Susan

Good Storytelling but ... analysis is "eh'

Revisado: 11-04-12

You may note a three-star rating for "overall' and four-star rating for "story' -- which may seem a bit backward. Well ...
the stories of the world's plutocrats are interesting ...
but ...
the analysis is ...
well, maybe it is me. Maybe I just do not understand the terminology being used. I am not a Harvard educated entitled elite -- I attended Rutgers University and the University of Minnesota. And maybe that is why I have a "normal" person's understanding of certain words -- like "liberalization."
To me, "liberal" refers to left leaning policies that lean toward socialism and away from free-market and business-positive policies. However, that is not how "liberalization" is used in this book.
Also, the author has spent decades reporting on the plutocrats, even attending some of the same meetings and conferences they attend. I think she identifies herself as one of them, to some degree, because she enjoys some of the same perks they do.
So, I find her analysis of the situation a bit "off" -- or so it seems to me.
Thankfully I had already listened to other books that touch on subjects mentioned here, so I wasn't lost when they were brought up and also could wonder at her analysis that seemed unaware of these other aspects of the events she refers to. One such book I would recommend is How I Caused the Credit Crunch -- An Insider's Story of the Financial Meltdown by Tetsuya Ishikawa (who worked for Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and ABN AMRO); it describes quite well the truly weird financial instruments and the huge bonuses financiers were making on their sale that led to the financial melt-down -- an understanding one probably needs to understand the basis for the wealth of the lower portion of the 1% ... the so-called "working rich" Freeland refers to in PLUTOCRATS.
And a second negative -- not just of the book but of how many people (economists, at least, talk this way) think -- is the idea that making people "richer" or that increasing their income is actually a measure of progress. Well, I did not state that properly. I mean, to compare the daily wage of someone in China in dollars with an American factory worker's daily wage -- is stupid. Yes, I agree that a daily income of about $2 versus whatever an American makes a day is hugely disparate. But a more honest indicator would be an indication of the daily wage set against a cost-of-living index. Give me those kinds of stats to make your point. Don't just tell me you are making people richer. Though it is a novel, the second or third of Tarquin Hall's "Vish Puri" novels will tell you about the disparity the new wealth is causing -- and imply that this new wealth is causing inflation of prices and introduction of products most Indians cannot afford, and statistics comparing the median income against cost of living just might show that the "making people richer" line is perhaps not true ... ?
Now, having given you my "negative" views -- I do recommend the book, but only if set among other books on similar topics and subjects for a broader view of the analysis. I did learn a lot, though, about how Plutocrats think, where they've come from and some of their influence. Therefore, I do recommend this book with slight reservation. :-)

The narrator is very good except for a few words that were mispronounced. Overall, the narrator does an excellent job.

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Good book but not as good as 1st Maggie Hope book

Revisado: 10-19-12

When I bought the book on the day it was released, I thought "OO, maybe I'll be the first to write a review."
When I finished listening to the book, I thought, "Um ... I hope I'm not the first to write a review; I'll wait a while ..."

Unfortunately, this second Maggie Hope book is not as good as the first.

The narrator for this book is not very good at all. In fact, the opening pages of the book are ... well, I almost gave up even before the real action started, and I wasn't sure if it was just the narrator or not.
Once the action got going, it kept me interested enough to listen to the end.

However ...
It was my own fault ...

This second book has come out so soon after the first book, that I made an assumption. I assumed it would be the same reader as the first book, and did not bother listening to the sample.
I haven't listened to it. So I do not know if it includes any of the voice given to Maggie --
which is far too childish and petulant for someone in her position and of her age.

The action of the story was enough to let me overlook that annoying factor.

But, the few times that Mr. Churchill appears in the novel, I would expect some attempt to be made to sound like him. Nope. He sounds like any gruff older man in any manor house story of early 20th century Britain. Sorry -- that was a very poor decision by the director and producer of this audiobook.
Of course, having a woman try to sound like Churchill is sort of like female Elvis impersonators ... **Shudder**
And, almost any attempt to mimic a Churchillian voice is almost a joke -- but it still needs to be attempted if he speaks in an audiobook.

And the attempts at the few German character voices -- **bigger shudder** -- almost more of a cartoony sounding voice than an honest attempt.

Now, as for the novel itself -- I'm sorry, it is not as good as the first Maggie Hope book. However, it is good. :-)

But, I doubt I will be picking up the third book when it comes out until after at least 10 people review it -- and then, I'll probably try to borrow it from the public library and listen to it before I purchase it. Based on the set up for that book as set down in the final pages / moments of this book -- it's not really something that I think I'll be interested in. Bummer. I really liked the first book and had eagerly anticipated more books about Maggie Hope in the future. **sigh**

Be sure to listen to the sample before you decide to get this as an audiobook. It is a good book -- maybe get the print version. Or if you really want to listen to it -- honestly, if it is available as a Kindle book with the "text-to-voice" option enabled -- you may just prefer that voice ... (I have actually found two books, so far, that I did prefer the text-to-voice version even though it can't handle words like "Mrs." [comes out as "M R S"] or "c'mon" [which comes out as "C Monday"] ...)

