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2025 reviews
The Dark Refrain by Jessica Khoury
4.0
When I see "Audible Original" I think of an audio created for Audible ... not an actual novel (different than "exclusively on Audible"). This series has been marked as an Audible Original, yet I was able to find the first two books in kindle format at my library. I totally recommend the audio version though ... there is a musical touch that is missed if reading on your own.
This third installment does seem to be Audible Only ... no ebook option (I like to have that, while I prefer audio, I like having the words in print to skim over when writing a review). Without having a reference, I'll just have to go off memory (and I didn't write down any notes). I miss being able to see all the punny chapter headings at a glance (unlike the previous installments, only the generic numerical chapters are listed, without their helpful headings ... WHY aren't they included in the Audible TOC?)
The kids have been off for winter break for three weeks, and book 3 picks up upon the return of the students to school. The kids are going on a field trip to Europe (this reminded me a little of Spiderman: No Way Home). Amelia is introduced to the title concept ... the dark refrain. Is it something she has, inherited from her father?
This installment, while still good, felt a little more YA ... a little more crazy action. With some time shifts, it felt a little reminiscent of the Magic Treehouse books, with kids from modern day going back into time. That goes for the "Missing" series by Margaret Peterson Haddix too (the first book sets things up, with the sequels having the kids go back in time). Young Mozart and Marie Antoinette and an electric guitar way before its time (shades of "Back to the Future" and "A Knight's Tale ... just the music and the dance). Desyncranization, a tempest, portals, NBI, save the world.
That's a Rap-sody ... (final chapter heading) ... is this the last installment?
This third installment does seem to be Audible Only ... no ebook option (I like to have that, while I prefer audio, I like having the words in print to skim over when writing a review). Without having a reference, I'll just have to go off memory (and I didn't write down any notes). I miss being able to see all the punny chapter headings at a glance (unlike the previous installments, only the generic numerical chapters are listed, without their helpful headings ... WHY aren't they included in the Audible TOC?)
The kids have been off for winter break for three weeks, and book 3 picks up upon the return of the students to school. The kids are going on a field trip to Europe (this reminded me a little of Spiderman: No Way Home). Amelia is introduced to the title concept ... the dark refrain. Is it something she has, inherited from her father?
This installment, while still good, felt a little more YA ... a little more crazy action. With some time shifts, it felt a little reminiscent of the Magic Treehouse books, with kids from modern day going back into time. That goes for the "Missing" series by Margaret Peterson Haddix too (the first book sets things up, with the sequels having the kids go back in time). Young Mozart and Marie Antoinette and an electric guitar way before its time (shades of "Back to the Future" and "A Knight's Tale ... just the music and the dance). Desyncranization, a tempest, portals, NBI, save the world.
That's a Rap-sody ... (final chapter heading) ... is this the last installment?
The Midnight Orchestra by Jessica Khoury
4.0
I was happy to come into the series after three+ books were out (is that it?) I don't always want to continue on with a series back to back, but I like to have the option. Here, I started the second book (also included in AudiblePlus, it is an AudibleOriginal, exclusive) immediately after finishing the first (and I've read the third before getting around to writing this review).
I like that all three stories, while continuing and connected, have their own storyline. Book 1 wrapped up with Amelia connecting with her mother, saving the school, and being revealed as a composer. Here, the kids have had summer break and are back at the school.
Enter ... Amelia Jones. The other Amelia Jones (the "real" one per se). Also, as the title indicates, there is the Midnight Orchestra, with a mysterious conductor/Necromuse who may have evil plans.
This matched the first installment, same narrator (she's great) and the background music adding ambience to the audio edition. The punny chapter headings (and here, there were chronological chapters as well as headings, something the first book lacked).
There was a "Pitch Perfect" feel ... a competition between schools.
A little time manipulation ... baby Jai.
The reveal ... I was pretty much expecting that, and there was an event to set up further adventures, while bringing this conflict to a conclusion.
1st person/present tense. YA - no content concerns.
