Rereading Favorite Books #AtoZChallenge

I'm rereading (listening to) The Passage in preparation for the third book in the series, The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin. (Woohoo, can't wait!!)

I have reread The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon several times as well. Outlander is the of two books that I reread as soon as I'd finished it. Atlas Shrugged was the other. 

There are several other books, usually series, that I have reread several times over the years. Some of them, like The Belgariad and the Malloron, by David Eddings, I used to read almost annually for about twenty years.

The Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony is another that is eminently re-readable.

I almost always pick up on new things when I reread a book - foreshadowing I didn't notice before and other small details.

What books do you love to read over and over?

Hunger Games #AtoZChallenge

Have you watched the Hunger Games movies? They are very well done and most enjoyable. How about the books, have you read them? They are very, very well written.

I must admit that the third book left me a little flat. Katniss was so strong in the beginning, but by the third book she's... well she's just not the same. I struggled with how the series ended until I tripped over a blog post that put it all into perspective for me. Katniss suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. Boom... now everything makes so much more sense. In fact, I realized that the third book wasn't disappointing, it was amazing; raw, deep and spot on.

I would imagine that many people suffer from PTSD. Any major stressor that changes your life is bound to leave a scar. Sure, it might not be to the degree portrayed by Katness, or those returning from active duty, but stress always leave a mark.

Many breast cancer survivors suffer from PTSD. When you look in the mirror and expect to see yourself, but instead see a bald, eyebrowless, scarred fat woman it leaves
a mark. But things get better, eventually your hair grows back, you lose the weight, the scars fade and the face in the mirror becomes more familiar again.

So what's the point of today's post... well first, you should read the Hunger Games series, it is excellent. The movies are also fantastic; I love Jennifer Lawrence. And finally... life isn't always easy and stress, no matter how big or how small it may seem to others, leaves its mark. Be kind to yourself and to others. Never lose hope. Some day you'll love the face in the mirror again.

Favorite Things #AtoZChallenge

These are a few of my favorite things...

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - a genre-defying novel that has been one of my favorite books for over 20 years now.

The Starz Outlander series. You can now subscribe to Starz via Amazon Prime, or on its own. MUCH cheaper than cable. They have done an amazing job with the Outlander series so far. I am so glad that no one tried to cram this amazing novel into a 2 hour movie; 15 hours is barely enough time.

Audible.com - I drive 2+ hours a day and audio books have changed my life. Where I used to suffer from road rage, I now enjoy my drive because it's entertaining. If I'm in the middle of a particularly good book, which is the norm, I'm almost glad when it lasts a little longer. If you travel at all, I cannot recommend audio books enough. Plus, Audible has amazing sales - Two for One, Daily Deals less than $5, somehow they're always sucking me into another, amazing series. Great service.

These two... they complete me :)

Books to Time Travel With #AtoZChallenge

I recently started reading/listening to the Chronicles of St. Mary's by Jodi Taylor and haven't been able to stop bingeing on them since. I'm now on book six of the series and am already looking forward to the seventh, which comes out next month.

I stumbled upon the series a few years ago actually, bought the first book (very likely on sale) and never got around to listening to it. Although I listen to audiobooks for two plus hours a day, I never get caught up because Audible has so many good sales.

The Chronicles of St. Mary's is centered around a group of eccentric, accident prone historians who travel back in time to witness historical events. They never intend to get involved, but often find themselves in some sort of trouble, right in the thick of things. The main character, Max, is hilarious; she's got amazing wit, is very smart and has me laughing and slapping my steering wheel every day. I like her so much, I want to be more like her.

I also recently read Jodi Taylor's The Nothing Girl, which was also fabulous. Jenny has a stutter and very low self-confidence and at the lowest point of her life finds a friend in a golden horse only she can see... ok, I admit that's a bit odd, but somehow Ms. Taylor makes it work perfectly. Jenny's family is overprotective and intent on keeping her sheltered, but a chance meeting has her breaking away from her solitary existence and taking a chance on actually living her life. I highly recommend it.

I admit, I've been a sucker for time travel books since I was a teenager. Do you like the genre? Which one is your favorite? Mine is Outlander, but I could rattle off dozens of others too :)

I just wanted a little more Joe Ledger...

I've mentioned Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series before - Joe is a former cop and Army Ranger who now works for a the mysterious Mr. Church in an elite, secret government agency. These books are gripping, the action is non-stop, the characters are well written and you won't come up for air until you've made it through all of them. The good news, the series isn't over yet. The bad news, there are only seven books in the series so far, plus several handfuls of short stories.

