Lisa Gardner's Hide Makes for an Amazing Audiobook Experience

My relationship with Lisa Gardner's books started long ago with an audiobook I picked up on a whim from my local library. It's been kind of rocky -- not in literary terms (I love her books), but in terms of my ability to read her series books in order. Seriously, I don't know what my problem is, and it drives me crazy to read books out of order. Yet I continue to do it, but only with her books! Here's a quick timeline of my failure with Gardner's books:

• December 2009: Listen to audiobook of Gone (#5 in FBI Profiler series). (Yes, that's right. Fifth!)
• January 2010: Realize that I have read books in a series out of order. Panic ensues. List every book in her FBI Profiler series in order -- on my blog!)
• May 2010: Listen to audiobook of The Neighbor (#3 in D. D. Warren series). (Again!? The same author. Different series. Totally out of order. Plus side? It's one of my best reads of 2010.)
• December 2010: Start to listen to audiobook of Hide (#2 in D. D. Warren series). (There are no words. How could this happen for a third time?!)
• February 2011: Read Kindle version of Alone (#1 in D. D. Warren series). Amazon had it on sale for $0.99. Ahh. The calmness that comes from reading a series in order (as opposed, of course, to out of order -- the way I had been reading Gardner's books).
• March 2011: Finished listening to audiobook of Hide (#2 in D. D. Warren series). At last!
• Spring/ Summer 2011: Purchase Audible audiobooks of Live to Tell (#4 in D. D. Warren series) and Love You More (#5 in D. D. Warren series). They're loaded on my iPod and ready for listening. By the pool, in the car, as I garden -- whatever. Super excited. 

Not only does Gardner write thrillers full of suspense that are perfect for listening, but her books are read by an amazing voice actor -- Kirsten Potter. Voice on an audiobook is almost more important than the book itself. A great voice actor can turn a so-so book into something special. Likewise, a boring voice can turn a wonderful book into a ho-hum, excruciating-to-listen-to DNF (did not finish). (For example, the audio version of The Hunger Games is terrible! No inflection or change in tone. I bought it on Audible without listening to a preview -- mistake -- and my students refused to listen to what they described as a "robot" reading it.)

Hide is the second novel in Gardner's D. D. Warren series. This series is interesting in that D. D. is a recurring character throughout the series, but never truly a "main" character. Gardner writes her novels from various perspectives, and the audio versions always reflect that. Potter is joined by different people on each of the Gardner books I've heard, and they read varying chapters depending on the narrator. Gardner, interestingly enough, writes much of her books in third person -- the sections with Warren, anyway. First-person perspective is usually saved for a character unique to one particular book, rather than a character who appears in the whole series.

In that way, Gardner's series novels almost read as standalone books. Almost but not quite, because there is some progression in plot and in character development, both of Warren and of state police officer Bobby Dodge. Dodge factored hugely into the first novel in the series, Alone. He appears again as a large part of the action in Hide.

Decades ago, Catherine Gagnon was kidnapped and held hostage in an underground room dug from the earth. Her kidnapper was caught and brought to justice. Alone dealt with Catherine's present-day life and Dodge's involvement in her husband's death. In Hide Catherine is long gone to Arizona, and Dodge has returned to the police force. He and D. D. catch a case that seems hauntingly familiar to Catherine's childhood kidnapping. Several bodies are found in an underground holding cell on the grounds of an old state mental hospital. All signs point to Catherine's abductor as the culprit, but there's one small problem: he was imprisoned long before these girls disappeared.

Although the bodies found is the main case for D. D. and Dodge, Gardner also includes a fabulous side story -- which, in my opinion, is actually the star of this novel. Annabelle Granger has returned to the Boston area after a lifetime on the run. Her father took their family away from Boston decades ago, and their family assumed one name after another in one town after another. After her father's death, Annabelle craves normalcy. She returns to Boston, unaware of her father's reasons for leading his family around the country. When it is discovered that a necklace on one of the girls found has Annabelle's name on it, she is pulled into a family history more bizarre than she had ever dreamed.

