home to raising a child as a single parent to adventures in a special-ed dance class, Lamott’s stories are full of insight and easily relatable to the experiences of anyone who has ever been confused on their journey through life.

The Narration

Anne Lamott reads her own work in the audio book version of Grace (Eventually). Unfortunately, the liveliness of the book does not come out in Lamott’s monotone narration of the novel.

During the course of my adult years, I have built scratch three garden projects from scatch.

The first was a basic and very simple garden to replace the bare and baron yard for the first house that I bought.

It was the first time that I had planted shrubs and experiences the joy of watching them grow and transform my own piece of personal landscape.

Brand New Garden Project

My second project was to build a brand new garden from a landscaping plan designed to be the major feature for my brand new architect designed home. The house and garden came together from start to finish during the course of nine years. During the time of these two projects I purchased many books and magazines of various descriptions to further my knowledge about general gardening, landscaping flowers shrubs and composting.

Garden Books Library

All these publications were in the form of traditional books and magazines which many of us are familiar with. The majority of these publications were in full glorious color and remains with me today as my gardening text and pictorial reference library.

Regardless of which type of gardening you do, vegetable or ornamental gardening, there is nothing quite like whittling away the hours in the fresh air and sunshine.

Listen While You Garden

Audio books are digitally recorded books being read out aloud by a narrator. Narrated books are available from audio book sellers in all popular genres and may be downloaded and listened too with an Mp3 player. If you love to work in your yard and garden, you may carry information and entertainment with you as you weed, water or plant.

However, you might be unaware that you can actually use audiobooks you download to gain inspiration and knowledge about the subject of gardening. There are number of nonfiction mp3 audio books online that deal with topics dear to a gardener’s heart.

Popular Gardening Books You May Enjoy

Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education written and read by Michael Pollan.

This title was named as one of the 75 best books written about gardening by the American Horticultural Society and contains chapters about such varied subjects as dealing with pesky rodents, cultivating roses and lawn care. With its entertaining and often humorous look at the trials and tribulations of those who do battle with nature, it provides more than 9 hours of pleasant accompaniment to any kind of yard work.

Personalizing Pilates: Gardeners. Written and narrated by Sherry Lowe-Bernie

If you have ever experienced sore, stiff muscles after working in your garden, you may really appreciate this audio book which provides 30 minutes of gentle stretches and exercises that are designed to help a gardener keep his or her back, arms and legs in good condition. When the workout is performed after a session in the garden, it also relieves the stiffness that can result from digging, lifting and pulling.

Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul: Stories to Sow Seeds of Love, Hope and Laughter.

Like the other titles in this series, the gardener’s edition is filled with essays and personal stories by a number of authors that will appeal to those with a green thumb.

You Bet Your Garden by Mike McGrath

Finally, you should consider these recorded versions of the popular radio program for valuable hints and tips for your gardening enterprises.

These bargain audio books have an average length of 50 minutes and are perfect for listening while you hoe, rake or shovel.

An Overview

A wandering rabbit and an abandoned baby bring Patrick Hunter and Megan Murphy together in Thanksgiving. Will the chemistry between them be enough to do the rest?

Main Body

The ball of romance gets rolling in Thanksgiving all because of a rabbit. That rabbit belongs to Dr. Patrick Hunter, but it’s in the yard of Megan Murphy. Initially, she thinks it’s cute until it starts eating her skirt. Dr Hunter scoops up Tibbles and while Megan wants to lecture him about his rabbit, he’s too handsome to get angry at.

A few days later she runs into Tibbles again, as Tibbles is running down the street. Worried something will happen to the little fluffy guy, Murphy grabs him and takes him home. As she is discussing bunny-parenting skills with Dr. Hunter, one of his pediatric patients shows up and hands him her baby. She says she will be back in two weeks and dashes away.

Instead of sending the baby to human services, Megan and the doctor decide to take turns watching little Timmy until his mother returns, while also searching for her, just in case she isn’t planning on coming back. Over the next few weeks, the two of them start to form a bond. From day one you can feel the chemistry between the two and it builds continually through the book.

