The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo (Chronicles of the Red King #1) (audio)

A prequel of sorts to the Children of the Red King series featuring Charlie Bone, this series explores the mysterious Red King, Timoken, and his adventures that lead to the story we later see in the Charlie Bone books.

Timoken and his sister, Zobayda, under the protection of a forest jinni but pursued by evil viridees, straddle the world of men and the world of enchantments, seeking a home while remaining young by drinking a potion called Alixir.

 You know, I enjoyed the Charlie Bone books though I never did finish the series. I plan to though. I think I'm going to finish out the Chronicles of the Red King series and then go back to Charlie Bone from the beginning. I've forgotten quite a bit of the lore and history from those books so it's like I'm learning it all over again. I think this will make the Charlie Bone books pretty fun. But I also think that is what made this book a little bit boring for me because I'm suppose to know some back story of all this all ends. Still I enjoyed the beginnings of Timoken's life and hearing how it all started. I am also glad that the majority of the 200 years covered wasn't spelled out in great detail though I do wonder how he didn't get bored being alone for quite a few of those years with only his camel for company. But I guess that is not the point of the story. The point was to get Timoken to Britain with his friends. So goal achieved and now we know where and how he meet them and how he ended up in Britain from Africa and what the deal with the Red Cloak is. So onwards to the next book to see what happens next.

5 hours, 43 minutes

John Keating is the narrator and, while he did a fine job, he isn't my favorite narrator. Something about his tone, I'm not sure, what but he didn't draw me in as some narrators do.

Weekly Round-Up 7/7

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.

I'm reading Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Diaries) and The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty plus All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo, read by John Keating.

This week on SYNC you can download Torn from Troy by Patrick Bowman, narrated by Gerard Doyle (Post Hypnotic Press) and Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, narrated by Jim Dale (Brilliance Audio). Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose, narrated by Channie Waites (Brilliance Audio) and While the World Watched by Carolyn Maull McKinstry with Denise George, narrated by Felicia Bullock (Oasis Audio).

Weekly Round-Up 6/30

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.

I'm reading Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Diaries) and All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior. I'm listening to Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo, read by John Keating.

Last week I reviewed The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie, narrated by Richard E. Grant. 

This week on SYNC you can download Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick, narrated by Noah Galvin (Hachette Audio) and October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman, narrated by Emily Beresford, Luke Daniels, Tom Parks, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd, Christina Traister (Brilliance Audio). Downloads are free till Wednesday.
Thursday the new downloads are Torn from Troy by Patrick Bowman, narrated by Gerard Doyle (Post Hypnotic Press) and Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, narrated by Jim Dale (Brilliance Audio)

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, read by Full Cast. 6 hours, 54 minutes

An international cast of suspects, all passengers on the crowded train, are speeding through the snowy European landscape when a bizarre and terrible murder brings them to an abrupt halt. One of their glittering number lies dead in his cabin, stabbed a mysterious twelve times. There is no lack of clues for Poirot - but which clue is real and which is a clever plant?  

Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo, read by John Keating. 5 hours, 43 minutes.

An extraordinary quest, a magician’s powers, and the journey to find a kingdom.... Timoken is a prince from a secret kingdom. Before his birth, a forest-jinni bestowed upon him two magical gifts: a cloak made from the web of the last moon spider, and a potion called Alixir, the water of eternal life. Yet in exchange for the protection of these gifts, Timoken will always have one foot in the world of men and the other in the strange world of magic. When his peaceful kingdom is suddenly attacked, Timoken, and his sister, Zobayda, flee in search of a new land to call home, with only the jinni’s gifts and a talking camel. But the journey is wrought with danger, as Timoken and Zobayda are being hunted by viridees - evil creatures from the realm of enchantments that desperately seek the moon cloak. If Timoken ever hopes to escape the viridees and find a new kingdom, he must learn to harness his powers, and trust those he meets along the way. 

The Private School Murders by James Patterons and Maxine Paetro (Confessions series #2), read by Emma Galvin. 7 hours, 36 minutes.

Tandy Angel may have played the hero when she solved the case of her magnificently wealthy parents' mysterious deaths, but she isn't done yet. Her brother, Matthew, stands trial for homicide, young girls are found murdered all around New York's Upper West side, and Tandy is determined to use her piercing intellect to get to the bottom of both cases. But the biggest mystery of all may be what actually happened to James Rampling, the handsome son of a family enemy, whom Tandy fell in love and ran away with - though most of her memories of the affair are disturbingly absent....
The confessions keep coming as Tandy delves even deeper into her own tumultuous history and the skeletons in the Angel family closet.

Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Diaries #4)

Nancy and her friends need more than book smarts to get to the bottom of a literary mystery in this fourth book of the Nancy Drew Diaries, a new take on the classic series.

A rash of crimes in a neighboring town—a blazing fire at a bookstore, a boat that sinks in the harbor, and a valuable dog’s dognapping—are eerily similar to the plots from famous mystery writer Lacey O’Brien’s popular books. So who’s behind the crimes? Could it be Lacey looking for publicity? One of Lacey’s superfans? Or maybe it’s Paige Samuels, owner of the bookstore that burned. Nancy, Bess, and George will have to read between the lines as they dig deep into a dangerous mystery.

 

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (audio)

When  Colonel Protheroe is found dead at the vicarage, it causes quite the stir in St. Mary Mead. Even after there are two confessions, the police and the townsfolk are wondering how it happened. But little old Miss Marple is the one who solves the case.

I read a lot of Agatha Christie as a teenager, like a lot. But it's been a while so when SYNC offered up The Murder at the Vicarage I knew I had to give it a listen. And I'm glad I did. I love a good murder mystery especially one that features Miss Marple who is clearly one of the best detectives ever conceived. It's interesting that everyone views her as a nosy old lady even the vicar at the start of the book. But by the end he comes to respect her keen observation powers and skills at deduction. Miss Marple is an example to us all.

I don't remember reading this book though I'm sure I did so I couldn't remember the solution. It was simple yet not at all obvious like most of Christie's mysteries. I didn't remember it being from the vicar's view point but I liked that. He had the most clues and was the most involved so it makes sense. Now I feeling like a mystery kick and will have to grab a few more Agatha Christie mysteries.