I like that all three stories, while continuing and connected, have their own storyline. Book 1 wrapped up with Amelia connecting with her mother, saving the school, and being revealed as a composer. Here, the kids have had summer break and are back at the school.
Enter ... Amelia Jones. The other Amelia Jones (the "real" one per se). Also, as the title indicates, there is the Midnight Orchestra, with a mysterious conductor/Necromuse who may have evil plans.
This matched the first installment, same narrator (she's great) and the background music adding ambience to the audio edition. The punny chapter headings (and here, there were chronological chapters as well as headings, something the first book lacked).
There was a "Pitch Perfect" feel ... a competition between schools.
A little time manipulation ... baby Jai.
The reveal ... I was pretty much expecting that, and there was an event to set up further adventures, while bringing this conflict to a conclusion.
1st person/present tense. YA - no content concerns.
The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury
slow-paced
5.0
I was looking for something in Audible's PLUS catalog that was NOT also available at the library ... this is an exclusive (although I was able to grab the Kindle copy from the library). YA ... but I thoroughly enjoyed this. I think the audio edition really has the edge. Great narration, but it's the music that really makes the difference. Now, normally I don't care for music in audiobooks - random music at the beginning/end or chapter changes. Annoying! Here though, it was part of the story and added SO much. When it mentioned the tune of "itsy bitsy spider" and then that was heard there playing in the background ... and then there were full fledged classical orchestrations. Perfect balance though, the music never overwhelmed the narration.
Told in a very conversational 1st person/present tense ... the first line is "It's harder to charm a chicken than you might think" as that's what our MC is doing as the book starts up. In this world, music is magical, play a tune and it's a spell for all sorts of things, even coaxing a chicken to to come out from her hiding place.
Many comparisons to Harry Potter ... our MC does end up at a school for the musically gifted, learning more about music and magic. For me, it reminded me of E.E.Holmes books (The Gateway Trilogy ... older girls going to a school to learn magic. The boy side-kick had some similarities too).
This was pretty light and fun, although there were some serious and sad moments too ... every chapter heading is a play on words/punny (Catch Us If You Cannon, Nothing But Treble, Overture and Out). No numerical chapters listed, just the headers ... I like to have both.
There were some additional pictures in the kindle/print copy (matches the cover illustration).
I can see there are two sequels and a prequel ... I plan on continuing on. Immediately ;)
Told in a very conversational 1st person/present tense ... the first line is "It's harder to charm a chicken than you might think" as that's what our MC is doing as the book starts up. In this world, music is magical, play a tune and it's a spell for all sorts of things, even coaxing a chicken to to come out from her hiding place.
Many comparisons to Harry Potter ... our MC does end up at a school for the musically gifted, learning more about music and magic. For me, it reminded me of E.E.Holmes books (The Gateway Trilogy ... older girls going to a school to learn magic. The boy side-kick had some similarities too).
This was pretty light and fun, although there were some serious and sad moments too ... every chapter heading is a play on words/punny (Catch Us If You Cannon, Nothing But Treble, Overture and Out). No numerical chapters listed, just the headers ... I like to have both.
There were some additional pictures in the kindle/print copy (matches the cover illustration).
I can see there are two sequels and a prequel ... I plan on continuing on. Immediately ;)
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
4.25
This was recommended to me highly by my SIL and I liked this a lot. It would be one I'd recommend to my boys (if they were reading) or for a family listen together. The timing for me was interesting, as this same month I read another YA where the MC's parents had been killed in an accident (Counting by 7s). My next book is also a YA (The Mystwick School of Musicraft ) where the MC's mother died and her dad is is gone. What's up with all these young kids and their parents?
I've always liked mythology, and here, the MC's name is Hercules. His brother is Achilles ... apparently their parents liked mythology too. A school assignment has young Hercules writing up how the famous twelve labors of Hercules might be performed today. The "recognition of the relevance of these Labors, how they connect to your own life." It's a big assignment, but it's a year long one, and all the kids have a big mythological challenge.