Hide was a highly entertaining audiobook. I look forward to listening to Gardner's two latest D. D. Warren series novels this spring and summer. One thing is certain -- Gardner definitely has the ability to pull her readers into her novels and not let them go until the last word is read (or spoken). Hide kept me up nights, and probably contributed to some crazy dreams, but it was all worth it in the end.

Catching Fire Blazes Katniss Back Into the Spotlight (You Have to Read These Books!)

Suzanne Collins took the book world by storm with the first novel in her Hunger Games trilogy, aptly named The Hunger Games (for my review of it, go here). She ended the first novel with somewhat of a cliffhanger; thus, the second and then the third novels in the series.

Catching Fire is the second novel in the series, and picks up directly where The Hunger Games left off. (NOTE: You should probably stop reading this post if you haven't yet read The Hunger Games. I'll try not to spoil the trilogy for you, but it's difficult not to give away at least some of the plot from the first book in discussion of the second novel within a trilogy. Suffice it to say both books are amazing -- as is Mockingjay, in spite of the bad press it received. So, go out and read them immediately! They are perfect weekend reads, beach reads, middle-of-the-week reads -- anytime reads.) Now, back to Catching Fire:

When Katniss and Peeta survive the Hunger Games in the first novel, it is a first in the history of Panem. Previously, no two tributes were ever allowed to survive together. But Katniss changed that with her actions at the end of the first novel. Historically, winning tributes have been glorified in both their Districts and in the Capitol. However, Katniss moved herself into an enemy position when she forced the Capitol's hand and saved both her own life and Peeta's. As a result, she is less glorified and more disdained. The people of Panem -- and of District 12 -- are not in on this fact. The battle is a private one between Katniss and President Snow.

So Katniss and her family move into the tribute neighborhood, a housing subdivision with nice homes and 24-hour electricity. They also have all the food they can eat. Katniss, however, is less than happy. She fears President Snow, and she has also forced herself into the spotlight. This makes hunting difficult if not impossible. Additionally, her love life is no picnic. Gale sought a job at the mines, so he is often unavailable; even if that weren't true, they live very different lives. Peeta is also at odds with Katniss, after he figured out that her affection during the Games was only a ploy to win over the audience and help them survive. So for the most part, Katniss is lonely. Lonely for her old way of life, difficult thought it may have been, and lonely for companionship.

I found myself bored with the beginning of Catching Fire. It seemed to drag on forever with little conflict to drive either the plot or the characters. However, once the Quarter Quell is announced and Katniss begins traveling as part of the lead-up to the next Games, things get more interesting. I also loved that the plot required Katniss and Peeta to interact in the second half especially. While some think Peeta is a less-than-masculine, poor substitute for Gale, I happen to love his character. What some readers infer as whiny, I see as genuine. I also think Peeta contains a quiet strength, rather than an outward physical strength.

Katniss is also unlikable in her depressive state at the beginning of the novel. Having never found myself in a life-or-death situation like the Hunger Games, however, I don't find myself in a place to judge her resulting feelings. Halfway through the novel, she became much more enjoyable a character, though. She is, truly, the "girl on fire", in more ways than one. Although much of the dialogue, setting, and even plot seems similar once the second Hunger Games in the series begins, Collins also manages to add enough newness to the story that Catching Fire is worthy of reading after the fantastic The Hunger Games. As one teacher I work with put it, "You really just want to know what happens to the characters."

The ending, in true Collins style, is every bit as exciting as Katniss's Shakespearean moment in the first novel. I'm not sure how readers of Catching Fire when it was first released stood the not-knowing. I, for one, am glad that all three books in the trilogy had already been released so that I could read them in quick succession. Coming up in the near future, my thoughts on Mockingjay.

