Audiobook Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

First released: 1st November 2011
By: Random House Audio

Audiobook length: 4 hr and 37 min
Narrator: Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck-impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence "Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I'll shut up about it?"

Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you've come to the right book, mostly!

In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door - not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.


My review:

Mindy Kaling sure knows her audience. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (yeah, I'm gonna have to abbreviate that title) starts with a FAQ where one of the questions is "Why isn't this book more like Bossypants?". I, and I'm sure many others, gave Kaling's book a try primarily because I enjoyed Bossypants so much and wanted to hear from another funny female. Kaling says upfront that her book isn't and can't be Bossypants.

And it isn't, but Is Everyone...? is still quite enjoyable in its own right. It's a short listen, and is an entertaining and diverting way to lighten up an afternoon. The best part is the first half, where Kaling talks us through her childhood and teen years, in which she was chubby, dateless and lame. It's a familiar refrain from comedians that they were geeky outsiders in high school, but that doesn't make Kaling's stories any less amusing and I chuckled many times.

It's also very interesting to hear about her road to becoming a TV writer. The behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into making a show is fascinating to me and Kaling's story about her first failed sitcom, Mindy and Brenda, really exposes a lot of the frustrating and downright offensive stuff that goes down (Kaling was essentially told she was too fat and dark-skinned to play herself).

However, once Kaling gets to the part where she's firmly ensconced in her role as a writer and recurring character on The Office, Is Everyone...? runs out of steam. Kaling's only thirty and even with keeping the book as short as it is, she doesn't have enough of her life and career behind her to fill the whole thing. The last third of Is Everyone...? is a hodgepodge of essays, in subjects as disparate as her ten favourite comedic moments in film, and her bizarre revenge fantasies for hypothetical slights. There are funny moments, but you do feel like Kaling is throwing in everything but the kitchen sink to stretch things out.

I enjoyed Kaling's narration. Comedians are the best people to read their own writing - they know what timing and emphasis they want on the jokes. Kaling's voice is famously that of a very nasally Valley Girl, which is annoying to some ears, but it fits her personality and I can't imagine her words said any other way.

Overall this audiobook is fun, but not a must-listen. It'd be a good listen while you do some necessary chores and Kaling is likeable enough that you won't mind hanging out with her.


Rating: 3 stars

Audiobook Review: The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

First released: 25th January 2011

By: Listening Library

Audiobook length: 10 hr and 52 min

Narrator: Mandy Williams

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia has led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when she learns, just after her 16th birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city, her best friend, Kiernan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sent to live with her only surviving relative, Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. Then she discovers that long-suppressed, dangerous magic runs through her veins, and she realizes that she will never learn to be just a simple village girl. Sinda returns to the city to seek answers. Instead, she rediscovers the boy who refused to forsake her, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history forever.

An intricately plotted and completely satisfying adventure, The False Princess is both an engaging tale in the tradition of great fantasy novels and a story never told before that will enchant - and surprise - its listeners.

My review:

I love it when a plan comes together. The False Princess contains many of my favourite things - princesses, castles, magic, secrets - but what tips it over from the like boat into the love boat for me, is that it's an extremely well plotted novel. Like a jigsaw puzzle, every little piece - even those that initially seem insignificant and throwaway - is fit together into a smart and satisfying conclusion.

The revelation about Sinda happens in the first chapter and the false princess is quickly on her way to her new life. Sinda is a quiet character and doesn't jump off the page, but she's very well drawn and sympathetic. I thought it was a nice touch to show that even in the drabbest part of Sinda's life (living a meagre life with her aunt in a small village), she's shown to work hard and do her best. I didn't read the synopsis for this audiobook, so I was actually surprised when Sinda discovered her own powers and was genuinely thrilled for her, because she really deserves it.

There's a wonderful cast of supporting characters, too. There's Kiernan, Sinda's childhood best friend who's eternally loyal to her; Philantha, her eccentric magic tutor and a special mention goes to the other princess, Orianne. I really liked that instead of resenting each other, the princesses were bonded by their unusual circumstances.

