She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith (audio)

This is a play and I rarely listen to plays on audio. So it took a few adjustments on my part but I really liked this. It's kind of a manor house comedy of errors, taking place in one night at Mr. Hardcastle's house, a wealthy gentleman. His daughter, Kate, is being set up with his friend's son, Marlow, who is arriving that night to meet her with his friend Hastings. But the man's stepson, Tony, pulls a prank on the arriving gentleman and tells him the house is an inn. So Marlow is seemingly impediment to Mr. Marlow thinking him an inn keeper. At the same time Marlow is bashful around women of social standing while being brazen with working women so Kate pretends to be a barmaid to get to know him. There is also a subplot involving Hastings and the niece of the family who want to run off together. It's pretty funny. I like comedies likes this and it reminded me of Wodehouse though this play came before him.

 This play is read by a full cast, of course but features some notable actors in Joanne Whalley, James Marsters and Ian Ogilvy.  It was very well acted and I enjoyed listening to it.

1 hours, 52 minutes.

Weekly Round-Up 8/26

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

This week I'm reading by Another Pan by Daniel & Diana Nayeri and listening to She Stoops to Conquer, read by a full cast.


This week I reviewed How Nancy Drew Saved My Life by Lauren Baratz-Logsted and The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood, read by Katharine Kellgren.
 

The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #3) (audio)

When Miss Penelope Lumley and the children go on a bird watching trip, they are surprised to find an ostrich on the grounds of Ashton Place. This mystery is soon cleared up by the arrival of the Widow Ashton, mother of Lord Ashton, and her companion, Admiral Faucet, the owner of said ostrich. But bigger mysteries are afoot at Ashton Place and Miss Lumley is determined to figure them out and keep the children safe too.

I really enjoy these books. Miss Lumley is so awesome and I forget she is actually only 15 years old.  She does such a wonderful job with the Incorrigibles. And I feel like there is one really big mystery to solve but so far we've only gotten little pieces. Like why is Miss Lumley's hair the same color as the children? And where are her parents? And what isn't her old headmistress telling her? Plus there are further mysteries introduced in this book especially involving Lord Ashton's father. I hope the next book starts bringing them together.

Katherine Kellgren is the narrator and as always does an excellent job. I love her willingness to howl and bark and otherwise just bring the whole story to vivid life.

How Nancy Drew Saved My Life by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Charlotte is getting over a disastrous affair with her former boss when she takes a job as a nanny to the Ambassador of Iceland's daughter. But mysteries are afoot. What Would Nancy Drew Do? is the question Charlotte asks herself. Because if anyone has the answer it's Nancy Drew.

This wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be. In fact, it turned out to be a Jane Eyre retelling with a little bit of a Nancy Drew twist. Confession: I don't actually like Jane Eyre that much. What with Mr. Rochester and the wife and all that. I don't know. Just not my thing. But the fact that this book is based on Jane Eyre explains why the tone is overly formal and why these people talk the way they do. Charlotte is not the most sympathetic of narrators though I think we are meant to be sympathetic to her. Her Nancy Drew observations are pretty spot-on and I liked that part. But other than that, this was just not for me. Probably if you like Jane Eyre then you will enjoy this book.

Weekly Round-Up 8/19

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

This week I'm reading by How Nancy Drew Saved My Life by Lauren Baratz-Logsted and listening to The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood, read by Katharine Kellgren.
 
Last week I reviewed Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Claire, read by Daniel Sharman.

 This week on SYNC you can download Sold by Patricia McCormick, read by Justine Eyre and Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie, read by Tavia Gilbert.
It's the last week of SYNC and I must say I've enjoyed it very much. There were some great books on the list this year.

How Nancy Drew Saved My Life by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Broken, smashed and stomped in the mud. That's how Charlotte Bell's heart ended up the last time she let her emotions heat up on a nanny assignment. So taking a new position in frigid Iceland, working for Ambassador Edgar Rawlings, might be just what Charlotte needs in order to heal up--and chill out. This time, she's determined to be intrepid and courageous. She's even read all fifty-six original Nancy Drew books in preparation. Unfortunately, she's neglected to find out anything about Iceland or to look into the background of her oddly compelling employer. When Charlotte stumbles onto the trail of a mystery that only she can solve, she'll need every shred of Nancy's wisdom to keep her life--and her heart--safe.

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

 In the good old days, magic was indispensable—it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading: drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets are used for pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians—but it’s hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If the visions are true, everything will change for Kazam—and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as . . . Big Magic

Perfectly Matched by Heather Webber (Lucy Valentine #4)

The heat is on...

When Boston psychic Lucy Valentine finds herself involved in a group of eccentric psychics trying to learn more about their abilities, she is convinced a rare spring heat wave has flushed the crazies out of hiding.

Adding to her theory is her newest client in the Lost Loves division of Valentine, Inc., her family’s lucrative matchmaking firm. He’s an animal communicator who hires Lucy to find his purrfect mate—because his cat told him so.

But craziest of all is The Beantown Burner, a serial arsonist who is targeting private eye Sam Donahue, the brother of Lucy’s boyfriend, Sean. With the help of her kooky psychic group, Lucy must tap into abilities she didn’t know she had to catch the firebug before the fires turn deadly. What she never expected to discover is that the motive behind the flames hits a little too close to home...and her heart.

