This Week In Talking Books (20 - 27 July 2009)

WARNING! My spelling is crap and I've not sorted out how to use the spell checker in Mars Edit. So for now please forgive the spelling. May have to resort to writing this in Mail or Text Edit and checking it from there, but as this is so long and I quite lazy. Ya get what ya get. :-) Enjoy and do leave comments, although none about spelling as I know there are heaps of errors in her already. Thanks.

Notice:
The books listed here are the ones currently checked out. However I have not received all on this list but should in the coming days... Book Reviews forth coming...
Books marked with a * are books I'm listening to at the moment.


Title: Mermaids
Author: Patty Dann
Format: 1 Sound Cassett
Read by: Polly Stone
Subjects; Modern Fiction, Short Book,
NLS Book Number: RC 025287

Description:

Fourteen-year-old Charlotte Flax and her young half-sister Kate have always lived an itinerant life--thanks to the wanderlust of their promiscuous mother, whom Charlotte refers to as "Mrs. Flax." In their most recent relocation to Grove, Massachusetts, Charlotte hopes to make good use of the presence of the convent up the hill; her great goal in life is to become a saint
Notes: This movie was on one of Comcast's digital movie stations, I'm guessing lifetime movie network or some such. Autumn was watching it and I got into it too. She told me what it was called and I did a quick book search. I found the above result and as the description of the book sounded like more or less what is going on in the movie, I figured it must be the book the movie was made from... So of corse I ordered it straight away.

Shipped on: 23 July 2009

Title: Taxi from Hell: Confissions of a Russin Hack
Author: Vladimir Lobas
Format: 2 sound cassettes
Read by: George Backman
Subjects: Economics, Adventure, Biography and Autobiography,Medium Length Book,
NLS Book Number: RC 34918

Description:

Filmmaker Vladimir Lobas left the Soviet Union for the relative freedom of New York City and a position as a free-lance radio commentator. In 1977, facing $4000 worth of dental work, Lobas is lured by an offer to earn big money as a taxi driver. His questionable language and driving skills make for a rocky start, but eventually Lobas owns his own cab. He discusses his adventures and those of other Russians

Notes: I was looking for another book I saw on Audible.com. If I find a book there, I see if it is on NLS first. If it is I order it and if it is not I put it on my wishlist to buy at a later date. The only time I'll buy a book from Audible that is also on NLS is if the person reading on Audible is better than the NLS reader. The title cought my eye as I've been in a few hellish taxis in my life. Also greyhound cross country busses and the odd airliner... Which reminds me. Someplace on NLS there is a book by a male flight attendent telling all about the crazy stuff that goes on in the air. Sort of like the A and E TV seeries "Airline which Larry and I loved to watch but was yanked for some stupid reason. It is however on iTunes and it like Ruby, Six Feet Under, random Dr. Drew inspired serees and children's TV for Skye and Benjamin looks like something I'm going to be spending future money on. Hah hah

Shipped on: 23 July 2009

Title: That Night
Author: Alice McDermott
Format: 1 Sound Cassett
Read by: Rita Hottois
Subjects: Young Adult Book, Short Book, Modern Fiction
NLS Book Number: RC 27158

Description:

Set in suburban Long Island in the sixties. Rick and Sheryl, high school sweethearts, eventually become lovers. Then Sheryl discovers that she is pregnant and according to the strict conventions of their time she must go away to have her baby and never see Rick again. As Sheryl's mother prepares to take her away, Rick takes matters into his own hands



Notes: This is another book that I saw as a movie in my Senior year of high school. It looked like it would be a good book so I checked it out and listened to it and it was not so much a good book. About seven years ago when I helped out at the talking book library in Topeka I took it out again and again I didn't quite like it. Third time is a charm? Mabye. I hope now that I've grown more as a person and can look at things from a different point of view than those I had both in high school and seven years ago I will get what this story is after. Then again there is a good chance it could be lost on me... We'll see.