Not finding the missing mother, they even start to discuss how they are going to take care of Timmy together. Adding to the bond is the fact that it’s Thanksgiving and they link up to prepare a monster dinner for both of their families.

Unfortunately their new plans of an instant family are dashed when Timmy’s mother does return to pick him up and the two are left baby-less and wondering if they should continue. While many people read Janet Evanovich books for the mystery part, this book is more focused on romance with a side of mystery.

That doesn’t make it any the less a fun read if you go into it with that mindset. It’s a fast and cute book, but not necessarily a book that you can’t live without.

The Narration

Not surprisingly, CJ Critt does it again. In Thanksgiving she does a superb job of bringing all the characters to life through slight changes in her voice and tone. She is a joy to listen to.

An Overview

Ten Thousand Islands is the 7th in the Doc Ford series. In this one, Doc has to take a closer look at the death of a young Florida artifact hunter. If you live in Florida or read up a lot on treasure and artifact hunters in the state, you may recognize part of the story that is the basis for this novel.

Main Body

The story surrounds a young artifact collector who is skilled at finding items of ancient Calusa Indian history along the coast of Florida. Dorothy Copeland, the artifact finder, has died and been buried, but has not been allowed to rest in peace.

Instead, someone knew what could have been buried with her, a gold medallion that she found while artifact hunting. Doc is called in by Dorothy’s mother to help after the young girl’s grave was broken into, most likely in search for the medallion.

As Doc and Tomlinson try to sort out what has happened and who would desecrate the grave of a teenager, they don’t realize they are being moved up the list of people who are in the way of a developer who thinks the medallion is a powerful ancient Indian item that can help whomever owns it.

Not only does this book have an air of reality to it, being based on a similar case from the 60s, but also White manages to give you a bit of a history and geography lesson without you even realizing it. Just reading this mystery will give you a greater insight into the topography of southwest Florida as well as the Indian tribe that inhabited this area hundreds of years ago.

This was another stunning book by White. It is one of the best in the early numbers of the series and one you should not miss. Just take a note, as soon as you start to listen to this one, you may want to clear your schedule as you may find yourself tuning out the rest of the world so you can tune in until the end of the book.

The Narration

Ron McClarty was a great voice for this book. His voice has a level of gruffness to it, which sounds to me like you would expect from Doc Ford…a voice with age and experience.

An Overview

In this tenth of the Stephanie Plum Series, Ten Big Ones, Stephanie has again gotten herself into trouble, this time she finds herself at the top of the hit list for a gang leader.

Main Body

In Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich, we follow Stephanie Plum through yet another adventure. This time, her stomach gets her into trouble. As well all know, Stephanie can eat, and does, all the time. Well this time she happens to be kicking back at the deli, enjoying a plate of nachos when the place is robbed by the Red Devils, a well-known gang.

As a witness who could ID the person behind the devil mask, Stephanie could now be the person who puts the leader of this group of brutes behind bars,something that leader knows. In this book he’s busily trying to keep Stephanie quiet, by offing her, and has hired a hit man to do the job while the men who always seem to be there for her, boyfriend Joe Morelli and the sexy, handsome, mysterious bounty hunter, Ranger are keeping an eye on her backside.

While police are hunting down Junkman, Stephanie is breaking a few laws of her own, breaking into Rangers place which could not only get her in trouble with the law, but also Morelli who wants her as far from Ranger as possible. Luckily he’s not around; he just lent her his truck where she found a key to his place.

As always, Grandma Mazur, Lula and the rest of Stephanie’s family make their appearances for guilt, humor and getting her into more trouble throughout the book. I thought overall this was a fun read. By now, you expect a lot of the types of things people will say and the situations they will get in throughout the book, but it’s still a lot of fun to be involved in it and get to go along for the ride, or the chase or whatever else craziness she can get into.

The Narration

I have heard C.J. Critt in a number of the other Stephanie Plum novels and she does a great job at bringing you into the story and using her voice to create a bridge from one character to the next.