This is the book I won from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer.
Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

Nick and Tesla are bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they’re sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It’s not long before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their own—engineering all kinds of outrageous MacGyverish contraptions to save their skin: 9-volt burglar alarms, electromagnets, mobile tracking devices, and more. Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects.
In Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab, we meet the characters and learn how to make everything from rocket launchers to soda-powered vehicles. Learning about science has never been so dangerous—or so much fun!

Also received from Quirk for review
Tales from Lovecraft Middle School by Charles Gilman (The covers are pretty neat. They change from looking like regular people to what you see below.)
Professor Gargoyle (#1)

Strange things are happening at Lovecraft Middle School. Rats are leaping from lockers. Students are disappearing. The school library is a labyrinth of secret corridors. And the science teacher is acting very, very peculiar. Robert Arthurt knew that seventh grade was going to be weird, but this is ridiculous!

With the help of some unlikely new friends, Robert discovers there's more to Lovecraft Middle School than meets the eye. Can he uncover the secrets of the school before it's too late?

 
The Slither Sisters (#2)

This second novel in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series begins right where Professor Gargoyle ended.  Seventh-grader Robert Arthur has discovered that two of his classmates are actually sinister snake-women in disguise. Even worse, his new middle school is full of “gates” to a terrifying alternate dimension – a haunted mansion full of strange spirits and monstrous beasts.  For Robert to protect his teachers and classmates, he'll need to return to this haunted dimension with his best friends Glenn and Karina.   Can they uncover the secrets of Lovecraft Middle School before it's too late?

Teacher's Pest (#3)

DON'T BE FOOLED by his friendly smile, his perfect manners, or his shiny red apple. Student council president Howard Mergler is actually a sinister bug-monster in disguise—and he's summoning swarms of roaches, wasps, fleas, and head lice into the corridors of Lovecraft Middle School!  Twelve-year-old Robert Arthur is the only student who can stop him--but he'll need help from his best friends: the school bully, the school ghost, and an extremely courageous two-headed rat.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #3) (audio)

Tessa and Jem are still engaged to be married and Will is still in love with Tessa but puts his feelings aside for his parabatai. But as Mortmain begins his final assualt against the Shadowhunters, he still needs one thing to complete his plan, Tessa. Will and Jem as well as the rest of the London Institute try to protect her and find Mortmain, but they find opposition from the least likely place.

I enjoyed this last installment of The Infernal Devices series. Though it felt like the the Mortmain plot was plot B and the love triangle was plot A. It never really felt like there was a danger from Mortmain but I did like how that plot point was resolved. And overall how the love triangle was solved too. It was nice to see so much growth in these characters from Clockwork Angel to Clockwork Princess. I think I will be moving on to the Mortal Instruments series sometime soon.

Daniel Sharman is the narrator and I enjoyed his performance. He was a really good reader for this book and I liked him better than the narrator for the last Infernal Devices book. 
16 hours, 15 minutes

Weekly Round-Up 8/12

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

This week I'm reading by The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg and listening to Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Claire, read by Daniel Sharman.

Last week I reviewed The Iron Man by Ted Hughes.

This week on SYNC you can download Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, read by Katherine Kellgren (Brilliance Audio) and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, read by Miriam Margolyes. Downloads are free til Wednesday. Thursday the new downloads are Sold by Patricia McCormick, read by Justine Eyre and Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie, read by Tavia Gilbert.

The Iron Man by Ted Hughes

I picked up this book to read with my son. He's seen the Iron Giant movie and I guess I thought it was the two stories would be alike. But no, the movie is way off of the book. We both enjoyed the book though. It was a different kind of story.

The first chapter deals with the Iron Giant falling off of a cliff and repairing himself. Then he begins eating all the metal in the countryside including the farmers' equipment. So the farmers hatch a plan to capture him. A young boy named Hogarth finds a way to bring peace between the town and the iron man. So when a giant space creature lands on Australia, it is up to the iron giant to save the world.

I read to my son every night. Either two picture books or at least one chapter in a chapter book. He's 6 and this was about the age that my mom started reading chapter books to me. We've been reading some Magic Treehouse books but I saw this at the library and I knew he would be interested. He was! It was one of the first where he wanted me to go beyond just one chapter. But it is only 4 chapters long so we had to pace ourselves. He liked the ending with space alien and how the Iron Giant outwits it. And he likes the pictures too. I borrowed it from the library but I think I will buy him a copy for his birthday. I can see this as becoming a favorite.

Weekly Round-Up 8/5

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

This week I'm reading by The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg and The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting by Bunmi Laaditan and listening to Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Claire, read by Daniel Sharman.

I had to return The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith to the library but I plan on getting it back and finishing it. It was really good. I am just a slow reader right now.

Last week I reviewed The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith.

This week on SYNC you can download Death Cloud by Andrew Lane, read by Dan Weyman (Macmillan Audio) and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Ralph Cosham. Downloads are free til Wednesday. Thursday the new downloads are Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, read by Katherine Kellgren (Brilliance Audio) and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, read by Miriam Margolyes.