Does that sound like a lot? It's not... I wanted more.

So I started reading the Rot & Ruin series because I'd read that Joe was in them... even if he didn't appear until the third of the four book series. I figured he'd just have a cameo, but frankly that would still have made me happy.

It sort of makes me sad too... Joe saved the world several times from doomsday plots, but apparently at some point he failed. A little more than thirteen years later we meet Benny Imura, a fifteen year old living in the zombie-infested Rot & Ruin. Benny was 18-months old the world as we know it ended forever and the zombie apocalypse began.

Don't let the age of the main character, nor the series' young adult "status" scare you off, these books are fantastic. Once I started listening to the audiobooks I couldn't stop; not only did I listen to and from work, but in the evenings as well.

By the way, listening to an audiobook, drinking a glass of wine and putting together a puzzle may be one of the most enjoyable and relaxing things you'll ever do.

But I digress... If there's one thing Maberry is a master at, it's writing characters. Within just a few sentences he can create characters that are unique, interesting and that you want to know more about. The action, emotions and realism in his novels is also top notch; and that's saying a lot considering that he sprinkles in a good dose of the supernatural in his stories.

Oh, and as for Joe... well his appearance was very much not a cameo. He's back with his wonderful wry sense of humor, non-stop-action and stories about "First Night" that will have me reading future Joe Ledger novels holding my breath because now I know how things ultimately turn out for him.

I'd suggest you read Joe's novels first, then follow with the Rot & Ruin series. However the two series, although connected, can be read independently of each other - but really,you won't want to.

Ledger, Joe Ledger - Amazing Series by Johnathan Maberry #AtoZChallenge

Joe Ledger is a character in a series of novels by Johnathan Maberry. Currently there are seven books in the series and several novellas as well.

Joe works for a covert government agency that tackles global threats like madmen looking to unleash a zombie-virus epidemic using super high-tech gadgets, ingenuity and a very healthy dose of dry wit and sarcasm. I have listened to all of these novels on audiobook and frankly I think that makes them even better. Ray Porter does the narration and trust me when I say that he could read the phone book and make it compelling. Fantastic voice actor.

If you like action, adventure, sci-fi, strong characters, interesting story lines and a whole lot of fun you should definitely check out these books.

Extremely Average Brian Meeks is not #AtoZChallenge

A few years ago I met Brian Meeks on Twitter - he goes by @ExtremlyAvg. But I assure you, average this writer is not.

On January 2nd 2010 Brian made a promise to himself that he'd blog every day. First he started with a story about a detective set in 1955. Since that day not only has he blogged every day, he has written and published nine novels in several different genres with a wide variety of fun, interesting characters. 

To suggest that I admire him would be to put it too lightly. I am constantly amazed by what he has accomplished and I have purchased every book he's published so far. 

I highly recommend you check out Brian's books.

 If you like Mystery, there's the Henry Wood Detective series.

 Satire more your speed? Be sure to read Underwood, Scotch and Wry.

But my favorite so far is Killing Hemingway, and not just because the main tortoise character was inspired by my Russian Tortoise NomNom, but because it's just a great novel. 

Books - where some of my best friends live #AtoZChallenge

I was puttering around the house the other day and the thought crossed my mind that I missed Polgara. And then I remembered that Polgara is a character in a series of novels, not actually someone that I know.

And yet... I do know her. She is one of my very favorite characters and up until recently I had made a point to visit her, and the rest of the gang, every year since she first appeared in 1986.

If you haven't met Polgara, you can find her living in the pages of David Eddings' series The Belgariad and The Malloreon. Tell her I said "hi" please.

Another of my best friends... Claire Fraser. I'm willing to guess more people know her, with the popularity of the Outlander series on Starz. It's always hard when a movie or series is made from a beloved book, but despite the inevitable changes to the story they've done an excellent job.

Series books are my favorite, likely because I don't have to let the characters go as quickly. I'm not sure if it's a sign of a book lover, or an introvert (or both?), that I would rather spend time with certain fictional characters than actual people.

Who is your favorite book character? Is it possible to pick only one?

V is for Veronica Roth #AtoZChallenge

Have you read the Divergent series by Veronica Roth? If you haven't, you need to stop what you're doing and go read it - seriously. Better yet, listen to Emma Galvin read it to you on Audiobook. 

They recently released the first movie of the series and it was really good, but as you know the book is (almost) always better than the movie.

