Unposted #audiobook reviews of 2016

As the year draws to a close, I realized that I've never posted several audio books that I've reviewed for AudioFile Magazine.

Here they are in no particular order (all titles are linked to my full reviews on AudioFile Magazine)

The Last Execution

by Jesper Wung-Sung 

 

A short YA title based on a true story.

"Surreal would be the best description of this book if only it were not based on truth. In 1853, Denmark exercised the death penalty for a final time, cleaving the head from 15-year-old Niels Nelson."  

A Necklace of Raindrops and Other Stories 

by Joan Aiken

"This collection of eight short stories contains gentle tales of fantasy and magic--not the magic of wizards and wands, but of wishing mats and enormous cats and gifts brought by the winds."

 

 

Lock and Key: The Gadwall Incident 

by Ridley Pearson 

 

"This audiobook is a prequel to the Lock and Key series, a contemporary revision of the Sherlock Holmes canon. "

 

Flying 

by Carrie Jones

 The first in a YA series.

"Kate Reinders narrates this campy story about Mana, a high school cheerleader who finds herself battling aliens in a quest to find her missing mom." 

 

 

Swing Sideways 

by Nanci Turner Steveson

 "Narrator Tara Sands realistically interprets a well-off teen's wry observations of her dysfunctional family and their friends.

 

A Big Dose of Lucky

by Martha Jocelyn 

YA series

"Part of the high-interest series Secrets, this audiobook includes support for reluctant readers through narrator Kelly Pruner's clear diction, easy pacing, and decidedly conversational tone."

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the new Warner Brothers interpretation of Sherlock Holmes.

An older friend of mine warned me that the movie does not measure up to the original. Although he did refer to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I think perhaps, that he was recalling the original screen version of Sherlock Holmes, played by Basil Rathbone in the 1930s and 40s - a tamer portrayal than the current incarnation, to be sure.

In my opinion, however, the current film version does justice to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock, who first appeared in print in the 1890s. Robert Downey, Jr. is alternatingly brilliant, seedy, humorous, indulgent, depraved, and eccentric. The setting, too, is authentic, featuring a squalid, industrial London, dotted with the enclaves of the “haves,” the Grand Hotel, Parliament, upscale restaurants. (My daughter did point out that the exterior views of the Houses of Parliament appeared to be modern images with an overlay of horses and buggies and other period accoutrements. I didn’t notice.) Watson, played by Jude Law is perhaps a bit more dashing and vigorous than Conan Doyle’s original (it is Jude Law after all), but the chemistry and humor between the two is pulsating and energetic.

Also in keeping with the original stories, are two recurring characters, the wily and beautiful Irene Adler, played by Rachel McAdams, and the unseen and mysterious arch-villain, Professor Moriarity.

The movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material. (more humorous than suggestive)

If you prefer your Sherlock Holmes off–screen, I suggest The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes (2005 by Leslie S. Klinger), a hefty volume with extensive notes, historical background, photos, drawings, and a chronological timetable.

Or if you prefer audio, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes I, read brilliantly by David Timson, and produced by Naxos Audiobooks.

Sherlock Holmes in any format is suitable for teens and adults. I'm heartened that the movie has increased the circulation of Sherlock Holmes books at the library. If you've never read one, do. They're short and brilliantly written in the old style of detective novels - fantastical crimes solved through deductive reasoning. Begin with "A Scandal in Bohemia" to acquaint yourself with the mysterious Irene Adler.

Enjoy!