I also want to give a shout-out to the gorgeous names in this book! They really give The False Princess  the full 'magical fantasy' feel. People names like Nalia, Philantha and Orianne and place names like Vivaskari and Thorvaldor are brilliantly evocative. I'm glad I listened to the audio so I could get the right pronunciations (I'm sure I would have butchered them terribly if left to decide them myself).

I didn't fall in love with Mandy Williams's voice, but I mostly enjoyed listening to her narration. She does very well with a variety of female voices, injecting them with personality, but she's not as good at male voices and tends to put on the stereotypical deep-throaty voice thing. I think I'll swoon for Kiernan more when I read this again in hardback and can make up any voice I want for him.

Yes, I'm planning to read this again. I just really enjoyed it; there's something so pleasing about a novel where everything wraps up the way it should. If you're looking for a smartly-written fantasy with a great plot and charming characters, then I strongly recommend you try The False Princess.


Rating: 4.5 stars

Audiobook Review: Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

First released: 28th December 2010
By: Brilliance Audio

Audiobook length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
Narrator: Nancy Wu

Frances, a Chinese-American student at an academically competitive school in San Francisco, has always had it drilled into her to be obedient to her mother and to be a straight-A student so that she can go to Med school. But is being a doctor what she wants? It has never even occurred to Frances to question her own feelings and desires until she accidentally winds up in speech class and finds herself with a hidden talent. Does she dare to challenge the mother who has sacrificed everything for her? 

My review:

I loved this so much. Before anything else, I have to praise to the skies Nancy Wu's narration. She gave each of the characters voices that were distinct and real and full of emotion. The voice she gives to Frances' mother is amazing and pitch perfect - not just with her Cantonese accent, but with the bitterness and scorn and manipulation and spite that is dripping from every word she says. While listening to Bitter Melon, I felt very emotionally connected to what Frances was going through and a large part of that was because of Wu's skill at bringing the characters to vivid life. Wu is on my list of favourite narrators now.

Bitter Melon is set in 1989 and tells the story of Frances' final year at high school. Frances lives with her single mother, in a small, cramped apartment in San Francisco. Her mother works long hours and sacrifices much so that Frances can have a good education - but she expects something in return: Frances is supposed to devote her life to her mother's wishes by becoming a doctor, and the idea that Frances might have dreams of her own is something her mother never even considers. All this might be bearable if Frances and her mother had a close, supportive relationship. But instead her mother criticises Frances relentlessly, denies her any freedom and even beats her.

The mother-daughter relationship is the crux of the novel and it is fascinating. Her mother's main ambition for Frances (that she be hard-working and successful) is not problematic, but the way she goes about it definitely is. The conversations between the two, where the mother is doing everything she can to erode Frances' confidence are full of "Did she really just say that?!" moments and I was so gripped. Even though Bitter Melon is a coming of age tale, it took me through as many different emotions as an action-adventure novel: fear, excitement, hope, crushing disappointment, then hope again. When Frances starts lying to her mother about what she's really doing, I was so tense, just so afraid of what would happen if she got caught. And when she is caught...oh my God. The ending is particularly nail-biting stuff, as the new life Frances has started to make for herself begins to unravel - nothing could have made me put down Bitter Melon at that moment.

I've already given love to the narration, but I also wouldn't have been so emotionally connected to the characters if Cara Chow had not made them three-dimensional and relatable. You feel for Frances, but she's not perfect and she's partly to blame for her own downfall. The mother is awful, but I did feel some pity for her, knowing her past - and her future if she drives Frances away. The relationship between the two of them is contrasted with another mother-daughter pair, Frances' best friend, Theresa and her mother, Nelly. These two are awesome and while it's sad for Frances to see what she will never have, Nelly and Theresa gave me something to smile about in Bitter Melon.