Don't miss Book News on Fridays, which lately have featured stories about the progress being made on The Hunger Games movies. Jennifer Lawerence was cast as Katniss, news which was great to me (I loved her in Winter's Bone), but disappointing to some. The film will be released in 2012, and should be followed by movie versions of both Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont is Chick Lit at Its Best. Thank You, Lauren Weisberger!

The only book I've read lately in a matter of hours was Lauren Weisberger's latest novel Last Night at Chateau Marmont. Yes, Weisberger is the writer of The Devil Wears Prada, which I would assume most people know through the Anne Hathaway film based on the book. While I did like the film version, the book (as they usually are) was much better. I loved the book; recognized the people in the book. (Not actually -- just the type.)

In college, I worked at a high-end women's clothing boutique. We featured small designers like Tracy Reese, Susana Monaco, Nanette Lepore; a few bigger names like Max Studio, BCBG, and Diane Von Furstenberg; and denim by (the now defunct) Blue Cult, AG, and Paper Denim & Cloth. Not to mention fabulous tees by James Perse and candles by Tocca. I list all those to say: I knew people who were like the characters in The Devil Wears Prada. The fashion-obsessed. The demanding. The "with it". Even for those unfamiliar with the labels peppered throughout, Weisberger's first novel was a delight.

With her next novel -- Everyone Worth Knowing -- Weisberger delved into the PR world as she did with the fashion world in The Devil Wears Prada. I ate it up; Bette Robinson was almost as likable a main character as Devil's Andrea Sachs (a.k.a. Anne Hathaway). Weisberger almost lost my fandom with her third novel Chasing Harry Winston. I didn't despise it (as many critics did), but I certainly didn't enjoy it, either.

So fast-forward to 2010 and the release of Weisberger's latest novel Last Night at Chateau Marmont. As has been her pattern with her books, Weisberger picks a theme and sticks with it -- in this case, the recording industry. (Previously: Devil - fashion world; Everyone - PR world; Chasing - er, socialite world?) As she did with the fashion industry and the PR world, Weisberger knocks it out of the park with this novel-disguised-as-social-commentary.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont is the story of a couple -- Brooke and Julian. Brooke is a nutritionist at a local hospital who loves what she does, and she's good at it. She's been breaking her back, working two jobs for several years, so that she can support her other half. Julian worked as an intern at Sony, got a recording deal, and has slowly been recording an album -- for no pay, of course. In fact, his "deal" that seemed like a lot of money has actually put them more into debt, what with studio fees and the salary that goes to his new manager.

As Julian wraps his record, though, an amazing thing starts to happen -- he's actually getting noticed. After being featured at a local nightclub, Julian's career rockets him into stardom. Brooke can now quit one of her jobs -- or both -- but does she really want to? After all, she worked hard in graduate school to enter a career field she was passionate about. While Julian begins traveling all over the globe, touring, doing late-night television, and partying with other celebs, Brooke struggles to coordinate her schedule with his, to the detriment of her job (and possibly, their relationship).

Weisberger's new novel gives readers insight into the recording industry, but it also offers a good, old-fashioned, well-written plot. I read the entire novel in about six hours, sitting on a boat on Dale Hollow Lake in the sun. A perfect novel for a weekend read or a beach vacation, Last Night at Chateau Marmont has put Weisberger back on my radar. And left me wondering, of course, when another Weisberger book will make it onto the big screen.

Other thoughts on the novel:

• Entertainment Weekly
• Vanity Fair
• S. Krishna's Books
• BookPage

First Favorite Read Giveaway: Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons

I came up with this giveaway idea while browsing shelves in my favorite used book store this week. Each time I happened upon a favorite book (already sitting on my shelves at home), I had to squash the impulse to put it in my cart. Finally, I decided to give in and share these books with you! It's a win-win situation: you get great books to read, and I get to rescue my favorites.

All of the books I'll be giving away are unique in that they are some of my favorite reads. They are also not new releases, but span from 1987 to 2007 in date of publication. Each week I'll feature a new Favorite Read, with a brief summary and review. Then, you can sign up to enter to win!