Tris, the main character, has just turned 16. She lives in a dystopian world in Chicago's future and must choose which of the five factions she wants to belong to. The tagline for the book is "One choice can transform you" and so it does... Tris begins a journey of self-discovery that leads her to "ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another".

Tris, Four, Christina, Will and the others are the types of characters that stay with you.

Excellent. I wish the series had never ended. However, if you haven't read them, you're in luck - you won't have to wait forever for the sequels to come out. :)

S is for Maria V. Snyder #AtoZChallenge

Yet another great author that Audible is responsible for me finding - you see, sometimes when you use your credits they give you the opportunity to purchase a book for $4.95. Some of those books - usually the ones that sound really interesting - are a part of a series and zoop! I get sucked in.

So anyway, the first book by Snyder that I read was Poison Study. A young lady, about to be executed for murder, is offered a job as the food tester for Commander of Ixia. Why does he need a food tester? Because people routinely try to poison him. Bonus, the chief of security feeds her a poison that will kill her if she doesn't take the antidote daily - thus keeping her from running away.

These books are set in a world filled with Magic, intrigue and mystery. Poison Study is the first of three books - and I highly recommend the series.

Next I read Touch of Power, another books set in a Magical land. Avry is a Healer - in addition to herbal medicine, she can assume the wounds or diseases of her patients into herself, thereby healing them. The bad news, there was a huge plague that killed off a huge portion of the population and the Healers were blamed for it. So, all of the Healers have been hunted down and killed.

Avry becomes deeply entrenched in the various plots to rule what's left of the world. Luckily all three books of this series are out, so you can tear through them one after the other with no waiting!

You can read more about these, and Snyder's other books, on her website here: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books.php

I should note that I listened to these on audiobook. They were narrated by Garbra Zackman and very well done.

M is for Jonathan Maberry #AtoZChallenge

Here we are, half way through the AtoZChallenge! Pretty proud of myself :)

 I saw this on Corinne O'Flynn's blog and had to share it

I mentioned Jonathan Maberry in my D is for Dystopian post the other day and now that I am on book three of his Joe Ledger series I have determined that he deserves his own post. 

Apparently my taste is books is morphing, because I find myself leaning more towards these types of books lately. There's very little romance, a lot of crazy and powerful bad guys, quite a lot of fighting and gore, zombies (although only in the first book, so far) and a secret government agency. 

The characters Maberry writes are excellent. Joe has a wry sense of humor, even at the worst of times. Church, the leader of the agency, is as bad-ass and mysterious as they come, but is rarely without vanilla wafers to nibble on. Then there are Grace, Rudy, Bunny, Topp and Dr. Hu - each with their own quirks and rich personalities. All in all, great books. 

So far there are six books in the Joe Ledger series and Maberry has another series I plan to check out when I'm done with the one called Rot & Ruin, a four book series set in a "zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America". 

If you like action/adventure stories, this series is for you. Also, the narrator of the audio books, Ray Porter is excellent. I would listen to just about any book this guy has read.

In fact, before I started on the Joe Ledger series, I had listened to 14 by Peter Clines. 14 was a really good, and very unusual book; along the lines of John Dies at the End.

J is for Jumping Around (through Time) #AtoZChallenge

I have read/listened to several time travel novels over the past few years. This is a genre that I have long enjoyed. As much as I love my technology, there's something compelling about going back (or perhaps forward) in time. And further how little actions can cause huge ripples through time.

Years and years ago, one of my favorite authors was Constance O'Day Flannery who writes time travel romance. I still own all of her books from the 80s and 90s, and have read them all several times. It looks like many of her books have been re-released. If you're a time travel romance lover, you'll enjoy these. Timeless Passion was my favorite.

Side note... most of the books I "read" these days are audiobooks and let me tell you... listening to romance novels is not for the weak of heart. In fact, I generally avoid them now, because it's just... uncomfortable to listen to sex scenes while driving in my car. But hey, if you like that stuff, you go for it! :)

Time and Again by Jack Finney was an interesting and quirky novel all around. There was time travel (of course), a mystery, a murder, how the past links to the future and a little romance to keep things interesting. Great book.

No grouping of time travel books would be complete without Stephen King's 11-22-63. I've been interested in the JFK Assassination story since high school. My all-time favorite teacher, Mr. Also, spent a whole week on the topic my Sophomore year and I was hooked.

This book wasn't just about the assassination though, it was so much more. And no, there are no freaky clowns in sewers in this book, it's virtually monster free... but as you may know, no King book is ever 100% monster free. It's just that most of his monsters dwell in the minds of mankind.