An Overview

This is the second book in the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. It follows the adventures of Mma Ramotswe as she solves mysteries while adjusting to her recent engagement to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and the promotion of her secretary to “Assistant Detective.”

The Main Body

Following on the heels of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency, this book gives listeners a chance to become better acquainted with some of the secondary characters from the introductory book. When detective Precious Ramotswe agrees to marry auto mechanic J.L.B. Matekoni, the duo must go through many of the same struggles that all newly engaged couples face.

Their situation is made more difficult by Mr. Matekoni’s jealous housekeeper who does all she can to break the pair apart. Grace Makutsi, the detective agency’s secretary, also plays a more prominent role in Tears of the Giraffe as she is given the grand title of “Assistant Detective” and allowed to take on a case of her very own.

Her efforts make an amusing subplot to the main mystery, which involves an American woman who wants help resolving the disappearance of her son in the African bush ten years earlier. Mma Ramotswe handles her clients, coworker, and fiancé with the kindness and common sense one would expect from the only female detective in all of Botswana.

Author Alexander McCall Smith spent many years of his life in southern Africa, and his descriptions of the Kalahari, and the people and animals that inhabit the area around it are realistic and capable of making the listener feel he or she has actually visited Botswana.Mma Ramotswe is proud of her birth-country and manages to impart that pride without tearing down other countries or their citizens.

The book has several interesting discussions of “traditional Botswanan morality” that give a fascinating glimpse into the ways that modern culture and attitudes are changing the ways people think and act in present-day Africa. Mostly, though, Tears of the Giraffe is a lovingly written story about people and their day-to-day concerns, no matter which continent they may inhabit.

Some serious literary critics may complain that Smith simplifies his writing too much and overused certain phrases like “tiny white van” and “traditionally built,” but fans of his work argue that it is the simplicity and repetition which make this and the other books in the series so charming.Listeners looking for a pleasant diversion, well-drawn characters, and a satisfying ending will not be disappointed.

The Narration

I am an avid reader, as well as a consumer of audio books, and I think that this story is greatly enhanced by the narration of Lisette Lecat. Her beautiful accent makes the rather lengthy African names of people and places sound familiar and lovely.

She does an admirable job of distinguishing the characters’ voices through pitch and inflection, and brings the action vividly to life.

An overview

Maeve Binchy’s Tara Road encompasses the life of one woman, named Ria, from girlhood through marriage, divorce, and renewal. The cast of characters in and out of Ria’s life, and all their idiosyncrasies, make this a full-bodied novel. The way Binchy is able to write, simply, about complex human emotion is quite admirable.

Main Body

Set in Dublin, Ireland, the story unfolds by introducing Ria, her older sister Hillary, and their single, working mom, Nora. Ria is just starting to go out with boys, while Hillary acts like she knows everything there is to know about men already.

The stage is set to bring the reader into their world…one where the wild hopes and dreams of the young girls come up against the fretful, practical, and religious parent trying to bring the girls up proper. Character building is such an important part of any story and Maeve Binchy is excellent at this.

By the time the girls grow into mature young women, seek jobs and husbands, and settle down, the reader easily feels they know the various characters like friends. There’s the lucky Ria, the loving, but bitter Hillary, curt and beautiful Rosemarie, stoic Nora, eager Dan, sly but friendly Barney and his quietly suffering wife, abused Gurdy, and more.

This cast keeps the story flowing interestingly and the reader feels part of the neighborhood. Then, suddenly, Ria’s world is turned upside down. In an interesting twist, the story takes on a completely new atmosphere. The shattered Ria completely extricates herself from everything—and utilizes a unique opportunity to do so. She accepts a house-swap offer from a woman in America.

This woman has heart-breaking issues of her own. She is going through a separation and dealing with the loss of her only son. Ria and her new house-swapping acquaintance, Marilyn, are both running and seeking at the same time.

What each thinks they will gain by crossing an ocean is unclear to them—but they jump at the chance to grasp, with the last bit of hope and sanity they have, whatever this “peek” into a different life might have to offer. They seem to settle-in wonderfully, and although they haven’t met, they keep in touch to see how the other is doing.