Here is a list of upcoming Favorite Read Giveaways:

• Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons (1987)
• The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton (1988)
• A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons (1989)
• Before Women Had Wings by Connie May Fowler (1996)
• We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates (1996)
• The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman (2002)
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (2003)
• The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (2005)
• The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian (2007)

This week, Kaye Gibbons' first novel Ellen Foster is up for grabs.

Summary: In Ellen Foster, the title character is an 11-year-old whose mother has died and whose father is by turns abusive and neglectful. She is thrust into one house and then another in a seemingly never-ending series of foster homes. Above it all, she has capabilities beyond her years to remove herself from her often terrible situations, and to make the best of anything. The novel deals with dark subject matter, but manages to stay hopeful.

Review: I devoured Ellen Foster when I was in high school, and then quickly gobbled up every book Gibbons wrote afterward. My favorite novel of hers is A Virtuous Woman, but there is no denying the appeal of this 11-year-old narrator. Ellen is a precocious young girl, wise beyond her years. The novel is a short 126 pages, but in that short span of pages Gibbons manages to draw an in-depth picture of Ellen's world. My favorite genre is southern literature, and Gibbons' first book is the epitome of everything that is grand about writing south of the Mason-Dixon line. The first line should convince you: "When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy."

Fill out the entry form below for your chance to win. (Extra entries for following, tweeting, posting, and sharing on Facebook.) Come back next week for a chance for another A Worn Path Favorite Read! Comments don't count for entry, but are welcome, as always!

My Other Hobby: Fitness (With Couch to 5K Links & My Current Workout Playlist)

I hardly ever post on weekends, but I thought I would today. It is the next to last day of spring break; Monday we go back to school, reviewing with a vengeance until our students take state standardized tests in two weeks. It's enough to bring on stress in overwhelming abundance. So what do I do when stress seems on the verge of overtaking me? Well, I used to eat. But now? I exercise.

When I started working out again a year ago (after several years of doing little to nothing), I couldn't run a mile. It was probably a stretch for me to walk a mile. I began my working out by doing the Couch to 5K program. I cannot say enough good things about it. It got me motivated, it was always different, it involved good music, and it was a challenging but attainable goal.

I highly recommend it as a jumping off point. Also, if you have a long way to go in terms of exercising, losing weight, or getting in shape, you can tailor the program to your needs. For example, you could easily use it as a walking program instead of a running program. The best thing about it is the free podcasts that you upload onto your iPod or mp3 players. They tell you when to walk and when to run. It couldn't be easier.

My favorite sites to use were Carli's Running Into Shape, Go Nicole Yourself!, and Inside the Mind of Suz. Many people also use Robert Ullrey's Podcasts for Running, DJ Steve Boy's Podrunner: Intervals, and Christian Indie Tracks.

Since I joined the Y last fall, I have enjoyed taking advantage of their classes. I love the mixed cardio class, spin, sculpt, and yoga. On non-class days, I do my own cardio using interval training workouts on the treadmill or the elliptical. My favorite fitness blogger, Trainer Momma, has written several posts on the topic of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts. I have used her basic HIIT formula, but this week also began doing varied forms of it, found in her More Interval Workouts post.

Also, I have mentioned it before, but Ali Sweeney's book The Mommy Diet lists some excellent workout plans, HIIT-style. They will have you doing things you never thought of on a treadmill! (Like walking lunges and climbing.)