The first two chapters of the book introduce the characters and the situation ... I'm who who notes POV and tense. It's all 1st person, very conversational, with Hercules talking to US, the reader. It's mostly past tense, but it slides a little, especially at the start, from present, and even futuristic. That confused me a bit ("this fall, I'm going to the Cape Cod Academy" ... then same chapter "so that's why on the last day of August I walked on my own two feet to the seven o'clock Cape Cod Academy Orientation" and then same chapter delved into the first day of school ... it just seems like it should have all been past tense?)
After those first two chapters, the remaining chapters are the "Labors of Hercules" ... The Nemean Lion, The Hydra, The Hind, The Boar of Erymanthus, The Augean Stables, The Birds of Stymphalus, The Cretan Bull, The Mares of Diomedes, The Belt of Hippolyta, The Cattle of Geryon, The Golden Apples of the Hesperides, Cerberus. I feel like I have a decent background in mythology, but I wasn't that familiar with ALL twelve labors (certain ones are more memorable, have been addressed more in other books/movies, etc). It was really interesting how the author (and Hercules) came up with present day correlations.
I was attached to the characters ... like several other books, it has a group of people coming together, helping, growing. There were times I was hit emotionally.
Listening to the audio, it was very obvious how often "said" was said ... he said, she said, he said, she said. 1083 times in a 350 page book. It was grating at times. I'm not sure of the time setting, I think it was contemporary, but it seemed like 12-year old Hercules and friends were in a lot of situations that weren't the average daily activities for a 7th grader.
I've always liked mythology, and here, the MC's name is Hercules. His brother is Achilles ... apparently their parents liked mythology too. A school assignment has young Hercules writing up how the famous twelve labors of Hercules might be performed today. The "recognition of the relevance of these Labors, how they connect to your own life." It's a big assignment, but it's a year long one, and all the kids have a big mythological challenge.
The first two chapters of the book introduce the characters and the situation ... I'm who who notes POV and tense. It's all 1st person, very conversational, with Hercules talking to US, the reader. It's mostly past tense, but it slides a little, especially at the start, from present, and even futuristic. That confused me a bit ("this fall, I'm going to the Cape Cod Academy" ... then same chapter "so that's why on the last day of August I walked on my own two feet to the seven o'clock Cape Cod Academy Orientation" and then same chapter delved into the first day of school ... it just seems like it should have all been past tense?)
After those first two chapters, the remaining chapters are the "Labors of Hercules" ... The Nemean Lion, The Hydra, The Hind, The Boar of Erymanthus, The Augean Stables, The Birds of Stymphalus, The Cretan Bull, The Mares of Diomedes, The Belt of Hippolyta, The Cattle of Geryon, The Golden Apples of the Hesperides, Cerberus. I feel like I have a decent background in mythology, but I wasn't that familiar with ALL twelve labors (certain ones are more memorable, have been addressed more in other books/movies, etc). It was really interesting how the author (and Hercules) came up with present day correlations.
I was attached to the characters ... like several other books, it has a group of people coming together, helping, growing. There were times I was hit emotionally.
Listening to the audio, it was very obvious how often "said" was said ... he said, she said, he said, she said. 1083 times in a 350 page book. It was grating at times. I'm not sure of the time setting, I think it was contemporary, but it seemed like 12-year old Hercules and friends were in a lot of situations that weren't the average daily activities for a 7th grader.
Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez
4.25
This was really cute and I absolutely enjoyed it. Packed a lot in for a novella ... I haven't tried any of the others in Amazon's "Meet Cute" collection, but had just finished another book by this author so I figured I'd give this one a go too. In audio ... that's actually a bit of an issue, listening to the audio back to back, because, as talented as Zachary Webber is ... it's a little hard to have him be a character in one book, then be someone else (he sounds the same!)
In addition to the male character sounding the same, the situation felt a little familiar to Just for the Summer ... with the two characters corresponding in writing for a bit, before ever meeting in person.
Included as part of Amazon Prime - Kindle and audio included.
In addition to the male character sounding the same, the situation felt a little familiar to Just for the Summer ... with the two characters corresponding in writing for a bit, before ever meeting in person.
Included as part of Amazon Prime - Kindle and audio included.