Shipped On: 23 July 2009



Title: The radio amateur's handbook
Author: Archie Frederick Collins
Format: 3 Sound Cassettes
Read by: Merwin Smith
Subjects: Hobbies and Past times, Medium Length Book
NLS Book Number: 16588

Description:

An aid to the beginning or experienced radio amateur, covering fundamentals of construction techniques, elementary electronic theory, FCC regulations, and information on more complicated apparatus




Notes: In my mad quest to get my ham radio license I'm reading any and everything I can get my hands on. The book is very very old and a lot of the information is out of date. However, I want to read it for historical value and in the hopes it can explain all these horrid old things like Ohm's law, electric curcuts, radio waves and frequencies and all that complex stuff I do not understand.

Shipped on: 22 July 2009


Title: Anybody Out There? *current Listen
Author: Marian Keyes
Format: 3 Sound Cassettws
Read by: Anne Flosnik
Subjects: Medium Length Book, Adult Fiction, Strong Language, Sexually Explicit, Psychological Fiction, Foreign Setting, Family Story (single Generation), Mystery and Detective, Suspence, Romance, British Accent
NLS Book Number: RC 62269

Description:

After a taxi injures her in New York, Anna Walsh from Watermelon (RC 47300) returns to Dublin, Ireland, to recuperate. She observes her wacky family's escapades but gets nervous when her husband doesn't answer her e-mails. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2006

Notes: It took me so long to copy down the subjects NLS files this book under I forgot what I was going to say about it. Oh I know. It is set in Ireland and I love Ireland as my ancesters are from there, a lot of them. I'm a big fan of a lot of Irish writers like Frank McCourt and Brinden O'dear I've forgot his name. He writes "The Mammy" and "The Chislers" and "The Granny" Oh O'Carol Brendon O'Carol and others who I can't think of right now.... This is one of those Audible finds. I saw it under the "If you like this you might also like" segment under "The Devil Wears Proda" which I loved...

Shipped on: 20 July 2009



Title: Angels
Author: Marian Keyes
Format: 3 sound casettes
Read by: Jill Fox
Subjects: Adult Fiction, Medium Length Book, Sexually Explcit, Strong Language, Modern Fiction, Romance, Woman Interest, Long Book, Humor Fiction, General Fiction
NLS Book Number: RC 63939

Description:

After losing her job and leaving her husband, Dubliner Maggie Walsh joins her best friend, Emily, in Los Angeles. Maggie reinvents herself in the entertainment scene by writing scripts and experimenting with new lovers, but she reconsiders ending her marriage. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002


Notes: This is another Audible.com find. Just ordered it as the snippit on Audible sounded interesting.


Shipped on: 20 July

Title: Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge *Current Listen
Author: Jim Schutze
Format: 2 Sound Casettes
Read by: Christopher Walker
Subjects: Crime and True Decetive, Journalism and the Media, Violence, Sexually Explcit, Strong Language, Medium Length Book, Biography and Autobiography, History United States, Law and Legal Rights, Adolessent Problems
NLS Book Number: RC 59940

Description:

Journalist investigates the 1993 Florida slaying of twenty-year-old Bobby Kent at the hands of seven young people. Depicts the suburban middle-class but decadent lifestyle of the victim and his killers and the trial that followed, including an "urban psychosis" defense theory. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 1997


Notes: Nearly done with this one. Should finish it later tonight thus this will be my first book reviewed. If some of the other, shorter books make it here tomorrow or Saturday they might make it in the book review as well. I plan on posting book reviews on Sunday...
I don't want to give everything away, but there are bits in this book that were just. shocking. Was listening to it with ear buds this morning whilst laying in bed and I must of commentedd, I was totally lost in the story. Well my talking caused Larry to wake up well he was half awake already, to ask me what was wrong. I pointed to the tape player and told him sorry there was just some shocking bits in the book.