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Lots of Loveable Animals in a Touch Situation

Revisado: 09-22-12

Who can resist cute little baby hedgehogs and squirrels? Apparently Lord Husk can.

Urchin's mother comes to Mistmantle as a stowaway on a ship, gives birth and dies. A seagull picks up the newborn squirrel and while flying away with him, drops him accidentally. He is found, unhurt, and named Urchin ...
He grows up to become a page to one of the squirrel Lords and works clear his name when he is accused of murder.

One reviewer (of the book at Amazon) claims to like this series better than Brian Jacques's Redwall series. So, I had high hopes of this book. I should never go to a book with expectations ...

If I had not been prepared to compare it to the Redwall series, I probably would give it the full five stars -- though the death of the mother squirrel at the very beginning of the story probably would have brought the final stars to 4 anyhow.

It was an enjoyable listen ... except ...
one reviewer here says there is something missing from the text (about an hour from the end) ... since I am not familiar with the book version of the story, I cannot comment on that. BUT, it seems to me that something is missing at the end. It seemed a bit too abrupt. I may have to request the book from the Public Library inter-library loan just to check out the final paragraph of the tale.
Otherwise a great listen. Lots of likeable, even loveable, characters; plenty of tension.

A word about the narrator: I've listend to a couple of other books narrated by Andrew Sachs and each time an image of Manuel, the waiter in the 1970s BBC comedy Fawlty Towers (written by and starring John Cleese), comes to mind -- then as I listen, I find it hard to believe it is the same person. :-) Love listening to Sachs' narration.

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Another Fun "Vampire" story from Willis Hall ...

Revisado: 12-18-11

Not being able to find a list of Hall's Vampire books that shows the order of the stories, I had started with "The Vampire's Christmas." I enjoyed that book very much. Audible has only one other of Hall's Vampire novels and this is it. I'm not sure whether there are four, five or six novels in the series (looking at a list of Hall novels at Amazon -- not all had book descriptions).

Anyhow, the two audiobooks available here at Audible have different narrators. I liked the voice chosen for "The Vampire's Christmas" better than the one used here. The Brits have definite ideas of what American's sound like -- Chicago bootleggers of the 1920s, Boston Italians, or New York City Jewish Princesses and their moms. (No ethnic slurs intended here -- it is just these are the stereotypical voices used in the majority of British books that involve characters from the USA.) Here the New York accent is just too much ...

Also, call me a prude or something but I was shocked to hear some of the language that was used in a supposed children's book -- like damn and hell. Not generally accepted words in books for a younger audience. May be okay in a YA book but not a middle grade book (if that is what this is supposed to be). I assumed the Vampire books by Willis Hall are intended for a middle grade audience because of Henry Hollins who features in "The Vampire's Christmas" and a few other Vampire books. Henry does not appear in this story so I am not really sure of the intended audience (except that the publisher of the hardcover edition is Bodley Head Children's Books) ...

Still a fun story. Maybe not as fun as "The Vampire's Christmas." But still a fun listen.

One tiny production error -- toward the end of the book, two characters are said to be in Pennsylvania when they are in fact in Transylvania. ** sigh **

I wish Audible had the other books. A few are available as cassettes tapes at Amazon, but I really prefer the digital audiobooks better (besides it is getting harder to find cassette players!)

Final analysis -- "The Vampire's Christmas" is a better book, but this one is okay.

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Heavy-handed with the "sermon"

Revisado: 12-12-11

Being anti-animal testing is great. It is a good stance to have.

But ...

Well, at the halfway point through the book, (2:41:46), I had decided I hated this book. And it would have gotten one or no stars except that I liked Max the Talking Cat (not giving away anything there, since the book description tells us that a cat "asks" for help) and the 9-year old computer wiz, Ben.

The author needed to make a greater effort to follow the "Show Don't Tell" rule -- to make her point about being anti-animal testing. The story plot and the characters could have pulled off getting that point across in a much more subtle way.

I'm an adult to whom many people might say I'm too old to be listening to kids books. But I love them. Many are so much more inventive than the ones written for the adult audience. And I have two special young friends who read almost as much as I do (in fact, I think one may devour just as many or even more books in a year than I do!) ...
They would agree with me that the heavy-handed handling of the anti-animal testing would keep them from recommending the book to their friends.

Think "101 Dalmatians" -- Was there any overt anti-fur statement in that book or the various movie adaptations? No.

The last 2:41:32 of the book was more action related. However, one character, Ben, the computer wiz, is also a bit of a hacker. Um ... should an author of children's books be condoning hacking and photo-faking? It would have been better if the info the kids gathered was through further sneaky activities (like how they got hold a huge trove of emails) or through legitimate internet searches rather than actual hacking -- especially since the author is also heavy-handed with "teaching" all about internet- and computer-safety concerning passwords and the like.