Music is my main motivation when I am exercising. I love the high-energy music tracks played in most classes, so when I'm exercising on my own on a Saturday, I have to match that intensity with my music. Here is what I've been listening to lately as I HIIT it on the treadmill (Get it? "HIIT" instead of "hit"-- funny, right?):

45-Minute Workout Playlist:

1. "Stay Here Forever" - Jewel
2. "Blah Blah Blah" - Ke$ha
3. "Say Hey (I Love You)" - Michael Franti & Spearhead
4. "Only Girl (In the World)" - Rihanna
5. "Only Prettier" - Miranda Lambert
6. "Blow" - Ke$ha
7. "Everlasting Light" - The Black Keys
8. "Forget You" - Cee Lo
9. "We R Who We R" - Ke$ha
10. "Coming Home" - Diddy - Dirty Money
11. "In the Sun" - Joseph Arthur

If you noticed that list was heavy on Ke$ha, you are exactly right. I can't think of any other band or singer whose music is so perfectly suited to working out. I also mix in Katy Perry, the Black-Eyed Peas, and Usher from time to time. Most of these artists are not people I listen to regularly, but they make working out very easy! I also purposely start with Jewel's laid-back song for my warm-up, and end with the somewhat slower "Coming Home" and then "In the Sun" to cool down.

In my opinion, my two hobbies -- reading and fitness -- are perfectly suited to one another. Reading is a solitary, sedentary activity; exercise (at a gym anyway) is more social and balances out all that sitting/reading time! And dedicated exercise for a year equals results -- 37 pounds of results, in my case.

Get moving, and happy reading! (Oh, and even happier reading starting on Monday, when you have a chance to win one of my Favorite Reads each week in a new giveaway series! Come back for the details!)

Book News: Controversy Over Katniss, Cross Stitching Quotes, & Books About Liz Taylor

Front Porch Flowers

It's book news time again, which means it's Friday, which means my spring break is almost over! I know, I know. Those of you who don't get a spring break don't care. In fact, you're probably glad mine is over; after all, where is the justice in a world that says I get one and you don't? After working for the past several years outside the teaching profession (with no spring break), just let me say how grateful I am that I did get one this year!

Also, if you were inside a classroom full of kids when the temperatures started to rise, you would understand the necessity of spring break. Kind of like a full moon, spring temperatures get kids (and all of us, if we're being honest) a little bit excited! Spring break helps teachers keep their sanity, and thus -- love their kids even more. And, of course, have the patience to continue to teach them!

Now, on to actual book news:

Photo Mash-up from MovieCarpet.com

Last week, I posted the news that Jennifer Lawrence had been chosen to play Katniss Everdeen in the upcoming film version of The Hunger Games. I had no idea that choice was going to become such a controversial bit of book news. Just after my posting, I read another book blogger's opinion on Lawrence as Katniss, one that was the exact opposite of my own. Apparently, Hunger Games series fans everywhere began debating the choice almost immediately.

This week, author Suzanne Collins made a statement to her fans explaining and making a case for Lawrence as Katniss. In my opinion, film versions of books are always going to be lacking in some readers' eyes. I tend to think the book is always better than any film adaptation. However, I like to see books I enjoyed on the big screen, if only for the fact that it might entice viewers to pick up copies of the book. The possibility of attracting non-readers to reading is an excellent reason for any book to be made into a movie. I look forward to seeing The Hunger Games and Lawrence in the leading role.

Free Pattern from StitchPoint.com

In more fun book news (and by the way, shouldn't all spring break posts be fun?), you can now combine your love for books with your love for crafts. Using the website StitchPoint, you can translate a favorite quote into a cross stitch pattern. The website's Text in Stitches tool creates an 8x11 (regular page-size) pattern of whatever you choose to type. With retro style, you can share quotes with everyone on your Christmas list. Better get to typing (and stitching) now. Have you ever completed a cross stitch? Those things take time! Now that I think about it, that would be a perfect project for my summer break...

Jackson on Hobbit set, from his FB

A bit more about film adaptations of books, then it's back to my porch and flowers. Peter Jackson announced this week that the film version of The Hobbit was in production. Fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (both the books and the movies) have been waiting impatiently for this day to come. Jackson's movie will be split into two parts, with one released din 2012 and the second in 2013.