Their feelings flare a bit to learn that the other is enjoying things they held dear. Ria is “out and about” and getting to know the neighbors that Marilyn was very reclusive from. Marilyn is getting on, maybe a bit too well, with Ria’s neighbor and close friend, Colm. However, when the two women meet at the end of the swap, they find they have developed a new and endearing friendship.

The beauty of this book is the way Binchy takes what would otherwise be considered “gossip,” and turns it into an insightful and interesting look at human development. Binchy is a great storyteller. Out of her seemingly simplistic characters come wisdom, human suffering, hope, despair, intrigue, betrayal, and triumph.

An example of her talent is the scene where Ria and her husband, Dan, tell their two young children that they are going to get divorced. Binchy handles this delicate and heart breaking “fact-of-life” with dialogue, alone, and the reader feels he/she is standing right in the room looking helplessly from one broken character to another.

The Narration

I loved the narration. Katherine Borowitz makes the Irish brogue come right up out of the peat bogs at you.

An Overview

The Talisman is an interesting and river ting blend of fantasy and horror about a young man and his journey to another world (parallel realities) to obtain an artifact for his dying mother.

Main Body

I made the mistake of listening to Talisman at bedtime. I ought to know better by now! Stephen King’s writing is always so vivid; I’m guaranteed to have some nightmares. Nevertheless, I can’t resist a good Stephen King audiobook. The Talisman was co-authored in 1984 with Peter Straub, an author whose writing spans a delightfully eclectic range from horror to poetry.

Jack Sawyer, a 12-year-old, has to go on a journey across the country to save his terminally ill mother by finding an object called The Talisman. As Jack travels, his boyish earnest nature gains him many friends who stand by him loyally in his moments of need. Some of these friends have duplicates of themselves in his universe, such as Queen Laura DeLoessian, who is his mother’s “twinner” and also dying.

Others are like him, unique to only one universe.

Another special friend of Jack’s is called Wolf. Unlike the werewolves of our traditions, the werewolves from The Territories are bodyguards with the ability to voluntarily shape change. After being inadvertently drawn to our universe, Wolf chose to protect Jack and travel with him. Jack relies on help from the Queen to learn to travel to her universe.

She calls this universe The Territories. Using his ability to switch back and forth between universes, he attempts to get to California as quickly as possible. Space and time flow differently in The Territories, making it possible to cross many miles in a short amount of his universe’s time, but nothing is ever simple when Stephen King is writing. Jack and his friends travel back and forth between the two universes.

As they fight for their lives, they learn more about his father’s murder. Jack’s Uncle Morgan wants Jack’s mother and the Queen to die. Once he accomplishes that, he intends to take over The Territories for his own evil purposes. He and his friends battle the forces of Evil and triumph in the end, of course.

Five stars… but don’t listen to it at bedtime!

The Narration

Frank Muller’s narration as always is a triumph.

An Overview

Tales of the City began as a fictional column in the San Francisco Chronicle becoming a series of novels.

Main Body

Tales of the City was originally written as a series of newspaper columns, so the compilation has quick chapters and rapid plot developments. It makes a naturally easy transition from newspaper serial story to print book to audiobook, The short chapters lend themselves well to listening in short bursts, but if you’re able to listen for longer, it will definitely hold your attention.

Tales of the City takes place in San Francisco in the 1970′s. Mary Ann, an innocent young woman from Ohio, moves in with Connie, an old friend from high school. That doesn’t turn out so well, so she decides to find her own place. Once she moves into her apartment at 28 Barbary Lane, that’s when the adventures begin! For the most part, the book’s light hearted escapades were enjoyable, but there was one aspect of the book that disturbed me.

At the time that this book took place, people weren’t aware of AIDS. The sexual behavior and drug use in the book would be considered suicidal by today’s standards. I can’t help but finding myself wondering if any of the characters were able to survive their proclivities.

The Narration

Sounding more like listening to a radio show than a traditional audio book.