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
4.0
This is an anthology of eight short stories ... it seems most people have picked this up because of the link between the story "Story of Your Life" which was adapted into the movie "Arrival". I happened upon the author and his stories because of [book:Uglies|24770] ... which I read many years ago, and then again more recently when it was part of my son's school study. I noticed a dedication "This novel was shaped by a series of email exchanges between myself and Ted Chiang about his story 'Liking What You See: A Documentary.' His input on the manuscript was also invaluable." THAT is what made me look up that story, and found it was included in this compilation. I was able to find the audio on Hoopla, and a Kindle copy on Libby.
Two narrators on audio - one male, one female. The first two stories were the male narrator, while the second two were the female narrator, and there just wasn't really a break or notice as one story ended and another started. I'm not a fan of music interludes, but this needed SOMETHING in the audio (or if they had switched up the stories so it was male/female/male/female ...) Hoopla's display was also entirely lacking, no table of contents or notification of where you were (which story). With Amazon's short story collections, I don't always read all of them, but I read all the ones here ...
Tower of Babylon: This one was okay ... the biblical idea of building a tower, I struggled a bit with the names (Hillalum, Nanni, Elam, Karun, Beli, Lugatum, Yahweh, Kudda, Damquiya, Ahuni, ) I think perhaps I was working so hard trying to remember the names and who was who that I didn't pay enough attention to the story. I didn't quite follow (build up, hit a roof? vault? Now have to dig? resivoir - swimming to heaven?) People living on the tower, never going down to the land/earth below. "Their labor would not reveal to them any more of Creation than they already knew. Yet through their endeavor, men would glimpse God's work."
Understand: This one was interesting ... a bit of a "Flowers for Algernon" feel, but except going from a mental handicap to brilliance, this went from regular to beyond brilliant after a hormone therapy after an accident. Regrowing neurons, increased intelligence to genius levels. There is a danger in an individual becoming SO smart ... pulling back (but now the patient has progressed too far to agree to this). But he's not alone ... there is another. Who will win the battle of the brain?
Division by Zero: This one was a little (okay, a lot) "mathy" ... too much so. I didn't really understand the equation or its impact. The presentation was interesting though. There were nine sections, each started with a general idea, then did (a) her side and then (b) his side. The final one is 9A=9B. Her side is how she's lost belief in the world/life because of this mathematical proof that underlies everything ... his is how his reality has changed, because he has fallen out of love with her.
Story of Your Life: This is the one that "Arrival" is based on. I watched the movie years ago and loved it. This shifted from a very strange first person POV/present tense ... ish, sometimes a little past-ish, sometimes future-ish (talking about different times as if they are yet to happen, talking TO a person, her daughter) to a first person/past tense telling the story of Louise Banks and the aliens. Made me want to watch the movie again.
Seventy-Two Letters: This short story centered on automatons ... I have read a few "golem" stories, parts here sounded a little like modern-day issues (replacing humans with AI/mechanics). It got a little too scientific, with genetics ... I struggled a bit to follow. Hit on the idea of the government controlling who could have children, comparing men (the assassin) to an automata (just doing what they are told). I didn't quite get the whole "name" thing...
The Evolution of Human Science: very short ... barely remember this one ... does bring up the question, if you could augment your child's brain (has to be in before birth) ... do you? Your child would be "metahuman" and grown beyond your own comprehension, or do you not, and is that "deprivation"?
Hell Is the Absence of God: This made me think of "The Boys" a little ... there, SuperHEROES, they are wonderful, right? But sometimes bad things happen around them too. Here, it's angels. There are visitations, where there are healings and blessings, but sometimes causalities from their appearances also. Interesting views of heaven and hell (hell not being some horrid place, just without God) ... the thought "if he had to choose between going to Hell while Sarah went to Heaven, or having both of them go to Hell together, he would choose the latter; he would rather she be exiled from God than separated from him." Sad ending ...
Liking What You See: A Documentary: This story was the reason I picked up this compilation (as mentioned above). I really liked the presentation (the documentary take, the different POVs and voices) and the story itself ... more than Uglies ;) So many interesting things to think about ...