Two more newsworthy book tidbits from this week:

• Google and publishers reached an agreement that would put millions of books online in digital format. U.S. Circuit Court Judge Denny Chin rejected the agreement because it detailed an author opt-out clause in which authors would have to opt-out or their books would be included. Chin stated that if authors could opt-in rather than having to opt-out, he would have approved the settlement.
• After film icon Elizabeth Taylor's death this week, Entertainment Weekly created a list of 10 Essential Books about the star. To brush up on your biography details of Liz, delve into these titles.

Tom Franklin's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter Makes Me Wish I Had Attended His Session at the Southern Festival of Books

Tom Franklin was actually in one of the sessions I attended at the Southern Festival of Books last year -- the Don't Quit Your Day Job: Acclaimed Authors and the Jobs They Quit, edited by Sonny Brewer, session. However, that was on the last day, Franklin's individual session focused on Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter long since over. Sometimes in life, you find out you were wrong, and this is one of those instances for me. I should have attended the session about this novel! Perhaps then, I would have read it sooner rather than later. Instead, it took me several months. 

As I wrote about Sara J. Henry's debut novel Learning to Swim, Franklin's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter encompasses multiple genres that are of interest to me. It is another example of the literary mystery, a hybrid composed of a piece of literary fiction that contains components of a mystery novel, as well. Franklin adds yet another layer, though, by setting his novel in the deep south. Thus, my ultimate genre is born: a southern literary mystery. 

I'm not sure I would say Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is my new favorite book (that honor is currently a tie between Lee Smith's Fair and Tender Ladies and Silas House's Clay's Quilt). However, it was an excellent read that makes me excited to see what else Franklin will release in the future.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is the tale of two men, both living in Mississippi (thus, the "crooked letter" reference to the childhood trick for spelling the state's name). Twenty years ago, a young girl disappeared. The last person to see her alive was Larry Ott, and while no evidence was ever found to charge or convict him in her murder, the small town where they lived long ago determined his guilt. After a stint in the military, Larry returned to take over his father's auto repair shop. His only customers are travelers passing through who don't know his history.

One day after another girl turns up missing, someone comes to even the perceived score, and Larry is shot in his own home. The police officer on the cases is Larry's only childhood friend, Silas Jones. Silas and Larry were an unlikely pair whose friendship formed one summer and then dropped off when Silas became a high school football star. As he struggles with his own life difficulties, Silas also begins remembering the first days of his life in the south, when he moved to Mississippi from up north and Larry befriended him. He not only works on solving the current cases, but also tries to dig into the girl's disappearance all those years ago.

Franklin's novel worked on several different levels. It was a successful literary mystery. Well-drawn characters (both those of Larry and Silas, but also the side characters -- Larry's father from their childhood, Silas's current girlfriend, even Silas's secretary). Well-developed plot (perfect twists and turns, well-written flashbacks). The novel was also an excellent example of southern literature. Franklin drew the Mississippi setting as though it were a character in its own right.

While I loved the plot, even down to the surprising ending, I wasn't as entranced by Franklin's last lines as I wanted to be. I love when a novel begins and ends with perfectly worded lines. The first line appealed to me in many ways:

"The Rutherford girl had been missing for eight days when Larry Ott returned home and found a monster waiting in his house."

It has pizazz, intrigue, and suspense all built into that one sentence. But the last lines were nothing compared to Franklin's writing throughout the novel:

"What he thought before falling asleep was that he needed to call Silas in the morning, tell him to stop at the auto parts house, get a carburetor kit for the Jeep. He, Silas, knew the model."

All in all, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter was an excellent read -- and a close-to-first, in the hybrid southern literary mystery. Thankfully, Franklin has several other books I can now go back and enjoy. Tom Franklin is the author of Poachers, a short story collection, and two southern historical novels: Hell at the Breech and Smonk. He and his wife, poet Beth Ann Fennelly, are both professors at the University of Mississippi in the MFA in creative writing program.