An Overview

Stardust begins in a small English town named Wall, located a night’s drive away from London. Wall is named after an old rock wall to its east, in a small opening leading to a forest. This opening is a portal to the magical world of Faerie. It is carefully guarded by two watchmen at all times, except once every nine years on May Day, when a market comes to the meadow just past the wall.

Main Body

Stardust takes place in a small British town named Wall. The name comes from a rock wall with a small opening that leads to the land of the Fairies. Guarded at all times except for Mayday, no one may pass. The only exception is Mayday every ninth year, when the Fairies bring a market to the meadows just East of the wall.

One Mayday, a man named Dunstan Thorn made the mistake of falling in love with a woman from across the Wall. Next thing you know, he’s the proud father of the infant boy Tristran, left on his doorstop without ceremony. Oblivious to his ancestry, he grows up to be a likeable young man.He repeats his father’s mistake by falling in love with Victoria Forester.

Upon being rejected, he offers to cross over to the other side of the Wall and return with a fallen star for her, if only she will consent to marry him. After crossing the wall, he finds the star and learns that it is Yvaine, a daughter of the moon, knocked out of the sky by a careless Lord. She is being pursued by a witch whose intentions are less than savory.

She and her sisters intend to sacrifice this girl to become young again. Tristran’s loyalties are tested as he finds himself called upon to protect Yvaine. I’ve been a voracious reader since I was about two years old. I spent countless hours at my grandmother’s house reading her copies of Andrew Lang’s fairy books.

I’m always thrilled to find copies of books based on familiar fairy tales from my childhood but with an adult twist. Neil Gaiman’s Stardust is definitely for adult audiences, though it’s not like the erotic tale Claiming of Sleeping Beauty. Much like the pumpkin cheesecake ice cream that I ate while listening to this book, I wanted to share it with my kids, but I didn’t. It’s just a little racy and has a bit of naughty language.

I know that in a few years, they’ll appreciate both. In the meantime, they’re all mine.

The Narration

Neil Gaiman narrates with a soft and tender tone.

An Overview

Take a nostalgic journey to Elmwood Springs, Missouri and follow the happenings of this all-American hometown as its quirky and endearing characters are born, grow up, and fade into old age. This hilarious tribute to small town USA is generally lighthearted and hilarious with a few twinges of sadness that it quickly brushes off.

Flagg presents her characters in Standing in the Rainbow with the nostalgia of an old radio show much like that of Elmwood Springs own Neighbor Dorothy Smith.

Main Body

Broadcast from her own living room with Mother Smith accompanying on the organ Neighbor Dorothy offers kitchen tips, contests, and a peek into the lives of her own family. There’s her husband Doc, the town pharmacist who speculates on the ailments of the town from their prescriptions, teen-age daughter Anna Lee with her host of boyfriends, and mischievous son Bobby, the bubblegum champion.

A revolving door of interesting folks comes to town, some staying, some going, but all leaving a lasting impression. There’s Betty Raye, not a native of Elmwood Springs. The shy member of the Oatman Family Gospel Singers and terrified of singing in public, Betty Raye comes to town and is exchanged for Beatrice Woods, the Little Blind Songbird.

As the book progresses from we meet charming Hamm Sparks, a small town boy who marries Betty Raye and makes it big in Missouri state politics before mysteriously disappearing without a trace. Narrating the story is Beautified Tot Whooten, who makes a better narrator than haircutter, as she introduces the book and occasionally offers commentary on the events of her town and townspeople.

Fans of Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, and, of course, Fannie Flagg’s other books about the heartland, will no doubt enjoy this installment though perhaps not as much as her most popular novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. The number of characters alone will make your head spin and as lovable as they are, it’s hard to distinguish which storyline you should pay the most attention to at any given time.

Standing in the Rainbow is not meant to philosophize on a former way of life. Instead, sit back and enjoy an old-fashioned slice of humor, warmth, and small town gossip.

The Narration

It might be difficult to find, but look for the unabridged version of the audio book by Kate Reading, a recipient of AudioFile’s “Voice of the Century” award.