Two narrators on audio - one male, one female. The first two stories were the male narrator, while the second two were the female narrator, and there just wasn't really a break or notice as one story ended and another started. I'm not a fan of music interludes, but this needed SOMETHING in the audio (or if they had switched up the stories so it was male/female/male/female ...) Hoopla's display was also entirely lacking, no table of contents or notification of where you were (which story). With Amazon's short story collections, I don't always read all of them, but I read all the ones here ...
Tower of Babylon: This one was okay ... the biblical idea of building a tower, I struggled a bit with the names (Hillalum, Nanni, Elam, Karun, Beli, Lugatum, Yahweh, Kudda, Damquiya, Ahuni, ) I think perhaps I was working so hard trying to remember the names and who was who that I didn't pay enough attention to the story. I didn't quite follow (build up, hit a roof? vault? Now have to dig? resivoir - swimming to heaven?) People living on the tower, never going down to the land/earth below. "Their labor would not reveal to them any more of Creation than they already knew. Yet through their endeavor, men would glimpse God's work."
Understand: This one was interesting ... a bit of a "Flowers for Algernon" feel, but except going from a mental handicap to brilliance, this went from regular to beyond brilliant after a hormone therapy after an accident. Regrowing neurons, increased intelligence to genius levels. There is a danger in an individual becoming SO smart ... pulling back (but now the patient has progressed too far to agree to this). But he's not alone ... there is another. Who will win the battle of the brain?
Division by Zero: This one was a little (okay, a lot) "mathy" ... too much so. I didn't really understand the equation or its impact. The presentation was interesting though. There were nine sections, each started with a general idea, then did (a) her side and then (b) his side. The final one is 9A=9B. Her side is how she's lost belief in the world/life because of this mathematical proof that underlies everything ... his is how his reality has changed, because he has fallen out of love with her.
Story of Your Life: This is the one that "Arrival" is based on. I watched the movie years ago and loved it. This shifted from a very strange first person POV/present tense ... ish, sometimes a little past-ish, sometimes future-ish (talking about different times as if they are yet to happen, talking TO a person, her daughter) to a first person/past tense telling the story of Louise Banks and the aliens. Made me want to watch the movie again.
Seventy-Two Letters: This short story centered on automatons ... I have read a few "golem" stories, parts here sounded a little like modern-day issues (replacing humans with AI/mechanics). It got a little too scientific, with genetics ... I struggled a bit to follow. Hit on the idea of the government controlling who could have children, comparing men (the assassin) to an automata (just doing what they are told). I didn't quite get the whole "name" thing...
The Evolution of Human Science: very short ... barely remember this one ... does bring up the question, if you could augment your child's brain (has to be in before birth) ... do you? Your child would be "metahuman" and grown beyond your own comprehension, or do you not, and is that "deprivation"?
Hell Is the Absence of God: This made me think of "The Boys" a little ... there, SuperHEROES, they are wonderful, right? But sometimes bad things happen around them too. Here, it's angels. There are visitations, where there are healings and blessings, but sometimes causalities from their appearances also. Interesting views of heaven and hell (hell not being some horrid place, just without God) ... the thought "if he had to choose between going to Hell while Sarah went to Heaven, or having both of them go to Hell together, he would choose the latter; he would rather she be exiled from God than separated from him." Sad ending ...
Liking What You See: A Documentary: This story was the reason I picked up this compilation (as mentioned above). I really liked the presentation (the documentary take, the different POVs and voices) and the story itself ... more than Uglies ;) So many interesting things to think about ...
The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
4.75
This was mentioned at my local bookclub, and I looked it up. There is no kindle or audio, and it seems out-of-print, some price gouging for physical copies. I looked at my library though, and they had a copy, so I checked it out. It's a bit of a "I would have LOVED this had I read it as a child" and overall sentimental rating (ironic, as this is my first read of it).
This reminded me of "The Great Brain" series a little, focusing on the lives of young kids with a lot less parental supervision than most kids have now ;) I was thinking maybe they had the same illustrator (but no, GB is Mercer Mayer, this is Maurice Sendak, both do have a lot of well known and classic illustrations to their name). Having Dutch ancestry, this was fun also.