Most people want to read fiction to be entertained not "taught." Now, if teaching occurs, fine, but I don't want to be aware that the author is really trying to make me "learn" this stuff or share a certain opinion. Subtlety, even when writing for a younger audience that may not do as much abstract thinking as adults or teens do, has got to be better than the sledgehammer approach.

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Another Interesting Concept for a Novel ...

Revisado: 11-28-11

but the execution ...

Maybe it just me. Maybe I am not familiar with books written in this style.

There is little actual dialog, little actual plot. It is almost like someone wrote out their feelings and activities, for a diary entry, about the day the local Red Lobster closed. Yeh, that's it, it's like a diary entry.

Still, it is an interesting story. Last day before the restaurant closes. Staffing problems. Then a snowstorm that keeps away customers. Worrying about the marlin on the wall.

Not a bad book. Not a spectacular book. An okay book. An okay listen. Probably better as a listen than as a read.

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I've discovered a new series ...

Revisado: 11-28-11

Well, this is the second book of the series. But since this one was on sale and sounded like a book I would be interested in, I decided to start here.

Now, I have to go back to the first book and work my way through a series that isn't quite long enough yet. I enjoyed this book a lot. And look forward to each addition to the series in the future.

Okay, I'm not sure that I should compare one series with another by different authors but ... I'm going to.
I started the Stephanie Plum books, by Janet Evanovich, with "Plum Spooky" because I am originally from southern New Jersey and wanted to know Evanovich's "take" on the Pine Barrens. Quickly, I added to my collection from that series, but mostly because I enjoyed all the supporting characters like Lula, Grandma Mazur and Connie. Stephanie -- well, she's the glue that brings together all these fun and wacky people.
However, here, Sophie is an interesting character in herself. Her supporting character friends and family are interesting but aren't the draw here. Sophie holds her own.

Onward to the the rest of this series!

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Dame Agatha at her best (IMHO)

Revisado: 11-28-11

As a fan of Hercule Poirot -- from the TV shows -- when I found the audiobooks, I began to devour them. It is hard to classify one book better or worse than another; they are all very good.

This one, though, has one added advantage -- the Orient Express is caught in a snow bank and Poirot has no access to outside information, such as marriage records in London or Scotland Yard investigation clues. Poirot must rely on his own "little gray cells."

My only complaint -- and this is with most of the Christie novels, whether read by Suchet or Hugh Fraser (who played Hastings in the TV shows) -- is the British concept of the American accent. Ugh. Sorry, but most Americans do not sound like Cagney and other 1930s / 1940s Chicago bootleggers. Otherwise, I enjoy the audio versions of the Hercule Poirot novels and short stories immensely.

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Intriguing Idea

Revisado: 11-23-11

Single librarian turned into vampire.

Hmmm ... has potential.

I'm not really "into" the paranormal fad but recently have found myself indulging in books in the genre.

My husband noticed this one and brought it to my attention. He thought I might find the book summary just "funny" enough to be interested.

And yes, the summary made it sound like a book with a bit of comedy in it.

Librarian gets pink slip with a gift card to a local bar, gets stinking, has car trouble on the way home, decides to walk the rest of the way, gets mistaken for a deer by a poaching shiner. I mean, that is just all flat out almost "silly" and as the premise for a book, should make for a witty and amusing tale.

I was disappointed.

Sure, she is shot, wakes three days later as a vampire, goes home and sees her dead great-aunt who had left her the house in her will, deals with family members who believe that aunt made a big mistake leaving the house to her, deals with family who believe she needs to get a life and find a new job, and deals with the vampire who made her, deals with vampire politics and intrigue when another vampire is actually murdered and is dead for good, plus deals with an old friend who starts attending a support group for friends of "others."

While I grinned at the turn of events toward the very end of the book, I wasn't impressed enough to bother going any further in the series.

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Not sure how Title fits the Story

Revisado: 11-23-11

I may have missed something while listening to this book. But I am not sure where or when Betsy was actually unappreciated in the book. Well, she does mess up with her friends at one point and reaps the cold shoulder consequences of those actions. "Unappreciated" doesn't seem to be the right word to describe that, though. The alliteration in the title is catchy ...

The short summary of the book tells us that Betsy has a half-sister that she didn't know about and there is a prophecy about them both.

Betsy wants to know more and reads from The Books of The Dead for too long with bad consequences. She wants to meet her sister and goes looking for her. Finds her and, well, ... talk about "Minnesota Nice" ... Laura is the walking embodiment of it. Betsy isn't sure she can tell Laura about the prophecy. To make matters even worse, the nightclub is on the verge of bankruptcy. The worst thing, though, is not Betsy's stepmother's pregnancy -- no, it is Betsy's reaction to Sinclair. Her "life," she feels, is really complicated.

Some reviewers here didn't like this addition to the Queen Betsy series. Everyone has their own tastes and is entitled to them. This book is a little bit different. Yet it moves along the overall plot and adds new characters and twists. It is a decent addition to the series.

I was most surprised that the reader/narrator is the same for this third book of the series as for the first two -- I don't remember her voicing of Sinclair being so stilted and "off" in the first two. She does a good job except for Sinclair.

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