Replay by Ken Grimwood is a completely different kind of time travel. Our main character, Jeff, dies at age 43 and wakes up in his 18-year old body. His memory is intact, but he is again living his life from age 18. He has the opportunity to change his life completely, because he knows how his choices turned out the first time around. Interesting concept, no? It's a book that will make you think about your own life and the choices that brought you to where you are today.

To Say Nothing of the Dog: or, How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last by Connie Willis is "a comedic romp through an unpredictable world of mystery, love and time travel". I really enjoyed this book, it was so sweet and quirky and funny. The characters were well done and hilarious. The story was interesting from beginning to end. Loved it!

And finally... Outlander by Diana Gabladon. Have you read this series? There are only two books that I have read through, then immediately started over again and this is the first of them. Wow... you can smell the dirt and hear the horses in these books. Be sure to clear some time for these books, they're long and will suck you in so deeply that you'll lost sight of just about everything else. Superb! I've read and reread these books, and then I bought the audio versions and listened to them too!

Exciting news! Starz is making these books into a series that starts this summer. I am hoping to figure out some way to watch - since we don't have cable.

Have you read any time travel books? Have any recommendations? Let's hear them! :)

I is for The Iron Druid Chronicles #AtoZChallenge

The Iron Druid Chronicles is (yet another!) favorite series of mine, written by Kevin Hearne. I honestly think these books are probably better on audiobook... why? Because the voice actor, Luke Daniels, does a fantastic job with these books. That and Oberon...

The series is about a 2,000 year old Druid named Atticus O'Sullivan. Sorry, no vampires in this series, but there are plenty of Gods from Mythology, Magic and a whole lot of humor to make up for it. Oberon is Atticus' Wolfhound; and while Oberon doesn't really talk, Atticus can converse with him (because he's a Druid). Their conversations, and Oberon's observations, provide great comic relief for the story, even when drama is high. These books are action packed and highly recommended for all audiences.

I think I stumbled over the first book (Hounded) because it was on sale - Audible is always having sales (and sucking me into series books!) - and I bought all of the other books in the series just as soon as my monthly credits rolled in.

As an added bonus, the book covers are also easy on the eye...

Yum!

You can follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook, and Oberon on Twitter. Happy reading!

H is for Harrison and Harkness #AtoZChallenge

Two of my favorite authors grace today's post... Kim Harrison and Deborah Harkness.

Kim Harrison writes The Hollows books - there are currently 12 books in this series, with a 13th and final book due out early next year. I stumbled over Ms. Harrison on Audible.com because of a sale on a collection of her short stories titled Into the Woods. I was intrigued by her alternate reality world and quickly sucked into the world she has created. These books live in today's world, but in an alternate reality where instead of jumping into the Space Race, we jumped into genetic engineering. An accidental release of a virus then killed off much of the human population, revealing to the world that witches, vampires, werewolves and other non-human's really do exist.

If you like Stephanie Plum, you'll love Rachel Morgan.

Then there's Deborah Harness. The third, and final, novel in her All Souls trilogy is due out in July and I can't wait! These books also feature witches and vampires, but these ones are still largely hidden from society. Throw in a little time travel, a few mysteries and the fact that vampires are basically immortal - plus a dash of forbidden love and you'll find yourself glued to these books, and very likely looking up some of the history and art online. Ms. Harkness is a history professor and her love of libraries and history shines through.

I recommend both of these authors without reservation. I am looking forward to the final book in both of these series, but am also dreading seeing the great characters they write leave.

B is for Books #AtoZChallenge

As you likely know, I love books. Ever since my dad handed me a Nancy Drew novel when I was 7, I have been hooked. I was that kid who stayed up way past bedtime with a flashlight reading under the covers.

Nowadays I do most of my "reading" during my commute. Just about everyone asks me how I can stand driving two plus hours a day (one to work, one back). and the answer is simple... audiobooks. As much as I love books, I love audiobooks even more!

Here are a few of my favorites that I have listened to over the past year...

I read IT by Stephen King as a teenager, and basically avoided his books after that. However, since I am quite the JFK buff, I had to get this time travel novel. What would happen if someone attempted to stop the JFK assassination?? Sign me up! Great books

Which lead me to...

Wow, this book was just fascinating! Suddenly an entire town is cut off from the outside world inside this huge bubble. It's a compelling journey into how people react under pressure. This novel is going to be made into a mini-series sometime soon.