I really enjoyed getting to know the children, and their quest, and how each ended up interacting with other people in the town, and learning things and growing and working together toward a common goal. It really was uplifting and such a sweet story.
Not absolutely chronological, as the kids went their separate ways, and so we'd hear part of a story featuring one character (all 3rd person omniscient POV), then show another character, with some overlap (so sometimes we already knew what had happened for a portion).
I don't know if I'll get around to reading this again, but I wouldn't mind having a copy for my bookshelves. It would be one I'd read to grandchildren ... if I had them (not yet).
Chapters ... (1) Do You Know About Storks (2) To Wonder Why (3) Wagon Wheel (4) Jella and the Farmer (5) Pier and Dirk and the Cherry Tree (6) Eelka and the Ancient Wheel (7) Aaka and the Tin Man (8) Lina and the Upturned Boat (9) The Wheel Rim (10) Wagon in the Sea (11) The Storm and the Storks (12) The Wheel on the School (13) Flotsam and Jetsam (14) The Tots in the Tower (15) Storks in the Sea ... I have to say I quite like a TOC with headings, that I can glance over and fully be reminded of the story and which chapter any specific information takes place.
Quotes -
"That's the trouble with being twins - if you don't know something, you don't know it double."
"... but first to dream and then to do - isn't that the way to make a dream come true?"
This reminded me of "The Great Brain" series a little, focusing on the lives of young kids with a lot less parental supervision than most kids have now ;) I was thinking maybe they had the same illustrator (but no, GB is Mercer Mayer, this is Maurice Sendak, both do have a lot of well known and classic illustrations to their name). Having Dutch ancestry, this was fun also.
I really enjoyed getting to know the children, and their quest, and how each ended up interacting with other people in the town, and learning things and growing and working together toward a common goal. It really was uplifting and such a sweet story.
Not absolutely chronological, as the kids went their separate ways, and so we'd hear part of a story featuring one character (all 3rd person omniscient POV), then show another character, with some overlap (so sometimes we already knew what had happened for a portion).
I don't know if I'll get around to reading this again, but I wouldn't mind having a copy for my bookshelves. It would be one I'd read to grandchildren ... if I had them (not yet).
Chapters ... (1) Do You Know About Storks (2) To Wonder Why (3) Wagon Wheel (4) Jella and the Farmer (5) Pier and Dirk and the Cherry Tree (6) Eelka and the Ancient Wheel (7) Aaka and the Tin Man (8) Lina and the Upturned Boat (9) The Wheel Rim (10) Wagon in the Sea (11) The Storm and the Storks (12) The Wheel on the School (13) Flotsam and Jetsam (14) The Tots in the Tower (15) Storks in the Sea ... I have to say I quite like a TOC with headings, that I can glance over and fully be reminded of the story and which chapter any specific information takes place.
Quotes -
"That's the trouble with being twins - if you don't know something, you don't know it double."
"... but first to dream and then to do - isn't that the way to make a dream come true?"
The Rosie Result: 3 by Graeme Simsion, Dan O'Grady
3.75
Wrapped up this series. I liked it. Here, it has jumped forward about 10 years from where the last book ended. Don and Rosie are still together, raising their son Hudson. Is Hudson autistic (is Don?) ... much of the book circles around this question, and the pros and cons to its answer (whether yes or no).
I had the kindle copy, but didn't really refer to it (checked proFanity ... x 16, some talk of sexual stuff). Despite some serious discussion of autism, this was a "light" read for me, just for enjoyment. There were a couple quotes to save ...
“I had observed that neurotypicals criticized autistic people for lacking empathy… but seldom made any effort to improve their own empathy towards autistic people.”
“It’s better to learn from people who have had to work hard to achieve their skills, rather than the naturally talented.”
“None of us is expert in all situations. It is a sign of intelligence to recognize our limitations and of maturity to seek help when required.”
