Soundbites About The Raven Boys

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Narrator: Will Patton
Rating (Story): ★★★★☆
Rating (Narration):★★★☆☆

Accompanying her clairvoyant mother, Blue has never seen a spirit before – until Gansey. As someone who lacks the ability to see spirits, the only reasons for her to see Gansy are if he’s her true love or if she’s the one who will kill him. Determined to avoid either fate, Blue tries to avoid Gansy but is inexplicably drawn to help with a quest in which he’s involved.

Soundbites About Bossypants

Title: Bossypants
Author: Tina Fey
Narrator: Tina Fey
Rating (Story): ★★★★☆
Rating (Narration):★★★★☆

Given how much I loved How To Be a Woman, Bossypants was an obvious choice for my next audiobook. Both are written by a woman who has done well in the entertainment industry; are autobiographies mixed with some strong opinions and advice; and both are narrated by the author. This book was less specifically focused on feminism and being a woman, but that was definitely one of the themes of the book.

The King’s Speech – A Bookish Movie Review

This was one of the rare instances where I saw the movie before I read the book and almost as rarely, it was movie I liked enough to watch twice! It amazes me that a movie about King George VI’s stutter could be so moving and so fascinating. I think two things were done very well that made you feel so invested in the characters lives.

The King’s Speech

Title: The King’s Speech
Editor: Mark Logue and Peter Conradi
Source: library
Rating: ★★★★☆
Fun Fact: Stammering was referenced three times in the book of Isaiah and the Egyptians had a hieroglyph for it.
Review Summary: The amazing use of primary sources made this a moving story and a fascinating historical account.

As the Duke of York a stammer was difficult to live with so a speech therapist was essential. However, many were consulted without results until Lionel Logue, who attributed his progress to the Duke’s hard work and the rapport they established. In fact, the two became not only patient and therapist, but friends. This friendship lasted when the Duke’s older brother unexpectedly abdicated and he became King George VI. Logue’s help was invaluable in allowing the King to perform his duties and both men treasured their friendship throughout their lives.

My Kind of Cat

As soon as I finished reading Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, I immediately jumped into the sequel (a good sign, I think!).  And in the introduction I came across the following quote, which really represented the first book to me: “People appreciate Spencer, Iowa.  They like our cornfields and architecture and they also like what we represent: simplicity, old-fashioned hard work, but also creativity, commitment, and love.”

The Art of Deception

The Art of Deception is written by a hacker (or, as he calls himself, a “social engineer”) and describes the ways in which hackers can exploit human nature to bypass security measures.  The book was hyped as being “like reading the climaxes of a dozen complex thrillers”, but I don’t think it lived up that hype.  Although I found it interesting to read about the clever ways hackers go about getting very classified information, it wasn’t exactly edge-of-your-seat reading.