By this time I was fascinated by Stephen King novels. Not enough to listen to IT, or The Shining, or any of his other scary novels, but he has quite a few that don't involve creepy clowns, like...

The Dark Tower series has seven books in it. The series is now complete, so it's a good time to check it out... i.e. no waiting for the next book to come out! 

These links will take you to Amazon, not to Audible.com, in case you still read books. However, if you have a long drive, or want to listen to a book while you clean the house (seriously, you get soooo much done, without hardly even realizing you're doing it!) then I highly recommend audiobooks. Audible.com typically has an offer of one or two free books if you sign up - no obligation. That's how they hooked me - three or four years ago :)

And here's today's Picture of the Day - On the Wall (had I found a Bug on the wall - tonight's post would have been totally different LOL). You can see my collection of JFK Assassination Conspiracy books up on the top here and that envelope under the bear? In there are newspaper clippings my grandmother saved from the days after... how's that for neat?? :)

One of my bookcases... on the wall... :)

I - #AtoZChallenge #PhotoadayApril

I was trying to figure out what I could blog about for "I", when suddenly I thought... heeeey, I could blog about Igloos!

Which made me think about one of my very favorite books growing up "The Penguin that Hated the Cold".

A few of my other favorites too. Now many of them are Angie's favorites :)

You see Pablo, the penguin, never did like the cold much. After several failed attempts he managed to sail a piece of ice, and later his bathtub (who knew igloos were so well furnished??) to the tropics where he made an igloo from palm leaves and lived out his days on a nice sunny beach.

And it just so happens that today's photo challenge is cold. Kismet!

I have such wonderful memories of reading these books growing up, and am tickled that I still have them and can share them with my daughter. Who else remembers these books?

My Thoughts on Atlas Shrugged

In January I discovered Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand on Audible.com. Wow... incredible book.

In fact, it was so incredible that I immediately listed to it again. All sixty hours of it. That translates to over 1,000 pages if you read the book.

I have heard it said that Atlas Shrugged is the second most influential book next to the Bible. I can believe it. I wish I had read it 20 years ago. It helped me to define various concepts that I have struggled with in building my own philosophy. I highly recommend it!

If you haven't read the book, but think you hate it, Ayn Rand and everything they have to say - go read it before you make up your mind based on what others have said.

If you watched the movie, let me tell you they cut out so much of the book I have no clue what conclusions you may have drawn. Don't let the movie, which I assume left you very confused, dissuade you from reading the book.

If fact, if you have a commute at all I highly recommend you get the audio book read by Scott Brick. His rendition of the book is phenomenal. He's a great voice actor.

Of note, some of the concepts I enjoyed exploring the most were:

• the sanction of the victim - we allow people to make us feel guilty
• what money really represents - it is a symbol of the value we offer to others
• going on a mental strike - I think this may link to the modern day "disengaged employee" 
• rational selfishness - by being selfish you put yourself in a position where you can help others

I cannot recommend this book enough. It has changed my outlook on life. I have read a lot of great books, but this one really spoke to me.

After listening to it twice, I then followed up with Diana Hsieh's podcasts about the book - there are 20 of them. Also highly recommended!

Ode to Series Books

Gosh, now that I've reached the big Oh-6 (followers that is) I guess I should actually start posting regularly again. We can't all be as cool, or as talented and pretty as Elizabeth, but I suppose we can try. :)

Alrighty then, I was going to post about Vampires, social media and thinking outside the box or possibly about how my social media efforts at work are going, but instead I decided to write today about series books.

I LOVE series books. It is quite possible that this love was born when I was seven, which would put it as an almost 32 year old obsession (no wait... almost 33 years... yikes!), born from reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books. It might give you a glimpse into my personality - I have often remarked that some of my best friends live within the pages of my favorite books. Series books allow me to spend more time with those friends. I was an only child and we moved around a lot, is it any wonder?

Anyways, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite series books.

Besides Nancy and Trixie, the first series I recall collecting is the Xanth series from Piers Anthony. Unfortunately the series grew tiresome and far too "punny" at some point, but it was several books in (in the teens I'm certain) and the first several books are VERY good.

Yes, when I say series books, I'm not talking about a single sequel, but three or more books. To me, the more, the better - if they're well written.

David Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorian series, along with the Belgarath and Polgara books and the compendium, total 13 books and if he released another today I'd be first in line to buy it. In fact, I'm actually listening to Polgara's book on audiobook right now.

Another series by Piers Anthony is the Incarnations of Immortality. Death, Fate, Nature, Time, War and even Good and Evil all have their own book. Excellent series that you can read on two levels - simple enjoyment or a deeper level that will leave you thinking.