Went with the audio edition - same narrator, which is good, as his voice IS Don at this point. I did not care for his voicing of Hudson though. It sounded like an old man most of the time, not an 11 year old boy.
I was happy this series was readily available from the library, and that I could get all three books for back-to-back consumption.
I had the kindle copy, but didn't really refer to it (checked proFanity ... x 16, some talk of sexual stuff). Despite some serious discussion of autism, this was a "light" read for me, just for enjoyment. There were a couple quotes to save ...
“I had observed that neurotypicals criticized autistic people for lacking empathy… but seldom made any effort to improve their own empathy towards autistic people.”
“It’s better to learn from people who have had to work hard to achieve their skills, rather than the naturally talented.”
“None of us is expert in all situations. It is a sign of intelligence to recognize our limitations and of maturity to seek help when required.”
Went with the audio edition - same narrator, which is good, as his voice IS Don at this point. I did not care for his voicing of Hudson though. It sounded like an old man most of the time, not an 11 year old boy.
I was happy this series was readily available from the library, and that I could get all three books for back-to-back consumption.
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion
3.0
This didn't pick up RIGHT after the first book ended, but some months later. I don't think it's a spoiler (it's in the blurb) but this one is dealing mostly with Rosie's pregnancy, and how they are both dealing with it. The other characters have their issues too. Still some humor, but more seriousness, larger consequences. I get frustrated with characters misunderstanding, and there is that here.
Per peeks at several other reviews, many dislike Rosie. It is a tough situation, and marriage today does seem like a "temporary" thing so much of the time. It's hard? Not working? Just walk away. I know there is life/happiness after divorce too, I guess it's hard to know when it's worth it to fight, to stay true to vows and promises. Rosie and Don aren't the only ones struggling.
Went with the audio - Don is Australian, and there is a slight accent, but it's not super strong. Much of the action takes place in the US in this installment (as far as other character's voices).
Like the first - proFanity, slight mentions of sex/nothing explicit.
I am going on to book 3 ...
Per peeks at several other reviews, many dislike Rosie. It is a tough situation, and marriage today does seem like a "temporary" thing so much of the time. It's hard? Not working? Just walk away. I know there is life/happiness after divorce too, I guess it's hard to know when it's worth it to fight, to stay true to vows and promises. Rosie and Don aren't the only ones struggling.
Went with the audio - Don is Australian, and there is a slight accent, but it's not super strong. Much of the action takes place in the US in this installment (as far as other character's voices).
Like the first - proFanity, slight mentions of sex/nothing explicit.
I am going on to book 3 ...
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
3.5
I liked this. 3.5 stars. A little more humor and light-heartedness, which was needed after several serious/sad reads recently. The sequels are available, so I will continue on.
Maybe the timing wasn't the best, reading this in the same month as "Counting By 7s" - both feature a brilliant, but socially awkward, abnormal individual. Here, it's a grown man, in "Counting by 7s" it's a a 12-year old girl, so ... still different despite the similarities of the MC.
I went with the audio edition ... it took a little bit to get into the story. Don and his idiosyncrasies grew on me. There was a lot of humor mixed in. Nothing really profound, I didn't feel the need to take notes or make highlights (I did have the kindle copy on hand). There are a lot of quotes saved by others in the GoodReads quotes section though. Just an easy/enjoyable book. There were some "reading group guide" questions which did add a little thought afterward ...
Profanity (x33) and some mention of sex, nothing explicit.
Maybe the timing wasn't the best, reading this in the same month as "Counting By 7s" - both feature a brilliant, but socially awkward, abnormal individual. Here, it's a grown man, in "Counting by 7s" it's a a 12-year old girl, so ... still different despite the similarities of the MC.
I went with the audio edition ... it took a little bit to get into the story. Don and his idiosyncrasies grew on me. There was a lot of humor mixed in. Nothing really profound, I didn't feel the need to take notes or make highlights (I did have the kindle copy on hand). There are a lot of quotes saved by others in the GoodReads quotes section though. Just an easy/enjoyable book. There were some "reading group guide" questions which did add a little thought afterward ...
Profanity (x33) and some mention of sex, nothing explicit.