The only character who feels unrealistic is Frances' love interest, Derek. She meets him at a speech competition and he is rich, intelligent, popular and gorgeous as well. And unfortunately, I don't believe rich, popular guys are passing over pretty cheerleaders for chubby, plain girls in dated clothes, whose mothers hang up the phone when they try to call. Derek's scenes with Frances are sweet, but they feel more like a fantasy wish fulfillment for the character, than anything that would really happen to a girl like Frances. 

All in all, I was a huge fan of Bitter Melon. So much so, that I went looking for more from the author and was disappointed that she hasn't written another novel yet. Bitter Melon is largely autobiographical, so I hope Chow has more stories in her - I definitely want to read them.


Rating: 4.5 stars

Audiobook Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

  

First released: 30th October 2008

By: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Audiobook length: 7 hr and 48 min

Narrator: Neil Gaiman

Here's a fantastic ghost adventure story, laced with menace and humour.

When a baby escapes a murderer intent on killing the entire family, who would have thought it would find safety and security in the local graveyard?

Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead. But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him - after all, he is the last remaining member of the family.

A stunningly original novel deftly constructed over eight chapters, featuring every second year of Bod's life, from babyhood to adolescence. Will Bod survive to be a man?

My review: 

I'm very sad to say this, but I'm starting to think I'm not going to love Neil Gaiman as an author. I already love him as a person; I read his blog, his interviews, follow him on Twitter...and on paper,  he seems like he should be one of my favourite authors. Every fantasy fan loves Gaiman, but the books of his I've read so far (Stardust, Good Omens) haven't really reached above 'OK' for me - the only exception being some of the volumes of The Sandman series. I think my expectations are too high, because The Graveyard Book was another one that I assumed I would fall in love with, only to feel underwhelmed.

 The Graveyard Book has a totally brilliant opening that hooked me immediately. A mysterious figure, known only as 'the man Jack' has just murdered an entire family - except for the baby boy. The man Jack has no scruples against infanticide, it's just that the baby has escaped from the house and Jack must chase him down to the nearby graveyard. However, he is thwarted in his plan to kill the baby, as the ghosts of the graveyard rise up to protect the boy. They hide him from Jack's sight and once Jack is gone, they all agree to raise the boy themselves in the graveyard. They call him 'Nobody', 'Bod' for short.

I was at the edge of my seat listening to this first chapter, practically shaking from the tension. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Only, what happened next was a series of unconnected adventures as Bod grows up in the graveyard. Each chapter deals with some new escapade and the story thread that the book began with is only brought up again once in an interlude chapter and then at the end. 

These kinds of stories are just never going to be my favourite - I prefer a narrative arc that's at the forefront, not the backburner. Some of these little adventures in The Graveyard Book are imaginative and interesting - the danse macabre, for instance, or the chapter where Bod goes to school - but there was nothing to really keep me hooked. Stardust was a very similar experience for me, which is why I'm starting to think Gaiman isn't my kind of storyteller. I'm trying American Gods, but if that doesn't work for me, I give up.

The Graveyard Book may not have lit my fire as a book, but I have to say, as a listening experience, the audiobook is truly spectacular. Gaiman narrates it himself and not only is his natural voice rich and deep and lovely to listen to, but the variety of voices and accents he's able to do for all the characters, made me feel like I was listening to a full cast radio play. Music plays at the start and end of every chapter that's really atmospheric and fitting and puts you in the right mood. I'm convinced that all the enjoyment I did get from The Graveyard Book was down to the audio, so if you're interested in the story, that's the way I recommend reading it.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Audiobook Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

First released: 10th January 2012
By: Penguin Audio

Audiobook length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
Narrators: Tara Carrozza and Lucas Salvagno

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times best-selling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

My review:

Because so many trilogies (especially ones that weren't originally conceived as trilogies) stumble or completely fall apart in their second installment, I feel like one of the highest compliments I can pay to A Million Suns is to say that it is just as strong as Across the Universe. Because it is - fortunately for this series, there's plenty of rich story opportunities to be mined from life aboard a spaceship. A Million Suns sees Elder take on the position of leader of the Godspeed. He wants to do it differently from the previous ruler Eldest, i.e. honestly and democratically, which soon reveals a problem: If the people of Godspeed are allowed a choice of who should lead them, they might not choose him. A Million Suns works best when it's exploring questions, of whether it's better to lie to keep the peace, or tell the truth and invite chaos, what makes someone a good leader and are leaders even necessary at all? I got so wrapped up in the drama aboard the ship and though my natural inclination was to side with Elder, more and more I began to see his opponents' POV. I love that this series actually encourages me to think and question the protagonists, instead of telling me they are always right.

I really like how Amy and Elder's relationship progresses in A Million Suns. Amy finally begins to reciprocate Elder's feelings, but the issue of whether this is just because he is essentially the only boy available is on her mind. I'm pleasantly surprised at how realistic a path their romance has followed, instead of the 'meant to be' stuff you often see in YA.

I read Across the Universe as a paperback, but with my Audible credit, it was cheaper to get A Million Suns as an audiobook. I really can't say enough good things about the narrators - Tara Carrozza is a fantastic actress who nailed every one of Amy's emotions and Lucas Salvagno sounded exactly like the Elder in my head - deep and a little robotic, but completely fitting for someone who's only recently started to tap into his feelings and is still trying to learn who he is as a person.

A Million Suns did have one thing I didn't like - a subplot for Amy where she tries to unravel a mystery left by Orion. Most of the clues are so ridiculously easy that it makes Amy look dense if she takes longer than five seconds to work each one out and it feels like the entire story thread is just there so A Million Suns can mirror the pattern of the first book, as if readers will be alienated if this second book is too different.

It's unnecessary, because A Millions Suns already has more than enough going on to keep you hooked. The ending is....on the one hand, how cruel to end it there. But on the other, how perfectly Beth Revis has made sure you will be gasping for the next book. If the final installment keeps to this standard, Across the Universe will be one of my favourite YA series of all time.

Rating: 4 stars

Audiobook Review: Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor

First released: 20th December 2010

By: Brilliance Audio

Audiobook length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

A girl who's always been in the shadows finds herself pursued by the unbelievably attractive new boy at school, who may or may not be the death of her. Another girl grows up mute because of a curse placed on her by a vindictive spirit, and later must decide whether to utter her first words to the boy she loves and risk killing everyone who hears her if the curse is real. And a third girl discovers that the real reason for her transient life with her mother has to do with belonging - literally belonging - to another world entirely, full of dreaded creatures who can transform into animals, and whose queen keeps little girls as personal pets until they grow to childbearing age. 

From a writer of unparalleled imagination and emotional insight, three stories about the deliciousness of wanting and waiting for that moment when lips touch.

My review:

Boy, is Laini Taylor's writing gorgeous. Each of the three short stories in Lips Touch: Three Times had something for me to like - either characters, romance or mythology - but what I loved was the beautiful prose throughout.

The first of the three stories, Goblin Fruit, is also the shortest. It has this wonderful opening where Taylor describes the loneliness and longing of the main character, Kizzy and the words quickly enveloped me into the story. Kizzy's teenage desires were easy to recollect and relate to (And it's so cool that she's named Kizzy - Roots shout out!) and the goblin myth was one I hadn't heard before. The best part was hearing about Kizzy's oddball family and I really wanted to see Kizzy battle the goblins, as her feisty grandmother had done decades ago. And if Goblin Fruit were a novel, I guess I would've gotten that, but the short story seems to cut off abruptly, when a lot more of this tale could still be told. This was particularly noticeable on audio, because without being able to see the story end on the page, I was waiting patiently for the narration to continue, only to have the second story start instead. Oh, well - what is there is great and it's a compliment to Taylor's storytelling that I wanted more.