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. These books are very detailed, but they draw you in very deeply. The first time I read Outlander I literally finished the last page and started reading it over again. I mentioned these books in my last post too. If I were stuck on a desert island, Outlander is the book I'd want with me.

Kay Hooper's Bishop series is also excellent. It's about FBI agents who each have some psychic ability. Enthralling books.

There's William Diehl and Thomas Harris with their serial killer series'. Oh, and who could forget Jeff Linsday's Dexter series or Kathy Reich's Temperance Brennan series? Then there are the romance series books - Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Balogh, Stephanie Laurens (I think I have the most of her books out of any author - 32!), Julia Quinn.. they all have really well done series books.

Which reminds me. If you have an iPod/iPad/iPhone and a book collection, or simply love to read and are tired of buying books you already have because they changed the cover and re-released it check out my very favorite app - Book Crawler. This simple to use database helped me catalog my entire library (close to 900 books) in just a few hours. Finally, after thirty years, I have a running list of the books I own that I have with me all the time - and I cannot tell you how happy that makes me! Is it possible to be a book geek? :) I think I'm just so very happy to be able to read for pleasure again, I'm almost giddy with it!

Books that Make me Look Forward to Driving

I drive approximately two hours a day - one to work, one back. Two years ago I took Amazon up on their offer of $100 off an iPod if I subscribed to Audible for a year... and I have haven't look back.

I used to spend those two hours listening to the news - and often getting angry - - or worse dissecting my day and agonizing over conversations and other things that I couldn't change anyways. Now, I allow myself to be enveloped into books.

This was especially wonderful while I was finishing college, because there was no time for pleasure reading. Instead of two wasted hours a day, I could "read" books - something I LOVE to do anyways.

So as I was reaching the end of my latest novel, I got to thinking about how several of the books I've "read" over the past two years actually had me looking forward to my commute and I thought I'd share them with you.

First, since it's freshest in my mind, is The Passage by Justin Cronin. Wow, this was an incredible book. It's the first of a trilogy, and I can't wait for the others. This novel had me dying to know what was going to happen next, while simultaneously dreading it ending. His characters are interesting and very memorable. The story is believable - frighteningly so, since it's about the end of the world as we know it. You could call it a vampire novel, but that hardly does it justice.

Along the same lines - end of the world as we know it, not vampires - are Daemon and Freedom by Daniel Suarez. A computer genius unleashes a computer virus upon his death that dismantles the world as we know it. Daemon will horrify you, but Freedom, the sequel, will leave you inspired. These books left me begging my friends to read them so I'd have someone to talk to them about. Amazing books. They're pretty high-tech, but every technology Suarez put in the book exists today.

Innocent Traitor is the story of Lady Jane Grey. Even if you don't recall her history (she was briefly the Queen of England) the book begins with her final hours. This is a poignant and mostly historically accurate book. Alison Weir has a reputation for bringing her historical heroines to life and she certainly does with Jane. By the end you're hoping it will end differently, but you know it won't - yet you'll listen to every last word.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger was very well written, and read. The audiobook is read by both a man and a woman, back and forth. I'd have to say that all of these books were even better because they were read aloud to me, but this one was one of the best. Again, I was dying to know what was going to happen next, while dreading the end. I watched the movie and it did very little justice to the book.

Dan Brown's Angels & Demons, The DaVinci Code and The Lost Symbol. All were really good books, I'd already read the first two in print. They were all mesmerizing. But heck, hasn't everyone read these by now? Hardly worth mentioning. :)

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris was hilariously funny, if somewhat short. Read by the author. Very enjoyable.

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I've read them all, some several times, but listening to Claire (Davina Porter) was incredible. It's a crying shame that two of the books are only available abridged and are read by a different person - and thus I refused to buy them. I recommend Gabaldon's books to just about anyone. She writes so vividly that you can hear the horses and smell the dust.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Again with the end of the world, but this book is hilarious! I'd read it years ago and highly recommend it. An Angel and Demon bungle the Apocolypse, everyone has lost track of the Anti-Christ (he's 11) and Agnes predicted it all ages ago, if people would just listen.

And last, but certainly not least, The Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay is well written and well narrated. If you've watched the Showtime series, you really should read the books that inspired it. The two deviate early on, but the books give you a much better understanding of our Dear Dexter.

So if you see me dashing to my car at the end of the day or sitting with the engine idling when I pull in, ask me what book I'm "reading", chances are it's a good one.