The other two stories are longer and feel complete. It's tough to choose between them, but I think Spicy Little Curses Such as These is my favourite. It's set in India and is a twisted version of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale - a baby girl, Anamique, is cursed with a beautiful voice, that will kill anybody who hears it. Spicy Little Curses has a great cast of characters; with Anamique and her love interest, James (I loved their courtship by letter - so romantic!); the 'Old Bitch' and the demon, Vasudev; and even the god of Hell himself.

The final story is Hatchling and this is where Taylor surpasses herself with her world-building. Her depiction of the Druj - a vampire-like race who kidnap children and keep them as pets - is detailed, strange, atmospheric, terrifying. I was both spellbound and seriously creeped out, much like their child victims.

It's interesting to read Lips Touch: Three Times after loving Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Taylor wrote Lips Touch first and you can definitely see seeds of  ideas that would blossom into Smoke and Bone. From Kizzy's unconventional family in Goblin Fruit, to the human woman working for a demon in Spicy Little Curses to the device of telling the story via flashback in Hatchling. Hatchling and Smoke and Bone also share the same big twist, so I'm glad I read the latter first, so I didn't guess at the truth about Karou.

I thought Cassandra Campbell was a very compelling narrator and sometimes I would stop whatever else I was doing and just listen to her recite Taylor's lovely passages: Campbell's voice and Taylor's words seem to complement each other perfectly. I did much prefer Campbell's voice on the narrative rather than the dialogue, though. The characters in Spicy Little Curses and Hatchling are English, and while Campbell's English accent is fine, it is that very posh, cut-glass type of British accent that isn't how I'd expect a young person to speak. Esme in Hatchling is 14 and it would jar me a bit to hear her speak like the Queen. I'm not sure any non-Brits would notice, though.

Although I'm all "Audiobooks, yay!" right now and Lips Touch: Three Times is fantastic in this format, the hardback version does include these illustrations, which are amazing-looking, so I know I'm going to have to buy a physical copy, too. But I'll be glad to have both, as Lips Touch: Three Times is a keeper, in your ears or on your shelf.


Rating: 4.5 stars

Audiobook Review: Bossypants by Tina Fey

First released in the UK: 18th April 2011
By: Hachette Audio UK

Once in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Tina Fey is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird around her. 

Before 30 Rock, Mean Girls, and 'Sarah Palin', Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. 

At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon - from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. 

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

My review:

I haven’t listened to an audiobook since I was a kid but I want to try new things this year. Inspired by this list from April @ Good Books and Good Wine, I decided to start with Tina Fey’s Bossypants. So glad I did – I loved this. I found myself not wanting to stop listening and trying to fit it into as much of my day as possible.

Bossypants isn’t some groundbreaking text – it’s a fairly typical humorous biography – but what it is, is straight-up enjoyable from start to finish. Fey describes her life, from her childhood and early career, to 30 Rock and the birth of her first daughter and she never forgets to be hilarious while she’s doing it. I laughed out loud multiple times and kept rewinding my favourite bits over and over.

Although Bossypants is mostly fun and light, I think what tips it over from like into love for me is how feminist it is. Fey doesn’t preach at all, but she’s a smart cookie and makes a lot of observations about society’s attitude towards women, that are as seriously on point as they are witty.

The only part of the book I wasn’t that into was the section on Fey’s famous Sarah Palin impression. Fey devotes so much time to discussing this, way more than she spends on any of her other creative pursuits and, maybe because I’m not American, the importance of those Palin skits is just lost on me. I wish there was an option where you could swap out hearing about the work that went into the Palin impression, for hearing about the work that went into writing the Mean Girls script – much more interesting to me!

I’m convinced that if you want to read this, the audiobook version is the way to go. Fey’s narration is awesome – it doesn’t even feel like narration; it feels like Fey is personally keeping you company and chatting to you. You get to hear her comic timing on the jokes and I especially liked hearing Fey mimic the voices of the people in her life – so much funnier.

I’m sure anybody who already loves audiobooks would have had the sense to grab this one already. But if there’s anybody currently ‘meh’ on audiobooks, like I was, grab it now. It will change your mind.

Rating: 4.5 stars